wow! test cricket is still pumping along!  Hope this fightback win can give the Aussie team a nice boost of confidence in the future when the chips are down.

The 4th Ashes test match has finished early on day 4 here in Melbourne with a crushing defeat to Australia.  England have outclassed Australia yet again to retain the Ashes Urn with one game remaining.

Australia can still draw the series, but that little bloody urn is out of reach till the next Ashes series in a few years.

I have been going through a rough patch at the moment, and not being able to turn on Channel 9 or listen to ABC’s grandstand and see/hear a competitive Australian team do battle….is disappointing.

Its funny how sport can give you an escape… and how much you take some things for granted.  Watching/Hearing the Aussie Batsman falling like flies without so much as a whimper was like an added kick in the guts/nuts.  Albeit that the Poms bowled well and, apart from their brief lapse in concentration at the WACA (blaming the WAGS?), have outclassed and outplayed the Aussies… the insipid performance of our boys is heart breaking.

I know that people will say I am a sore Aussie loser … but any fan of any team should be allowed to feel shyte when their team (weather being a recent powerhouse or not) is ….. shit.

So… whos to blame? Should there be any finger pointing at all?  No?  well maybe..

Ponting
Is it Ponting’s fault?  Well I don’t know about his captaincy … but if your a number 3 bat and you don’t get a score in any innings of any game in a series.  Should he drop down the order a bit?  My thoughts are that he won’t want to.  Reakon he would retire before dropping down the order and/or giving up the captaincy.

Selectors
Is it the selectors fault? hmmmm …. you gota wonder… maybe not so much for the decisions made this series … but in the years leading up. 

Should we have blooded more youngsters and worked on a deeper squad.  Probably…. the years of Warne, McGrath, Gilly and Hayden feel soooo bloody far away now.  How about some planning??!

Aussie Batsman
Watson has batted well… but should he be opening? hmmmm … The surprise of the series has been Hussey who has stood up (despite the last 2 innnings) when the top order has crumbled.  Clarke, North, Ponting… tsk tsk tsk.  Smith and Hughes might be ok… but may need the added confidence of a stronger team around them.

Aussie Pace Bowlers
At times the aussie pace bowlers lacked some mongrel! At the WACA (yea yea its a seamers pitch) we saw a bit of mongrel, but, with the exception of Siddle, I wouldn’t be too happy with the peformance.  Can an aussie swing a ball?!!!! HELLOOO!!! 

Spinner
Hauritz got shafted…. but he is probably not cut out for the big stage.  Smith in the team as a battsman and Clarke doesnt get much of a go.  I tell ya … they better play a spinner in Sydney.  As Harris is probably out after breaking down yeserday, you would think the 12th man for the last 2 matches, Beer, would be a shoe in….. you would think.

Poms
Maybe the Poms were just too good ;)  nuff said on that one hey? hehehe

Rant complete… vented … feeling better?
errrr no

The Australian dominance of world cricket is definitely over!  It seems every time I blink they have lost another game.  Whats going on?  Is this a temporary form slump? or some dead wood?  Or maybe the other cricketing nations have not only caught up to the Aussies, but have overtaken them, and are turning back and flicking us the bird?

Last night the Aussies succumbed to Pakistan in a Twenty20 match in Edgebaston.  This on the back of a 50 over series loss to the old enemy England. 

There looks like one more Twenty20 game against Pakistan for the Aussies to “right the wrong”…. but players like Michael Clarke need to stand up!

The main concern will be if the Aussies can return home and wrestle back the Ashes urn in November.  I am starting to have my doubts that they can.  Lets hope that they use the upcoming couple of Tests against Pakistan to get back into the groove and do us proud.

Australia has suffered a 1 run defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in a practice match prior to the Twenty20 World Cup in the Windies. 

There may be concerns centred around the aussie spin attack (Smith and Hauritz) who failed to take a wicket.

hmmmm….. or is this just a case of the randomness of the smallest form of the game?

• 40 Run Win to Australia
• Australia Innings 6 for 286 from 50 Overs.
• Pakistan All out for 247 in the 47th Over.
• Australia take series, next 2 ODIs = dead rubber

Another good win to the Aussies.  I got to catch most of the Aussies innings in the car on the way to Bendigo, listening to Grandstand.  (…side note: was a shame my fave Kerry OK was commentating a state game in Woolongong and not at the Adelaide Oval… anyway) I then caught most of the Pakistan innings on the box later.

Despite good knocks from all but Ponting (3rd ball duck), the aussies total of 286 was pretty much due to Husseys blistering 49 off 37.  Great to see “Mr Cricket” back in form, coming to the wicket and playing aggressive.

There was one moment in the Pakistan run chase that I thought they could do it.  This was mainly due to Boom Boom Afridi.  But with eyes only for the boundary rope, he was ultimately cleaned up by Harris for 40.  You have to wonder, if he has aspirations of taking the Pakistan captaincy reins, if he needs to play a bit smarter.

The Aussie bowlers did well, with Harris claiming a 5’fa and taking out the Man of the Match honours (nudging out Hussey i reakon).

With this win, the Aussies take out the 5 match series.  The next two ODIs are in Perth and we wait n see if the Aussies give a few other players a go.