Australia's best test team under 30

[RogerC]

Haven't got time to reseach this right now, but I'd like to know what everyone thinks is our best under 30 test line up. Obviously Lee, Gillespie, Ponting and Gilchrist (I think he's still 29) make it, but who else? Maher and Love would probably be there. Bracken? Inness? Hodge? Haddin?

 

[Fat Red]

No research involved, just a side to get the ball rolling:

Hussey
Maher
Ponting
Katich
Hodge
Symonds
Harvey
Gilchrist (for 2 more days)
Lee
Gillespie
Bracken

can't think of a spinner. Love should be there somewhere too but I don't know where.

 

[RogerC]

Ok, got one now. Gilchrist out as he turns 30 tomorrow. the line up is:

Maher (27)
Di Venuto (28)
Love (27)
Hussey (26)
Ponting (26)
Symonds (26)
Haddin (24)
Harvey (29)
B Lee (25)
Gillespie (26)
Bracken (24)

Not bad. Still give most other nations a run for their money. A second eleven might look like:

Campbell (29)
Fitzgerald (28)
Katich (26)
Hodge (26)
M Clarke (20)
S Lee (28)
Manou (22)
Noffke (24)
Inness (23)
S Clark (26)
Rofe (20)

Others can probably name better bowlers than that, but on the batting side of things we've got good depth.

 

[WCE2000]

Michael Hussey - 26
Jimmy Maher - 27
Ricky Ponting - 26 (captain)
Simon Katich - 26
Martin Love - 27
Ian Harvey - 29
Brad Haddin - 24 (keeper)
Brett Lee - 25
Jason Gillespie - 26
Nathan Bracken - 24
Matt Inness - 23

Ashley Nofke - 24 (12th man)

 

[Fat Red]

RogerC, you've got to have Katich in your first XI, surely?

 

[Darky]

Hussey
Maher
Love
Ponting (c)
Katich (vc)
Symonds
Haddin (wk)
B.Lee
Noffke
Gillespie
Bracken
12 - S.Lee

 

[RogerC]

Yeah I do. I did that last line-up without really checking out the stats for the respective players. And I had in mind Katich's recent illness as a factor, which made me select Hussey ahead of him. But he slots right back in. Toss a coin, and say drop Love to the second 11.

I still like all the six batsmen I picked in the initial line-up. Sorry to see any of them go. But Hussey's and Katich's averages are just too good. Maher's in form, Symonds is scintillating, Ponting picks himself. Di Venuto I've always regarded highly.

 

[The Hippie]

How old is Jamie Cox, I know he's been around awhile,I thought he might have got a run somewhere.

 

[RogerC]

Cox is 32. One of the lost generation, I'm afraid.

 

[The Hippie]

Thanks, Roger. Dunno why I thought he was younger. It's a shame, I put him right up there as an opener and now, just when there's an opening spot up for grabs, his age will count against him.

 

[Fat Red]

Originally posted by The Hippie
Thanks, Roger. Dunno why I thought he was younger. It's a shame, I put him right up there as an opener and now, just when there's an opening spot up for grabs, his age will count against him.

Where is there an opening spot up for grabs? Langer has made 2 tons in a row, and Hayden is probably our most important batsman at the moment.

 

[The Hippie]

Lang fine for part-time opener, but I don't think he's suitable in a long term role. I just think he'll be found out by a good bowling side like Sth Africa. Sooner or later (and I think sooner) we need another specialist opener to partner Hayden.

 

[RogerC]

You gotta love Langer. In his brief innings yesterday he edged a ball half a foot in front of the keeper and french cut twice. And that in a score of less than 20. Every innings he does that. He's a tinarse.

 

[The Hippie]

Don't forget, he should have been out in the first over of the Test, too. I've got nothing against the guy, I admire his guts to keep battling on when he was getting kicked in the teeth all the time, I just don't think he's the solution to our long-term opening role. I liked him at 3, I think he's better suited there.

 

[Fat Red]

Mark Taylor was like that though, and I mean before the slump.

I'm a huge fan of his, but the ability to play and miss 30 times and mi**** your first 20 shots and survive should be bottled!

Personally, I've got the play and miss and mi****ting bits down pat (especially the mi****ting). It's just the surviving I struggle with

 

[RogerC]

That's hilarious. You can't say mi**** any more?