Tag Archives: australia

Katto peaking for the Ashes

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Katto pushes to cover

Katto pushes to cover

Simon Katich is in career best form, peaking right in time for the Ashes. 0 runs from 17 balls is a special kind of innings that only the best modern players have the aptitude for. With a few more of these knocks Katto will be elevated to the level of a Rahul Dravid or Jacques Kallis, Test match gods amongst their contemporaries.

Not hitting a single run from three overs while Philip Hughes knocks around 17(26) at the other end, this is the sort of knock that I want to see more of from Katich. This is the form that bags him triple centuries in domestic competition, and god wont save the Poms or our Queen if he continues this sort of form in Cardiff.

We can but hope that Katto has removed that foul swipe outside off from his arsenal and from this scorecard I have determined that his mind is 100% focussed on redeeming the failures of 2005… although Aleem Dar must also take his share of the blame for the cleansing to be complete.

Let us pray that he’s been able to utilise his full arsenal of non-scoring shots in this dig, the ambitious and exaggerated leave wide outside off, the late bat swerve and shimmy round the ball which just misses the off stump, the forward defensive, the back foot punch, the push to cover, the duck, the swerve and the mis-timed pull to mid-on, all are integral parts of the Katich defensive suite.

This knock is honestly what I like to see from Katto. In that tough period approaching stumps with 5 overs to negotiate I applaud a non-scoring not-out.

He took a wicket too, in the 8 overs that Ponting gave him. If Punter stays true to form he wont bowl again this series.

3rd ODI – Australia vs Seth Efrika

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Going into the third game at 1-1 and you’d be forgiven for thinking we’ve got a series on our hands here. Both matches have been decided in the final over from these two very evenly matched sides.

Australia

Our bowling lineup looks at it’s strongest so far in the series with Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson playing together at last. Mitchell’s troubled the Saffas more than any other bowler on this tour so having him back after a rest will be a big bonus.

Hilfenhaus has shown some of the potential that I keep talking up this series, and bowled a heap of garbage too. He and Ryan Harris have been dropped for tomorrow’s game to make room for Tait and Johnson. I’d really like to see ‘Dirty’ Dirk Nannes given a shot, preferably in a way that forces him to miss tomorrow night’s Twenty20 final at the SCG ;)

Shaun Marsh has blasted off the cobwebs of his sub-par domestic season with 78 and 79, here’s to a century from the Son of Swampy. The only question remaining in our lineup is which Queenslander to not play at number 8. Here’s hoping my boy Dave Warner starts middling them again tonight, if not can we have him back for tomorrow?

South Africa

Johan Botha throws like a girl, and his action is dodgy as hell but at least the teams over rate is improving. AB ‘c’ DeVilliers should be be getting back on the horse that threw him, look for Ricky to bring Tait on as soon as he’s in. The overly hyped Vaughn van Jaarsveld has been dropped, much like the multiple chances that have fallen through his hands and snuck past his bat.

We’re still looking for a way to negate JP Duminy, hopefully Tait can maim him as I just can’t see us getting him out the old fashioned way.

Free Stuff

If you’re going to the match tonight, hold on to your ticket as it’ll work at Homebush for the Twenty20 final tomorrow as well. We’re hoping to take the record for highest attendance at a domestic Twenty20 game from the Vics in addition to the Big Bash Trophy, so giving tickets away seemed like a good plan. To be honest I reckon they should give all tickets away and make cash off food/drink/merchandise, or charge a token amount to get the bums on seats. Still, $20 aint too bad..

The Teams

Australia 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 David Warner, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Hopes/Nathan Hauritz, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Shaun Tait.

South Africa (possible) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Neil McKenzie, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Albie Morkel, 9 Johan Botha (capt), 10 Dale Steyn/Morne Morkel, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Junk Food vs Hard Liquor T20 Match

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Well it’s about to start, the All Stars vs Australia.

Gilly’s opening on his 37th Birthday, Roy’s back, Brett Geeves to open for Australia, and as is standard practice Ricky’s not playing a Twenty20…. Go the All Stars!

Movember is listed as a charity for this match, hoping to see some decent Mo’s out there as well.

Will update this post as stuff happens.

Dighton plays the right-arm uppercut for 6, nice to see the innovation from the All* straight away. Next one goes for 4, dot, 6. Dighton’s 16*(4).
Gilly to face Tait now, this could be interesting.
Roy’s looking very processed now, glad to see his heads in the right spot to play cricket again.
Slats trying to flog Gilly’s book between balls. A nice change from trying to flog Gilly’s wife between overs I guess.
5 wides from Tait, Haddin hasn’t seen something bounce like that in months
0/31 off 2 overs
Dighton on fire, 0/51 after 3 !!
Turns out Hussey is captain of the all stars. Tait swinging it at around 150k’s. Also has his elbow strapped on like he’s borrowed an arm. Gilly played all through that one, perfect seam position on a great inswinger that just missed off stump. And again, Gilly having all sorts of trouble with Tait. 1 off the over
0/52 off 4
Siddle’s on, seems everyone’s forgotten bout Douggy Bollinger. Gilly’s in the runs now as well, was trying to get Dighton on strike and did so, on the 5th ball. Dighton plays the baseball swipe straight back to siddle who knocks it up with his right, then taps it out of his left, then the ball falls. Good effort, no cigar.
0/67
Tait’s back, Gilly bowled 25(20). World’s best T20 batsman and man voted most likely to be confused with a feret, Brad Hodge.
First ball edged through 2nd slip. Field change, now there’s a 2nd slip. I like this Hussey
Quick single and direct hit from Xavier Doherty, Dighton in by a poofteenth
No, I lie.. 3rd ump gives him the arse. Seems Clarke was a late withdrawl from the match, as opposed to Ponting, who just couldn’t be f’ucked.
Great, Katich comes in to join Hodge, there goes the run rate me thinks.
No ball, Hodge gets an edge and a jumping Haddin catches it to save 4 off the free hit.
Well, Channel 9 have finally pulled their fingers out and are broadcasting this game in HD. Thank f’uck for that.
Katto caught behind off Siddle, 3/75 of 6.3
Dan Marsh in and Siddle bowls a bouncer so short that Marsh doesn’t even have to duck.
Seems like months since there was a boundry, so Hodge absolutely creams a cover drive
3/83 off 6
Langer sitting like a jockey as Heals interviews him. His voice seems so much more appropriate as a jockey. Heals asks what the batting plan is. Apparently scoring lots of runs is at the top.
Xavier Doherty on now and he bowls Dan Marsh for a golden duck. 4/83.
Bill’s in the box now to add some excitement, as Langer comes out for the All Stars.
Bill opens with the second dodgy chicken pun of the night “so the KFC Australian’s are amongst the
chickens at the moment, really doing well”, guess the Colonel paid for channel 9′s HD equipment
Spinners and Hodge have really applied the brakes, Roy bowling with Doherty. This Symonds bloke looks ok, we could have used him in India.
Bob Marley, AC/DC’s old stuff and Come on Irene playing in the crowd with Nicholas talking about how T20 brings in the kids.. who like old music, apparently.
Future PM and IPL billionaire David Hussey bowling now, tidy over. How does anyone watch this ‘cricket’ without 6′s all the time? Boring!
4/114 off 12
Langer going at an impressive run a ball, Hodge about 2. Roy bowling like shit but still tight.
Roy’s subbed himself off for an 8 year fielder now.. and the ball gets belted along the ground straight to him.. Siddle cuts it off and the kid gets an extra run for the All Stars..
More cricket and stuff. Just noticed on the scorecard the All Stars are abreviated to A*S, which looks like they’re censoring ASS. Tidy.
4/196 off 19
Last Over, now they can start hitting it.
Tait to bowl it, I can feel the runs already.
Good over there, 204 in total. Can’t help but think Langer really held them back with 52(43).
Some stupid band between innings, short skirts though, nice.
Australia batting now, Hayden caught early off McGoffin, then Shaun marsh caught off McGoffin in the outfield, by Brendan Drew, who caught it between his legs! Deadset, remarkable dismissal.
2/19 after 3
Australia struggling here, Roy’s in next though, shame about his form.
No, Roy’s in now as Harris throws down the stumps and Watson is back to pose in the mirror.
McGoffin bowling really well, Roy just described him as “their best bowler”, and Hussey agrees. Plan is to play him out to score off the others
Roy throws to the advert, tidy.
3/53 off 7. Asking rate now 11.5

Simon Katich vs Gautam Gambhir

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Here’s some footage from the altercation between Katto and Ghambir from the third session on Day 1.

I’ve watched it a bunch of times and from my observations there was a bit of argy bargy that almost leads to a run-out escallates when Ghambir try’s to tell Billy that Katich was cheating by getting in his way. Katto responds with “that’s f’ucking shit man”. Brett Lee comes past and throws a few inaudible words of support behind his NSW captain, then Katto and Ghambir are at it again and you hear Simon utter “F’uck off mate”. Billy steps in when it looks like they might up the ante, and Michael Clarke comes in to calm the farm. Clarke has to make a pretty solid effort of holding back Katich who by this time looks like he wants to punch on.

Vettori on fire

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can't spin right

can't spin right

1 over, 1 maiden. 3 wickets. They’re some figures. Bangladesh went off for light at 3/13 rather than face a second spell from big Dan.

It’s not just that he got a triple wicket maiden however, he’s taken out Bangers form batsmen and given me an excuse to pull out the beer bullets

  • Junaid Siddique, primarily in the team due to his name been confusable with Jamie Siddons. Did well in the ODI series but is averaging 3.33 in the Tests. Vettori strikes first ball, comes dancing down the track and misses, McCullum drops the ball but then takes the bails, referred to the third umpire, that is out.
  • Mohammad Ashraful, all purpose giant slayer and Banging Captain, the guy who beat Australia albeit with some help from Roy. Leans forward and gets hit on the pad, de Silva has no hesitation in giving it, that looked plumb.
  • Rajin Saleh, well I haven’t heard of this guy but he’s almost 25 so a veteran in Bangladeshi terms. Averaging an impressive 25.6 and with 7 test 50′s to top score at 89 he sounds like the future. Wonderful stuff, floated up and hit on the pad and again de Silva has no hesitation in giving it, that is hitting middle and leg.