Australia's Dominance

[Josh]

Mainly for those who watch Aussie Internationals often.

Yes, I am happy that we are winning, but there is just nothing, NOTHING from the opposition. The entertainment value I think is dwindling. It still leaves me satisfied that Australia wins, but in all honesty, I went to watch decent, competitive, professional cricket.

 

[cover drive man]

Dont think so tbh Australias dominance makes it all the more fun when they lose. No offense Aussies.

 

[Josh]

Dont think so tbh Australias dominance makes it all the more fun when they lose. No offense Aussies.

What is this "lose" you speak of??

 

[cover drive man]

What is this "lose" you speak of??

Ask Bangladesh. Or come to think of it remember Bangladesh.

 

[Josh]

Ask Bangladesh. Or come to think of it remember Bangladesh.

Touche

 

[Mister Wright]

It sucks that tests can't go for five days. There was absolutely nothing to watch on television today. Shocking.

As I've said countless times, I'm a cricket fan first and an Australian fan 2nd. I crave a contest, and tbh wouldn't mind seeing Australia lose a game to make one.

Loved it in the late 80s in the days of Border when Australia were underdogs and struggled to win - loved it. It's what really got me into cricket. Hate the one sided contests that keep happening.

 

[Matt79]

This attitude gives me the ****s. Everyone here would, I imagine, have loved to have seen Bradman bat. Or Muhammad Ali in his prime box. Or Pele play football. Or Jordan play basketball. Or so they say.

But when something like the current Australian team, or Roger Federer in tennis, or until recently Michael Schumacher, comes along, its boring because they win all the time.

I don't think the rest of the world is terrible at cricket. Just like I don't think Raphael Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt and the rest are bad tennis players. Or that the other Formula 1 drivers are crap. The fact is that the Aussies aren't winning easy - they're having to produce brillant performances to win in the manner that they are. When they've eased up or slid even a little, they've lost matches, eg. last year's CB series, and the 2005 Ashes. What makes them so remarkable is that they've had so very very few lapses. Other teams have brought quite high levels of challenges - especially when this team has travelled around the world and taken other teams on in their own backyard.

In 25 years time when kids are carrying on about how good the top team of the day is, we'll tell them that they're not a patch on this current team. Those kids will be dubious, but when they read the history, they'll be jealous that we got to see and appreciate this current team, just like we're jealous of people who saw Bradman's Invincibles or the great Windies teams of the 70s and 80s. I'm happy to take every opportunity to enjoy cricket being played at a ridiculously high level by this team.

 

[sideshowtim]

This attitude gives me the ****s. Everyone here would, I imagine, have loved to have seen Bradman bat. Or Muhammad Ali in his prime box. Or Pele play football. Or Jordan play basketball. Or so they say.

But when something like the current Australian team, or Roger Federer in tennis, or until recently Michael Schumacher, comes along, its boring because they win all the time.

I don't think the rest of the world is terrible at cricket. Just like I don't think Raphael Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt and the rest are bad tennis players. Or that the other Formula 1 drivers are crap. The fact is that the Aussies aren't winning easy - they're having to produce brillant performances to win in the manner that they are. When they've eased up or slid even a little, they've lost matches, eg. last year's CB series, and the 2005 Ashes. What makes them so remarkable is that they've had so very very few lapses. Other teams have brought quite high levels of challenges - especially when this team has travelled around the world and taken other teams on in their own backyard.

In 25 years time when kids are carrying on about how good the top team of the day is, we'll tell them that they're not a patch on this current team. Those kids will be dubious, but when they read the history, they'll be jealous that we got to see and appreciate this current team, just like we're jealous of people who saw Bradman's Invincibles or the great Windies teams of the 70s and 80s. I'm happy to take every opportunity to enjoy cricket being played at a ridiculously high level by this team.

Absolutely wonderful post mate.

I don't think a lot of Aussie fans appreciate just how good this team is. You really don't. We're not always gonna be this good. That is a certainty. Enjoy it while it lasts. Enjoy every bloody last second of our dominance. There have certainly been times during our current winning streak where we've been challenged. South Africa, England (at times) and hell even Bangladesh have troubled us at times...There has been good contests but we've come out on top. What more do you want? You can't expect this enthralling contest for every single Test. That's unrealistic.

Right now, I don't care if we never lose again. I love seeing us win and I love watching the magnificent cricketing lessons we keep on producing. Did people whinge like this when the Windies did their thing for so long?

 

[Prince EWS]

Is the fact they dominate good for cricket? No.
Is the cricket they play and the skills on show when they compete good for cricket? Definitely.

Is it worth the trade off? Yes, IMO.

I'd rather Australia continue to play superb cricket and win convincingly than see their standard drop and games be closer. I've only come to realise this recently tbh - if all I want is a good contest, I can go and watch my local first grade club play. What Australia show at test level is worth watching, whether the state of the match is in doubt or not. One of the great things about cricket is how many contests within the contest there actually are; it isn't always about the result of the match. How certain players go against the best team in the world, how new players fit into it, how they carry on after retirements and how improving teams go - it's all part of it and I enjoy every minute of it.

This isn't just because I support Australia, either; the same would go if it was England, South Africa, Pakistan or whoever dominating.. I'd enjoy the good cricket, and I wouldn't wish a decline on them just to see my country get back on top. I'd hope for improvement in my own backyard to increase the standard of test cricket as a whole.

 

[Laurrz]

In 25 years time when kids are carrying on about how good the top team of the day is, we'll tell them that they're not a patch on this current team. Those kids will be dubious, but when they read the history, they'll be jealous that we got to see and appreciate this current team, just like we're jealous of people who saw Bradman's Invincibles or the great Windies teams of the 70s and 80s. I'm happy to take every opportunity to enjoy cricket being played at a ridiculously high level by this team.

ja agree with tim, great post overall.. i wish i could just say all that whenever i hear someone complain...

and reading this paragraph, i've never thought of that! i do feel privileged now not that i never wasnt but yea..

 

[Lillian Thomson]

This is just another pointless thread gloating at how wonderful Australia are disguised as a half-baked meaningless question.

 

[Josh]

I grant that my opinion of it comes from the fact that I don't follow international cricket as much as I used to when we had pay TV lol

 

[eglezdzdiyd]

i said no but i ****ed up and meant to vote yes. As an australaian supporter, it really does annoy me how i always seem to be going for the opposition purely because i want to see a contest. It's wh ythe ashes of 05 was so good. We didn't perform very well in that series but it will be remembered because an all conquering team got more than just a challenge, but was beaten .It also meant that for the first time in a long while i could actually go for my team and see a contest at the same time.

 

[Matt79]

This is just another pointless thread gloating at how wonderful Australia are disguised as a half-baked meaningless question.

Don't think so, given that the 'this is getting boring' complaint is a fairly common one amongst fans of all nationalities.

 

[sideshowtim]

Prince EWS raised a good point. Within many of our Tests there have been contests within contests. The end result may not have been close but we've certainly been pushed. Being bowled out for under 250 at Perth against the Poms, and even being 9/331 at Melbourne against India...We're good enough that we've fought back to still win comfortably, but there have definitely been times where we've been tested. What more do people want?

If you honestly want your team to lose you have no right to complain about anything when such a day does come.

 

[ozone]

Having a team so far ahead of the others does mean that the entertainment value for the neutral is decreased. However, knowing that it takes something spectacular to beat them means that when it does happen its pretty good to be around (as mentioned before). Voted 'Yes' on the basis that cricket has become more dull and it would probably be better if there was less of a gap between Australia and the rest.

 

[eglezdzdiyd]

Having a team so far ahead of the others does mean that the entertainment value for the neutral is decreased. However, knowing that it takes something spectacular to beat them means that when it does happen its pretty good to be around (as mentioned before). Voted 'Yes' on the basis that cricket has become more dull and it would probably be better if there was less of a gap between Australia and the rest.

taking a quote form benny ikin....believe you me, it's dull for the biased fan also.

 

[chaminda_00]

As good as it is to see a great side run around. As a cricket fan i'll take the South Africa/West Indies Test over any of three Test so far in Australia this season. Would rather see an evenly contested Test Match even if the skill level is less then a one sided Test Match.

 

[BoyBrumby]

This attitude gives me the ****s. Everyone here would, I imagine, have loved to have seen Bradman bat. Or Muhammad Ali in his prime box. Or Pele play football. Or Jordan play basketball. Or so they say.

But when something like the current Australian team, or Roger Federer in tennis, or until recently Michael Schumacher, comes along, its boring because they win all the time.

I don't think the rest of the world is terrible at cricket. Just like I don't think Raphael Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt and the rest are bad tennis players. Or that the other Formula 1 drivers are crap. The fact is that the Aussies aren't winning easy - they're having to produce brillant performances to win in the manner that they are. When they've eased up or slid even a little, they've lost matches, eg. last year's CB series, and the 2005 Ashes. What makes them so remarkable is that they've had so very very few lapses. Other teams have brought quite high levels of challenges - especially when this team has travelled around the world and taken other teams on in their own backyard.

In 25 years time when kids are carrying on about how good the top team of the day is, we'll tell them that they're not a patch on this current team. Those kids will be dubious, but when they read the history, they'll be jealous that we got to see and appreciate this current team, just like we're jealous of people who saw Bradman's Invincibles or the great Windies teams of the 70s and 80s. I'm happy to take every opportunity to enjoy cricket being played at a ridiculously high level by this team.

I do take your point as a fair one, but I think that great sportsmen are as often defined by great opposition as by their own efforts. Would Ali have been as fondly remembered without his epic struggles against Frazier, Norton & Foreman? Federer might well be the best tennis player ever, but Nadal has his number on clay & kept hin honest at Wimbledon this year too. One of the defining matches of Pele's career was Brazil's 1-0 win over England when he pitted himself against Moore & Banks, then the best defender and goalkeeper in the world respectively. Schmacher's greatest achievements were the titles he won at Bennetton with an inferior car; when he drove the best F1 car it became processional.

Which leads me neatly onto Australia. It's absolutely not their problem at all, but for me their games are becoming processional. India, quite probably the no.2 test side just now, were swatted away with the minimal of fuss by a team who, in the last year, has lost two unquestionable all-time greats, another two (in Martyn & Langer) who were exceptional test performers in their own right & are without their nominal first-choice spin option.

One admires how Australia go about things, but such is their level of superiority, they aren't being tested over a full game, much less a series. It doesn't mean there isn't much to admire in the Australian performance, but as contests they just aren't doing it for me.

 

[pup11]

This attitude gives me the ****s. Everyone here would, I imagine, have loved to have seen Bradman bat. Or Muhammad Ali in his prime box. Or Pele play football. Or Jordan play basketball. Or so they say.

But when something like the current Australian team, or Roger Federer in tennis, or until recently Michael Schumacher, comes along, its boring because they win all the time.

I don't think the rest of the world is terrible at cricket. Just like I don't think Raphael Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt and the rest are bad tennis players. Or that the other Formula 1 drivers are crap. The fact is that the Aussies aren't winning easy - they're having to produce brillant performances to win in the manner that they are. When they've eased up or slid even a little, they've lost matches, eg. last year's CB series, and the 2005 Ashes. What makes them so remarkable is that they've had so very very few lapses. Other teams have brought quite high levels of challenges - especially when this team has travelled around the world and taken other teams on in their own backyard.

In 25 years time when kids are carrying on about how good the top team of the day is, we'll tell them that they're not a patch on this current team. Those kids will be dubious, but when they read the history, they'll be jealous that we got to see and appreciate this current team, just like we're jealous of people who saw Bradman's Invincibles or the great Windies teams of the 70s and 80s. I'm happy to take every opportunity to enjoy cricket being played at a ridiculously high level by this team.

Couldn't have said this any better, seriously when Australia lose a game now and then Cw gets flooded with "Is Australia's dominance over??" threads and when they to do well consistently we gets these types of threads, now of course there would always be a team in every time-phase that would be head and shoulders above the rest and Australia's dominance is a result of some very very hard work so give credit to them for having maintained such high standards for such a long period of time, they take a lot of pride in the way they play for their country and ever loss hurts them to the core and that's what makes them such a special side and as Matt said i am happy that i am privilged enough to watch such a great team play and if other teams can take a leaf out of their book then automatically the standard and competitiveness in cricket would improve.