Roar Rookie
Joined October 2015
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“The thing that may work against Lyon is that he does lengthen the tail. ”
Is NCN that much better with the bat ? He is only averaging 12.8 at a S/R of 81.5 – nothing to write home about.
Ironically, Lyon has a better batting average and a better strike rate that NCN, although he has had fewer hits and more not outs.
If we are relying on NCN to post a competitive total then we are in trouble.
Australia should play two spinners against Windies
“….the bowlers can potentially be excused their high economy rates because they’ve regularly been playing in conditions conducive to high scoring…..
Ronan wrote an article a while ago about why India deserved favouritism for the CWC – they are a better balanced side with a better bowling line-up.
I replied that perhaps the unflattering comparison of the England bowling team with the Indians was because the former played so many matches on small grounds and very flat decks.
Ronan replied with the bowlers relevant stats. For the England bowlers, their averages, strike rates and economy rates are pretty much the same home and away.
The fact that they play so many matches in England doesn’t account for their relatively modest performances overall. Their away performances are comparable in every respect.
The Roar's Cricket World Cup preview series: England
“British fans tend to be a little more dipolmatic …”.
Mitch Johnson would not agree. The sledging to which he was subjected was very personal.
Warner and Smith set to cop some chirp from English World Cup crowds
“….England would be mugs not to produce green tops.”
I agree with Paul. That’s the last thing the England batsmen want.
This point was made clear to me when England last toured Australia. They batted first in two of the first three ODIs (Melbourne and Sydney) on absolute roads and made over 300 in both matches. In the fourth match they batted first (Adelaide) on a pitch that nipped around a bit and they collapsed – at one stage they were 5 wickets down for 8 runs. The difference between Adelaide and the two other two matches was stark. In fact Australia bowled beautifully and their top order looked clueless.
There was something of a repeat in the Windies this year. On a road in Grenada (match 4) they made 6 – 418. In the next match at St Lucia, on a pitch with a bit of pace and bounce, they were all out for 113.
They will be relying on roads in England this year. Their batting approach does not work in any other conditions.
The Cricket World Cup is wide open
I think it’s only Australian supporters that agonise over these type of issues. I’m not aware of full scale inquiries by other cricket boards, or aspersions being cast by supporters of their national team’s successes.
South Africa is an interesting example.
Faf was busted in the second test against Pakistan in October 2013. They won that test, which enabled them to draw the series 1 – 1.
Philander was then busted 9 months later against SL in the first test (July 2014). The Saffers won that test and the series 1 – 0.
And of course there is the Hobart test. Faf was busted again. They rolled Australia for 85 and 191 and won by an innings and 80 runs. Philander took 5 – 21 in the first innings and Abbot took 9 – 118 for the match.
I don’t have an opinion on whether the ball tampering had any impact on the outcome of these tests, but you would have to say that the charges coincided with some excellent results.
Do you think that SA supporters are calling for inquiries and/or diminishing the results of their national team as a result of these charges ?
Australia to walk dangerous territory reborn and rejuvenated
I don’t have a problem with the bans Paul.
Smith’s part in the fiasco represents such a monumental failure of leadership that I don’t think he should captain Australia again. He proved himself to be not up to the job.
Besides, Smith was not regarded as a particularly good captain before he disgraced himself (and Australian cricket). He led by example with the bat but was was an ordinary captain in the field. So, I think we lose nothing without him in the captaincy role.
In any event, whoever is captain is free to take advice from whomever they choose.
Did CA go a step too far with their leadership bans?
“So based on your interpretation, Parramatta can’t lay claim to it being their home ground..”
That’s not my interpretation BA. I said that I believed that Cook was being provocative.
I said that Parra can claim ownership of the ground, unlike ANZ. I think Cook was attempting to argue (unsuccessfully) that they shouldn’t because other teams will play out of it.
The greatest NRL home ground advantage is in the spreadsheets
“Funny the Tigers CEO had no problem with the Eels calling ANZ home for the last 3 years even though it is a Tigers home ground …”
I think you are being disingenuous BA. Parra can claim “ownership” of this ground in a way they could never claim “ownership” of ANZ. And this is the point. It’s not simply claiming that such and such a ground is our home ground for this round. It’s about saying “this is ‘our’ ground” in a tribal/spiritual sense, in the way that the WT might claim that Leichhardt Oval is “our” ground, even though it is owned by the Council.
I think Cook was being provocative and attempting to stir up Parra fans (looks like he succeeded).
The rest of your post makes no sense to me.
The greatest NRL home ground advantage is in the spreadsheets
“What’s more common is seeing head office come in and prop a joint up, as has been the case with the Knights, Titans and Tigers in recent years.”
Joe – the NRL did not prop up the Wests Tigers. They lent money to Balmain, which Wests Ashfield subsequently repaid to the NRL on Balmain’s behalf.
The debt had nothing to do with the Tigers who, incidentally, announced their maiden profit recently.
NRL expansion: The spirit is willing but the flesh is spongy and bruised
I hope you are right about Fonua. Unfortunately he is not even guaranteed a starting position come round 1. He certainly has X-factor. Ivan Cleary summed him up best: “When he gets the ball both coaches hold their breath”. And that’s the problem – he can be a match winner, but he also has a few mistakes in him and could cost you a match.
The five under-the-radar NRL players you need to watch this season
Ronan – I took it that you believed that by playing only the top teams, Australia’s confidence had been damaged and this was poor preparation for the WC. For example, you say: “Sometimes teams in any sport just need a run of easy matches to regain their mojo.” And again “Australia will have no such cosy ODI series in which to regain their confidence before the World Cup.”
I think what you say is true, especially if the poor performances continued.
But if one plays the best and succeeds, then that can create momentum and self belief within the playing group. Certainly playing the best reveals those who are capable of performing in elite company, which makes it much easier to pick a good squad.
Playing India so often may have backfired; but, I think Australia is gaining much more from this series than India. We are building nicely for the WC on the back of this tough series.
Ashton Turner stuns India
How does last night’s performance square with your thesis of yesterday Ronan ?
Australia are building nicely towards the WC. Not long ago we had the problem of who do we pick. Now we appear to have a problem of who do we leave out.
In my view we are slowly sorting the wheat from the chaff.
Ashton Turner stuns India
” He averages 60 but you have to consider that his average is skewed by his home matches where Australia has statistically been the easiest place to score runs….”
Smith’s test match average away is 50.97; Kohli’s away average is 46.77. So, Smith averages more away from Australia that Kohli averages away from India.
“….but in the last Ashes in England, he scored loads of runs in Lords and the Oval (which generally tend to be the flattest relatively when compared to other venues…”
Those venues only seem to be flatter when Australia bat. When England batted the pitch conditions must have changed dramatically because Australia easily took 40 wickets in those two tests and won at Lords by 405 runs and by an innings and 46 runs at The Oval.
“He struggled in South Africa as well before the sandpaper gate broke out…”
Yes he did, but anyone can suffer a loss of form, so what? But again you cherry pick regarding his performances in SA – Smith played a series in SA in 2014 and averaged 67.25.
“Now that doesn’t mean Smith is a flat track bully and is poor everywhere else.”
I think your arguments do tend to suggest this. He scores loads of runs in Australia, Lords and the Oval – all flat pitches (except when the Australians bowl, or except when the latest Indian bowling unit bowl).
“Smith is undoubtedly one of the very best to have played but I wouldn’t rank him as the best since Bradman, etc. etc.”
I agree, but has any serious commentator suggested that he is ? There is no need to diminish his achievements to demonstrate that.
Aussies suffer last-over loss in ODI thriller against India
Thanks for clearing that up Ronan. English roads are not the reason for the unflattering comparisons.
India, not England, should be World Cup favourites
Perhaps that’s why the England bowling averages don’t compare as favourably with other countries.
India, not England, should be World Cup favourites
“They offered Farah an ambassador role for when he eventually retired, when he signed with Souths. The Tigers literally received no benefit.”
What’s more, Farah has stated that he is yet to accept the offer, and is not sure that he will, which Marina Go confirmed yesterday in a TV interview.
To compare this with Melbourne (or the Sharks) rorting the cap is laughable.
NRL to halve Tigers' salary cap fine, CEO allowed to return
Don, your comment: “James Anderson grows in notoriety whenever he is not playing Australia.” made me laugh – it’s so true. And yet, the conventional wisdom, as presented by the author in this article, is that: ” In home conditions Anderson is near on unplayable.”
Anderson has played 13 Ashes tests in England (a fair sample) and has taken 44 wickets at 33.4 runs per wicket and at a strike rate of 61.4. Hardly unplayable !
Pucovski is the future, not quite the present
“Genuine test quality allrounders who can truly fill both roles are as rare as hens teeth.”
Very true. If you define a genuine all rounder as one who is so good at each role that he would be selected for either role alone, then, of the top of my head, I can only think of three since WWI to have played for Australia:
Jack Gregory; Keith Miller; and Adam Gilchrist. Three in 100 years of cricket.
The ultimate Australian Test 13
“Anyhow, Burns now has 4 Test centuries – does Harris look like scoring one?”
I don’t disagree about the relative merits of Harris and Burns. The manner of Harris’ dismissals against SL were particularly poor, and disappointing given that he had demonstrated some potential against India (top scored at the SCG).
With regard to with whether Harris looks like scoring a century, I thought he was a bit stiff in the first innings at Perth. He had cruised to 70 and was looking pretty comfortable when he got an unplayable delivery from the Indian part time spinner. It reared off a length only for Harris to fend it off his throat and was caught at slip. We’ll never know if, but for the intervention of the pitch, he could have reached three figures.
Dismissing Test runs against 'easy' Sri Lanka is a mistake
All fair points Paul.
I do believe that if England produce conditions for the series like we had for Edgbaston/Trent Bridge last time, then the outcome of the series will be something of a lottery.
England will bowl well in those conditions but so will Hazlewood, Cummins and Rhichardson, and we know how fragile the England batting line-up is. The toss could be even more critical than usual.
The timing of the series may work in Australia’s favour and the Australia A tour should provide a good opportunity to acclimitise.
That said, I do think that England (like all home countries) should be favourites.
Why Australia are still firm Ashes underdogs
“few of our guys have played in English conditions, let alone against Anderson and co.”
Paul, you make it sound like every test will be played on a green seamer under heavy overcast. That’s not been the case in the past – at Lords and the Oval we flogged England on wickets that didn’t offer much to the bowlers.
I keep reading about what Anderson is going to do to us over there. I decided to check his stats in Ashes tests in England. I couldn’t believe what I read. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I can see:
Anderson has taken 44 Ashes wickets in England at an average of 33.36 and at a strike rate of 61.45. Not great really. By contrast, Stark has taken 29 wickets at an average of 31.24 and a strike rate of 54.28.
To complete the picture, Broad has taken 61 ashes wickets at an average of 26.02 (helped greatly by his 8/15 in 2015) at a strike rate of 47.56.
Finally, Hazlewood has taken 16 ashes wickets in England at 25.75 and a strike rate of 42.
So Starc has a better average and strike rate than Anderson and Hazlewood has the best record of all. Interesting because Hazlewood was having trouble transitioning to the Duke ball in 2015. He should be much better next time around.
So, perhaps the England batsmen should be worried if they lose the toss and bat on a green seamer under heavy overcast with Hazlewood, Dukes ball in hand, at the top of his run.
Why Australia are still firm Ashes underdogs
“Not withstanding these terrific knocks were against a pretty mediocre attack,…….”
The attack didn’t look so mediocre at 3-28. It’s easy in hindsight to “damn them with faint praise”.
The fact is that, given the attack, they couldn’t win – if they failed with the bat they would have been judged as not up to test standard, and if they succeeded their efforts would have been diminished.
Burns and Head cement Ashes spots
“…… – so the side has an odd balance.”
An odd balance indeed. Last test England selected 3 batsmen; 4 all-rounders; 3 wicket keepers; and 1 bowler.
I couldn’t agree more with your article Ronan. Australia’s batting performances in 2015 on decks offering assistance for the bowlers was very poor.
All out scores at Edgbaston of 136 and 265; and at Trent Bridge of 60 and 253 lost us the Ashes.
To suggest that we weaken an all ready flaky batting line up in order to strengthen an all ready powerful bowling line up is bizarre in the extreme.
Australia don't need an Ashes all-rounder
I’m struggling to understand the support for Wade. He has played 22 tests and averaged 28.58, plus he is now 31 years old.
He had his chance – time to give a young man a go.
While confusion reigns, Sri Lanka could knock off Australia at home
Agreed. It’s a bit harsh. What’s the point of rating a guy that only played a handful of minutes ?
Did you expect him to run 200 metres and make 50 tackles ?
Queensland Maroons player ratings: Game 1