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Topic: God help me - the Test Cricket thread (Read 262318 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #690 –
Quote from: ElwoodBlues1 – on
Talented striker of the ball and interesting commentator who didn't mind saying what he really thought.
Probably underachieved given his talent and a sad way for his life to end.

Part responsible for us winning a World Cup. 

EDIT - 2003 versus Pakistan ... smashed them single handedly
 

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #691 –
Hard to imagine these events, it's all a bit weird simply because of the rate it's all happened.

Was one of my favourites, often hard for me to understand how he didn't get more opportunities, he was our version of Chris Gayle. Even harder to understand when you see the opportunities delivered to some others!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #692 –
Great to read that Maxwell is back in the test squad, I hope this is a new beginning of some common sense cricket selections, the bloke is a player who has a whole other level to most around him.

How he missed out on so much test cricket is a mystery, Maxwell not being picked is like the West Indies ignoring Viv Richards because he only makes a big innings every 2nd or 3rd test and his extreme fielding isn't really worth it!

If we would have applied the same rules years ago, Doug Walters and other similar players might never have gotten a game!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #693 –
NZ v England...Poms are playing a new aggressive style under McCullum the new coach and have a new look attack which should make the Ashes more interesting.
Stokes captains like he plays and they have been too good for the reigning world champs apart from Daryl Mitchell who has been outstanding with the bat for the Kiwis. Strange dismissal in the 3rd test with Nicholls hitting the ball and striking the non strikers bat on the full and the ball rebounding to mid off where it was caught and Nicholls was out.
Re Maxwell...not for me as a test player vs quality test bowling, just too loose and unpredictable.

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #694 –
We will have to disagree on Maxwell, if we can justify someone like Warner at the top of the order because he can be a match winner, and the continual repeat efforts put into Marsh because he can be a match winner, it's hard to justify excluding Maxwell because he's at another level not just in batting but in the field.

Everything Warner or Marsh can do Maxwell can do, but there is stuff Maxwell does that they can't do, all we need him to do is feel at home and relax into the game and he will win test matches off his own efforts!

I don't get the criticism about Maxwell throwing his wicket away, fans make a big deal of it because of how it happens, some weirdness. But as an inconsistency it's no different to Warner poking and prodding at pies, or Marsh having a moment and lobbying a dolly to mid-off.

It's a bit like in ODI or T20 when Finch goes out LBW again, it's his gig, fans get frustrated but somehow it's worse than a knick behind or a doddle catch to forward of the wicket. The outrage seems rather arbitrary.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #695 –
Quote from: LP – on
We will have to disagree on Maxwell, if we can justify someone like Warner at the top of the order because he can be a match winner, and the continual repeat efforts put into Marsh because he can be a match winner, it's hard to justify excluding Maxwell because he's at another level not just in batting but in the field.

Everything Warner or Marsh can do Maxwell can do, but there is stuff Maxwell does that they can't do, all we need him to do is feel at home and relax into the game and he will win test matches off his own efforts!

I don't get the criticism about Maxwell throwing his wicket away, fans make a big deal of it because of how it happens, some weirdness. But as an inconsistency it's no different to Warner poking and prodding at pies, or Marsh having a moment and lobbying a dolly to mid-off.

It's a bit like in ODI or T20 when Finch goes out LBW again, it's his gig, fans get frustrated but somehow it's worse than a knick behind or a doddle catch to forward of the wicket. The outrage seems rather arbitrary.
Marsh isn't test material either imo, like Maxwell he will have his moments when he has a day out but for me he is still a short format player
Warner altered his game to play test cricket and learned to graft.
His poor run in England was due to excellent bowling from Broad to left handers with Tom Latham from NZ being his latest around the wicket bunny.
Warner also has a decent test average over the journey so I don't see the comparison.
Maxwell would have to displace Cameron Green at No 6 imo, I think the other positions are locks.Green is a better bowler, handy in the gully and his batting while not fantastic is on the steady improve and his ability to do a Stokes with the ball and take big wickets ie Root makes him valuable.
Maxwell is great in the field but imo isn't going to be a match saver at No 6, yes he can win games but I think No6 has to be able to both save and win games.
His off spin bowling is handy but compared to Green bowling outswingers at 145kmh I know who I would want as a change bowler on most test tracks.
Green needs to get his average up and make bigger scores but I see him as the future as that all-rounder we have struggled to produce.
Maxwell like Marsh will always be a better short format player and I don't see upside in him like I do with Green at test level

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #696 –
The current situation with England's reversal of form just shows you that in sport there is no "right way."

Australia went down the dour grind pathway under Langer, relentless metronomic precision with little room for flair. England look at the same faltering situation and replace Root and Silverwood with Stokes and McCullum.

btw., The English media slammed McCullum and Stokes as a failed appointment and irresponsible risk. I find it hard to believe they still think Bayliss, Silverwood and Root were the better option!
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #697 –
Test Cricket under more pressure with the new South African one day tournament set to take a month of the cricket calendar out for the year. Its hard enough squeezing tests in as it is and I was bit shocked to hear new SA Cricket Boss Graeme Smith ok with SA only playing 25-28 tests over the next 5 years.
What a surprise too that the SA franchise teams for this new tournament are all owned by IPL owners, so in short the tentacles of Indian cricket have reached over and bought out SA cricket. Smith said they need the investment to help all forms of cricket as SA cant hope to stay viable without this new comp providing funding for grassroots cricket in SA.
They couldnt get SA companies interested was Smiths reply to the question of Indian IPL owners funding the teams but said SA cricket Admin will still run the tournament...yeah right.
He did admit he sees only around 5 teams playing test cricket down the track and less test cricket being played..

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #698 –
I'm not a big fan of T20, and I do not follow it closely, but see enough stats to be completely puzzled by team selection. In particular, it's got me stuffed how Starc keeps getting a gig, he's a match winner one out of every 10 or so games, but the rest of the time he's on the other side of the ledger, is his father-in-law the selector? Maybe that unfair, in reality he's dead ordinary 60% of the time, wickless 40% of games, one wicket or less 60% of games, more than 8 an over 60% of games, more than 10 an over 40% of games.

I know he is an elite talent, but the old rules still apply, you are only as good as the bloke who bowls at the other end, and in this regard Starc is almost MIA 90% of the time!

So the CA answer to this conundrum is to apparently consider dropping Cummins!

The same people that boost Starc, want Finch and Maxwell kiboshed, and I agree they are inconsistent as well, yet they are an arm and a leg ahead of Starc in terms of consistency!

It's like an episode of The Twilight Zone! :o

For me the missing ingredient is Alex Carey, I'd have had him and Wade in the squad, they could both play as batsmen outright.

I read that Pontin wants more batsmen, but that won't help when the main strike bowler goes at 10+ an over 90% of the time! Sure the averages suggest better, but that is the problem, they are averages, and a shizen two weeks with multiple loses gets made up for when he takes 5 for 10 off 3 overs to win us one game.
"Extremists on either side will always meet in the Middle!"

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #699 –
Amen brother.

We lost this tournament with the first three balls Starc bowled in the very first over.  We have never recovered.  When he is off he stinks and he is off far too often. He doesn't have a change of pace delivery, a major  weapon in the T20 fast bowlers kit.
Cummins has also bowled rubbish and dropped a vital catch.
The bloke who needed a run was Agar - we keep playing the same three Quicks when history has shown that changing them out, particularly from the mid point of a series works wonders


DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #700 –
They stunk today and didn't deserve to progress.  None of them get a pass mark.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #701 –
Cricket Australia has decided to change the code of conduct rules to allow David Warner to captain Australia and its probably aimed at retaining him in the short format arena where he is relied upon heavily. He has made noises about ditching test cricket and also looking at the big paying overseas short format tournaments and obviously the faltering Big Bash league want to retain him and have him captain Sydney Thunder.
A mistake IMHO to pander to this bloke who did the wrong thing, embarrassed the country, bullied the weak Smith and threw a young player in Bancroft under the bus. You have to have standards and while we know other teams have their cheats it doesnt mean we have to ignore this stuff on the basis everyone else cheats so why dont we.
We want hard tough cricketers but not cheats, what other countries do is their business and if they want to cheat then let them but we need to make it clear to young cricketers that Aus cricket isnt played that way and players who break the rules dont get allowed to captain their country...

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #702 –
1st test of the summer and Aussies in control as expected, how the mighty have fallen when you look at the Windies today.
Bowling is ordinary and their batting isnt much better even though their recent test record isnt too bad especially at home.
But looking at todays action its going to be one way traffic in this two test series and maybe we should have played 5 tests vs the Saffies this summer who at least have a high class attack and will provide some competition.The reality is if its not England or the the Indians touring then its not competitive test cricket these days...and maybe I'll include NZ as well but we never seem to play them in a 4-5 test series.
 Labuschagne should get 200 plus tomorrow and Smith an easy century as well, as well as being non competitive cricket the commentary is equally uninspiring on Channel 7 and the sooner Ch 9 get the cricket back the better..

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #703 –
I’ve always loved test cricket but I’m finding it hard to get interested in this series.

The Windies are mediocre but the Australian team doesn’t inspire me either.  I think it’s the cumulative effects of strange selections, controversy, Langer, and sandpaper.
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread

Reply #704 –
Don't know why we pander to Warner, he used to get away with batting like a millionaire but just blasting through the line ain't working any more.
DrE is no more... you ok with that harmonica man?