Australia clearly the better team

[davo ramone]

Originally Posted by Seamer

No, Hughes has as much idea about latest fashions as he does identifying form and ability. Not many hanldebars down here these days PR.

at least merv has an idea that players can be picked from outside NSW, unlike Trevor Hohns.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

England win the ashes - aussies the better team AND the fact Mcgrath and warne might hang up their boots if they lose ??? Until England win the ashes, the aussies are the better team, but if they lose, arguably they arent anymore.

hmm I see what you mean RBLC, but let's consider an analogy - if during the previous season's Oikball (TM) competition, Chelsea had narrowly lost away to Aresenal during the league, would that have meant that they were not worthy champions? Arsenal were second placed, but a one-off win over Chelsea does not make them better than the eventual winners; we have the 38 games of the league to decide that.

Australia are number one by virtue of comprehensively beating every other team home and away*; England will remain second till they come close to achieving something similar, or at least beating Sri Lanka, India and Australia away from home.


* they actually drew their last home series against India, but won many prior to that, and were fielding a very depleted bowling attack

Oikball-TM: Copyright Goatman Enterprises.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Valid point. Since the vaughan revolution we've beaten all before us. If you go back 3 years of course its the aussies but if you go on the last 18 months (and thats including the ashes hopefully) we've beaten everyone we've played. Perhaps my original statement was a bit rash, but I'd argue we are at least the form team. Consider this though, again from Oik ball. Are Liverpool really the best side in europe ?

[Irish Left Armer]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

Valid point. Since the vaughan revolution we've beaten all before us. If you go back 3 years of course its the aussies but if you go on the last 18 months (and thats including the ashes hopefully) we've beaten everyone we've played. Perhaps my original statement was a bit rash, but I'd argue we are at least the form team. Consider this though, again from Oik ball. Are Liverpool really the best side in europe ?

And how is it that teams who place 4th in their Domestic leagues can possibly play in something known as the Champions League?

[IslandKev]

Originally Posted by Irish Left Armer

And how is it that teams who place 4th in their Domestic leagues can possibly play in something known as the Champions League?

What is the meaning of 'The Best Team'? Is the best team the most exciting or the team that wins? Are Liverpool the best team? Well they won didnt they. Are England the best team? Lets wait and see

[Seamer]

If England can achieve what Australia has - ie - undefeated both home and away against all nations, then yes, they will be the undisputed best. They have a long way to go though, they only recently were defeated in Sri Lanka (convieniently forgotten i noticed) and still have Pakistan, India and Australia away. As i said - they have a long way to go yet. This series, and indeed this test, is still undecided.

[Clive Dunn]

In all honesty I think most England supporters hoped we'd be able to earn a little respect in this series after 15 years of being sub standard, winning the series ( not that we are anywhere near that point yet ) always seemed like a long shot - especially after the 1st test disaster.

I guess I find these "who's the best" discussions a little gaudy, and premature. There is a long way to go in this series yet.

[The Phantom Ram]

Originally Posted by Seamer

If England can achieve what Australia has - ie - undefeated both home and away against all nations, then yes, they will be the undisputed best. They have a long way to go though, they only recently were defeated in Sri Lanka (convieniently forgotten i noticed) and still have Pakistan, India and Australia away. As i said - they have a long way to go yet. This series, and indeed this test, is still undecided.

Exactly, and I still say that us beating you in this series, if it happens, will not prove us a better team than you.

[DaveGillespie]

during the previous season's Oikball (TM) competition

Have to hand it to you there, Maranello - funniest sentence I've read in a while

Since the vaughan revolution we've beaten all before us.

Lost 1-0 vs Sri Lanka away, and the only reasons it was 1-0 and not 3-0 were a pair of staunch rearguard actions and Hashan Tillakaratne's inexplicably negative captaincy.

[Kirsty Harris]

Originally Posted by DaveGillespie

Lost 1-0 vs Sri Lanka away, and the only reasons it was 1-0 and not 3-0 were a pair of staunch rearguard actions and Hashan Tillakaratne's inexplicably negative captaincy.

Actually, the only reason we didn't lose 3 - 0 was down to one man: Ashley Giles, both with the bat and ball - thankyou!!!

That was a poor tour by England, but I think they learned a lot from their mistakes, as they haven't looked back since!!