2nd match vs New Zealand: A dominant 7 wicket victory

Result:
Scorecard - Click here to view the scorecard (8th game of the 2011 ICC World Cup)

BRIEF ANALYSIS:
Only slip up this match was our inability to clean up the Black Caps lower order. Nathan McCullum, Jamie How and Dan the man put up a damn good fight after their top order left them out to dry. Their efforts made a game of it, as ultimately we should have skittled them for around 100.
Our seam unit did a mighty fine job, again, and they were a joy to watch as they ripped apart the Black Caps top order and definitely intimidated them.

Given the tragedy that has happened in Christchurch, it would have been a real boost to have seen the Black Caps put in a better performance (I like the Black Caps), but it wasn't to be. Next game lads.

The fielding standards were good and it was pleasing to see Brad Haddin have a good time behind the stumps, backed up by a crucial top order innings, alongside Watto.
They setup things up for an easy win. We needed to see our batsmen impose themselves in some way for this tournament. I am convinced the slow start against Zimbabwe was a tactic and having seen the way both Watto and Hads raced away at different passages of play was pleasing to see.

Game two is done and the victory is ours! 25 games on the trot now.
Sri-Lanka are the next team we face and according to the voting poll and my own personal opinion, they are the side who stand the best chance in beating us during the Pool stages. But as always, bring it on.

THE PLAYER FEEDBACK:

Shane Watson:
He started out with ease while Brad Haddin took control.
When Hads reached his half-century, Watto upped his attacking antics and the Black Caps were caned!
It was this sort of approach that ensured momentum wasn't choked.
I am totally convinced the slow start against Zimbabwe was a tactic to ensure no risks were taken and that the openers tried to utilise as much time at the wicket as possible.

Watto is the most valuable player, as I state again.
Every innings you will see the same shots, the same temperament but it's the way he builds his innings that is admirable. I like the way he doesn't overcomplicate or over-analyse things. It's just all so graceful.
He's found his natural game and it will other come off perfectly or just not go anywhere. Fortunately for us, it's come right for two matches.
Can't forget his golden wicket up top with the new ball.
Well done Watto, mighty proud of you!

Batting: 62 (61) - 6 fours, 1 six
Bowling: 1-9 from 3 overs

Brad Haddin:
We all know Hads' game. He will gift away his wicket 90% of the time and usually when he does generate a good start for himself, he will have a short circuit up top and just do something bizarre to throw away his wicket. Almost just gives in.
Fortunately after a steady 61 run partnership versus Zimbabwe, Hads complemented Watto to compile a partnership of 133 runs to pretty much seal the game and ensure the most ideal platform was put down.

Hads was the aggressor this game as he got stuck into the Black Caps bowlers and handled them with ease. He has always taken on the Black Caps with an admirable sort of confidence and it was just grand to see him score a half-century and kick off his campaign. How he went was no surprise and anyone could have called it, but he's off!
To top it off he took four catches, three of them coming off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson.

Batting: 55 (50) - 8 fours.

Ricky Ponting:
Punter called the toss well, deciding to bat. Smart move and it was backed up by his team-mates.
On a personal performance note, a forgettable one for Punter. He'll take the win and use that as momentum, also knowing his decision making was better.
Probably be keen to address who to utilise when "going for the kill" with the lower order against our opponents.
He spent a while out there only to be stumped for 12 runs off 28 devlieries. No biggie as there's plenty more opportunities for him and the game was in the bag, but we need our Skipper to execute what he's capable of. He'll come right.
He's yet to be dismissed bowled or caught thus far.

On the TV incident, who really gives a damn! Guys throw tantrums from club level to pro level. If it happens off the field, why make it something big. Oh, I know why! It's because it's Ricky Ponting! Media, bunch of vultures. Joke a second.

Michael Clarke:
Alongside Punter he was careful, but Pups World Cup batting efforts continue to stand out with the way he adapts to the situation.
There was no urgency needed from so he took his time to score 24 unbeaten runs to get us home to victory.
We all would've liked a faster approach to end the game, but he did his job and I look forward to seeing him against the Lankans.

Batting: 24 (37) - 4 fours

Cameron White:
Easy opportunity for Cam to nudge the ball about and enjoy some time out with the bat in hand. Best was seeing him get the winning runs.
After coming in after Punter's stumping, his job was to ensure we eased out way to victory alongside Pup.
Job complete. Nothing flashy or wild from Cam. Just a level headed innings.

Batting: 22 (28) - 3 fours.

David Hussey:
Dussey simply did a bit of running around in the field. Easy day at the Office for him.

Steven Smith:
He didn't have a massive responsibility on his shoulders, but Stevo will come under pressure when he is needed to produce an input for us with his batting.
Today's game was simply a chance for him to toss his arm around and see what he could generate off the Nagpur wicket.
He was rewarded with 1 wicket being the big catch with Jamie How being trapped LBW.

Bowling: 1-44 from 9 overs.

Mitchell Johnson:
Mitch looks focused and in control. You never know with him but if ever we needed a time for him to focus on consistency, this is it!
The opening two games he's been world class and if you look at his pitch maps, it's been outstanding stuff from our valuable seam bowler.
Another four wicket haul for Mitch and he played a crucial role in scaring the Kiwi's top order, while eventually being the man to clean out the tail.
If we want to dominate this pool, this is the man for bowling duties.

Bowling: 4-33, 9.1 overs, 3 maidens

A look at Mitchell's pitch map. Notice how many balls are in the 6-8m zone (good length), of which four wickets were produced. Two vs lefties, two vs right handed batsmen. Square up the right handed batsmen while hitting the perfect spot for the left-handed batsmen.
A bit of a spray but it's that line that is what makes it a very appealing input. It is Mitch after all.

Courtesy of Cricinfo's Hawk-eye technology.

Jason Krejza:
Our spin department is a concern, given what a major role spin is set to play in this World Cup.
Jason is still finding his feet and fortunately the pressure hasn't been too major on him with our seamers performing, but we need to see something emerge on a more threatening scale soon.
I'd love to see, as mentioned before, a merge between his attacking game and a defensive game as well, but we'll have to see how he takes on the Lankans.

He was expensive this game but as a bloke only in his third ODI game, the more overs he's assigned to experiment in the Pool stages, the better come the intensity in closing the remaining games in the Pool.
Still promising signs from him, but better teams won't be sweating.
No epic memories from Nagpur returned in this performance. Kind of dumb to recall that anyways given it was Test cricket. Keep plugging away Krazy.

Brett Lee:
Was in control until his final over, which produced a wicket! His experience was a guiding light and as it was against Zimbabwe, by Binga controlling his deliveries, using his variety and staying calm and collected alongside Mitch, it allows Shaun Tait to just let rip.
He's peaking gradually so I'm going to be bold and say that I expect bigger things from Binga.
He's waited 8 years to appear in a World Cup again. He's embracing it.

Bowling: 1-29, 8 overs, 2 maidens

Shaun Tait:
Taito will always be cursed by the non-supporters as a "chucker". Yeah, at times it doesn't look like you see in the text books, but he's not under question, so shut it.
He was fast, on target and did some epic damage to ensure our job was made easier.
His delivery to remove Ross Taylor was a gem of a delivery, which Taylor tried to play across the line...always a mistake against that sort of pace.
But in Taylor's defence, most of the Black Caps played daft shots, which was quite likely due to the intimidation of the pace.
Say what you like that batsmen love pace but I am pretty sure most batsmen would rather face a trio bowling 140km/h than 150km/h plus.

Bowling: 3-35, 7 overs

OTHER POOL A RESULTS:
Kenya versus Pakistan - Pakistan won --->> Scorecard

Mitchy celebrates one of his four wickets. He now has 8 for the tournament. What is most pleasing, is the simplicity he's presenting with his bowling. The pitch map above tells a tale.

© Getty Images

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1st match vs Zimbabwe: A promising start by the Green & Gold

Result:
Scorecard - Click here to view the scorecard (4th match of the 2011 ICC World Cup)

Brief analysis:
Alot of people were hoping for an upset. Zimbabwe have bounced us twice in Twenty20 cricket, but this is 50 over cricket. We beat them.
Whilst we were well below average in the warm-up games, this is where it counts. It's not a net session without the nets.
Regarding the batting we saw the usual antics, with promising starts being thrown away and a few successive wickets falling thereafter.
The good news is the total was competitive and key players made an input. The only criticism would be the slower rate, but the tactic seemed to be that if the top order could lay down a solid platform, no matter how long it took, it would allow the middle order an easier opportunity to push the score onwards. It backfired just a bit, but nothing to concerning. The tactic was obvious as Shane Watson and Brad Haddin aren't snails. Easing into the heat of the battle, as we always do.

The batting will pick up and we just have to hope the inconsistency we have become accustomed to, will fade away. The focus looks good out there, so I'm confident.
The bowling was effective. No-balls are still popping up too frequently and wides are gifted way too much for the opposition. The extras column could really affect us at a later stage.
The boys did well to rattle the top order, with Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait doing a grand job.
The only other issue I could see, besides the extras, was the lengthy time it took again to wrap up the tail-enders. In recent times the tail-enders have caused numerous upsets against us, so I hope our bowlers devise a plan to fix this minor issue now, which could in the long term of this tournament really nail us.
Main thing is Zimbabwe didn't run away too wildly. I would enjoy seeing more puller pitched or good length deliveries at the tail-enders rather than short pitched bowling. I always preferred the shorter ball in big staged games as a scare tactic, or a surprise element.
Batting or bowling top the outing? I would say the bowling was our key aspect.

A good effort to start the campaign by the Green and Gold.
The fielding was energetic, the players looked ambitious and aggressive out therre and that's the first box ticked. We march on now.
Next up, The Black Caps (New Zealand) on Friday. Congrats boys!

THE PLAYER FEEDBACK:

Shane Watson:
Watto is our go to guy and heading into the World Cup he is our most valuable player. I'm mighty proud of what he has achieved and he has already opened his account in the first game of the tournament. It was a cautious innings as he just eased into the event. He put together an innings of 79 runs.
Alongside Hads, they opened the innings in no hurry but they put 61 runs on the board. Watto was graceful with his stroke selection and didn't really fire up to full throttle. That's okay, we just wanted to see him get some time out there.
He's made a statement, so watch out!

His bowling was economical and he wasn't over worked. Job well done Watto! Man-of-the-match and don't forget that slick slip catch he took of Tait's bowling.

Batting: 79 runs/ 92 deliveries/ 8 fours/ 1 six
Bowling: 3 overs/ 7 runs/ 0 wickets

Brad Haddin:
Hads had a good night with the gloves doing his job efficiently with 3 catches.
Before the game Ricky Ponting had stated that he wanted big things from Hads. He is regularly getting good starts but perhaps gets a bit carried away and definitely loses his focus. He gives away his wicket more often than not.
After a run out in the warm-up game for a duck, this time he got a casual 29 runs, but he assisted Watto to take things easy and get 61 runs as an opening stand.

I'm sure he will be doing some damage out there, if only he would not gift away his valuable wicket. He's a key player that many won't be eyeing too closely, but I really believe Hads has a massive role to play and many under-estimate the bloke.

Ricky Ponting:
Punter scored two half-centuries during the warm-ups. He wasn't in a hurry but he did get some time out there. Punter scored 28 runs. He didn't strike any boundaries but he went along as a quicker strike-rate and was unlucky to be run-out via an insane direct hit. Bad luck and what may have been a standout opening innings for the World Cup was just a plain total on the scoreboard.
Punter has now been run-out 30 times in ODI cricket.

I have alot of belief in Punter's abilities and he will be playing with 100% dedication out there and he won't be backing down to anyone. It was a start but we'll all be hoping it's not too long until he gets a good innings under his belt. He has stated 30 to 50 runs is a job half-done. Curse that run out!

Michael Clarke:
Pup was so damn good in 2007 at the World Cup. I was stoked with his input for this match. He grafted hard to try maintain a healthy strike-rate, which was similar to his efforts in 2007.
Coming out with the score on 140, he was there until the end when he were done with our 50 overs at 6/262.

Pup showed some aggression out there, but was far more active when it came to easing the ball into the gaps, shaping his bat elegantly to maintain personal momentum and best of all was that he did his job.
Some may complain he wasn't tenacious enough, but that's not his job. In this World Cup this is not his job! He must graft, show focus out there and do what he does best at number four.
Keep it up Pup! Job very well done in my opinion. Great to see Pup build a strong innings. His foot work was awesome as well, the golden key to his game along with quick bat speed.

Batting: 58 runs/ 55 deliveries/ 4 fours.

Cameron White:
A quiet game for Cam. Like the lot of the boys, he wasn't in a hurry and when the time came for him try launch the late innings assault, it didn't come off.
He scored 22 runs in singles, but being his first World Cup this is a start of sorts. We need big things from Cam though. I see his role as a similar one to Hads as far as impact and expectations are concerned.
Watch this space, he is bound to slay on of our oppositions bowling attacks.

David Hussey:
Dussey tossed down a handful of overs but his stay at the crease was a brief one, however his 14 runs included a crisply smacked six, so atleast that's one for the tournament.
Dussey always makes me nervous when he starts out in his innings, especially against spin. It will really test his experience and mind strength should he be in a position where he'd have to rectify a top order collapse (please, may it not occur) but being present at the crease from overs 35 onwards is a good spot for him.

His bowling was a neat contribution. 4 overs/ 1 maidens/ 12 runs/ 1 wicket.

Steven Smith:
Stevo is probably in a bit of a clash with Callum Ferguson for a spot. We have part-timers in the bowling unit and with Krejza there, Stevo is not a front line spinner. With only 5 overs bowled it's an indication he is not there for that job. I wouldn't want to see him as our front-line spinner and I can't see him winning us a World Cup with the ball. For this reason Fergal is up against him with that starting XI place.

He had a quick cameo with the bat at the death of the innings with a four and a six. Can never be under-estimated how these quick fire innings could save a game.

Mitchell Johnson:
Mitchy! His arm was nice and high, his bowling action was smooth, he was just outstanding. What a start for him.
Rocking pace, domination with the short ball and he was so consistent. Mitch is hot and cold, but for this game he was on fire!
How epic would it be should he maintain a standard like this. I do feel he wasn't gunning it at his best, but it was a way to start.

Not much more to say, Mitch was just bloody marvellous. We know his reputation so let's take our viewing pleasure game by game when Mitch hurls it at the batsmen.

Bowling: 9.2 overs/ 19 runs/ 4 wickets.

Brett Lee:
A bit expensive at first with a no-ball and two wides, but Binga took a wicket and pulled things back nicely after the Zimbo openers took a liking to his pace.
Binga's experience is the key and I am proud with the way he lead the attack. Expect bigger things from the man.
It was his first time back in a World Cup game since the final of 2003.

Bowling: 8 overs/ 1 maiden/ 34 runs/ 1 wicket.

Jason Krejza:
Krazy has been put into a really pressurising situation as our main spinner in India, for a World Cup defense. It was only his 2nd game. I take my hat off to the bloke as I reckon it must be tough out there with the job you have to get done, but he made a good start for us against Zimbabwe.
Against a better batting line-up it may have been a tough evening at the Office for him, but I think walking away with 2/28 from 8 overs was more than what we wanted to see.

He is still flighting the ball a heck of alot, courageously of course, but I would love to see a more defensive approach from the man.
Good start Krazy, keep improving game by game. The Black Caps encounter will be a huge challenge for him. Take it head on!

Shaun Tait:
Taito wasn't the wild thing in this game, but his pace would have probably seen a few of the Zimbo tail-enders putting on another pair of briefs back in the change room. Some accurate short bowling was on display but his yorkers were excellently executed. More of those to the top order would be spectacular to see, especially against the minow teams who would be cautious for the short ball against the ball, but let's see what Taito brings out as the tournament progress.

After Binga and Mitch displayed brilliant control and consistent pace this game, it allowed Taito to do a deliver with pace, ultimately allowing him to be "the wild thing". While I don't think he took on that persona this match, matter of fact is if Binga and Mitch can continue to follow their game plan along with a guy like Watto to bowl some valuable overs, it will allow Taito the chance to do deliver what no batsmen wants to face.
Like 2007, watch out for Taito. His role is clear.

Bowling: 9 overs/ 1 maiden/ 34 runs/ 2 wickets.

OTHER POOL A RESULTS:
New Zealand vs Kenya: New Zealand won ----->> SCORECARD
Sri-Lanka versus Canada: Sri-Lanka won ----->> SCORECARD

Shane Watson, easily our most valuable batsman heading into the tournament, plays a dashing cut stroke. He started off cautiously but delivered a fantastic input with 79. So proud of him!.

© Getty Images

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Classic moments from the memory pitch: 1999 World Cup Final

Dan Stapo recalls the 1999 World Cup final as a Baggy Green Blog: Classic moment from the memory pitch.

Australia's 1999 World Cup finished with one of the most convincing victories in any World Cup in any sport, not just cricket.
The Australian 1999 world cup squad was full of wonderful talent and brillantly led by the great Steve Waugh.
One can't forget that incredible semi-final versus South Africa that led to the finals, when Lance Kluesener brutally launched a late innings assault to nearly clinch victory.
Damien Fleming was smashed for two fours in the final over, levelling the scores.
One run needed and we then witnessed the infamous run-out when Kluesener charged for a single after hitting the ball to mid-on, however Allan Donald, at the non-strikers end, froze, dropped his bat and attempted to run to the Keepers end.
Mark Waugh returned the ball for it to then be rolled Ten-Pin bowling style to Gilly to remove the bails.
An insane win in what was one of, if not, the greatest World Cup of all time.

On June 20 1999 at Lord's in London, England, Australia knocked over Pakistan for just 132 in only 39 overs after Pakistan captain Wasim Akarm won the toss and chose to bat on what Australia later showed to be a wonderul batting wicket (chasing down the runs in just 20.1 overs).

Thinking back on this result it is no wonder fans around Australia expect big things from the Australian team, no matter what format. A victory in a final was always expected, as Australia has had as a golden run in one day internationals for the past 17 years and continue to do so, most recently the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy.
Glenn McGrath took the 1st wicket thanks to one of the most brillant catches in world cup history with Mark Waugh diving full body length to his left to take one of the best catches of his career.
That start from "Junior" was the sign of a perfect day to come for Australia.
　
Soon after right arm swing bowler Damien Fleming had left arm opener Saeed Anwar dragging a inswinger onto his stumps (15), with Pakistan in early trouble at 2-21 off 5.1 overs, a brief fight back via a 47 run partnership between the promoted Adbul Razzaq and veteran batsman Ijaz Ahmed was brought to an end by experienced Western Australian all-rounder Tom Moody, who had Razzaq caught in the covers by Steve Waugh.

Not long after Shane Warne was introduced into the attack he almost straight away made an impact with the big wicket of Ahmed, looking to force a well pitched leg spinner and Ahmed being comprehensively bowled. Warne carried Australia into the final with a brillant performance in the Semi Final tie with South Africa.
He was such a great team man in the heat of the battle, he would often lift Australia through his incrediable confidence and self belife that he could win games for his country, no matter what the suituation.
Warne ended up taking match winning figures of 4-33 from nine overs with the important wickets of Ahmed, wicket keeper Moin Khan (6), Shahid Afridi (13) who foolishly tried to sweep Warne, but was out smarted by the great bowler who trapped him LBW to a fullish delivery hitting the right hander on the back leg infront of middle.
Wasim Akarm came and went quickly, attempting a slog sweep over midwicket, but the Pakistan captain only managed to pick out Steve Waugh at mid wicket.

Glenn McGrath came back to finish off the Pakistan innings, doing so courtesy of an outstanding one handed diving catch by Ricky Ponting at 3rd slip, which was lightning quick and showed off Punter's epic reflex abilities at any position in the field.
Pakistan had been bowled out for just 133 in what seemed almost perfect batting conditions despite the 30 min delay to the match due to rain. It seemed they had gotten carried away by the big event, hoping to create something special as Imran Khan's side back in 1992.

Australian openers Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist set the tone early chasing the low total with an attacking mindset.
Gilchrist and Waugh hit 5 boundaries in 5 overs following a relatively laid back opening two overs. The score raced to 0 - 42 after 7 overs, which is less daunting in modern day cricket with Twenty20 cricket.
Gilly found himself out for 54 out caught to one of the best off spinners in recent memory, Saqlain Mushtaq! Izaman Ul Haq took a controlled catch at mid off that brought out some blood and he required medical treatment on the ground.
Gilchrist had made an impact in a final, which he would do so again in two more finals to come!

Darren Lehmann had the honour of hitting the winning runs with a boundary from a well timed cut shot past point off the bowling of Mustaq.
These runs brought up Australia's 2nd World Cup victory after their 1987 win.
Mark Waugh finished unbeaten on 37 with 4 boundaries.
So after the amazing bowling performance from Warne and McGrath, Australia managed to chase the runs down with ease ensuring a big night would follow in the famous Lord's ground. It was a memorable campaign and the team song followed, which many of the players recall fondly, as they sung it loudly on the great Lord's wicket later that night. Well played Aussies. Another great World Cup memory for Australia, but what was so special about that campaign was the way side gradually peaked and were able to seal key moments of play, when many teams would have been down and out!
It was a key trademark for years to come, which this current team will have to figure out.

Long live Australia's world cup success for many years to come!
Tomorrow is the first game as the boys take on Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad.

2007 Finalists.


2003 Finalists.


1999 Finalists.


2011 Finalists?

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Australia's warm-up games concluded

Before heading into analysis, which our other contributor Dan Stapo has assisted with, followed by your input in the comments section, it's vital to remember warm-up games are exactly that! A chance to warm-up, assess the conditions, expose weakness, examine the weakness, rectify them while also embracing what goes right for the Squad.
We will undoubtedly see more negatives than positives given Australian cricket hasn't been in the most stable period for sometime, but we must remain positive, find the colour amongst the grey areas.
It will be the real deal come Monday. I really, really hope this side has the will power and inner strength to show us they are determined to win and will try execute their actual cricketing skills as best as possible.
My opinion dropping my pride, winning this world cup is not looking promising.
Opinion with pride and never give in attitude, we can go all the way but it will be a matter of what the guys are capable of under pressure. It's all about being ready on the day, especially with the knock-out element of the competition implemented.

We're watching a World Cup being played on the sub-continent. This is the spinners turf. We batted awefully against the spin attacks India and South Africa presented. Our middle order were crushed, they can't take anything from the warm-up game other than a few swipes of their blades and a worrying input.
Our middle order has been a bit of a worry for a while now. Notably, batting collapses! In test cricket it's been a heck of alot worse, but in the limited overs game it almost seems every 2nd or 3rd game we have a terrible run a portion of our batting line-up will systematically short-circuit.
I have maintained this team can get into the final stages of the tournament.
We won't though, unless our batting finds SYNERGY! Our bowlers, while more experienced this series, still need a decent total on the board to defend.

BATTING:

Shane Watson and Brad Haddin's efforts were partially forgettable against South Africa. A beauty of a delivery for Watto while a stack of bad luck for Hads in a run-out. They are going to be essential for us up top, Watto in particular is still our cement and our most valuable player.
As for Ricky Ponting, so stoked to see Punter get two half-centuries behind his form. The innings showed vague glimpses of the Punter we know, but he was clearly using the time out their as a warm-up. Some may criticise it, but the heat isn't on when out there. I imagine the players are a bit "switched" off come competitive pressures.
He took a long time to really let loose and he didn't rush himself. He chewed up alot of strike in order to spend time facing the music from both seam and spin.
Some cleanly hit cover drives, well placed cross baty shots were encouraging signs. However, we don't want to see any wild sweep shots. It would be great if Punter could find the confidence to launch some of those massive lofted drives into the stands. I think there is some complacency there, but I will never rule out Punter. He's going to be putting his life on the line for this campaign. I hope his team-mates feed off his ambition.

Michael Clarke was outdone quickly against India, which sparked a terrible collapse in a warm-up we should have won, but he made it count against South Africa. He generally combats South Africa effectively and seeing him end up being the top scorer was a major relief. He wasn't slow out there and it was a good sign.
One thing with Pup is he is vital! Say what you will about strike-rate etc. but you need that bloke to rotate the strike and has the ability to graft with elegant stroke play. Pup can do this! He's one of our key players against spin bowling with quick footwork and flashy bat speed, but all we need is Pup to get settled into his innings. The freedom will follow. Watch out for him!

I was upset Callum Ferguson didn't bat in our second game. He is Michael Hussey's replacement after all. Would've been good to have seen him have another crack, but I believe he had a minor back strain according to a source.
The middle order will be feeling low. They know they didn't make the most of their opportunities and heading into their biggest challenge in their careers (most of them) they will be hard done by their performances.
I don't lose faith in their abilities but the spin branded us out there as a spin hazard! Better footwork? Less complacency? Wiser shot selection? More defensive tactic?
Only the batting staff can give analyse the weaknesses. Only our batsmen will be able to take things to the next level, notably David Hussey and Cam White who are total match winners on their day and essential batting power in the middle order.

So as far as the warm-up is concerned regarding our batting department, below par.
Low batting scores facing against other opposition, most of whom went passed 250.
From what I saw in the game against India, Punter's claims of an under-prepared wicket with exagerated life for the spinners was valid. Anything but decent for preps, but fact is with Indian curators, we never know what we will be given.

BOWLING:

The bowling was alright. Jason Krejza got valuable time out there. That is so important for our campaign. In a pressure cooker situation I think our opponents may fold, but they will be eager to target Krazy and shatter his confidence.
I have said it before, not pun intended, but we need him to deliver the goods!
Brett Lee looked awesome! Don't read into our bowling performance against South Africa too much. Binga only bowled 4 overs, so it was an ease on work load. He had a close LBW shout I believe and he was bowling with decent seam movement, decent pace.
He never really let the batsmen settle.
Taito was given a similar work over with just a handfull of overs. If we can get these sorts of performances from Binga, with some miracle gifted by our lost radar Mitchell Johnson, it will give Taito the freedom to let rip!

Mitchell Johnson. Mitchy is still that match winner, but the amount of wides bowled will cost us. Far too many extras, too many loose deliveries, too much pressure eased. Mitch isn't the lonely foe in this battle, but we really need tighten things up. By we, I mean our bowling unit. We can just sit in our living rooms and hope this plague departs. It can be three defining runs in the bigger picture.
Another very good observation Stapo made regarding Mitch was the following:
Mitch probably needs to watch his action and try to stay up right in delivery, strays in line when loses his balance at the crease.
Mitch utilised the slower ball alot in the game against India. It is definitely something that will be effective in these conditions and has played a surprise element in Mitchell's game. Mitchell's biggest issue is his consistency.

Here's what Stapo had to observe directly about Douggie B:
Dougie tried very hard as he always does but maybe running in to fast for Indian conditions. He tends to bowl to short outside off letting the batsmen cut to often. First ball he bowled was a full toss on off stump and Shewegg belted it to the cover fence.

Hasto can end up playing a vital role for us with line and length, backed with some of those unexpected bouncers, while Shane Watson (who didn't bowl in the warm-ups) will probably be our golden arm.
Steven Smith wouldn't be in my starting XI. I know he's an energetic young bloke who really works damn hard out there, but I am not convinced he was ready for the elite level. I feel he needed one more season with NSW under his belt. He could pull things up a notch in serious circumstances as he did end up putting together two good innings versus England in the recently concluded 6-1 series, but how will he manage against our opposition?
Rooting for Stevo but that's just a personal opinion. Krejza is our front-line spinner, David Hussey, Stevo and Michael Clarke are our back-ups.

I was very impressed with Tim Paine's Keeper standards. Glad he's there as back-up. His batting was very good up top with Watto as he stabilised a fantastic innings with Punter on a rough track to bat second. He was caught hauling out to deep mid wicket if memory serves but he had a very good warm-up game.

There's a break now until our first game. We have to have the confidence that our team will group together in the build-up.
What will happen for Australia in the 2011 World Cup?
We have always peaked late. It's a different team, a relatively weaker team due to inexperience, but maybe the pattern of progressive development and a lift in intensity may be a realistic probability?
Come on boys, do your best to make us proud!

Punter cuts off the back foot in the 2nd warm-up game. Great to see Punter getting good runs, but how about the outfits? Need to watch the World Cup with your sunnies on I think.

©Getty Images

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World Cup chat: Looking at our opposition (Pool A)

It's important to look at who we face in our group and what they will bring to the World Cup.
I will then, where the knowledge lies, do a quick SWOT analysis for each team.
Keep in mind I haven't watched Kenya since the 2007 ICC World T20 and have seen the Canadian team on very few events.
Also there's a NEW POLL up. Vote for which of these teams you reckon will be our toughest opposition.

TO VIEW THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP SQUAD WRITE UP, --->> View Australian Squad
TO VIEW THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP CRICINFO PAGE, --->> View Australian World

AUSTRALIA'S OPPOSITION: POOL A

PAKISTAN(3)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 (winners), 1996, 1999 (runners-up), 2003, 2007/
56 matches/ 30 wins/ 24 losses

Pakistan lifted the Trophy in 1992, with Imran Khan being their mighty inspirational leader.
Since then, they have developed a reputation (similar to the Black Caps in my opinion) where they will either be thumped or will find a way to lose a match in situations where it is damn near impossible to lose. However, they are a team you never ever rule out in the initial stages of a World Cup. It will either be a quick exit or an advancement through to the semi-finals. 2007 was a stuff up for them where we also had the tragic incident with Bob Woolmer passing away, but sadly with Pakistan cricket, we can never be sure that what we are seeing is the real thing.
They need this to salvage some faith for their supporters.

Having lost three key players due to the spot-fixing incident (shocking Salman Butt will still be commentating at the event, which I don't see as right) but fortunately they have some mighty good players to carry their supporters hopes into this campaign.
There's Younis Khan, Umar Gul (their best bowler in my opinion), Shoaib Akhtar, The Akmal brothers, Misbah-ul-Haq and of course their ultimate poster boy Shahid "Boom Boom" Afridi, who is tipping his team to take on India in the final.
This would be the ultimate cash flow final and a good sense of rivalry but obviously I would love to see the Green & Gold take on India.
If Pakistan can try get some early wins under their belts and try stay away from off-field drama, they have a fighting chance. Won't be a walk in the park.
We beat them convincingly in 1999 and I'd love to do it again in Pool A!
Last time we faced them was in a World Cup was 2003 where Andrew "Roy" Symonds smashed 143*.

NEW ZEALAND (5)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007/
62 matches/ 35 wins/ 26 losses

The Black Caps are kind of a comedy show at times. They are one the worst teams around some days, while all of a sudden they show why they could be a quality stage act.
Fact is, even though many people don't take them seriously, come big events they rarely don't qualify for a semi-final. They have a damn good record at World Cups!
They have made Semi-Finals 4 times from all 9 appearances.
They just haven't secured the silverware and truth be told, I don't see them doing it again in 2011, none-the-less, don't write them off for causing some damage in Pool A. I always get a bit nervous when playing New Zealand, so let's see how they go.
Their recent form hasn't been suggesting they're on top of their game and they have also been dealing with serious selection issues with players in and out in various forms of the game. A bit of a mess but Dan Vettori has his last stand with his team for this World Cup. He's a respected leader.

Key players? They have many big names and good cricketers, but they're also, like them team, highly inconsistent. But to name a few; Dan the man, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (always a dangerous batsman!), Jesse Ryder (on his day), Martin Guptil as well as a capable seam bowling unit. Just keep an eye on these blokes!

SRI LANKA(7)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996 (Winners), 2003, 2007 (runners-up)/
57 matches/ 25 wins/ 30 losses

Having faced them in two finals and a semi-final, we know Sri-Lanka are our biggest threat. They are a quality team boasting some outstanding limited overs batsmen as well as a decent crop of bowlers with notable variation.
They beat us a few months back in a three match ODI series, which was very much due to our bowling unit not performing to their ultimate standards. This will give them confidence, however it's the big stage where we tend to have one up on them in terms of focus and stability.
If there was one team I'd expect to beat us and end our unbeaten winning streak, these are the guys to put your money on. I will be watching this game closely. The Lankans are dangerously competitive!

Key players? You know them all; Mahela Jayawardene, the tactful Kumar Sangakarra, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Dilhara Fernando, the 2007 demon with the ball Lasith Malinga, and the spin duo of Murali and Ajantha Mendis.
A very, very good side!

ZIMBABWE(9)
World Cup span: 1983, 1987, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2007/
45 matches/ 8 wins/ 33 losses

I still think Zimbabwe were the blokes who systematically began our minor downfall when they beat us in that Twenty20 match in 2007, giving everyone belief they could knock us over.
They have beaten us in every Twenty20 encounter, but in our first game, we'll be taking on the Zimbos at a format where we are way ahead of them.
Like Kenya, they can be tricky if they gain some momentum and they have been playing a fair bit of cricket in recent times, with memory of them beating India in an ODI series, even though it was a slightly weaker Indian side, they still earned their credit.
Their team was hammered severely when losing a really solid group of players courtesy of politcal disintegration, but they seem to have found a reasonable core group of players.

They have Elton Chigumbura who is very effective with the new ball, while they have big hitter Charles Coventry and a very technically sound batsman Brendan Taylor who also takes on keeper duties at times. Ray Price is their front line spinner who always have a few words of exchange.
They will be a good opening match for us, where we will have to be eager for victory and alert at all times to systematically crush them at every given period of play. Watch out for their bowlers!

CANADA(12)
World Cup span: 1979, 2003, 2007/
12 matches/ 1 victory/ 11 losses

The Canadian team may find the sub-continent an easier stage for their side. Having only really watched them during previous World Cup's, they really are the dark horses in our group, but I don't expect any upsets from them. The majority of their players are of sub-continent roots and while I am not sure how many of them have actually developed their game within the sub-continent, it could be a more natural platform for them.
Like any of the lesser known sides, this is an opportunity for the Canadian team at the biggest event in world cricket. Any chance to play the likes of Australia, Sri-Lanka and Pakistan, I'm sure they'd be mighty excited. Their only win was against Bangladesh in 2003.

I'm well aware of one player in particular, John Davison, who belted the Windies bowlers in 2003 with 111 from 67 deliveries. He has performed pretty well in World Cup's and the batting is where a team like Canada would look to try cash in as their bowlers probably won't be much of a threat.
They also have one Aussie in their side, Karl Whatham, while also having an African representative. They're a diverse team culturally and I'm sure many will be keen to see how they have developed for the 2011 World Cup. We have played them once in a World Cup, back in 1979...can't really draw much from then.

KENYA(14)
World Cup span: 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007/
23 matches/ 6 wins/ 16 losses

Kenya, my fondest memory was Brett Lee taking a hattrick against them in 2003, when he also got the third when bowling Obuya on the elbow...ouch!
They gave us a bit of a scare when their old school spinner, Karim, took 3-7 dismissing Punter, Boof and Hoggy. We won the game by 5 wickets still, but the cracked the Super sixes in that year.
So, like Bangladesh they can cause an upset. Brett Lee will be eager to have a crack at some familiar faces in their side.

After our POOL A fixtures (Click here for the Fixtures page), this is how it works.
Quarter finals:
quarter-final C - A1 v B4
quarter-final D - A2 v B3
quarter-final E - A3 v B2
quarter-final F - A4 v B1

Then teams progress to the semi-finals.
The ICC has nailed the fixtures this time around. The gaps between games is a fair bit, but the Super Eight fixtures have been removed! Best move ever as that killed the World Cup.
Now we are down to simple knock-out cricket. It is harder and the worry is it didn't always reflect the best, but rather how the best are on that given day.
However, it is what I want to see and what is best for high quality, blood on the line limited overs cricket.

For some more information on how the stages of the World Cup work, please view this page--->> Cick here.

All stats and external pages courtesy of Cricinfo.com.

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Callum Ferguson & Jason Krejza added to World Cup Squad

The news is big regarding the two players who have missed out on the 2011 World Cup due to injury, but it's a major opportunity for the two players who will replace them.

Michael Hussey was unable to recover in time for the initial stages of the World Cup, however there was a chance he would have been available for later matches. I imagine though there's no chance of drafting him back in, given when we had Andrew Symonds in injury doubt during the 2007 World Cup, he had to be taken along as well. Eventually he was clear to play and contributed valuably to our win.
It's a massive loss losing Huss but I think Callum Ferguson is the right man for the job. I don't care about his State performances, which seems to be where people are pointing fingers at him.
Fact is he is our best equivalent to the role Huss performs for us, he is flexible in the batting order and face it, the man does a fantastic job for us when he puts on the green & gold gear.
He's consistent and in India I reckon he will cope well. We need a batsman who can do the hard grafting on the tracks to find the gaps, push the singles, rotate the strike and let rip when needed. Fergal is a tactful batsman, so even though I'm gutted for Huss given his ODI form has rarely been dull, I am both confident and excited to see Fergal out there.

Nathan Hauritz, aka The Unluckiest Man in Australian Cricket, has also lucked out after his dreadful shoulder injury. After being given the axe by the NSP, he worked hard for NSW and was finally given a call-up during the ODI series...which took the NSP long enough to do.
Sadly, in that game he bust his shoulder.
Xavier Doherty was next in line but has suffered an injury and Steven O'Keefe wasn't given final consideration. The man of the moment is Jason Krejza.
Krazy made his debut on Sunday against England, and while he did send one too many in too short, he was aggressive and flighted the ball well. He also picked up two wickets.
if he can balance this with a defensive approach he's going to do a grand job for us. So what you will, I have alot of confidence in this bloke.
India will be a special memory for him as a hunting ground where he debuted for the Baggy Green. He was shafted soon after by our great mates at the NSP (as they have done to every spinner post. Warne) but this is totally unexpected and he must be flying with excitement!

So, it's a bit gloomy but I have total confidence in the replacements.
Good luck to the two of them. The Squad departs shortly and the defense of the title begins now!

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Watto wins the AB medal, again

No surprises this time around, so much so I didn't even bother with a discussion post in the build up to the event. Shane Watson has won the Allan Border medal (2011) for the second year in a row.

He's been consistent, dominated opposition, contributed invaluably in every form of the game and most importantly he represents the side with integrity and is a damn good bloke.
A massive congrats to Watto on this achievement and recognition amidst a mixed season for Australian cricket. His bowling performances against Pakistan in England was impressive, but ultimately for me personally, it was his monstrous innings against England a few weeks back!

If you have been following Australian cricket or the blog for a while, I don't need to roll out the masses of stats for Watto as you will know by his reputation what he has achieved.
I just feel a big element to all of this has been a mature approach to his game and not tampering with his "natural" instinct in the middle, notably with the bat in hand.
He seems to have found his natural game and beside the ever present risk of injury, the only threat I see at the moment is a run of bad luck.

He will be eyed closely by the opposition as he heads over to India with a bigger reputation as well as a respected senior of the team. He's our go to guy and his consistency is inspiring amongst what has been a very inconsistent run for the team as a whole.
Fortunately the Green & Gold (ODI team) have maintained their standards and best of all is there is room for improvement ahead of the World Cup, much like 2007.
Watto won the Allan Border medal, the Test Player of the Year and ODI Player of the Year award.

David Hussey won the T20 Player of the Year award, due to his power hitting assaults, smart instinct with whoever accompanied him at the wicket and of course he doesn't only contribute with a safe pair of hands in the field, but also has a bit of a "golden arm" reputation at times with his slow spin bowling.

Recent Baggy Green debutant, Usman Khawaja, won the State Player of the year award, while the rising seam bowler Trent Copeland (New South Wales) wrapped up the award for the Bradman Young Cricketer of the year award.
Trent was lucky to make the cut given he is no young gun anymore with the age aspect, but damn this bloke has a good future ahead!
As for Usman, I look forward to seeing a few more Baggy Green games to the stats.

Shelley Nitschke won The Women's International Player of the Year, again as well. Don't forget she was the ICC Women's Player of the Year in 2010.
All in all it wasn't exactly much of a guessing game this year given the standout performances for the winners.

Well done to the lot of them. They have done a grand job for Australian cricket and here's to 2011/12 for every representative from State level to the Elite level.
The World Cup is the current objective!
Analysis article regarding our Pool A opposition due at some stage this week, ahead of our warm-up game against India.

World Cup fixtures for Australia.
World Cup Squad write-up for Australia.

Watto proudly shows off his well deserved award. Go you good thing!
Not since Ricky Ponting has someone won three categories.

© Getty Images


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The series is over, well done to the Green & Gold!

The one day series is over, the series against England has at long last come to an end. From the 1st test at the Gabba to the final one dayer at the WACA, it's been a long series and even though the results weren't to what we ideally wanted, the cricket has been good, it's raised some questions, seen some new opportunities and best of all this one day series was a good promoter for the ICC 2011 World Cup.
It feels good to win, better yet that it was 6-1!

After losing the Ashes and enduring a very frustrating handful of months, with supporters also probably feeling a bit in the wilderness with the bizarre selection policies and progression of Australian cricket but fortunately our limited overs team buckled down, focused on the job at hand with a bunch of fresh players returning to the team and they have executed a brilliant series win.
Like 2009, the series was claimed 6-1 after the Ashes loss.
There is still room for improvement which we can see as supporters, but there were key players standing up in every match. There are a few injury worries on our bench but we have to hold on hope that come the World Cup we'll get a good start to the warm-up games (individual efforts the most important aspect here) and then enter with a fully functional unit.

This game at the WACA was a good way to end the series. A few players were rested which may have bugged the WACA supporters, however you can't really fault the side.
A convincing victory courtesy of a strong middle order effort between David Hussey and the man of mystery Adam Voges.
Our seamers shot two ducks with England's top order, which exposed the middle order and it was decided by the time KP went out.

It's always good to see Adam Voges in the side. He tends to always make these pop up appearances, being somewhat of an international man of mystery to the cricket world. He was given a call-up with the absence of Pup and Watto and being a WA representative it was an easy call to duty.
He was aggressive, batted with confidence and alongside Dussey they complemented each other excellently under the circumstances. Now Adam isn't in our World Cup team and isn't a contracted player anymore but I'm pleased he made this opportunity count. It goes to show we have the depth and the talent in limited overs cricket.
As for Dussey, it was another necessary innings to see him show his skills as he is in the World Cup team and whilst being a very skilled cricketer, he hasn't always grabbed his limited overs opportunities. This series he has and he wrapped things up well.

Jason Krejza made his ODI debut which I was very happy to see.
He flighted the ball nicely but was perhaps a far too short at times which made it easy for a bloke like Luke Wright to just send him away. For the better signs he was confident on debut, did his best on a surface which isn't an ideal spinners track and he had some wickets to claim as well, so all in all I think it was a job well done by Krazy.
Shaun Tait was bloody fast and tidied his figures up a bit but if we can get him to do the wild thing job in the World Cup and the bowlers can keep it tight around him, it will allow him a better opportunity to do his job. Fast and deadly!

Mitchell Johnson was unquestionably the pick of the bowlers.
Mitch becomes "born again" when he steps out onto the WACA track. Pace, control and swing all contribute to making him one of the finest of seam bowlers on his day. The WACA does something special for him, which I think is owed to confidence. Mitch is a psychological cricketer too so perhaps that puts his mind at ease knowing it's a good hunting ground for him.
His figures were 3-18 from 7 overs. Job well done Mitch, now please do that in the World Cup!

That's a wrap. Shane Watson was the man-of-the-series and he has turned into that cricketer Shane Warne always speculated he'd become. Warnie once stated people don't understand what a big cricketer Watto will become for Australian cricket...how right he was.
As you can see, the blogsite has a new look and lastly an article will be up this not just looking at our World Cup situation, but also our opposition.
Who are the key players? What's their World Cup history and who do I perceive to be our greatest threats in Pool A?

I will be doing specific analysis for Australia's matches, while wrapping up each article with results from the other games. Due to my own time constraints and the fact I only care about this team, I will only cover Australia's games. I will also do analysis for each representative Green & Gold player as opposed to game analysis. Easier to read.
Thanks for your support throughout the summer series against England and catch you all for the biggest limited overs challenge of all as the Green & Gold aim to defend the World Champions title.

TOP BATTING STATS (In no specific order)
Shane Watson 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 306 runs/ 161* HS/ 61.20 avg/ 102.34 SR/ 1 (100) 2 (50)
David Hussey 7* matches/ 6 innings/ 236 runs/ 68* HS/ 47.20 avg/ 85.81 SR/ 2 (50)
Michael Clarke 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 206 runs/ 82 HS/ 34.33 avg/ 76.57 SR/ 2 (50)
Shaun Marsh 4 matches/ 4 innings/ 133 runs/ 110 HS/ 33.25 avg/ 82.09 SR/ 1 (100)
Mitchell Johnson 4* matches/ 3 innings/ 99 runs/ 57 HS/ 33.00 avg/ 96.11 SR/ 1 (50)
Callum Ferguson 2* matches/ 2 innings/ 61 runs/ 46 HS/ 30.50 avg/ 91.04 SR/
Cam White 7* matches/ 7 innings/ 181 runs/ 45 HS/ 30.16 avg/ 67.03 SR/
Brad Haddin 7* matches/ 7 innings/ 202 runs/ 54 HS/ 28.85 avg/ 76.22 SR/ 1 (50)
Steven Smith 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 101 runs/ 46* HS/ 25.25 avg/ 86.32 SR/
Adam Voges/ 1 match/ 1 innings/ 80 runs/ 80* HS/ --.-- avg/ 111.11 SR/

TOP BOWLING STATS (In no specific order)
Xavier Doherty 3 matches/ 3 innings/ 27.0 overs/ 121 runs/ 2 wickets/ 2-37 BBI
Steven Smith 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 30.0 overs/ 138 runs/ 8 wickets/ 3-33 BBI
Shane Watson 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 38.3 overs/ 187 runs/ 6 wickets/ 3-25 BBI
Mitchell Johnson 4 matches/ 4 innings/ 28.4 overs/ 143 runs/ 6 wickets/ 3-18 BBI
John Hastings 5 matches/ 5 innings/ 42.0 overs/ 218 runs/ 4 wickets/ 2-35 BBI
Brett Lee 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 50.0 overs/ 264 runs/ 11 wickets/ 3-27 BBI
Doug Bollinger 6 matches/ 6 innings/ 51.0 overs/ 278 runs/ 8 wickets/ 4-28 BBI
Shaun Tait 3 matches/ 3 innings/ 23.5 overs/ 137 runs/ 5 wickets/ 3-48 BBI
Jason Krejza 1 matches/ 1 innings/ 9.0 overs/ 53 runs/ 2 wickets/ 2-53 BBI
David Hussey 7 matches/ 6 innings/ 23.0 overs/ 136 runs/ 7 wickets/ 4-21 BBI

Click to enlarge: The Dussey/ Voges wagonwheel & partnership analysis. The less flashy partnerships often tend to be the most definitive.

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Redbacks win the KFC Big Bash 2010/11

Took long enough, but finally the Redbacks win one of the three State contests.
Heading to the Adelaide Oval for the second year running, this time around against the Blues, it had to happen, surely?
After the Blues sent the Tigers out in the prelim game in convincing style courtesy of the young Pat Cummins, the final was decided.

>----SCORECARD: South Australian Redbacks vs New South Wales Blues.

Batting first, New South Wales had David Warner get off to a flyer, while Dan Smith provided excellent support.
When Warner departed Smith and Henriques did a grand job just keeping the momentum going, but when Smith went it fell apart for the Blues.
I must say, Smith had a bit of a Brad Haddin look to his batting out there, particularly those two massive sixes he launched to deep mid wicket. I really thought he was going to get to the half-century mark.
As for Henriques, as a potential young guy it was good to see him get some runs and give me some needed points in the KFC Big Bash fantasy league at Fox Sports.

Nathan Lyon was the only bowler who leaked quite a few runs, courtesy of Dan Smith's onslaught after Nathan dropped him the over before on the boundary of Dan Christian's bowling.
All in all, it was a group effort from the bowlers. Kane Richardson took three, DC took one, while Adil Rashid mixed it up nicely to tidy up his figures alongside Aaron O'Brien who picked up one wicket being the prized scalp of Henriques.
153 from 20 overs. About 15 runs short of what was needed.

As they have done for sometime, Michael Klinger and Dan Harris (who has had an insane tournament) have regularly put in a good start together at the top of the order. Their opening stand amounted to 42, with Mikey gunning it for a quick fire 30 from 18 deliveries.
Aiden Blizzard came in at three but was unable to repeat the master blasting he executed at the Oval last year when he was representing the Bushrangers.
He opted more for cross bat shots, where he was stronger on the straight bat shots last season but the foundation was decently set.
It wasn't a worry as well given that was where the night ended for the Blues and Cam Borgas and Dan Harris steered the Redbacks home.

Borgy was more the aggressor in the innings, while Dan offered sensible support so it was complementing your player, rather than matching him for momentum.
Borgy pulled off some mighty slog sweeps for six and as soon as the situation was down to a run a ball, both of them went to town. Powerful cut shots and energetic work between the wickets.
The game itself wasn't a mesmerizing performance of power hitting Twenty20 cricket, but there was some elegance to the run chase, which was refreshing.

The Redbacks have a title in the bag and that's the Big Bash completed.
Now back to the Ryobi Cup and Sheffield Shield campaigns.

First up though, the final ODI at the WACA for the end of the summer against England and then the World Cup countdown begins.
New blog graphics will be launched tomorrow.

Following Aiden Blizzard's tweets, here's the trophy.


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5-1: What a run chase!

That one was one of the greatest ODI run chases I have ever seen. Better yet, it was a really exciting game staged right before the World Cup!
A massive congrats to the boys for pulling off an epic victory in champion-like style. They took some heavy knocks and counter-attacked with authority, calculative risks and contributions staged and strategically executed via each batsmens skills.
Was good to see another great limited overs game, especially with the situation in Queensland getting even gloomier on a natural disaster scenario.

Jonathan Trott has been batting so well throughout the summer you have to give the guy a heck of alot of credit. He's been an excellent performer for England and is invaluable to their setup.
Our bowlers struggled, but so did England's bowlers. They were missing some key players, but it was just a great batting track at the SCG.
Our bowlers struggled to contain England's batsmen. I still think at times the fundamental approach gets over complicated, but at the same time it was just a bad day at the Office for all the bowlers. Their were only two no-balls, but the extras column could still minimise.
What are your opinions on our bowling unit?

The batting is what I really want to focus on! 334 runs on the board, series moves on 5-1. Go boys!
Chasing 333, no worries mate, all in 49.2 overs worth of work.
* This was the highest successful run-chase in Australia for ODIs.
* This was the highest total chased by a team against England in ODIs.
* The aggregate of 667 runs is the 2nd highest amounted in an ODI in Australia, falling short of the 678 runs between Aus and NZ in 2007...just before the World Cup!

Shane Watson was splendid to watch once again, this time delivering a batting frenzy with powerful cross bat shots and total domination from the first over. He's our cement in all forms of the game and he was no exception here. In many regards he actually set the win up for us alongside Brad Haddin/ He raced to his half-century and it's yet another impressive contribution from him this summer. I still believe he has discovered what is his natural game and has found a natural instinct out there. It's exciting to see. What makes it better is he is just a damn good bloke and a champ of a human being.
Gutted he didn't carry on but he set the foundation.

Callum Ferguson was called back to the team! Greatest news for the team in a while. I still haven't gotten over the fact he wasn't selected for the World Cup after the excellent job he has done for us. Don't also give me rubbish that it was because of injury he wasn't selected for the side. He delivers the goods, does his job and deserved to be in the side.
Shaun Marsh is a strong batsman, but the issue has always been inconsistency. His century at Hobart was the best I've seen him bat for the Green & Gold, but when you look at a potential replacement for Mike Hussey, Fergal is your man.
He isn't flashy, but innovative. He isn't a set placement, but rather a flexible batsman. He can rescue the team from disaster with tact and best of all is he does his job in a stealth-like manner. You want the best solution for limited overs cricket to Bevan and Hussey? Ferguson is the man and he proved it on his recall.
Promoted to number three, his ability to find the gaps and keep the runs ticking over proved to be a vital motive for us and a smart move.
He only struck three fours during his innings of 46, before being frantically run out, but it was another one of those ideal innings like we saw from Watto. Should have gone on, but his contribution proved equally vital.

This allowed Cam White to have a hit it out as well as David Hussey, who both contributed with average inputs, but Dussey in particular took his time to settle and as soon as he sensed the moment was right he picked the deliveries and dispatched them with ferocity. Pretty brutal when he wants to be. He scored 38 runs and ended up going at over a 100 strike-rate.

Two contributors I haven't mentioned were from Mitchell Johnson and Michael Clarke.
Mitch was promoted to number four to accompany Cal Ferguson as a pinch-hitter. The move worked and Mitch scored his second half-century. Like Watto, Dussey, Cam and Hads, he got out at the wrong time of the game, England striking it perfectly!
Mitch is a damn good batsman on his day. His cross bat shots, generally the wild heave across the line, can be deadly but also lead to his downfall (been bowled just a few times to that shot). Was wild stuff from Mitch but the bloke did the job for us, before being stumped to an atrocious shot...thing is he'd helped get us closer to home out of his comfort zone.

Last but not least it was Michael Clarke who sealed the victory. Pup may be slow at times, he may have been in terrible form, but he is one of those players that will come right with a few decent knocks under his belt. Their is risk when a fine player keeps getting selected when he hasn't been putting in the performances. That risk is their confidence can get hit badly and they can fall from a high height. The selectors will say it's their belief and backing of our players (they used Mike Hussey as an example) but it's a bit of rubbish given that when they kept playing Huss during his low it affected the team badly, a bit like Pup's poor run. When the guys come right though, you notice it and see how important they can be.
Pup will be essential to our sub-continebt World Cup efforts, as he was during the Carribbean World Cup in 2007.
He has tried to enforce himself early in his innings but has had a run of bad luck. Fortune favours the brave and Pup's luck was on his side. He was also technically good. His head was still when he advanced down the wicket and was quick on his feet with fast bat speed to play his usual strokes, e.g. Straight drives, flashy cover drives, fine leg glances.

I have never seen strike-rate as to big an issue in ODI cricket if you are a middle order batsman. If you can keep it over 80.00 and get the runs on the board that's all that matters. If you look back to Pup's 2007 World Cup efforts, that I often refer too, he went at a strike-rate in the 80s and ended up averaging as best as you'd expect from a number four batsman. That flashy look he had returned during his innings and it was a delight to see him not only get some time out in the middle, but also make an impact as a leader of the limited overs team this series.
5-1 is the verdict and his batting performance is one I hope supporters will remember for some time as our team pulled off one hell of a victory.

John Hastings finished things off with some headless chicken shot execution, while Brett Lee was able to partner him till it was all over. Wild stuff, but as long as the winning runs are achieved at the death of the innings, that's what matters.

-->> Click here to view the match scorecard.

The final match will be played on Sunday. The result shouldn't affect our side too much but it would be good to see some of the under-played blokes get an opportunity out there. A week it will be our first warm-up match against India, so any preps for the team will be useful. Ricky Ponting will not be ready.
The World Cup blog theme will be uploaded on Sunday as well, so keep your eyes open as we get things ready.

During the World Cup, it will be the usual team performance analysis for each game (with actual opinions for each of our Green & Gold players within each game played).
I will include pitch maps, wagon wheels other game results where applicable.
My focus is on Australian cricket, but next week I will have an article up regarding our opposition, as well as our Pool and some additional info.
Thanks for your support and I hope to have your support at the site for our team during our defence.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blogsite! Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
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World Cup chat: Looking at our opposition (Pool A)

It's important to look at who we face in our group and what they will bring to the World Cup.
I will then, where the knowledge lies, do a quick SWOT analysis for each team.
Keep in mind I haven't watched Kenya since the 2007 ICC World T20 and have seen the Canadian team on very few events.
Also there's a NEW POLL up. Vote for which of these teams you reckon will be our toughest opposition.

TO VIEW THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP SQUAD WRITE UP, --->> View Australian Squad
TO VIEW THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD CUP CRICINFO PAGE, --->> View Australian World

AUSTRALIA'S OPPOSITION: POOL A

PAKISTAN(3)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992 (winners), 1996, 1999 (runners-up), 2003, 2007/ 56 matches/ 30 wins/ 24 losses

Pakistan lifted the Trophy in 1992, with Imran Khan being their mighty inspirational leader.
Since then, they have developed a reputation (similar to the Black Caps in my opinion) where they will either be thumped or will find a way to lose a match in situations where it is damn near impossible to lose. However, they are a team you never ever rule out in the initial stages of a World Cup. It will either be a quick exit or an advancement through to the semi-finals. 2007 was a stuff up for them where we also had the tragic incident with Bob Woolmer passing away, but sadly with Pakistan cricket, we can never be sure that what we are seeing is the real thing.
They need this to salvage some faith for their supporters.

Having lost three key players due to the spot-fixing incident (shocking Salman Butt will still be commentating at the event, which I don't see as right) but fortunately they have some mighty good players to carry their supporters hopes into this campaign.
There's Younis Khan, Umar Gul (their best bowler in my opinion), Shoaib Akhtar, The Akmal brothers, Misbah-ul-Haq and of course their ultimate poster boy Shahid "Boom Boom" Afridi, who is tipping his team to take on India in the final.
This would be the ultimate cash flow final and a good sense of rivalry but obviously I would love to see the Green & Gold take on India.
If Pakistan can try get some early wins under their belts and try stay away from off-field drama, they have a fighting chance. Won't be a walk in the park.
We beat them convincingly in 1999 and I'd love to do it again in Pool A!
Last time we faced them was in a World Cup was 2003 where Andrew "Roy" Symonds smashed 143*.

NEW ZEALAND (5)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007/ 62 matches/ 35 wins/ 26 losses

The Black Caps are kind of a comedy show at times. They are one the worst teams around some days, while all of a sudden they show why they could be a quality stage act.
Fact is, even though many people don't take them seriously, come big events they rarely don't qualify for a semi-final. They have a damn good record at World Cups!
They have made Semi-Finals 4 times from all 9 appearances.
They just haven't secured the silverware and truth be told, I don't see them doing it again in 2011, none-the-less, don't write them off for causing some damage in Pool A. I always get a bit nervous when playing New Zealand, so let's see how they go.
Their recent form hasn't been suggesting they're on top of their game and they have also been dealing with serious selection issues with players in and out in various forms of the game. A bit of a mess but Dan Vettori has his last stand with his team for this World Cup. He's a respected leader.

Key players? They have many big names and good cricketers, but they're also, like them team, highly inconsistent. But to name a few; Dan the man, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor (always a dangerous batsman!), Jesse Ryder (on his day), Martin Guptil as well as a capable seam bowling unit. Just keep an eye on these blokes!

SRI LANKA(7)
World Cup span: 1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996 (Winners), 2003, 2007 (runners-up)/ 57 matches/ 25 wins/ 30 losses

Having faced them in two finals and a semi-final, we know Sri-Lanka are our biggest threat. They are a quality team boasting some outstanding limited overs batsmen as well as a decent crop of bowlers with notable variation.
They beat us a few months back in a three match ODI series, which was very much due to our bowling unit not performing to their ultimate standards. This will give them confidence, however it's the big stage where we tend to have one up on them in terms of focus and stability.
If there was one team I'd expect to beat us and end our unbeaten winning streak, these are the guys to put your money on. I will be watching this game closely. The Lankans are dangerously competitive!

Key players? You know them all; Mahela Jayawardene, the tactful Kumar Sangakarra, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Dilhara Fernando, the 2007 demon with the ball Lasith Malinga, and the spin duo of Murali and Ajantha Mendis.
A very, very good side!

ZIMBABWE(9)
World Cup span: 1983, 1987, 1992, 1999, 2003, 2007/ 45 matches/ 8 wins/ 33 losses

I still think Zimbabwe were the blokes who systematically began our minor downfall when they beat us in that Twenty20 match in 2007, giving everyone belief they could knock us over.
They have beaten us in every Twenty20 encounter, but in our first game, we'll be taking on the Zimbos at a format where we are way ahead of them.
Like Kenya, they can be tricky if they gain some momentum and they have been playing a fair bit of cricket in recent times, with memory of them beating India in an ODI series, even though it was a slightly weaker Indian side, they still earned their credit.
Their team was hammered severely when losing a really solid group of players courtesy of politcal disintegration, but they seem to have found a reasonable core group of players.

They have Elton Chigumbura who is very effective with the new ball, while they have big hitter Charles Coventry and a very technically sound batsman Brendan Taylor who also takes on keeper duties at times. Ray Price is their front line spinner who always have a few words of exchange.
They will be a good opening match for us, where we will have to be eager for victory and alert at all times to systematically crush them at every given period of play. Watch out for their bowlers!

CANADA(12)
World Cup span: 1979, 2003, 2007/ 12 matches/ 1 victory/ 11 losses

The Canadian team may find the sub-continent an easier stage for their side. Having only really watched them during previous World Cup's, they really are the dark horses in our group, but I don't expect any upsets from them. The majority of their players are of sub-continent roots and while I am not sure how many of them have actually developed their game within the sub-continent, it could be a more natural platform for them.
Like any of the lesser known sides, this is an opportunity for the Canadian team at the biggest event in world cricket. Any chance to play the likes of Australia, Sri-Lanka and Pakistan, I'm sure they'd be mighty excited. Their only win was against Bangladesh in 2003.

I'm well aware of one player in particular, John Davison, who belted the Windies bowlers in 2003 with 111 from 67 deliveries. He has performed pretty well in World Cup's and the batting is where a team like Canada would look to try cash in as their bowlers probably won't be much of a threat.
They also have one Aussie in their side, Karl Whatham, while also having an African representative. They're a diverse team culturally and I'm sure many will be keen to see how they have developed for the 2011 World Cup. We have played them once in a World Cup, back in 1979...can't really draw much from then.

KENYA(14)
World Cup span: 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007/ 23 matches/ 6 wins/ 16 losses

Kenya, my fondest memory was Brett Lee taking a hattrick against them in 2003, when he also got the third when bowling Obuya on the elbow...ouch!
They gave us a bit of a scare when their old school spinner, Karim, took 3-7 dismissing Punter, Boof and Hoggy. We won the game by 5 wickets still, but the cracked the Super sixes in that year.
So, like Bangladesh they can cause an upset. Brett Lee will be eager to have a crack at some familiar faces in their side.

After our POOL A fixtures (Click here for the Fixtures page), this is how it works.
Quarter finals:
quarter-final C - A1 v B4
quarter-final D - A2 v B3
quarter-final E - A3 v B2
quarter-final F - A4 v B1

Then teams progress to the semi-finals.
The ICC has nailed the fixtures this time around. The gaps between games is a fair bit, but the Super Eight fixtures have been removed! Best move ever as that killed the World Cup.
Now we are down to simple knock-out cricket. It is harder and the worry is it didn't always reflect the best, but rather how the best are on that given day.
However, it is what I want to see and what is best for high quality, blood on the line limited overs cricket.

For some more information on how the stages of the World Cup work, please view this page--->> Cick here.

All stats and external pages courtesy of Cricinfo.com.

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