Next Generation

[Cat Pummins]

Anyone else think Tim Ward is worth a look? I know he's been middling about in Shield cricket for awhile now, but he looks very compact with good a temperament.

 

[Freezin]

Problem for Aust cricket, there aren't many batsmen with FC averages in the 40's any more.....too many sorts in the 30's zone.....which traditionally hasn't been a good indicator for a killer test career.....

 

[Snake Charmer]

Problem for Aust cricket, there aren't many batsmen with FC averages in the 40's any more.....too many sorts in the 30's zone.....which traditionally hasn't been a good indicator for a killer test career.....

Marn averaged in the 30s. From memory he was selected because he scored close to his average more often than not. Maybe we need to find someone like that, get them into the national set up and pump resources into them

 

[Mostyn]

Marn averaged in the 30s. From memory he was selected because he scored close to his average more often than not. Maybe we need to find someone like that, get them into the national set up and pump resources into them

Aren't we about to drop Marnus? It feels like he's been mediocre for longer than he ever was good.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Anyone else think Tim Ward is worth a look? I know he's been middling about in Shield cricket for awhile now, but he looks very compact with good a temperament.

I've been a fan for a little while. If he was converting his 50's into 100's more often he'd likely already be in the conversation.

If we can have a strong back end of the Shield season and remain the leading run scorer you'd think we'd start hearing his name a little more often.

 

[toml]

Problem for Aust cricket, there aren't many batsmen with FC averages in the 40's any more.....too many sorts in the 30's zone.....which traditionally hasn't been a good indicator for a killer test career.....

Because shield decks are woeful and have been for the best part of 12 or 13 years. This isn't the 90's and early 2000's when shield decks were highways anymore.

 

[toml]

Marn averaged in the 30s. From memory he was selected because he scored close to his average more often than not. Maybe we need to find someone like that, get them into the national set up and pump resources into them

But he has still made 11 test 100's despite his poor FC record

Travis Head averaged just under 34 when he was first selected...

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Because shield decks are woeful and have been for the best part of 12 or 13 years. This isn't the 90's and early 2000's when shield decks were highways anymore.

No 1st innings points on offer anymore

Teams have to take 20 wickets to get anything from the matches at all which has encouraged states to juice up their pitches.

Has made for more entertaining matches and more results but whether it is producing better cricketers...?

 

[western royboy]

No 1st innings points on offer anymore

Teams have to take 20 wickets to get anything from the matches at all which has encouraged states to juice up their pitches.

Has made for more entertaining matches and more results but whether it is producing better cricketers...?

A. It’s not

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

A. It’s not

Agreed.

It feeds into itself too.

If the batters feel like there'll be a ball that "has their name on it" at some stage, they figure they may as well play their shots. At least I'll get some runs on the board by the time my number comes up.

Given that Shield crowds average 50-100 people per day and there's no television coverage, I'm not sure where the push to jazz it up came from?

Especially given that they have the BBL up and going.

 

[western royboy]

Agreed.

It feeds into itself too.

If the batters feel like there'll be a ball that "has their name on it" at some stage, they figure they may as well play their shots. At least I'll get some runs on the board by the time my number comes up.

Given that Shield crowds average 50-100 people per day and there's no television coverage, I'm not sure where the push to jazz it up came from?

Especially given that they have the BBL up and going.

It wasn’t broken…why fix it?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Another post... aesthetics has become a consideration for state bodies.

When there is an international match there is rarely a couple of old, scrappy, scuffed up used pitches alongside the centre wicket. The pitch squares look pristine. No bare, brown, worn eyesores. They want the surrounds looking green for the cameras.

This has meant fewer Shield games on the test venues. We even used to have State 2nd XI matches on Adelaide Oval. Now Karen Rolton Oval hosts the majority of our domestic matches. Traffic on test venues has been reduced.

To get pitches back quicker, they tend to leave more grass on. Those pitches can withstand more wear and tear without crumbling. It's not long that they spring back to life - a growth mat on top, watered for greenhouse conditions, some sun. Eye-pleasing greenery in no time.

The lack of harsh, abrasive used surfaces alongside means that cricket balls don't age as quickly. Seam movement lasts longer. Less need for spinners.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

 

[Some Idiot]

But he has still made 11 test 100's despite his poor FC record

Travis Head averaged just under 34 when he was first selected...

Lab has scored heavily in shield and county cricket since then.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Problem for Aust cricket, there aren't many batsmen with FC averages in the 40's any more.....too many sorts in the 30's zone.....which traditionally hasn't been a good indicator for a killer test career.....

Yes, we've come a long way since the days where Greg Chappell had to play 4 seasons of Sheffield Shield, average in the 50s, and make about 10 centuries before playing for Australia. In more recent times players such as Lehmann and Hayden making 1000 runs a year, for several years before being selected. Then again, we didn't have young careers being destroyed by T20 back then.

 

[Mostyn]

Yes, we've come a long way since the days where Greg Chappell had to play 4 seasons of Sheffield Shield, average in the 50s, and make about 10 centuries before playing for Australia. In more recent times players such as Lehmann and Hayden making 1000 runs a year, for several years before being selected. Then again, we didn't have young careers being destroyed by T20 back then.

If you asked the old timers, we had careers being killed by pyjama cricket back then.

The issue is that first class and test level cricket offers very few incentives to methodically building an innings.

Issues with pitches and balls with much more significant seam is at least as big an issue as players learning to play aggressive T20 shot making.