Roar Guru
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'A grade' Sports Geek providing independent views on cricket, NBA, EPL, AFL & more.... or less. Also at twitter.com/leemacsports
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There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Ryan Harris is a fantastic bowler. On playing ability alone, he deserves his call-up to the…
The Australian batting line-up is currently as fragile as butterflies made of snowflakes. As pretty as that sounds, from an Australian perspective it makes…
For 20 years, Australian cricket fans have greeted each summer with enthusiasm. This was born from the knowledge that, like Mark Cosgrove at the…
Australians and South Africans don’t get along on the cricket field. There, I said it. Now we can all acknowledge the elephant in the…
Shane Warne could be Australia’s Michael Jordan. I’m sure that would come as a welcome comparison to a man who chose to wear the…
Cricket, as they say, is a funny game. By funny I’m guessing they mean funny as in weird, not funny as in “ha-ha”. And…
The biggest game of the English Premier League season so far is this Sunday. Surprisingly, it doesn’t involve Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea. Not so…
[caption id="attachment_17892" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Pakistan\'s Shahid Afridi makes a run against Australia during the one day international cricket match between Pakistan and Australia in…
The Mumbai Indians won the Champions League Twenty20. Does anyone care? Maybe a few Mumbonians/Mumbainians/Mumbaiz do, but most people were about as interested in…
Kids have Christmas, shopaholics have Boxing Day, alcoholics have St Patrick’s Day, pirate obsessives have Talk Like a Pirate Day, and AFL fans have…
Australian cricket was shot. Down and out. It was without a paddle while exploring the upper reaches of a particularly pungent creek. Now it…
The 2011 AFL Finals series has been a bit of a snooze-fest. So much so that while watching Hawthorn and Sydney on Friday night,…
By next Tuesday the mystery that is the state of Australian cricket will either take a step towards being solved or plunge back into…
The Pallekelle International Cricket Stadium (or the Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium if you prefer the long name) may be located in the sweetly…
Fortune favours the brave but also sometimes the naive. Whichever Nathan Lyon is, he deserves all the credit he gets for his five-wicket haul…
“It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen”. The Australian cricket team and their fans should adopt the slogan from the Pantene shampoo commercials…
England are number one in the Test rankings, India are insipid and Australia are in crisis. Kind of like Bizarro Superman, welcome to the…
For three Test matches now England have played the role of Jean-Claude Van Damme. India, on the other hand, have played the role of…
[caption id="attachment_36418" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="India\'s Pragyan Ojha, left, V.V.S. Laxman, center, and Suresh Raina. AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi"][/caption] To be number one in any discipline…
Confession time. I’m a Manchester City fan. Since the dawn of time, aka my birth in a Manchester hospital, my Dad and his Dad…
High scoring and free flowing are not necessarily aspects that make engaging contests. They certainly can be, but up until Saturday night the whole finals lacked a bit of X-factor.
As you say still 3 matches to go and, as I mention in the article, there are plenty of engaging storylines for the upcoming games. Also, with the best four teams from the H&A season playing there is bound to be some competitive footy.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
It’s certainly been a cut above the H&A season, but that’s not saying much.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
Personally I thought that was the worst of the lot. It had none of the aspects that make a match memorable. Several co-workers of mine had the had the same opinion. Oh well, each to their own I guess.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
Yeah not sure Jaceman. Those look about right.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
Thanks Steve. I can imagine Bruce is looking in the mirror and practicing some speeeecial Cyril quotes as I write this.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
I fully expect the Hawks and Eagles to go toe-to-toe with their respective opponents. The Pies and Cats have been the best sides in the comp this year and should (and “should” can be a dirty word) get over the line.
Eagles and Blues apply CPR to AFL Finals
Good question CJ. I suppose the reluctance around rotating batsmen is the belief that it can mess with their form. Though surprisingly, no such worries seem to exist for bowlers. But with so much cricket these days (these three Test matches have been back-to-back-to-back) it could be something for the selectors look at.
Australia look to clinch Sri Lanka series
All good points Matthew.
I agree that turning the selection of the national side into a a merry-go-round is undesirable, but I think sometimes we can all tend to forget that even the great teams of the past changed slightly series-to-series (and sometimes match-to-match).
Marsh wasn’t knocking down the door when he got his chance last week. But he did take his chance with two hands. I don’t think dropping guys after they make hundreds is the right message to be sending.
The selectors have backed Hughes for now and Khawaja will get another chance in the not too distant future.
Australia look to clinch Sri Lanka series
Hughes is simply an eye player (though certainly a very good eye). His technique has already been exposed on several occasions in his short Test career. He is averaging just 18 runs an innings in his last 5 Tests.
Khawaja’s technique looks a lot more solid, he has already hit a ton on this tour (in the warm-up match) and has done nothing wrong so far on tour.
I’m all for consistency of selection, but sometimes that has to give way to form and felt Marsh deserves to hold his spot.
In saying that, it appears you have got your wish Matthew. Australia have announced their side and Khawaja has been dropped with Marsh to drop down to the number 6 spot.
Australia look to clinch Sri Lanka series
I agree we certainly shouldn’t be anointing Lyon the next Shane Warne (Which would be hard considering he is an offie. Even claiming he is the next Tim May would be too early at this stage). However, he is off to a good start and seemed to show a poise and confidence that was lacking from some of his spinning predecessors.
Nathan Lyon: Love at first spin?
Sad to hear you have left the world of cricket watching LAS. Hopefully some changes in the administration of the game and a change in fortunes for the Aussies will being you back sometime soon.
Nathan Lyon: Love at first spin?
Also, I love that in the article the 8 and closed bracket ahead of New Zealand comes up as a cool smiley face with sunglasses. It’s choice! 8)
Welcome to the Bizarro World of Test cricket
I agree with most of that apart from I think the West Indies and the Kiwis will continue to struggle. There is simply too much in-fighting in West Indies cricket at the moment for them to do well. The Kiwis, as always, have several serviceable players but no one who is world-class.
Welcome to the Bizarro World of Test cricket
The reasons why each individual nation may be struggling are varied but there are some similarities. The scheduling of the tours and a lack of first-class cricket are certainly part of the problem for almost every country that isn’t performing.
Welcome to the Bizarro World of Test cricket
They certainly have depth in the seam/swing bowling department at the moment. Onions wasn’t fantastic when he was last in the side but has reportedly been making the ball talk in county cricket this season. He is playing well and 3 or 4 years ago a bowler of Onions’ quality would have been a regular in the England side.
England set to crush India
Since I submitted this piece to The Roar England have added Durham swing bowler Graeme Onions to their squad. Tremlett has been ruled out due to injury & Anderson is under an injury cloud.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-india-2011/content/story/527594.html
England set to crush India
Haha. I did notice that the photo was a tad bizarre with 3 batsmen in it. Maybe 3 batsmen at the crease combined with some sort of multi-ball over would help India?
India must fight for their Test ranking
Well they have to focus on these two Tests first. Certainly the Proteas next year will be a stern examination of England’s credentials.
India must fight for their Test ranking
I think it’s offially the worst way to get out ever TD 😉
India must fight for their Test ranking
Good to meet new and old fans Bilo. Yeah I’m not sure about winning the league this year. I just hope we maintain Champions League Football. I reckon the season after this will be the one to push for the title.
Manchester City: The future is now
Glad you enjoyed it so much Andrew. I must admit, there has been a lot of negative media about City recently. I suppose it happens when you become the tall poppies! Feel free to share the link as much as you want. It’s one of the reasons the Interwebz were invented!
Manchester City: The future is now
Thanks Elliot. Glad you enjoyed it. Chelsea did look a little tired and old towards the end of last season. I reckon they’ve got one last run in them yet.
Manchester City: The future is now
I wrote about my thoughts on why the draw is inherently unfair a couple of weeks back:
And then followed it up with a piece on how I think a Conference system could work. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start:
As you say Adrian, the general consensus in Football circles seems to be that is a bit of a non-issue.
AFL's inequitable draw is its unacceptable flaw
Thanks Ben. Many years ago there were some rumors about the Gallagher’s wanting to buy the club. Glad that didn’t happen. Every player would have a coke habit…. Well, a worse one than they already do :-p
Manchester City: The future is now
Thanks The Bush. Put perfectly.
Like you just did, I actually numbered my points that should have been the simple Argus review but that was edited out by The Roar editors (which is of course their right to do so). I thought it made a bit more sense with the numbering and it orginally read like this:
Along with the series win the Aussies have demonstrated that rather than 40 pages and a few thousand words (at least in the public copy), the Argus Report on Australian Cricket should have been just a few points so as to tweak the running of the Australian team.
They are:
1) Get rid of Andrew Hilditch. It doesn’t matter how. Just do it. Leave a horse’s head in his bed. Send anonymous letters to his workplace. Whatever. The end justifies the means.
2) Remove Greg Chappell as a selector. After all, this guy orchestrated the worst moment in Australian cricket, the underarm ball, so his judgement has not always been sound. Also, we hear he has bad breath.
3) Make the captain a selector (My personal assessment of this one is still pending).
4) Have consistency with selection (Derr).
5) Mike Hussey is a superhero. Continue to pick him, forever (come to think of it, now that his sideburns are greying Hussey does look a little like Reed Richards from the Fantastic Four)
Maybe Australian cricket isn't that bad?