England in Australia

[PhilD123]

Duncan Fletcher has called Warney "easy pickings". The man is a tool, seriously, does he think before he speaks?

What! Something really strange is going on inside his head at the moment. How can you call someone who took 40 wickets in the last series against you. Also, without Warne's wickets in England's second innings (he took 4 of top 5) England maybe could have drawn the game, as all of the other bowlers look very tired.

 

[Sureshot]

I think we play Warne better than we used to, I think what Fletcher is trying to point out but hasn't properly, is the fact that Warne bowls more bad balls than he used to.

 

[evertonfan]

I've been less scared of Warne in this series than I have been in the past as he seems to be bowling a bit more defensivley than he usually does. However, I am still worried whenever he is brought on because let's face it, a man with 689 wickets isn't easy to play is he? Plus, some of our batsmen are still clueless against him.

 

[puddleduck]

If Warne was easy pickings, Giles was not only picking himself but delivering himself to your door, unpacking himself, and then placing himself in your fruit bowl ready to be eaten.

 

[evertonfan]

If Warne was easy pickings, Giles was not only picking himself but delivering himself to your door, unpacking himself, and then placing himself in your fruit bowl ready to be eaten.

H'd also bring a 6-pack of toilet roll for afterwards too...

In fairness to Fletcher though, maybe he was just trying to show confidence in his players. Maybe he thinks it's testiment to them that he makes this particular statement.

 

[puddleduck]

H'd also bring a 6-pack of toilet roll for afterwards too...

In fairness to Fletcher though, maybe he was just trying to show confidence in his players. Maybe he thinks it's testiment to them that he makes this particular statement.

Or it will just fire Warney up in the same way writing someone like McGrath off does.

There was no reason to say anything really, KP had clearly got on top of Warne, and the batsman played him fairly well, although it says everything of the man that he still got 4 wickets. They should have just let it fester, Australia didn't feel the need to come out before the first test and try and unintentionally fire Harmy up, they just let him live with his own doubts and then rub it in when it goes tits up.

Once again, and this is happening too many times recently, I am left to hope Fletcher knows what he is doing, and not that these are merely the final days of someone long since past their sell-by date.

Basically to actually contribute a serious post for the first time in a while, we did play Warne better than we have done, but at the same time he still got 4 wickets, and we could hardly have played him worse than in the past.

We've come up against a lot of quality spin since the start of the last Ashes, and there has been notable improvement with the exception of the first test in Pakistan where half our batsman got out trying to sweep. Warne was certainly not easy pickings, but he was for the first time in my memory played with some degree of competence by the English batsman.

 

[MUFC1987]

I think the problem with us facing Warne is that we haven't found that happy medium yet. We need to be positive against him. The problem is that in the second innings, Bell and Cook were caught out being defensive and Flintoff and Collingwood went over the top and had a slog. If we get somewhere in between, I think we can play him extremely well. It's a mental thing more than anything in my opinion. Our top six are all more than capable of playing well against him.

 

[Sureshot]

I think Tres has that 'happy medium' you rightly point out we need. Or do I say had?

 

[Gunner786]

warne shouldnt be a threat aslong as england batsmen get very far down the pitch but keep 1 foot in the crease to avoid stumping or lbw

like kp does

i wonder how many times warne has dismissed him on the crease

 

[Andrew G]

With McGrath in doubt for the 2nd Ashes test in Adelaide,
who do you think they'll replace him with???

Stuart MacGill is who I would pick...

Shaun Tait is also a strong possible replacement,
especially so given it's his home ground.

 

[aussie1st]

Oh crap it's deja-vu all over again, if Ponting wins the toss and bowls hmmmm.
It's quite risky playing Tait as we could have a repeat of the 4th and 5th Ashes test last year especially with Lee not in the greatest form, MacGill would be better but we wouldn't have a pace first change option.

 

[cricketmad09]

As long as it aint Johnson im happy.

 

[irottev]

If McGrath in doubt I rekon they should bring back Dizzy!

But everyone already knew I was going to say that.

 

[cricketmad09]

He's injured.

 

[angryangy]

warne shouldnt be a threat aslong as england batsmen get very far down the pitch but keep 1 foot in the crease to avoid stumping or lbw

like kp does

i wonder how many times warne has dismissed him on the crease

...

Aside from the obvious underestimation of Warne, most of England's batsman aren't six foot four. When you're as tall as Bell, you don't get very far down the pitch without taking a foot out of the crease.