TEA20

Anyone give us any chance of lifting the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka? No? Carry on then:

• George Bailey
• Dan Christian
• Patrick Cummins
• Xavier Doherty
• Ben Hilfenhaus
• Brad Hogg
• David Hussey
• Mike Hussey
• Glenn Maxwell
• Clint McKay
• Mitchell Starc
• Matthew Wade
• David Warner
• Shane Watson
• Cameron White

Comments

[Rusty]

Fair few opponents licking their lips at that bowling line-up I reckon.

Maxwell should play every game. In saying that, they'll probably leave him out until it's too late to salvage.

Does anyone else look at this list and think solemnly about Brad Hodge?

[Tony]

I've been reduced to hoping we come up with some surprise trickery and tactics. Same old, old same won't cut it.

[Rusty]

I assume Bolt and Blake are in for the Windies?

[Bruce]

We will lose at least one game when Papercut gets bogged down looking for boundaries but can't get it off the square. He has no idea how to hustle for runs.

[lou]

The bowling line-up looks like a load of old pony apart from Hoggy. If Maxwell plays, just plonk 3 fielders shoulder to shoulder around cow corner and he'll knock it down their throat every time. I like Bailey a lot but he won't win us too many matches.

Batting not too bad but they'll have to work hard with all the runs that are going to be slogged off our bowlers.

Apart from that, it looks great!

Sky sports have just shown the most irredeemably camp line-up of the two teams for the test this morning.

[Tony Tea]

Bolt and Blake are really playing? I thought that was a joke. May as well get Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Hainsley Crawford too. Jimmy Cliff, anyone?

[lou]

Really rank vid decision from the third ump there against Kallis. Kind of embarrassing to make those sorts of basic mistakes.

[lou]

Blake was on Sky and the commentators were all very happy to see him, a bit star struck it seemed to me. God knows what they'd be like if the Bolt turned up.

Blake is very funny and kind of sweet. Sounds quite serious about coming to Aus. He said he wants to face Brett Lee and that he has a bowling machine in his backyard that he practises on all the time.

[Russ]

Felt a little sorry for Blake. They kept winding him up t say he was good so they could laugh at him. Should have got him down to the nets instead.

On the WT20. Don't mind if we bomb out with losses to Ireland and West Indies, or win it. Not keen on anything in between.

[Lou]

I thought he took it all very well, Russ. I didn't see it as mocking. Well, maybe Atherton, but the others were ok.

Michael Holding looked immensely proud talking about the Jamaican sprinters.

[Russ]

Lou, Holding looked even prouder that they were able to train at home. As well he might. I tend to lean towards the Flintoff view of Athers. No particular reason.

On another note, still finding it difficult to reconcile myself to the fact that I like almost everyone in this South African side.

[Lou]

I've met Athers once and it seemed to me that he thought he was 'above his company' so to speak. I try not to hold that against him as it was at a cricket media do and he just might not like socialising so may not have shown up well. But I spoke to Richie Benaud and Barry Richards that night and they were very easy and friendly to chat with. Same with Slats.

[Tony]

The only South Africans in this match that I don't like are (or were) playing for England.

[Tony]

Slogger Slatts is not really cricket media, though. He's just some bloke who hangs around having a good time.

[Cameron]

Does the Big Bash League have drug testing?

I guess if the Jamaicans end up here they'll make sure they're out of cycle in any case.

Good article here by the always entertaining Jason Whitlock:

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/track/story/usain-bolt-london-exploits-similar-to-mark-mcgwire-home-run-chase-080912

[Lou]

Ha, ha, Slatts did come across as just some bloke. Quite nice though, shame he sounds like such a fool on commentary.

[lou]

"On the WT20. Don't mind if we bomb out with losses to Ireland and West Indies, or win it. Not keen on anything in between."

Just about how I feel about it. Rather lose ingloriously or win wonderfully. None of this mediocre middling stuff.

[lou]

Well, the Saffers are top of the world, ma.

Why is it that both teams need a MOTS these days? Is it for fear of hurting someone's feelings? Or are there just too many bloody trophies around?

[Russ]

Lou, England has always had two MOTS awards. Seemed odd to me when I first noticed in '97 (McGrath and Thorpe, since you asked), but it has a certain charm and logic.

[Lou]

I've never noticed that in the Ashes. God, I must pay even less attention than I thought to the rah-rah, talk bullshit to the press, wave the pompom stuff after the game.

[Tony Tea]

3AW News: "Australia have picked So-and-So for tonight's CRUCIAL T20 against Pakistan." Crucial? In what context? Virtually NO T20 matches are crucial, least of all tonight's practice match.

[Russ]

Awww Tony, the T20 games between Spain vs Sweden and Isle of Man vs Israel tonight are pretty crucial. Progress and qualification in a tournament actually matters. It is only Australia's (and other test nation's) T20 and ODI matches that never matter.

[Tony Tea]

Far call. I look forward to Faroe Islands v Tuvalu.

[Soups]

OT: Hampshire have won the domestic one day (Forty40) trophy in a tied final by virtue of having less dismissals the season directly after South Australia won the domestic one day (Fifty50) trophy in a tied final by virtue of topping the ladder. What a co-incidence! Hampshire won the trophy (by tieing the match) by bowling a dot-ball on the last ball after the penultimate ball went for 4. What excitement & drama.
Cricket's a funny game...

[Soups]

OOT: I was watching domestic English cricket to calm down from watching another 'near but far' West Coast Eagles season finish. Here's to Top 4 next year...

[Lou]

The Aussie domestic season has kicked off!

[sheep]

And there was 331 at the WACA today to watch it!

[lou]

No! There must have been more, I could hear the louty Perthites over the radio. Surely more than 331 drunks turned up? Sportsfm reckoned it was more like 1500, but then they are hopelessly parochial.

Anyway, nice to see headline on Cricinfo - Zimbabwe struggle against spin. I'm always pleased when any other team gets that headline.

[lou]

I meant more for the Ryobi fixture, that was the first match of the season.

[Tony Tea]

Speaking of Zimbabwe, Ajantha Menthol.

[Lou]

Chappelli giving a very good interview on TMS. Sometimes he makes a lot of sense, other times it's just a pile of drivel.

[Tony Tea]

Chappelli on radio >> Chappelli on television.

[Tony Tea]

Watson beats Ireland by 7 wickets.

[m0nty]

Ireland are one out off the first ball hooking, all out.