Australia v England, 5xODIs, 14-28 January, 2018

Hales and bairstow have money on oz

45 to win off 48 balls; a fanciful target now

Hales puts down what appeared to be a sitter.

embee wrote:Hales and bairstow have money on oz

and Ali if that failure to stop a boundary is an indication

Some pretty ordinary fielding from England

What's up with Ball? - doesn't look good at all.

lardbucket wrote:45 to win off 48 balls; a fanciful target now

33 from 36 now

32 from 30, but Root may have to bowl two overs ...

Ball back on

OK, 25 from 24; not sure Ball should be bowling

Zampa is castled and that should be game, set and match, but England has tried to lose it with the errant fielding.

They keep expecting Paine to win it for oz, but he doesn't exactly look likely to clear boundaries.

Ima must be an hon Wozzie crab.

So what are the lessons from all this.

Oz are not much chop. The bowling is not clever and the batting is ordinary.

Smith and gcspoc need to stick with red ball cricket. Seasick was clearly out skippered.

Head and the Stain have upside, the latter is a class above Mere. Fink or Head should be the skipper.

No Show should get a go as should Carey. Ima was again untidy.

The wozzie bogan should play ahead of Purple or Koo. Thought he bowled well.

Irrespective, it is a jamodi and wgaf?

embee wrote:Smith was a specialist fielder today . Amazing a change of ball colour makes a difference

Terrible series from him. Has struggled against spin.

24 to win in 18 balls.

It's all over this over.

crabbed quite nicely through that over, still a mathematical chance

Dougie Marillier scoop shot by Paine!

nice yorker to finish it off

Now Paine castled by Curran.

Ah well, congratulations, Poms. You've a very complete side.

Haze makes Bird look like a batsman.

McGrath worked on his batting and improved. Not clear whether this bloke gives a toss.

He's not that bad, horrie. Better than McGrath, MacGill, McIntyre, Jimmy Higgs, and a few others.

A well deserved series win that was truly a shellacking.

Of course Ima was castled.

Tom Curran and Jake Ball - night and day. One a hard-working, intelligent and skilful young bowler - the other barely worthy of a County team or T20 international. No gumption, no talent that I can see. Why do they persist with him?

Very much an "after-the-Lord-Mayor's-show" feel to the fielding - and arguably, much of the series, esp since this rubber was dead - but good to see a Curran emerge. Willey is ok in LO.

OP Tipping wrote:Ah well, congratulations, Poms. You've a very complete side.

Too late for the JGKing ....

In fairness, there are about seven decent-to-good players in that team. About two more than in the Test team.

lardbucket wrote:What's up with Ball? - doesn't look good at all.

I know what Boyks would reply to that ....