2nd test

[Fluffy]

Australia 0/86 at lunch

Langer 51, Hayden 32.

another solid start, who knows what they could score

 

[Dan]

i have to get me a mini tv for work

 

[Fluffy]

i listen on the radio

Hayden out for 70, caught and bowled.

Aus now 1/137

 

[Fluffy]

Stumps day 1

Aus 3/327, langer 144, lehamn 28.

mertyn has no pressure on his spot so will do poorly as is always the way

 

[byso]

Very true Mark Waugh went that way for years

 

[Fluffy]

Aussies have bored NZ to sleep and finally declared 15 mins after lunch.

NZ need 464 from the 4 innings.

The aussies run rate was 2.7 or less - very slow for them

 

[byso]

Maybe the batsman were playing for averages!

 

[Fluffy]

Martyn needs to, thats for sure

the only player with a lower average in the aussie team is Kaspa.

Martyn is 10th in averages.

I told people he wouldnt do well now his place is not on the line

 

[Canteen Worker]

Fair go Fluffy. Martyn was the star batsman of the India series and basically won us that very hard set of matches.

What does he have to do?

 

[Fluffy]

Every other batsman will play good for extended periods - martyn is a series here - a game there. He wasnt that far ahead of Katich who was dropped. Martyn should be let go for some younger talent.

He has has is best calender year by a mile and isnt that far ahead of anyone.

 

[The Wheel]

The worse player in this regard was Michael Slater - he always scored a century in the first test of a series then you wouldn't see him again until the next series. Kiwis are 4-44 after lunch

 

[Fluffy]

Martyn went longer than that.

consider he last few years

2003 - 7th highest scorer - 0 centuries

2002 - 5th highest scorer - 2 centuries

2001 - 7th highest scorer - 3 centuries

49 matches - 9 centuries, 4 of which were this year, so at 38 matched he had 5 centuries. He did not deserve his place.

These are hardly the stats of a great player worthy of being in the team this year over katich/maher.

Slats performed a lot more often.

 

[Fluffy]

Its all over

Aussies win by 313.

All 5 bowlers bagged 2 in the last innings - a terrific team performance.

Langer Man of the match

McGrath man of the series

 

[Volley]

Martyn is alot better than Lehmann. Lehmann is one of the ugliest batsmen to ever play the game. He used to be good, now he sucks. Bring back Katich.

 

[Fluffy]

All about the looks huh.

lol, i dont bat that way.

I think katich should be there before both of them, however i think martyn should have been dropped last year when he failed repeatedly. I dont rate lehman that highly either - next to get the chop and would prefer to see another younger player in as our team is ageing.

 

[Volley]

Langer's bloody average to watch, but he deserves his place in the team. So it's not all about the looks. That being said i would rather watch Slater and Mark Waugh get 20 than Langer or Hayden get 100.

I couldn't believe Lehmann got 81 in Adelaide, he batted like sh!t. All the commentators said it was a great knock, but when Warne gets 53 you know it's a road. Lehmann is not as good as he used to be, now he is average and nowhere near as good as Katich.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Interesting you say that because statistically Langer is a quicker scorer than both Mark Waugh and Hayden. I didn't believe it but the ABC commentators passed on the info on Sunday during the broadcast.

Lehmann is average and it is time for him to go. His wickets were a help in the second innings but Clarke is better and Katich is an underrated bowler as well!

 

[Fluffy]

Langer deserves his spot. His average is a bit lower than others because he doesnt get many not outs. Also when he fires he converts to a big score and set the team up for a win. He has 20 centries to his name now.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Aussies have three players, all who have scored 20 centuries: Langer, Hayden and Ponting. Has never happened in the history of test cricket. Add Martyn with 12 (ish) Clarke with 2, Lehmann with 6, and Gilly with 13 (I think)) that is not far off 100 centuries for the top six.

Funnily enough 10 Aussies scored 50s against the Kiwis with only Kaspar to miss out!

 

[Fluffy]

MArtyn has 9, 4 of which were scored this year.