Miscellaneous Sports 2021 off-season

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After a good suggestion, we’ve decided to move all non-AFL threads to the old and dusty “Purple Horde” sub thread. The hope is it has the following effects
A) Keeps them easily available but still out of sight
B) Encourages the use of the sub-forums like they are meant to be used for and brings a bit more organisation to the forum
C) While I love how passionate everyone is on the topics and that there is terrific debate on the topics, moderating the politics thread can get... tiresome. I’ll be letting things go a bit more, however personal attacks will not be tolerated and I encourage you to report them in any shape or form.

As usual, reach out to BeinPurplenGreen, myself and Tonga Bob to discuss anything as needed. Thanks for making the forum what it is.
 
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They are just better. Hard to swallow but it's true.

Bowling tactics are dire though, somebody should be canned for them.

Piggy Smalls said:
My main knock on Starc is the gap between his best and his worst. He’s always been mercurial and when he’s off he doesn’t build any pressure on the opposition.
My issue around the bowlers picking themselves is that once you’re 400 plus overs into a condensed test series you really are expecting a lot from your quicks to keep back up. A cherry ripe fresh James Pattinson playing for his test future would be a daunting prospect today.
I supported Lyon on this thread about a week ago but he’s been as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen him in the past two tests. Although as I’ve been writing this I see he has just dismissed Gill.
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If you don't like the gap then Patto isn't the answer. Not as severe as Starc but still prone to bowling bulk 4 balls on his off days.
 
Joao said:
They are just better. Hard to swallow but it's true.

Bowling tactics are dire though, somebody should be canned for them.


If you don't like the gap then Patto isn't the answer. Not as severe as Starc but still prone to bowling bulk 4 balls on his off days.
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Yep, they are the number one Test side and should be until someone beats them (sorry NZ, but beating up on WI and Pakistan doesn't cut it). We've got work to do. I would say starting with the captain but I'm not sure we have an alternative, I would be reluctant to burden Cummins with it.
 

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Magnificent innings by Munro. A shame he got out.
He makes a mockery of the textbooks regarding footwork🤣
The Marvel surface is a disgrace.
 
The longer the tournament goes, the more Hardie becomes a liability. What’s wrong with Paris? Surely he’d be better, looked a future star early in his career.
 
holybishop said:
Hopefully the whole "Gabba Fortress" is now put to rest and Perth can rightfully retake its place over the Gabba as the better stadium.
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I reckon the fortress thing is massively overstated due to it always being the first Test of every tour.

It's a pretty consistent theme that touring sides take a while to adapt to local conditions, especially in this day and age of crowded fixtures with very few warm up games.
 
estibador said:
I reckon the fortress thing is massively overstated due to it always being the first Test of every tour.

It's a pretty consistent theme that touring sides take a while to adapt to local conditions, especially in this day and age of crowded fixtures with very few warm up games.
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That plus it disregards how Powerful the Aussie teams of the past were and how weak a lot of opposition teams were.

Could have played in Alice Springs & had an equal record
 
If they are worried about crowds or player comfort would be an idea to play the test under lights in Perth..
I would go & watch in the evening but don't really enjoy roasting like a quarter chicken treat meal in the heat of the day.
 
If they are worried about crowds or player comfort would be an idea to play the test under lights in Perth..
I would go & watch in the evening but don't really enjoy roasting like a quarter chicken treat meal in the heat of the day.
 
If they are worried about crowds or player comfort would be an idea to play the test under lights in Perth..
I would go & watch in the evening but don't really enjoy roasting like a quarter chicken treat meal in the heat of the day.
 
Scham said:
The longer the tournament goes, the more Hardie becomes a liability. What’s wrong with Paris? Surely he’d be better, looked a future star early in his career.
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Gives us a massive tail, think they are hoping Agar comes back to take over the all rounder role, especially with Marsh only to bat.
 

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I grew up in Ireland so I’m only a recent convert to cricket. I find it a fascinating game actually the more I watch it. Got a couple of questions for the experts:
1. Why don’t players like Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell etc ever get a go in the test side? Is it that it’s considered they will give up their wicket too cheaply? They just seem like better batsmen than someone like Matthew Wade or even Marcus Harris to me anyway?
2. What’s the main reason for the slower run rate in a test match? Is it the ball, different fielding positions, or just a more conservative approach from batsmen?
 
Dockeroo said:
I grew up in Ireland so I’m only a recent convert to cricket. I find it a fascinating game actually the more I watch it. Got a couple of questions for the experts:
1. Why don’t players like Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell etc ever get a go in the test side? Is it that it’s considered they will give up their wicket too cheaply? They just seem like better batsmen than someone like Matthew Wade or even Marcus Harris to me anyway?
2. What’s the main reason for the slower run rate in a test match? Is it the ball, different fielding positions, or just a more conservative approach from batsmen?
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1. Lynn decided a while ago to focus on T20 because of his talent to hit a big ball plus shoulder injuries have stopped him playing longer forms.

Glen Maxwell is very talented and wants to play Tests but does some reckless things which makes him a risky option in Test cricket.

2. Lots of reasons.
*The Red ball swings more and for longer then can reverse swing later on
*there is limited fielding restrictions so captains can set defensive fields (which is unusual)
*In T20/One dayers the bowlers are more confined in areas they can bowl.
*The thing to remember is they are playing on a living,breathing pitch which is constantly changing & decaying, new balls, weather conditions and with day/night Test light conditions and because the game goes for so long you have bowlers/batters getting tired. So while you may not think anything is happening there is strategy going on in the background to manipulate the game into a position to benefit there team to take advantage of the best playing conditions.

Batsmen & bowlers have to work together not just get more runs than the opposition they have to bat time in order to allow time for bowlers to recover. If you’ve bowled for over a day you then get bowled out quickly, even if you’ve scored quickly, your bowlers have to go out and bowl exhausted for maybe another couple of days and you’ll kill them over a 4 or 5 test series.
*Plus in T20 if you make a 30 off 15 balls you’re a hero but if you’ve made only 30 in a Test you’ve wasted a good start
*Tests bowlers can pick apart and expose any weaknesses in a player’s technique
*Test are truly that- A test of endurance, Technique, strategy and mental strength

sorry I’ve been rambling
 
I didn't watch heaps of this test...but it seems to me that Starc has become like early days Mitch Johnson...5% outstanding quality, 95% absolute shite.

Did Steve Smith get a bowl? Labuschagne and Green bowled a total of 13 over for the match and no overs to Smith...Surely a leggy to break things up?
Seems like Paine has no creativity in his captaincy....if the ball is not seeming and Starc can't swing it, the tactic seems to be bang it in short...and that's it.

And the quicks don't seem to bowl variation balls...no slower balls, no break balls...

Wade, head etc need to go...Surely we have something promising in the sheds?
Pucovski and Green just keep playing...Maybe Lyon needs a rest and Swepson comes in.

Warner needs to be transitioned out...he's old and not making runs....what's the point?
 
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Dockeroo said:
I grew up in Ireland so I’m only a recent convert to cricket. I find it a fascinating game actually the more I watch it. Got a couple of questions for the experts:
1. Why don’t players like Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell etc ever get a go in the test side? Is it that it’s considered they will give up their wicket too cheaply? They just seem like better batsmen than someone like Matthew Wade or even Marcus Harris to me anyway?
2. What’s the main reason for the slower run rate in a test match? Is it the ball, different fielding positions, or just a more conservative approach from batsmen?
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1. You need a different technique in Test cricket (much better defence and better concentration, and because the bowling is better). India's best player in the past two series - Pujara - doesn't even play shorter forms at the highest level because he's built his technique around Test match batting. (You're right though about Wade and Harris who, as Australia have found, are not Test match quality batters.)
2. Mostly the more conservative approach from the batters (leaving balls outside off stump for instance). If anything Test match fields are more conducive to faster scoring because there are more fielders in attacking positions, i.e. catching positions closer to the pitch.
 
Scham said:
The longer the tournament goes, the more Hardie becomes a liability. What’s wrong with Paris? Surely he’d be better, looked a future star early in his career.
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I get what you are saying. He's still learning about T20 cricket. He's a really good talent.
I know it's a different format but he got 8 wickets and a man of the match in his very first shield game and then scored an unbeaten 100 in his 3rd shield appearance.
And as has already been mentioned without him we have a long tail.
I am more concerned about having Bancroft batting in the middle order.
 
Michael Bevan was the prime example, one of our best ever 1 day batsmen, but couldn't make it in test cricket because the bowlers find your weaknesses and have a lot more scope to attack them.
 
Scatter said:
Michael Bevan was the prime example, one of our best ever 1 day batsmen, but couldn't make it in test cricket because the bowlers find your weaknesses and have a lot more scope to attack them.
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I have trouble remember exactly what his problems were. Short pitch bowling comes to mind but he had an insane FC average (57).

He'd be getting more opportunities in this era. He had to contend with the stacked 90s/2000s batsman. Now he'd only have to be better than Wade/Head to get a few more opportunities.

He also got picked as a bowler a handful of times, which is hilarious but he did take a test 10-for.
 
The quicks tested Bevan - he didn't have hooks or pull shots to take the pressure off. He certainly would be a chance to make it as a Test player today because there isn't as much fast bowling depth, but a guy like Bumrah would still really trouble him.
 
Yeah Bevan's issue was the short pitched stuff, got caught in the gully fending it away a lot I think.
From memory you couldn't bowl any bouncers in ODI's at the time, anything above the shoulder was a wide unlike now.
I'd forgotten he got picked as a bowler a few times lol.
 
Bevan was a victim of his time more than anything.

Not a single batsman in our current team would have gotten a game in Bevan's era. Not even Steve Smith. (When Smith came into the side he was a bowling all rounder, he only blossomed as a batsman after already getting picked. If he played in the golden era he would have never gotten an opportunity).
 
bushchook said:
Bevan was a victim of his time more than anything.

Not a single batsman in our current team would have gotten a game in Bevan's era. Not even Steve Smith. (When Smith came into the side he was a bowling all rounder, he only blossomed as a batsman after already getting picked. If he played in the golden era he would have never gotten an opportunity).
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Yep, to think that Stuart Law pretty much never played for Australia and Wade has played - whatever number - of Tests.

Only Cummins would have played in Waugh's and Ponting's (early) teams.
 
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