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Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #495
Its cricket, swings and roundabouts....if you play the game long enough it usually evens out, Kiwis got unlucky this time but things will probably go their way next time, we were the better team through the series and the right result was achieved IMO....

Nathan Coulter Nile been selected with Siddle maybe in doubt....I'm sure our WA forum contingent will be happy but I cant work out what that selection has been based on given he hasnt played all season and has no form line to go by.

Nobody is more surprised than Coulter-Nile.
You can fool some of the people some of the time.......................................

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #496
Nobody is more surprised than Coulter-Nile.

Selected on a "gut feeling"........well, I'm sure guys like Jackson Bird are happy to know that they needn't bother taking truckloads of wickets anymore....as the selectors don't bother to look at that !
Life is pain....... anyone who says differently is selling something.

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #497
Selected on a "gut feeling"........well, I'm sure guys like Jackson Bird are happy to know that they needn't bother taking truckloads of wickets anymore....as the selectors don't bother to look at that !

I think Coulter-Nile has qualifications in massage therapy.
You can fool some of the people some of the time.......................................

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #498
Selected on a "gut feeling"........well, I'm sure guys like Jackson Bird are happy to know that they needn't bother taking truckloads of wickets anymore....as the selectors don't bother to look at that !

I think the selectors are panicking due to the loss of the lower order batting depth more than the loss of bowling.

The coming West Indies series is really only a risk to Australia if we don't make enough runs against the Windie's reasonable but shallow bowling attack. The Windies have two erratic bowlers who vary from very average to excellent but not much to back them up with.

Losing the batting of Johnson and Starc is a bigger loss for the coming months than the loss of their bowling.
The Force Awakens!

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #499
I think the selectors are panicking due to the loss of the lower order batting depth more than the loss of bowling.

The coming West Indies series is really only a risk to Australia if we don't make enough runs against the Windie's reasonable but shallow bowling attack. The Windies have two erratic bowlers who vary from very average to excellent but not much to back them up with.

Losing the batting of Johnson and Starc is a bigger loss for the coming months than the loss of their bowling.

Windies will be lucky to exceed 250 in any innings this series IMO....their batting is woeful...if the Marsh Bros and Voges cant make runs vs these chumps then they might as well give up playing cricket.


Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #500
Windies will be lucky to exceed 250 in any innings this series IMO....their batting is woeful...if the Marsh Bros and Voges cant make runs vs these chumps then they might as well give up playing cricket.

That's my whole point, the current selection is not about needing to take wickets with class bowlers, I think a bottom of the table Shield team could bowl out this Windies line-up.

The only danger to Australia is the two reasonable bowlers the Windies have on hand, but they cannot bowl every ball between them. So I suspect the Coulter-Nile selection is about giving the Australian team enough batting depth so that when the spuds roll their arm over Australia will score heavily putting the total out of the West Indies reach!
The Force Awakens!

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #501
That's my whole point, the current selection is not about needing to take wickets with class bowlers, I think a bottom of the table Shield team could bowl out this Windies line-up.

The only danger to Australia is the two reasonable bowlers the Windies have on hand, but they cannot bowl every ball between them. So I suspect the Coulter-Nile selection is about giving the Australian team enough batting depth so that when the spuds roll their arm over Australia will score heavily putting the total out of the West Indies reach!

I'd be panicking as well with Mitchell Marsh batting 6 !  Number 6 seems to be given very little respect lately as a critical batting position.....when in fact it can often be the most critical.  Greats of the past who made batting 6 & rebuilding shattered innings with tailenders an art form include:  Doug Walters, Allan Border, Steve Waugh......each of whom averaged high 40s to 50 batting at 6.

And we've currently got Mitchell Marsh.....

Tail starts at 6.


Life is pain....... anyone who says differently is selling something.

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #502
I'd be panicking as well with Mitchell Marsh batting 6 !  Number 6 seems to be given very little respect lately as a critical batting position.....when in fact it can often be the most critical.  Greats of the past who made batting 6 & rebuilding shattered innings with tailenders an art form include:  Doug Walters, Allan Border, Steve Waugh......each of whom averaged high 40s to 50 batting at 6.

And we've currently got Mitchell Marsh.....

Tail starts at 6.

Rod Marsh is very big on Peter Nevill to bat at 6 and there is talk he will exceed Adam Gilchrist as a batsman/wicketkeeper..........not for me, Gilchrist is a class above Nevill and while the latter is handy I dont rate him No 6 material either. The shorter formats of the game have destroyed the techniques of batsman however Nevill does play straight and isnt prone to park cricket slogs like M Marsh so he might have more success at No 6 leaving Marsh to try and hit quick 50's at No 7 .....
The Marsh bros should enjoy the Windies attack...they only bowl two lengths....short and shorter....

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #503
WE could pick the weakest 2 members from each Sheffield Shield side and still win the series.

Most NSW Grade teams would beat them.

You can fool some of the people some of the time.......................................

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #504
Rod Marsh is very big on Peter Nevill to bat at 6 and there is talk he will exceed Adam Gilchrist as a batsman/wicketkeeper..........not for me, Gilchrist is a class above Nevill and while the latter is handy I dont rate him No 6 material either. The shorter formats of the game have destroyed the techniques of batsman however Nevill does play straight and isnt prone to park cricket slogs like M Marsh so he might have more success at No 6 leaving Marsh to try and hit quick 50's at No 7 .....
The Marsh bros should enjoy the Windies attack...they only bowl two lengths....short and shorter....

Yep, and that will be the problem, They'll make a couple of scores against rubbish bowling & the selectors will all pat themselves on the back & say "see, we told you" & we'll be stuck with them for another year !
Life is pain....... anyone who says differently is selling something.

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #505
I hear all the doom-saying about West Indies Cricket, but we disrespect these guys at our peril. How many times have sides made assumptions that have come back to bite them on the posterior? Far too many for me!
At the moment the Windies do not look strong, but neither were the Kiwis in the 1st test.
Even if they are as weak as is reported, we must still not disrespect them. Instead we should use the serious to fix OUR holes. God knows we have them. Our fearsome pace attack has been crippled. Again. (Sounds like Carlton - the important guys can't stay out on the field.) Our batting is questionable. Where are the young tyros, the next generation of superstars? I don't see many.

Our Batting:
[1] Openers: We have a world class opener (Warner), but he is injured and we aren't treating him to get the best out of him long term. He was unimpressive last test while recovering.
The other opener had a good period, but has now failed 4 times in a row. Is he good enough? Good question, but he doesn't appear to appreciate the moving ball (but few batsmen do).
On the horizon is a young lad from WA that was highly touted. He hasn't made a single run yet at Sheffield Shield level this season.

We had a very good and stable opening partnership, but Rogers retired and Warner got injured. There are now questions.

[2] Khawaja: I hope his early good form is a sign that he has matured. We need a gritty guy at #3. His hamstring injury did not help, but he should be back soon. Hopefully he can regain that form, but he is still no certainty.

[3] Smith: Unlike last year, Smith seems to be getting himself out at the moment. I would prefer to see him bat at #4. He is a world class player.

[4] Middle order: Do we really have one?
Voges is doing OK, but he is not a long term option. Nor is he batting that way. He hasn't been able to stay around under pressure. I hope he can last a little longer, but I worry about how he will handle a world class attack, especially a spin attack. he tends to fall when we collapse, not stop the rot.
Mitch Marsh really needs to work on his batting. He doesn't seem to concentrate enough. We cannot afford him at #6 or #7 if he is going to give his wicket away. When he is on, there isn't a ground big enough in the world to contain him. But he hasn't come off yet. He needs to CONCENTRATE.
So does Shaun Marsh. Not for the first time he has done the hard yards to drop all confidence and not make the milestone. He also gives his wicket away too easily in his normal play. I am not sure what we can do for this guy, but he really does have talent. But we cannot afford a guy who fails under pressure.
Nevill I quite like. He may not be a crash and bash man, but he does have a bit of fight in him. We really need that. I'd like him to bat at #7, but that assumes we have a reasonable top 6. We may have to have him batting at #6, as Marsh has shown nothing there.

Our bowling: This wouldn't be s bad if we could keep guys on the field. How did the West Indies do it for so long? They never seemed to have injuries. Our young quicks can barely go a week without getting injured. The fact that our attack is still decent goes to show we do have some depth in our pace bowling. Not that things could not be better, but I am not going to complain.
Coulter-Nile was very lucky, but he has a chance to show something. I hope he does. I liked what Bird did not long back.
Live Long and Prosper!

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #506
I hear all the doom-saying about West Indies Cricket, but we disrespect these guys at our peril. How many times have sides made assumptions that have come back to bite them on the posterior? Far too many for me!
At the moment the Windies do not look strong, but neither were the Kiwis in the 1st test.
Even if they are as weak as is reported, we must still not disrespect them. Instead we should use the serious to fix OUR holes. God knows we have them. Our fearsome pace attack has been crippled. Again. (Sounds like Carlton - the important guys can't stay out on the field.) Our batting is questionable. Where are the young tyros, the next generation of superstars? I don't see many.

Our Batting:
[1] Openers: We have a world class opener (Warner), but he is injured and we aren't treating him to get the best out of him long term. He was unimpressive last test while recovering.
The other opener had a good period, but has now failed 4 times in a row. Is he good enough? Good question, but he doesn't appear to appreciate the moving ball (but few batsmen do).
On the horizon is a young lad from WA that was highly touted. He hasn't made a single run yet at Sheffield Shield level this season.

We had a very good and stable opening partnership, but Rogers retired and Warner got injured. There are now questions.

[2] Khawaja: I hope his early good form is a sign that he has matured. We need a gritty guy at #3. His hamstring injury did not help, but he should be back soon. Hopefully he can regain that form, but he is still no certainty.

[3] Smith: Unlike last year, Smith seems to be getting himself out at the moment. I would prefer to see him bat at #4. He is a world class player.

[4] Middle order: Do we really have one?
Voges is doing OK, but he is not a long term option. Nor is he batting that way. He hasn't been able to stay around under pressure. I hope he can last a little longer, but I worry about how he will handle a world class attack, especially a spin attack. he tends to fall when we collapse, not stop the rot.
Mitch Marsh really needs to work on his batting. He doesn't seem to concentrate enough. We cannot afford him at #6 or #7 if he is going to give his wicket away. When he is on, there isn't a ground big enough in the world to contain him. But he hasn't come off yet. He needs to CONCENTRATE.
So does Shaun Marsh. Not for the first time he has done the hard yards to drop all confidence and not make the milestone. He also gives his wicket away too easily in his normal play. I am not sure what we can do for this guy, but he really does have talent. But we cannot afford a guy who fails under pressure.
Nevill I quite like. He may not be a crash and bash man, but he does have a bit of fight in him. We really need that. I'd like him to bat at #7, but that assumes we have a reasonable top 6. We may have to have him batting at #6, as Marsh has shown nothing there.

Our bowling: This wouldn't be s bad if we could keep guys on the field. How did the West Indies do it for so long? They never seemed to have injuries. Our young quicks can barely go a week without getting injured. The fact that our attack is still decent goes to show we do have some depth in our pace bowling. Not that things could not be better, but I am not going to complain.
Coulter-Nile was very lucky, but he has a chance to show something. I hope he does. I liked what Bird did not long back.

Crash,

Unless they've uncovered a new Viv, Clive, Desmond and Gordon they are NOOOOOOOOOOOOO chance.

You can fool some of the people some of the time.......................................

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #507
Oh, I agree they are not looking good. But we really cannot afford to treat them like faeces.

To be honest, cricket in the West Indies needs a lot of work. They are losing talent to games like basketball and there is so much infighting that it is difficult to see any decision not in that context. The players are not getting the money they once did, so many are becoming specialists at the shorter forms of the game as cricket mercenaries. I can understand all of that.
But if we take them lightly, they may well do a Zimbabwe and shock us out of games. We are not strong enough ourselves to be disrespecting opponents, even ones going as poorly as the Windies at the moment. It is not necessary, nor is it helpful. We need to get our own act together, first and foremost.
Live Long and Prosper!

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #508
Barring weather, 3-0, who's next

Re: Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

Reply #509
Aus 3/538.......the tourists are just that...tourists, they couldnt give a rats ar$e about test cricket....Boxing Day test should be free on the 3rd day as thats how long the game will go for....wonder if the Mont Albert  2nd eleven could be persuaded to play that test as they would provide more opposition.
Ian Chappell has been scathing of the Windies.....dont reckon they will exist in 5 years time, their islands are more interested in their own Premier league games and T20 cricket and of course their decent players only want to play IPL....

ICC need to find another test playing nation....