Random Australian Test Cricketers

[The hands of stone]

He never played a test but a few short form games but I went to school with and played indoor cricket with and against Shane Harwood , was a scary quick bowler and even scarier bloke , loved a beer and a bong and a punch on .

Was lightening in his first few seasons in Vic premier , made Simon Cook look and seem very medium up the other end.
We had heard about him , was even quicker then we were warned about .

 

[The hands of stone]

Trent Copeland is interesting one, whenever I see him on the 7 broadcast it's hard not to think he is some old former player.

Still only 34 years old, played 3 tests in Sri Lanka back in 2011 but never played again.

What was the knock on him? Seems to have a decent record 384 first class wickets @25 runs.

Too military medium for international level , skilled bowler but a few yards short of pace to be real effective.

 

[Pippen94]

Greg Blewett managed 45 tests despite only averaging 34.

You could never say he was an all rounder anymore than you'd say Steve Waugh was. 14 wickets at 51.

Waugh was much more effective bowler (49 wickets at 29 in 90's)

 

[Pippen94]

Too military medium for international level , skilled bowler but a few yards short of pace to be real effective.

Glenn McGrath bowled 130km

 

[Pippen94]

At one point in my life I had a genuine encyclopaedic recall of cricket history and statistics. I guess it's a measure of how much my interests and values have changed, but I've never heard of Kurtis Patterson. I had to look him up on HowStat, and even then nothing clicked.

selectors have same problem with Kurtis

 

[The hands of stone]

Glenn McGrath bowled 130km

Could get into the late 130s also , Copeland mainly 125-130. Decent pace difference with Mcgrath comfortable quicker .

 

[The Passenger]

Trent Copeland is interesting one, whenever I see him on the 7 broadcast it's hard not to think he is some old former player.

Still only 34 years old, played 3 tests in Sri Lanka back in 2011 but never played again.

What was the knock on him? Seems to have a decent record 384 first class wickets @25 runs.

Glenn McGrath bowled 130km

McGrath would have averaged around 130 and got considerable bounce, which Copeland didn't get. McGrath could get into the mid 130's and earlier in his career into the late 130's.

Copeland maxed out at 130 and even that was an absolute push for him. 125 a more realistic maximum. He dropped into the 110's regularly at which point he was really unthreatening.

He's forged out a bloody great career for NSW with 384 first class wickets at 25 including 318 in the Shield, placing him 13th of all time and he is still taking regular wickets (5/17 v Qld a couple of months back). He's hardly had an injury for the last decade so 400 shield wickets isn't out of the question. Only four have done that so far.

But his style of bowling was always going to struggle to penetrate at the top level, especially if he was to be a regular in Australia on our flat test wickets. If we had needed to call upon him for an extended run, I don't think he would've embarrassed himself, and you probably could have made a case for him to tour England and/or New Zealand around that period but ultimately there were bowlers with more weapons at their disposal for test cricket. Getting a baggy green was a good reward for his career - he would've have been the only non test player to have taken 300 shield wickets if he hadn't got a cap in Sri Lanka.

Interestingly, Copeland made his test debut with Nathan Lyon. Copeland took a wicket with his second ball and about an hour later Lyon took one with his first ball (Sangakarra as well).

 

[Pippen94]

McGrath would have averaged around 130 and got considerable bounce, which Copeland didn't get. McGrath could get into the mid 130's and earlier in his career into the late 130's.

Copeland maxed out at 130 and even that was an absolute push for him. 125 a more realistic maximum. He dropped into the 110's regularly at which point he was really unthreatening.

He's forged out a bloody great career for NSW with 384 first class wickets at 25 including 318 in the Shield, placing him 13th of all time and he is still taking regular wickets (5/17 v Qld a couple of months back). He's hardly had an injury for the last decade so 400 shield wickets isn't out of the question. Only four have done that so far.

But his style of bowling was always going to struggle to penetrate at the top level, especially if he was to be a regular in Australia on our flat test wickets. If we had needed to call upon him for an extended run, I don't think he would've embarrassed himself, and you probably could have made a case for him to tour England and/or New Zealand around that period but ultimately there were bowlers with more weapons at their disposal for test cricket. Getting a baggy green was a good reward for his career - he would've have been the only non test player to have taken 300 shield wickets if he hadn't got a cap in Sri Lanka.

Interestingly, Copeland made his test debut with Nathan Lyon. Copeland took a wicket with his second ball and about an hour later Lyon took one with his first ball (Sangakarra as well).

Seeing him on TV makes me think he should've got good bounce with that height!!

 

[The hands of stone]

Seeing him on TV makes me think he should've got good bounce with that height!!

Different trajectory from their actions , Mcgrath always felt like he was hitting the splice of your bat with that extra bounce so felt quicker then the gun said.

Copeland not as tall at release so didnt get the bounce or as zippy , skilled bowler though through the air and off the deck .

 

[MisterMarcus]

where's the random Australian ODI cricketers thread, so we can appreciate Peter Forrest?

Forrest was an odd one. Looked to have the goods to be a 'traditional' Test player, but they pushed him into the ODI team and then dropped him for being too stodgy....

 

[MisterMarcus]

Too military medium for international level , skilled bowler but a few yards short of pace to be real effective.

Yeah, like Sayers, he just didn't fit the "145kph+ or *$%# off" mentality we seem to have with pace bowlers....

 

[ioppolo]

Who mentioned random ODI players? Brett Dorey the big lug, played in the 2005 trip series.

Or even better, random T20I players. Nathan Reardon represented Australia a couple of times.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Or even better, random T20I players. Nathan Reardon represented Australia a couple of times.

Luke Pomersbach, who was sitting in the crowd as a spectator when he got called up at the last minute....

 

[Hamingja]

Luke Pomersbach, who was sitting in the crowd as a spectator when he got called up at the last minute....

Pomersbach did win a big bash title on his lonesome basically.

 

[BronCrow]

If we are talking about players that only played ODI’s, can we include Michael Di Venuto in here?


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Richard Pryor]

Who mentioned random ODI players? Brett Dorey the big lug, played in the 2005 trip series.

Or even better, random T20I players. Nathan Reardon represented Australia a couple of times.

Also represented Aus in a "Legends" charity match like one season after he retired and beat up on geriatrics.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Luke Pomersbach, who was sitting in the crowd as a spectator when he got called up at the last minute....

Had all the talent to be a very good player in all formats for Australia.

What a waste.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Waugh started out a much better bowler than Blewett, but Blewett's stood the test of time much better. So much so he was being mentioned in dispatches as a smoky for the 2003 World Cup squad as an all rounder, in essentially a 3 way battle between him, Roy and le Freak for the final spot. (The freak also ended up there as an injury call up in the end.)

I was hoping it happened for Blewett, would've been a lot like Moody getting a gig in the '99 World Cup. Gun batsman but career highlight being by virtue of being able to bowl a bit.

 

[The Passenger]

I always get surprised at how poor blewett's ODI stats are. Average 20 strike rate 60. He was a fluent stroke maker at his best and it seemed like one day cricket was made for him. Also an almost identical strike rate to Ed Cowan (41) in tests which is also surprising.

 

[RohitSharma]

Any upcoming bowlers coming up in domestic cricket. Current lot couldn't even pick Ashwin mates. Crickey

 

[corbies]

I'm glad we're starting to get onto random white ball players as some of the blokes who can call themselves Australian cricketers in the last 10 or so years is something:

Brett Geeves (2 ODIs, 1 T20I)
Travis Birt (4 T20s)
Ben Cutting (4 ODIs, 7 T20Is) - Was also 12th man for a test when it got down to whether he or Mitch Starc would make their test debut v NZ at the GABBA.
Ben Rohrer (1 T20I)
James Muirhead (5 T20Is including a T20 world cup)
Cameron Boyce (7 T20Is)
Ben Dunk (5 T20Is)
Nathan Reardon (2 T20Is) - as mentioned before
Michael Klinger (3 T20Is) - probably gladly got to play for Australia
Jack Wildermuth (2 T20Is)
Daniel Sams (2 T20Is)
Sam Heazlett (1 ODI)
Chris Tremain (4 ODIs)
Daniel Worrall (3 ODIs)
Joel Paris (2 ODIs)
Gurinder Sandhu (2 ODIs)

An interesting list are guys who almost got test matches for Australia too:

Ben Cutting - as mentioned above
Dan Christian - was 12th man and on stand by to replace Shane Watson for a few tests one summer
Brendan Doggett - made a test squad to the UAE in 2018.

 

[iluvparis]

I always get surprised at how poor blewett's ODI stats are. Average 20 strike rate 60. He was a fluent stroke maker at his best and it seemed like one day cricket was made for him. Also an almost identical strike rate to Ed Cowan (41) in tests which is also surprising.

From memory - and it was admittedly a long time ago! - but I think he had that issue where in ODIs with less gaps in the field he struggled to hit the ball into space,

 

[Gough]

I'm glad we're starting to get onto random white ball players as some of the blokes who can call themselves Australian cricketers in the last 10 or so years is something:

Brett Geeves (2 ODIs, 1 T20I)
Travis Birt (4 T20s)
Ben Cutting (4 ODIs, 7 T20Is) - Was also 12th man for a test when it got down to whether he or Mitch Starc would make their test debut v NZ at the GABBA.
Ben Rohrer (1 T20I)
James Muirhead (5 T20Is including a T20 world cup)
Cameron Boyce (7 T20Is)
Ben Dunk (5 T20Is)
Nathan Reardon (2 T20Is) - as mentioned before
Michael Klinger (3 T20Is) - probably gladly got to play for Australia
Jack Wildermuth (2 T20Is)
Daniel Sams (2 T20Is)
Sam Heazlett (1 ODI)
Chris Tremain (4 ODIs)
Daniel Worrall (3 ODIs)
Joel Paris (2 ODIs)
Gurinder Sandhu (2 ODIs)

An interesting list are guys who almost got test matches for Australia too:

Ben Cutting - as mentioned above
Dan Christian - was 12th man and on stand by to replace Shane Watson for a few tests one summer
Brendan Doggett - made a test squad to the UAE in 2018.

That's a veritable conga line of indifference.

 

[Pippen94]

I'm glad we're starting to get onto random white ball players as some of the blokes who can call themselves Australian cricketers in the last 10 or so years is something:

Brett Geeves (2 ODIs, 1 T20I)
Travis Birt (4 T20s)
Ben Cutting (4 ODIs, 7 T20Is) - Was also 12th man for a test when it got down to whether he or Mitch Starc would make their test debut v NZ at the GABBA.
Ben Rohrer (1 T20I)
James Muirhead (5 T20Is including a T20 world cup)
Cameron Boyce (7 T20Is)
Ben Dunk (5 T20Is)
Nathan Reardon (2 T20Is) - as mentioned before
Michael Klinger (3 T20Is) - probably gladly got to play for Australia
Jack Wildermuth (2 T20Is)
Daniel Sams (2 T20Is)
Sam Heazlett (1 ODI)
Chris Tremain (4 ODIs)
Daniel Worrall (3 ODIs)
Joel Paris (2 ODIs)
Gurinder Sandhu (2 ODIs)

An interesting list are guys who almost got test matches for Australia too:

Ben Cutting - as mentioned above
Dan Christian - was 12th man and on stand by to replace Shane Watson for a few tests one summer
Brendan Doggett - made a test squad to the UAE in 2018.

Wait, players like Jack Wildermuth & Daniel Sams still a way to go in their careers

 

[corbies]

Wait, players like Jack Wildermuth & Daniel Sams still a way to go in their careers

They're random is more the point. Wildermuth got picked when he could barely get a game for the Renegades.