Ashes 25/26

[Pistol Night]

The worse thing would be the bowler that could not get Martin out haha

Stephen Hawking in a celebrity game might be one I can think of

 

[cricketnut14]

Batters do the batting and bowlers take the wickets. Pick the best! If that is Starc, Hazlewood, Boland and Lyon so be it.

Picking bowlers who can bat in preference to a pure bowler sounds like an English way of going about it. Find better batters.

The bowling quartet are called the 'attack' for a reason ...

Some of our best Test bowlers were not exactly demons with the bat ... Lillee, Thomson, Hogg, McGrath, Harris, McGill, Alderman et.al If they were not selected it wasn't because of perceived failings with the bat.

and this has traditionally been the Australian way, which has been successful - pick the best 6 bats, keeper and 4 bowlers.
it's a bonus any of the bowlers can bat and if any of the top 6 can chip in with a few overs.

very rarely do we stray away from this.

 

[Pistol Night]

and this has traditionally been the Australian way, which has been successful - pick the best 6 bats, keeper and 4 bowlers.
it's a bonus any of the bowlers can bat and if any of the top 6 can chip in with a few overs.

very rarely do we stray away from this.

Michael Clarke bowled some incredible spells. 6/9 and the Sydney 08 last over from memory

 

[MC Bad Genius]

and this has traditionally been the Australian way, which has been successful - pick the best 6 bats, keeper and 4 bowlers.
it's a bonus any of the bowlers can bat and if any of the top 6 can chip in with a few overs.

very rarely do we stray away from this.

I don't really agree with that. We've been obsessed with squeezing a batting all rounder into the team for ages. There was no way Mitch Marsh was one of the 6 best batters in Australia when he was picked in the Test team. His bowling wasn't just a bonus, it was the reason he was picked above others.

 

[BGman]

Bruce Reid was a genuine number 12

Graham McKenzie, Rod Hogg, Paul Wilson.

 

[western royboy]

Graham McKenzie, Rod Hogg, Paul Wilson.

Robert Holland

 

[BGman]

Graham McKenzie, Rod Hogg, Paul Wilson.

The two worst tho are slow bowlers Dutchy Holland and Bert Ironmonger.

 

[PhatBoy]

There's that really good Youtube video "How to bat like Chris Martin"

Featuring the immortal tagline ‘And like me? It’s out now.’

 

[PhatBoy]

If cricket matches generated as much chatter as cricket selection issues, by God it would be the dominant sport on the planet.

The entire world would be like the barber shop from Coming To America except instead of boxing it would be the gentleman’s game.

 

[Pistol Night]

If cricket matches generated as much chatter as cricket selection issues, by God it would be the dominant sport on the planet.

The entire world would be like the barber shop from Coming To America except instead of boxing it would be the gentleman’s game.

Australia actually has 30 million selectors all of which are experts

 

[Silver Tongue]

The two worst tho are slow bowlers Dutchy Holland and Bert Ironmonger.

Jim Higgs says hello

 

[Borisdog]

Jim Higgs says hello

Jim gets my vote. Atrocious.
Chris Martin comfortably the "best" of the ROW entrants.

 

[Gough]

The two worst tho are slow bowlers Dutchy Holland and Bert Ironmonger.

David Hourn was another who was said to be dire with the bat.

 

[Pistol Night]

David Hourn was another who was said to be dire with the bat.

Were compiling a very handy Shittest World 11 here

 

[Silver Tongue]

Were compiling a very handy Shittest World 11 here

Alan Hurst and Wayne Clark both with batting averages less than 6. Selectors didnt care about bowlers who could bat!!

 

[Soups]

Weatherald gone for a

 

[Borisdog]

Weatherald gone for a

He got a good one, it's gunna happen. I was watching.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Weatherald gone for a

Sucks but he got a peach of a delivery, you can see it on the Cricket Australia website

 

[Borisdog]

Cam Green just got a belt on a finger taking the catch for the last wicket vs SA. That might be interesting but didn't look to be any claret.

 

[Soups]

He got a good one, it's gunna happen. I was watching.

Yeah was a ripper ball. Was always going to be a tough couple of overs.

 

[Silver Tongue]

Riley Meredith must surely be in the conversation for this series with a 1st class batting average of 11....

He might also take some early wickets as part of the 'attack'. Bugger his batting average.

 

[Westend]

Nice to see BGman and Luke back in the thread nice to read your posts and other posts from other cricket nuts

Getting back to the Ashes. and with Cummins injured ..as others have posted its going to come down to two options.

and I think we all agree Marnus will be back

Option One
We go with two allrounders Greenie and Webbie. Both coming back from injuries Green on a managed bowling program atm leading up to the Ashes . He will not be bowling this shield game but will be for the next shield game. Webbie missed two shield games but opened the bowling today..got through and took a pole. And Green IMO is still in the best 6 batters in the country and be in the team just a pure batter as he proved in the West Indies

So the order would be

Usman.....dad's army can he face 150 clicks ?
Labs..great shield from lets not nick off again
Green.....I would love to see smith bat three and green 4 but they will not do it
Smith....lost in New York has been found again expecting a big series
Head...still hungover from the World Cup.....been in patchy form
Webbie...coming off an injury worry about his front pad when he is batting
Carey.......has been quiet lately and I wanted him to play this shield game...form patchy
Starc......still got pace ....I worry with him batting 8 has talent with the blade but can't be asked IMO
Lyon.........reckon he will have a good series
Boland....deserves his shot can he play more than 3 tests in a series
Hazelwood.....bowling great atm...but the old question remains can he play all 5 ??

or

Option Two
They go for a specialist Opener and back green with the ball...webbie goes out. ..Konstas currently the incumbent but really struggling atm with the blade..rain not helping him today up in QLD.....or Weatherad last years leading scorer on seaming pitches and he is positive with the blade this helps ussie.....or Renshaw which I dont agree with as his shield form has been poor..but if he scores another ton who knows

So the order would be

Usman
Weatherald/konstas/renshaw
Labs
Smith
head
Green
Carey
bowlers as above

So what will the selectors do which option will they choose?. I reckon with Cummins injury and hazelwood injury past along with both green and webbie coming back frominjuries. I reckon they will go option one..Remember last year against India we lost hazelwood during the game and we had labs bowling poo....they will not risk that again...and they will not want to put pressure on Starc hazelwood and boland with another 4 tests to play ..So I think its option one...

But it is the selectors so we could see a surprise...and please not Mitch opening.....wouldnt mind an inglis in the team if they do something surprising reckon Inglis would go great against the pace of the poms on a fast bouncy Perth wicket

Apologise for the long post Go Aussies !!!

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I think there's a fair bit of rose coloured glasses there with the "Lillee could bat" statement. He wasn't a bunny by any stretch, but he wasn't that flash. Pre-helmets he did the job that most fast bowlers were tasked to do down the order - Get on with it.

The advent of better protective equipment has certainly lead to a vast improvement in the ability of tailender's batting. There are obvious exceptions but generally 9 10 Jack are WAY better batsmen than in days past. Or are way better at sticking around anyway. And the tree trunks being wielded these days certainly help big strong fellas who are inclined to have a dash much more than the toothpicks of days past.

He averaged a bit under 15 across his career. 2 FC 50s, wasn't suggesting he was Mitchell Johnson or Mitchell Starc capable with the bat. Lyon's average is similar across his career but I would consider Lillee slightly better. Had a pretty good cover drive from memory. He himself thinks he could have been better had he applied himself

i remember having reid, whitney, alderman and rackemann all around in the same era - although i don't think 3 or even all 4 played in the same side.

i do recall miller, macgill & mcgrath (number 11's) all playing in the same side on the famous '99 tour to the west indies when warne was dropped.

Milker was better than a number 11, he started out as bowling all rounder when he first started. It did decline over the years but he wasn't hopeless by any means.

 

[Black Diamond]

Renshaw's best chance is to hope the full game vs NSW is rained out, and all of the competition for the opening spot continue to fail in their matches.

 

[western royboy]

Jim gets my vote. Atrocious.
Chris Martin comfortably the "best" of the ROW entrants.

Jim Higgs trained at my country club in the 70’s. There were a few quality bowlers back in the day.

The common theme is that he was classified as a “ferret” as he went in after the bunnies.

Doug Walters tells a good story about Jim getting him to a century against NZ after Jim was given not out (No Ball) after he gloves a bouncer of Lance Cairns and the umpire deemed that because of Jim’s ability (Nil) the bouncer was deemed dangerous (experimental law in for the season)

Upon reaching his 100, Doug promptly was bowled and as he went off Higgsy drummed him for going out on him after he’d done the right thing by him.