Jan 3-7: 5th Test: Australia v England at Sydney

[Griffo]

I scouted him as one for the future but he wont get a go if selectors are smart.. he plays on a road of a wicket 50 percent of the time at Taunton

 

[Collingwood50]

Australia's sportsmanship was dreadful today :s

If Colly must go then I think Hildreth looks good

I'm still not convinced of Morgan's test credentials - Am I just being silly?

Bopara? no.


Amazing effort from everyone in pink. Brilliant
You'd never get this in that game where they spit at the referee and dive a lot

 

[angryangy]

I scouted him as one for the future but he wont get a go if selectors are smart.. he plays on a road of a wicket 50 percent of the time at Taunton

eject! eject!

 

[Owzat]

Everything crossed for Colly - if this is to be his last innings PLEASE let him get a ton!

Should have been dropped, he's just lucky England don't need runs from him. He left England in a tricky position, just as well Cook, Bell and Prior took us from 226/5 to 488/7 with a couple of hundred run partnerships.

re a declaration, I thought perhaps England might push for victory but then I suspect they will bat on and on and on so the draw is safe and the series win secured. Why risk even the slightest chance of a defeat?!?

The aussie bowlers haven't been up to much, blow cold far more often than they blow hot. The batsmen have been a major weakness, I think their innings is apt that FIVE made it past 30 but not to 60, three partnerships of 50+ with a highest of 76 for the 9th wicket. Oh and the irony of "resting"/dropping Johnson who has come back and scored (some) runs and taken wickets. 0/170 in the 1st Test, came back for the last three Tests and has taken plenty of wickets at a good average.

Still, when the aussies have had so many failures this series then why single out that mistake. Hilfenhaus and the spinners have been a disaster, Clarke, Ponting and Hughes have all had poor series with the bat. You can't win a Test series with half the side not performing. I could include North but since he only failed in two Tests and only a handful have done much better would be a bit harsh indeed.

Might be a major overhaul for the aussies next series, in fact I'd make some changes for the ODIs and have a look at some new faces. Sure it may not be Test cricket, but you can still learn a lot about a player

 

[Will Browne]

Oh and the irony of "resting"/dropping Johnson who has come back and scored (some) runs and taken wickets. 0/170 in the 1st Test, came back for the last three Tests and has taken plenty of wickets at a good average.

Phht he's been ridculously inconsistent, at times he's been unplayable, at other times he's bowled like my eighty-five year old grandmother. Who incidentally is French...

 

[Themer]

Probably Morgan or Bopara

Morgan's not bad but Bopara isn't even close to this Test team now after the performances of Taylor, Hildreth and Carberry this year in the CC.

I'd back Hildreth to take it has been utterly superb for about 3 years now but I certainly wouldn't mind if they went to Taylor, probably best time to blood a young batsmen in a winning and settled side.

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On the declaration point I'd be quite happy for England to bat until Lunch as that'd leave us a mass amount of time to bowl Australia out and allows us to grab a few more runs. That is if we aren't bowled out by then.

Can see Australia folding like they did last match, nothing much to play for them from here.

 

[MUFC1987]

I don't see why people expected us to declare. Why risk chasing 150 or 200 or perhaps more on a last day wearing pitch? That would be stupid. Our best chance of winning is to bat on and bowl at them on the last day and let Swann do his thing.

Also, Hildreth should be in the team after Collingwood. He's Captaining the Lions this winter and has been excellent. Mind you, he doesn't come from a fashionable County, so I won't hold my breath.

 

[barmyarmy]

Yup, no point declaring although it will probably be moot with all our specialist batters back in the hutch already.

 

[MUFC1987]

I forgot to mention too, what an idiot Phillip Hughes is. He must be stupid to think he could get away with that in this day and age of video replays.

 

[Sureshot]

Yup, no point declaring although it will probably be moot with all our specialist batters back in the hutch already.

Harsh on Prior.

Good day for England. Put Australia to the sword and are almost in a position where we have won an Ashes series down under. They'll bat to lunch tomorrow, probably longer if they can, but they won't be batting within themselves, you can't really when there are so many pies being thrown down.

 

[Lee1981]

Hughes is a bloody disgrace, just looking at his cheating little face change from one of dissapointment then to elation after realising he might be able to get a cheap one makes me very angry.
Hope he feels like as big a prick as he looked.

 

[mikemike778]

Agree with not declaring.

The longer we bat, the more desperate the aussies will be to score quickly and hence the more chance of another collapse. Its to them to force something, not us.

 

[Brook]

Good job that Ian Bell is that bastion of honesty, really he should have walked.

 

[Lee1981]

havent seen the bell incident, but heard his one could have gone either way.

Edit just seen it on sky, when you watch it in real time and slow mo i dont think you can tell and there was no hot spot on that basis i would say not out. although snicko may have proved otherwise after that, but with the tools the umpires had i reckon they got it right.

 

[Will Browne]

I try to empathise with cricketers when their honesty comes under scrutiny, but is impossible do so with Hughes, he knew exactly what he was doing- he knew he was taking the ball on the bounce and still claimed it.

Still not sure about the Bell one. I have no idea why he spoke to Prior, but it is very much possible that he wasn't sure about the nick. But it does prove that hotspot is not sufficient to overrule umpires as Atherton said.