View Full Version : McGrath Out of 5th Test - Brad Williams in
My North
30 Dec 2002, 21:12
Glen McGrath is out of the 5th test match he will be replaced by Brad Williams in the squad of 13
Who will take Brad Williams spot in the Australia A side one day match for on New Years Day.
Why did they bother calling up Williams? He's the fourth pace bowler and they'll be playing two or three. Should we suspect another pace bowler is under an injury cloud? (why do I get the feeling its Gillespie again? :eek: )
You'd expect the attack will now be Gillespie, Lee, MacGill then a choice between Hogg and Bichel depending on the wicket. (The last SCG shield match was very much a seamers wicket) With Williams not coming into it.
It will be interesting to see how Australia go for the first time in a long while without McGrath and Warne.
My North
30 Dec 2002, 21:26
Gillespie may be injured as well or be rested. Then the bowling line will be Lee, Bichel, MaCgill and either Williams or Hogg depending on the wicket.
Or all 5 will play and the 12th man will be one of the batsmen perhaps Martyn or Love.
Originally posted by My North
Or all 5 will play and the 12th man will be one of the batsmen perhaps Martyn or Love.
Good point. I reckon that both Hogg and MacGill will play, and probably Martyn will be given a rest. This would give Love the oppurtunity to move up the order to No4 and play a role that he is more suited to.
larrikin
31 Dec 2002, 00:24
Originally posted by vergs
Good point. I reckon that both Hogg and MacGill will play, and probably Martyn will be given a rest. This would give Love the oppurtunity to move up the order to No4 and play a role that he is more suited to.
What? Martyn being rested........
I'm not even answering this one.
I just heard this too when switching to Sports Tonight after watching The Sopranos and The Amazing Race. Tis England's best chance to win a test now, with Warne and McGrath out.
This is the first time in ten years (before McGrath's debut!) Australia will be playing a Test without McGrath or Warne.
That last test without either of them was the 1st Test against the West Indies in 1992/3
The Australian team that match was Taylor, Boon, S Waugh, M Waugh, Martyn (debut), Border, Matthews, Healy, Hughes, McDermott, Reid (last test).
This is the price we pay for trying to win test matches within 4 days. Enforcing the follow on is all very nice but it doesn't allow our fast bowlers enough time to rest. McGrath really struggled in the second innings of the 4th Test, and Gillespie was starting to falter as well. Fast bowlers are not machines.
shiva25
31 Dec 2002, 07:11
Originally posted by Becker
This is the price we pay for trying to win test matches within 4 days. Enforcing the follow on is all very nice but it doesn't allow our fast bowlers enough time to rest. McGrath really struggled in the second innings of the 4th Test, and Gillespie was starting to falter as well. Fast bowlers are not machines.
Thats absolute crap.If we are good enough to win tests in 2,3 or 4 days then so be it. We had to make England bat again in order to win the game and as for our bowlers they are getting plenty of rest when they are not bowling.I think McGrath went into this test match with an injury as he struggled in the 1st innings as well.
Bomber Spirit
31 Dec 2002, 08:37
I'd make Williams carry the drinks. Bichel deserves another chance - he was a bit stiff to be dropped. If McGrath hadn't been injured I'd have played Bichel instead of Lee in Sydney, but the injury would give Brett Lee another go.
Originally posted by My North
Who will take Brad Williams spot in the Australia A side one day match for on New Years Day.
Maybe Mick Lewis.
Groucho
31 Dec 2002, 09:47
Oh well at least there'll be a Victorian of sorts vying for a test place! We had Craig White in for the Boxing Day test as well.
Unwritten_Law
31 Dec 2002, 11:23
Originally posted by DaveW
This is the first time in ten years (before McGrath's debut!) Australia will be playing a Test without McGrath or Warne.
That last test without either of them was the 1st Test against the West Indies in 1992/3
The Australian team that match was Taylor, Boon, S Waugh, M Waugh, Martyn (debut), Border, Matthews, Healy, Hughes, McDermott, Reid (last test).
Emphasises how lucky McGrath has been with injuries, especially for a fast bowler.
Glen McGrath is out of the 5th test match he will be replaced by Brad Williams in the squad of 13
If Brad "Beach Tits" Williams is the next best fast bowler in the country we are going to be in all kinds of trouble when McGrath retires :(
Originally posted by Unwritten_Law
If Brad "Beach Tits" Williams is the next best fast bowler in the country we are going to be in all kinds of trouble when McGrath retires :(
The selectors rate him the next best but I think there are a number of possibilites. Mathew Inness, Ashley Noffke and Paul Rofe to name a few. I think our fast bowling stocks are alright. There's not much between these guys and Lee, Bichel and Williams.
CharlieG
31 Dec 2002, 14:36
Hmm. Neither Williams nor Hogg will play I don't think. The side looks like:
Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Waugh
Love
Gilchrist
Lee
Gillespie
Bichel
MacGill
Bomber Spirit
31 Dec 2002, 14:39
Originally posted by CharlieG
Hmm. Neither Williams nor Hogg will play I don't think. The side looks like:
Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Waugh
Love
Gilchrist
Lee
Gillespie
Bichel
MacGill Agree with Charlie's XI. If the pitch is likely to take spin they may be tempted to give Hogg a game instead of either Lee or Bichel; but unless there's no grass at all I wouldn't. I can't see how Williams is going to get a game.