Can $110 fix Australian cricket?

Calf injury. That's why D'arcy Short is in.

Yep, considering he only bowled in one innings, had several days rest before the shield match since that finished early and would get a few more before the test, there's no reason to not play the shield match, and considering he really didn't look remotely threatening in that match, it's hard to see how he could be considered a lock for the next test even if it is his home ground.

He's played all the Shield games so far this season and has 9 wickets at 22. Haven't actually seen much of Sayers outside of statistics. Does he do much with the ball? Mennie has good stats but looks to pretty much just bowl straight and hope that bowling straight and consistent enough batsmen will get themselves out, which can work at state level, but outside of English conditions works less at Test level. Is Sayers a bit like Mennie in that or does he actually swing and seam the ball around? Because for a third seamer I'd really like someone who can swing and seam the ball.

When I was playing my action was far from classical and I regularly had it bending around corners. So unusual action and not moving the ball don't necessarily go together. On the contrary, often it's that unusual action that gets wrist position in a place to get lots of swing.

I figured something like that. He's their top wicket taker in the first two matches. No way he was just dropped. But how minor is it. If it's just something where he needed another couple of days to be 100% and it's not worth risking him, then he could still be a smokey for the test team. If it's more "out for a couple of weeks" then obviously not.

Yeah, but Whiteman's form hasn't been that great, and after a run of poor form, one 50 isn't quite enough to be sure he's going to take off. So might be tough to pick him. However, if they decide to give Nevill a few more games while making other changes around him and in a few more games he still doesn't seem to have improved much, then maybe Whiteman will have had some opportunities to show he''s got some proper form with the bat. As for the bowlers, I'd really wish CA stopped wrapping Cummins in so much cotton wool and had him playing these first few shield games. Then he'd be my pick for the third seamer. But in his absence, I'd probably go Behrendorf.

I'm a NSW boy and do care about them doing well but certainly care more about the national side. So in this round of matches I almost want the right players to stand up to force the selectors hand to pick them regardless of state. Of course, I don't know who those right players are. I am a bit disappointed that 2 of the 3 games appear to be on very docile, batting friendly pitches. And for NSW v VIC that's exacerbated by a 30+ degree day here that's just going to make it even harder for the bowlers. Goes against what this article was hoping for, some tough batting conditions to help really filter out those who can bat through some tough batting conditions.

I think Gilly was always a pretty good keeper, and he worked incredibly hard at it. Can't remember if he had more issues early on, but through most of his career he was good enough that it didn't seem like any real come down from Healy's standard with the gloves.

Whiteman maybe more than most, as it looks like that match might be the only one not played on an absolute road!

I'm curious as to what you base the call that he's the best gloveman in the country. As there are really little in the way of useful statistics to judge wicket keeping by, the only real way to compare how good to keepers are behind the stumps would be to spend lots of time attending Sheffield Shield games and carefully observing all the different keepers. I often get the feeling that people look around the different keepers and almost decide that those with good batting averages must be less good keepers than those with less good batting averages, so the fact Hartley;s FC average isn't as good must mean he's a better keeper. I'm really curious as to what it is that people really are going on when deciding who the "best keeper in the country is". And all this "if he played for NSW" rubbish has been going on for a long time, but it's really a load of rubbish. Players picked to play for Australia who really don't belong there come from all over the country, but about the only questionable selection from NSW in recent years has been Henriques. While there've been plenty from other states. The NSW players are actually getting picked on merit as much, if not more, than the players from other states. For simple proof of this, the only four really automatic selections in the Aussie side right now who've become that automatic selection from continually performing at that level are all from NSW. Please, let some players from other states stand up and perform at the level of Warner, Smith, Starc and Hazlewood!

My feeling is that Nevill has to go. He just hasn't looked close to comfortable at test level despite such an impressive first class record. However, there may be a bit of a dearth of options at the moment. Around the states we have: - Hartley who's getting on a bit and his chance has probably passed him by. - Wade who is still a worry to many with the gloves, though he has potentially improved there a bit, but he's a real worry keeping to spinners, and with an India tour coming up, you want to pick a keeper who isn't going to miss lots of wicket taking opportunities during that series. If Wade has improved enough with the gloves to be able to handle that then he might be the front runner still. - Doran - real youngster still struggling to find his way in state cricket. Probably needs a good couple of years to find his feet. - Carers - had one good year with the bat as opener not keeping, but has struggled a bit more when keeping, and isn't in form at the moment. - Whiteman - many people's choice a couple of years ago has struggled with form since then despite just getting a 50 in the first innings of the current round of matches. - Carey - Single figues FC matches and averaging under 20 with the bat. A number of people put forward Handscomb as an option. I'd almost consider him myself. But he's not keeping at shield level as Wade does all the keeping. Tough to pick him as a keeper for Australia when he's just playing as a pure batsman for Vic. Have no idea what his glovework is like or whether he could maintain decent batting form while also keeping.

And actually, Ashton Agar didn't bowl that badly in the 2 tests he played for Australia. He really played with little luck, created a couple of chances that weren't taken from memory that really could have made a huge difference. You get a young spinner, have a couple of things go your way and get those early wickets and it can really help. And he's bowling well at the moment. Though I'm flumoxed as to why he's not playing this match. He has to be injured surely. He's been their top wicket taker over the first two matches and they've left him out and brought in a rookie in his place. So it's got to be injury or something.

Yeah, although, looks like the dream of some pitches with a bit in them for the bowlers hasn't eventuated. Can't help but think that the NSW v VIC and QLD v SA games are on pretty batsman friendly pitches given what's transpired in those matches. So it's shown that these batsmen have the form to score runs when conditions are favourable, but still doesn't answer many questions about their ability to handle the moving ball!

Pretty much my point. It's actually unfair on a player to pick them when out of form. What then happens is they get to international level and aren't in form, nine times out of ten don't suddenly find form at international level, but all these people who are seeing them play for the first time just see someone who's not very good and doesn't belong there. And they get dropped after a couple of games and may take years to get another chance. Need to pick in form players who are scoring runs now. Hence Bancroft probably isn't ready to be picked now.

I like this team. Just on Agar he had a injury so wasn't considered.

We can hope! Would love a keeper who can handle the gloves and the bat. Haven't written nevill off but he needs to go back to shield and recover his form.

Tricking up the wickets has happened in the past in different places, and it doesn't necessarily produce good batsmen - one thing it does do is produce mediocre bowlers. If all you have to do is put the ball on or just short of a length on off at a bit over medium pace and wait for the pitch to do the work for you, you lose every other sort of bowler. And every other sort of bowler is what you need to succeed on test pitches, unless everyone agrees to produce the same sort of wicket (which of course they won't). It's a classic case of unintended consequences. Going back to each state producing its characteristic style of pitch so players had to adapt to succeed (or at least could be recognised as succeeding in some conditions but not in others) would work better (along with getting the best players playing more).

The thing about 'looks' Brett is we all define them differently. I cannot say I have been overly impressed by Bancroft from what i have seen of him in the years I have watched him As for Harris, followed him going back to juniors and the kid can seriously play. I really expected him to announce himself way earlier than this but it seems he stagnated in WA. Frustrating for all that touted him big. He is different from Renshaw for he has been around the scene a while now, and I was so frustrated seeing him fail yesterday when he had it all to play for. As for Renshaw, fine player. And the fact he was born in Yorkshire would certainly awaken a return of serve of the banter the Aussies served the Poms about their 'foreign legion' if he makes it to the test team He has it in spades

Renshaw is coming for the Adelaide game, that's a certainty. Khwaja has regained his spot.

Renshaw scored a ton today.