Bashing a way in to the Test team

ok, so i accept that i'm pretty much in a club of one here at DTW regarding T20. That is fine and a reason why i don't moderate- diversity of opinion is one of the best ways to learn new stuff that a person may not have considered before due to only seeing things from their own perspective.

I've said all along since taking NOS (number one son) to our first Big Bash game 3 seasons ago that i know it to be "junk food cricket" and it best serves a market of kids and adults with ADHA... or those that would rather any form than nothing at all.

I am though, totally on board with the suggestions that the timing of this BBL and the postponing of all (state) multi day cricket is detrimental to that which must always be considered the first priority- the Test team.

Now it seems that while the mainly print (and online print) media have been quick to point out that the crowds have been below expectation at BBL games, this has always been supplimented with the additional statment that TV audiences have been solid. I can't help but wonder what international players would feel playing in a venue as amazing as the G in front of 1,000 ground staff should it come to pass that the format ends up only serving a TV audience?

Anyway, back to the media. What i have noted has been an escalating amount of media refering to the BBL as players opportunities to find form/prove fit/get eperience to ensure a test team berth. Clarke mentioned it several weeks ago regarding Hughes finding form. But he clarified that that was the only opportunity for Hughes due to the lack of Sheild games, it was apparent he felt this to be an unsatisfactory situation.

I think 4 years ago we all would have pencilled in one M.Clarke with his bling, car, model girlfiend, hair and youthful 'i can have the world and all of its rewards' as the leading cadidate to accept a cash v career in the IPL. He has matured into a player that has upheld the value of Test and has not failed to support his stance with actions and words. While he may be considering a spell next IPL season, i am confident he would only do it after much consideration as to how it may affect his other responsibilities- and not to their detriment.

I challenge you readers, check online, papers etc -even on air- every sport section is carrying at least one reference to this disturbing occurance of refering to BBL as a Test entry point. At the moment it is in reference to Marsh and his big knock last night for the Scorchers. Warner was mentioned earlier in the week, but he had cemented his spot anyway. We all know he is going to get out now and agin due to playing big-bash type shots in Test, but if he can regularly show enough capacity to settle and carve out an innings i'll accept that.

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On a completely different subject, i'd like to mention one 300kg S.K.Warne!

I think it proper that on Boxing day after meeting at the Captain, those of us going pilgrimage to gate 2 to pay homage. Although i imagine it will be busy!

good name on the bat! thanks Sledgey for this image! now FUNK OFF HUGHES!

Bellerive, the belle of the 6 stitch ball

Ah, Bellerive, how i loved it when i was there last January. How i longed to go to a Test there, and how i hope we (my family)can live there in the not to distant future.

With the 2nd Test starting today all of those thoughts are once again in the forefront of my mind, but so is the cricket!

We (DTW) all seem to be agreeing that Pup is showing considerable cricket acumen and nouse, and this bodes well against the serious test that is India... Pup himself must feel a sense of place and personal importance within that coming series given his critical roll in the last session of the last series. So will he use that as leverage to get under the skins of the Indians? I hope so. With the success of the last Test, i am buoyed by the selectors choice of not changing the line up and allowing those players injured extra time to iron out their niggles.

But that has to wait another 17 days; now is NZ and what of it?
How much can we take from the last Test win? Was it an issue that big D and the Brown-sound stopped the rot and built an innings in the first and for a while our bowlers looked unable to break it? What about if NZ didn't blow soo many chances (i know it goes both ways with dropped catches- i bet Clarke has refused to look at THAT replay!), could the tale of the tape been radically different and the Australias more seriously tested or found wanting? And what about Siddle? He bowled so well for little reward; i won't say "without luck" because i don't feel he was threatening to take wickets, but his pressure from an end was very good. But will that be viewed as enough from him? It clearly is at the moment, but in the future?

great signs that our bowling stocks are building and i tips me hat to Lefty who predicted ALL of the new bowlers a good while ago. Seeing the Dandenong opening bowlers work so well together brought a lump to this parochial Vics throat! As did seeing a greenskeeper show so much faith in his ability to bowl on the spot and to a plan- faith from above does wonders for self belief!

The batting? Well, we all have our thoughts on each key position and i think they don't need me adding to them much more than: Ponting will stay for the summer while he keeps getting scores- regardless of whether they are 3 figured. Hughes: your technique is flawed, give thanks to the location of your residence! If Warner is the run machine, Hughes would do well to realise that he doesn't need to hang his bat out for anything! While the scoreboard rolls over he just needs to stay there; having Warner as a smasher should facilitate Hughes in just this...perhaps he is too stupid to see this opportunity he has.

While the scopes are focussed on targets, Haddin is still doing enough to side step a direct hit and the critics here and across this wide brown land sans NSW will just have

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Once again the talk is of a 'green top' and the critical choice at the toss, Sth East Aus is hot at the moment but thunderstorms are coming through all weekend- i'd certainly want to bowl first in those conditions, and Clarke has said he is definitely considering it.

Much is made of fortress Gabba and the Gabbatoir, but little has been said that Aus are yet to lose a Test at Hobart- Battlement Bellerive... nah, it is just the best venue in the world for beach cricket; and i long for the day i walk out at Lunch i walk out the gets at the southern end across the foreshore for a swim in the Derwent...BLISS!

Let's get serious.

OK Boys, instead of picking apart the selectors after they have announced the team I thought I would take the chance to get shouted down (or not) and name my 12 for Brisbane.
Note:
Katich is picked if his thumb is ok, if not Jaques comes in.
No specialist spinner on this deck for me, White can handle 10 - 15 overs a day if needed.
If Bollinger is unfit McKay comes in.

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Clarke
4. Khawaja
5. Ponting (C)
6. Watson
7. White
8. Haddin
9. Siddle
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

12. Smith

you have been informed! ...and, getting closer!

26-10-2010

you know what that means?

2 months today until boxing day!

...and only 1 month to go until the first test!

so with that in mind i thought i should move away from high fashion and get back onto this blogs actual subject; CRICKET.

smarmy bastard Jimbo Anderson is reportedly 75% fit and bowling again after being beaten around the ring in the now not-so-secret training camp in Bavaria.
Sustaining a cracked rip in a boxing session, Anderson is still completely in the mix for the first test stated African Andy#1 (Flower). If the recovery process takes longer than expected, i would imagine that the undisclosed perp (Chris Tremlett) may not get a look in until his extra height and bounce is required in Perth. This by way of having his wrist slapped for what is clearly a bad judgement call for hitting Jimbo in the body when the obvious target is his smirky bonce!

African Andy#1 has also seen the need to side step KP's PP performance back at home (SA) in what was meant to be his get-back-to-form trip playing for Kwazulu Natal Dolphins. In 2 knocks KP made 36 in the first and in the second, only required the scorer to put a dot and then a 0.
Now i'm not going to join the queue of people saying KP is D.O.A- i like his exciting style, but if he fails to find form it is a BIG psych advantage given how well he played over here last time.

Pistol Pete hey-diddle-diddle is pushing hard for a test recall after banging up his back in January.
He has steadily increased his work load with the Bushrangers and is now lined up for the Sri Lankan short form games. For mine, it is also good to see Haddin back in this squad, one made up entirely of Vic's and NSW players... not a little retrograde ACB?... i mean CA.

The Redbacks must be wincing a bit at the moment with Cosgrove getting his considerable weight behind his good eye and belting 159 for Tasmania against Victoria. Called a chronic boombar last year and asked to leave Sth Oz, Cosgrove's innings has kept the Tigers in the mix against a Bushrangers side that appears well on the way to continuing last seasons successes.

Australia's batting Lazarus Matt Haydos Hayden has come out publicly saying he sees a lot of himself in Phil Hughes. Fair point, but for mine the only way Hughes can cement his place back in the side is to show that he has the technique and mental edge this summer against the Poms. Found suss against the mind games more than the lifting balls last time in Blighty, Hughes must dominate the touring quicks on tracks that he should be familiar with, but will also allow the ball to get big on him more if the England bowler continue on with their theory.

Pup is adamant he is up to the challenge of a full dance card for the summer and that is the best way for him to get back in the runs. So who should we blame if his back goes again? Or should Cosgrove get Pups spot if that situation arises?

you have been informed.
stoph verismo
down the wicket

priorities, people, public profile

while it may seem "un-Victorian", i can't help but wonder how the media work sometimes; this is purely a rhetorical question as i do understand the nature of media, but am still confused as to why in the week of the first test of the summer the sports segments of commercial news programs start with 3 AFL stories- including one about the Magpies annual pre xmas training and sight-seeing trip to Arizona! If it is annual, it is hardly news!

Then, after a story about some teenage draft picks anticipation about moving to Melbourne, we get something on the NATIONAL team of the seasons most popular sport! How does THAT work?

Sure, the Windies are a team in disarray, and many tout the series as bordering on a waste of time, but it IS a TEST, and IS being played here in Australia, so surely it should precede magpies on burro's going down a big ditch!

...i feel better now!


So what have we got to look at 2 days out from Brisvegas?

Firstly, it appears everyone that has ever (briefly) pulled on a baggy green is lining up everyone that currently gets use out of one to give career advice.

Rodney Hogg has sent down a short one at Lee telling him to give up Test and concentrate on ODI; probably sound advice, but Lee values Test above all so if he could, i think he'd do it the other way around. Still, in his press conference, Lee looked as if he had reconciled not playing for his country again.

Ian Chappell has written of P.Hughes chances of getting a spot... for a while.

Ian Healy must be worried about his public profile at the moment, as he has started up a new discussion. He believes M.Clarke is not durable enough to take the captaincy due to his recurring back problem. And that Ponting MUST lead Australia back to England for the next Ashes. Sure, why not Heals. As a batsman, it would be Punters best chance at getting a hat-trick...of defeats!
Others to weigh into the captaincy debate are Kim- don't cry for me-Hughes, and Steve -i've got a great mo, so i must be a sports star- Rixon. Rixon wants a change in the next 12 months, Hughes wants Ponting to stay on because of his great leadership... i don't need to touch that one, any remark Kim makes on leadership speaks volumes!

And then there is Shane: Windies lift or get torn apart. Oldies lift or get out of the AusXI.
I don't know if he is trying to improve the contest, or playing mind games with Windies, but it wouldn't be the start of a series without some brash comments from the greatest EVER player of the game.
Certainly he is correct in identifying the continued use of the excuses- rebuilding and transition, and has given up a list of young players that need to be given experience as soon as possible:

Henriques, Hughes and wristy Steven Smith are names Warne wants in.

Interesting too, that he has backed Hauritz's inclusion in the first test, interesting in that he obviously has a lot of faith in Krezja as he gave him the new nut on winning the toss in the all stars game. Another point regarding these two bowlers is the speculation that Haury will finally unveil his much worked on doosra, and that Krazy let one go in the state game when the result was already a certainty.

stoph verismo
down the wicket

Haury, stay where you are!

What a crushing and resounding win to the NSW team last night... w-w-w-well, d-d-d-done; sorry hard to say for someone that lives in the state that last (aus) season had the best cricket team in the country. i say best not because we only one the format that counts, but because the Vics were in everything at the end, and so should be considered the best team over-all. But that was last year, and counts for diddly now!
And last night, it counted for less as they were out played at every level.

Stand out point for mine last night was N. Hauritz, and Kats faith in having him bowl at the other end of the opening bowling pair.
Others finished with better figures, but Haury had done the job in his first 2 overs by taking out the opening batsmen for ducks. You could almost hear Kat thinking, "thank you Nathan, you've crushed their spirit, the others will take it from here mate!" We all know Haury is very effective at slowing things right down and creating excellent pressure for his bowling partner, will he finally get the chance to work through a series without fear of drinks carrying- unlikely as it is he would bowl in Perth! Let's hope he continues and gives a bit to the Indians for the up coming ODI series.

Bret Lee must have thought he was staring in 'A Christmas Carol', because he was tighter than Scrooges purse strings! (4-O, 1-M, 2/15). Although Moises Henriques might like that title too- 3-O, 0-O, 3/11! If in the future Watson is kept as an opener- on performance i see no reason why not- we may be looking at the new national all-rounder.

finally, with the NSW openers (Hughes and Werner) taking on everything- and coming up trumps- the selection process for other formats retains its intrigue with the youngsters getting up some momentum, and showing their desire for representation.

Emergency selection - an English viewpoint

Emergency selection - an English viewpoint

It’s like the good old bad days. Not for a while have England entered the latter stages of a Test series in disarray with talk of a team overhaul in the air. The humiliation at Headingley was so bad that the demand for Mark Ramprakash is entirely understandable.

The mirth this is causing in the Australian camp and media is equally justified. It does reveal a degree of panic that suggests the home side are in no fit state to win back the urn. Bringing back a batsman who hit two tons in his previous 52 Tests, just short of his 40th birthday can only really be described as a panicked, emergency selection.
But that is the scenario England have played themselves into. They were not just beaten at Leeds, they were hammered, the match lasting less than 200 overs – I should know, I was there for the brief third day. Money not very well spent.
Although the proposed selection of Ramprakash reveals the dearth of batting talent in this country, it should be remembered that the Surrey run machine is a special case for a special occasion.
Ramprakash is far more likely to score significant runs at the Oval than Ravi Bopara or Ian Bell, helping England to upset the Fifth Test odds (http://betting.betfair.com/cricket/2009-ashes/ashes-odds-australia-favourites-to-retain-the-urn-090809.html) in the process. That is why he is being considered. Rob Key and Jonathan Trott are in the frame for the same reason, and, for the record, it's a far safer Oval Test bet (http://betting.betfair.com/cricket/2009-ashes/) that they will get the nod.
The 16 runs England’s three, four and five amassed from their six innings at Headingley is the lowest ever by an English middle order in Test cricket. Change is needed.
Any Aussies getting carried away by England’s predicament should note their own team’s selectorial issues. At least Ramprakash has not been touting himself for a recall like Justin Langer, who seems determined to get involved in the series in one way or another. Just make do with taking the Don’s first class run scoring record Justin.
Stuart Clark should not have been left out in the first place and the success of Shane Watson as a makeshift opener should not disguise the Phillip Hughes mistake – dropping a young gun after three innings is as English a knee-jerk reaction as you would ever wish to see.
It would be typical of Ramprakash’s England career if the selectors manage to time his return to guarantee the most possible pressure. One Test, an Ashes decider, with only one other batsman in nick; no pressure Ramps.

Hughes blues

Hughes out, Watson in!
It is only an unofficial report, but there it is.

What do you reckon?
Can Hughes rebound? Sure he is young enough, that is not what i mean, but how will this affect his confidence given his form leading in... until England publicly announced they had him "sor'ed", and then proved it.

Further more, can Watson get through the 5 days? A rhetorical question as i know most of think he can't.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25856440-601,00.html

tour match musings

What is wrong with this picture?
Obviously the first problem is Johnson, great last summer -time for a rest from the side and some work with the skills coach. Period! Don't muck around with this CA, Do it NOW!


1st innings:
Hughes 10
Watson 84

SR Clark 14 overs 2 m 2 for 45
MG Johnson 7 overs 0m 0 for 42
SR Watson 5 overs 0m 2 for 20

2nd innings:

batting good

PJ Hughes 68
AB McDonald 75
SR Watson 50
GA Manou† 59


SR Clark 9 overs 1 m 2 for 29
MG Johnson 11.1 overs 1 m 1 for 65
SR Watson 10 overs 3 m 1 for 34
AB McDonald 11 overs 5 m 4 for 15

Good to see Hughes get his head together for the 2nd knock; we know he is a real talent, but it is a worry that he has let the focus on him affect his game.

A good "shoot out" between Watson and Ronnie.
Watson: aggregate- 3 for 54, and 134 runs
Ronnie: aggregate- 4 for 38, 107 runs

While these are just the basic stats, makes for 'interesting' contemplation, don't you think? And some extra decisions for the selectors.

Funnily, i heard a rumour yesterday that there was some talk from the selectors that Siddle may be overlooked to get Clark back in, as they don't want 2 of the same.
How stupid would that be? To me they are quite different bowlers with very different roles. And if Siddle was to be dropped at the moment, i would suggest some serious email bombing of CA... i know i will be!

stoph verismo
down the wicket

opinions are like...

Full bag of points to address, no time to "write" an article, so here are the bullet points:

Binga with a very good spell of fast, reversing, accurate bowling (5 fa!)has set him up for inclusion in the first test. This came after Ponting had to tell Lee to pay attention due to him (Lee) being distracted by conversing with people over the fence. Is that enough for you to have him back in?

Harmison getting smug by declaring he has Hughes soft spot sorted: short pitched bowling under the armpit and around the head. WOW! What an insight. Who isn't susceptible to that? You can't bowl 6 balls of that an over tosspot, so how about actually getting your house in order before you try and knock over someone elses! Do you want mind games? How about, "it is hard to hit someone in the head with your line ending at 2nd slip!"
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25724565-2882,00.html

Buchanan is stirring the pot subtly over in Blighty by ensuring he is in the media- he just doesn't get it, does he, we all know he was more of a hindrance to a great side than any sought of benefit. Given that his role with English cricket is minimal, who cares! Let him do MORE coaching, it can only do good getting in their heads and over complicating things!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article6626303.ece

Interesting to read Timesonline reporter Patrick Kidd ripping into Flintoff over his indiscretions.
If a few badly chosen words, miss quotes and the odd drinking incident are so abhorrent to Kidd, imagine the field day he'd have if Roy took up his English heritage to push for a team position! http://timesonline.typepad.com/line_and_length/2009/06/flintoff-plays-the-pillock-again.html

There is plenty more as the build up progresses, feel free to add to the list.

stoph verismo
down the wicket