Holidays

Will be off doing a Ministry Activity for a week or so that means I can't cover more of the Melbourne or Sydney Tests...

Merry Christmas for yesterday, and a happy new year to my readers.

What does 2007 offer?

The Asian Cup
The Gold Coast Titans
The Cricket World Cup
The Rugby World Cup

I guess this means the blog may continue being useful.

Cya when I return.

700

Shane Warne given the fitting way to leave test Cricket.

Strauss (b Warne) - 50

The first player to get 700 test wickets, on Boxing Day in his last Melbourne Test.

While I don't endorse his lifestyle, his bowling is undeniably good.

The saddest thing a Cricket selector can say...

We have no succession plan

If there was anything clearer in the way the Australian Cricket team was chosen after the retirement of Damien Martyn, it was the statement above.

While Andrew Symonds makes a decent contribution, he is surely not the first person to be installed in the team if the selectors are looking to the future, and his contribution is not that indispensible (as would be the contribution of a MacGill in replacing Warne). Once again I will ask why not blood another exciting young batsman. The bowling stocks are slightly deeper with Lee and Clark well and truly in the race for a few years.

AFC Asian Cup 2007 Match Schedule

Sat, July 7
Thailand v Iraq (Group A), Bangkok

Sun, July 8
Australia v Oman (Group A), Bangkok
Vietnam v United Arab Emirates (Group B), Hanoi

Mon, July 9
Japan v Qatar (Group B), Hanoi

Tue, July 10
Malaysia v China (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Indonesia v Bahrain (Group D), Jakarta

Wed, July 11
Iran v Uzbekistan (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Korea Republic v Saudi Arabia (Group D), Jakarta

Thu, July 12
Oman v Thailand (Group A), Bangkok
Qatar v Vietnam (Group B), Hanoi

Fri, July 13
Iraq v Australia (Group A), Bangkok
United Arab Emirates v Japan (Group B), Hanoi

Sat, July 14
Uzbekistan v Malaysia (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Saudi Arabia v Indonesia (Group D), Jakarta

Sun, July 15
China v Iran (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Bahrain v Korea Republic (Group D), Jakarta

Mon, July 16
Thailand v Australia (Group A), Bangkok
Oman v Iraq (Group A), Bangkok
Vietnam v Japan (Group B), Hanoi
Qatar v United Arab Emirates (Group B), Hanoi

Wed, July 18
Malaysia v Iran (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Uzbekistan v China (Group C), Kuala Lumpur
Indonesia v Korea Republic (Group D), Jakarta
Saudi Arabia v Bahrain (Group D), Jakarta

Sat, July 21
Quarter-final 1 (winner Group A v runner-up Group B), Bangkok
Quarter-final 3 (winner Group B v runner-up Group A), Hanoi

Sun, July 22
Quarter-final 2 (winner Group C v runner-up Group D), Kuala Lumpur
Quarter-final 4 (winner Group D v runner-up Group C), Jakarta

Wed, July 25
Semi-final 1 (winner Quarter-final 1 v winner Quarter-final 2), TBA
Semi-final 2 (winner Quarter-final 3 v winner Quarter-final 4), TBA

Sat, July 28
3rd/4th playoff (loser Semi-final 1 v loser Semi-final 2), TBA

Sun, July 29
Final (winner Semi-final 1 v winner Semi-final 2), Jakarta

Asian Cup Draw...

The Asian Cup Draw will probably happen between now and when I get up tomorrow.

Asian Cup 2007 seedings
Pot 1: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam
Pot 2: China, Iraq, UAE, Bahrain
Pot 3: Qatar, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman
Pot 4: Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic

It will be very interesting to see which countries we end up with, especially since the outcome of which Pot 1 nation we draw with determines where we play all our group matches.

Victory...

Centuries of Amazing Batting

Here I was thinking that there would be a nice point or two to blog about Michael Clarke's spectacular return to the Australian team and his newfound discipline. Michael Hussey's continued dominance of bowlers and an average now in the Mid 80's with another century was also worth a possible honourable mention on a day where England were absolutely owned by the Aussie batsman (eg. Hayden's 92 and Ponting in the 70's).

But then this guy walks out at number 7 called Gilchrist and produces the second fastest test century of all time 57 balls. I can't believe it.

These Aussies really did fire up for this series. (Just a pity what I said in the previous post still applies to the selectors).

Game Over

Third Test

I guess I should write something about the ashes again.

This test series seems to be limiting the readership of my blog, which appears to have been going downhill ever since Australia lost to Italy (though there are a few of you faithful remnant still commenting).

Yesterday was the best bowling effort England has produced this series. A strong factor in this is the inclusion of Monty Panesar in the English line-up.

This selection boldness (in terms of picking someone who actually has talent though is inexperienced) is something lacking in Australia's uninspired selection of Andrew Symonds to replace retired Damien Martyn.

Much better selections to position for a longer-term rejuvenation of the batting line up would have been either Brad Hodge (VIC) or Phil Jaques (NSW), rather than Symonds who is older, with less capacity as a batsman in the Test Arena.

It seems that the selectors are scared that the Australian bowling line-up is not good enough to bowl out England twice over five days. If not, they wouldn't have picked a bowler.

I am sure Symonds brings plenty of team spirit into the Australian side, but there is more to consider in long term planning.

Brad Hodge deserved to keep his place in the side after the last summer's performance, but with the whole team ageing together, it is also important to consider the way the team should be being shaped for a few years time.

Boo-hoo-hoo: You Lost, Get Over It

According to this SMH Report there is a bit of ill feeling towards Australia's status as an Asian Soccer Nation.

The head of Kuwait's Olympic Committee says the membership should be revoked before qualifying starts for the 2010 World Cup or it will "kill Asian soccer."

Sheik Talah al-Fahd Al Sabah, president of the West Asian Games committee, echoed earlier comments by his brother Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah, the Olympic Council of Asia president.

"We are against Australia joining the Asian continent, even in soccer," Sheik Talal said.

"This is the biggest mistake made against Asian soccer. This will kill the ambitions of Asian soccer."

Australia was granted membership of the Asian Football Confederation this year after frustrating attempts at getting a direct route to the World Cup through Oceania.

Sheik Talal envisaged no trouble removing Australia from the AFC.

"It is natural to be able to change the decision. A general assembly can annul it the way it approved it," he told a news conference at the ongoing Asian Games in Doha.

"There are general assemblies that can ask them to leave the way they brought them in. I hope this happens before the World Cup qualifications."

The real reason:

MANAMA – Bahrain edged Kuwait for the remaining Group D ticket to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup after defeating their Gulf rivals 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter in Manama on Wednesday.

Two first half goals from skipper Talal Yousuf and Salman Issa put Bahrain in the driving seat and although Faraj Laheeb pulled a goal back with 20 minutes left to play but Kuwait couldn’t find the equaliser to miss out on the Asian Cup finals for the first time since 1972.

Kuwait held the initiative going into the match as they needed only a draw to qualify to next year’s continental finals along with group winners Australia while the home side needed to take all three points.

A victory for Bahrain would put them level with Kuwait on four points but after their 0-0 draw in the previous meeting between the two sides the Bahrainis would qualify with a better head-to-head record.

Australia or England... The Second Test reaches a finale

The second test has taken a turn towards Australia, as English negativity leaves them vulnerable to recieving a knock-out blow.

England should have come out this morning with a mentality seeking to score runs, practice some batting, and to punish what were some very unattacking Australian Field Placings.

Australia appeared scarily unagressive for about an hour, until a few wickets were given away. They then took way too long to finish off the English batsmen.

168 Runs, 36 Overs... This sort of chase was the nightmare Allan Border dreamed of. I still recall that West Indian victory in 1993 which kept the Frank Worrell Trophy out of Australian hands for a few more years, and yes it was in Adelaide.

Time for Australia to go for broke, but to be weary, we have lost from better positions in similar amounts of time.

Update: An Australian victory, built solely on a combination of English negativity this morning. England effectively have handed back the ashes with a dismal final day.

The unsung heroes will be Ponting and Clarke whose batting kept Australia within striking distance, while much will be said about this morning's bowling when England had already decided that they couldn't win the test.

Watching Patiently

The Second Test has produced some classic strategic plays on the table for the whole remainder of the Ashes Series.

With three days down, and a slightly slower run rate, it appears quite unlikely that either team will be bowled out a second time in time for the game to get a result, unless the Adelaide pitch wears sufficiently over the next few days.

This is a great opportunity for enterprising captaincy, but at the same time, enterprising decisions are a real risk for Australia.

Anyway, It is nice to see that my beware the last series warnings have been appropriately heeded, because England have come back as expected (just like Queensland).