Andrew Strauss appreciation thread

[Lara Lara Laughs]

What a brilliant player he's been for us throughout the years. Strauss and Vaughan have always been my favourite recent English batsman.

He now has 19 test centuries, has moved past Vaughan (18) and is now level with the great Len Hutton at 6th in the all time England centuries list. He should now be aiming for Hammond, Boycott and Cowdrey (all on 22) and then for 23 and the record.

Remember when people used to say he couldn't play spin, just because he got out to the greatest leg spinner in history a couple of times? Ha! Makes me laugh now. His 2 centuries in that very series against that very leg spinner should have shut people up.

By the way, he has 3 centuries on this tour so far. In my opinion, he would have done just as well in Aus 2006 if hadnt had such shocking luck (Koertzened x 3), hadn't been affected by "losing" the captaincy to Freddy and was not manically depressed by the sh!t-ness of the rest of the team.

We're lucky to have him. Excellent batsman, decent captain and a nice chap. If he was an Aussie he'd be Justin Langer. Except less homo-erotic with his opening partners.

[Henry]

He's good, but do we really need two threads?

[Red]

In oz in 2006 he went out a lot due to his own injudcious shot selection. He got a couple of crook decisions but was lucky in the one half ton he made.

I still haven't forgiven him for claiming that catch that bounced in front of his during last year's Ashes series.

He's a decent bat but struggled against Steyn and the boys in SA last year.

Think he'll make a lot of runs against our pie chuckers. The fact that he could so easily have made a pair yesterday reinforces again that it's a game of centimetres.

[Henry]

In oz in 2006 he went out a lot due to his own injudcious shot selection. He got a couple of crook decisions but was lucky in the one half ton he made.

I still haven't forgiven him for claiming that catch that bounced in front of his during last year's Ashes series.

He's a decent bat but struggled against Steyn and the boys in SA last year.

Think he'll make a lot of runs against our pie chuckers. The fact that he could so easily have made a pair yesterday reinforces again that it's a game of centimetres.

What bullsh!t. It was a fair catch, and Strauss knew it. He's one of the most honest and respected players in the game. Only the biased Aussie press made a big deal of it. And after some initial sooking most of the Aussie forummers here accepted it as well.

Oh, and Strauss hammered South Africa and Steyn all over the place in 2004-05. He's allowed the odd bad series.

[Red]

In oz in 2006 he went out a lot due to his own injudcious shot selection. He got a couple of crook decisions but was lucky in the one half ton he made.

I still haven't forgiven him for claiming that catch that bounced in front of his during last year's Ashes series.

He's a decent bat but struggled against Steyn and the boys in SA last year.

Think he'll make a lot of runs against our pie chuckers. The fact that he could so easily have made a pair yesterday reinforces again that it's a game of centimetres.

What bullsh!t. It was a fair catch, and Strauss knew it. Only the biased Aussie press made a big deal of it. And after some initial sooking most of the Aussie forummers here accepted it as well.

Oh, and Strauss hammered South Africa and Steyn all over the place in 2004-05. He's allowed the odd bad series.

Steyn was a raw 21 year old and played a test prematurely but since that tour when they fielded pie chuckers, excluding Ntini, Strauss has played against Steyn and co. and in fourteen innings has only passed his half ton twice.

[taipan]

That was Steyn's debut series.

Can't recall Strauss doing much against us last time we were in Pomland

[Henry]

In oz in 2006 he went out a lot due to his own injudcious shot selection. He got a couple of crook decisions but was lucky in the one half ton he made.

I still haven't forgiven him for claiming that catch that bounced in front of his during last year's Ashes series.

He's a decent bat but struggled against Steyn and the boys in SA last year.

Think he'll make a lot of runs against our pie chuckers. The fact that he could so easily have made a pair yesterday reinforces again that it's a game of centimetres.

What bullsh!t. It was a fair catch, and Strauss knew it. Only the biased Aussie press made a big deal of it. And after some initial sooking most of the Aussie forummers here accepted it as well.

Oh, and Strauss hammered South Africa and Steyn all over the place in 2004-05. He's allowed the odd bad series.

Steyn was a raw 21 year old and played a test prematurely but since that tour when they fielded pie chuckers, excluding Ntini, Strauss has played against Steyn and co. and in fourteen innings has only passed his half ton twice.

so what are you saying? That he's crap?

[Lara Lara Laughs]

You bring up the injudicious shot bull every time Strauss is mentioned (while glossing over the shockers he got while looking good). It's boring. And a bit stupid.

And show me an opener who hasn't suffered against a certain bowler at some time. Steyn cleans up half of your side when he plays them too. It's part and parcel of being a great bowler. You get good batsman out.

[Henry]

to be honest, i'd take everything Andrew Strauss brings to a cricket team over what Graeme Smith has to offer. I'm sure even Red would agree with me on that.....

[Red]

For the record Henry, since his series against the pie chuckers in SA back in 2004, his scores against them have been 44, 27, 0, 20, 25, 6, 58,46, 1, 54, 2, 45, 0 and 22.

[Henry]

For the record Henry, since his series against the pie chuckers in SA back in 2004, his scores against them have been 44, 27, 0, 20, 25, 6, 58,46, 1, 54, 2, 45, 0 and 22.

So are you saying that Graeme Smith's South Africa is the benchmark?

[Red]

You bring up the injudicious shot bull every time Strauss is mentioned (while glossing over the shockers he got while looking good). It's boring. And a bit stupid.

And show me an opener who hasn't suffered against a certain bowler at some time. Steyn cleans up half of your side when he plays them too. It's part and parcel of being a great bowler. You get good batsman out.

\

He got a couple of shockers but people tend to focus on that and perhaps over-exaggerate the shockers in preference to look at some of the shots he played and how he never looked really convincing on that tour.

[taipan]

to be honest, i'd take everything Andrew Strauss brings to a cricket team over what Graeme Smith has to offer. I'm sure even Red would agree with me on that.....

Except for the small fact that Smith averages over 50 and Strauss under 44

[Red]

For the record Henry, since his series against the pie chuckers in SA back in 2004, his scores against them have been 44, 27, 0, 20, 25, 6, 58,46, 1, 54, 2, 45, 0 and 22.

So are you saying that Graeme Smith's South Africa is the benchmark?

More that we're hardly a benchmark anymore. Berath scored a ton against us in his first test at the Gabba last summer. He's hardly done much noteworthy since.

Our bowling attack circa 2010 is not one you'd expect to be threatening half decent batting line-ups on a regular basis.

[Henry]

For the record Henry, since his series against the pie chuckers in SA back in 2004, his scores against them have been 44, 27, 0, 20, 25, 6, 58,46, 1, 54, 2, 45, 0 and 22.

So are you saying that Graeme Smith's South Africa is the benchmark?

More that we're hardly a benchmark anymore. Berath scored a ton against us in his first test at the Gabba last summer. He's hardly done much noteworthy since.

Our bowling attack circa 2010 is not one you'd expect to be threatening half decent batting line-ups on a regular basis.

So why did you specifically bring up his scores against South Africa? What about his scores against other teams?