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The Cricket Thread

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Bedi said:
Johnson's record overseas is very ordinary, incl England. However given what he's done in the past 18 months I think he has to play, particularly as ge has the psychological edge. I think Harris is underdone, and will miss out. Though if he gets a bag, it'll be interesting. He thrives in English conditions. However I think quicks will be Hazlewood, Johnson, Starc.
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I'm ok with that, even though I'd prefer Harris. Having Harris or Siddle to call on midway through a tour is an absolute bonus. It would have been great to call on someone like that the first day of the second test at Birmingham 10 years ago.
 
MinerBoy said:
I would yes.
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I'm just not convinced that Hazelwood is fast enough to be a topline fast bowler at Test level. Probably quick enough for English conditions though but on flat tracks I think he will struggle. Starc just seems to have a hot arm this year and I would be loathe to take him out of the team given on best form he could go through England with pace and swing like a hot knife through butter. I think he would really concern the English batsman the most of all our bowlers (apart from if Harris was fit).
 
Brishawk said:
I'm just not convinced that Hazelwood is fast enough to be a topline fast bowler at Test level. Probably quick enough for English conditions though but on flat tracks I think he will struggle. Starc just seems to have a hot arm this year and I would be loathe to take him out of the team given on best form he could go through England with pace and swing like a hot knife through butter. I think he would really concern the English batsman the most of all our bowlers (apart from if Harris was fit).
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All fair enough. I personally think Hazel has test cricketer written all over him. Line & length (accuracy & consistency), bounce and enough pace. Possibly less dynamic than Starc but more reliable and still high quality.

Starc is on fire with the white ball but I had my reservations about him at Test level even before Warney called him out last year. When he has to bowl long spells with a red ball that isn't swinging I've always tended to think he looks rather pedestrian and while his tour of the WI was pretty good.........well, it was the WI. So on that score he has yet to satisfy me of his Test match bonafides (in Parkin speak, lol).

I have no doubt the potential is there, but whether he is hard enough for Test cricket is yet to be proven to me. Hopefully he does though. I have no objection to him proving me wrong.

As it is, I think they will both play the first Test along with Johnson anyway while Harris gets some more time/bowling under his belt. Hopefully Harris can hit top gear pretty early and give them a selection headache and a decision to make.
 

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MinerBoy said:
All fair enough. I personally think Hazel has test cricketer written all over him. Line & length (accuracy & consistency), bounce and enough pace. Possibly less dynamic than Starc but more reliable and still high quality.

Starc is on fire with the white ball but I had my reservations about him at Test level even before Warney called him out last year. When he has to bowl long spells with a red ball that isn't swinging I've always tended to think he looks rather pedestrian and while his tour of the WI was pretty good.........well, it was the WI. So on that score he has yet to satisfy me of his Test match bonafides (in Parkin speak, lol).

I have no doubt the potential is there, but whether he is hard enough for Test cricket is yet to be proven to me. Hopefully he does though. I have no objection to him proving me wrong.

As it is, I think they will both play the first Test along with Johnson anyway while Harris gets some more time/bowling under his belt. Hopefully Harris can hit top gear pretty early and give them a selection headache and a decision to make.
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Yeah fair criticisms of Starc. I think (hope) it has clicked for him though. I think Johnson's form has been a little questionable. He likes bouncy wickets. His pace means he can take wickets anywhere but he is much more trouble on a bouncy wicket in Aus or SA.

Think you are right in that Harris is probably not ready. With Pattinson and Cummings in the wings also we have some great fast bowling talent if it can all be put together and stay on the park long term. Only shame is that our greatest off spinner in history isn't Shane Warne so will probably get dropped for a pie chucker.
 
Brishawk said:
I'm just not convinced that Hazelwood is fast enough to be a topline fast bowler at Test level. Probably quick enough for English conditions though but on flat tracks I think he will struggle. Starc just seems to have a hot arm this year and I would be loathe to take him out of the team given on best form he could go through England with pace and swing like a hot knife through butter. I think he would really concern the English batsman the most of all our bowlers (apart from if Harris was fit).
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Given Hazelwood just won player of the series in the West Indies, he's certainly test level...
 
Even though it was a day about Aussies getting their eye in and acclimitising to English condiitons, it was still a great day of cricket. Full crowd, warm sunny weather and plenty of booze. Being able to drink full strength beer in your seat makes such a diffeence. It's BYO booze too, which is sensational. Canterbury's a picturesque ground, though it's tiny - like a district ground. It has grandstands named after Colin Cowdrey, Sir Frank Wooley, Derek Underwood and Alan Knott - so a lot of history. Though Kent are a rabble these days, languishing near the bottom of Division 2, Matt Hunn could be a bowler to look out for in the future, and took all 3 wickets yesterday. Rogers should've been out at 40, with a sitter dropped at first slip. Marsh looked good , as did Smith and Clarke. But all very watchful and clear it was more about batting practice then anything piling on the runs.
 
Bedi said:
Even though it was a day about Aussies getting their eye in and acclimitising to English condiitons, it was still a great day of cricket. Full crowd, warm sunny weather and plenty of booze. Being able to drink full strength beer in your seat makes such a diffeence. It's BYO booze too, which is sensational. Canterbury's a picturesque ground, though it's tiny - like a district ground. It has grandstands named after Colin Cowdrey, Sir Frank Wooley, Derek Underwood and Alan Knott - so a lot of history. Though Kent are a rabble these days, languishing near the bottom of Division 2, Matt Hunn could be a bowler to look out for in the future, and took all 3 wickets yesterday. Rogers should've been out at 40, with a sitter dropped at first slip. Marsh looked good , as did Smith and Clarke. But all very watchful and clear it was more about batting practice then anything piling on the runs.
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Sounds a great day.
 
grizzlym said:
Sounds a great day.
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yeah it was awesome. You could also walk out on the ground during the breaks to inspect the pitch which was very cool. It's everything a day at the cricket should be, yet somehow is the exact opposite experience to what you get back home. Probaly because us uncouth Aussies would exploit these kinds of priveleges
 
Bedi said:
yeah it was awesome. You could also walk out on the ground during the breaks to inspect the pitch which was very cool. It's everything a day at the cricket should be, yet somehow is the exact opposite experience to what you get back home. Probaly because us uncouth Aussies would exploit these kinds of priveleges
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So, Clarke... he looked good, yes?

The tiny bit I saw of him in the Windies is he looked as mobile as I've seen him for years.

Does he just need a bit of time in the middle to build up the batting concentration etc?
 
I see Watson, once again, contributed a lovely made 20-odd before getting out.

He's very reliable is Watson.
 
grizzlym said:
I see Watson, once again, contributed a lovely made 20-odd before getting out.

He's very reliable is Watson.
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Such potential.
 

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grizzlym said:
So, Clarke... he looked good, yes?

The tiny bit I saw of him in the Windies is he looked as mobile as I've seen him for years.

Does he just need a bit of time in the middle to build up the batting concentration etc?
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He was def a bit scratchy, and not much strokeplay - more so nudging the bowl around for singles, and a few beautiful boundaries as he got going. No doubt he was aiming for time out in the middle, so he would be disappointed to get out - esp to a ball way down leg that he glanced to the keeper. It's a shame Mitch Marsh couldn't capitallise on opportunity to score runs
 
Bedi said:
Given Hazelwood just won player of the series in the West Indies, he's certainly test level...
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That's not exactly what I said now is it . . . .

In any case, Jackson Bird won man of the match honours in a test match but he isn't quick enough to be a top line bowler. Doesn't mean he can't play test matches or even be effective in the right conditions but I am not going to lock him into the test team based on two test matches that were against a weak batting line up in conditions that favoured pace bowling.
 
What do you guys reckon, who's gonna get the test spot M. Marsh or Watson? Marsh did everything right by the looks, Watson did the very minimum again.
Smith bowling well, coupled with Marsh's couple of wickets, surely means the end for Watson?
 
Brishawk said:
That's not exactly what I said now is it . . . .

In any case, Jackson Bird won man of the match honours in a test match but he isn't quick enough to be a top line bowler. Doesn't mean he can't play test matches or even be effective in the right conditions but I am not going to lock him into the test team based on two test matches that were against a weak batting line up in conditions that favoured pace bowling.
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ha, you said exactly that. I quote: "I'm just not convinced that Hazelwood is fast enough to be a topline fast bowler at Test level."
Anyway, i know what you're saying. There's def an ebb and flow of frontline bowlers, and Bird is a good example. Hazlewood's a good bowler, and def deserves a spot in the first XI, but probably unlikely to be a 200 Test wicket player
 

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Bedi said:
ha, you said exactly that. I quote: "I'm just not convinced that Hazelwood is fast enough to be a topline fast bowler at Test level."
Anyway, i know what you're saying. There's def an ebb and flow of frontline bowlers, and Bird is a good example. Hazlewood's a good bowler, and def deserves a spot in the first XI, but probably unlikely to be a 200 Test wicket player
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haha ok I was trying to make a distinction between top line (Harris/McGrath/Lee/Gilespie) and your lessor bowlers (Siddle/Bird/Bolinger). I think you know what I mean now anyway :D

Cricket is a funny game. If Siddle could bowl 5 kms an hour on average faster he would be in the test team as a regular. Each time he has gone away and got fit he comes back and bowls 138km+ and takes wickets. Then his body fatigues and he bowls at 133 and takes only a few wickets. I think if Lee was as tall as McGrath he would have been the best wicket taker in Australia's history with how fast he could bowl and such good accuracy. His lack of height and meant he was a skidder rather than a bouncy bowler and so had to bowl a meter or two shorter than McGrath which gave the bowlers extra time to adjust to any movement. The extra bounce at Perth meant he could bowl fuller and he was absolutely deadly. Little differences make big differences to results.

If we had all of Starc, Cummings, Harris, Pattinson and Johnson available and at their best I don't see a place for Hazelwood. Of course that will never happen (and I am making a big leap of faith on Starc and Cummings having them in that group) so it is great to have Hazelwood to call on. Hope he does become the next McGrath and give the selectors even more headaches.
 
Brishawk said:
haha ok I was trying to make a distinction between top line (Harris/McGrath/Lee/Gilespie) and your lessor bowlers (Siddle/Bird/Bolinger). I think you know what I mean now anyway :D

Cricket is a funny game. If Siddle could bowl 5 kms an hour on average faster he would be in the test team as a regular. Each time he has gone away and got fit he comes back and bowls 138km+ and takes wickets.
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I have seen Hazelwood bowl at over 140Km regularly and his average is probably about 138Km. So, he is not that slow. His accuracy will stand him in good stead. So, I think he will make it.

Also, no mention of Pattison in this thread. Are we writing him off as too injury prone?
 
BullyWee said:
I have seen Hazelwood bowl at over 140Km regularly and his average is probably about 138Km. So, he is not that slow. His accuracy will stand him in good stead. So, I think he will make it.

Also, no mention of Pattison in this thread. Are we writing him off as too injury prone?
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Maybe not writing him off, but he's behind Cummins in the queue at the moment.
 
BullyWee said:
I have seen Hazelwood bowl at over 140Km regularly and his average is probably about 138Km. So, he is not that slow. His accuracy will stand him in good stead. So, I think he will make it.

Also, no mention of Pattison in this thread. Are we writing him off as too injury prone?
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His fastest is over 140 but I pick him at 135 per hour over a test. If he can average 138 km then he could be exactly what we want. Good length will be the key for him but a bit of pace will turn tough deliveries into nicks.
 
Brishawk said:
Pattinson's best is probably as good as any of them but he can only maintain it a couple of years at a time. It puts him back in the pecking order.
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Agreed, Patto Man is awesome and my fav fast bowler to watch after Steyn. You'd think Eng or Aust summer would be Harris' last, and Johnson on downward slope - so perhaps we'll get to see a fully fit Cummins and Pattison opening attack come end of the year. Starc is a great bowler, and will play plenty more test cricket for Aust, but you get the feeling he'll always be in and out of the side. Hazlewood is only 24 and averages 19 with the ball in the 5 test matches he's played, so if he can keep it going he'll be around for the long haul
 

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