Vinay was right about Sheffield Shield, minnows

Brett, It would be nice to think that Cricket NSW might listen to something their designated "best player" had said about the structure of the competition. I'm not holding my breath, though. A few years ago, three very eminent past players put forward a proposal for the improvement of grade cricket. The extension of that, of course, was the natural skill flow on into the first class arena. All three were former Test players, all three were prominent coaches, two captained their country. They are still waiting for a response from Cricket NSW. Curiously, one of the things they mentioned was also raised by Thornley. Too much 50 overs in first grade, not enough two day games. A simple thing but important if we are trying to produce first class players. It certainly seems that the wishes of players, and the observations of players, are being completely ignored by God knows who with God knows how much knowledge and experience. Certainly, there will be some agenda being addressed here but don't ask me, or the three former Test players, or Thornley, what the hell it is. These guys just want grade cricket standards to improve. Not important, apparently.

Rob (2), I've just read the SMH story of day one and the suggestion is that the track was green. In that case, Hughes 138 was outstanding despite the chance at 48. Mind you, 98 in boundary strokes suggest he wasn't playing himself in. He's done it before, of course. A couple of years ago, before his Test elevation, he got 90 odd and a hundred on yet another front lawn they call a pitch in Hobart. We had him at the ACS the following week and the interesting thing was he was more happy about the 90 on the first day horror than the second dig hundred especially, as he said, because the track was doing plenty. I thought it showed a bit of maturity to realise the importance of his first knock to the team rather than the personal glory of the century. It didn't help, though, NSW got smashed. Bad luck for Katich to just miss out but at least there are still five left so who knows? Today (18th) will be a big day.

Rob, Talking to Mickey Arthur last week he was a tad critical of Tasmania's leading ground. He said that when WA played there the pitch resembled a lawn and it was no surprise to him to see that three visiting teams this season have been knocked over for less than a hundred in the first dig. It's a high risk strategy because, presumably, the opposition may win the toss and bowl. Mickey said the grass on the pitch was about nine ml. long which is significant for a first day track. Even more so down there where it's generally much colder and the grass doesn't get "burnt off" by the sun too often. Of course, in one of those games the Redbacks made nought and a thousand in their two innings and pulled off the miracle victory. Tassie have pretty much cleaned up down there for the rest of the games. Mind you, given this is a five day game and Tassie do not have to win, Mickey was predicting a road for the final (presuming at that stage, of course, Tassie would get the home match). Grass shaved, pitch as flat as a tack, runs aplenty. We'll soon know. Certainly, wth NSW at 5/300 odd (Hughes 138) at stumps on day one it doesn't seem like it's too green for this game. Perhaps Arthur knew a bit.

Brett, Further to your today's comment, here is a media advisory from Cricket Australia: Cricket Australia (CA) National Talent Manager Greg Chappell heads a group of Australian cricket officials heading to Florida on the weekend for a week-long reconnaissance exercise, meeting with Boston Red Sox and University of Texas representatives on a range of topics covering talent identification and player development. In order to continually improve cricket’s High Performance pathway system, the focus of the tour is to explore best practice being used by two world-leading organisations, covering off areas such as; recruitment strategies, list management, player preparation, opposition analysis and team culture. Joining Chappell on the trip are: Sonya Thompson – CA High Performance Manager Brian McFadyen – CA Centre of Excellence Program Manager Michael Farrell – Cricket Tasmania Talent Manager Andrew Lynch – Cricket Victoria Talent Manager The group leaves tomorrow (Saturday) and will return next Wednesday (30 March). They will spend six days with the Boston Red Sox, before heading to the University of Texas for the final three days of the tour.

Two things on this subject to have emerged this week: 1. Former NSW captain Dominic Thornley took out the NSWCA Grade PotY award, and had some very interesting comments in regard to the amount of grade cricket - and particulalry the amount of "pointless grade cricket" being played: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cricket-is-not-making-the-grade-thornely-20110317-1bz13.html 2. In a move that Ian W will be happy with, the NSP have named a very-decent Australia A squad to tour Zimbabwe, where they'll play a OD tri-series against the Zimboks and South Africa A, and then two first class games against Zimbabwe. The squad will be further trimmed, but currently includes: George Bailey - TAS; 28 Michael Beer - WA; 26 Luke Butterworth - TAS; 27 Trent Copeland - NSW; 25 Nathan Coulter-Nile - WA; 23 Patrick Cummins - NSW; 17 James Faulkner - TAS; 20 Callum Ferguson - SA; 26 Aaron Finch - VIC; 24 Peter George - SA; 24 Jon Holland - VIC; 23 Phillip Hughes - NSW; 22 Usman Khawaja - NSW; 24 Nathan Lyon - SA; 23 Nicolas Maddinson - NSW; 19 Mitchell Marsh - WA; 19 Shaun Marsh - WA; 27 Stephen O'Keefe - NSW; 26 Tim Paine - TAS; 26 James Pattinson - VIC; 20 Steven Smith - NSW; 21 Mitchell Starc - NSW; 21 Matthew Wade - VIC; 23 David Warner - NSW; 24

Slightly off topic...but where's the Sheffield Shield final preview? For interest's sake, I've been told it's a green top and that it won't last the distance...

I too have noticed a change playing in the lofty heights of the Bankstown District CA. Gone are the days where batsmen would bat for 4 hours to score a tonne. These days its more like 2 hours, and each hundred will feature more boundaries than singles. I can remember lauding one of my players this year who hit a hundred that featured only four 4s and no 6's. Yes, he was buggered, but it was a real throwback knock! And going along the 2nd tier ICC comps, I actually know a bloke from when I played league cricket in leeds who played 2 games for Bermuda! I think Gus Logie was their coach!

I think it comes from this attitude, from Peter Young's twitter feed:

James Sutherland: Sheffield Shield final is a great climax, players play 2 get Test selection but SS is something special for players

All this talk about a competition that you can't see on TV and no one goes to the game. Not a criticism, I follow the shield closely on the net and in the paper as I asuspect many of the posters do as well. Another reflection on CA, its iphone app has no scheduling or scores from shield, all the T20 and 50 over games and scores. I guess that is down to the marketing men again.

I hope you're the Chris Fogarty I think you are, haven't seen or heard from you in ages!!

What pisses me off is these generic names. I loved the fact that the Fremantle team for the AFL was named the Dockers, it made so much sense as a name.

A plus for our first class players playing New Zealand first class teams in New Zealand would be that the ball moves around a lot more. I can't think of a single Aus batsman under the age of 30 who wouldn't gain from having to face tougher bowling conditions than they usually face in the Shield. (Not this last season, some of the weather has made life difficult for batsmen). Not many batsmen love Bellerive, so it could only improve them to have to play on more of those sorts of wickets.

Punter's getting on and so has probably got a bit of the Neil Harvey disease going on when thinking of his own average. But I still think Smith and Hughes shouldn't be near the test team regardless of their whacking around of Aussie bowlers. I almost weep watching Hughes' and his batting style. I can't bring myself to call it a technique anymore. So, on the other hand, Punter is right, some of the techniques are really dodgy to put it mildly. And players who get used to clearing the leg out of the way to smash the ball aren't going to necessarily put those habits away just because the game lasts four days.

Brett, As always a thoughtful article and well penned responses to relevant posts. If only you could catch as well! Good to see you keeping things real. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.

Rob, I'm afraid so. The name comes, as you may have guessed, from the fact that I'm a Glenelg tragic and have been for over fifty years. Despite 25 years in the land of the heathens (Sydney, to you and I) I am still a paid up card carrying member of the mighty Tigers. As you will no doubt be aware, all those years of Tiger disappointment have made me a sad, bitter man. Occasionally, on the Roar, I have allowed myself to be nasty and vindictive to my fellow sports tragics. In my defence I can only say that I do it only to those who have clearly demonstrated absolutely no actual knowledge of the subject on which they write. Passion is not enough. That, and because at my age, it's the only fun I get. Still, I can't be too critical. A smarter man than me would have shifted to following Port, or Norwood. Maybe Sturt. Deep down, however, I'm an optimist. My father attended the 1934 Glenelg premiership decider at aged 14. I attended the legendary 1973 triumph, 39 years after that first flag. Havind watched every game of 1985 I left Adelaide for Sydney on the morning of the Grand Final. Had to be done but I've regretted it ever since. You can see now why I'm so bitter and twisted. They went back to back in 1986 but I was in the big smoke and missed it. This year will be 25 years since the last flag. I am a man of infinite patience with some things - but not with people. I am not politically correct and I tend to take the piss - a lot. I don't mean to be cruel but sometimes I am overtaken by the sheer fun of it. Someone once said a second marriage was the triumph of hope over experience. In my case, that's being a Glenelg supporter.

dasilva, "The answer is most likely something simple such as poor coaching rather than just blaming the shortest form of the game" Actually, on balance, I suspect your comment above just about nails it. There is absolutely no good reason why "Test" players, with the appropriate technique, cannot also be good one day and T20 players. The reverse, however, may not be true. Like you I think it's primarily the coaching which provides the most danger to up and coming cricketers. That, and the apparent ready acceptance that T20 cricket requires unique skills.

dasilva, I take your point about England and Australia. I can only presume that one reason is that Cook, for example, does not play the short form. He's a Test player with all that the label entails - and last series he played like it. Curiously, first Ponting and now Clarke have baled out of the T20 arena. A recognition, perhaps, that they cannot serve two (or is it three?) masters. Whether they feel that T20 has damaged their technique or that playing all three forms of the game take too much from them I do not know. One problem in Australia is that much of the junior rep cricket requires the participants to adopt T20 skills which are not conducive to batting all day to save a Test or Shield match. Concentrating for two hours seems so much easier than six hours. In terms of Australia versus the other countries I cannot say. I suspect that techniques have fallen in all countries and this is one reason why, relatively, they appear to be doing well compared to us. Ours have fallen further. Perhaps the real reason is that we are no longer very good. Certainly the great players of recent years have gone to be replaced by "good" players. One simple example. David Warner has been around the national scene for a few years now. His explosive debut in the short form was the swallow mistaken for summer. He finally achieved his maiden first class century just last Friday (admittedly he got 99 a couple of weeks ago). The point is, if Warner was as gifted as the international debut suggested he might have done a bit more on the first class scene. Even now, let's be honest, if NSW had everyone to choose from I'm not sure Warner would make the state team, let alone the national team. Standards have dropped - that much is certain. The question is, what's to be done about it?

Keep the minnows, but reduce super 8's to super 6's. That way the top flight teams have to try against each other for points, as well as trying harder against the minnows for superior run rates. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.

Yes, I know you do. You've been touchy about it ever since I dared to suggest the Australian team was Punter's boys' club. Buy, yes, if I'm writing about Ponting I'm going to criticise him because I hold the (obviously heretical) view that his presence as a Test captain and No.3 puts the team at a disadvantage. The reason I mentioned Ricky's form is that him pinpointing faults with Australian cricket is a bit like throwing stones at glass houses. As much as his long-overdue criticism of Shield standards is justified, I can't help but think he's not the ideal person to start finding reasons for Australia's dreadful Test performances in the past couple of years - unless of course, he looks in the mirror, which seems anathema to Ricky. Having a shot at his name is probably petty, but I just find it part of his his whole wronged little boy persona. On the 'play more' question, I agree with you that the increasingly ridiculous international schedules have made it harder and harder for regular international players to be available for domestic cricket. But can we be sure they really want to play domestic cricket anyway? There's a certain player who lives in one state and nominally plays for another, but that's another story...