Australia Lose Final Match, Retain Chappell-Hadlee

By Scott | Published: March 13, 2010

It was an interesting match based on the highlights, some odd decisions and thrilling gameplay.

Australia retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a 3-2 victory over the Kiwi’s. As I mentioned in my last update I didn’t keep track of this One Day series quite as closely as I would have liked, and with University now back into full swing I could miss a lot more. ** Sad Face ** However, I’ll still be doing my best to keep up with the news, and I’ll be sure to drop a post at least once a month (quote me on that if I fail to do so). Even if it’s just to ramble on about what’s happened in the last month in the cricket world.

I’ll definately be back to “normal” for the Summer though, as if I’d miss sharing an Ashes series with you all right? We’ll see where we go from here.

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New Zealand vs Australia in NZ 2010

By Scott | Published: March 6, 2010

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to follow this as closely as I would have liked now that University is back in motion, the good thing about holidays was that I was able to get enough time to write up some posts around my day-to-day activities, but now that Uni is thrown into the mix as well it’s been somewhat slow for my ability to keep up with scores and what-not.

From what I’ve seen of it though (highlights on the news since I don’t have Foxtel to be able to watch it) it seems as though New Zealand have been performing well; though the news has been more about player confrontations than results of late.

Good to see the Aussies won their most recent match today though.

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The 50 Over Debate Rages On

By Scott | Published: March 2, 2010

As the Australian Summer of Cricket drew to a close the debate over the life of 50 over cricket hit new heights as 15,000 people attended the final ODI between Australia and the West Indies; and across town at Docklands around 30,000 attended the St. Kilda vs. Collingwood pre-season NAB-Cup match. For a time the Cricket would win audiences hands down, but it would seem the AFL’s tendancy to now incurge their game into summer is beginning to highlight the lack of support 50 over cricket seems to be having.

If this is the case, and 50 over cricket is dying (not that I personally am saying it is, because I think it’s very much alive), it would leave a massive hole in the summer of cricket teams around the world in the format was dropped. Twenty20 matches would not come close to filling this void and more test matches seem (to me at least) not an option given the amount of test cricket already played in a summer.

The thoughts of modifying the 50 over format are good plans, but I think they should remain that, plans; I don’t think 50 over cricket is dying… Australia just had a fantastic summer, let’s see what happens when India or Sri Lanka are back in the country, given India have been hitting up 300+ run innings lately I’m sure you’d find 50 over cricket is far from dead if you get them over here against the current Australian team. The World Cup will also be a fitting example for 50 over cricket being alive and well; it’s been a long standing belief of mine that the three forms of the game will live on into the future, and I’m confident my belief will be a reality, for if 50 over cricket were to cease to exist, or test cricket for that matter, a part of my passion for cricket would be lost along with it.

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Southern Stars on Channel 9

By Scott | Published: February 21, 2010

Just wanted to make a quick post about this because it’s actually something I wanted to talk about a few weeks ago.

The Southern Stars, Australia’s Female Cricket Team, have been on Channel 9 today as a part of the double header in Hobart. They’re playing the New Zealand White Ferns and it’s quite a close match but I think it’s great to see them on the TV for a change, it’s not often we get to see them live; but it’s also very rare we hear about their performances on the news sports reports.

Maybe in future I’ll do my best to keep track of the women as well; I do try and keep watch on all forms of the sport (domestic, international; men, women), so I’ll find the time to fit them in somewhere. It’d be nice to see them on TV more often though, not just because it’s a double header either.

5 more overs to go as of writing of this post. It’s a close one!

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The New SloggedIt Direction

By Scott | Published: February 17, 2010

Not a lot is changing, but it’s a new focus that’s going to make it easier on me to write articles and posts. As you are probably aware already, Damien was not a real person, I was still writing the posts but posting them under another alias, while I was always busy writing these match reports however I wasn’t giving myself enough free time to write other posts and articles.

  • So from this ODI series onwards, posts will be made at the end of an ODI series to summarise the events. Twenty20 reports will not be made. Test Matches will remain the same, with a post about each test match at the end.
  • Articles will be made on a semi-sparatical basis as I don’t always have opinions on different topics.
  • Lastly, in the new layout for SloggedIt, which is coming soon, we’ll be keeping track of a range of statistics that will build up as the site grows. There will likely be the following (with extras to be added between now and then):
  • Wins
  • Losses
  • Draws
  • Games Played
  • Tests
  • ODI’s
  • T20’s
  • Leading Wicket Taker (Year)
  • Leading Runs Scorer (Year)
  • Leading Wicket Taker (Overall)
  • Leading Runs Scorer (Overall)

If I come up with more stats to track between now and the new layout then I’ll be sure to add them to the list. But for now they’ll be what I’ll be tracking. From the start of the next series after this change happens to the following layout change, then these stats will be archived and we’ll start it all again.

I’m looking forward to setting up this new layout, but for now we’re going to need to put up with this bland one.

In Other News:
Congratulations to Shane Watson for winning the Alan Border Medal on Monday night, well deserved in my opinion, and another congratulations to him for his ODI Player of the Year win. Congratulations also to Simon Katich for his Test Player of the Year win, and to all the other winners on the night!

Australia won it’s T20 match against Pakistan (which honestly, was a surprise to me since Pakistan are T20 world champions!)

Australia are currently leading the series against the West Indies (More on that later).

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Australia Make it a White Summer Against Pakistan

By Scott | Published: February 2, 2010

Australia have succesfully completed a whitewash of Pakistan after winning the final One Day International in Perth on Sunday night.

The Pakistan side put up galiant efforts in each match but the performance of the Australian side just edged them out each time. However Sunday night’s match, what a ripper!

Game 1: Australia by 5 wickets at the GABBA (Brisbane)
Game 2: Australia by 140 runs at the SCG (Sydney)
Game 3: Australia by 40 runs at the Adelaide Oval (Adelaide)
Game 4: Australia by 140 runs at the WACA (Perth)
Game 5: Australia by 2 wickets at the WACA (Perth)

Man of the Series:
Ryan Harris, 13 wickets in three matches, including two 5 wicket innings.

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It’s Just Been Made Official

By Scott | Published: January 22, 2010

We’ve lost Damien, he disappeared shortly after the Melbourne test match and hasn’t been heard from since. At this point in time it’s only fair to come to the conclusion that he will not be returning to duties on SloggedIt.

So now that’s confirmed, that leaves me; I’m currently writing this between the overs of the Brisbane ODI against Pakistan so you’ll have to exuse the shortness of this post. I’ll have a detailed post about the match later, and I’ll talk about what’s going to happen to SloggedIt in another post sometime after that.

In the meantime, back to the tele for the cricket.

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Pakistan Crumble as Australia Celebrates

By Scott | Published: January 19, 2010

How about Hobart hey? Dished out a whopping test match for us filled with centuries, wickets, and even some rain! It takes a good test to balance that out to be a worthwhile match.

Ricky Ponting won the toss once again, and went in to bat (once again), but this time it was a great decision. Unlike the great escape the team had in Sydney where they started with a sub 200 score, the first innings for Hobart was exceptionally… awesome. Ponting and Clarke united for a record 300 run plus stand to help give the Aussies a declared first innings score of 8 for 519. Ponting, at his home ground in Tasmania, made a shaky start but managed to amass a double ton of 209 runs, with Clarke managing 166 runs, a new career best.

Pakistan’s batting started smoothly, before two run-outs sent the side on a mini implosion; Salman Butt managed a century after being involved in both run-out incidents but could manage only two runs after that. With the batting eventually falling 218 runs behind the Australian total. With the options open, Ponting decided not to enforce the follow-on to add to the current 218 run lead.

For one of the first times this summer Watson didn’t make much of an impact; this innings, it was Katich’s turn to pile on the runs as he and Ponting pushed the total past 300. Katich ended with 100, and Ponting fell 11 short of what would have been a historical century. Had he made it he would have been the seventh batsman to back up a double ton with a century. Ponting eventually declared at the score of 219, giving the Pakistan side a difficult 437 for victory.

Now I’m just going to admit it, they never really had a chance to get there, their only hope was to bat out a draw or at least hold as many wickets as possible so they had the opportunity to make a dash for the target. But the wickets came easily for the majority of the innings and Pakistanis ended all out for 206. A 231 run victory and a 3-0 series sweep for the Australians.

Ponting was awarded Man of the Match and Shane Watson was awarded Man of the Series. We now move on to One Day Internationals against both Pakistan and the West Indies before we head across the ditch to take on the Kiwi’s.

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SloggedIt ODI Team of the Decade 2000-2009

By Scott | Published: January 13, 2010

I mentioned last week that I had a ODI Team of the Decade list in the works, it took a little longer tha I expected but I got there in the end, I tell you picking these teams is a hard job, I’d hate to be a selector.

The lineup is in batting order, captain is indicated by the standard (c), and vice captain indicated by (vc); wicket keeper (wk), bowler and type (b, medium fast/leg spin etc) and left/right hand batsman (l/h, r/h) are also listed (all where applicable). So, on with the show.

SloggedIt Team of the Decade 2000-2009

Player Information
1. Adam Gilchrist (L/H Bat), (WK), (VC)
2. Matthew Hayden (L/H Bat)
3. Ricky Ponting (R/H Bat), (C)
4. Michael Hussey (L/H Bat)
5. Damien Martyn (R/H Bat)
6. Michael Bevan (L/H Bat), (B, left-arm chinaman)
7. Andrew Symonds (B, Right Arm Medium, Right Arm Off-Spin), (R/H Bat)
8. Brett Lee (B, Right Arm Fast), (R/H Bat)
9. Shane Warne (B, Right Arm Leg-Spin), (R/H Bat)
10. Nathan Bracken (B, Left Arm Fast-Medium), (R/H Bat)
11. Glenn McGrath (B, Right Arm Fast-Medium), (R/H Bat)
(Bowling) 12. Michael Clarke (B, Left Arm Orthodox), (R/H Bat)

Like I said before, this team is entirely my opinion on which team I think would win the World Cup series convincingly. Information on Handedness and bowling style was gathered from Wikipedia.

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Lucky Break for Australia in Sydney

By Scott | Published: January 10, 2010

I’m suprised Damien hasn’t been on and posted a match report yet, so I guess I’ll do one for this match. He’s probably hooked up with some Sheila at the pub. . . Knowing him.

Anyway, his absence right now isn’t the issue. How about that Sydney test match? My, oh my, what a corker. I saw the pitch and my instant thought was “Bowl, bowl, bowl”, at the coin toss when Ricky won I was saying it with him “We’ll have a bowl” “We’ll have a bat”. . . wait, what?

You’re batting? Are you suicidal? I mean, I can understand the logic behind your decision but it was an amazingly green top, who the hell doesn’t bowl on that first if they win the coin toss? (Apparently Ponting does now)

I was considering not watching the rest of the rest of the test match when Australia were all out for sub 150, that’s lower than an average bloody ODI score, in a test match! I stuck with it though, I’m a dedicated fan there was no way I’d be able to turn it off. Turned out it was a good thing I didn’t turn it off. It became one unusual match, it ended up being a low scoring match and neither batsman really had the opportunity to declare as a result. Watson fell just short of another century (again) and was pretty much a standout performer in Australia’s 1st innings.

In the 2nd innings however, the Huss did it again; leading the Australian batsmen with a much needed century, ending on 134 giving Australia much needed runs in the attempt to build a defendable total.

At the end of their 2nd batting innings however, it was not enough. . .

. . . or so we thought.

Pakistan came out firing, looking like they were going to coast to the finish to level the series after the punishing defeat Australia delt them in Melbourne. Just before the start of the innings, my Dad came to me and said “It’ll be interesting to see what happens after the fourth wicket. Pakistan have never really had a lower order.” (these were not his exact words, but they were something along those lines). The top order got off to a good start, the middle and tail did look they might well have got the Pakitani’s across the line, but it was not to be.

Australia ended up winning by 36 runs (interesting to note that it was one run off a prediction made by Glenn McGrath who said Australia would win by 37 runs), and take a 2-0 lead in the best of 3 series.

The series now moves to Tasmania (a place I’d love to live actually), for the third and final test. Then the ODI’s begin. Hopefully Damien will be back, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

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