Ed Cowan

[Eleven 38]

Yeah, I haven't really seen any fanboy gushing for Edith Cowan either. I agree that he just does his job and that's all he can be asked of his limited abilities for the moment. If Watson gives up the bowling, Eddy will need to "re-think" his scoring capabilities because I am sure the vice-Cap will get precedence about what he wants to do.

If the VC gives up bowling he's nowhere near an automatic selection. Well atleast he shouldn't be. I reckon he should be giving up the weights before bowling anyway.

On Cowan, he is just a gap filler, if he makes a few low scores in India, while someone at home makes runs towards the end of the sheild season, he's gone.

 

[Team DJ]

Good point, I think they were both dropped with those average too....

Taylor Slater Elliot and Blewett meant they were dropped.

 

[Public Enemy No1]

After 12 tests Matt Hayden averaged 26.4 with 1 century and 2 50's
After 12 tests Justin Langer averaged 29.7 with 1 century and 5 50's

I will spare you the suspense...Cowan is not in the same universe as these two.

Cowan is a good shield player, borderline test player. I thought his strength would be not scoring freely but tough to get out and experience.
His first 12 tests have been below par.

 

[swansfan51]

Good point, I think they were both dropped with those average too....

As was Shaun Marsh after 7 tests (average of 27). To those mentioning Cowan's ability to bat slowly and occupy the crease, Marsh had an even shitter strike rate more patient approach.

Phil Hughes was also dropped after 17 matches with an average of 34.58

 

[Caesar]

To those mentioning Cowan's ability to bat slowly and occupy the crease, Marsh had an even shitter strike rate more patient approach.

Which would be fine except he scored less than 10 runs in something like 70% of his innings. Which means that despite his low strike rate, most of the time he still wasn't occupying the crease for very long.

Cowan isn't as consistent as he needs to be yet, but he's nowhere near that bad.

 

[philohk]

People mentioned balls faced and Geoff Marsh earlier. Marsh faced about 90 balls per innings, which is around what you want - if both openers face 90 balls they bat till lunch. Cowan is a tick under 80, and Warner is around 55. Averages more because he scores faster, obviously, but Cowan is definitely thereabouts.

 

[lemon chicken]

I will spare you the suspense...Cowan is not in the same universe as these two.

Cowan is a good shield player, borderline test player. I thought his strength would be not scoring freely but tough to get out and experience.
His first 12 tests have been below par.

Which is ahead of Langer and Hayden.

The Peter Siddle Right Arm Poo thread should be stickied on this board for anytime anybody has an urge to start a thread like this.

 

[Phone]

The Peter Siddle Right Arm Poo thread should be stickied on this board for anytime anybody has an urge to start a thread like this.

is that the thread where some of Siddle's critics say he should bowl fuller, and some of Siddle's defenders say he's fine as he is, and then when he starts bowling full and getting better results the critics are supposed to have egg on face

 

[lemon chicken]

is that the thread where some of Siddle's critics say he should bowl fuller, and some of Siddle's defenders say he's fine as he is, and then when he starts bowling full and getting better results the critics are supposed to have egg on face

No surprise you were one of 'them'. Whatever makes you feel better

 

[BarneyBent]

The Peter Siddle Right Arm Poo thread should be stickied on this board for anytime anybody has an urge to start a thread like this.

That thread was fully justified. He was bowling rubbish, and the main gist of the thread was that he needed to bowl fuller. Guess what? As soon as he started bowling fuller, he started performing. That's the worst possible example you could use.

 

[Zach Package]

I will spare you the suspense...Cowan is not in the same universe as these two.

Cowan is a good shield player, borderline test player. I thought his strength would be not scoring freely but tough to get out and experience.
His first 12 tests have been below par.

He may not be in the same universe as those two, but i think he compares pretty well to langer's early career (before he came back with a more agressive approach and played more shots).

I love him because he knows his game inside out, sticks to his strengths and has worked his ass off to get where he is.
I personally don't look to averages that often, but an average of 35 to start off your test career is more than acceptable, and natural improvement dictates it will probably kick up to above 40 if he's given another 1 or 2 year in the position.

 

[Kram]

He sort of has just done enough to get by but really needs to start to kick on now with some more big scores.

 

[Outshined]

Really hasn't done himself any favours by not cashing in against SL.

 

[bird_man]

He may not be in the same universe as those two, but i think he compares pretty well to langer's early career (before he came back with a more agressive approach and played more shots).

I love him because he knows his game inside out, sticks to his strengths and has worked his arse off to get where he is.
I personally don't look to averages that often, but an average of 35 to start off your test career is more than acceptable, and natural improvement dictates it will probably kick up to above 40 if he's given another 1 or 2 year in the position.

Langer wasn't over 30 when he had his first shot. Cowan is a very average cricketer that had 12 good months of shield cricket, he will be found out eventually. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

 

[Team DJ]

Langer wasn't over 30 when he had his first shot. Cowan is a very average cricketer that had 12 good months of shield cricket, he will be found out eventually. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

My 6 for the next 12 months.

Warner Watson Hughes Clarke Khawaja DHussey.

I like Husseys experience and spin bowling for a 12 month period consisting of India and England twice. Otherwise i'd rather a younger bloke.

 

[Caesar]

Can't believe the Vics are talking up Duss again.

 

[Pykie]

Cowan's danger is Watson imo.

With Hussey out of the middle order, they might feel the need to move Clarke up the order, and possibly Watson back opening.

But that would be a fairly big backtrack.

Idealling I'd like to see a Warner, Watson, Hughes, Clarke; top order, because it looks the most settled, and have Cowan, Khawaja, Marsh etc making up 5 & 6.


I don't see why Cowan "has" to be an opener, Hussey was an opener his whole first class career, Cowan doesn't have near the stroke range, but it's not impossible to consider him for #5 imo.

I think Shaun Marsh would make an excellent #6 as well given time.

Finch is a dark horse if he makes runs in the shield, big if given his record though.

There's not alot of plan B's to some of Australia's batsmen atm, 10-20 years ago, players got shuffled around in their positions all the time, it's all or nothing atm, which is stupid considering our lack of depth in the department atm.


It's not a view thats been mentioned before, but Wade opening isn't a stupid thought either. He's athletic enough to handle the demands, does it in the short formats, is excellent against pace bowling and is damaging with attacking fields....... Would enable us to play 3 specialst batsmen down the order, and we aren't getting much more from Cowan than what Wade would offer imo.

 

[bird_man]

Can't believe the Vics are talking up Duss again.

Probably a bit late for D Hussey but you can't blame people for putting his name up. Aveages mid 50's in FC cricket, that's a sensational record. Their are guys getting games with averagesnin the 30's these days. I can't really think of a better batsman I've seen never to play a test but unfortunately for him age is not on his side.

 

[Eleven 38]

I really hope Watson isn't the answer opening if he decides not to bowl anymore... He never looked comfortable batting there even if he did make a few runs.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I really hope Watson isn't the answer opening if he decides not to bowl anymore... He never looked comfortable batting there even if he did make a few runs.

Averaged over 40 opening but never looked comfortable opening?? Which Watson are you talking about?

 

[Ducky Tie]

Watson was probably our best batsman to watch when he was opening and in form. Looked comfortable enough to me.

 

[Team DJ]

Can't believe the Vics are talking up Duss again.

Im from SA and he should be in. To be honest ordinarily i wouldnt want him. But in the next 12 months we have arguably 3 of our most important series coming up.
We have to win. Hussey offers experience in both of these players, as well as some handy off spin for the Sub Continent.

 

[Eleven 38]

Averaged over 40 opening but never looked comfortable opening?? Which Watson are you talking about?

I thought his average opening would have been around that. There was just something that I didn't like about his technique while opening and knew it wasn't a long term solution. I don't think he is best 11 if he isn't an allrounder anyway, and general consensus is if he bowls he can't open.

 

[Ian Dargie]

I personally don't look to averages that often.

Why not?

It's a reflection of how many runs a guy scores, which is fairly important for a batsman.

Disregarding averages is just another way of disregarding facts.

How else would you suggest we assess a batsman's performance?

An average of 35 to start off your test career is more than acceptable, and natural improvement dictates it will probably kick up to above 40 if he's given another 1 or 2 year in the position.

It's ordinary.

Cowan is lucky there aren't any other bats demanding his spot.

Marcus North averaged 35 over his 18 months in the Test side. Was that "more than acceptable"?

Like North, Cowan is getting out for less than 20 far too often. Not a good trait in an opener.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Im from SA and he should be in. To be honest ordinarily i wouldnt want him. But in the next 12 months we have arguably 3 of our most important series coming up.
We have to win. Hussey offers experience in both of these players, as well as some handy off spin for the Sub Continent.

Hussey's problem is that he has made no runs at all in Shield this season.

If he had, he'd be very hard to overlook.

He's made it easy for the selectors to prefer someone like Khawaja or Doolan, who have been in reasonable form.

Baffled by people talking up Shaun Marsh. What's he done in the past 12 months? Has he even been playing FC cricket?