West Indies v Australia, 3rd Test, Roseau, 23-27 April, 2012

Henry wrote:The Windies batting really is pretty dreadful. Glimpses of talent here and there, but ultimately full of naivety and poor techniques. Take away the fighting little Guyanese crab and on paper it must be the weakest West Indian batting lineup of all time.

It's basically Chanders>>>>>>>>Daylight>>>>>The rest.

Bravo looks to have some ability. God he's a ringer for BCL in his mannerisms and style at the crease.

Yeah but he's nothing more than a poor imitation, imo. Can you really imagine BCL getting out caught prodding forward at short leg from David Warner's bowling? It would surely never happen. Lara would have taken 30 off that over, Warner would have been out of the attack, and that would have been the end of it. I loved it how Lara batted in moods and out of nowhere would suddenly decide to take a bowler down. And do it. ooh, I feel a wank coming on.....

Agreed Trev. It's like a Picasso painting of Lara batting... That was f*cking woeful.

'He's young' then F*CKING GROW UP DARREN.

Agreed Trev. But I don't think he's the worst bat in the side. That would be Kraig Brathwaite. He's so bad he spells both his names wrong.

lardbucket wrote:Maybe 'the worst bowling attack ever to tour the Caribbean' is lucky it's only facing the worst batting line-up ever chosen by the Caribbean.

Battle of the muppets?

I think in particular Harris and Hilfenhaus are decent bowlers.

The inverted commas are to acknowledge Colin Croft, who publicly labelled the attack 'the worst ever to tour'.

I agree re: Hilfenhaus (yes, I am biased) and Harris. Not so sure about the others.

i guess crofty was asleep when we toured last year

btw, Hilfy is sneaking up on 100 Test wickets. Although Max Walker and Ted McDonald (both born in Tassie IIRC) both achieved this previously, I think Hilfy will be the first player to take 100 Test wickets, having been selected for the Australian team whilst representing Tasmania.

Tassie really has had a few strong years at FC level, with Cowan, Watson, Ponting, Hilfenhaus, and Wade of the current Test side having all developed their FC careers significantly during stints in the smallest state. Paine and Bailey have played a little and may play more; Butterworth and Faulkner are possible future representatives.

Henry wrote:Yeah but he's nothing more than a poor imitation, imo. Can you really imagine BCL getting out caught prodding forward at short leg from David Warner's bowling? It would surely never happen. Lara would have taken 30 off that over, Warner would have been out of the attack, and that would have been the end of it. I loved it how Lara batted in moods and out of nowhere would suddenly decide to take a bowler down. And do it. ooh, I feel a wank coming on.....

The most Lara ever took off an over was 28 I was there.

Re: His Lardship

Ah - N(-refracted-)SI on my part then.

Crofty has a slightly unpleasant tendency to be categorically (occasionally nonsensically) scathing in that way - learning from that side of Boycott perhaps.

I'm sure he would defend it on the lines of (a) "I read it as I see it" (the "straight talking" defence); (b) "it's for them to step up and prove me wrong".

Oz are still shuffling around for their No. 1 spinner. Lyon is not doing badly. One "school" of thinking is to give him (or someone) the gig for a while, to build up his confidence. The alternative is the Colin Croft school - move them in and out until someone grabs the opportunity to star.

Watson might be prevailed upon to give up bowling, and focus on his batting. But he seems a superior class of brisk-ish bowler, who is handy as fifth or even sixth bowler, especially when the other options are not working (and/or conditions tiring). A bit like Kallis, in that regard at least. In any case, I don't think he should be relied on to deliver with bat and ball (nor actually should any all-rounder): more obviously so when his still overtrained physique is still inclined to break down. Either that, or train less!

Young McDermott could be one to watch in international terms.

from cricinfo:

hello and welcome to our coverage of the third day's play of the Dominica Test between West Indies and Australia. The hosts trail by almost as many runs as they scored yesterday, and unless Shivnarine Chanderpaul continues to resist, Australia will gain a big lead on a difficult pitch. Speaking of Chanderpaul, he is only 48 runs short of becoming the tenth entrant to the 10,000-Test-run club. What a champion performer he has been for West Indies, for years and years. And he's made the most runs in this series as well, on both sides. But the next five highest run-getters have been Australians, and that is where West Indies have fallen short

Chanders last man out for 68. Helped WI get to 110 behind Aus. Not a bad achievement. He is a ledge.

I hope Australia bring this batting line-up to England. 98 all-out will seem like a good day at the office compared to the carnage we'll unleash.

Dave Warner is reinventing the 'Phil Hughes' dismissal. 70% of his dismissals in tests must have been out caught at slip.

Henry wrote:Dave Warner is reinventing the 'Phil Hughes' dismissal. 70% of his dismissals in tests must have been out caught at slip.

He is Phil Hughes.

Unfortunately for Phil Hughes, he played a lot of Tests facing Dale Steyn, James Anderson - even Chris Tremlett. The only common opposition between Hughes and Warner is NZ, and Hughes averaged over 100 against them.

Personally, I still think Hughes can be a good Test player. Warner? Stick to baseball.

Don't know what the foc you're on about. He reinvented opening batting.

In all seriousness, I couldn't believe the hype... don't get me wrong, it was a great innings he played(180), simply for its speed. However he's played 16 innings, scored 590 runs and got 303 of them for once out in two of them. His ODI record doesn't stand too much better.

Daniel Brettig confirmed his happy-clappy one-eyed nature the other day by declaring "he agonised for 136 deliveries to scratch out a valuable 50, demonstrating plenty of resolve". It was a woeful knock, such a resolute innings wouldn't include the manner of his numerous edges, numerous plays and misses and him being dropped at least once.

I don't know whether or not he's the answer for Australia, maybe he'll turn out great... but only Holding amongst the commentators doesn't treat him with the adulation of a modern great already. It's frankly ridiculous, in the Ian Bell fashion.

Shillingford gets Watson. Not sure what he was trying to do with that one.

Windies giving Ponting a polite send off to his retirement, they'd have had him by now in another innings.

Not good form when Cowan and Ponting score fifty between them.

This Ponting looks useful. Anyone know anything about him?

So Chanders ended up 14 short

Lead of 260-ish ... Australia still wants another 100 to be comfortable.

From the Cricinfo commentary, it sounds like Sammy has taken two blinders.

Regardless of the series result, which looks more 0-2 now than 1-1, I think Sammy is taking the West Indies in the right direction. More pride.

Don't see many of those dismissals. Caught off his bat ducking. Possibly given WI a sniff at getting back in there. Ponting's looked good all series, though, IMO, got some good deliveries to get out (apart from that last one).

The third shit review by WI (one was too late, which Sammy got all petulant about - didn't know Henry could Trev a personality too). They are diabolical. Seriously.

^ Kemar immediately gets one plumb, which isn't given, but no reviews left. Displays the cockishness of the entire being schoolgirlish about reviewing decisions.

Shillingford gets Clarke with one he makes look like a snorter.