Where's Deuce?

[eduardo]

Where's Deuce gone?

I hope he's okay as I'm thinking that he might have found the nearest tall building and thrown himself off it after losing The Ashes yesterday.

So come on Buttsie let us know you're okay mate.

[Deuce Bigolo]

Spot on,went straight to the beach when I heard the news and launched myself of the highest sand castle,head first pike position with degree of difficulty 3.9

To be honest I found it all a bit anti-climatic with no Aussie Run Chase
but then those Aussie fielders will drop those simple catches

Catches win Matches...sums up their whole series in many ways
Wouldn't have changed the result given the Aussie batsmens inability to play swing bowling.Reminded me of the joke that was the aussie batting against Curtly Ambrose & Co in the Eighties

The writing was well on the wall after the third dropped catch off Pietersen arrived which is why I tuned out at 11.45PM Aussie time-tea time-I need all my beauty sleep

The final test was a show case of why Australia lost the ashes

Climatic Batting Collapse
Inability to play reverse swing
Defensive Illogical Captaincy(taking the light TWICE-what the f...ck!!!!!)
Fielding Follies
Impotent/Ineffective Pace Bowling when it really counted-First Innings

cheers
B....OZ

[eduardo]

Now is probably not the time for an inquest into Australian cricket but I'll begin it anyway.

From your personal point of view then do you think there will be many changes or none at all?

[Deuce Bigolo]

The old saying that its harder to get out of the Aussie team than get in is very true otherwise at least 2 of Hayden,Martyn,Clarke & Katich would have been replaced by the 4th test at the very least and I could have faced down Gillespie & Kasprowicz but with only the raw Tait in the wings they were hamstrung

Why the likes of Mike Hussey,Brad Hodge & Stuart MacGill weren't tried is beyond me

They'll probably all survive till their contracts expire
I'd say most of the squad will be playing for their careers in South Africa
Australia has lost away series 2-1 before and not reacted so only time will tell what the reaction will be

On form you would drop everyone but Mc Grath(averaging 6 wickets a match) & Warne(averaging 8 wickets a match) & Langer

Question is does Australia have the depth to do it,simple answer,at the minute,NO

cheers
B....OZ

[eduardo]

I read this article on the BBC Sport's website

I have my own opinions and will give them to you for what they are worth.

The first thing that I'd do is get Simon Katich out of the side. I've seen him in County cricket for a while and never rated him. He isn't good enough.

Instead of replacing him with another batter then I'd move Gilchrist up a spot. I know that sounds daft as Gilly's been well short of runs but that would allow Shane Watson to step in at 7. He's a fine cricketer, can bat and bowl and would give you 5 bowlers.

Lastly I might look to replace Hayden. I know he got a hundred in his last Test but sometimes you have to look beyond things. One hundred and not much else in 16 Tests speaks of a batsmen in decline.

As for England then out goes Bell and in comes in Ed Joyce. I'd like to see Giles replaced but the fact is he's the only spinner in England who comes anyway near Test class so he has to stay.

[Deuce Bigolo]

Buchanans gone for mine,if only for the farcical preparation leading up the test series

What is a 2 day match meant to achieve?
Sounds awfully like a grade cricket fixture and not a means of picking who's going to play in the next test

After him a few others have to be realistic about wether their up for playing both forms of cricket against an unrelenting Bowling Attack.History shows that many have been succsessful because the opposition have a good bowler or 2 and thats it

A few should see the writing on the wall as Australias previous middle order of steve waugh,mark waugh & darren lehmann did

England can't really improve that much just fine tuning more like

The top 3 pick & the middle order pick themsleves

Bell won't have another nightmare like he just did
Everyone has lean patches but you can't buy that kind of experience in County cricket ofr in the practice nets

Truly good spinners are a rarity so why Giles may not be a Warne he's still competitive

Geraint Jones needs to improve Big time especially keeping to spinners

Harmisons lack of success against the top order after the first test defies logic.Some will say he was unlucky but I don't think so.Bowl at the stumps
and you'll usually get a result.Shortbowling has its value but it doesn't get you bag loads of wickets

cheers
B....OZ

[eduardo]

Harmison annoys the hell out of me. That irritating back of a length that he always seems to bowl is not the answer. The commentators say it's his natural length but it shouldn't be. How many times do I shout at the TV "pitch the fucking ball up".

He also annoys me in that he has all the attributes to be a great fast bowler. He has good pace, gets good bounce because of his height, moves it both ways but there's something missing. I think it's because he isn't nasty enough. They say he's a nice bloke but they said that about Curtly Ambrose but he was anything but nice when he was stood 22 yards from a batsmen with a red, round bit of leather in his hand.

As for Buchanan then there's always going to be calls for the head of someone unconventional as him. He has this slightly mad image of quoting 19th century Russian poets (or whatever) but like Glenn Hoddles faith healing then everything is fine while you are winning but when your not
then because of those ways there will always be some calling for your head.

Last point.

Whatever happened to a young bloke called Mitchell Johnson (I think that's his name).

I read somewhere a couple of years ago that he was going to be a fast bowling superstar. However I have read the Aussie papers (online) over the last few months and there's no mention of him.

So what happened there? Any ideas?

[diplodocus]

We have a great first team but struggle methinks if we get an injury crisis, I can only see Rob Key as another test ready batsman and no cover at all in the spin dept. I agree Bell will get better, he's got a lot a class, maybe a series too early and too much pressure for him this time. Jones is a weak link at the moment, his runs don't make up for the mistakes enough

[diplodocus]

I'm glad they didn't play Hussey, solid technique and defence, would had caused us problems and maybe taken the pressure off the shot players a bit

[Deuce Bigolo]

Never heard of Mitchell Johnson or any newish fast bowler on the scene in OZ

The Aussies have just landed Home and are in
"Nothing is wrong with this team" mode

Still you'd expect that from people in the inner "gravy train" sanctum

Gillespie saying he still had the pace but not the accuracy was a classic comment

Dennis Lillee calling for Warne to replace Ponting as captain was also a good one

Given that he said Ponting was asking for Warnes advice so much Ponting was just Warnes Puppet

If thats his view then Warne lost the series but Lillee wants him to be the New Captain

Confusing or what?

cheers
B....OZ