Ed Cowan

[Slax]

If we had some middle order batsmen pushing through then they would move Watson back to opener and Cowan would be out, but no-one is really putting their hand up with much conviction and now with Hussey gone it won't change until at least after India.

 

[sherb]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-sri-lanka-2012/content/current/story/598301.html

 

[Black Diamond]

I'd like to know Cowan's standard deviation. If he scores his average or gets + or - five runs each innings then he is making a valuable contribution. Think of him as the bizarro Marcus North. Of course, the downside to this is that if he hits a form slump he will struggle to see off the storm like a more talented batsman would.

You are also too quick to dismiss his work with Warner. They average 47.25 together compared to Greenidge and Haynes at 47.31 and the 51.14 average of Slater and Taylor. It would be a mistake to upset them just now.

 

[MG MG]

Agreed. However I think he must tour England. We need stability in the side, especially after losing 2 of our starting top 6 already this summer

 

[sherb]

You are also too quick to dismiss his work with Warner. They average 47.25 together compared to Greenidge and Haynes at 47.31 and the 51.14 average of Slater and Taylor. It would be a mistake to upset them just now.

That was basically the point of my posting the link to the article above. They've done a pretty reasonable job together so far.

 

[Super Hans]

I like threads when the OP thinks a player shouldn't be in the team doesn't offer who should be his replacement.

Needs to make bigger scores, and I think he will. But there is no one to replace him with even if we wanted to.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Can't we ever argue the merits of a player without resorting to averages?

 

[Black Diamond]

That was basically the point of my posting the link to the article above. They've done a pretty reasonable job together so far.

Yeah I know. As I pressed "reply" your post appeared. I had a look at the article.

 

[Black Diamond]

Can't we ever argue the merits of a player without resorting to averages?

Of course we can. Keeping in mind that a replacement for Cowan would have to get settled in time for the Ashes, who can come in and do a better job?

 

[DaRick]

I'm not sure that anybody 'loves' Cowan.

The overall consensus, as far as I can tell, is that he's doing a reasonable job as an opener because he's relatively good at blunting the new ball and has partnered with David Warner reasonably effectively, but that he needs to increase his average by 5 runs or so.

The problem is that he has trouble converting starts into 50's and 50's into 100's. Combined with the odd low score, that means his place is constantly under scrutiny.

 

[spookism]

I'm not sure that anybody 'loves' Cowan.

His wife might.

I am on the side of Cowan not being good enough, but at the moment we are going to have to keep him in for the next year after both Ponting and Hussey's retirement. You would imagine Hughes goes back up into opening then.

 

[Black Diamond]

You would imagine Hughes goes back up into opening then.

No you wouldn't.

The thing is, as ugly as Cowan might be he is getting the job done. As exciting as Hughes can be, he isn't just yet. We'd all love for Cowan to be better and if he could get to Justin Langer's level that would be fantastic, but he is the incumbent and will be difficult to displace.

 

[spookism]

No you wouldn't.

The thing is, as ugly as Cowan might be he is getting the job done. As exciting as Hughes can be, he isn't just yet. We'd all love for Cowan to be better and if he could get to Justin Langer's level that would be fantastic, but he is the incumbent and will be difficult to displace.

I could see Hughes being an opener again, in 14 Tests time. I don't see Cowan getting dropped anytime soon, especially with some very important series coming up over the next year. And you are right, he is getting the job done, but if he hasn't improved his stats by this time next year, than he would be on the way out and Hughes would be the man to go back up to opener.

 

[Black Diamond]

I could see Hughes being an opener again, in 14 Tests time. I don't see Cowan getting dropped anytime soon, especially with some very important series coming up over the next year. And you are right, he is getting the job done, but if he hasn't improved his stats by this time next year, than he would be on the way out and Hughes would be the man to go back up to opener.

If Cowan is getting the job done at the moment and continues to do so then he won't be moved. If Hughes is still in the side by that time that will mean he has finally settled and there is no way they will move him from number three in that case.

 

[CAS79]

One opener was tried at no 3 against South africa with the chance to take Cowans spot. If Quiney made runs and Cowan did not he would have gone. Cowan's not totally safe but just doing enough with no one putting the pressure on.

 

[Marlin01]

I like threads when the OP thinks a player shouldn't be in the team doesn't offer who should be his replacement.

This. It seems to be the trend atm.

 

[TassieEagle]

I'd like to know Cowan's standard deviation. If he scores his average or gets + or - five runs each innings then he is making a valuable contribution. Think of him as the bizarro Marcus North. Of course, the downside to this is that if he hits a form slump he will struggle to see off the storm like a more talented batsman would.

Just quickly calculated the Standard deviations using excel counting not outs as completed innings of Ponting (as a control of sorts) North, Cowan and Warner.

Ponting has a career test SD of 33.39. Warner has the largest SD at 44.00, North at 43.40 and Cowan at 32.78. It seems from that Cowan scores a lower amount of runs but is more consistent in his scores. Not a great test batsman but a good ying to the Warner yang.

 

[Black Diamond]

Just quickly calculated the Standard deviations using excel counting not outs as completed innings of Ponting (as a control of sorts) North, Cowan and Warner.

Ponting has a career test SD of 33.39. Warner has the largest SD at 44.00, North at 43.40 and Cowan at 32.78. It seems from that Cowan scores a lower amount of runs but is more consistent in his scores. Not a great test batsman but a good ying to the Warner yang.

I wish I could like this twice! Brilliant!

Thanks mate.

 

[TassieEagle]

I wish I could like this twice! Brilliant!

Thanks mate.

Just realised I made a boo-boo calculating Ponting's. The figure above is after 39 knocks (the same number of innings as North) Still a good measure of his cosistency early in his career.

After Pontings careers is over his SD went up to 50.7, because getting 200 then 30 skews that number too much. Bradman had a SD in the 80's but no doubting the volume of runs he scored or his consistency.

Apologies for the error, but still a lot of validity there.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/245575.html - That article from 2006 is worth a quick read as well.

 

[Black Diamond]

Just realised I made a boo-boo calculating Ponting's. The figure above is after 39 knocks (the same number of innings as North) Still a good measure of his cosistency early in his career.

After Pontings careers is over his SD went up to 50.7, because getting 200 then 30 skews that number too much. Bradman had a SD in the 80's but no doubting the volume of runs he scored or his consistency.

Apologies for the error, but still a lot of validity there.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/245575.html - That article from 2006 is worth a quick read as well.

Thanks. That article is a good read. I would have said Kallis anecdotally especially back in 2006 when he put together an impressive sequence of fifties and hundreds without getting a huge score.

 

[Omega Blue]

i dont think cowan will have a lengthy test career, but at the moment is there anyone better the answer would be no

 

[mansize rooster]

he is an opening batsman's batsman!.. as someone said here.
fair point!
love the guy to bits!
as long bowlers let him cut and pull he is good for a 50 from 120 rocks everytime

 

[eth-dog]

I like him. If he makes 30-odd and takes the shine off the ball he's done his job.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

In a couple of decades, younger people will be asking the older blokes at their cricket club the same question about Ed I asked to the older blokes at my club about Graeme Wood "How did he get to play for so long?" Their response, "There was no one else".

 

[Pure_Ownage]

I don't rate him long term, but now's not the time to shift him with Hussey just gone and no long term options banging down the door in the shield. He'll be retained until after the ashes I'd think. By then if he's not converting starts and there are more guys banging the door down, he will be in trouble, but for the moment he is safe.