Tagged with james hopes …

Feb 13 2009
aussies, kiwis

Trev Barry wash up

Sorry about the pun.

I don’t usually wrap up one day series, and I wont do this one.

I will say sucks to be you New Zealand, 2 zip up, work their way back to 2 all, and then rain fucks up their finish.

That must smart.

This has been an interesting time for the players though, there has been some fresh faces, some character arcs, and forced rests.

Martin Guptil may have a stupid name (it’s not funny or cool to say, yet still odd enough to mention) but he showed on debut he can bat, well last night he showed he can smack, slap, and carry his team.  The rest of the series he struggled a bit, but there is class and dash in him.

Callum Ferguson jumped the queue by finding form at the exact right time, and then kept his spot by getting some of the best luck of any debutante ever. Hard to say whether he made more runs, or got more dodgy LB decisions, but once he was let go at the Gabba, he was a force of furious destruction.

Ben Hilfenhaus has been talked up for a long time, but when he finally gets in he is very up and down. His good is unplayable, his bad is anal fodder, and no one is any surer about him now than they were before.

Tim Southee came into the series with a decent effort against Australia in the test series behind him, but in the one dayers he has been easier to score from than Tara Reid. He also has only 3 wickets in the series, and without the new ball he looks like a change bowler.

Brad Haddin took his chance at the top of the order, the one that most people thought he would have had by now. He really isn’t, and has never been, a good middle or lower middle order white ball batsman. At the top of the order he took over, and Warner might have to wait a while for a recall now.

Iain O’Brien needs a swab. In England he was a medium slow bowler who filled up an end. Now he is almost genuinely quick, and he took 10 wickets in this series, the Australian’s seemed to score off him easily, but if he can keep taking 2 wickets a match the kiwis will keep him around.

James Hopes has gone from a bits and pieces all rounder to the man Ponting throws the ball to during a drama. He has also batted in the top order, and his forehead is still awesome.

The greatest story has to be Grant Elliott, who has managed to turn himself from Jacob Oram’s hamstring replacement, into an international all rounder. No one is sure how, but he has.

One day you might say, “as kiwi as Grant Elliott”.

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Mar 06 2008
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With Jimmy, we’ve got no Hopes

Have to disagree with you UJ.

Hopes is Hopeless.

The way he constructed that innings on Tuesday night was useless. Yes he preserved his wicket, but he batted at 60% strike rate, when the run rate asked for 6-7 runs per over. The amount of balls he blocked was infuriating – whether he was trying to impress the test selectors, who knows, but it frustrated the $hit out of me.

This is a bold statement, which will no doubt come back to bite me and goes against the grain of CWB. But Shane Watson (the luckiest and most overrated Australian cricketer ever) is a better bet than Hopes – fit or not.

If UJ is comparing him to Harvey, his cricketing career will be snuffed very shortly.
Go away Hopes, go away.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Mar 04 2008
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Dear Jimmy

(I am starting this post with 48 off 36 balls to go. )

Dear Jimmy,

Congratulations on a beautifully crafted innings.

I have oft compared the to an Ian Harvey.

That was wrong of me, you are much much more than Ian.

You are sunshine on a cloudy day.

You are the lost bourbon bottle that is found after the missus leaves.

You are so wonderful, to me.

And yet you grace life with a fore head so low your eyebrows get nervous.

Jimmy let me count the ways you entertain me.

Slower balls.

Low Forehead.

Wacky dismissals.

Quicker than it looks bowling.

Catfish.

General disregard for how you look on the cricket field.

Drunken cowboy batting.

Even your name Jimmy, Hopes.

Its not Jimmy does, or Jimmy tries, its Jimmy Hopes, and as we all know, they spring eternal.

With you at the crease our victory is practically assured.

Sure we don’t deserve to win, but since when has that stopped us.

Eternally yours.

(Uncle) J rod

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Feb 29 2008
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Sri Lanka Triumphs For Living Legends

The dead rubber between Australia and Sri Lanka at the MCG has inspired me to return to the ‘Cricket With Balls’ blogging crease once again.

Adam Gilchrist’s never ending national retirement tour hogged the headlines with his final appearance at the hallowed MCG. Gilchrist didn’t fail to let down his legion of fans with a typical commanding display, which should have been match winning. He may have put aside team goals in pursuit of an Australian record for the fastest century? You be the judge?

The wicket of Hopes with the score at 107 triggered a spectacular, quite unbelievable collapse resulting in the lose of 5 wickets for 8 runs as the Sri Lankans rallied for two living legends of their own in Sanath Jayasuriya and Murali. The Aussies never recovered despite the determined effort of the lastest Allan Border medallist, Brett Lee. Murali bowled an inspired second spell following an earlier pasting from Gilchrist.

Clearly the highlight of the game came in the 49th over when Jayasuriya was thrown the ball for his first over of the innings, with Australia needing 14. Jayasuriya delivered one of his trademark darts, a little shorter than usual, that crashed into Lee’s stumps to deliver Sri Lanka with a shock come from behind win and crown his final visit to these shores. A mighty cricketing moment indeed.

Earlier, in great scenes of sportsmanship and respect, both sides formed guards of honor for each of the above mentioned players when they came out to bat. Jayasuriya and Murali have been pivotal in shaping the success of Sri Lankan cricket from minnow status to forces in both forms of the game with the obvious career highlight being the 1996 World Cup victory. Both players have changed the game forever with their individual styles of play and have raised the bar of performance to another level.

As for Gilly and the forgetten Brad Hogg, they will have another chance to leave the game on a high with the One Day series finals beginning on Sunday. Hopefully, they can both contribute to Australia going one better than they did tonight, against the Indians

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Feb 24 2008
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a new hope

I have mentioned James Hopes and his great ways of getting out.

Let us look at the last 3 ways he has gone out.

Whilst making the top order look like Valium addicts, Hopes was all over the Indians at Radelaide.

Then he danced down the wicket to a Bhaji doosra, missed it and was so surprised he dropped his bat and was stumped.

6/10.

Facing Murali and looking for quick runs is hardly amusing. Missing a ball whilst slogging over mid wicket is par for the course, but taking off for a single whilst the wicket keeper is still holding the ball is a little out of the ordinary.

Could possibly be the easiest stumping Kumar has ever completed.

9/10.

Batsmen often get run out from deflections back to the bowlers, but usually they at least turn around and try and get back into the crease. King Probot smacked the ball straight back to Harbhajan, who stopped it pretty well, turned and took the bails off.

Hopes however may not have seen any of this as he was still running towards the other end for a quick run out.

8/10.

This man should be picked for comical relief alone.

I ask you, was Shane Watson ever funny (on the field).

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Feb 17 2008
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Jimmy is the new Ian

James Hopes is the Ian Harvery we all wanted Ian Harvey to be.

Except no one wanted the freak to have an exceptionally small forehead, I’m assuming.

He can make quick runs in the middle order, even when all the other batsmen look frigid.

He can open the batting if required.

He can change a game with the ball.

He can bowl tight, or take wickets.

All this while looking like a Cro-Magnon man.

Sure he isn’t quite as flashy as the freak, but some may think that makes him more reliable, not me, but some.

He also doesn’t seem to smoke or drink like the freak, suck up to Warney like the freak, bowl 5 slower balls an over like the freak, or have a chubby little tummy like the freak.

Other things he needs to do to emulate the freak, take money off the Poms, South Africa and India whilst smoting their first class cricketers around.

Grow a nasty @ss mullet.

Not live up to his potential.

But there is one thing that I believe Hopes can do, and Harvey never quite did, invent a cricket shot.

In 7 years time the IPPCCL commentators will be saying, that was a lovely Hopes by Venkatapathi Raju Junior.

Just mark my words.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Oct 09 2007
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ind vs aus game 4

Just quick scorecard analysis cause I’m gonna be late for work.

India batted first, amazing what that does for a team, that said they still only fell home. If nothing else it makes the series a lot more interesting.

Brad Hodge failed again. He hasn’t batted that low in a batting order for ten years. Dudes like Bevan and Hussey like the guiding role, Hodge not so much. Some guys like to be guided in, some guys like to find it them selves.

You would have to wonder how seriously the Australians took this game when looking at the bowlers used. Bracken in his first game back bowls ten overs at nearly 8 an over. While lee bowls 7 overs at under 4 an over. Symond’s bowled 7 overs. Quite odd.

Kartik bowled well, good to see him back, shame ranatunga (powar) had to be dropped for this to happen.

Khan got a bit of stick but good to see the fast bowling singh back in.

Dhoni went nuts, but he will do that. Lets hope he can do it for 10 years.

Hopes continued his good form with the bat and ball, hopefully the fact his fringe is two millimetres from his eyebrows won’t cause him long term problems.

Bit surprised that Clarke didn’t bowl and Symond’s bowled so much. On spinning decks Clarke is usually the better option and surely would have been worth an over or 2.

2-1. If these results are repeated my 4 –2 prediction (guess) was right. Who woulda thunk it.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Oct 05 2007
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the brack attack is back (awesome headline work there)

Just read on cric info that Bracken might be coming back into the side. I have no problems with that, he is the best one day bowler the Aussies have, so he deserves to come back in.

Problem is they might drop Hopes for him. That brings Hogg to number 7. I don’t like Hogg at 7, he’s not a strong enough batsmen, at 8, he’s handy, but Australia are still looking a bit shaky in their batting.

Perhaps this could just be because I don’t like Hogg. That’s probably his tongues fault.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Sep 30 2007
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drunken musings on an innings


Last night I watched the India vs. Australia, game. Well its not so much a match, just an innings.

The innings did tell us a few things.

o Australia still looks dodgy when they lose early wickets. But they are missing, Hussey, Ponting and Watson, that’s a big hole.

o Clarke could be ready to take a real role in the Aussie batting line up. That was a top innings, India were looking sexy as hell before Clarke tore them a new ass.

o Hopes is full of piss and vinegar. He did what Watson, Harvey, and Shane Lee were all picked for. He came in and batted free and easy, he made runs at better than run a ball without really middling any. What happens when he starts to get his feet at this level? (He is going to invent a new cricket shot, just you wait and see).

o Dhoni might be able to captain, but if your bowlers are bowling shit, it can be hard to set a field to it. How many full tosses were there. Seriously he must have wanted to pull every one of his well managed hairs out.

o India looks a lot slower with the three old blokes in the filed. Sure Ganguly was injured most of the time, but they still looked slow. Tendulkar and Dravid have better things to do at their age than play in this shit.

o Haddin may not be a world beater, but that was a good innings. He still needs to get me a date with Keira Knightley for me to like him. And for me to publically say I like him, Keira needs to put out.

o Sreesanth can take wickets, but he also travels. When he isn’t taking wickets he could be a liability.

o That fat dude who bowls off spin has beautiful flight, spins the ball nicely, but he lost the plot under pressure. Also he looks like a young Ranatunga. Can’t be good for his love life.

Let’s see how this truly useless series progresses.

I’m thinking Australia 4-2, but with the injuries India could still win. The PeterTaylor/VenkatapathiRaju cup is up fro grabs.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Sep 27 2007
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Hopes and Voges for Soulberry

I’ve been asked to give a description of the two latest recruits to the Australian squad for the Indian tour.

Lets start with Hopes. Cause I really like him.

Hopes is pretty much Ian Harvey Mark 2. There is no doubt the boy can bat. Unfortunately he has batting add. He get’s so damn excited. It usually results in him going out in the oddest ways. Probably why I like him.

A couple of years ago I watched Hopes open for Australia A. I was pretty excited, as by this time Ian Harvey had left cricket (I have a signed and framed Ian Harvey Bushrangers top in my parents spare room). I think I had tears as I had a new Harvey.

Hopes played the oddest shot I have ever seen to get out. It looked like he was about to do the Zimbabwean scoop he moved to the off side and just when it looked like he was going to get down and scoop it, he instead he stood up and tried to play an on drive with his bat 4 foot away from his body and was clean bowled.

If that description makes no sense to you, don’t worry I saw it the actual shot he played and it makes no sense to me either. But it was fucken hilarious to watch.

He is a big hitter. With a great eye. At international level he is probably a handy 7 or a great number 8. He probably wont have a strike rate below 90. He may even invent a new shot, he is that talented and that crazy.

Bowling wise, he is almost a replica of Harvey. His slower balls probably aren’t of the same standard, but since Harvey was the king of slower balls, you can’t expect Hopes to be quite at that level. He can be very hard to hit, and like Harvey is probably just a little quicker than you think.

He is athletic, talented the only question mark is his concentration, but since he just made a hundred in Pakistan against there A side perhaps he has conquered that. Also that shows he is confident on the sub continent, which could come in handy in India.

Voges, I’ve only seen him make runs once. That particular innings happened to be the time he made a hundred of 62 balls against New South Wales. It was some of the best hitting I have ever seen. Bill Lawry was on oxygen afterwards.

He is a bit of a late bloomer. Like Hopes he hasn’t spent years belting around County bowlers. He averages 50 in first class cricket. So he can bat. Anyone who gets a batting gig in West Australia can rally bat. their batting order over the last few years was Michael Hussey, Chris Rogers, Justin Langer Damien Martyn, Marcus North, Adam Voges, Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist.

Let me tell you, that’s a better batting line up than South Africa, Pakistan and New Zealand (combined maybe?). So for Voges to break into that line up and hold his own shows how talented he must be.

the hundred I saw him smash was in Sydney so I’m sure he hit some spinners all around the place, MacGill I think. He just captained Australia A in Pakistan and averaged about 44 in three one dayers.

He apparently has a pretty good cricket brain and his left arm orthodox, or chinamen (cric info says orthodox I thought it was chinamen) can be pretty handy as well.

Now I’ve written all that neither of them will probably get a game.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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