Cricket: 2006 Commonwealth Bank ODI Series

[Go_The_Doggies]

Meh this will just fire my boys up even more...

Lou Vincent is either a)gunna go out first ball or b)go on to get a very big total..

I hope scotty styris plays and Kyle Mills...

[Poida]

Im happy Aussies finally lost. I got sick of them always winning.

[Go_The_Doggies]

I still wouldnt put it past them if they did chuck the game..but ohwell..im glad they lost..on purpose or not..

We'll still make the finals...

[~Wild Child~]

Is it the end of Roy's dream?


JON PIERIK and DAVID RICCIO

February 03, 2007 11:00pm


Article from: The Sunday Mail

CHAMPION allrounder Andrew Symonds was last night dealing with the prospect he may miss the World Cup because of a serious arm injury.

Symonds was sent for scans yesterday with Australian team doctor Trefor James and was fearing the worst after the humbled world champions flew into Melbourne ahead of today's one-day clash against New Zealand at the MCG. He will definitely miss today's match and seems certain to sit out the tri-series finals and the Chappell-Hadlee one-day series in New Zealand, starting on February 16.

Symonds was forced to leave the field while batting midway through a failed rescue mission against the Poms at the SCG on Friday as England posted its first win over the Australians this summer.

He iced the right bicep injury hourly through Friday night in a bid to speed up his recovery. Australia's selectors met yesterday to discuss the possibility of drafting in a replacement for Symonds, with Queenslander James Hopes firmly in the mix.

If captain Ricky Ponting is declared fit after a slight hip injury which kept him out of Friday's loss, Victorian Brad Hodge may keep his place in the squad. A final decision on Ponting won't be made until after a fitness test this morning.

Symonds' absence from the World Cup would be a major blow to Australia's hopes of becoming the first team to win the tournament for a third straight time.

He is a proven big-game performer and announced himself to the world in Australia's opening match of the 2003 World Cup with a bruising century against Pakistan which steadied emotions after Shane Warne's departure after taking a banned substance.

Australian paceman Nathan Bracken said he feared the worst for his teammate but was confident Australia would cover for his loss. "Missing an Andrew Symonds out of any team is a big loss, especially the way he plays the game," Bracken said.

"(But) we're hoping he'll be round for the finals. If he isn't, then I know we've got the players to adapt."

While Symonds' injury has overshadowed Australia's preparation for today's match, Bracken has promised that a "hurting" Australian side won't back down from it's tough-talk tactics against rivals New Zealand.

Australia's clash with New Zealand at the MCG will be their first stoush since Kiwi batsman Lou Vincent accused Australia of being bad sports with big egos earlier last week.

The Aussie quick did little to tone down the heat on the hotly-anticipated showdown saying: "It will be interesting tomorrow.

"I know all the boys don't want to lose this game.

"It's his (Vincent) opinion. He's entitled to say what he feels.

"(But) we're going to go out and play the same way we always do.

"That's what we always work on, playing together as a group.

"It's easier for everyone if we play together and that's how we will play."

Despite its shock 92-run loss to England, Bracken stresssed Australia was not about to hit the panic button.

He denied their rivals' first win in three months over Australia on Friday night was a timely wake-up call, ahead of the Commonwealth Bank finals series, but admitted the loss had stung them.

"You walked in the change rooms (after the match) and there wasn't much noise," Bracken said.

"We don't want to lose a game, we never want to lose a game and every game we want to win. For us it was something that did hurt.

"It wasn't a wake-up call but the key for us now is to come back and play some good cricket.

"Our plan is that is our only loss."

Bracken also indicated the shock loss would ensure Australia take to the Kiwis with a ruthless and more determined attitude.

"The energy is going to be amped up, the guys are going to be buzzing more and it's going to be about more pressure and more energy," Bracken said.

"It's going to be about playing with that extra intensity and maybe going more than what we have been this series."

Bracken also stoutly defended Australia's controversial rotational policy, which saw Brett Lee rested.

http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/st...003413,00.html

[Poida]

I still wouldnt put it past them if they did chuck the game..but ohwell..im glad they lost..on purpose or not..

We'll still make the finals...

Wouldnt say chucked the game, maybe didnt try as intense or as hard as other games.
Who knows but Australia did need to get knocked off that unbeaten pedestal. No monkey on the back now.

[Go_The_Doggies]

Louie Vincent = <3

Sooo glad he got a 50..same with 2 meter peter!! soo deserved that 50..bugger he got out

BTW TJ I wouldnt be counting your chickens before they hatch...or whatever that saying is.

[Steelers]

Australia need 70 from 9 overs to win. Would have liked to have seen them need 100-odd to win, would have set up for an amazing finish. This looks like Australia will bludge it out with singles and twos and easily win the game

[Go_The_Doggies]

i want a wicket..and i want 1 now ****ing hell

pleaseeeee

btw i know scotty styris's nickname ..piffy/pigo/pig lol.

[Steelers]

One thing I am enjoying watching though is Brad Hodge finally making his mark on the Aussie team. IMO this innings has earnt him a place in the World Cup 15, even if Simmo is going as well.

Come on NZ, get a couple of quick wickets, fight back, turn it into a good old nailbiter, and win the game

[Robbie_Dee]

OMFG what A WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO HODGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND PONTING!!!!!!

Hodge was like 28 off 44, and ended up ninety friggin nine not out off something like 95 balls!!!!!! I say, Welcome back Hodge! Loved the interview, absolutely opposite to Ponting, in the way he speaks, bit doughy he is!

LMAO @ Flemmings face whenever we hit a boundary!!

[~Wild Child~]

Vaughan to take on Kiwis

Robert Craddock

February 04, 2007 11:00pm


Article from:



CAPTAIN Michael Vaughan is expected to make a surprise reappearance for an England side rousing itself for a spirited finale to its tour from hell.

England plays its final one-day qualifying match against New Zealand tomorrow night at the Gabba needing at least a win to qualify for the best of three finals series against Australia. Vaughan believes he has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained on January 16 against New Zealand in Hobart and will declare himself fit for selection if he bats without discomfort in the nets today.

"I have come through four or five days of solid running and as long as I get through tomorrow's practice I will be available for selection," Vaughan said. "I thought I could have played on Friday but it was a precaution not to."

Vaughan has been in Australia since the first Test but has played only two one-day matches, due initially to his rehabilitation from knee surgery before the hamstring injury.

If he plays, Vaughan is expected to take over the captaincy from Andrew Flintoff, though it is uncertain whether he will open or bat down the list.

England's spirits, so down-trodden following the 5-0 Ashes series defeat, received a significant lift following its one-day win against Australia in Sydney on Friday.

Vaughan strongly challenged suggestions the tourists would be happy not to qualify for the finals because it would mean an extra week at home before the World Cup next month.

"I know there has been a lot of talk by people saying we want to go home but we don't. We want to get into the finals because we feel it would be a really big achievement to reach those finals." he said.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html

[~Wild Child~]

Hodge, Tait book Cup berths

Jon Pierik

February 04, 2007 11:00pm


Article from:



VICTORIAN batsman Brad Hodge booked his World Cup airfare, and fast bowler Shaun Tait went a long way to securing his as Australia surged to a record-breaking five-wicket win against New Zealand at the MCG last night.

Ricky Ponting's team heaped more misery on the Black Caps by completing Australia's biggest successful run-chase on home soil in overhauling New Zealand's imposing 7-290 with 10 balls to spare. To further underline how grand a victory it was, there have been only two bigger successful run chases in Australia ? both by touring nations ? while the Black Caps' score was their highest first-innings total against their merciless trans-Tasman rivals.

Super-slinger Tait (1-26 off 10 overs) was the only frontline bowler to carry out Ponting's orders with three spells of high-octane and accurate bowling.

Tait also served up the fastest delivery of the summer with a swinging 160km/h thunderbolt at Lou Vincent with the fifth ball of his second over ? falling just short of the 161.3km/h world record held by Pakistani tearaway Shoaib Akhtar.

Hodge was instrumental in the victory, unbeaten just one run short of his maiden one-day international century.

"It's a dream come true and I am loving every moment of it," Hodge said last night.

In front of his home crowd of 48,124 which cheered him on all night, Hodge notched the second half-century of his eight-match career while skipper Ricky Ponting (104 off 113 balls) dashed to his 22nd one-day international ton.

Ponting and Hodge broke open the game with a composed third-wicket stand of 154 off 145 balls after the hosts had slipped to 3-112 in the 23rd over.

Hodge and Tait now seem certain to be named in the squad for the tri-series finals, beginning on Friday at the MCG.

That squad will be picked by the national selectors today, while the final 15-man World Cup squad will be chosen on Thursday, so Hodge and Tait could not have timed their performances any better.

Tomorrow's final preliminary match between New Zealand and England in Brisbane will decide who meets the hosts in the tri-series final.

Averaging turbo-charged speeds of more than 150km/h, Tait regularly beat the bat with pace and left motormouth Black Caps opener Vincent (90 off 113 balls) nursing a bruised rib after he wore a nasty short ball.

He deserved more than the one wicket but was at least rewarded when his penultimate delivery tailed through a potential Vincent drive and cannoned on to the stumps.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...-10389,00.html

[Go_The_Doggies]

I think Flemo wanted to cryy..looked like his eyes were watery .. i hate seeing him sad .. cos its like he gets that little bit closer to retiring

Eh I knew we had lost it when they needed lie 70 odd...

****ING MISFIELDS

[BrisbaneBroncosRule]

:win: Awesome stuff from Hodgey and Taiters

[Go_The_Doggies]

Its still good tho that Flemo is so positive after a loss we coulda won!!

Theres alot of positive things we can take out of that match

Like we caught all our catches haha.