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Thread: Gilly sets huge target for England

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    Gilly sets huge target for England

    Gilly sets huge target for England

    By Malcolm Conn, The Australian c/o Fox Sports
    January 19, 2007


    JUST three days after England struggled past 200 to manage its sole victory on tour, Adam Gilchrist believes scores of 400 will regularly be achieved in limited-overs cricket.

    That's the last thing a depleted and dishevelled England needs to hear heading into tonight's tri-series match against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.

    It took England one ball short of 50 overs to scrape past New Zealand's 205 at Hobart's Bellerive Oval on Tuesday for that long-awaited win, but Gilchrist, acting captain tonight in the absence of a resting Ricky Ponting, feels that teams will soon need double that total to be sure of victory.

    "I believe that scores of 400 will become part of the game," Gilchrist said, claiming that Twenty20 cricket will give batsmen the confidence and skills to score more quickly in the 50-over game.

    Australia scored 5-221 from its 20 overs in the Twenty20 game against England in Sydney little more than a week ago - more than England managed from its 50 overs in Hobart.

    "Slowly but surely they (scores of 400) may become the norm," Gilchrist said.

    "That's a little way off yet, but there are a host of indicators to say that's going to be the case."

    However, he does not expect too many repeats of Australia's mind-blowing game against South Africa last year when 872 runs were scored in 99.5 overs.

    "Seeing both teams get 400 in a one-day game, I think that's a long way off, but that was a unique, freakish day," Gilchrist said.

    Australia became the first team to make 400 in a one-day international, only to watch South Africa charge past and win a few hours later.

    There are now four scores above 400 in official one-day matches and seven above 390.

    "I do see totals in general getting bigger, but that's the unique thing about cricket, you get different conditions, different size grounds and the state of the cricket pitch is all important," Gilchrist said.

    "But I think, as a general rule, teams are going to learn. Batsmen are power hitting earlier and I think Twenty20 is going to show how explosive and expansive teams can be."

    However, such amazing scoring is most unlikely tonight given that 300 has been reached only three times at the Gabba and the highest one-day score on the ground is 303.

    Australia's chances of an exceptionally big day out with the bat have been reduced by Ponting's absence during a long season, but it is unlikely to make any difference to the result.

    Brad Hodge has been chosen to replace Ponting and, should he perform tonight, he must be a good chance of being part of Australia's 15-man World Cup squad.

    As compensation perhaps, Australia has regained its two most experienced fast bowlers.

    Glenn McGrath has been cleared of a groin problem and Gilchrist insists he will play, even though he did not bowl at training yesterday. Brett Lee has recovered from a chest infection that ruled him out of the first two games.

    Ben Hilfenhaus has been released to play for Tasmania in the Pura Cup game against Queensland in Hobart while Stuart Clark and Brad Hogg will sit out tonight's match.

    England has been forced into more changes, with county veteran Mal Loye, 34, expected to replace injured captain Michael Vaughan at the top of the order.

    The injured Kevin Pietersen's replacement, batting all rounder Ravi Bopara, may also make his debut, replacing Ed Joyce, himself a replacement for Marcus Trescothick, who went home early in the tour with depression.

    Gilchrist played down the possibility that Australia could go through the tri-series undefeated despite impressive victories over England and New Zealand in its opening two games.

    "There's every chance we could lose a game to England or New Zealand," Gilchrist said.

    "It's the nature of one-day cricket. That's what we're trying to guard against."

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    Who`s Gilly kidding, both the poms and kiwis run a distant second and have to cross a massive chasm to be a chance of beating the aussies, they are in dynamite form at the moment...

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    Yeah, a two horse race for mine, to see who will get thrashed by the Aussies in the Finals....

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