Great stuff by Nospmas to initiate the anticipation of the highly expected and long-awaited Ashes. See how excited I am - how many unnecessary words does it take to fill a sentence? In keeping with analytical tradition I thought we could run through the various aspects of competing in test series': starting with bowling.
Seamer friendly, slower and softer pitches in Eng with the Duke ball need to be considered in the same way that dusty turners in India are. My list of challengers for (let's say) 4 bowling spots are:
1. Mitchell Johnson
2. Doug (the rug) Bollinger
3. Peter (hey diddle) Siddle
4. Stuart (um....) Clark
5. Brett (I'm ready cos I say so and should get the new ball cos I'm Brett Lee) Lee
6. Ben (arrrrr) Hilfenhaus
7. Nathan (I'm an offie) Hauritz
8. Shane (ah my back) Watson - I realise this would occur in an allrounder capacity if selected and if it was one or the other he'd be picked as a batsman
9. Dirk (jaz) Nannes
Personally I'd go for Johnson, Hauritz, Siddle and Bollinger. I would say Katich, North and Clarke are good for 15 - 20 overs between them if necessary and Watson chiming in: what do you know - that's 8! Maybe give Haddin a bowl too as the selectors seem to feel he can do anything. I've probably let a cat out of the bag re batting but I'll leave a tempter out there. There are many discussion points that will influence selection: eg allrounder vs specialist number 6 batsman so over to you guys and gals.
1. Mitch Johnson then daylight (a lot)
ReplyDelete2. Stuart Clarke
Let Clarke bowl the line and length and Johnson to rough them up.
3. Doug Bolinger
4. Ben Hilfenhaus
5. Ronald McDonald
6. Nathan Hauritz.
Forget Watson, his body can't be trusted. He obviously has a problem with his action that his back can't handle. A shame but that's cricket.
I would love to see Hodge get a crack at the expense of Hussey but that won't happen. Hughes will retain the opening spot. He's done enough. The rst pick themselves, don't they?
Agreed, and I forgot about Ronald although I'm not convinced in his worth. If you're right and Watson isn't up for it I'd go Ronnie. I'd still like to see runs from him first: perhaps the warm up games if they still do that before the Ashes.
ReplyDeleteit is too easy to get Johnson in the line up; after his amazing last 7 months, i think we should be ready for others to pick up more than the slack, because i fear (and i hope i'm wrong) that he might not blow the poms out of the water. in the games history few have played at such a high standard so continuously. it is not that i want him not to perform- he is an amazing athlete that has showed an incredible development in EVERY aspect of the game- i just wouldn't be surprised if he shows signs of some burn out; as well as the poms analysing the crap out of his every delivery!
ReplyDeleteSiddle is walk-up, no one needs me to piss in his pocket.
so it is a good question, who else?
history dictates that winners in Pomgolia swing the ball, traditionally and with the black magic version of swing!
that to me says Bollinger and Hilfenhaus... yet neither has really grabbed their opportunities effectively enough to warrant them automatic contention.
i've really come around to Hauritz's focus, but he is not a 5 day bowler; this is not a slag off, because as i've said before, i think he is a top ODI bowler because he is hard to get runs off. Still, if the policy/conditions dictate a spinner, his performance and attitude mean he should get a run as the spinner. His effectiveness will be in how Ponting uses him; get him at one end into the wind to choke runs and rotate through swingers and pace at the other end. Pretty simple really, can anyone get that through to Punter.
Ronald as the all rounder... for now, at least.
Stuey "Curry" Clark as the workhorse.
i can't see Lee being ready.
2 inning for Hussey and without a score over 50 i'd have his bags waiting at the gate back up the run. no news there though!
Hodge has continued his 4 day form with IPL domination, with the ball too! if Hussey plays out the whole Ashes without improvement, it will show that CA learnt ABSOLUTELY nothing from the Hayden debacle.
I think the selectors somehow feel they owe Hussey for making him wait so long for a spot in the first place. And as you said Stoph they need to learn from the Hayden situation. The sad thing for Hussey is that they have either worked out where to bowl to him or he has lost his eye. Hodge deserves a chance.
ReplyDeleteLee has not done enough when fit to walk into the team much less after a long injury lay off. His career at the top level is over whether he knows it or not.