***Official*** First Semi-Final: Australia vs. England

[Streetwise]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Would you really disagree with that assessment of England?

Lame, mundane, poor,

These are the words I would use to describe Englands ODI team before mecurical gets a run.

[andyc]

Originally Posted by andyc

Fully expecting to wake up in the morning and see that England have taken this.

Haha, or not.

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by Streetwise

Lame, mundane, poor,

These are the words I would use to describe Englands ODI team before mecurical gets a run.

Fine.

All Australia had to do was beat the West Indies C team, scrape past Pakistan and beat a lame, mundane, poor England team in the semis.

Sound less emotive?

[Streetwise]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Fine.

All Australia had to do was beat the West Indies C team, scrape past Pakistan and beat a lame, mundane, poor England team in the semis.

Sound less emotive?

You make it sound like these teams are not good enough to be in the competition.

[brackenNY]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Fine.

All Australia had to do was beat the West Indies C team, scrape past Pakistan and beat a lame, mundane, poor England team in the semis.

Sound less emotive?

[pasag]

See I don't disagree for one second that we've had a difficult run to the finals, I mean playing this England side who are pretty much one step away from an ODI minnow without Fred and KP in the semis is as easy as you'll get. All I'm saying is that our efforts against India shouldn't be conveniently left out in discussing what we've done in this tournament and how we've gotten here.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

I still think Australia are a better ODI side and both South Africa and Sri Lanka. With their batting line-up and bowling attack, beating sides such as England and the West Indies (who had a truly apalling side) should be pretty regulation.

Nah, SA still comfortably ahead as they showed not long ago, though with Ponting, Hussey et al in good form it'd be a lot closer. Pretty even with SL, IMO.

[Streetwise]

Originally Posted by pasag

Nah, SA still comfortably ahead as they showed not long ago, though with Ponting, Hussey et al in good form it'd be a lot closer. Pretty even with SL, IMO.

Thats a poor assumption, becuase that Would mean Australia are a better test team than SA.

I think it is the other way around and SA have the edge in tests but Aus have the edge in ODI's.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by Streetwise

Thats a poor assumption, becuase that Would mean Australia are a better test team than SA.

I think it is the other way around and SA have the edge in tests but Aus have the edge in ODI's.

Sorry, don't get you in what way?

SA won here 4-1 and over there 3-2. Means they're better than us.

[Streetwise]

Originally Posted by pasag

Sorry, don't get you in what way?

SA won here 4-1 and over there 3-2. Means they're better than us.

England beat SA 4-0 in their last ODI series and beat them here, do you consider England better than SA in ODI's. Just looking at one or two series in isolation is not how I judge which team is better. That was my point, Australia beat SA in their last test series but I not going to think oh that means Australia are better in tests than SA.

[Jakester1288]

I'm so devo I missed Ponting's (and I suppose Watto's) innings. Ponting shows again he is far and away Australia's best batsman in both formats, and I missed it. FML.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by Streetwise

England beat SA 4-0 in their last ODI series and beat them here, do you consider England better than SA in ODI's. Just looking at one or two series in isolation is not how I judge which team is better. That was my point, Australia beat SA in their last test series but I not going to think oh that means Australia are better in tests than SA.

It's not really in isolation when you have a home series and a return series consisting of 10 matches in total, both within the last year. It's pretty conclusive.

[Pratters]

Good to see Australia reach the finals.

[Redbacks]

Originally Posted by pasag

It's not really in isolation when you have a home series and a return series consisting of 10 matches in total, both within the last year. It's pretty conclusive.

This

[stephen]

Originally Posted by Uppercut

Fine.

All Australia had to do was beat the West Indies C team, scrape past Pakistan and beat a lame, mundane, poor England team in the semis.

Sound less emotive?

How about:

Slaughtered a second string WI side.
Had the pain of a washout ruining what would likely have sealed their progression after only two games.
Defeated the other probable finalists in a nailbighter.
Absolutely annihilated another semi-finalist who had beat SA and Sri Lanka to be there.

It may have been an easier path than what say New Zealand had to face, but Australia have still beaten every team they've faced (except India, but you cannot hold the weather against them).