Australia's Summer of Fun

[jobe#4]

we need videos of the 15 year dominance or whatever it was by the Aussies for Jukesy :P

not in my liftime so irrelevant ;)

haha ya can't pick and choose Jukesy! Australia clearly the better cricketing nation. that's not opinion, that's just fact :P

last 10 years it's England 4 Australia 2 and that's what counts, despite nobody in England caring about it

Cricket is like the 7th most popular sport in England (and like 10000000 times less than #1), meanwhile it's the 2nd here

Surprisingly, this is true. Although, cricket is not the second most participated sport in Australia, not even close. It is well attended and well watched (same goes for England) although relatively few actually play.

Also, considering your participation rates you guys really suck balls at swimming. :P

You don't get many 80k++ crowds for cricket in England that's for sure

That's because we don't have any swimming culture, here people swim pretty much all year round, while there's like a 1 week window where people swim in the UK, and even then it rains most of the time.

England's test ground capacity is really really small!! I think the highest is 35-40,000 capacity! although the Rose Bowl looks like it can hold a fair few!

[jobe#4]

do we think Smiddy will straight up declare or have a couple more overs?

I think we have enough runs on the board, especially if there is rain forecast

[Bill Manspeaker]

he'll declare straight away I reckon. then we get to have a dig at the second new ball as well

[Ringo]

I think the way they went in the last hour the instructions were to get as many as you can so we have the option of declaring overnight. Think we will declare overnight,

[The_Captain]

I think the way they went in the last hour the instructions were to get as many as you can so we have the option of declaring overnight. Think we will declare overnight,

Make em wait till 15 minutes before play!!

[Bill Manspeaker]

I think the way they went in the last hour the instructions were to get as many as you can so we have the option of declaring overnight. Think we will declare overnight,

Make em wait till 15 minutes before play!!

yep absolutely

[PowerBug]

My favourite Ashes video is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fDZUOGsOXw
It's the quality of the wickets that is the best about it. That Harmison slower ball.... o.O

[Jay]

My favourite Ashes video is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fDZUOGsOXw
It's the quality of the wickets that is the best about it. That Harmison slower ball.... o.O

Still not the best Harmison ball ^

http://youtu.be/A7Y6T44tzIc

[nrich102]

Just catching up on stuff...

Joe Burns you flowering legend!!  ;D Burnsy and Smiddy are the future pillars of the. Australian yeast team 8)

[AaronKirk]

Bringing back up the point about number 3 batsmen in the future and also the West Indies and Ashes tests coming up who do we pick for those tours? In particular what is our best test XI (presuming all are fit)

It hasn't been mentioned here yet (I may be wrong) but Khawaja did his ACL in a training session about a week before the first BBL game, where he was going to play for the Sydney Thunder, so he won't be available for either tour. Which is a shame as his form was excellent before got injured.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/810983.html

OK. Lets start something here: If all are fit what is your 15 man squad for the West Indies test series/Ashes?

For me it is: best XI D.Warner, C.Rogers, J.Burns, M.Clarke (c), S.Smith (vc), S.Marsh, B.Haddin, M.Johnson, R.Harris. J.Pattinson, N.Lyon.

Reserves: M.Klinger,,J.Faulkner, M.Marsh, J.Hazlewood,

I have left out Watson -  he doesn't make enough runs to justify a spot at number 3 and not taking enough wickets/ body not allowing him to bowl enough to be a number 6 allrounder.

Siddle is just about done. Selectors should consider Cameron White but he is a Victorian and will never be picked.

[henry]

I think the selectors will want an allrounder to ease the pressure on the four frontliners. I think that means burns will be the unlucky one to miss out, provided Clarke is fit which isn't a given. If they choose watto then he bats at 3, otherwise I think shuan marsh should and mitch marsh or Faulkner at 6

[tbagrocks]

Very simple really

Smith to the #3, Watto plays because he is simply in the best X1, his bowling proves it, Mitch Marsh plays also

The side built around this

Doesn't leave a lot of room, Clarke #4/5 actually there isn't room for anyone else

Nobody would drop Mitch Marsh for Burns, just wont happen. Clarke loves Watto so much he tells him each time he rolls out of the other side of the bed. SO if we cant drop Watto, he gets demoted back down the order. Still no room for anyone else

[Mailman the 2nd]

To be honest they should just make Ed Cowan the new captain of Australia

[nrich102]

Best 11: Warner, Rogers, Smith, Clarke, Burns, M Marsh, Haddin, Johnson, Harris, Pattinson, Lyon

Reserves: Watson, Hazlewood, Cummins, S Marsh

Smith, Clarke and Burns can all move about the order, they can all bat between 3-5.

[Jay]

Hazlewood is in our best 11 until Pattinson proves otherwise.