Warne-Muralidaran Trophy (Australia in Sri Lanka) Aug-Sep 2011

[sifter132]

I've just been goin through the squads for the tests and am totally confused. They have chosen two spinners in the team, Beer and Lyons, where the hell is Hauritz?? Is he hated by the selectors or something? Beer is pretty much averaging 46 in FC, can you imagine how the Lankans will take to him? And Lyon is just as bad, averaging 43...and his only played 4 FC matches, why has he been picked?
The fast bowlers seem a little stronger, with Copeland looking to me on stats alone a strong proposition, but with 6 pace bowlers in the squad (I'm including Watson) wouldn't it have been better to leave out Pattinson in favour of a batsman?

Well Clarke was saying the other day he wouldn't have a problem with playing both spinners, which adds to that concern over squad balance. I think Pattinson is just there for experience, I doubt he gets a game at all. And was just reading Ponting will probably be leaving at some point for the birth of his child so an extra batsman might be sent over as cover for that.

As for first class records...well there's only one spinner in Australia with a good FC average, Steve O'Keefe. And given the record of spinners in Australia, that is probably a fluke. Warne and MacGill had averages of 30 or over in Aussie state cricket too. Even 90% of touring spinners don't do much in Australia either...ask Murali how he liked it So it's a combination of bad conditions for spin and a distinct lack of talent.

 

[aussie1st]

Finally got some cricket to look forward to again.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Jeevan Mendis, 7 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Suraj Randiv, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 David Hussey, 5 Cameron White (capt), 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Steve O'Keefe, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Brett Lee, 11 James Pattinson

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Twenty20, Kandy: Setting the tone for a tough tour | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Would like to see Marsh open with Warner and Watson at 3 or Marsh at 3 if they want the right/left hand combo. Haddin down to 6.

 

[timchrist984]

Does anyone know what time the 1st t20 starts (aus time)? Or whether it is on free to air tv/abc radio?

 

[aussie1st]

11.30PM, definitely won't be on FTA, Foxsports would be your go. Don't know about the radio situation.

 

[angryangy]

starts about 11:30ish on fs2; don't think abc are covering it.

 

[timchrist984]

Thanks for the info, I was actually suprised that the WC was on 9.

 

[angryangy]

don't worry, channel nine was also surprised they had the world cup rights

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Finally got some cricket to look forward to again.

Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Jeevan Mendis, 7 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Suraj Randiv, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Brad Haddin (wk), 4 David Hussey, 5 Cameron White (capt), 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Steve O'Keefe, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Brett Lee, 11 James Pattinson

Sri Lanka v Australia, 1st Twenty20, Kandy: Setting the tone for a tough tour | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

Would like to see Marsh open with Warner and Watson at 3 or Marsh at 3 if they want the right/left hand combo. Haddin down to 6.

Considering White's duff form and Haddin's duff record in this format, it would be just like Australia to leave Marsh rotting at 6. He takes a little bit to play himself in but then he can go like the clappers. He should be at 3. Mind you, I'm yet to be convinced by his temperament for this level even T20.

 

[angryangy]

he's going to take the mike hussey position, where everyone ahead of him is just seeing off the new ball or something

 

[angryangy]

no great pace from lee

okeefe into the attack for the now obligatory spin changeup

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sok got inside jayawardena a few times that over. i think this is the reason he has been effective; he doesn't beat the right hander's outside edge as you would expect.

and lee bowls a good un

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arsey six, but it was well into the crowd. mitch next with his revolutionised grip, so good he bowls a ball without letting go of it.

 

[Aussie Team]

Things have been real cool with O'Keffe

 

[angryangy]

sri lanka running away with it, australia need a wicket or two. good batting wicket and the outfield doesn't look like it's suffered any from the early drizzle.

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oh dear, good ball from mitch, pushed chandi back so much that he fell down and trod on the stumps. one of the rare times when hit wicket might actually be a legit dismissal.

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not the greatest fielding from australia, no major errors, but little things. maybe it is a bit damp. sri lanka still good.

o'keefe's done well and on the weight of that, in comes smith.

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dilscoop! everyone drink

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dilscoop again and it went for runs this time, two drinks

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Dilshan has discovered the reverse hook shot

 

[ZoraxDoom]

15.5
Hastings to Dilshan, FOUR, this is a reverse-flick-cum-pull-cum-scoop. I don't know what to call this awesome shot. Dilshan is going for his scoop, sees a slower bouncer, turns the bat face around, and pulls this between the keeper and third man

I need to see this.

 

[angryangy]

He'd obviously premeditated a scoop to what turned out to be a short ball, but it came on slow enough that he just hit it anyway.

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It was obviously pretty good conditions for batting, but there was some poor bowling particularly at the end when at least a couple of yorkers were required. And for 15 overs of pace, there wasn't much actual pace involved. The quicker bowlers looked underdone and the medium pacers were just that, tidy at first, but not so useful under pressure. They could have used more spin and they had the options. Sri Lanka will definitely use more spin. This could be quite a train wreck.

 

[cricketmad09]

How the hell does a whole team of international cricketers have no ability to bowl a yorker? Ridiculous. All 3 fast bowlers do not know how to play 20/20 cricket. Why weren't O'Keefe and Smith used more? Together they bowled 5 overs for 31, which means the rest bowled 15 overs for 168