While Smith did OK getting a start, before we crumbled, I remain convinced that Smith as opener does more for Smith's own career than it does for Australian cricket.
He is basically extending his own career at the expense of developing the next pair of openers. We've let these blokes go on too long, they won't go because they earn too much money, they have to be pushed!
i reckon its down to there not being a perfect alternative - bancroft hasnt looked the goods for aus, and for his great overall fc record, does make a lot of low scores; they want renshaw, but he just cant string scores together for qld; harris is p00.
the smoky may be madinson - like for like for warner (left hand, quick scorer), if he can keep is recent run going since returning from injury
This could be the innings that kicks off Cam Green's career. Seeming deck, team in trouble. If he could push on to a 100, and get the team up to 275-odd, it would be a great knock
Green is a good mate of Nathan Lyon and might as well be a NSW player given he hardly every plays for WA. He lost his place to fellow WA allrounder in Mitch Marsh and should have been dropped out of the squad because his form isnt that great. His only decent test innings was on the flattest track of all time in India where both teams made big scores, his record isnt as good as Shane Watson who averaged more with the bat and had a lower bowling average and also had a greater degree of difficulty having to open the innings on many occasions. Renshaw is averaging 31 in Shield cricket this season...if we are talking batsman in form and who can roll their arm over you would be picking Beau Webster who is averaging 71 or Nathan McSweeney with 45. The selection process is skewed to who the inner sanctum want in the team and has nothing to do with form or stats it seems...
Green's record in Shield cricket is pretty good, when he plays. If you are looking for the next best batsman, from the Shield, based on records, then it is either Bancroft or Green
GTC...Its a bit of WA vs Cricket Australia at the moment, in the old days form and runs in Shield cricket got you selected but now its about who the inner sanctum want in the team as much as anything else and its clear that Bancroft isnt wanted even though he has been the leading run getter for the last two seasons. Smith will probably make it look a good move vs the hapless Windies who are struggling vs some no name team in their tour game and Bailey will get the kudos but long term its not a good move and we should be introducing younger players for the future.
This WA against the rest stuff is pretty funny, when you see Bancroft was overlooked for Cam Green (WA)!!!
I know they are upset that Renshaw is in the 13, but really he is a concussion sub, and prob seen as a better replacement for anyone in the top 6 - do you really get this upset over someone being picked as a drinks carrier over someone from your state
Masterclass in planning and then execution. Kudos Cummins and MacDonald et al.
100% - took some balls to bowl first, when it would have been panned if India made 350, but they did it anyway. Amazing the effect the (Stewie) Dew had on the result. Early in the tourney, Zampa was being pulverised as he tried to bowl with a wet ball. Then when the shoe is on the other foot, Jadeja and Kuldeep didnt take a wicket between them. Looks like a no-brainer of a decision - bowl first in order neutralise their spinners under the dewy conditions, but not an easy decision to live with if it doesnt come off (and if you dont field like demons to back it up)
The Banks and Big Mining companies were also supporters of the Yes campaign which probably didnt much for the Yes vote in the struggling mortgage belt areas either.
I hadnt realised this, until did a bit of reading recently. does make sense they would be worried about this (even if no effect on them in the short term) - and now makes a lot of sense as to the deep pockets (and long reach) of the No campaign
Everything major gets politicised in Aus which never leads to good outcomes......
This craps me to tears. You get the feeling that if one party says "up" the other party just says "down" as a knee-jerk reaction. doesnt get us anywhere.
The amount of playing the man rather than the issue during the pandemic was shameful. as others have pointed out on here, it was more about point scoring, rather than any thought of saving lives
Not a fan of 'best 22'. Rather a kind of 'core' and then those who are important and rotated for team balance, which factors in form and injury. For this little black duck it's a best 28. Core (first picked if fit): Acres Cerra Cripps Curnow Doc Gov H Hewett Martin Newman Pitto Saad TDK Walsh Weitering
Rotated through for team balance/need to cover injuries or form loss of core blokes: Boyd Cincotta Cottrell Cuningham Fogarty Hollands JSOS Marchbank Motlop Owies Kemp Kennedy Williams
Thats a great core of 28 - i would add small-Durds to it - and make it 29
plus you have a couple of incoming players (pick 16, a free agent/trade etc) and binns/cowan/young/carroll that we hope to see improvement from
it SHOULD be a good solid 30-35 players to form a good squad
100% votes for - Cez - Crippa - Gov - TDK - Blacres - Doch - Walsh - Martin - Weiters - Charlie - Saad - Cotters
Thats 12 with 100% votes - looks about right. I'd say the only surprises are Cotters in everyone's team (shows how important he is to our structures) and H out of 1 person's team. The rest you would pick before the vote was done
I'm with Shawny. Footy is so much easier when you're s-hit...haha.
ive never felt so nervous before a game - felt bl00dy silly, not as if i was playing or anything. but, you could sense it, in the ground, in all the bars pre-match, all baggers supporters were on their toes and edgy. even during the match, it was too close to enjoy the whole 2nd half (except after the Blacres goal, when all the tension was released).
a mate i was going to meet up with in one of the bars, after the match, was a no-show. he msgd me to tell me he just had to go home and have some quiet time, as he was emotionally cooked
Check 1:50 to go, Cripps kicks a looper into the forward line. Acres with a bung shoulder goes front on to Lever and gets poleaxed for about the 15th time. 50 secs later, with bung shoulder, takes a saving mark and kicks the winning goal. Don't tell me that won't be on high rotation at the review. Courage wins finals, snipers don't.
After Doc took the contested mark, with a bung shoulder, to get the fowrard entry........ just fckn amazing!!!
Couldn't work out why Stokes bowled Ali and Root so much but didn't give Wood a go till we were 0 for 100 and also only gave Woakes a few overs only too and they have been his best bowlers. Hope that continues.. The Broad show continues to roll on....no doubt it will continue in the commentary box where he will be employed to annoy Aus viewers.
Heard a few pundits say Wood is hurt.. wasnt giving 100% in his action. Coaches all denied this. Woakes bowled well thoguh, and should have bowled more overs - both havent played much cricket recently, had all of a sudden played 3 b2b tests.... could both just be cooked
We 'll need a serious opening stand to get anywhere near the target, which will be a record.
Maybe, just maybe, the tactic of wearing down thier attack in the first dig may be paying dividends?? was getting a bit sick of the brainwashed Pom press going on about how un-australian it was.