Thetownend.com

....been watching this evening to see if there are any noticeable flaws in  the post Warne, Gilchrist, McGrath era.

    That total cunt Hayden is out injured.....I'd be happy never to have to see his plug ugly face on an English cricket pitch again.

   Promising that Katich, Jacques and Hussey didn't get too many, but Ponting is still different class.  

  On a related note, Simon Jones was bowling at 90+mph for Worcs the other night...OK only a short spell, but I'd love it if he could get back to being fit enough to play next summer.(can't see it thoough)

He's never fully fit. Another waste of a career (although not from a fault of his own) which is a shame tbh.

 Bowling fast, places extraordinary strain on your body....those that fall apart are more common than those that don't.

  I know its an if, but to have a chance in 09 we need to be able to rattle the Aussie cage....how good was it in 05, when in the first test Harmy popped one into Punter's grill, drawing blood.

 Tremlett seems to be the hope at the moment,  but he just seems too nice.

I like Broad a lot. I don't think the attack we will have next summer will be anywhere close to what we had in 05. Harmy (when he was at his best) Freddie (arguably the same) and Jones (who just seemed to be realising his potential until he got injured) made a simply amazing bowling attack with the ever reliable Hoggy there as well. I guess Monty will be handy. We finally have a spinner than can take wickets. But on the fast bowling front we don't come close sadly. At least, as you say, the old Aussie crop are slowly fading away. No Gilly, Warny or Glen for them now which is great.

 Unfortunately, recent history shows even when Australia haven' t got a real top class operator...they can find a Merv Hughes.  A big strong bugger, who doesn't like batsmen very much.

 We've a Steve Kirby, who can bowl a bit quick, doesn't like batsmen very much but somehow just gets ground down.

What a catch from Dwayne Bravo at mid-off!

I've come to realise that spinners who turn it miles (eg. MacGill) aren't half as fun as those who are able to drift it miles before turning it.

Lee and Johnson were completely indisciplined but Clark bowled fantastically and the Windies 1, 2, 4 are hardly shit-hot.



by easily ground-down, do you actually mean bowls too many pies, reg? there's a few ahead of kirbs in the queue, onions for one.

personally i think your comparison about merv huighes isn't actually based on anything bu stereotypes. none of johnson, lee or clark are in the least bit like him in terms of bowling style or personality. nor are any of the next cabs off the rank in hilfenhaus, bollinger and noffke

 What I mean is that if you haven't got a really top draw operator, then there can be mileage in just having a big strong fella, with some aggression who can bowl quickly....in the past the likes of Typhoon Tyson , won an Ashes series.

 I'd put Simon Jones into that category....I think Fletcher hoped Mahmood might do teh job....

aussies 17-4 at close 136 runs ahead. :shock:

  W. Indies need about the same as England 280 or so.....love to see them do it....Shiv is the kid though, if he goes they've no hope.

Second Test....from new ground in Antigua

     Is this the ground paid for by Sir Allen Stanford.....what a wste of money.  About 400 fans in.

So MacGill has gone.  Good

   Brett Lee got 3 quick wickets, all wrong decisions by Tiffin, in the space of about 2 overs.

   Shiv is the man.

Just watched the last hours play tonight.
What terrible umpiring decisions, I've never seen so many appalling decisions.

Also what a belter from Edwards which hit Lee, it was about 4 overs from the end of the days play. That must have hurt.

Draw in the end....well played Shiv,  about 10 hours batting without getting out.

 Boeta as the fount of all cricket knowledge do the Convicts have an up and coming leggie?

to be honest the australians have a real dearth of spinners now that warne, hogg and macgill have all retired in the past 18 months

beau casson is a left arm chinaman - so a leggie - and is the reserve spinner in the squad but his career performances so far say he is a long way from test standard.

the next best spinner in aus after macgill is probably bryce mcgain, who is a leggie. however, he is 35 years old and has played just one season of first-class cricket - but having spent years plying his trade in grade cricket he went very well in his debut season

a couple of years back there was a load of hype about offie dan cullen, but he's failed to live up to it and is battling for a state place let alone a national one.

all in all, other than mcgain the aussie spinners are just kids finding their way in the domestic game

however, they could use clarke as their spinner (if his back can hold) and play a four man pace attack with either noffke or hilfenhaus taking up that role - a very distinct possibility over the next year

Cameron White should play, he is skill  8)

Bastards, I had a bet on the Convicts winning yesterday.

I was watching some of this yesterday and was very impressed by Stuart Clark's range of nervous ticks. Don't seem to stop him bowling well though.

yeah i know, we were saying about that in the pub last night - bizarre and very funny

Do you also think he looks a bit like a thunderbird on occasions?

 I didn't realise Hogg had gone as well.....purveyors of chinaman are distinctly interesting....so lets see if Casson is up to it.  I always liked watching Michael Bevan bowl....can't think Engalnd have ever had a chinaman bowler in my time.....it's always been thought the ball turning to leg is too easy for a right handed.  

 I used to like watching Garfield  Sobers, because he could bowl chinaman as well as orthodox left arm spin....can't think why some of our legion of slow left armers haven't been a bit more adventurous.

monty has bowled a few chinamen in tests

but there's very point in bowling with a completely different action because even you or i could pick that up, it's the subtle variations within your own domain that count

Fair enough, but I can't help think, that if you've an absolutely flat track by bowling some wrist spin you might get some turn.

Less than 100 needed for the Windies, 3 wickets left, possible world record chase...could be interesting...

Bugger, 8 down...

 Overall an interesting series....but despite being in transition The Convicts still  do it when it matters.

 The forthcoming series against SA, is going to give us a better idea of where  we're at, because they've got some seriously good players.