MacGill slams selection panel

given that he's been doing this every week since 1974, I don't why this has suddenly become headline news.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/491409.html

Holy X Xmas Drinks

Gents,

Having spent the best part of two weeks snowed in with only the internet for amusement it's certainly time to arrange some festive drinks. A few folk wll be heading to the St Vincent Stockbridge - Howe St for a few this Saturday.

Happy days!

KF on the Ashes 2010-11: (Part 1)- England Win the Ashes!

'With legendary reporter-cum-controversialist KF otherwise engaged composing unfeasibly tricky quizzes, the editorial board has sought long and hard for a new Chief Test Cricket Correspondent'

KF has not taken this challenge lying down but -rather than sending a team of heavies armed with baseball bats to Bellevue Chapel- has spent the last two nights preparing this:

As the teams left the field at the end of the 1^st day at Adelaide, two of Australia’s three players to turn up so far (the other being Hussey), effectively conceded this Ashes series to England. After being pasted for two days at Brisbane, then rolling over for 245 after winning the toss in a batting paradise, the frustration for Ponting and Haddin spilled over into quite embarrassing verbals. It appears that the Aussies felt Strauss & Cook had time wasted at the end of the first days play, finishing on 1-0. In what is fast turning into complete humiliation for the home side, the Aussies should be looking no further than themselves and their blanket ineptitude before attacking one of the finest England sides ever to contest an Ashes tour. To take overs or time out of the game, I’m afraid England’s batsmen are doing Australia a favour, for as soon as the cricket gets underway, the hosts, one partnership and one hat trick aside, are a complete shambles.

Whilst, to an extent, I’m excusing Ponting, Haddin & Hussey, the former has had a golden duck and been unable to affect the game through on field captaincy and the other two have already dropped catches (just three innings into the series). These are Australia’s best players. Watson, probably the 4^th best home player has failed where Cook has excelled. Test openers getting 50 per match aren’t worth as much as one who converts into hundreds. Is Watson a Test opener? Asking that question alone suggests doubt. Katich (injured finger) gave his wicket away without even facing in the first innings whilst so asleep it boggles the mind. Ponting, notoriously vulnerable early in an innings seems to need to take a beating before fighting back. His quick 50 in the 1^st test was too little, too late, inconsequential even. His golden in the 2^nd test was worryingly unsurprising for such a ‘great’ player. Where was the 50 in 40 balls when his team needed it? At 4 there is a patently unfit Michael Clarke. He is unable to bowl, but supposedly fit, unable to bat (11 in 83 balls while its runs galore elsewhere), never mind the 1^st test, at Adelaide it was a matter of time til he succumbed, doing well to reach 2 with a rabbit in the headlights stroke that fended a short one off down to fine leg. And when he’s dropping regulation slip catches (at Brisbane), picking him is both unfair to him and stupid for the team. Hussey, one drop at gully aside has held his own, same goes for Haddin.

At 6 there is a batsman who doesn’t score runs. What else needs said? Johnson at 8 in Brisbane turned in as inept a performance as you’ll see in Test cricket post Harmison. He had to be dropped. But only if there is an able replacement. He looks like he needs cricket, yet I see he’s doing 12^th man duties at Adelaide?!?!? Siddle, who I think should bowl 1^st over for Australia has been very hot and very cold. A great hat trick and 6-54 followed by 40-7-140-0. Hilfenhaus has bowled not much worse, just without the 6-54 taking 1-142 at the Gabba. Leaving the worst for last, it’s a shame for any Ozzie spinner because they’ll all be compared to Warne and fall short. Xavier Doherty , hilariously included to directly counter Pietersen (bats 4, Eng 517-1 dec) barely turns the ball, has average control and its difficult to see why he got one cap (ahead of Hauritz), never mind two. His two wickets so far have been James Anderson, then Ian Bell who was last man out when hitting out. Since then 0-207. I’ll leave his below par fielding performance alone. I don’t even think he’s as good a bowler as North.

The cunning plan for the 2^nd test was to drop Hilf & Mitch and add Bollinger & Harris, both short of games and fitness doubts. Harris looks to me about the equivalent of Bresnan. And he was given the new ball!!! Is he better than Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Johnson or even a 35 year old S Clark? If anything illustrates the gulf between these sides, this must be it. At the time of writing, this new look attack has England rocking at 317-2 with batting records of all descriptions being obliterated. It is dark and desperate times for the hosts and if the 13 players we’ve seen so far are the best they can produce, England and their fans are in for a sun kissed bonanza. Australia must drop injured players now (Clarke, Katich) and need another bowler because, stating the obvious, they aren’t taking wickets. They also need to inject some of that unquantifiable Aussie spirit. If not Cameron White whose seems to struggle at Test level, then I’d get Steve Smith straight in. What he lacks in ability, he more than makes up for with attitude.

Not one to criticise without suggesting alternatives, here is my Aus team in order. M Hussey, Marsh, Ponting, D Hussey, Watson, Haddin, Smith, Johnson, Hauritz, Siddle, Bollinger. I’d have Clarke, Katich & Johnson doing their prep for the 3^rd test somewhere more suitable than in the 2^nd Test.

While laying into a woeful Australian side, the big question is, how much of this is down to England? Pretty much all of it I reckon. We are seeing one of the great England sides, at least of the modern era. Whilst a heck of a lot was made of the 2005 team, largely the same team went on to a 5-0 whitewash next time the sides met. This team might lack Flintoff, or the 2005 Pietersen, but they are a much better unit. My only gripe is that Collingwood bats ahead of Bell. I would possibly even say I’m surprised Collingwood is included ahead of Morgan, but Collingwood is more to this England team than just runs. At the moment I think Haddin would beat Prior into the England side and Hussey ahead of Collingwood. Could Ponting oust Strauss as captain or Trott at number 3? At the moment, I don’t think so. When was the last time 8 or 9 England players would walk into an Eng/Aus select XI?

I’ve also had the feeling for a while that England watchers aren’t quite aware of how good an opening pair they have in Strauss and Cook. Their big problem seems to be their lack of spectacularity(?), but their record and dogged consistency, which is coming to fruition in spectacular fashion at present augurs very well for the foreseeable future. With the rest of the batting line up falling into place (Collingwood issue aside), and Anderson & Swann finding top form in 2010 it seems like there is greatness ahead for the current England/Wales/Ireland/South African 2^nd XI test side (this might be read as derogatory, but it’s a fact and the team name should be changed at least to something more British, otherwise why not call them London, or Middlesex, or Westminster or MCC or something equally as untruthful).

Next week; I always said Australia would win back the Ashes at a canter!!!

Nets

Pre-season nets are likely to be on Saturdays, 2-4pm, at the Galleon at George Watson's College, starting on 5th March. Confirmation to follow.

The Galleon's nets are excellent, so don't forget to cajole, charm or just plain bully friends, relatives and random acquaintances into coming along. With four lanes, there'll be plenty of room.

The Write-y Quinn

With legendary reporter-cum-controversialist KF otherwise engaged composing unfeasibly tricky quizzes, the editorial board has sought long and hard for a new Chief Test Cricket Correspondent.

We are delighted to have secured, or at least borrowed, the services of Mr Andrew Quinn. Andy is well known at Arbo as our foremost last-day-of-the-season specialist and one of the few men ever to challenge the Ellises for the title of Nicest Crosser. But few are aware of his literary talents or of his ill-fated trip Down Under for the 2006-7 tour.

Anyway, here's Andy's account of the early stages of the First Test.

ESCA News

The ESCA agm was held last night. Here are the highlights from a Cross (and, after a 2 hour plus meeting, slightly cross) perspective.

• Points - In an attempt to produce a clearer contrast between winning and losing and to eliminate the anomaly of the sixth bowling bonus point which is only available to the side batting second (think about it), only five bowling and five batting bonus points will be available to the losing side next season. The first batting bonus point will come at 100 in a 50 over game, 90 in a 45 over game and 70 in a 40 over game. Bowling bonus points will be awarded for taking the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th wickets.
• Ties - No bonus points will be awarded and each side will get 15 points.
• Abandoned games - A version of Duckworth Lewis was overwhelmingly approved for use in abandoned games where at least 20 overs of the second innings have been completed. Please don't ask me to explain. Captains will be issued with booklets.
• Division 1 news - As a consequence of SNCL restructuring, Division 1 will start a week earlier than the rest of the League on Saturday 23rd April, unless clubs agree to postpone their first fixture to a Sunday in the first half of the season. The Committee will consult clubs about the introduction of fielding circles/restrictions in Division 1. Don't blame me, I voted against it. If we have to emulate the IPL I'd prefer to start with podium dancers.
• Division 8 news - Last season there were fifteen teams in Division 8. Following Edinburgh Accies' promotion to the National League and the withdrawal of Dunnikier and Townhill from higher divisions during last season, twelve teams were left in Division 8. However, last night, as expected, four new teams were admitted to the Leagues: Broomhall 3rds (likely to play at the Dalgety Bay sports centre), Edinburgh South 3rds (likely to play at the Meadows), Stirling County 4ths and Tranent. This left 16 teams "below Division 7". The Committee asked representatives of the 16 clubs to indicate whether they preferred a single large Division 8; a 10-team Division 8 with a new 6-team Division 9; or two divisions of 8 teams each. A 16-team Division 8 was approved by one vote. I know this is not the outcome the 3rds were hoping for, but it does at least mean we'll get to play against our old friends from Tranent and, possibly, visit Stirling's New Williamfield ground, which is said to be magnificent.
• Fair Play - Four unnamed clubs performed particularly badly in the Fair Play voting and will be spoken to by the Committee. Please don't speculate about their identities in any Comments on this post.
• Sponsorship - Baillie Gifford's sponsorship of the East League has been increased and extended to cover seasons 2010, 2011 and 2012.

KF's Quiz Night Cometh

If you write it they shall come, and so they shall, to KF's Quiz Night on Friday 19th.

KF has been locked safely up since the end of season wracking his brain and studying ancient scriptures to find a set of questions challenging enough for the great minds of the Cross.

Bar opens at 7. Quiz starts when KF gets there.

His instructions are thus:

Test your brain against McGill (or headbutt him, whatever is easiest)

Max 5 players per team, singletons welcome

7pm for 7.30 start, (purely aspirational bearing in mind the identity of the quizmaster)

Not just for HX players, bring mates, femmes etc

Random, gruelling, quirky and inventive rounds

Prize/entry fee tbc

All answers verified by Wikipedia

Quizmasters word is final

See you all there?!