Australian Batting vs English Batting

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Seamer

The challenge that England is throwing up, ironically, is perhaps what will save Australia from a massive fall in the future. The cracks are appearing but fortunately we have quality in the wings - we just needed a pretext to make the change and now we have it.
We actually have good options to replace most of the current crop and i look forward to the next few years. We will drop back to the pack but will still be very competitive.

You really think you'll drop back into the pack? I believe that even if England win this Series it will show how much England have improved. And England will be getting closer to joining Australia at the top. The others; South Africa, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will stay where they are. England need to perform in Sri Lanka and Pakistan to be classed along with Australia. India have threatened to move away from that pack but then revert to type and perform badly. Pakistan are too inconsistent and Sri Lanka are poor away from home. South Africa are re-building but they will soon be strong again because they are a nation like Australia, unaccustomed to failure and programmed to succeed in sport.

Australia are the best. England may win this Ashes series and may deserve to but more needs to be proved to get us up there and to get the Australians back with the pack. The Australian batting reserves are vast; Mike Hussey will score loads of runs in Test cricket and I believe Brad Hodge will do pretty well too. From a Notts point of view I'd be interested to see David Hussey get his chance but he seems further down the list. Gilchrist won't fail against everyone, this is just one bad (part) series. Even if the bowling resources aren't so huge defending massive totals is relatively easy - see Warwickshire winning the County Championship last summer with a very average bowling attack. This series may well be the making of the next Australian side.

[Cliff-UK]

Hi Seamer, I am really looking forward to seeing the next crop of Aussie talent too. As a cricket lover I hope they're good. As an England supporter I hope they don't hit the ground running.

I seethere is a piecein an aussie newspaper today saying cricket is triumphing and even the Aussie players may in fact be relishing a real challenge. I'm sure cricket lovers down under are enjoying the sheer drama of the games.

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

You really think you'll drop back into the pack? I believe that even if England win this Series it will show how much England have improved. .

Quite right NE. When i say back to the pack, i should have actually said holding our own and England being up with us, perhaps a notch above. I started a thread asking what the test ranking will be in three years time and i predicted England will be no1 by then. Yes England have improved - greatly. I admit that i was one of the sceptics who questioned the merits of Englands efforts over the last 18 months. I was wrong - they are a damn good team and if i had to choose a team to supplant the Aussies as no1, it would be England. Hope the Aussies prove me wrong though

Originally Posted by Cliff-UK

I seethere is a piecein an aussie newspaper today saying cricket is triumphing and even the Aussie players may in fact be relishing a real challenge. I'm sure cricket lovers down under are enjoying the sheer drama of the games.

The Aussie media and public have been lapping this up. There has been more focus on the exploits of Vaughan and co than the form worries of the Aussies. Qiute a positive spin really from a usually negative and critical media. Like the Union world cup, the Aussies don't mind losing so long as it is to a good side with a few champions. Wilkinson was lorded up by the Aussie media in the world cup. Flintoff is getting the same treatment in the cricket. I guess that we are happy that the Ashes are back to the top of the cricketing calender where it belongs.

[Cliff-UK]

Yes, this Ashes series has had a massive impact here. Cricket is back. The ginatr awakes. We have a national summer sport agian. Apparently, you can't buy an England cricket shirt round here in the North East of England at the mo- they'ra all sold out. My daughters (11 and 7) who used to laugh at me for loving cricket, now watch it with me and we're playing with the bat and stumps etc for the first time since i bought them when the older one was 2.

kids are playing cricket in the parks and on the beaches and the all-conquering premiership is taking a back seat. Maybe they'll even start playing cricket in schools again!

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by Seamer

Like the Union world cup, the Aussies don't mind losing so long as it is to a good side with a few champions. Wilkinson was lorded up by the Aussie media in the world cup. Flintoff is getting the same treatment in the cricket.

I guess the real positive for the cricket side compared to the union team is that they will be around for a while to come. That Union side had already peaked about a year earlier and by the time the World Cup came around they were ready to finish. England have really suffered since then. The cricketers have longer to go and should be around to really challenge the world's cricketing elite. They've won in South Africa and the Caribbean which hadn't be done for a long time, now to go and win in India and Pakistan. Even if we don't win the rest of this series we've seen a team that can challenge the best.

As far as Freddie is concerned, I'm pleased he's getting good press in Oz. He's a great bloke who appears to play the game in the right way. We've searched for years to find someone who catches the imagination like Botham did. You've been lucky in that Warnie has done that for you, McGrath's a great bowler but doesn't have the aura of a Warne, a Botham, a Flintoff or a Lara or an Imran. And you've got your all-rounder in Glichrist. Any really exciting talents ready to burst through?

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

Any really exciting talents ready to burst through?

Here's a list of the up and comers
Australia 'A' squad for Pakistan tour, September 2005: Brad Haddin (capt), Michael Hussey (vc), Phil Jaques, Brad Hodge, Marcus North, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Daniel Cullen, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait, James Hopes, Dominic Thornely, Michael Lewis. Reserves: Chris Hartley, Chris Rogers, Mitchell Johnson, Damien Wright.

Haddin is an excellent wicketkeeper/batsman in the mould of Gilchrist. Actually a better option IMO. Mike Hussey we know about. Jaqueus, Hodge and Thornely are very promising prospects with the bat and are ready to go when given the chance.
White is an improving leg-spin option in the mould of Kumble, certainly no Warne, but is a very good batsman and Victorian captain despite only being 21.
Mitchell Johnson is a very exciting pace bowler - and will be challenging Lee for his test spot in 2007 if he avoids recurring back problems. I know Tait struggled in England's county comp but has an unbelievable domestic season down here and i hope to see him in the test side soon.
I aso think Symonds will make it as a test player and is a better option to Watson as an allrounder.
We do lack a good off spinner, we have no real replacement for Warne (and never will - once in a century player) and a tall line and length bowler like McGrath
But we do have the talent in the wings to produce a competitive test team. Hopefully we will start feeding them in soon in time for our next great challenge - Ashes 2007.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Seamer

we have no real replacement for Warne (and never will - once in a century player) and a tall line and length bowler like McGrath.

For me this is a key point to why Australia have been so good has been these two. I don't think you can replace them like for like. It will be impossible. They are very special once in a generation players.

There is Australia's current problem. To maintain the level of excellennce they need to fnd to genuiuses. It isn't going to happen. The result will be some level of decline - it is inevitable. Empires come and go.

I am only hoping that the succesor to the Empire is England, but I feel the next few years the title "best team in the world" will be uup for grabs.

[lindas legs]

Its quite amusing going back and looking at the beginning of this thread .The views expressed whilst probably accurate at the time from an Aus point of view have i feel been shown to be wrong.The Aus batsmen have been shown to be mere mortals and the English at the time of writing this have been shown to be more than capable of matching them.I think there are two reasons why the Aus batsmen have not lived up to their reputations, firstly the English bowlers have mostly very good and secondly as a unit the Aus batsmens powers are definatly on the wane.They may regain a measure of their form in the last two tests[i hope not]but in the long run i feel we will be able to overtake the Aus team and be No1.

I had to laugh when i heard Flintoff was getting a good press and lauded for his performances So like Wilkinson in the Rugby will the newspapers be supplying a cut out of him for the Aus public to stick pins in .
I am going on holiday know so i would like to leave you with a rousing cheer

COME ON ENGLAND
COME ON ENGLAND
COME ON ENGLAND

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

There is Australia's current problem. To maintain the level of excellennce they need to fnd to genuiuses. It isn't going to happen. The result will be some level of decline - it is inevitable. Empires come and go..

Firsly, Australia went without Warne for reasonable spells after shoulder reconstructions and the one year ban. McGrath was out for a year with ankle injury. We still kept winning though. While they are important players, they are not the only reason Australia have had such a long period of success. It is the fact that man for man, the Aussies have been able to field a team of overall superior quality. The players in the wings should be able to maintain that superiority - the talent is there anyway,

Originally Posted by flanflinger

I am only hoping that the succesor to the Empire is England, but I feel the next few years the title "best team in the world" will be uup for grabs.

It is quite possible you may get your wish. The question is if England suffer injuries to key players, do they have the depth to maintain that qualitive strength? Also, you maintain that Australia have relied in two geniouses to dominate cricket. I disagree but assuming you are right, England do not have any genuius bowlers in the class of Warne/McGrath, but does that mean they cannot go on to be number1? Certainly not - It is the depth of quality players that will decide in the end

[Leafy Seadragon]

Originally Posted by Seamer

We do lack a good off spinner

Dan Cullen? 43 wickets in his first Pura Cup season as a 20 year-old. Suggestions from a few top spinners, including Terry Jenner and Ashley Mallet that he should have been the second spinner on this Ashes tour. Probably a little early for him and a little hard on SCG, but there's expectations that he's baggy green bound