Warner, Lee, and McKay combine for Australian series win

The Shield and Ryobi season started in October. The international season was short but the Shield season has gone for at least 5 months with the final still to come.

As to McDermott, he is untried at this level so it would be pure conjecture to predict he would be an instant success.

Good on you, Brendon. Spot on!

Regardless of yesterday's result, the ODI team needs to evolve, but not at the frantic pace some are suggesting. I think Lee's presence in the ODI team is warranted for now as being in the team provides him a good outlet in preparation for the T20 World Cup. After that, I'd say it would be time to look elsewhere. In the meantime though, the challenge is still there for the likes of McDermott, Cutting, Starc, Coulter-Nile and Faulkner to make their cases stronger. Apart from that, I'm glad the selectors have given Nathan Lyon a glimpse of the ODI format, for I think ODIs may help his Test bowling a touch in terms of varying his length. I'd like to keep Lyon away from T20s though. As for the batsmen, domestic batsmen should be aware there are vacancies, based on the varied failings this season. David Hussey has been the one consistent point, while Warner came good in the finals. If Matt Wade is going to open, he needs to latch onto one of his starts and go on. If you're in the top four in an ODI and get a start, you must go on and score a hundred, otherwise the pressure is on the lower order to score quick runs to make a score respectable, rather than quick runs for a dominating score. All of this has to be done in view of the 2015 World Cup, for no one will care we beat Sri Lanka yesterday if Sri Lanka beat us in a semi-final or final in three years time. Hopefully, by the beginning of next season, I'd like to see the ODI team shape up something like this (squad of 12 including 2 spinners): David Warner Shane Watson Peter Forrest Michael Clarke David Hussey Matthew Wade Daniel Christian James Faulkner Mitchell Starc Clint McKay Xavier Doherty Nathan Lyon Right now, our batting looks thin. Domestic batsmen must put their best foot forward next season and stake their claim for a spot, for there will be opportunities for batsmen that perform.

Some reason the selectors didn't rate McKay even though he continues to take wickets and his stats are up their with the greats. This performance should finally have him in the best 11. We are seeing why our batsmen are so cautious all the time, if they fall the whole ship seems to collapse. Hussey had a shocking series, admittedly run out on two occasions. His brother seem to steal most of his form. He'll need to stand up again as he was one reason why we collapsed. Lee looks to be on his home straight, his wicket taking potential is not what it once was and his pace is no longer a threat so we can't afford him to be leaking runs. Would like to see NCN get a go, his batting will be useful. McDermott, Faulkner and Starc are others in the frame. Pattinson and Cummins also will be hovering.

Season was too long?? The 1st test started December 1st 2011 and the final international match was March 8th 2012. Thats 3 months and 8 days. The season wasn't long but it did start late. Normally tests start in Nov. The NRL goes from March 1st 2012 - September 30 2012. Thats 7 months + whatever internationals played after the NRL has finished. How on earth can anyone say that a cricket seasons of 3 months + 1 week is longer than a League season of 7-8 months??? And the rugby season goes from the start of the Super 15 on February 24th - October 20th for the final international against the All Blacks in Brisbane. Thats NINE MONTHS. Bet you're not complaining about that, David. NINE MONTHS.

Are you new to cricket? Lee has played 212 ODI's. He is only 12 wickets from equalling McGrath's record as Australia's highest wicket.

I agree with you completely, but the tri-series isn't happening next year. 5 ODI's against the Windies and 5 ODI's against Sri Lanka again.

Lee played through a broken toe and showed the determination that, I believe, inspired the victory. He may be coming to the end but deserves some kudos for that performance. A lesser experienced boom-player like Pattinson was missing-in-action through most of the series.

Yeah I'd say that Lee's international swansong will be the T20 World Cup. He may get a go next summer but I can't imagine it being much longer then that, especially if his form continues as it has been. Even if his form was tremendous it's difficult to justify persisting with him 12 months from now. I'm a little bit surprised that Mike Hussey hasn't attracted much attention this series. He only averaged 25 this series and given his age, i.e. he won't be around in 2015, there can't be too much of an upside in persisting with him for an extended period of time. Obviously he has a magnificent ODI record and deserves a chance in the WIndies but a poor ODI series there could see go the way of Ponting.

I'm not sure that anyone who bowls leg side wides for 4 as consistently as Lee does at the moment can be in the team at all.

What, no McKay bashing today Roarers? Seems to have been many commenters favourite pastime this series.

I think McKay has proven his worth for a while now. He's no test bowler though. Similarly, I think Hilfy and Siddle should be banned from ODIs. Save them for tests. Jury's out on how much short form Cummins and Pattinson should play. Cummins seems to do well at both tests and shorter forms. Pattinson hasn't proven his worth in the short form yet. And slightly off topic, I really think the selectors need to look at WA's (imported from NSW) Hogan. He's getting results and he's tall, awkward and moves it round. Get him in there and doing some training with Billy, if he's really that good a bowling coach. So if Lee goes, who are our premier short form bowlers? McKay, Cummins perhaps, maybe Ryan Harris. Who else? I think that means it's time to give the best short-form domestic bowlers a go, and as far as I know that means Coulter-Nile and McDermott, Billy Jnr. I'd be taking them to the Caribbean and have a ODI squad like this W-K Wade BATS Warner Clarke MHUssey DHussey Forrest ALL ROUNDERS Watson Christian Faulkner PACE BOWLERS McKay 2 of McDermott/Coulter-Nile/Harris SPINNERS SOK ahead of Doherty. Similar bowlers but SOK is a much better fielder and batsman Lyon That's a squad of 14. A bowler the first to go I guess, depending on the conditions where you're going (eg SA or SL?). My team would look like this 1. Warner 2. Watson 3. Clarke 4. DHussey 5. MHussey 6. Wade (I prefer Watson opening) 7. Christian 8. Faulkner 9. SOK 10. McKay 11. Harris/McDermott/C-N (C-N can bat higher) The team's bowling can handle another batsman, instead of say Faulkner. Watson/Christian are almost as good as specialist bowlers and you have DHussey and Clarke to throw in some overs. I don't really see Forrest as a no.6 and I don't think you can have Forrest and Clarke batting after each other, as both start too slowly and eat up too many dot balls. Not sure who I'd have though. If you have someone like SOK as your spinner it deepens the batting, and you can play an extra quick. He mightn't have a great ODD record, but his T20 and Shield records are very good. I think the poorer ODD record is an aberration. That team I have up there has Watson as your 6th bowler, so is very strong in that department, and has Faulkner and SOK at 8 and 9 (and McKay at 10), so the batting is deep enough. The alternative if Wade opens is Watto bats 3, Clarke 4, and the Husseys 5 and 6. They're better middle order bats than Wade, so I'm a bit 50/50 on the batting order.

Lee is only around until the T20 world cup. That'll be the last time he's in Australian colours.

Bayman, I pondered the Lee situation last night, too. Lee took 12 wickets for the series @ about 28, and took a wicket roughly every 30 balls. But went at somethng like 5.7 runs per over. If Ponting is no longer part of the planning, for how much longer will Lee be in the plans if he's going to return 2/57 off 10 every game?? (And baring in mind his 3/59 was from only 8 overs last night)

this has been a fantastic series, and a for me, much better then anything a 20/20 series could throw up. i hope that tri nations series are here to stay and that one day cricket dominates the shorter version of the game once again!

I confess I doubted whether Australia could hold off Sri Lanka in this third, and last, final - and that was before the game. At the half I was thinking that 231 was not enough by a fair margin. When we set them 321 the Lions reached 306, when we set them 271 they strolled past just two down so 231 should have been a doddle. However, I didn't count on Watson, McKay and Christian all going for less than three an over for one ball short of twenty-five overs (indeed, Watson for less than two off seven). Even Lyon, on debut, only conceded 4.5 runs an over for his eight overs. At those rates victory was assured. Of course, Brett Lee after a very handy, and critical, contribution with the bat almost handed the game back by allowing over seven an over off his bowling. Clearly Lee is in the side to take wickets because he has no clue about keeping the run rate down. To be fair he took three, all of them key batsmen (well, after Brisbane I'm including Kulasekara as "key"), but he needed to. I don't think I've ever seen a more relieved bowler than Lee when he dismissed Kulasekara who was, once again, threatening to distribute the bowler all over the Adelaide Oval. The game was looking very competitive, if not completely safe, when Lee was handed the ball. Two Lee overs later and it was difficult to see how Sri Lanka could lose - at least until that crucial "match saving" wicket. I guess this is what you get with Brett. Occasional runs, pretty handy fielding and throwing, the odd wicket and plenty of runs conceded. I just wonder, that at thirty-five, what Lee has to offer, really, to the Australian ODI team. He has never been a tight bowler and absolutely never a bowler for the death. He's had a great career at all levels of the game. Personally, I've never quite rated him as highly as some others seem to do but I'd be happy with his wicket tally. That said, I reckon it's time for Lee to head to, well, wherever fast bowlers go to relax and retire. Time to put the feet up, get those niggles sorted, start bragging about the good old days and remembering it better than it really was.

I agree, David. The cricket season has gone on far too long. Not for devotees like you and me but for the majority, especially footy fans. But for Sri Lanka supporters, the attendances would have been me, you and the traditional dog! The best tri-nation series we have watched deserved better timing. Sri Lanka lost but they fought till the end.

Brett Lee will lose Australia more matches than he will win us. Why wasn't the leading wicket taker in domestic one dayers McDermott not even in the squad, let alone in the side. Nothing has changed still jobs for the boys.