Posts
Loading ...Articles tagged as: shane-watson
Use the force, Luke
By Ian last year, at the start of August, 1 Comment »
I was a little sceptical about Luke Wright’s succession to the England 20-20 squad on the basis that he scored the most runs in this year’s campaign, not least because Chris Schofield was picked for taking the most wickets. Graeme Swann must be uber-gutted! But while I am delighted the selectors have decided to go with a specialist squad, I had developed the opinion that Wright was just a slogger-got-lucky.
Not for the first time, I was dead wrong. His 60-ball hundred last night for Sussex against Gloucestershire was stunning. While there was the odd smear and hoik, almost every shot was orthodox, including a dreamy cover drive and on drive, all hit with terrible power and timing. Gloucestershire are not the very worst of attacks – I’m sure Wright will meet some worse bowlers at the 20-20 World Cup – but he made them look inept. Even Michael Atherton was purring by the end, shifting his stance from, “if you’re good enough for international 50 over cricket, you’re good enough for 20-20†to “if this lad’s good enough for 20-20, he should be good enough for 50 overs too.â€
There were various comparisons, such as he grips and rips like Tendulkar or has the speed of hands through the ball as Ali Brown. Indeed, not since Brown have I seen an Englishman so dismantle an attack in the way Jayasuriya or Gilchrist do for fun. As a right-hander, he had something of Michael Slater about him, although I’ll go for a more modern Aussie as a comparison, who likewise has plenty more to prove. Shane Watson batted in a very similar fashion in the World Cup, matching power and timing with elegance. He bowls a bit too and has the same bottle blond hair. Time will tell whether Luke Wright can mix it on the same stage.
1 Comment »The big one! Australia v England, Super Eights
By Scott last year, mid-April, 32 Comments »
Right then. Australia v England, 2007 World Cup. Actually Bangladesh kind of spoiled this by beating South Africa last night; had that gone to script, this would be a do-or-die dogfight for England. Now, England can still make the semi-finals even if they lose, as Andrew Miller pointed out. Still, Australia could take on England at Twister and there’d be an edge to the contest, and after losing the Commonwealth Bank finals, Australia’s quite keen to dish out some revenge to England. Revenge really motives Ricky Ponting.
The main question about the Australian team is if they will go with an extra batsman or an extra bowler to cover the injury to Shane Watson. Brad Hodge has a claim for scoring a century in his last innings, but I would prefer to see Australia go with an extra bowler.
Obviously an impartial writer would hope for a good close game, but I’m not impartial. I want England to be thrashed. I doubt it will happen mind you- England are getting to be good at derailing Australia’s best laid plans. In fact, I think England might just sneak a victory on this occasion. There’s been a few upsets about, and I think this might be another one.
32 Comments »The bowlers have a good day for once.
By Scott 2 years ago, at the start of December, 2 Comments »
Bowlers around the world are actually full of the joy of living today.
In Faisalabad, Pakistan’s bowlers have been right on top in the Second ODI, and have bowled out West Indies for 151.
Meanwhile in Christchurch, Mahela Jayawardene showed that making bad decisions is not a monopoly of the English coach, because Sri Lanka batted on a greentop in the First Test, and were skittled for 154. New Zealand had some early alarms with Lasith Malinga, as you do when he’s sending them down at 94 mph, but are 2 for 85 at stumps.
In Ashes news, Shane Watson has been ruled out of the Third Test, with his hamstring injury not recovering in time. I really feel for the guy. He has had a torrid time with injuries throughout his career.
And Shane Warne has (and you’ll NEVER believe this) still got plenty to say about Adelaide and the Second Test, and the Third…
“At this stage we are not getting carried away with the win,” he said.
“We are just concentrating on playing good cricket. We said all the way along we are just going to play each Test match and just keep our feet on the ground and keep playing good cricket.
“If we keep playing good cricket then hopefully things will go our way for the rest of the series. Tp win a Test that way has given us a bit of momentum going into next week’s match and we are 2-0 up which means they have to win two of the next three Test matches to retain the Ashes.
“Hopefully we can win in Perth and go 3-0 up and win the series.”
Warne admitted that bowling 27 straight overs took its toll on his body and he was looking forward to the week’s rest before the next Test in Perth, beginning on December 14.
“Yeah, the body is pretty sore and I’ve got a bit of a headache,” Warne said after the Australian team celebrated long into the evening.
“So I am glad we have a week until the next Test.”
Indeed. There are, in effect, three Tests in a row once the Perth Test starts, which is a drain on the players, and even the spectators. Blame Cricket Australia for that one.
2 Comments »England a ‘one man team’?
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-April, 6 Comments »
Actually that is a simplification of remarks that Matthew Hayden made in an interesting interview to The Wisden Cricketer magazine. I think if you challenged him on that score, what he would agree is that Andrew Flintoff is the player that made the difference between the two sides. He does add tremendous depth to England’s cause and I doubt England can be a real force in cricket without him.
Not that the likes of Simon Jones, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick are not great cricketers. It is just that Flintoff completes the team, instead of just having a collection of useful cricketers.
It’s notable that Flintoff made an impression on Australia; indeed, so much so that selectors immediately started looking around for their own version. They invested hopes in Shane Watson, and he’s got a bit about him; a hard hitting batsman and a fast bowler that can get the ball up at around 140 kmph. However he injured himself in the Test against West Indies at the Gabba and his place has been taken by Andrew Symonds. Symonds has proved himself a modest cricketer at this level, and is no match for Flintoff, at least in Test cricket.
And sadly Watson’s comeback plans have been thwarted again. He scored 201 before retiring hurt in Queensland’s win in the Sheffield Shield, and that injury has now kept him out of the ODI leg of the Bangladesh tour. Australia will have to look elsewhere to find a match-winning all-rounder.
6 Comments »Shane Watson hits double-hundred
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of August, 11 Comments »
Shane Watson hit an unbeaten double-hundred today, against Warwickshire. He’s a very useful Cricketer, and I’m surprised he hasn’t been called up as cover for any of Australia’s out of form, or out of luck, bowlers.
11 Comments »Shane Watson v Kevin Pietersen sledging
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of June, 8 Comments »
You must read this, from newish cricketing blog “Opening Fielder.”
Watson started giving him some lip (admittedly after Pietersen had put him 10 rows back!) to which Pieterson apparently retaliated with …”You’re just upset ‘cos no-one loves you anymore!” Watson proceeded to lose the plot similar to how McGrath did when Sarwan told him that his wife liked the taste of his “gizzy” on the 2003 Windies Tour. If you look closely at the highlights you see Ponting and Martyn having a chuckle with Pietersen acknowledging the good sledge as Watson sauntered off to fine leg.
Priceless
8 Comments »Spooked Cricketers
By Will 3 years ago, at the end of June, 3 Comments »
Gus Fraser’s running a story that the Aussies are spooked - or rather they’ve been spooked! Interesting story/aside, especially so due to Bangladesh having also been visited by ghostly visions in white (and I’m not talking about England’s Test bowlers!) last week.
The Australians are staying at Lumley Castle which, according to their website, is “no ordinary hotel.” I bet Shane Watson agrees - he was so spooked he spent the night on Brett Lee’s floor! But this little excerpt is the best:
Belinda Dennett, Australia’s media officer, also had a night she will never forget. “My phone went off in the middle of the night and I looked out of the window,” she said. “I knew I had closed the blinds but they were open and I saw a procession of white people walking past. It was amazing, very scary. Then I went back to bed and the blind went up, and there was someone looking in through the window. I know I wasn’t dreaming because I wrote down a message from my phone and the time.”
Last week, it was said the Bangladeshis also had ghostly-goings-on:
“Apparently he [Habibul Bashar] rushed out and attacked the ghoul,” Paul Mandeir, the general manager of the Redworth Hall hotel in County Durham said.
“In the ensuing melee, he awoke several other guests.”
But this time it was not one of the many ghosts fabled to roam the hotel’s corridors.
The offending spook was Bangladesh’s fast bowler - and practical joker - Mashrafe Mortaza carrying a bed sheet and a tape recorder.
I appreciate the “win at all costs” mantra of professional cricket, and England have certainly been playing aggressive cricket lately - but this is taking it too far…:)
3 Comments »