Two T20Is: England v Australia

[angryangy]

You could tell with Warner mistiming a dozen pulls that it was going to be a low scorer and then when Collingwood was able to get the ball to spit off the cracks, something freakish really threatened to happen. However, it was a freakish innings of a different kind, with White relishing a bit of extra responsibility to come up with his first 50 in 35 innings for Australia. When only 6 fours were scored in 20 overs, anyone hitting the ball 90+ metres was incredible. Clarke also showed that partnerships are still important in T20, he resisted the temptation to try to play an innings that simply wasn't on and helped get to a total which suited the conditions. Unfortunately those conditions eventually descended on the ground and finished the game, but Australia would be pleased that their much maligned T20 side appears to be evolving in the right direction.

It was also disappointing to see a potentially exciting final half rubbed out. As with other forms of cricket, it's not the matches with brainless batsman domination which make you come back, it's these low scoring ones where boundaries and wickets have a seemingly equal prospect of occurring.

 

[aussie1st]

Looked like our pacemen were on their hit day, too bad we couldn't finish the game to see what sort of damage they could produce.

 

[Hooper]

Cameron White is an absolute legend. I love him.

Your judgement on legends is atrocious.

White vice captain? Unbelievable.

 

[irottev]

White's alright at T20 and so long as he doesn't bowl. Otherwise he's rubbish.

 

[Jeetoo]

England were saved by the rain there, once again Ravi Bopara has failed only managing 1 run.

 

[piriyanth]

Clarke slowed us down imo, if itsn't for him we would've scored more than 145.

 

[Howsie]

Clarke slowed us down imo, if itsn't for him we would've scored more than 145.

Or you could of finished on 120-8. Clarke did a job and helped get Australia to a decent total.

 

[pcfan123]

Brett Lee looked fantastic, great job leaving him out of the Ashes:sarcasm

 

[Owzat]

Can't believe these are being played before the ODIs, or that this is another BH weekend with one match on the Sat-Mon.

England are poor at T20, picking different players every time and despite supposedly being T20 specialists, how do they fare? Bopara must now be averaging something like 12 for England in all competitions against Australia and Ireland this summer. Plenty of bits n pieces cricketers but noone who takes hold of a game by the balls.

As for early comments about 'revenge', England are not good at one day cricket so we don't expect to win, but we'll take little urn and you can have half a dozen ODI series and all the T20s you like. I think the last three Ashes have gone thus :

2005

Ashes : England 2-1 Australia
ODIs : England 1-2 Australia (Natwest Challenge)
ODIs : England 1-1 Australia (Natwest Series ENG/BAN/AUS, England-Australia final tied)

06/07

Ashes : Australia 5-0 England
ODIs : England 3-3 Australia (CBS Series ENG/AUS/NZE, England won final 2-0)

2009

Ashes : England 2-1 Australia
ODIs : probably going to be won by Australia

As for T20s, who cares? I think TMS mentioned we've played four, England won the first one in 2005 by 100 runs as I recall and I think they said the aussies won the two down under in 06/07. Personally I would have played the ODIs then the T20s so you have a progression from longest to shortest format of the game, and of course as the evenings get darker it makes more sense to squeeze the shortest games in later. What odds the ODI series is decimated by the weather? Obviously the thinking is less on logic, more on marketing, not that I think much of having a BH weekend with just ONE big seller of a match and no match on Monday (although traffic might have been more of a mare today, since when did the organisers care about joe public?)

 

[sifter132]

Or you could of finished on 120-8. Clarke did a job and helped get Australia to a decent total.

Agree with this. Clarke did exactly the job he should have done on that pitch and with 3 wickets going down fairly early. He was always going to be in the supporting role: first to Warner, then to White. He doesn't need to flog it when those 2 sloggers are in.

Unfortunately those conditions eventually descended on the ground and finished the game, but Australia would be pleased that their much maligned T20 side appears to be evolving in the right direction.

I particularly loved the selection for the Aussies. Good balance with 4 REAL bowlers ie. not James Hopes at #8, with Watson/Hussey/White to handle the other 4 overs. And one of the bowlers was a spinner (Hauritz I'm talking about, not White haha)! Yes, that is the way to go in my opinion.

Batting order was pretty good too. Clarke seems to fit best at #3 as he can provide solidity after a quick wicket. Of course, Haddin and Ponting would be useful and would replace Voges and Paine in our #1 side. And if it were me, Ponting would go back to #4 behind Clarke or possibly go up to open if Watson would prefer a middle order role like he played for Rajasthan. It's a pet theory which I always mention, but I'd love to see Ricky give opening a go in the T20s.

Despite all the hype, Warner seems a pretty decent T20 opener but if he doesn't work they can always go back to Shaun Marsh. Then Dave/Mike Hussey at #4/5 with Haddin and White to follow would be a good team.

 

[aussie1st]

Clarke was good for our current lineup but I don't think hes needed when we get Ponting and Hussey back. Ponting is more capable of producing that up tempo knock as hes done on numerous occasions in the ODI arena and if Hussey is still around then hes a better fit than Clarke. Ferguson should be made for the T20 format with his placement, should be a matter of time before he breaks into the side.

 

[angryangy]

Poor old Shaun Marsh. Was set to get a lot of chances, but started getting injured.

 

[angryangy]

Also, I think it's obvious now that White is favoured to take on the role left by Symonds, who was similarly groomed a long time before realising his potential.

 

[Howsie]

Also, I think it's obvious now that White is favoured to take on the role left by Symonds, who was similarly groomed a long time before realising his potential.

Yea that's what I was thinking watching this match (Finding out he was VC). White's still fairly young, Symonds might of been a tad older when he made that 100 in the 2003 WC.

 

[aussie1st]

Well they gave Dussey his chance to cement the spot for a while but he didn't deliver so they went back to White. If he doesn't produce again that could be his opportunity gone as there is a few players pushing for ODI selection.