What does 2011 and 2012 hold?

So, Australia has a new test captain (with the last still playing in the team), young bowling stocks abound and some promising batsmen are kicking around. Looks like Australia will have a bumper season kicking off with a test series in Sri Lanka, then to South Africa and the summer hosting India and New Zealand.
Wait, didn't we just lose an Ashes series? How did we lose that again? That's right, we had no spinner (well, noone that could bowl spin), our quicks couldn't penetrate a cardboard box and our batsmen couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag; save Watson, Hussey and Haddin. England played exceptionally well and no doubt fully deserved the series win and the margin by which they won. So is there any reason to be hopeful?
Yes there is. There are some great quicks doing the rounds in Starc, Copeland and Pattinson with some promising batsmen in Ferguson, Khawaja with Shaun Marsh injury free. Hughes looks to have worked on his technique and developed more patience so he'll be considered a chance for an opening spot before the summer finishes. I think Marsh is a key as he also opens and can be incredible damaging. Unfortunately his summer was ordinary which limited the options CA had. Tim Paine is obviously in the selectors sights as both the national wicket-keeper and a future captain. I fear Haddin may well get a nudge well before he's ready to call it a day. The quick trio are vital to Aus starting the long road back to the top of the test tree. It will be a long time before Aus invokes the fear it did from 1993 to 2004 (perhaps it never will) but you get busy trying or.....
We learnt last summer that Hilfenhaus is indeed mortal, Bollinger has a weaker ticker than we thought, Siddle could excel but rarely will (although he is a good stock bowler), Harris will forever be plagued with injury, Johnson is not 'back' and Aus has no single spinner worth picking. 'What about Hauritz?' I hear you (yes you) ask. If he's fit, I'd concede it's worth giving him a chance; perhaps Clarke will better manage him than Ponting. But if we're brutally honest who would disagree that Beer, Doherty, McGain - the list goes on - just are not up to the standard required for test cricket? A grounds keeper who quietly asked if he could bowl to the redbacks since he had nothing to do may well find himself in a baggy green before too long. Nathan Lyon has impressed all with his control and flight and with the revolving door policy for Aus spinners who knows?
The future may not be sparklingly bright admittedly but hell it looks interesting. The funny thing is that if Aus' middle order can develop more spine; in particularly Ponting and Clarke, some pressure can be taken off the bowlers and they may be able to attack more. When you've got 230 on the board and bowling day 1 it's pretty hard to keep slips in and men around the bat once some runs start to flow. The thing that Clarke can bring to the table is a plan B. When you think about where Cook got his runs in the Ashes, how many shots between cover and mid-off do you remember? Not bloody many I bet because his weakness is supposed to be full on/outside off and that's where Aus thought we'd get him out - but he'd tightened his technique - leaving the ball alone unless it was short enough to cut or straight enough to drive. We had no other idea of how we'd see the back of him and about 25,000 runs later still don't.
While finding a spinner that can at least keep things tight will aid the attack immenesley, our quicks have to be more consistent. The reason greats like Warne and McGrath got results was because they were always at the batsmen. Never giving a batsmen width, half-volleys or long hops builds pressure by limiting the scoring options they have. Even in test cricket batsmen will sooner or later try to release the shackles, thereby taking a risk and potentially offering an opportunity. However, when a batsman knows that he'll 'get at least one every over' all he has to so is wait. Siddle improved greatly over the summer by reducing his bad balls but with Johnson at the other end all this good work is entirely undone. Batsmen get their eye in, build condfidence and before you know it you're getting hit too. Hilfenhaus became too predictable and with no swing he was far less dangerous. Bollinger may well come back but at the same time may not be forgiven for Adelaide. Let's hope Harris can find the form he burst onto the scene with because someone has to mentor the Starcs of this world.
My friends, the outlook is not entirely bleak, but it's bloody far form being bright.

DTW Sydney Tour 2012

Alright guys, with the demise of the Australian World Cup bid and the lull in any real cricket for quite a while I thought it pertinent that we begin to discuss the possibility of a DTW Sydney Tour.
I have already secured accommodation in Sydney with another cricket nut so we are sorted there. What we should aim for is to better the outstanding Adelaide weekend, which I know will be a tall order but I think we can get there.
What we need now is dedication to the task. We need able bodies to make the trek, drink the drink and walk the walk to the SCG. This is no trip for nancies. Sydney is no drinkwater town halfway to the Indian Ocean and will chew you up and spit you out in a second.
Who among you will volunteer. It will be tough. Beer and steak don't drink and eat themselves.
WE WANT YOU!

Australia's 43rd Captain

And so it is that Michael Clarke is appointed our 43rd captain. The media make a deal of naming him as the new captain when the truth is they named him captain almost ten years ago.
His form of late has been barely good enough to keep him in the side yet is expected to improve with the added weight of the captaincy.
The question now has to be "How long will we accept poor performances from him with the bat now he has the excuse of captaincy to put up every time he fails?"
The organisation needed a Golden Boy to attract female followers and shimmy through the social pages and now he holds the second most esteemed position in the country.
Why ask current cricketers if they support him when they must tow the company line?
Once again a decision that is not better for Australian cricket but better for Cricket Australia.
Shouldn't they be the same thing?

The Tragics Have Moved - Slightly

For those Down The Wicket readers who occasionally flip over to The Cricketragics, please note the change of addy
www.thecricketragics.com

Stoph, you might also be so kind as to remove City United Cricket Club emblem from DTW. I'm no longer associated with them.

Batting Woes?

As Australia's constant batting woes continue at the World Cup, a fact hidden by victories over minnows such as Canada and Kenya, perhaps it is time for Ponting to fall on his sword, go home and send over one of the best one day batsmen in the world.

I refer to one B. Hodge. Surely the ridiculous decision to leave him out of the squad while in such devastating form for the Vics is now becoming downright retarded?

Ponting is G.A.W.N. Clarke is lucky to be getting a game much less next in line for the top spot. When will he step up WHEN WE NEED HIM? Last night he committed the cardinal sin of calling when the ball was hit behind square. Under 12 stuff. White should have stood his ground like Clarke surely would, the selfish git. "My next big score is just around the corner". Yeh so is your stylist and media manager Pup!

World Cup

Guys, with the World Cup coming up I am leaning towards the prospect of a DTW BBQ at the Nospmas residence on Saturday 5th March as a precursor to watching at least the first innings or perhaps the whole game Australia v Sri Lanka.
Food and drink would be provided by the house and by drink I mean beer and perhaps red wine.

Please indicate your interest in such an endeavour. All members welcome. Interstate guests can be accommodated.

Some Runs For The "L" Man

Boys it's time to recognise the only one of us that plays competitive cricket amongst us and his breakthrough score on the weekend. As an opener myself who has struggled at times it is nice to finally get into the runs if only 30 odd. But 30 odd becomes 50 odd and so on until you are raising your bat for a triple.

Lukey you looked good at 1 for 90ish and you certainly did your job. As a captain it must have been frustrating to watch the good start slip away.

Anyway mate, well done on putting some in the book. May your next one be a big one!!

2 A's and a B gives Watto 2nd AB

Surely Shane Watson was an unbackable favourite for last nights AB medal.
The Glams, glitterati and paparazzi were in effect turning up only to honour his terrific consistency, and to see who came 2nd.

Taking top votes in Test and ODI and runner up to D.Hussey in T20 it was too easy for Watto to back up last years win.

I suppose an advantage of being so favored is being able to prepare your acceptance speech. Watson certainly showed he had his achievements in perspective with his acknowledgment that, "...being able to stay on the field was its own reward."

Well done Watto, you were a light in the dark days of the Test summer, and fully deserve this accolade.