Opinion Cricket thread

[giantroo]

 

[Hojuman]

Depends how you define a good score. There have been 50s to Paine, Warner, Bancroft, Marsh and Khawaja, and a glut of starts. PH is the only one to not make some sort of a score and he'll rightly be under pressure for Perth.

And rightly so. Failure in Perth will see him dropped. But l think Scotts.........l mean Lehmanns will stick with a winning group. Why break it up. 2 -0, camaraderie and momentum built. Stick with it..

 

[Hojuman]

Poor decision not to enforce the follow on in these cirmustances but we got the result. Winning and learning is better than losing and learning.

Follow on a tough one with a lead of 200 - 230 l think 300 +. Sure. But if your bowlers have just toiled for a day and a half, do you want the same again ? Might as well bat again and get the 350 - 400 lead which history shows that is a big task to achieve and win. This English team never will.

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I don't get the M Marsh call up on form, but the selectors have earned a couple of tests to do what they want. Paine has been very good and S Marsh saved that one.

Btw, after the DRS debacle last night, have to give a lot of credit to the umpires today. Catches from not too much contact, and an LBW, and they got it right all day so the lack of appeals didn't cost us.

 

[Hojuman]

I don't get the M Marsh call up on form, but the selectors have earned a couple of tests to do what they want. Paine has been very good and S Marsh saved that one.

Btw, after the DRS debacle last night, have to give a lot of credit to the umpires today. Catches from not too much contact, and an LBW, and they got it right all day so the lack of appeals didn't cost us.

Actually give the Poms credit. Didn't argue too much when given the finger.

 

[giantroo]

 

[Hearts to hearts]

Actually give the Poms credit. Didn't argue too much when given the finger.

Yeah nah. Not giving England credit for a thing, with my Celtic background and Australian cricket tragic hat on.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

I don't get the M Marsh call up on form

I actually think it makes a lot of sense, which is strange as Mitch getting in the test side generally doesn't.

If you want a 5th bowler anywhere it's Perth where the pitch generally doesn't give a lot for bowlers and the conditions are tough to bowl long spells in. He is also in some decent form with the bat, with 141, 95, 43 and 38* in his last five domestic knocks. I think Handscomb will be very nervous.

The main knock for me would be he hasn't bowled a lot lately, but he was clocking mid 140s in the last shield match.

 

[giantroo]

 

[giantroo]

Marsh added to Australia's Ashes squad
Western Australian's ability to provide back-up for front-line quicks cited as key reason for recall to Test team


Allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been added to Australia's 13-man squad for third Test of the Magellan Ashes series in Perth, where Australia will look to secure the urn.

Marsh comes into the squad in place of South Australian seam bowler Chadd Sayers, who had been included in an initial two-Test squad with a specific view to the Adelaide Test match.

As it turned out, Sayers was not required for the day-night match that Australia won on the fifth afternoon by 120 runs with an unchanged XI from the opening 10-wicket victory in Brisbane.

However, the increasingly batting-friendly surface in Perth has seen selectors plump for a batter who can offer pace back-up to the front-line quicks of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

That pace ability gave Marsh the edge over off-spinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell, who is the JLT Sheffield Shield's leading run-scorer, having posted a career-best 278 against NSW and followed up with 96 against Marsh's Western Australia at the MCG this week.

Marsh, who will join his elder brother Shaun in the Test squad, last played a Test on Australia's tour of India and required a full shoulder reconstruction after picking up an injury in the Bengaluru Test.

Out of the Test frame, he was named the WA captain for this summer, and vowed to focus on improving his batting, hitting a century in the JLT One-Day Cup, and an unbeaten 80 in the final against South Australia to help steer his side to the title.

He then returned to bowling earlier than expected in the Warriors' JLT Sheffield Shield game against Queensland at the WACA Ground late last month, the venue for the third Test starting December 14, and took 2-49.

Marsh also scored a century in that match, with 141 in the first innings, following a 95 against South Australia at the WACA in the previous round. He scored 43 and 38 not out in WA's drawn match with Victoria at the MCG this week.

Former Australia quick Jason Gillespie had tipped Marsh's recall on the basis that a fourth bowler who could support the front-line quicks was vital.

"I said after the first two Test matches the Australians will maybe add someone to their squad, possibly an allrounder because they'll feel the surfaces in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney are three very good batting surfaces," Gillespie told Optus Sport's Stumps program before the squad was confirmed.

"And the three big hairy quicks are going to need a little bit of support. So don't be surprised if a Mitchell Marsh or that type player comes into the equation."

Former Australia opener and Stumps co-host Chris Rogers said the change could mean an exit from the side for Peter Handscomb.

"Unfortunately it's going to be Handscomb that will be left out," Rogers said.

"At the start of the season he was pretty secure with his spot, but just looks a little bit off colour at the moment. He doesn't look like the game's as simple as it should be for him.

"It sounds like the most simple thing in batting, but you go forward to full balls and back to short balls, but that's not what Pete is doing at the moment unfortunately."

Handscomb has scores of 14, 36 and 12 in the Magellan Ashes so far, and in his past 10 first-class matches has 498 runs at 27.67.

Rogers' comments echoed those of Australia legend Ricky Ponting, who told cricket.com.au in Adelaide the Victorian's technique was something he had "never seen before".

"You see a lot of people finish in that position after they've pushed back from their front foot onto their back foot and finish six inches from their stumps, but I've never seen anyone start there," Ponting told cricket.com.au

"That, in itself, could mean there's some sort of issue going on. I'm not sure what it might be but batting back there he's trying to give himself as much time as he possibly can.

"If he's always done it and that's the technique he wants to stick with that's fine, but when you see him start moving his feet like he did today; one ball (he was) two feet outside off stump, the next ball outside leg stump, that's going to make batting pretty difficult.

"There's going to be a few things there that need to be changed as far as I'm concerned.

"If he keeps moving around like he does and moving back in front of his stumps it just looks like he's making batting more difficult for himself."

Victoria batsman Maxwell, the JLT Sheffield Shield's leading run-scorer with 590 runs at 73.75 from the five matches before the BBL break, can consider him unlucky to miss out having been added to the squad as cover for Shaun Marsh who had a back issue leading into the Gabba Test. Maxwell hit a career-best 278 against NSW at North Sydney Oval and added another 96 against WA this week

Tasmania's Jackson Bird has been retained in the Test squad as the first reserve fast bowler, having collected player of the match honours for his seven-wicket haul against the NSW Blues in the Tigers Shield win.

Meanwhile, England coach Trevor Bayliss said it was unlikely there would be any changes to the England XI for the third Test, saying there was "no real need for panic".

"No, I don't think so, I don't think there's any real need to panic. Guys have shown the capabilities they've got, we've just got to find a way to do it for longer," Bayliss told UK broadcaster BT Sport.

Australia squad for third Test: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird

 

[Firestarter]

Will chfat?

 

[King Corey]

Yeah nah. Not giving England credit for a thing, with my Celtic background and Australian cricket tragic hat on.

 

[Mav]

Will chfat?

As in Chfating Rastard

 

[roo blitz]

I don't really take the ashes as serious anymore. Both these teams have a lot of flaws and I personally think this Aussie team is one of their worse since the mid 1980s. The poms just cant handle the Aussie pitches and they were never going to win once Stokes was going to miss. Its the same as Smith missing from the Aussie team but probably more of a loss because his bowling, batting and fielding and team vibe is sadly missing. The Aussies are the same they cant win in English conditions. If this was played in England right now the poms would be 2-0 up. Neither team is good enough to win overseas. Next ashes in England the poms will win them back. India are the same. Rated no 1 but how many times do they have to play their tests in India and not travel. Australia, England and Sth Africa would all beat India at home. The key to any good side is winning away. Something the great Windies side and great Aussie sides could do

 

[darko]

Flawed sides or not i hate losing to England.

Don't care if we lose to everyone else just as long we beat England and India.

 

[gokangas]

Flawed sides or not i hate losing to England.

Don't care if we lose to everyone else just as long we beat England and India.

Beating England is like beating Collingwood to me. Nothing is better.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

Beating England is like beating Collingwood to me. Nothing is better.

I can think of 2 things that are better - death and taxes.

 

[gokangas]

I can think of 2 things that are better - death and taxes.

So you would rather die or pay taxes than beat Collingwood? I'm confused.

 

[Mav]

I don't really take the ashes as serious anymore. Both these teams have a lot of flaws and I personally think this Aussie team is one of their worse since the mid 1980s. The poms just cant handle the Aussie pitches and they were never going to win once Stokes was going to miss. Its the same as Smith missing from the Aussie team but probably more of a loss because his bowling, batting and fielding and team vibe is sadly missing. The Aussies are the same they cant win in English conditions. If this was played in England right now the poms would be 2-0 up. Neither team is good enough to win overseas. Next ashes in England the poms will win them back. India are the same. Rated no 1 but how many times do they have to play their tests in India and not travel. Australia, England and Sth Africa would all beat India at home. The key to any good side is winning away. Something the great Windies side and great Aussie sides could do

You’re underselling the Aussies. We have a fantastic bowling line up and a couple of top quality batsmen including one of the best in the world.

 

[naturally north]

I can think of 2 things that are better - death and taxes.

I'm more of a time and tide kind of guy.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

You’re underselling the Aussies. We have a fantastic bowling line up and a couple of top quality batsmen including one of the best in the world.

We do, but he is right. The minute we leave Australia were an average side. We lost a Test to the Bangas and we're rated 5th in the world for a reason. It's because it batting is putrid. Apart from Smith, all of our batsmen are vulnerable away from our home conditions.

 

[King Corey]

Flawed sides or not i hate losing to England.

Don't care if we lose to everyone else just as long we beat England and India.

India just about edging England for one these days.

Spend some time with the average Indian supporter and you'll learn that technically they've never lost a game at any level.

Don't think the expression "better team won on the day" exists in Hindi.

 

[Groucho]

India just about edging England for one these days.

Spend some time with the average Indian supporter and you'll learn that technically they've never lost a game at any level.

Don't think the expression "better team won on the day" exists in Hindi.

So true. And the "Sachin is better than Bradman" arguments are quite mirthful.

 

[Mav]

We do, but he is right. The minute we leave Australia were an average side. We lost a Test to the Bangas and we're rated 5th in the world for a reason. It's because it batting is putrid. Apart from Smith, all of our batsmen are vulnerable away from our home conditions.

Sure, but pretty much every team is vulnerable away from home. Our batting is certainly our weakness, Khawaja has been a complete fail away from home. Bancroft was playing his first test and Handscomb has only played 12, and has only ever been to the subcontinent. Marshes away form is on par with his home form, but injury has hindered him greatly.

The South African tests are going to be very interesting. We need some young guys stepping up with the bat.

 

[Heaps of fun]

I don't really take the ashes as serious anymore. Both these teams have a lot of flaws and I personally think this Aussie team is one of their worse since the mid 1980s. The poms just cant handle the Aussie pitches and they were never going to win once Stokes was going to miss. Its the same as Smith missing from the Aussie team but probably more of a loss because his bowling, batting and fielding and team vibe is sadly missing. The Aussies are the same they cant win in English conditions. If this was played in England right now the poms would be 2-0 up. Neither team is good enough to win overseas. Next ashes in England the poms will win them back. India are the same. Rated no 1 but how many times do they have to play their tests in India and not travel. Australia, England and Sth Africa would all beat India at home. The key to any good side is winning away. Something the great Windies side and great Aussie sides could do

I've enjoyed the series so far, though mostly for the Aussie bowling, you make a lot of good points. Can't agree with Stokes being a comparative loss to Smith. Smith has averaged 65 runs in the past two years. Stokes 37. It would be like us missing Khawaja IMO.