The Ashes 2006/07: The Melbourne Test Thread - Day Three

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Oliver

Actually that's the one good reason for captaining from fine leg... nobody wants to run that far to tell you what they would be doing "if I were you.".

Hahaha. Now that is brilliant. But what do you do about the guys that complain about not getting a bowl. Or the guys that never get a decent bat?

Originally Posted by Oliver

Perhaps the writing was on the wall for this series quite late on but yet only just before it actually started. In that three-day practice match when Harmison pulled out and Mahmoud played in his place and STILL Flintoff did not give him a bowl in either innings. That smacks of determined yet crass stupidity..

Actually i was talking with mates abot Mamood today and we were speculation whether he was bowling like a demon to stick it up the Aussies nose, or to stick it up Flintoffs. It was not just Mahmood. How about his underbowling of everyone exept Hoggard? The way that he immediately set defensive fields whenever anyone but him and Hoggard came on to bowl? Great way to instill confidence in his bowlers hey?

[Nazza]

Originally Posted by Oliver

Actually that's the one good reason for captaining from fine leg...

Doesn't standing at fine leg all the time make sledging a bit trickier ?

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Nazza

Doesn't standing at fine leg all the time make sledging a bit trickier ?

I've got a big mouth it's true. But I'm not as sharp as the guys in the slips. They all sledge much better than me.

I can only ever fart when I'm in close.

[greg]

Originally Posted by Seamer

Actually i was talking with mates abot Mamood today and we were speculation whether he was bowling like a demon to stick it up the Aussies nose, or to stick it up Flintoffs. It was not just Mahmood. How about his underbowling of everyone exept Hoggard? The way that he immediately set defensive fields whenever anyone but him and Hoggard came on to bowl? Great way to instill confidence in his bowlers hey?

Well he has underbowled Mahmood and bowled Hoggard into the ground,so much so that Hoggard's injury may mean he misses the last test.

[Nazza]

Originally Posted by Oliver

They all sledge much better than me.

I like that........delegate to the specialists...........I'm hoping to come out of retirement next season, if only for a handful of games..................any good one-liners you can pass on ?

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Seamer

But what do you do about the guys that complain about not getting a bowl. Or the guys that never get a decent bat?

When they're captain, they can do with themselves what they like. It works very well.

Even the guy who truly believes that he would be one of the great wicket-takers for the club if only he was given a more regular bowl, has the sense to realise that if he bowls that fourth over, and concedes another twenty runs, then the victory target might seem unfeasibly large when he comes off. And possibly, when someone else is captain, he might not actually get to bowl ever again.

[Oliver]

Originally Posted by Nazza

...any good one-liners you can pass on ?

Like I said; I'm not that sharp. This one always goes down well: "PPPPLLLLLLLLLLLLlllllllllllllllllllll.... sorry!"

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Any suggestions for the final thrashing, sorry test ? Drop Mahmood, did OK but at 5 an over ? Drop harmo. Drop 'em both in fact. Find two bats who have been playing state (HA!) or grade cricket that are solid county pros and see if we can bat any further than 4. Lets try not to lose a match because we sure as **** cant take 20 wickets.

Sorry for the short angry post only I'm short of time and rather angry.

And as for batting first on a zippy pitch in fog - HA !

[Collyisamackem]

We need more batting to play for the draw, so:

Strauss* (Please! Please!!!!!!)
Cook
Bell
Collingwood (Oh yeah, KP did much better at 4!)
KP
Joyce
Flintoff
Read
Harmison
Panesar
Hoggard

In all honesty, our performances have been so limp that all I want is us not to lose 5-0, however it happens. This series will stick in the throat for a long time, it has been tremendously sickening.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Limp is the word, certainly after the second test, which we could have won at one point, then REALLY should have drawn and its all gone **** up from there. And on the whole, batting wise at least its all been so avoidable ! Bowling we've been quite bad but the aussies have just been bang on with there batting. You can go on about the odd dodgy decision (which even themselves out anyway) but they've been awesome.