How bloody good are the Aussies?

[Dazza]

My prediction for todays game.......Australia to win easily!!

I think without bevan the innings with move more smoothly.....The collapse wont happen

[Captain BJ]

What is with the Bevan-hating? He didn't start the collapses. The collapses have been started by silly runouts. Maybe if the side used their heads.

Dale is a strange one... What made you pick him?

Also, your side is very thin on batting... It has five very good bowlers, seven accepted bowlers, and only 50 overs to bowl. Meanwhile if the Waughs play like they have recently, that leaves just three specialist batsmen. We'd really struggle like that.

[Dazza]

I think Dale is a worthy inclusion.....though he is getting a bit old.....he can keep it tight especially while the field restrictions are on.

I consider Symonds and Harvey as more batting all-rounders....If the top order shows some stability they can do alot of damage. I wouldnt say that my team has five very good bowlers......I wouldnt want to have either symonds or harvey needing to bowl 10 overs......the could share the work as the 5th bowler

[Captain BJ]

Symonds is a batting all-rounder who hasn't been batting well, but Harvey is definitely a bowling all-rounder. His accuracy and consistency in the last ten overs is something that needs to be recorded and played over and over while Brett Lee is strapped to a chair with his eyes taped open.

I notice we're batting slowly and Mark Waugh went out cheaply. You said that Mark Waugh will make some runs before the series is over. If we lose this, our series is as good as over because we'd need to win our last four matches to make the finals.

Should we be out of the race for the finals, I think it's worth even dropping Steve Waugh and giving the captaincy to Martyn or Ponting to see how they perform. Gilly is a top vice captain but keepers aren't good captains in the modern game. That's why Alec Stewart performed his best for the Poms when he was just a batsman rather than when he kept as well, and why Waugh was captain ahead of Healy (the vice captain) when Taylor wasn't playing.

[Dazza]

Im with you for dropping S.Waugh....his lack of effort to get back on the run out in the first game was a downer!.....Although it probably wouldnt have made much difference.....but thats not the point.

Trust me on Mark Waugh....he is due a big innings!!

What ever happened to Kremeskothin (spelling?) the tasmanian bloke......the games Ive seen him play he looked good enough to play for aus.....now he doesnt even play for tas anymore!?

[Captain BJ]

In the game going on now, Steve Waugh should have put Gilchrist in before Symonds at 5 and definitely before himself at 6.

As for Miller, he can't even get a game for Victoria so why does he deserve a game for Australia?

Haven't heard of the Tassie guy you mentioned, but the papers reckon some Tassie all-rounder called Shane Watson should be given a go. Haven't seen him but he could be worth a shot.

And with Mark Waugh, he might very well be due for a big innings but it's no good to us if it's mathematically impossible for us to make the final. We really shouldn't gamble on the next game being the one where he returns to form, because the odds are it won't be. And if we lose this one and the next, we'd need to beat South Africa once and New Zealand twice and hope New Zealand beats South Africa twice, and that we get a bonus point in the process.

Of course we now could win this one thanks to my future captains Ponting and Martyn.

[spongeboy]

f###### steve waugh needs his head read!!!

wots the go not putting gilchrist in at 4/200 odd with 7 odd overs to go? whats to lose? if we had of got another 20-40 runs we could of even been pushing for a bonus point, as it is we're lucky to get the 4.

i think he sent himself in because of the critism from David Hookes that he shouldn't be in the side.

will steve waugh be rotated out of the side?

[sTuDiO_DeSiGn]

They should of put Gillie in front of Tugga last nite.

Isn't Chipper Dale retired?

My lineup:
A.Gilchrist
A.Symonds
R.Ponting
D.Martyn
M.Hayden
S.Waugh
M.Bevan
B.Lee
S.K.Warne
Dizzy
G.McGrath

Symo and Gillie opening the batting would be awesome.......

[Dazza]

Has chipper retired!? ok didnt know that!.....I guess he was getting a bit old

Lehman is back.....I think hes probably the perfect replacement for S.Waugh.....he can give stability in the innings....also he can score quickly!

Good to see Hayden out of the side...one dayers are only going to see him lose form for the test

Symonds and Gillie opening!? interesting! but I dont know what Symonds is like when the ball is swinging

[Captain BJ]

Can't believe Hayden was dropped. How does Mark Waugh stay in despite making 16 runs in his three matches and very little in the tests, but Hayden, who made a century in every test against South Africa and I think one or two against New Zealand, gets dropped after two bad innings.

I hope Mark Waugh makes a century today, because if he does then I guess it means the selectors know more about cricket than I do... and as long as that's so then I'm comfortable.

Of course, I think it's likely he'll be caught behind for less than 20.

[Dazza]

Waugh made 50 something tonight!........It was a rather unusual situation though.......to me it proves nothing.......but I didnt think he had anything to prove in the first place

[sTuDiO_DeSiGn]

He was lucky to get to 55, he got dropped.......

I believe Junior should be dropped and we need another bowling all rounder.......

[dirtgirl]

Sorry to interrupt boys but I have a dilema.  Some bright spark decided it was a good idea to put the Australia v South Africa game at the WACCA on the same day as the BDO in Perth.  My problem is all my friends are going to the cricket, (but if i go to the cricket then I'll miss seeing paulie and co).  What should I do? (sfk come to the west so infrequently - it's not like you Melbourne guys who get the chance to see them every second week).

[sTuDiO_DeSiGn]

The game @ the WACA's a day game too isn't it?

Man go to BDO, u know the Aussies will win, coz we all know that the Proteas will play like they did against Aust. @ the SCG

[Captain BJ]

It depends how many WACA games there are... Personally, I'd go to the BDO but that's because we get five one-dayers per season. And SFK tour once or twice per year.