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13
Ladies Lounge / Re: AFLW Rd 12: Carlton vs Brisbane in Brisbane
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: crashlander – on
Literally only a point or two in it!

Well done to the girls for finishing 4th, even with the few hiccups we've had on the way.

The girls need to work on their after the siren set shots.  While Darcy successfully ran the clock down, even a behind could have made the difference between 4th and 5th.  It would have been nice if they had nailed the torp, but a drop punt may have more chance of making the distance.
14
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Cricket thread
Last post by crashlander -
Hopefully, we selectors can get their act together and select a team that is fit for purpose.

[1] Specialist openers in form.
I don't mind if head moves down, as it gives him a better chance of not going out early.

[2] No Marnus until he finds real form.
To be honest, it is all in his head. Watch play Shield or other cricket and he is a different player. But until he gets his head straight, he is not worth his spot. I don't care if it takes multiple seasons, but he isn't an option until he gains his self-belief.

[3] Middle Order
Don't expect Steve Smith to be everything. He isn't going to be around for much longer.

[4] Work on techniques:
Bugger 20-20, if the test team is to prosper, we need to get the batsmen working on their technique so they don't go out as soon as the ball starts moving. If they don't have the right technique, then they have to prove they can bat in poor conditions, because they are going to get them!

[5] Fast bowling needs to be regenerated:
Depending on our bowlers to win every game is fraught with danger. Our 3 present quicks have done it all, but none of them is getting any younger. Boland didn't deserve to be dropped, but he isn't young either. We need the next generation of top bowlers and we need to blood them before they have to come.

[6] Spinners:
This is a conundrum I don't see an easy answer to: spin bowlers in Australia don't prosper because our pitches don't wear to others do. We have some up-an-comers, but none of them looks like the next star spinner we need. Nathan Lyon has been excellent, but he is also near the end: he doesn't scare oppositions. We really need to put a lot of time into generating decent spinners, so India simply can't throw a crap wicket and we fold.
19
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
Quote from: DJC – on

As for the batting, imagine if we had a couple of batsmen with sound technique and an unwillingness to give their wicket away 🤔
You can see the point I've been making about the 1 in 5 men, I suspect it's a type of laziness driven by a lack of motivation, they do not want to work too hard, and then do just enough to hang around the squad when threatened.

The whole scenario is unfolding as outlined when IPL was first launched, the only thing the BCCI got wrong was how lazy their own crew turned out to be. The BCCI thought that courtesy of the biased rules their own lot would still be driven enough to top the table in all versions of the sport, nepotism and privilege wasn't going to be a barrier to global domination. But instead they manufactured a bunch of "Bling Billionaires" who are even lazier than the rest of the world, more Bollywood than peak sport, and the thing that has suffered is test cricket.
20
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
Quote from: Professer E – on
Weak as piss.

Renshaw....wtf!?!
Head.... great no. 5, not an opener's a-hole.
Marnus....finished (sh#t decision btw).
Green... Can't concentrate for more than about an hour before a mistake.
Connolly...not test standard in anything, another Bailey masterclass in wishful thinking.
Hazelwood...finished.  Toothless bowling and contributes nothing with the bat
The cliff has arrived.

You don’t think that Marnus’s two runouts will save him from the chop Prof? 🙄

We’re stuffed if one of our four bowlers has a bad day.  We desperately need an all rounder who can bowl long spells and take wickets.  A couple of batting all rounders who can bowl to Test batsmen would be handy too.

As for the batting, imagine if we had a couple of batsmen with sound technique and an unwillingness to give their wicket away 🤔