Opinion Cricket thread

Remove this Banner Ad

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mar 17, 2012
14,551
45,190
Caught in the web.
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Considering our openers can’t score to save themselves let’s have a bit of a discussion as to who the potential openers in the future could be:

David Warner - mentally just completely lost at the moment. Can’t continue to persist with him.

Marcus Harris - is reactive as an ice berg. Footwork really needs to improve especially when the ball is moving. Will need to go back to first class cricket to work on his deficiencies.

Cam Bancroft - has potential but also has a long way to go. Hasn’t been able to replicate first class record at test level.

Usman Khamaja - technically he is one of our best. However always finds ways to get into trouble. Could he find his niche as an opener?

Joe Burns - first class record stacks up. Hasn’t been given an extended chance to cement his spot like others have. Has
Scored 4 hundreds at test level. Surely next in line?

Matt Renshaw - tonne of potential but had a poor first class season last year. Has the right temperament for test cricket. Still has a bit of developing to do.

Shaun Marsh - surely we wouldn’t? Might come back into the frame if others keep failing.

Will Pucovski - is he an opener? Pretty sure he is better suited to playing at 3 or 4. Obviously has a very high ceiling but not sure if he is ready to be thrown to the wolves.

Kurtis Patterson - better suited to middle order but has the right temperament and skill set to be an opener. Will probably end up back in the side if Wade keeps continues to not take his chances.

Alex Carey - was previously an opening batsman before transition into being a wicket keeper. Probably should be in the side as the wicket keeper anyway.

Travis Dean - been around at first class level for a few years now. Scored 6 first class hundreds. Often gets starts but doesn’t carry on with them. Has a good range of shots. Has previously been the shield leading run scorer.

Realistically, the top 6 are your opening options.

Unfortunately, apart from Renshaw they all have technical flaws, which you don't want as an opener.

Both Warner and Harris have struggled to around the wicket bowling, Uzzie is nicker to anything that leaves him. Bancroft is a L.B.W. and bowled candidate because of his shuffle across and Burms has had his troubles against the outswinger.

Having said all that, back in Australia they can get away with it because of the flat pitches and lack of swing.

I'd go with Renshaw and Burns if they get runs in the 4 Shield games before the 1st Test of the Summer.
 

hellas_johnny

Premiership Player
May 26, 2008
3,556
4,373
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
South Melbourne Hellas
its a very sad state of affairs when we have that many opener options but they're all that bad. khawaja for his flaws still made starts this series, warner bancroft and harris have been terrible. Is Daniel Hughes from nsw a possible contender aswell? hes been alright in recent time
 

Log in to remove this ad.

hellas_johnny

Premiership Player
May 26, 2008
3,556
4,373
Melbourne
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
South Melbourne Hellas
Wade batting well, just needs to play his natural game. Think hes been the least of our worries with batting this series although he could be better
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Wade batted poorly once he got his ton.
Just never looked settled.
Harsh but he had all the time in the world available to him to try and save the match.
But it’s cause of him we got this close.
Picking Siddle over Starc and picking Warner over Khawaja is what cost us.
We basically began every test 2-0.
 
Mar 16, 2001
23,964
55,788
Melbourne VIC
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Other Teams
Wales, Eastwood, West Ham
That’s that,then.

Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer took a series rout halfway through Headingley and made it a draw. Australia slipped from a dominant position to probably be a bit lucky not to lose the series and the Ashes. On the other hand, England at home faced a side with little going for it except Smith, Cummins and Hazlewood - and knocked Smith out for a Test and a half - and could still only manage to draw the series.

Two pretty ordinary sides with a handful of great players between them turned in a flawed but riveting series. Umpiring was very ordinary too - how teams use their reviews to overcome or not overcome umpiring mistakes shouldn’t be the theme after every innings.

It’s easy to forget, but retaining the Ashes in an away series is a big deal. Few teams lose at home and England hardly ever does these days. We got spoiled watching an incredible team with bat and ball in 1989-2005, thinking that winning away was the norm, but even very good teams don’t do it often. Even this fragile Australian lineup should be fine at home again this summer. Winning away is hard, drawing away is hard.

So, well done to Justin Langer and Tim Paine, and thanks to Smith and Labuschagne and Cummins/Hazlewood/Lyon/Pattinson/Siddle/Starc.
 

KiwiRoo

Premiership Player
Mar 7, 2007
3,816
7,495
New Zealand
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Two pretty ordinary sides with a handful of great players between them turned in a flawed but riveting series. Umpiring was very ordinary too - how teams use their reviews to overcome or not overcome umpiring mistakes shouldn’t be the theme after every innings.

My thoughts exactly.
Nice to see a series dominated by the ball for a change. Makes the hundreds and 50's scored worth something
 

DuckYeah

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 5, 2010
13,324
22,363
Moist island
AFL Club
North Melbourne
Realistically, the top 6 are your opening options.

Unfortunately, apart from Renshaw they all have technical flaws, which you don't want as an opener.

Both Warner and Harris have struggled to around the wicket bowling, Uzzie is nicker to anything that leaves him. Bancroft is a L.B.W. and bowled candidate because of his shuffle across and Burms has had his troubles against the outswinger.

Having said all that, back in Australia they can get away with it because of the flat pitches and lack of swing.

I'd go with Renshaw and Burns if they get runs in the 4 Shield games before the 1st Test of the Summer.
Warner will crush it on our flat pitches, i’d question Harris’ spot, Warner deserves one test at the Gabba, if he fails then he can find himself with the drinks in Perth
 
20190916_062042.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Remove this Banner Ad

Back