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The Cricket Thread

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I also think they will pick Hughes.

We desperately need our top 4 to start making more consistent runs

I have been pleased with the bowling work of Starc and Johnson from the bits I have seen this test. Both have the ability to take wickets, but do bowl their fair share of boundary balls. Johnson bowled with a lot of venom.

Our best bowling attack should contain either Starc or Johnson, and then Siddle, Patto and Lyon.
 
Top 4 is a massive concern...

Warner - I remain unconvinced that he is a Test opener or Test player
Cowan - An old fashioned opener who takes the shine off the ball, but is his technique solid enough to play that role? Showed in Brisbane he has shot when he's in, but personally with the attack of Steyn and Philander I'd prefer to see 2 openers providing stout resistance and a defend first, attack later attitiude.
Watson - Hasn't played cricket for a while and it showed. Should move back to open IMO
Ponting - well he is retiring, but he looks past it doesn't he!
------
Clarke - You cannot save the team every innings, was overdue for a failure, and it came. Happy for him to bat here, don't necessarily see any advantage of getting him up to 3. How many times can you be expected to pull your side back into a contest at 3/40???
Hussey - I believe this should be his last summer. 2 tons are his attempt to prove me wrong. Got bogged down by some good bowling whilst Wade was making hay at the other end.
Wade - Technical flaws in his glovework are apparent but is the best option at the moment.
------
MJ - Can bat, can bowl, can Catch. Still can bowl absolute tripe. Has the ability, just not the consistency. Happy for him to remain in the team as an X factor on his perth performance, but would need to back it up or it's back to FC cricket for mine.
Starc - Lots of boundary balls, and cleaned up the tail. Work in Progress. I don't mind him. Moves the ball around, and those two first innings wickets were excellent.
Hastings - Nup!
Lyon - Our best option as a spinner, but probably should have been rested for Perth, provided no pressure.

On the fringe....
Ricky's replacement?
Doolan - Do we blood a young guy, like we did Clarke and Ricky?
Khawaja - another 80 on the weekend
Fergusson - Making runs in a crappy side
Hughes - Surely we cannot have Warner and Hughes in the same lineup!
Depending on what changes we make, we may re-shuffle the deck chairs, oops I mean the batting line-up.

I'd like to see Khawaja in.

Bowling...
Sids to replace Hastings a certainty

Cutting for the all rounder role?
 
Our TOp order a retrospective 12 months...

How many wickets did we lose on our way to the first 100 runs?
NZ TEst1
1-3, 2-25, 3-91 - Total 427
1-11 - Total 1/19

NZ Test 2
1-7, 2-24, 3-31, 4-35, 5-58, 6-69, 7-95 - Total 136
1-72, went from 1-122-5-159, - Total 223

IND Test 1
1-46, 2-46 - Total 333
1-13, 2-16, 3-24, 4-27 - Total 240

IND Test 2
1-8, 2-8, 3-37 - Total 4/659

Ind Test 3
1-214!!! - Total 369

Ind Test 4
1-26, 2-31, 3-84 - Total 7/604
1-39, 2-40, 3-40 - Total 5/167

WI Test 1
1-50, 2-65, 3-83 - Total 406
1-31 - Total 7/192

WI Test 2
1-53, 2-65, 3-83 - total 311
1-26, 2-26, 3-57, 4-93, 5-95 - Total 8/160

WI Test 3
1-1, 2-84 - Total 328
1-17, 2-25 - Total 259

SA Test 1
1-13, 2-30, 3-40 - Total 565

SA Test 2
1-43, 2-44, 3-55 - Total 550
1-77, 2-77, 3-91, 4-98 - Total 267

SA Test 3
1-3, 2-18, 3-34, 4-35, 5-43, 6-45 - Total 163

6 times we went for 3 for under 100, to record a score over 400
 

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djboonie said:
Top 4 is a massive concern...

Warner - I remain unconvinced that he is a Test opener or Test player
Cowan - An old fashioned opener who takes the shine off the ball, but is his technique solid enough to play that role? Showed in Brisbane he has shot when he's in, but personally with the attack of Steyn and Philander I'd prefer to see 2 openers providing stout resistance and a defend first, attack later attitiude.
Watson - Hasn't played cricket for a while and it showed. Should move back to open IMO
Ponting - well he is retiring, but he looks past it doesn't he!
------
Clarke - You cannot save the team every innings, was overdue for a failure, and it came. Happy for him to bat here, don't necessarily see any advantage of getting him up to 3. How many times can you be expected to pull your side back into a contest at 3/40???
Hussey - I believe this should be his last summer. 2 tons are his attempt to prove me wrong. Got bogged down by some good bowling whilst Wade was making hay at the other end.
Wade - Technical flaws in his glovework are apparent but is the best option at the moment.
------
MJ - Can bat, can bowl, can Catch. Still can bowl absolute tripe. Has the ability, just not the consistency. Happy for him to remain in the team as an X factor on his perth performance, but would need to back it up or it's back to FC cricket for mine.
Starc - Lots of boundary balls, and cleaned up the tail. Work in Progress. I don't mind him. Moves the ball around, and those two first innings wickets were excellent.
Hastings - Nup!
Lyon - Our best option as a spinner, but probably should have been rested for Perth, provided no pressure.

On the fringe....
Ricky's replacement?
Doolan - Do we blood a young guy, like we did Clarke and Ricky?
Khawaja - another 80 on the weekend
Fergusson - Making runs in a crappy side
Hughes - Surely we cannot have Warner and Hughes in the same lineup!
Depending on what changes we make, we may re-shuffle the deck chairs, oops I mean the batting line-up.

I'd like to see Khawaja in.

Bowling...
Sids to replace Hastings a certainty

Cutting for the all rounder role?
Click to expand...

I don't know the answer to our top order woes. I do think that Watson's best position would be six, especially if we want him to play the all-rounder's role.
I
 
Really poor effort. Smashed by a vastly superior team, but the holes that needed filling 18 months ago are still there. It got papered over playing India at home then visiting the West Indies, but when it counts we revert to type.

Ponting's farewell tour has all been very nice, but as far as I'm concerned its a year of international cricket Khawaja, Hughes, Ferguson, Quiney et al didn't get.

Pick Khawaja, put him at 3 and leave him there.

Cowan
Warner
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Watson
Wade
Johnson
Siddle
Lyon
Starc

Mitch Starc is only going to get so far being 6'6". Rarely bowls it in the same place with consecutive balls; poor form in park cricket, unforgivable at test level. Utter tripe.

Mitch Johnson has done just enough. Still a shit truck.
 
Why all the Johnson love? Has only managed to average under 30 6 times in 16 series (excluding his latest test). He has NEVER been a good bowler and I didn't see anything different in his action from 12 months ago as reported. If anything it was a little more round armed. Once teams worked out you just need to leave his wide half trackers alone his figures got a lot worse.

Johnson averaged 72.33, 32.62, 36.93, 52.16 and 85 in his last 5 series before getting injured. That injury, as far as I was concerned, was a gift from heaven. Johnson is not good enough to bowl with the new ball and Siddle is a much better first change bowler. Not that I think Hilfy is great but he can at least be tidy with the new ball.

Ideally our bowling line up would be Pattinson, Siddle and Starc as the seamers. Without Pattinson available we can either stick with Hilfy or give Halzewood a go. Hastings did not look up to it bowling 130km wobblers. I thought given his height he might get a lot of bounce but he didn't seem to trouble anyone. A shame Cummings is related to Mr Glass . . .
 
Brishawk said:
Why all the Johnson love? Has only managed to average under 30 6 times in 16 series (excluding his latest test). He has NEVER been a good bowler and I didn't see anything different in his action from 12 months ago as reported. If anything it was a little more round armed. Once teams worked out you just need to leave his wide half trackers alone his figures got a lot worse.

Johnson averaged 72.33, 32.62, 36.93, 52.16 and 85 in his last 5 series before getting injured. That injury, as far as I was concerned, was a gift from heaven. Johnson is not good enough to bowl with the new ball and Siddle is a much better first change bowler. Not that I think Hilfy is great but he can at least be tidy with the new ball.
Click to expand...


Cricket Australia have drunk the Kool-Aid. Far more effective underwear model than test cricketer.

Brishawk said:
Ideally our bowling line up would be Pattinson, Siddle and Starc as the seamers. Without Pattinson available we can either stick with Hilfy or give Halzewood a go. Hastings did not look up to it bowling 130km wobblers. I thought given his height he might get a lot of bounce but he didn't seem to trouble anyone. A shame Cummings is related to Mr Glass . . .
Click to expand...

Don't forget Cummins.
 
Messenger said:
Cricket Australia have drunk the Kool-Aid. Far more effective underwear model than test cricketer.
Click to expand...
haha so true!

Messenger said:
Don't forget Cummins.
Click to expand...
I didn't, its just that he is injured all the time. Imagine having a bowling line up containing all of Pattinson, Cummings and Watson . . . Scary for the batsman in the first innings, scary for Aus supporters in the second innings when we are reduced to Siddle and Lyon as our only fit bowlers.
 

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Starc is still very young. People forget what McGrath was like at first. He has a beautiful action and with his height will only get better. Hazelwood should of played in Perth. Johnson has been in the system years and his best and worst are soo far apart and can lose his rhythm and become batting practice. George and Bird should also be looked at. Time for Aust to move on from the old hands and start build a bowling battery that will set us up for the next 5 ashes. Pattinson, Starc, Hazelwood, Bird, George and Cummins are the future and must get test experience. Sri Lanka is a perfect series to give them time and exposure. Same goes for the batting line up. Not seen much of Doolan but his age and stroke play makes him an ideal candidate. I feel like you have to be 30 and have 10,000 first class runs behind you before you get a test berth for australia. Shits me to tears!!! Ricky was 18 Godamitt!!
 
djboonie said:
Faulkner needs to be looked at also.
Click to expand...

Here you are. Wondering where you had got to.

Why we played Hastings as a front line bowler is beyond me. He's an alrounder and thats it.
 
JESTERHAWK said:
Starc is still very young. People forget what McGrath was like at first. He has a beautiful action and with his height will only get better. Hazelwood should of played in Perth. Johnson has been in the system years and his best and worst are soo far apart and can lose his rhythm and become batting practice. George and Bird should also be looked at. Time for Aust to move on from the old hands and start build a bowling battery that will set us up for the next 5 ashes. Pattinson, Starc, Hazelwood, Bird, George and Cummins are the future and must get test experience. Sri Lanka is a perfect series to give them time and exposure. Same goes for the batting line up. Not seen much of Doolan but his age and stroke play makes him an ideal candidate. I feel like you have to be 30 and have 10,000 first class runs behind you before you get a test berth for australia. Shits me to tears!!! Ricky was 18 Godamitt!!
Click to expand...

I agree that picking Hastings was a monumental blunder in Perth. Hazelwood, or, better still, Bird would have been a better selection.
 

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It's a foony ol' team.

Prime Minister's XI (from): Usman Khawaja (captain), Luke Butterworth, Alex Doolan, Matthew Gale, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Scott Henry, Glenn Maxwell, Chadd Sayers, Dean Solway, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman (wicket-keeper)

Doolan, Butterworth and Khawaja have earnt their spots, haven't heard much about Maxwell yet, whilst I don't recognise any of the others.

I thought the PM's XI was a bit of a Aus A type concept - apparently not.
 
It's a foony ol' team.

Prime Minister's XI (from): Usman Khawaja (captain), Luke Butterworth, Alex Doolan, Matthew Gale, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Scott Henry, Glenn Maxwell, Chadd Sayers, Dean Solway, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman (wicket-keeper)

Doolan, Butterworth and Khawaja have earnt their spots, haven't heard much about Maxwell yet, whilst I don't recognise any of the others.

I thought the PM's XI was a bit of a Aus A type concept - apparently not.
 
I had a work breakfast thing this morning. There was a very well known former Australian cricketer in attendance who had plenty to say about the test series, the Nielsen era, where we're headed now, and the vacancy at the top of the order. he actually said we have four vacancies but only one batsman is being replaced. He was of the opinion that Phil Hughes is by the far the most talented young batsman in the country. Also said that he had significant scarring from his two previous stints at test level. he went into detail, which I won't, but needless to say he expressed the opinion that we didn't do a very good job of guiding/coaching him the first time. and the second time, he should never have been brought back because he hadn't fixed his game. Anyway, he said Hughes needs to be given a decent shot at it, but get this, he believes he has to open in his book. Didn't rate Quiney, says Doolan is very talented but always has been, just didn't have the attitude. And doubts whether Khawaja has the true hunger for runs and ambition. Loves him as a batsman but thinks 'there's something missing'.
 
Or, god forbid, that ex-rodeo clown down at Essendon, The Weapon.
 

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