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The Roar

Kristin Carville

Roar Rookie

Joined May 2011

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Agreed that there are many more to be considered gys, so I am currently working on a list that cosists of those that were pre-2009. Keep an eye out for that article coming soon!

Australia's best individual innings since 2009 by bowlers (part II)

Another reason he is probably being taken over to bowl in the nets is to ensure that the batsmen get plenty of practice against spin.

Lets not forget the party trick that India tried to pull on England recently when the Poms played warm up games against teams that played no spinners, with the idea being the English batsmen would not have adjusted to the turn and then would be spun out in the tests. Worked for the first test, but then England took note and ended up beating India at their own game. Lets hope we can follow suit.

Australian cricket selectors deserve a massive pay rise

Erm…first of all, Punter didnt score 169 in the 2005 Ashes…it was 156. Still a great innings that deserves to be rated highly given Punter’s single mindedness to try and save his team. It should also be noted that for a while there an Aussie victory might not have been too far away, we only finished about 40 or 50 short in the end.

Deano’s 210 will definitely be there. His 193 against England in 86/87 could also be included – a century in a test match that has been often referred to as the turning point for the Aussies in the late 80’s.

Other contenders:

Mark Waugh 119 v SA 1997
Mark Taylor 129 v Eng 1997
Michael Hussey 134 v Pak 2010
Damien Martyn 124 v Ind 2004
Michael Hussey 61* v Eng 2006
Steve Waugh 63* v WI 1995
Adam Gilchrist 204* v SA 2002
Tim May 42* v WI 1993
Kim Hughes 110 v WI 1981
Allan Border 100* v WI
Steve Waugh 106 v Eng 1997

Australia's best individual innings since 1980 (part I)

Seems to be the new teacher pet along with Glenn Maxwell. Wonder how Steve Smith, John Hastings and Dan Christian feel.

Big Bash League 2012/2013 review

Look, I think it can be universally accepted that crowds during BBL02 were down. The diminished capacity of Adelaide Oval and the SCG as well as the poor performance of the Sydney team would be significant factors, but the main cause seems to have been the early start. As Stuar Clark mentioned on Inside Cricket, family budgets were focued on Christmas, school was not yet finished when the comp started so it was not as attractive an option for families. I liked his idea of waiting for the post New Years test period to ensure the bulk of the games can feature the Test players and therefore increase the chances of a good gate.

Big Bash League 2012/2013 review

OK, here we go:

Warner (c)
Pomersbach
Finch
Marsh
Rorhrer
Wade
Cutting
Starc
McKay
Laughlin
Beer

An ode to couch selectors

Have to disagree with you on some of the points here. Yes Cameron White scored a very good 88 in the semi final, but what has his form been like before that? Apart from a good finish to the IPL his form in general has been veyr poor for 2 years and he was very lucky to even make the squd for the WT20. Rohrer and Pomersbach are very unlucky to have missed out, as was Joe Burns.

And as for the bowling – Christian’s owling form has not been terrific as you say. He did bowl well in one game to get a 5 wicket haul, but overall he went at 9.3 per over in the comp. You say it is a weak attack with no Johnston and McKay – but have you watched Ben Laughlin? Leading wicket taker, went at 7.1 runs per over, I’d say he is pretty strong. McKay definitely unlucky to be there. Would like to have seen them pick Michael Beer instead of Xavier Doherty.

Also feel you contradict yourself when you say its not our best XI but it is a side picked on form – so therefore is it not our best XI at the moment?

Twenty20 Australian squad not the best XI

I agree that they will be delighted to have cleared a big chunk of their salary cap with Jennings going, but to say they are laughing all the way to the bank now is a just a touch premature.

Whilst their cap issue has eased, there is still another issue to address – gate takings. With the team not performing very well in the last season, attendances were well down. If they have another mediocre season, their gate will dwindle again and memberships will suffer, again lowering income. I know very well that the club is still struggling financially and are having to sell a number of assets to ensure they stop operating at a loss, so lets wait and see how 2013 goes before we start talking about who is laughing.

Dare say if the Roosters won the premiership (please let it be so!!) and the Panthers had another season like 2012 then it would be Mr Jennings having the last laugh.

Panthers laughing all the way to the bank

Lets be honest, this obsession that Australia has had with an all rounder was born out of the performance of Freddy Flintoff in the 2005 Ashes. But what the selectors also need to look at is the fact that 2005 was when Flintoff was at his peak, which really only consisted of the years 2004 & 2005. Either side of that he was injured or frustrated many with his performances.

Sure, if you have a high quality allrounder then by all means pick him. In cricket today there is really only one player who fits that criteria – Jaques Kallis, with over 13,000 runs and nearly 300 wickets. He is an example of someone who can perform all disciplines at a high standard. Other than that there are bits and pieces all rounders who excel at one discipline and do OK at another. Shane Watson had the potential to be a genuine all rounder, but his body issues have meant that the bowling is very much a part time thing these days.

We have seen the imbalance and selection issues that were caused in 2012 with the obsession to fit Watson in as an all rounder. We need to focus on picking the best 6 batsman, wicketkeeper, and 4 bowlers, with the bowler balance to be dictated by the conditions. Some of the bowling workload can be picked up by the likes of a Watson, Warner, Clarke, etc who can bowl a few overs to support, break a partnership and give the frontline 4 a break.

Does the Australian Test team need an all-rounder?

I for one am getting seriously tired of this carry on of a ‘second string’ Australian side and people complaining about wanting money back. I dont know about the rest of you, but I go to the game to watch my national team play, and to cheer them on to a win over the opposition. I really dont care who they are, if they pull on an Aussie shirt I will cheer them on.

It is also disrespectful to guys like Aaron Finch, Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja to say they are a second string team. Does this mean that when other players are injured or retire and they are permanent members of the team, we wont ever cheer our national team on because we feel they are second string? Please. Finch has been dominating the domestic scene like nobody else ever has, Hughes and Khawaja have also been scoring a ton of runs, and they were both members of the test team/squad this summer. So they are good enough to play a test for us but not an ODI?

So many people complain that cricket has become commercialised – well listening to this argument so have the fans.

Second-string team should come at a second-string price

So why not consider Tim Paine for the second WK spot? In good form at the moment and has performed well for Australian when he has been picked before.

Shabby treatment for Mike Hussey

Yes, it would have been great to see Huss have a farewell tour, but I can understand the desire to look forward to the 2015 World Cup.

It does make the selection of Dave Hussey a bit odd, but he has not yet retired and his form in the Ryobi Cup has been second to only his Victorian team mate Aaron Finch. Think the pressure will be on David this summer – if he fails to perform, then he wont be considered for the 2015WC and Glenn Maxwell will be taking his place there.

Daivd, I do also have to raise the point that Robert raised earlier – if you are so upset about David Hussey’s selection, then why are you not also passing comment on Brad Haddin? You could say his form for NSW has been good – but then you undo your argument against Hussey. Surely if we are looking to the future, then Paine should be picked as our keeper givne he is in form and has performed well for Australia in the past.Behind Paine we would look to either Nevill or Hartley, where Hartley is slightly ahead on form but Nevill has youth on his side.

Shabby treatment for Mike Hussey

Sorry David, but I think that you have missed the mark here. Yes, he oversees the running of a number of departments, but was it he that created their training program? No. Is it he who treats them for their injuries ? No. Yes, he has something that he needs to address now as a result of these injuries.

You must also consider a very good point that Stuart Clark made on Inside Cricket last night. These days players are making their international debuts at younger ages. This means they are in the public spotlight earlier and therefor these injuries are more widely publcised. The reality is that the vast majority of bowlers in first class cricket suffer similar injuries at similar ages – its part of developing as a fast bowler. The fast bowlers in generations gone by suffered these injuries whilst still only playing at first class level, so they were not so well publicised, and by the time they made their international debut at 25 they had made the necessary adjustments to counteract the injuries.

To me David this whole article just sounds like a whinge at the changing setups of modern sports administrations.

Pat Howard is failing those he is supposed to protect

So tell me Farmerj, what would you call the verbal barrage that Smith dished out to Cowan? This is the point I am making! There is no difference in the two yet Smith’s verbals were just called a part of test cricket, while Jimmy P giving it back to Smith is somehow called abuse.

Aussies again hit by sledging criticism

Two very good comments there, agree totally with both of them.

And Brendon, old mate Jimmy did have the advantage that he was making our batsman look like club cricketers during that series! Only thing that made me angry with his sledging was that none of our batsmen were good enough to take the fight back to him and the English attack – you simply cant get thrashed by the Poms at home!

Aussies again hit by sledging criticism

Agree with you totally here Jiggles, and as I mentioned in particular I cannot stand Virat Kholi. He is someone that is in no way shy of having a crack at an opponent, but when someone gives it to him he cant handle it. Remember how worked up he got when he almost ran himself out in the 90′ at Adelaide? The Aussies then started making comments about how he was getting nervous, and he was going to throw it away, to which he looked like he wanted to start a fight with Hilfy – probably one of the last blokes in our team you would want to take on! That night at the press conference he then proceeded to say he enjoyed when he and Ishant gave some verbal to the Aussies, and in the same presser said the Aussies were unsportsmanlike in sledging him?? Aarrggh!!

Aussies again hit by sledging criticism

So Razza, does that mean that Smith should also go up to Ed Cowan and apologise to him? This is the EXACT point I am making in my article! Here you are saying Pattinson needs to apologise for his actions, so why not Smith? Ed Cowan was standing there about to take guard, Smith walked past him and with no provocation turned and gave him an absolute gobful. Where is the difference in the two?

Neither of them have to apologise – its all part of test cricket. The boys had a laugh and a beer after the game and all is well.

Aussies again hit by sledging criticism

Well I think I can speak on this with some qualification since I live in Western Sydney, play AFL and am involved in my clubs committee. AFL in Western Sydney is strong on all levels, and I can confirm that there has been an increase in participation in both a junior and senior level. Western Sydney based teams have had strong performances in the Sydney AFL with many making the finals ahead of their inner city rivals. In fact, one of the 2 Sydney based teams playing in the NEAFL against the GWS, Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane reserve grade teams is based in North West Sydney.

To me it seems that journos like Masters and Phil Rothfield just cant handle that AFL is such a nationally popular game, and that membership and attendance numbers are much higher in AFL. They wish they could beat their chest saying NRL is the premier code when they cant.

AFL free agency: Nothing to fear after all

Could not have put it any better. Clubs are only up in arms because they dont have total control over the players. Free agency gives players greater control over their futures and gives them greater control over when their time is up, not the clubs.

The dirty secret about free agency: it helps players

I think it is far too early to make a comment on he impact this has on West Indies cricket. Les not forget that only 3 seasons ago they cam here and were competitive for 2 of te 3 test matches, but then fll in a heap again. They have shown encouraging signs, but the test for them now is to make sure they can keep the momentum going and kep the consistency in their game.

And the problems in WI cricket have ess to do with the NBA than is thought. Whilst it is a presence, interviews with WI legend say it is not as big an issue as other countries repor. The major cause of the issues has been the poor management of the game by the board who have neglected grass roos development, and fumble relations with players, highlighted by 2 player strikes and the Gayle situation.

Is this a new dawn for West Indian cricket?

Think you have pretty much got it spot on there Smithha, I would only see one positional change and one player change from your list. I think that Clarke will remain at 5 and Ponting at 4, they are unliklely to change that in a hurry. Larke is comfortable at 5 and has had wonderful success there compared to at 4.

Only personnel change would be Lyon in. I dont think they will take 4 seamers in, unless it is as green as that pitch we had at Headingly a few years ago when Pakistan rolled us for 88. Who to drop would be the question though? I do like th variety Starc offers as a left armer, and Pattinson has beenin great form – but also very hard to drop Siddle or Hilfy! I guess all will be revealed on November 9!

Who will be in the starting XI for the Gabba Test?

Have to wonder if this article was written late at night and/or after a few amber ales?? Whilst some of the predictions are OK, there are many that for me to miss the mark. The most glaring of these is for the Sixers to finish last. Has this person been watching the Champions league? Clearly not! I cannot fathom how the side that has been the form side of the CLT20 will finish last here. They will definitely make the finals again this year.

The Hurricanes a toothless tiger? Much the same squad as last season, but have gained Paine from injury, Ponting from intenrational duties and Bailey who has returned home after a season at the Stars. With Birt and Blizzard they have 2 of the best batsman in our domestic T20, so expedct them to push for the title.

Also, to have Brisbane at 2nd and the Thunder at 5th? The author mentions that Brisbane have the same squad as last season, minus Matt Hayden who showed up many of his younger counterparts. Sydney Thunder do have better depth than last year, but still need to stop relying on Chris Gayle, and I cannot see either Brisbane or the Thunder making finals, and will be 6th or 7th.

This year will be a 3 way tussle between Stars, Sixers and the Hurricanes.

2012/13 Big Bash preview: How your team is looking

What is this obsession with making Clarke bat at 3 to ‘take more responsibility for hi team? Did Steve Waugh bat at 3 when he was captain? No! He batted at 5, and only had one season at number 3 in his career which was when AB was still captain. AB himself also batted at 5, so people need to get off this issue. If his best results come at 5, play him at 5. Simple as that.

Cowan will be given at least the SA series to cement himself in the role. If he doesnt, and Hughes maintains his good start to the season, then there could be a change. Warner will need to get more consistncy going – he is doing exactly what Marcus North did in his career, and we saw how that ended.

Australia's batting lineup for first Test

Definitely a lot of good points can be found in amongst this article. One of the points raised that I am in particular agreeance with is the proliferation of pointless ODI matches that take place. Timmuh mentioned the recent series that we played against England and Pakistan, and that fact that there is seemingly no more than 2 months between ODI series between India and Sri Lanka. It is these pointless series that take away time from test matches as well as turning people off ODI cricket.

Call me old fashioned, and maybe out of touch, but I would love to see some of these ODI series and tournamens scrapped, and return to the old tours that used to see you play a number of Test matches as well as a good number of provincial teams. I personally used to love reading Steve Waugh’s tour diaries and his adventures on a 3 month tour, and it is a shame that players today dont get these experiences.

I would love to see tours return to 4-5 Tests, 3 ODI’s and 3T20’s with some tour matches thrown in that are a minimum 3 days, and MUST be first class certified, not these 2 day hit and giggle affairs. This gives players time to adapt to the foreign conditions, and if marketed properly can be a windfall for the provincial teams hosting the tourists. Given there is now a World Cup for T20’s

One critical factor with this needs to be the ICC enforcing the criteria of the Future Tours Program, meaning each country must play each other home and away over a 6 year period. The ICC has been very slack with this, highligted by the disgraceful fact that since their admission into Test Cricket, Bangladesh has never played a Test match in India as the BCCI has not hosted them on commercial grounds. It doesnt matter if the visitors wont get a full house – you need to play along with the rules.

With regards to the Associates such as Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Kenya, Canada and the very successful Affilate nation Afghanistan, their cricket exposure and development can be helped by countries sending their A-teams on tours to these countries. The A-team program is one that I feel is underutilised and should be driven more by the countries and the ICC.

Changes to cricket scheduling key for growth

Having now had the benefit of seeing the 13 man squad chose for the test, here is the lineup I would be sending out on the biggets day of them all:

1. Warner
2. Cowan
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Christian
7. Haddin
8. Siddle
9. Pattinson
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Lyon

Whilst I am a massive fan of his, I dont think Shaun Marsh should be picked on the same principle used for the omission of Watson and Harris. He needs to spend time in domestic matches to prove his fitness rather than using back to back tests against the No. 2 test team to do so.

I have taken Hilfy over Starc for the last bowlers spot as I think he will trouble the Indian batsmen more than Starc. Hilfy was our best bowler without any luck last time we played India before he hit the rough patch known as the Ashes, and his form this year has been excellent. Starc for me bowls too many loose deliveries which the Indian top order would murder. Looking forward to seeing Nathan Lyon take on the Indians!

So many players, so little room for Test

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