The Cricket Thread 2016

[olaftab]

You see now there is no need for that arsehole Pietersen to be part of this team. The self serving prima-donn  is forgotten  forever hopefully.

[KevinGage]

Odd thing is he was playing this way long before Strauss and Cook had their Damascus conversion. 

His style would be well suited to this side. But his personality wouldn't.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

One of the most notable things about this England performance is how much of a team effort it has been. Everyone has contributed and they've all seemed to enjoy each other's success. They seem very much a team. I don't think you can say that about any England team of the last decade, for all their triumphs. The last thing we need is for a selfish twat like Pietersen to come in and blow that apart.

In any case it baffles me that anyone should still be calling for Pietersen's return. Regardless of form, if you slag off your employers and teammates in a book then you can't expect to be picked again. Surely you'd have to be a total idiot to think you could.

[OzVilla]

Natives not happy here.

Reckon England were more energetic and played the more daring Cricket, they do not like it up em.

Harris is an enormous loss for them, he's been the fulcrum of their attack, now it's just unbalanced and will struggle to create pressure as they'll  be leaking runs. He gave them control.

Knives well and truly out for their number 1 whipping boy, Shane Watson.

Warms the cockles of your heart.

[paul_e]

Natives not happy here.

Reckon England were more energetic and played the more daring Cricket, they do not like it up em.

Harris is an enormous loss for them, he's been the fulcrum of their attack, now it's just unbalanced and will struggle to create pressure as they'll  be leaking runs. He gave them control.

Knives well and truly out for their number 1 whipping boy, Shane Watson.

Warms the cockles of your heart.

As soon as the Harris injury/retirement was announced the 'shape' of this series changed.  I didn't know if it would be the difference between winning and losing but it was clearly going to have a massive effect on their attack given he's the only one of their bowlers with a genuinely good record in English conditions.

[Chris Jameson]

There's a nice article in the Observer today about the club Joe Root played for, when he returns to watch games he's still the same likeable lad he was when playing for them and is happy to have a bowl in the nets at the young 'uns. Imagine how that must make the kids feel!

[Villan For Life]

The Harris retirement is remarkable really. Why bring someone on tour who is touch and go whether he retires through injury or not? Surely they were aware of the potential career ending injury before they selected him?

You have to wonder.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

Graeme Swann?

[manic-road]

Mitchell Starc is carrying an ankle injury as well now and he is the Aussies best bowler.

[spangley1812]

I think the longer the Aussies leave Peter Siddle out the better.............

[PaulWinch again]

Starc will be alright I suspect.

[Villan For Life]

Graeme Swann?

I did think of Swann but at least he played a couple of tests before deserting the sinking ship. I felt his departure was as much about the situation on the tour and the general shambles that the England squad was back then and a general loss of form rather than an injury.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

He'd missed the NZ tour earlier in 2013 with the elbow, they knew when they took him to Oz he wasn't fully functional. Flintoff's been taken on tour with a wing and a prayer before too.

Anyway, hope Siddle doesn't play at Lords.

[Villan For Life]

He'd missed the NZ tour earlier in 2013 with the elbow, they knew when they took him to Oz he wasn't fully functional. Flintoff's been taken on tour with a wing and a prayer before too.

Anyway, hope Siddle doesn't play at Lords.

I like Siddle, he's a workhorse bowler and a typically Aussie snarling street fighter. He's not a patch on Starc though. Their attack is weaker without Starc.

[PaulWinch again]

I hope people realise the value of Moeen now. Vital runs and he got Smith, Clarke, Warner and Haddin in the first Test. Those are all pretty vital wickets.