Analysis The Cricket Thread 2025/26

[BStaff17]

 

[King Huskii]

The next spinner in line would have to be Corey Roccicholli from West Aus. He's been on of the best spin bowlers outside of Lyon for years.

 

[Chris25]

I’d be surprised if it wasn’t Todd Murphy.

With an outside shot of them going four quicks with Richardson and finding somewhere for Connolly as an ‘all rounder’.

 

[Redgum]

I would be trying to fit Renshaw into the team at some point this series. He is playing too well to be ignored.

Why is Josh Inglis in the team? Alex Carey is way head of him at the moment. He should be replaced by a batter, as you suggested maybe Renshaw

 

[Docker82]

The next spinner in line would have to be Corey Roccicholli from West Aus. He's been on of the best spin bowlers outside of Lyon for years.

Third in the queue at best I reckon.

Hasn't done enough to get ahead of two guys that have performed reasonably well at international level when given the opportunity.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

I'm telling the poms to not give up their day jobs.
Like Duckett can stick to training hawthorn how to avoid tacklers.

 

[Spirit Level]

Same old aussies, always winning

 

[anchor man]

I’m actually really enjoying the series.
All the matches have been really interesting and I think England has some very good players they’re just not as coherent as the Aussies.
It’s taken some special performances from a few players to get us over the line. Without Carey, Head and Starc playing blinders we could just as easily be a test or 2 down.
I think Stokes is a very canny captain at times and England has some quality with bat and ball just some of their prime movers, particularly with the bat haven’t been able to put it together.
Which makes their preparation even more puzzling. You can’t expect to beat a side of the quality of Australia without having everything humming and just relying on vibe. We’re too well drilled for them.

As has been said and said by the skipper and coach, Australia do it better and for longer. The Aussie batsmen scrap and scrape to build partnerships. The Poms don't handle the pressure. A severe lack of concentration.
Only bowler for the Poms to bend his back in all three tests has been Bryden Carse. He is scrapper.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't .

 

[freo_leo29]

Third in the queue at best I reckon.

Hasn't done enough to get ahead of two guys that have performed reasonably well at international level when given the opportunity.

Rocky has taken over 100 wickets the past 3 shields

Murphy has 44 from my count

If we are picking for Aussie conditions then Rocky probably gets the call up (Kuhnemann isn't really an Aussie condition bowler and isn't an offy anyway)


Murphy would be at home though so that could sway em


We have picked Shield form this year in Weatherald and Doggett so I don't think its too far fetched really

 

[Paracleet]

As has been said and said by the skipper and coach, Australia do it better and for longer. The Aussie batsmen scrap and scrape to build partnerships. The Poms don't handle the pressure. A severe lack of concentration.
Only bowler for the Poms to bend his back in all three tests has been Bryden Carse. He is scrapper.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda, didn't .

Carse is a spud. He should have been dropped ahead of Atkinson. He has bled runs, offered no consistency of line and length, just awful. I don't care if he is their leading wicket taker. Going at 5 and over is unsustainable.

And he's a saffer.

 

[Bringbacktheeighties]

I think Smith being captain played a part in the first two wins also.

He is just a bit more creative and that is worth wickets.

If you look at today, England 6 or 7 down and Green is bowling the bouncer plan to get a mistimed pull / hook shot. But Cummins has two fielders on the leg side boundary , on the rope. It was only a 60 or 65m boundary so if they connected it was always going over their heads.

What happened was the plan worked and the ball fell 30 or 40 metres toward the boundary , happened two or three times. They needed to bring in the Deep square to a 3/4 square leg and let him try and got over him.

When Lyon was bowling we could have added a silly mid on also.

It just seemed like we had all these runs and the perfect opportunity to set more catching positions and as it happened the ball did fall to those areas.

I think we were a bit lucky to be honest.

 

[anchor man]

Carse is a spud. He should have been dropped ahead of Atkinson. He has bled runs, offered no consistency of line and length, just awful. I don't care if he is their leading wicket taker. Going at 5 and over is unsustainable.

And he's a saffer.

Bends his back with every ball..
Not sure what being a Saffie has anything to do with it, they have used plenty from other countries before. Doliviera, Pierteson, Smith Stokes, to name a few.Evan a couple of Aussies.

 

[Docker82]

Rocky has taken over 100 wickets the past 3 shields

Murphy has 44 from my count

If we are picking for Aussie conditions then Rocky probably gets the call up (Kuhnemann isn't really an Aussie condition bowler and isn't an offy anyway)


Murphy would be at home though so that could sway em


We have picked Shield form this year in Weatherald and Doggett so I don't think its too far fetched really

Murphy has taken less wickets at a better average this season and has prior test experience.

There's more to it than shield form anyway.

I'd be shocked if they didn't go with Murphy or Kuhnemann.

Don't think the selectors really picked off just shield form other than Weatherald tbh. Doggett they've had on the fringes of squads for years and let's remember they picked Abbott originally over Neser. Look at all the times they've overlooked guys like Bancroft and Harris despite shield form. Yes, those guys have played test cricket and failed in the past but ultimately the selectors didn't rate them.

 

[Docker82]

Bends his back with every ball..
Not sure what being a Saffie has anything to do with it, they have used plenty from other countries before. Doliviera, Pierteson, Smith Stokes, to name a few.Evan a couple of Aussies.

Got to say I haven't rated what Carse has provided at all. Doesn't build pressure and mostly gets wickets due to mis-hits off what are quite frankly absolute pies.

 

[freo_leo29]

Murphy has taken less wickets at a better average this season and has prior test experience.

There's more to it than shield form anyway.

I'd be shocked if they didn't go with Murphy or Kuhnemann.

Don't think the selectors really picked off shield form other than Weatherald tbh. Doggett they've had on the fringes of squads for years and let's remember they picked Abbott originally over Neser.

Murphy has taken half the wickets of rocky, its a big gap, Murphy looked decent in India but wasn't great in England


Doggett and Weatherald were clearly off Shield form

Rocky has also been on the fringes, been in the A squad since 2024

Rocky was also close to making the Sri Lanka tour, Murphy got the nod but didn't perform, we ended up dropping him for Coops in test 2


I think he is a real chance

 

[Docker82]

Murphy has taken half the wickets of rocky, its a big gap, Murphy looked decent in India but wasn't great in England


Doggett and Weatherald were clearly off Shield form

Rocky has also been on the fringes, been in the A squad since 2024

Rocky was also close to making the Sri Lanka tour, Murphy got the nod but didn't perform, we ended up dropping him for Coops in test 2


I think he is a real chance

Murphy has a better average. He's got less wickets because he's played less games.

Thought he was mostly redundant rather than bad in Sri Lanka tbh. He'll be the only off spinner this time around.

 

[Chris25]

Rocky has also been on the fringes, been in the A squad since 2024

Murphy played for Australia A two weeks ago.

 

[Paracleet]

If Lyon had pinged his hammy before Perth or Brisbane they may have played Rocchiccioli as he's excellent on bouncy bowlers decks that don't normally favour spinners.
Likely they prefer Murphy with an eye on the future as an all conditions spinner. Kuhnemann they may play because they like him, but I think he's struggling to make the top 5 best spinners in Australian conditions. Let alone be no. 2.

 

[freo_leo29]

Murphy played for Australia A two weeks ago.

Yeah I'm not saying he isn't around the squad either (He has clearly already played tests too) just that Rocky has been too

Murphy has a better average. He's got less wickets because he's played less games.

Thought he was mostly redundant rather than bad in Sri Lanka tbh. He'll be the only off spinner this time around.

The averages over the last 3 years are similar though, there is an article around this time last year, I'll try find it

Here: https://www.cricket.com.au/news/415...t-tour-todd-murphy-lyon-sheffield-shield-form

Rocky has been very consistent over a long period, he is definitely a chance

 

[freo_leo29]

If Lyon had pinged his hammy before Perth or Brisbane they may have played Rocchiccioli as he's excellent on bouncy bowlers decks that don't normally favour spinners.
Likely they prefer Murphy with an eye on the future as an all conditions spinner. Kuhnemann they may play because they like him, but I think he's struggling to make the top 5 best spinners in Australian conditions. Let alone be no. 2.

I'd be pretty surprised if they went Kuhnneman tbh

Just had to raise his name initially as he bowled well in Sri Lanka, he seems to be a classic Asian conditions only type of player

 

[Spirit Level]

Too soon for Richardson?

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Too soon for Richardson?

If Starc or Boland need a rest they might just go with him, he's clearly rated extremely highly.

On the spinners I actually think Rocc is better in Aus but they'll likely go with Murphy (though he hasn't been great of late IMO). Think Kunnehman is a sub continent specialist for his career

 

[greatgatsby]

Starc and Boland will put their hand up now that Cummins and Lyon are gone. Notwithstanding the Mayor of Adelaide's 48hr bender, I don't think we're in the mood to gift the Poms a Boxing Day Test.

 

[anchor man]

Got to say I haven't rated what Carse has provided at all. Doesn't build pressure and mostly gets wickets due to mis-hits off what are quite frankly absolute pies.

I know he has beencarted around, but he has given his all. His speeds have been far more consistant than any of the other bowlers.In that respect the rest have been totally disappointing.
Archer after one real quick spell in Perth has been very ordinary.Even in Pert after his first spell, his speeds went way down. Afew times bolwing balls at 112/113 kms.Not good enough from a bowler, along with Wood, was going to terrorise the Aussies.
There attack has been a total disaster.A country that in past times has produced some of the great spinners, now produces at the best club cricket spinners.

 

[greatgatsby]

I thought Tongue looked as good as anyone in Adelaide. They'll probably drop him in Melbourne.