Ricky Ponting is Sarah Palin in disguise

Palin didn’t know Africa was a continent.

Ponting dint know a test was on the line.

Palin continuously went ‘rogue’ on the McCain campaign

Ponting continuously goes ‘rogue’ on his team.

Palin likes to spend money.

Ponting likes to save money.

Palin comes from a state with 3 electoral votes that no body cares about.

Ponting comes from a state that no body in Australian care about. (In fact he’s only in because of the Tassie Quota)

There were reports that McCain wanted to ‘bump off’ Palin.

There are reports that certain Australian cricket bloggers want to ‘off’ Ponting.

Sarah was slow on the uptake.

Ricky is slow with the over rates.

Palin was featured in Porno. True Story. (Try Nalin Palin on Google).

Ponting was not. (For which we are forever grateful to the Porn Industry).

Palin was a Maverick.

Ricky Ponting is, well Ricky Ponting.

Some say Ricky has fits of retardedness on the field.

Sarah Palin IS clinically retarded.



These are the bare facts. Make of it what you will.
Brought to you by the FlySlip, hatching conspiracies where there are none.

Australia v India, 4th Test Preview

And so the series that promised so much, yet delivered so little comes to an end.

So far the series has been like an old engine that refuses to start, its made some funny noises, promised to kick start but just dies on you in the end.

We now head to Nagpur, the equation is simple. Australia need to win to retain the trophy and India need at least a draw to wrest it back from the Aussies.

Australia
Who would have thought that after this performance by Jason Kreza, he would have ever been contention for test debut.

But he is. Which goes to show the trouble the Aussies are having in finding a spinner or rather any bowler who can help them get 20 wickets.

The Aussies have a belief that Indians play off spin worse than leg spin. It may be based on the legendary Splendid Mendis's heroics in Sri Lanka but it would quite the push to claim that Krejza can kick it up Mendis style

Batting- Strong
As the series has gone on the Aussie batters have stepped up to the mark. Barring the 2nd test flop, the top order have been in the runs. More is expected and with Haydens return to form things are looking peachy.

Bowling- Can they get 20 wickets?
Its a good question. Australia have only collected 37 of the 60 wickets on offer in the first 3 tests. The lack of variation in the bowling was telling in Delhi. Micheal Clarke and Simon Katich offer some respite for the fast men but they have proved to be quite ineffective thus far.

Can Krejza make a difference ? It is unlikely. The only positive that the Australians can take from Delhi with regards to their bowlers was that Brett Lee seemed to have found his rhythm.

Gambir's ban for this test may just offer them a chance to get the early breakthrough that has eluded them.

India

New captain. New opener.

Although the latter would the lesser of their worries.

Needing only a draw to seal the series the Indians may opt to sit back and see how the game progresses.

Batting- Gambir absent.
But will it cost India. Murali Vijay comes into the team on the back of double hundred in domestic cricket but he will be under a different kind of pressure all together in a whole new ball game.

Needing a win to square the series and retain the trophy the 'Stralians will come hard at the new guy. This major glitch in the batting line up may just offer the opening the Aussies have been looking for to get in to the middle order.

And with Dravid struggling and Sehwag being inconsistent, the top 3 look dodgy for India.

The rest of the batting line up is solid. It will also be Gangulys last test. So be sure to keep a close eye on him.


Bowling-Solid.
If not dangerous. Ishant and Zaid have been consistent through out the series and if Harbajan is fit the Indians will have a strong bowling line up that could propel them to a win in Nagpur.

Mishra was below par in Delhi and it will be good to watch him ply his trade on another helpful surface.


Leadership- Its all about Dhoni.
India are an entirely different team under Dhoni and it was no surprise that the test they won was under him.

Dhoni is the man everyone wants a pat on the back from and to be on the good books with.

He is definitely a better captain than Ponting and may just be the difference between the teams.

Prediction- I love the underdog

Its not often that the Australians are the underdog in test cricket. But times have changed and here we are. I love the underdog so I'm gonna stick my head out and say an Aussie win.

It will be made tough cuz India will play 7 batsmen and look for the stalemate. But if Lee and the quicks get past the openers and Krejza somehow pulls something out of the bag we could be in for a treat.

Go the underdog !

Vote for the best no7(all rounder) EVER in ODIs

Its that time again, when you vote for the greatest ODI XI of all time.

The gist of this XI is that we get people to vote on who they think was the best in a given position in the line up. Its been smooth sailing so far. But now we have come down to the pivotal no7 position.

We would like to see an all rounder there so here are your options below.
Get Voting !

The XI so far.

Sanath Jayasuriya
Adam Gilchrist
Ricky Ponting
Viv Richards
Inzy
Bevan

Online Surveys & Market Research

Ricky Ponting; the law abiding captain

So in case any of you are still wondering why Brett Lee dint bowl in the first session of Day 4 we went ahead and asked him

Well not we, but Mark Nicalaus.



So apparently its overrates that Lee dint get a the nod from Ponting.

This is very hard to believe, How can you not bowl lee, the premier fast bowler in the team cuz of Overrates?

Things might not be as peachy as it looks in the Aussie camp. And its not looking too peachy right now.

We'll be Singhing when we're winning

Well I did predict an Aussie win here and it seems there are quite resolute in making me loose my money here.

47-0 to 57-4.

Singh on fire. Sharma all over Ponting, again.

Hayden started with a bout a trillion fours but that was short lived.

Can Australia last the day ??

And can Bangladesh loose another test?

Stay tuned.

Edit: 58-5

100 dollars Australia wont last the day.

Aus v Ind, 2nd Test Preview, Should Dhoni Captain?

The first test promised much but delivered very little. The first 4 days dragged on without too much happening until Pricky made a generous declaration. In the end rain made sure that the affair ended in a dull draw.

So we look ahead to Mohali now.

Which isnt really known for its result oriented pitches. Teams batting first generally tend to do OK. But the 2nd and 3rd innings have proved to be the most profitable for the batsmen.

Batting
Australia-Polishing off the edges

Ponting and Hussey stole the show and Bagaloroo, what the hell is up with that anyway, We predicted a lean series for Pricky but he proves us wrong. Top effort. Still might be troubled if the spinners get their act together. Hussey just looks like hes on another plane altogether at the moment.

Clarke owes some runs to the team. I expect him to make a significant contribution in this game.
Watson and White did enough to keep their place. Hayden might need to make some runs to secure his place in the team. But the question is will Australia consider dropping him if he fails again? Jaques is breathing down his neck and is a very good replacement.

India-Relying on the openers.
All it takes is one innings from Sehwag and everyones predictions go out the window. He is due.
Gotham City Gambir played a solid hand but must convert his starts into considerable scores to make Ponting sweat.

The fab4 came to the rescue in the last innings but still look dodgy. Another false start in the first innings might leave India reeling.

Bowling
Australia- Team effort.
They bowled well as a unit , without exceeding at an individual level. Stuey needs to put up a better show in the wickets coloumn and Lee needs to make better use of the new ball for early break throughs. Watson, White and Clarke all will chip in with handy wickets. But you wonder when the lack of a quality spinner will finally tell on the Aussies.

India- Relying on the quicks.
Zaheer bowled superbly to put the Aussies under pressure. A repeat performance is expected. Sharma will be expected to deliver some early wickets as well. The biggest issue for India right now is the fitness of Kumble.

If he is unfit who do they go for? 3 quicks and Bajji?
Or bringing in Chawla?

Tough decisions. Personally Id back Chawla. He bowled well in the warm up game. Had the Aussies in trouble more often than not.

Captaincy
India is facing a huge dilemma at the moment. Whether to go with Dhoni or Kumble. An hour and half under Dhoni revealed a lot more about than Kumbles leadership than it did Dhonis. The players seem to respond to Dhoni more. He seems at ease with the job. He has his players respect and is Ian Chappels man for the job.

If Kumble is unfit, then Dhoni must be given the reins. If so then another issue arrises when Kumble is fit for the 3rd. If Dhoni does well the the problem is compounded.

I predicted the end of the road for Kumble after this series. It might not even go that far for him.

Verdict:Im going to go out on a limb and say an Aussie victory. They seem the more assured team. Their key players are firing. The captaincy is in safe hands and seem the team that can push on for a victory when the opportunity presents.

Aus v Ind- 1st test preview

It is upon us, through the haze of the hype surrounding the series, the day has finally come.

It looks like the weather might ruin things for all. But if it doesn’t, this is how I see things going down..

Batting
Australia- Strong.
Highly dependant on Hussey and Ponting and Clarke. And there is the problem. I don’t see a big series for Punter, he struggles against spin early on and if India get early wickets they can crowd him and put him under severe pressure. Struggled in the tour game against Chawla. So, the batting will revolve around Hussey and Clarke.

This series will be won in the middle order. But the importance of a good start cannot be under estimated. Hayden and Krab Kattich will need to offer solid starts consistently if Aus are to start a remotely good chance.

India-Potentially deadly
All the hype is around the Fab four and Ganguly right now, so its easy to forget Goutham City Gambir. We shouldn’t. He handeled Mendis and co brilliantly in Sri Lanka. I expect a big series for him

Sehwags a marked man, but as homer grumbled, he can change the game in a session. He did in SL. And that’s the only test India won.

The fab bore, don’t really look threatening to me. But on home soil, with this potentially being their last series, who knows. Its on a knives edge and you can feel it.

Bowling
Australia- One dimensional.
Fuck all the talk about the Australian spinner. I saw Krejza, hes shit. I’ve seen Cam white, hes harmless. Micheal Clarke- If Warne couldn’t . So yeh.

Lee and Stuey lead the charge. This is the first big test for this attack since Mcgrath and Warne left.
Away, with no experience in India. Lee will look to make his mark. Clark will have a belter.

3rd quick , who ever it may be will need to support with solid economical spells while these two dismantle India.

India- Nothing special.
Bajji will be the main threat. Kumble wont make an impact. Aussies have the wood on him. Strong performances from Adams apple and Zaheer might make the difference. Ishants been inconsistent since Australia, so its hard to see early wickets coming on a regular basis for India.

Leadership.
Neither are brilliant leaders. How Ponting uses his bowlers might decide this series.

1st test prediction- Draw, weather looks bad. So we might not get a full 5 days. With both attacks being generally weak this spells draw for me.

Aus v Ind #1 Most likely to loose their balls

The day has ariveth. It is time.

We are about to crown the no1 most likely player(s) to loose their balls in the big BGS starting tomorrow.

But first as with any countdown , a recap.

Coming in at No5 was none other than
Sachin Tendulkar- a healthy dose of elbow knack and being in the middle of a run drought won him the prestigious spot.

At 4 we had
Ricky Ponting- the recently insulted, by Insane Mcgain + Viru Sehwag, with a wondrous average of 12 something in India saw Punter gain this dubious honor.

The top 3 started off with
Rahul Dravid- he of the infamous fab 4, under the cosh, needing runs, we predict he will make none

No2 went to
Anil Kumble- we felt bad about making Punter feel alone, So we added Anil to the list

And now, Drum roll please.

Flyslips 1st EVER No1 player most like to loose his balls is........


The Australian Spinner.

"Worrying times for 3 players, who will it be."

Fireworks, rapturous applause, crowd goes insane, not quite insane mcgain insane but you know the good insane.

Why?
The Aussie spinner (who ever it might be) is useless

Krejzy eyes career might be over before it began

Cam White's Kumble wannabes pies is not gonna scare anyone

M.Clarke- is he a bowler now?

Verdict?

Potentially half a dozen balls lost. Thats a lot a nuts. Wont be pretty.
Who will survive the test of the balls? Only time will tell.


So, There you have it folks. The top 5.
Its been a long road, we laughed, we cried, we made you think about balls and losing them.(We know you enjoyed that bit).

So what say?

Do you agree?

Do you vehemently protest?

Let us know. We might just care what you think. Just might.

Board XI v Aus Day 2 HLs + A special for Suave

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

And this one is a flyslip special for my friend, Suave

Aus v Ind #4 Most likely to loose his balls

Coming in at a healthy number 4

Ricky Ponting
Flyslips dropping the big names early ya hear!


"Loosing ones balls can hurt"

Why?

12.28, thats why.

172, thats why.

He is under severe mental stress after Insane Mcgain went proper crazy-eyed on him.

Do we see Punter making a difference this time. Not really. Id like to see him change those stats but with Bajji and Kumble raring to go. I highly doubt that will happen.

Besides, no one really like him anyway.

Verdict?


Will loose both balls. But flyslip gives him an outside chance to save one nut.

He will probably loose the series as well.

Do we really know Bryce Mcgain?

Apparently there really are two sides to every story. Bryce it seems, possess split personality that has reared its ugly head at the most inopportune time.

Nice Bryce.
That’s what Jrod has led us to believe for over a year. Ok, for me over a month or so. Cricketwithballs is the proud supporter and undisputed number one fan of Nice Bryce. Jrod’s written a gazillion or so posts on just how nice Bryce is. We were lulled into a sense of safety and grew fond of nice Bryce. Hell Id go so far to say some of us even fell in love with Nice Bryce..

But..there was always something wrong…a deeper ..darker..seedy side to Bryce…

A friend of mine once told me, that nice Bryce was not nice at all,

I said Ballox.

Then he sent me this picture.



I was very disturbed my fellow bloggers. Very disturbed indeed.

Here you see him completely harassing an innocent pedestrian walker. You can see the manical anger in his face. Perhaps Bryce wasn’t that nice after all..

Insane Mcgain.
So we knew Bryce had a darker side to him. But on October 1st the shit really hit the fan. His shoulder injury, which many have argued is from years of underground mua-thai competitions he entered discretely during his lunch time at his IT job, finally put him out of the the first test.

Bryce lost it.
As Suave reports, his Indian correspondent, was verbally and physically abused. He then went on a rampage in the nets, threatening to kill Jason Krejza and insulting Pontings wife.

Latest news indicate that Shane Watsons viral fever might be the result of a deranged Bryce poisoning his coffee in the wee hours of the morning. The Australian team themselves are shying away from Bryce.


Here is Ricky Ponting packing his bags up and leaving the practice session after Insane Mcgain insulted his wife.

Ricky later threatened to run Bryce over with his new rickshaw, which he acquired with his IPL money, if he kept this up


And later at a press conference at this to say

“The guys totally lost it, He went on some ramble about letting his cricketblogging friend down. When I told him to calm down, he asked me if I had a whole cricketblog devoted to me. When I said what the fuck are you on about. He just laughed manically and had the crazy-eyes on him.

So I just got in my rickshaw and took off.”

So I ask you my friends…
Do we really know who Bryce Mcgain is?

Do we really …..