Cricket: Australia – Australia Defeat India 4 Zip and the Big Bash 2012 Final

What a great day for Australian Cricket, with Australia wrapping up the test series against India 4 – 0 and the hugely successful 1st season of the Twenty20 Big Bash being completed tonight, with the Sydney Sixers defeating the Perth Scorchers.

It has been a massive day of cricket, with Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, David Warner, Peter Siddle and Co, playing great cricket in the series win against India. Who will forget the massive triple century of Michael Clarke, the partnerships of Clarke and Ponting, the dominance of Australia’s bowling attack and the capitulation of the Indian team under relentless pressure from Australia. Both Shaun Marsh and Brad Haddin should be concerned about their immediate future in the team, with poor performances by them both throughout the series. Both Ponting and Michael Hussey silenced their critics with very solid performances in the series and David Warner has cemented his place in the team for the time being.

India however were very disappointing and several big name players should be looking at retirement – if not, they should perhaps be replaced. All the big names struggled, none more than Dravid and Laxman. Even Sachin Tendulkar struggled and at no time did it seem likely he would make his 100th international hundred.

The Big Bash Final win for the Sydney Sixers was set up right from the beginning with a brilliant first over by Brett Lee. It was a brilliant opening partnership between Moses Henriques and Steve O’Keefe that ensured the Sixers could chase down the total set by the Scorchers comfortably.

For more visit:
http://www.cricket.com.au/news-list/2012/1/28/australia-seal-whitewash

http://www.bigbash.com.au/
http://www.espncricinfo.com/big-bash-league-2011/content/story/551379.html

CRICKET: AUSTRALIA BACK ON TOP OF WORLD CRICKET???

Having won the first test in convincing style in South Africa, Australia has started the second test in the same vain, ending the first day at 4 for 303. Phillip Hughes (115) and Simon Katich (108) both scored centuries as Australia poured on the early pressure. Both Ricky Ponting (9) and Michael Clarke (3) failed, with Mike Hussey (37 not out) Marcus North (17 not out) steadying the ship at the end of the day.

Australia’s form in South Africa raises the question of whether or not Australia is again resting easily in the number one position in test cricket, having seen off the South African challenge for the time being.

As a consequence of the Pakistan terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team and match officials in Lahore, security has been massively intensified in South Africa.

CRICKET: CURRENT WORLD BATTING RATINGS

The latest International Cricket Council World Batting Ratings list has West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the top, which quite ironic given the current status (7^th out of 9 test playing teams) of the once great West Indian cricket team. However, Chanderpaul has been a standout batsman for the Windies for quite some time and is most certainly one of cricket’s most reliable batsmen.

Sliding just out of the top ten at 11 is ‘Mr Cricket’ or Michael Hussey (753). The once reliable Hussey has been in something of a form slump just lately and this has also seen his batting average (61.56) come down to earth and be more representative of Hussey’s true batting potential. Matthew Hayden’s (678) fall has continued and he now rests at number 18 in the ratings. Sachin Tendulkar (683) is at 16 with V. V. S. Laxman.

The top 10 are:

1.    Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) 900

2.    Mohammad Yousuf        (Pakistan)       880

2.    Kumar Sangakkara        (Sri Lanka)      880

4.    Mahela Jayawardena     (Sri Lanka)      854

5.    Kevin Pietersen              (England)         832

6.    Ricky Ponting                 (Australia)        827

7.    Graeme Smith                (South Africa)  810

8.    Younus Khan                  (Pakistan)         799

9.    Michael Clarke                (Australia)        772

10. Gautum Gambhir          (India)               771    

 

BELOW: Footage of Shivnarine Chanderpaul reaching 100 in the 3^rd test against England at Old Trafford on the 11^th June 2007.

CRICKET: AUSTRALIA DEFEAT NEW ZEALAND 2 – 0

The Australian cricket team have thumped New Zealand 2 – 0 in the two match test series. The series win was very comprehensive, yet still quite unconvincing and a major improvement will be required if Australia is to defeat South Africa in the upcoming test series.

BELOW: Ricky Ponting’s great catch in the second test

CRICKET: INDIA WINS THE SECOND TEST

India has given Australia a hiding in the second test in Mohali, India. This match saw India thump Australia by 320 runs. It was only the second test that Australia has lost since their Ashes clash with England in 2005.

The match saw Zaheer Khan fined 80% of his match fee for poor behaviour following his send off of Matt Hayden and an on-field dispute between Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee.

India scored 469 and 3 for 314, while Australia only managed 268 and 195 for a 320 run loss.

For India Gambhir scored 67, Tendulkar 88, Ganguly 102 and Dhoni 92 in the Indian first innings and Mitchell Johnson took 3 for 85 for Australia. In the Australian first innings Watson scored 78 and Hussey 54, while Mishra took 5 for 71.

In the Indian second innings Gambhir scored 104, Sehweg 90 and Dhoni 68 not out, while Cameron White took 1 for 48 to be the pick of the bowlers for Australia. In the Australian second innings Michael Clarke was the only batsmen to show resistance scoring 69, with Zaheer taking 3 for 71 to be the pick of the Indian bowlers.

BELOW: Footage covering the defeat in India

The third test begins in Delhi on the 29^th October 2008.

Coming Back to the Field… Competition at Last!

In my last post before the Australian-Indian test series in Australia, I was concerned at the lack of competition for Australia in cricket. Australia has of course won the series 2-1, however, the series was extremely close in the end and the second test which was won by Australia was sadly decided by poor umpiring in reality. India would probably have won that one if not for the poor umpiring.

Still, the good news is that cricket is becoming a competition again, with Australia coming back to the field somewhat. With the retirement of Glen McGrath, Shane Warne, Damien Martin, Justin Langer and now Adam Gilchrist, the Australian team is definitely coming back to the field – though clearly they are still very good and the best team in the world.

Brett Lee has stepped up and is the spearhead of the Australian attack – and is one of the best bowlers in the world. Stuart Clark is usually a brilliant partner in the Australian attack for Brett Lee and is another class bowler. However, the bowling stocks seems to fall away after these two, with Mitchell Johnson being a little too erratic at this stage (though he seems effective still in the way of wicket taking) and Shaun Tait being disappointing. Stuart MacGill is not the bowler he was and there is therefore no effective replacement for Shane Warne in the area of leg spin, with no seemingly effective fulltime spin bowlers of any form.

In state sides there is Bollinger in New South Wales, who seems to be the goods at such an early stage of his first class career, but there seems little more apart from Nathan Bracken (also from New South Wales).

With the departure of Adam Gilchrist there is now an opportunity for Brad Haddin to step up to the Australian team. After Haddin there seems to be daylight in the way of wicket keeper batsmen.

The future for Australian batsmen seems to be fading also, though there is still an extremely strong top order in the current Australian team. Matthew Hayden has indicated he will be sticking around for a little while, which is good news for Australia as there seems to be quite a dropping away of talent in the way of opening batsmen after Phil Jacques, with Simon Katich seemingly too old to be around much longer (though he is arguably in the best form of his career).

Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds are a class above many other batting combinations around the world, with not a real lot seemingly to step up to the lofty standards these four have now set. Certainly Michael Clarke seems a clear choice for a future Australian captain, but what sort of team will he lead – a question that will be answered in time to come with much interest.

Certainly Australian cricket is very healthy and is probably the strongest in the world, yet admitting the great talent in Australian cricket, the Australian team is coming back to the rest of the field and we can look forward to more competitive cricket – or so it seems. The future will tell the story and it wouldn’t be at all surprising that with future retirements from the team, other players from the Pura Cup will step up and have grown into the same class that has set the Australian team above the rest of the world for so long.