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    The headlines



    Australia vs Sri Lanka

    By Scott last year, at the start of November Leave a comment on this post

    Australia play Sri Lanka in an actual Test match on Thursday, and it is rumoured that the ICC have started an internal investigation to find out how such an anachronism got on the international fixtures list.

    Australia haven’t played a Test since they farewelled their trio of stars in January; in that period they’ve played an abomination of ODI games and Twenty20 fixtures. These days, when the Australian players wish to get about town unrecognised, they wear their white Test outfits.

    As to the actual game itself, the portents are not promising. Rain is forecast to play havoc for the first three days, no bad thing in itself, given the drought in Australia, but neither side comes into this game with much form. The Australian bowlers who played in four day cricket last weekend failed to impress, with the exception of Stuart Clark, and the Sri Lankans have likewise found the going hard, failing to beat a side comprising the best of Australia’s state Second XI’s, and then being defeated by Queensland. No doubt after so much ODI cricket, the disciplines of line and length, batting judgement and patience, have become a little rusty.

    For all that, I’m looking forward to a good contest. Sri Lanka are, in my view, one of the stronger sides in world cricket, with a potent batting line up and a balanced bowling attack. It is a disgrace that Cricket Australia, for commercial reasons of course, has only invited the Sri Lankans to play two Tests. I do expect Australia to still win- even without McGrath and Warne they are a very powerful team, but it won’t be quite so easy as it used to be.

    Australia give a first cap to Mitchell Johnson, and Phil Jacques and Stuart MacGill are recalled. Sri Lanka’s team is not quite settled, but they are hampered by the loss of Kumar Sangakarra with a hamstring injury.

    Meanwhile, in a further outbreak of Test cricket, South Africa host New Zealand. The main talking point there is that South Africa are not playing their veteran Shaun Pollock, preferring the younger brigade. Daniel Vettori makes his debut as New Zealand captain.

    Australia vs Sri Lanka preview.

    South Africa vs New Zealand preview.

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    10 Responses to “Australia vs Sri Lanka”

  • William wrote:
    November 7th, 2007 at 7.40 pm

    Only having two tests irks me, because I think Sri Lanka are able to win one or two. With only two tests we’ll probably end up with a draw and the Aussies won’t end up losing a home test series.

  • tony wrote:
    November 7th, 2007 at 7.53 pm

    What a waste of a series as the acb once more moves its schedule to suit the indian board - we all wait for april and may when the australian second team is sent to pakistan and the west indies so that the stars can play in lalit modi’s ipl

  • Stu wrote:
    November 8th, 2007 at 11.04 pm

    Right again Scott! White cloths, red ball, “natural” light - all is well with the world again!

  • James wrote:
    November 9th, 2007 at 4.26 am

    If you want an Aussie series loss, William, surely a short series gives you the best chance of it? Personally, I’d like to see more Oz-Sri Lanka because of Murali, Jayasuriya and Jayawardene. Luckily we Tasmanians were dealt the less marketable team this summer :)

  • Reverse Swing wrote:
    November 9th, 2007 at 5.50 pm

    Sorry to carp on but take a look at this: -

    http://yobbo.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/trigonometry-is-fun/#comment-28950

    15 per cent indeed!

  • Marcus wrote:
    November 10th, 2007 at 10.57 am

    My understanding was that the arm couldn’t STRAIGHTEN by more than 15 degrees, regardless of how much it was bent to begin with.

  • Reverse Swing wrote:
    November 11th, 2007 at 9.05 am

    Even if that’s the case Marcus, how much is that arm going to straighten? Even taking into account his 20 per cent deformity, there’s going to be a ’straighten’ of more than 20 per cent at delivery.

    So, ‘No Ball’.

  • Reverse Swing wrote:
    November 11th, 2007 at 9.07 am

    Sorry - that should read ‘degrees’ rather than ‘per cent’ above.

  • Chris wrote:
    November 13th, 2007 at 11.49 pm

    Does it really matter any more? Once again he didn’t really perform in Australia, and was in the second placed team in a right thrashing. So much for Australia being greatly weakened by the loss of a few great players.

  • Mike wrote:
    November 17th, 2007 at 3.08 am

    Anyone know how you can get streaming audio commentary (e.g. ABC) outside of Australia. I used to use Penguin, but that doesn;t seem to be working.
    Cheers,
    Mike

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