Australia under Slats4ever

[Slats4ever]

In a shock move today John Buchanan has been sacked as Australian Cricket Coach. His role is set to be filled by young Sydneysider Ian Markus, who has had experience coaching over on the county scene with Worcester and Middlesex.

Slats has just selected the 18 man squad to take on England and there were a few surprises. Andy Bichel finally won favour with the selectors again being named in the 18, Dave Hussey joins brother Michael as well, and Michael Bevan looks set to make a return to the middle order of the One Day side.

Their first warm up match is a one day fixture at Leicester against Leicester.

 

[kears_falcon_9]

Go BEVO... lol sorry to say but Bichel lol even if his stats are great i never really liked him. Hope to read a good story though.

 

[Southpace]

Could you name the complete squad?

 

[_Ed_]

Good luck! England seem pretty strong in the game, it will be interesting to see how you go against them.

 

[NZTailender]

Looking foward to this


I bet you would've had Slater opening too

 

[Cloete]

Looking foward to this


I bet you would've had Slater opening too

Definitely not! People from Wagga can't do anything right

 

[NZTailender]

Definitely not! People from Wagga can't do anything right

At least there aren't scores of us getting injured each week

 

[Blaze]

Good luck slats.. Stuff the poms!!

 

[Slats4ever]

Signs good for Tour

Australia began it's Ashes campaign under blue skies at Leicester as a full strength Australian XI put together a clinical performance to defeat the home side.

After being sent in neither Hayden or Gilchrist showed any signs of early jitters or rustiness as the pair began cautiously. Hayden fell on 26 and Ponting shortly followed for just 8, as West Indian international Otis Gibson showed that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Gilchrist and Martyn however showed the kind of form that would please new coach Slats4ever as they added 116. Gilchrist was eventually dismissed for 82 and Martyn shortly followed for 69 off just 67. The work of the top order allowed the remaining batsman to bat cautiously in a bid to find some form before the international matches. Hussey looked comfortable in an Australian jersey making 31 and Watson batted well to make 25 off 27. Eventually Australia finished up on 6/273 after their 50 overs.

Leicestershire were never really in the hunt as Lee performed well with the new ball picking up two early wickets. All 5 bowlers looked comfortable in the English conditions with Warne, Watson, Gillespie and Lee all picking up multiple wickets. McGrath also looked at his best as he returned figures of 8 overs 3 maidens 1/21 to lay the platform for the innings. Amazingly enough there was no catches by any of the fielders, with Gilchrist snapping one up and Gillespie getting a caught and bowled. Leicestershire were bundled for a poultry 147 in the end, ensuring an early finish to the game.

Slats4ever: "A good start to the tour, providing us with the confidence to start things well. Gilchrist and Marto batted superbly and the bowling was superb. Things will only get tougher but and we're not getting ahead of ourselves just because of today. We have got a 20-20 match coming up and that'll be good to try out the new form there"

Aus 6-273 (A Gilchrist 82, D Martyn 69)
Leicestershire 147ao (J Gillespie 3-37, S Watson 2-17)

 

[Slats4ever]

Aussies draw first Blood

The Summer is looking bleak for the English as the powerful Aussie cricket team adapted their skills to the modern form of the game successfully as Australia won the first match between the two sides by 78 runs.

Winning the toss and batting the Australian side flexed their muscles and put away some ordinary English bowling. Hayden and Gilchrist got the Aussies off to a flyer as Hayden got 28 (16) and Gilchrist 33 (14) to continue with his good form. Importantly for the Aussies however Ponting found some touch as he belted the attack. Michael Bevan was bought into the side to replace Hussey as it looks like the two are destined to fight it out for the 6th batting spot come the OD'ers. Bevan did his chances a world of good as he played some smart shots in amassing 49 off just 28 balls. The psychological blow to the English bowlers could be costly however as Harmison, Hoggard and Tudor all went for more than 10 an over, and Tremlett and Giles weren't too far behind.

Things were just as bad for the English batsman as they found themselves 2 for 1 at the end of the first over as McGrath struck early. The rest of the order crumbled as Lee proved himself as a new ball bowler taking 4-24 and McGrath proved he would be a success at this version of the game taking 3-38. England however were able to draw one positive from the match, that being Kevin Pieterson. The young star looked fantastic and was the only player to get more than 10 in the English side as he smashed 14 4's on his was to 85 out of a total of 124. Already it looks like the fortunes of England rest on the shoulders of the future of English cricket, will the pressure prove to much.

Slats4ever: "Psychologically this will be a huge blow to England. McGrath's already established a dominance over their top order and it's clear that Lee has stepped it up since the last times the teams met. Bevan batted well and staked down a big claim that he is ready to return to the top level of cricket"

Australia: 3-202 (Ponting 69* Bevan 49*)
England: 9-124 (Pietersen 85* B Lee 4-24 G McGrath 3-38)

 

[Slats4ever]

Somerset Send Aussies a Warning

Martyn, Gillespie and Lee were all rested as a second string Australian bowling attack was made to look rather ordinary overnight as Somerset very nearly pulled off a big upset. In the toughest test of the tour so far Australia kept their unbeaten record in tact but there were moments that showed that the the Ashes aren't a write off yet.

Batting first on an overcast day Australia amassed another large total. Headaches are certain to be forming in the selectors mind over what the make up of the batting line up will be come the first OD. Dave Hussey may have regained favour with his 96 off 85 however Bevan wasn't going to relinquish anything he has as he made 60 not out off 57. Both Bevan and Hussey looked at ease with eachother however as they put on 122 for the fourth wicket. Hayden and Gilchrist also continued their good form as they made former English international Andy Caddick look rather ordinary, whilst also picking Nixon McClean off with ease.

The depth of the Aussie bowling line up came under a bit of scrutiny however as Somerset went closer than many had expected with the bat. McGrath once again looked mechanical in picking up two early wickets and Bichel was effective with the new ball. However the middle order saw some serious partnerships form and Kasprowicz looked far from a test standard bowler and with the older ball Bichel looked the same. At 4-244 with over 10 overs in hand requiring less than 6 an over Somerset looked certain to upset the Aussies. However the old pairing of McGrath and Warne cleaned Somerset up so effectively once again with Warne finishing with figures of 4-49 and McGrath with 3-44. The pair look certain to cause some headaches this Summer for the Poms.

Slats4ever "Another solid performance. It was good to be stretched by Somerset and now the guys know we're here to play some real cricket. The first OD is up next so a lot of work has to be done between now and then"

Australia 4/310 (D Hussey 96, M Hayden 71)
Somerset 276ao (J Francis 71, J Hildreth 68, S Warne 4-49, G McGrath 3-44)
MoM S Warne

 

[chooka_nick]

Slats has just selected the 18 man squad to take on England and there were a few surprises. Andy Bichel finally won favour with the selectors again being named in the 18, Dave Hussey joins brother Michael as well, and Michael Bevan looks set to make a return to the middle order of the One Day side.

Hear Hear!

 

[Slats4ever]

Sad and Sorry day for Bangladesh Cricket

To say that Bangladesh were seriously outplayed by Australia is a massive understatement. The world powerhouses made a mockery of the Bangladesh side today as they secured victory by 245 runs. It was Slats's intention to bury the Bangladeshies and play at full throttle and Australia's performance was nothing short of brilliant.

The roars could be heard from back in Australia as the toss was won by the Aussies and they decided to bat. Hayden and Gilchrist shared in a record opening partnership (I'm sure it musta broken some kind of record) as the pair rattled off 182 at better than a run a ball. Gilchrist was caught off a leading edge agonisingly short of his century for 98. Hayden powered his way past 100 before being deceived by a slower ball from Rafique for 129. The carnage however wasn't over as Martyn played a wonderful cameo at number 4 smashing his way to 78 off just 65, as Bevan supported abely making 23. Australia only needed 5 batsman as they racked up a total of 344 at just under 7 an over.

Problems were always going to exist for Bangladesh dealing with the pace of Brett Lee but when he took two wickets with his first two balls, alarm bells started ringing. Hossain and Imran then followed and out of the top 5 batsman 3 of them got ducks. At 5-26 people began reaching for the record books. A rear guard action from Mashud and Mahmud however saved complete embaressment however as the pair added 20's each before the rot continued and Bangladesh were dismissed for 99.

Slats4ever "A sensational start to the international campaign, be it Bangladesh or England it's still our job to play the best cricket possible and that's what we did today so I'm proud of the boys. The batsman got some real valuable time in the middle and the bowling was superb and the guys really seem to be getting used to the conditions".

Australia 3-344 (M Hayden 129 A Gilchrist 98 M Rafique 3-69)
Bangladesh 99ao (Mashud 29 B Lee 4-22 J Gillespie 4-27)
MoM: M Hayden
Australia win by 245 runs

 

[Slats4ever]

Joy for England

After it's fans had been shocked by Australia's dominance so far on this tour, England were finally given something to cheer about as they gave Australia their first taste of defeat all tour.

After his fourth consecutive toss win Ponting elected to bat and the Aussies were in huge trouble early at 3-19 as Steve Harmison used the Bristol pitch to his advantage. However it was a vintage Bevan that joined Ponting with Australia in trouble and the pair guided Australia onto solid ground with a 131 run stand. Harmison was just as dangerous in his second spell however and he picked up Bevan for 72. Hussey struggled with his first bat at international level being in trapped in front by Flintoff for just 8 and Australia were in trouble again. However the selectors were rewarded for their faith as Watson joined Ponting and played one of the innings of his career. The pair further enhanced Australia's position before a running mix up cost Watson his wicket. After the start Australia got 277 was a great score and it was lead by captain Ponting's 99*.

It was now time for England to stand up. McGrath, whilst looking dangerous never penetrated and Lee's first spell was off the mark as Trescothick and Strauss put on 106 for the opening wicket. Pieterson entered with huge anticipation on his shulders however he got a dubious caught behind decision 3 balls later and left for 1. Ausrtalia began a mini revival as they put the breaks on in the middle overs and picked up wickest, however Strauss remained strong and Jones's cameo 26 off 16 was enough to give England victory with 2 and a half overs left.

Slats4ever "A reality bite today. The batsman played carelessly and played silly shots early and that set the tone for the match. England are better than we gave them credit for and their batting line up is going to be tough to undo in the tests"

Australia 7-277 (R Ponting 99* M Bevan 72 Harmison 3-44)
England 6-278 (Strauss 114 Trescothick 50 B Lee 2-69)
MoM A Strauss
England win by 4 wickets

 

[Graham]

It's a pain to score that much and then get run down!

Looking forward to the Ashes series!

 

[Slats4ever]

Joy Shortlived for England

What a difference a couple of days makes in International cricket. England looked like they were on a drug high after the way they batted in compiling a poultry 9-152 batting first. Once again Strauss and Trescothick looked dangerous at the top of the order, both making good starts, however a ripper of a catch from Martyn saw Trescothick back in the pavillion an 17 and a trend had begun. Strauss went soon after and Pietersen looked far from convincing in his short stay. With captain Vaughan going first ball to Shane Watson the match seemed to be lost. It was only some Troughton fight that got England some respectability. The star was undoubtedly Jason Gillespie whose form looks ominous for the tests as he took 4-21 off his 10 overs.

Australia were never troubled in making the runs despite overcast and tough conditions. Hayden and Gilchrist adopted a reserved approach in getting Australia away however it was the fact that neither gave up one chance in their 118 run opening stand that made things so positive for Australia. Gilchrist was the only man dismissed after already having reached 50, and Ponting and Hayden got valuable batting practice as Australia made it home by 9 wickets with 6 overs in hand.

Slats4ever "A testament to the guys mental strength. Turning it around in this fashion was superb today and once we ripped open the top order after Marto's catch certainly puts England once again on the back foot"

England 9-152 (Troughton 40 J Gillespie 4-21 S Watson 2-25)
Australia 1-155 (M Hayden 75* A Gilchrist 56)
MoM J Gillespier
Australia won by 9 wickets

 

[Slats4ever]

Bangladesh much Improved

Glenn McGrath, Shane Watson and Damien Martyn were all rested from Australia's overnight OD fixture against Bangladesh. The loss almost proved fatal for Australia as they managed to avoid an embaressing defeat at the hands of the minnows. After having pummeled them last week by 245 runs it was a different story at Old Trafford as Australia struggled to find any real momentum with the bat.

Gilchrist looked in dazzeling form once again and looks extremely dangerous for the tests. His 79 at the top of the order coupled with Dave Hussey's 63 were the only highlights to come out of a innings of missed opportunites from the Aussies. The rest of the batsman all reached double figures only to lose concentration and get out. Khaled Mahmud was the main star with the ball leading the way with figures of 10 overs 2 for 35 including the wickets of Hayden and the late inclusion Justin Langer.

Bangladesh's reply had the crowd on the edge of their seats for much of the innings. The 137 run opening stand was a record for the new side and was only ended by an outfield catch off a missed slog sweep off Warne. However after that Bangladesh crumbled to the Aussies losing their last 9 wickets for 80 runs with Gillespie once again impressing with 3 alongside Warne.

All in all it was a dissapointing finish to a match that looked at one stage to be on the verge of producing one of the most stunning upsets in OD history. The relative inexperience of Bangladesh was proven however this is something which will only improve with time.

Slats4ever "Hardly a polished performance and we've taken a step back form where we were a week ago when we thrashed these guys. Batting wise we never really found momentum and the bowling only started to kick in late"

Australia 7-253 (A Gilchrist 79 D Hussey 63 K Mahmud 2-35)
Bangladesh 217ao (R Saleh 68 J Omar 67 J Gillespie 3-38 S Warne 3-48)
MoM A Gilchrist
Australia win by 36 runs

 

[Slats4ever]

Australia Sound Warning

England were keen to regain some sort of respect when they met Australia in the OD match at Lords. However once again silly shots cost them early wickets and eventually the match as Australia ran out resounding winners.

Once again it was the same candidates for England who failed and the same who stood up. Strauss's ominous form continued with his 49 at the top of the order and Troughton continued on adding runs to his already large series tally with another 50 not out. However Vaughan followed up last matches golden duck with yet another first ball dismissal again to Gillespie and Pietersen will struggle at test level if he makes the side. For the Aussies Gillespie continued his dominance with 3 more wickets (all bowled) and McGrath made a welcome return to form with 3 of his own. Amzingly enough of the 10 wickets to fall 7 were bowled. Surely a worry for the England hierarchy.

Australia sent a loud warning the way they demoralised England's bowling attack. The English media had another field day on the poor bowlers as Australia got to 3-208 with over 15 overs in hand. The innings was lead by Haydens 80 not out off 84 and Ponting's deadly 52 off 41.

The win see's Australia going into the weekends final as huge favourites.

England 204ao (Troughton 50* Strauss 49 Gillespie 3-38 McGrath 3-45)
Australia 3-208 (Hayden 80* Ponting 52)
MoM Hayden
Australia won by 7 wickets

 

[squiz]

we need some pics mate

Just adds a little something extra to it

 

[Slats4ever]

we need some pics mate

Just adds a little something extra to it

i don't wanna flood it with pics. I'll probably give snap shots of tour averages and important test matchs....
In fact I'll give a snap shot of this game cos I whacked Bangladesh by so much