Dec 26-30: 4th Test - Australia v England at Melbourne

[formula1man]

Hopefully the selectors take a chance for Sydney if we lose, its time to permanantly move to the next generation of Australian cricket.

Watson
Cosgrove
Khawaja
Marsh
D. Hussey
Robinson
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Siddle/Bollinger

Ferguson has no form of career stats to back up his selection, but keep an eye on him.

I Reckon give Blizzard a go
also Nic Maddinson, why not he's young and is in form
Stick with Hughes and Clarke but they need to go to domestic cricket to improve their form

So if I would make a 21 man squad to invest in the future with I would go with

Watson
Cosgrove
Khawaja
Marsh
D. Hussey
Robinson
Clarke
Ferguson
Hughes
Blizzard
Maddinson
Haddin
Paine
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Siddle
Bollinger
Cameron
Starc
Doherty

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

will England give Ponting a guard of honour in the second innings to commemorate his last ever test?

 

[Varun]

I can only see the Aussies losing by an innings now.

 

[Lee1981]

I can hear that fat lady singing....

 

[RoboRocks]

Ponting has been fined 40% of his match fee. He should consider himself very lucky in my opinion, since he's had repeated offenses related to questioning officials.

 

[Roofrom50]

Ponting has been fined 40% of his match fee. He should consider himself very lucky in my opinion, since he's had repeated offenses related to questioning officials.

I thought he was very lucky as well. Way out of line, could/should of been heaps more pay out from Ponting's pocket.

 

[aus_maestro]

No idea what Ponting was trying to accomplish with all that, was a bit embarassing tbh. Well, we've messed up this test pretty bad, England should be all set to keep the ashes. Hope we don't see Phillip Hughes near the test side for a good while.

 

[Sureshot]

Siddle should've been fined too. Good day for England, position is getting stronger, even with the Bell/Colly failure and Cook/Strauss adding nothing from overnight position.

Bat on tomorrow, get a lead of 500 just after lunch and put them in. Excellent stuff from Trott and important runs for Prior.

 

[War]

tbh, I don't have much respect for sheffield shield anymore. The bowlers are toothless and inconsistent, the batsmen that are coming in with reputations as run machines look shoddy and almost untrained.

Shield doesn't look the strongest FC comp anymore imo. don't think the pitches they are playing on are up to much, whereas in england there is a lot of variety week to week.

Not at all sir. What gives you this impression abut shield cricket. Look at this recent FC match before the 1st Ashes test:

New South Wales v Victoria at Sydney, Nov 10-13, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

You wont find a domestic match in any other country with such strong domestic sides ever. Plus NSW could have been stronger if Katich & Bollinger where fit to play.

AUS domestic cricket is still clealry the best & top players still play shiled cricket young & old, England is not as good. The problem with AUS cricket has i've consistently said, is that in this post McGrath/Warne era since 2008, is the selectors are have picking the wrong sides, which is one of the main reasons for AUS poor performances in that time period.

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^ spot on.
Just look at Smith and Hughes. If they are the premiere shield batsmen to come out in recent times then it really must be going down the crapper. Australian cricket in general is on the decline. and now with CA focusing on Twenty20, I don't see them making a Test comeback anytime soon.

Too early to be casting such a judgement on Hughes & Smith. ALthough i'm in the camp that believes Smith isn't the finished article as yet.

 

[War]

Cricket Australia > Latest News > News

Interesting. Steve Bernard has been manager i think since i started watching cricket during the 97 Ashes.

 

[MUFC1987]

Seems strange to see pure desperation from Ponting today. I think he knows his career in Tests is essentially over if the Ashes are lost/drawn. I especially like how he went up to Pietersen as though he'd middled the ball to cover and was refusing to budge. Embarrassing and should have been banned.

Good day for us though, Trott is a machine.

 

[Themer]

How Ponting isn't banned is beyond me, disgusting behaviour which has pretty much marred what is now almost certain to be his final series.

Think this game pretty much ends the four seamers idea as the massive flaws have been shown that if it isn't a seamers pitch you're going to bowl your quicks into the ground or have to rely on joke half time spinners to bowl 21 overs going for 3.95 runs.

 

[War]

How Ponting isn't banned is beyond me, disgusting behaviour which has pretty much marred what is now almost certain to be his final series.

Think this game pretty much ends the four seamers idea as the massive flaws have been shown that if it isn't a seamers pitch you're going to bowl your quicks into the ground or have to rely on joke half time spinners to bowl 21 overs going for 3.95 runs.

SMH. Yes because without a doubt if AUS had played any one of Hauritz/O'Keefe/Doherty/Holland, ENG would haev been bowled out already.

 

[Themer]

Yes because without a doubt if AUS had played any one of Hauritz/O'Keefe/Doherty/Holland, ENG would haev been bowled out already.

That being my point entirely.

 

[War]

That being my point entirely.

Funny guy you are sir Themer.