England in Australia

[puddleduck]

I am currently trying to work out why all the commentators were going on about Giles bowling well. Not once did he actually look like beating the bat, and the only wicket he got was essentially gifted to him by Marytn. As I have made clear throughout this thread, Fletcher has made three massive, and key, mistakes, and so far two out of three of those are coming back to haunt England.

Giles may have got that one wicket and been reasonably tight, but who's to say Panesar wouldn't have been just as tight and picked up an extra wicket or two. It says it all really when Pietersen was turning the ball more, and beating the edge more often than our supposed frontline spinner. Fair enough well played the Australian batsman but England really started this test with a mindset that said go on Aussies bat for as long as you want.

I was moaning to my mate from ball one that our field was too defensive. With a new ball in Australia you have to pack your slip cordon and say well if they pick up a few boundaries so what, the new ball will die within 10 overs and we will have plenty of time to go defensive, as it was Langer scored 20 odd runs in that time all through the rather thin slip cordon and from there was always going to look more assured.

Yet again negative captaincy from Freddie, and negative selection from Fletcher. This test is now Australias to lose, and the series will be a case of catch up for England.

Also, Giles will probably get a couple of wickets in the test and that will be his place for the rest of the series, I am so dissapointed with Fletch it is unbelievable

 

[aussie1st]

Giles was lot more attacking that what the commentators saw from the last Ashes hence they felt he was more attacking with his flight. I don't think they said he was more threatening however and I'm sure most of them would still have wanted Monty over Giles.

 

[puddleduck]

I'm sure they would Aussie, but Botham, Gower and the Athers, Lloyd as well were going on about his performance as one of the high points for England. Fair enough there weren't many else to mention, but at the end of the day he has one wicket at 51 which is hardly world beating.

The ease with which Ponting and especially Hussey used their feet to him to milk the singles was almost embarrasing. Not once did he get the ball to really spin, despite KP finding enough turn at times to go past the outside edge of two very set batsman. They were it seems at times more afraid to use their feet to KP than Giles. Although that said KP was bowling enough balls short and leg-side to not exactly need use of the feet. As I keep saying, Fletcher has made a rod for his own back by making Freddie skipper and picking Giles ahead of Monty, it stinks of lack of confidence and if you can't pick a bowler who outbowled his counterpart for the last year, and instead go for a chap who hasn't played international cricket for 12 months you really are asking for trouble.

When the seamers didn't strike, it was essentially all over, Giles was never going to pick up a couple of middle order wickets and so it proved. I guess it's obvious that you drop that chap who has thus far picked up key middle order wickets of some of the best batting lineups, especially good players of spin, in world cricket. *goes and cries*

 

[kodos]

Haven't read the last few pages but anyone else like the new channel 9 overlay?? Reminds me very much of the channel 4 overlay formerly used in England. It's about damn bloody time 9 had a decent new tv overlay.

Flintoff bowled very well with the 2 wickets but obviously had no support apart from Giles who was economical and looks much better than in 2005. He loops and flights the ball more and perhaps has got some tips from Panesar. This pitch is expected to be a belter for the next 2 days so Australia most likely will get 450-500+. I have a feeling most pitches will be like the one here at the Gabba, whoever wins the toss bats and score 400+ which is a pity to me as it is advantageuous to the team batting first. Nethertheless Ponting especially batted beautifuly, the ball rarely beated his bat and only had one semi lifeline with the Giles LBW which may have just clipped off stump.

 

[wolf]

Massively disappointeing but lets not get too downheatned it is only one day and we can fight back. Hamision needs to bowl a hell of a lot better though, and Anderson too. I am baffled about picking Giles over Panesar, we would have had a better chance of winning this match with Panesar playing.

And nice to see a nice, constructive thread here, no Aussies acting like idiots and no English people slagging our players off.

 

[andrew_nixon]

Sad to see Giles get picked. He must have incriminating photos of Fletcher. How anyone can think someone who averaged almost 60 in the last Ashes series is good enough is beyond me.

You can keep track of Ashley Giles' average in the Official PC Ashley Giles Ashes Average Tracker in my signature.

 

[puddleduck]

Sad to see Giles get picked. He must have incriminating photos of Fletcher. How anyone can think someone who averaged almost 60 in the last Ashes series is good enough is beyond me.

Join the club :

 

[angryangy]

This pitch is expected to be a belter for the next 2 days so Australia most likely will get 450-500+. I have a feeling most pitches will be like the one here at the Gabba, whoever wins the toss bats and score 400+ which is a pity to me as it is advantageuous to the team batting first.

The Gabba usually tightens up significantly on day 2. A bit of extra pace ought to see things tend back towards the bowlers.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Australia should look to bat through until the final stages of tomorrow and post about 650-700. Ponting is capable of making a double-ton and it'd be something special if Hussey were to make a double-ton in his Ashes debut. Clarke will have something to prove and Gilchrist smashing a good 70-80 ball century is not out of the question. You also have the likes of Lee, Warne left who'll continue to frustrate the poms. And then of course, try and bowl England out twice.

 

[kodos]

The Gabba usually tightens up significantly on day 2. A bit of extra pace ought to see things tend back towards the bowlers.

True but this looks and from what the curator says its a much dryer pitch due to the hot sunny conditions in the past couple of weeks, so I'd expect this pitch to be really good to bat till day 3 and from day 4-5 it will be very much suited to spinners.

 

[Iron-Haggis]

By the end of the match, do you think Giles average will have reached the 40 run barrier? Fair enough Giles is a handy bat, but whats the point of playing a guy who will score 10-15 more runs an innings when he will let the opposition score an extra 20-25 an innings.

 

[valvolux]

Hopefully Punter and Huss survive for the majority of the first session tomorrow to give Gilly a look at an older ball.

I was listening to ABC after the match which they've cleverly linked with some English radio show to allow callers from both countries to comment (what are they doing out of bed?). The general consensus from the English callers was that it was a really flat wicket and that it'll probably play out to a draw. Did you see how much turn KP was getting? One SK Warne is playing remember. Would've been interesting to see Panesar..

Good job Brisbane by putting on a dry scorcher to negate any possibility of Hoggard swing. It's a wicket for bowlers who hit the seam - Flintoff was the only one who seemed to have a clue. He bowled well, but I thought that at times when you thought "right about now Vaughan would've brought Flintoff into the attack", he went for someone else...then when he finally brought himself on, he'd take himself straight back off. Some of his spells were way too short, as if he's simply trying to avoid the critisism of producing another marathon effort like he did against Sri Lanka. I thought taking Harmison off after just two overs would've dented his confidence more than anything. It's a test match...it's the first blimming ashes test match - why is he trying to shield him when this pitch, along with maybe the WACA, are the tests where he was supposed to perform best.

Oh yeah, there was some fine displays of England's substitute exploits....Harmison came off, then was brought on to bowl less than a minute after returning to the field. Flintoff came off about 4 overs before he took the first over of the second new ball. Seems the tactics haven't changed much...

 

[irottev]

I'm sure they would Aussie, but Botham, Gower and the Athers, Lloyd as well were going on about his performance as one of the high points for England. Fair enough there weren't many else to mention, but at the end of the day he has one wicket at 51 which is hardly world beating.

He was the second best bowler today. Leave him alone. They were right. Panesar should probably be playing, I agree with you. But give Giles some credit. How much assistance was there for him? How many spinners should have to bowl on a non-spinning track on the first day of a test match for that many overs?????

Sorry, but Harmison, Hoggard and Anderson bowled some trash today. Of course theres some good balls between, Harmison was unlucky not to get one early. They are the ones you should be bitching about. They're the front-line seam bowlers who are meant to get wickets. I thought Harmison was supposed to be threatening. Certainly didn't look like it to me. No aggression, no bouncers. He only bowled 12 overs in the day for god-knows what reason.

I have to say, Flintoff's captaincy was horrible today. They were better off with Strauss by a long shot.

Pretty strong words here. I want to see a compeditive Ashes as much as the next Joe Bloggs. The England bowlers are going to need to improve.

 

[Cricket_60]

Great day to be an Aussie

For England I thought Freddie bowled well but didnt give himself or Steve Harmison enough of a go. Anderson bowled OK in patches but was largely dominated, Hoggard got a bit of swing towards the end but was the same as Anderson for most of the day. Giles wicket was largely down to a mistake by Martyn but bowled much better than most of the others.

Great innings' by Langer, Punter and Huss. We should be set up for around 550 tomorrow.

 

[marapets]

England looked seriously rusty in the bowling dept the best they can hope for is a draw after a poor first day england must must get harmy to fire. as for oz well took their chances ponting looks good!