Changes for Perth

[demon21]

I dont mind the line up i wouldnt play Beer tho, i like the idea of playing smith and playing 4 quicks and you also have watson.

We need to take 20 wickets now so the more options the better off we are, The only question is the 4 paceman we picked are they the best in the country.

 

[ThomasR]

The bowling for mine is much of a muchness - there is not much to get excited about anywhere. Doug is our only real opening bowler and he's not fit. I would lean towards Hilf Harris Johnson and one of Siddle/Beer depending on the wicket.

The biggest disgrace for mine is overlooking Shaun Marsh for Phil Hughes. Yes Hughes has a great first-class and Test record on paper but has anyone seen him bat lately? I worry for both him and Smith against top class bowling attacks who can exploit technical weaknesses - to the extent that I would have Ed Cowan ahead of Hughes at the minute.

I always justified the NSW bias by its population but picking Hughes is a joke. Hope he proves me wrong.

 

[TassieSaint]

Still can't find a baggygreen for Copeland even with our pathetic fast bowling line up... Madness.

One of the criticisms you'd aim at the Beer selection is his lack of first class cricket. Copeland has only played 9 games. I really rate him (based largely on his figures, only seen seeing him play once in the long form) but the Ashes is sudden death now, is that the time to put inexperienced players in the deep end? It might work or he might get spanked and sent backwards in his development.

I think the truly ridiculous isn't not including him now but not giving him a game for Aus A and a chance to bowl himself into Ashes contention when he was clearly in better form than those picked.

 

[Borisdog]

I wonder a little if bringing Hughes in will encourage the Poms to bowl a bit shorter - and maybe blunt their swing by doing so. Assuming Hughes lasts long enough. I do think we must persist with him for the long term.

Smith for North works OK for me but Beer really must be someone having a giggle surely.

 

[SebastianVettel]

I always justified the NSW bias by its population but picking Hughes is a joke. Hope he proves me wrong.

If there really was a NSW bias, then they wouldn't have ignored the two best spin options (both from NSW) and would have certainly found a place for a very worthy Copeland instead of rushing an abject Johnson back in after a week of net practice - which has apparently made two years worth of abysmal performances irrelevant. Not to mention the staggeringly mediocre Peter Siddle, and Ben Hilfenhaus who has looked devoid of confidence and rhythm for quite a while now.

I'm satisfied enough with the batting, although they've really piled the pressure on Phil Hughes. Dropped because of two or three failures, just months after carting the best pace attack in the world around the park in South Africa in his debut series. Now they bring him back when he's averaging 13 at Shield level this season? I really like Hughes as a player, but they've really gone the right way about ruining his career. Hope he does well, gunning for him.

Smith is a great selection. An overdue one, mind. More than good enough to bat at 6, though he'll probably bat at 7, and while he might be expensive, the guy takes wickets. Undeniable fact.

The bowling is an absolute shambles, however. The less said the better.

 

[Cousin Jed]

Reminds me a bit of the NSW Origin selectors, making a boatload of changes every game hoping for some miracle

 

[robboaustralia]

Nice innings from Callum Ferguson today. 131 v New South Wales. Certainly put his hand up for Norths position in the order!

 

[XFactor1979]

ok

i'll go with :

in : johnson, smith, hughes, hilfenhaus

out: bollinger, north, katich, doherty

england:
in : shezhad
out broad

 

[Flawed Genius]

ok

i'll go with :

in : johnson, smith, hughes, hilfenhaus

out: bollinger, north, katich, doherty

england:
in : shezhad
out broad

Uh.

6uhs.

 

[potatomasher]

ok

i'll go with :

in : johnson, smith, hughes, hilfenhaus

out: bollinger, north, katich, doherty

england:
in : shezhad
out broad

It's like predicting whether an elevator will go up or down with two guesses. Funniest thing is you've probably gotten it wrong anyway, Tremlett is a better chance to replace Broad.

 

[Damon_3388]

One of the criticisms you'd aim at the Beer selection is his lack of first class cricket. Copeland has only played 9 games. I really rate him (based largely on his figures, only seen seeing him play once in the long form) but the Ashes is sudden death now, is that the time to put inexperienced players in the deep end? It might work or he might get spanked and sent backwards in his development.

Trent Copeland
10 First Class matches
59 wickets
18.89 average,
2.56 economy rate
44.1 strike rate

Michael Beer
5 First Class matches
16 wickets
39.93 average,
3.60 economy rate
66.5 strike rate

The difference - despite his inexperience, Copeland has produced something special.

 

[krisholio14]

The Victorian hatred is strong in this thread.

Even though i'm not surprised, i'm not sure whether to laff or cry about that.

 

[aussie1st]

Trent Copeland
10 First Class matches
59 wickets
18.89 average,
2.56 economy rate
44.1 strike rate

Michael Beer
5 First Class matches
16 wickets
39.93 average,
3.60 economy rate
66.5 strike rate

The difference - despite his inexperience, Copeland has produced something special.

Steve O'Keefe
10 First Class matches
37 wickets
24.83 average,
3.13 economy rate
47.6 strike rate

Ah sigh

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

The Victorian hatred is strong in this thread.

Even though i'm not surprised, i'm not sure whether to laff or cry about that.

I think it's more about most of us wanting the best players in the side, not many of those players are Victorian sorry to say.

 

[Damon_3388]

Steve O'Keefe
10 First Class matches
37 wickets
24.83 average,
3.13 economy rate
47.6 strike rate

Ah sigh

Perfectly valid as well

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Cook, Beer... if only England could have brought Onions we'd almost have ourselves a sausage sizzle. Australia has a few spuds for anyone who's vegetarian, however.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

woke up and thought a bit more about the Beer selections

and i've come to the conclusion that it's still sh1t

i hope he succeeds - god know we need some wickets - but surely o'keefe or hauritz are better options for the short term.

also - if shield cricket is genuinely a training ground for the aussie side - o'keefe has to be playing. it shouldn't matter if it affects NSW chances - get him in the bloody side to bowl some overs

 

[Phone]

the worst thing about this is that they've got some doubt over Beer and so have picked Smith too. In reality the team should have been:

6. Usman/Callum/Dussey
7. Haddin
8. Hauritz/O'Keefe
9. Johnson

Instead we're going in with:

6. Haddin
7. Smith
8. Johnson
9. Harris

which is weaker with the batting and really doesn't strengthen the bowling at all.

 

[Phone]

btw i look forward to jon holland getting a boxing day debut...

 

[benny_cousins]

the worst thing about this is that they've got some doubt over Beer and so have picked Smith too. In reality the team should have been:

6. Usman/Callum/Dussey
7. Haddin
8. Hauritz/O'Keefe
9. Johnson

Instead we're going in with:

6. Haddin
7. Smith
8. Johnson
9. Harris

which is weaker with the batting and really doesn't strengthen the bowling at all.

Well said. I would have much prefered the three you named at 6. Our batting looks even weaker now. Smith isn't good enough to bat in the top 6 and he isn't a front line bowler. I have a feeling he's going to be a very good player for Australia one day but I don't think he should be getting a game until we are confident enough to put him in front of Haddin.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Well said. I would have much prefered the three you named at 6. Our batting looks even weaker now. Smith isn't good enough to bat in the top 6 and he isn't a front line bowler. I have a feeling he's going to be a very good player for Australia one day but I don't think he should be getting a game until we are confident enough to put him in front of Haddin.

Of course he is good enough to bat top 6.

You don't score 4 tons as a 20 year old in one season of FC cricket if you can't bat.

As i have stated a number of times - Only Ponting and Martyn have done that in the past 20 years

Edit: and hughes

 

[Heisenberg_]

He'll be there one day. Stoked for him though.

He is a gun, hopefully the Vic selectors keep playing our young talent.
We have some very good young players coming through, the time has come to start playing them.

 

[Jimthegreat]

the worst thing about this is that they've got some doubt over Beer and so have picked Smith too. In reality the team should have been:

6. Usman/Callum/Dussey
7. Haddin
8. Hauritz/O'Keefe
9. Johnson

Instead we're going in with:

6. Haddin
7. Smith
8. Johnson
9. Harris

which is weaker with the batting and really doesn't strengthen the bowling at all.

To be fair to Harris, while he had a shocker with the bat in the Test match, he does average 20 in FC cricket with the bat. Even batsmen have shockers as we've seen.

Johnson, Harris and Siddle isn't the worst tail..........theoretically.

 

[Heisenberg_]

To be fair to Harris, while he had a shocker with the bat in the Test match, he does average 20 in FC cricket with the bat. Even batsmen have shockers as we've seen.

Johnson, Harris and Siddle isn't the worst tail..........theoretically.

And he got absolutely screwed in the first innings as well.

 

[Phone]

Johnson, Harris and Siddle isn't the worst tail..........theoretically.

But the 6,7 & 8 isn't the best one we could be playing.