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Summer of Cricket thread

onedaywinners... said:
It's one thing to keep an ageing team together but if your first drop hasn't scored a hundred in nearly 900 days then why the hell is he in the XI??
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I have been questioning the same thing. Our inept selectors and coach have a lot to answer for as to why a guy averaging around what even some domestic red ball bowlers are, is playing Test cricket!! The mind boggles.
 
And yet many many questions still remain.

We already knew Starc is the best wicket taking fast bowler in the world. He just further proved it again.

If there aren't batters making tons in South Africa then this summer may be a very stressful one for anyone who's job it is to make runs.
 
Richie said:
That's a bummer Jon.
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Having both his mates away at the same time? ;)

On topic though, I hope it hasn't been questioned earlier and I have not read back far enough.

Is there an element of symmetry in the first Bangladesh test and the football Australia Cup timing?

Bangladesh, coming in hot and ready and having played a game against CA11 immediately before to get switched on are primed and in form. The Aussies; fresh and unconnected coming in for their first test game with rust on fingers and bats.

We don't drop catches like we did in the first test. That, if anything in sport can be called it, is unAustralian.

Or is it as simple as the wickets in the top end have to bowled on first. Damage done to whoever bats first on the half day of green grass cricket?

Is international Northern test cricket a novelty for a sound pitch reason?

Every test I look and see who the batting lineup are - expecting to see changes in the top order. Both in terms of underperforming batsmen being 'rested' but also because we have not found our 'concreted on' team yet and I expect to see changes for the sake of changes even though that does not happen in cricket as commonly as it does in football - different team every game.

Watching Bangladesh's batsmen in the first Inning of the first test, I was enthralled by their control with the tool of their trade. They weren't flailing at the ball, or swinging the bat with great pace to catch up to the ball on its way past and belt it through a gap. They were playing absolutely beautiful cricket with timing and control and I only then realised how much that genuine art of batting has slipped off our radar and out of my expectations.

Even when we have form batsmen scoring runs, we are hitting the nail with a hammer and the number of moving parts makes it look flustered.

It is not just that the rapid scoring versions of the game have stolen our desire for patient cricket - we have lost the ability to let the ball come onto the bat for runs and to take advantage of well timed shots when we receive a loose ball.
 
RIMB said:
Or is it as simple as the wickets in the top end have to bowled on first. Damage done to whoever bats first on the half day of green grass cricket?
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Therein lies the reason our top order batted like amateurs on first day. Ponting and several other formers and no doubt local Territorians also, said it was a no brainer to bowl first on that track. Our skipper erred and we paid the price.
 
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RIMB said:
It is not just that the rapid scoring versions of the game have stolen our desire for patient cricket - we have lost the ability to let the ball come onto the bat for runs and to take advantage of well timed shots when we receive a loose ball.
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Green showed in both innings the benefits of doing just that. He let his Gray Nicholls do the talking with a pair of superb knocks, both different from each other. His first century on home soil was a lesson in complete concentration and determination, hitting only four boundaries, while once settled in his second was less subdued by showing his full array of shot making. For mine his drives off both front and back foot were masterly in execution, timing and placement.
 
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Decentric said:
Labu is a pretty good fielder. Plus he bowls wrist spin and medium pace.
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He is one of our top three fielders Jon but rarely bowls in Tests unless Pat is desperate for a wicket. Have seen him bowl his dibbly dobbly mediums in domestic cricket and he is fairly useful. So our skipper probably should have thrown him the ball more often to spell the quicks and just maybe sneak in a wicket.
 
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If someone is picked as a top 4 batsman, his main job is to make runs.

A traditional openning bat has to see off the new ball.

Short form cricket and tame pitches can make it seem like a specalist opener isn't needed.

It isn't just the lack of runs from our guys, it is how they are getting out.

I would drop Head down to 3, a traditional 3 can counterattack.

Have 2 specalist openners and replace Webster with a young bat at 6.

I imagne SA will have green wickets and fast bowlers.
 
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RIMB said:
Having both his mates away at the same time? ;)

On topic though, I hope it hasn't been questioned earlier and I have not read back far enough.

Is there an element of symmetry in the first Bangladesh test and the football Australia Cup timing?

Bangladesh, coming in hot and ready and having played a game against CA11 immediately before to get switched on are primed and in form. The Aussies; fresh and unconnected coming in for their first test game with rust on fingers and bats.

We don't drop catches like we did in the first test. That, if anything in sport can be called it, is unAustralian.

Or is it as simple as the wickets in the top end have to bowled on first. Damage done to whoever bats first on the half day of green grass cricket?

Is international Northern test cricket a novelty for a sound pitch reason?

Every test I look and see who the batting lineup are - expecting to see changes in the top order. Both in terms of underperforming batsmen being 'rested' but also because we have not found our 'concreted on' team yet and I expect to see changes for the sake of changes even though that does not happen in cricket as commonly as it does in football - different team every game.

Watching Bangladesh's batsmen in the first Inning of the first test, I was enthralled by their control with the tool of their trade. They weren't flailing at the ball, or swinging the bat with great pace to catch up to the ball on its way past and belt it through a gap. They were playing absolutely beautiful cricket with timing and control and I only then realised how much that genuine art of batting has slipped off our radar and out of my expectations.

Even when we have form batsmen scoring runs, we are hitting the nail with a hammer and the number of moving parts makes it look flustered.

It is not just that the rapid scoring versions of the game have stolen our desire for patient cricket - we have lost the ability to let the ball come onto the bat for runs and to take advantage of well timed shots when we receive a loose ball.
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You need to post more in cricket section, RIMB.

That is quite an intelligent and insightful post from you! I congratulate you on hiding it so well for so many years.

Ha ha!

Bangladesh looked like they have played more cricket than us in recent times in the First Test.
 
Hounddog said:
If someone is picked as a top 4 batsman, his main job is to make runs.

A traditional openning bat has to see off the new ball.

Short form cricket and tame pitches can make it seem like a specalist opener isn't needed.

It isn't just the lack of runs from our guys, it is how they are getting out.

I would drop Head down to 3, a traditional 3 can counterattack.

Have 2 specalist openners and replace Webster with a young bat at 6.

I imagne SA will have green wickets and fast bowlers.
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Webster was averaging 41 with the bat before this series. Carey has been batting at 6.
 
Richie said:
Green showed in both innings the benefits of doing just that. He let his Gray Nicholls do the talking with a pair of superb knocks, both different from each other. His first century on home soil was a lesson in complete concentration and determination, hitting only four boundaries, while once settled in his second was less subdued by showing his full array of shot making. For mine his drives off both front and back foot were masterly in execution, timing and placement.
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Green deserves a bit of praise.
 
Decentric said:
Webster was averaging 41 with the bat before this series. Carey has been batting at 6.
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I know that. I would drop Carey down to 7.

Our batting line up looks vunerable against pace bowling and the team is aging.

Openers are the main issue, dropping Webster was more about giving a young guy a chance.

Take both players on tour and let form decide.
 
Hounddog said:
I know that. I would drop Carey down to 7.

Our batting line up looks vunerable against pace bowling and the team is aging.

Openers are the main issue, dropping Webster was more about giving a young guy a chance.

Take both players on tour and let form decide.
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I think the thinking is move left handed batter, Carey, in between Green 5 and Webster batting at 7.

Both Green and Webster, being tall right handed batters tend to have bowlers bowling similar line and length to them.

There was a video a while back where Head batting 5 and Webster, 6, meant the shorter left hander, Head, and the tall right hander, Webster, were interviewed together. They said it frustrated bowlers bowling to them in partnerships, where they had to keep changing line and length to each batter. This was particularly apparent when either batter made a 1 or 3 and the batters changed ends.
 
I am aware that Webster has had 2 poor Tests, but had very good Test bowling and batting stats before them.

He had 2 close appeals, for caught behind though. Unlucky not to be out.

Webster also dropped a really simple catch off Starc, where luckily, the left arm speedster trapped the same batter LBW next ball. Webster is usually one of the best catchers in Aus.

Webster enables the 3 pace bowlers, plus Green, to be able to bowl shorter spells. Webster bowls a lot of Shield overs with medium pace, and bowls off spin as well, having already taken Test wickets with spin.
 
onedaywinners... said:
We already knew Starc is the best wicket taking fast bowler in the world.
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Took him 15 yrs to reach the pinnacle, but I'd put him in the best new ball bowler category, as he also has to be the most inconsistent left arm quick of the modern era, at least in Australia. A real Jekyll & Hyde.
 
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Decentric said:
Carey, in between Green 5 and Webster batting at 7. They said it frustrated bowlers bowling to them in partnerships, where they had to keep changing line and length to each batter.
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Webster does not have the technique needed to bat above 7, so a good idea to have Head #6 and he #7,as you say the bowlers difficulty given their differing elevation.

One wonders then why our nong selectors did not follow up on this. Perhaps they will now as Heads days as opener are numbered. He has the eye but has never had the technique..
 
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