josh's Roar Profile

Why were the 80’s so terrible for cricket? Might be my limited knowledge, but everyone bar the West indies seemed to running around fielding “B” sides really.

The best England Test XI of the 1980s: Part 1

View Comment

Cricket

6d

You’re right.

And I liked the Bad Boy Pistons, this added to the reputation and also created the Jordan that finally got to the finals. In alternate history they shake hands; does it change things? Probably not, because as is my main point, Jordan would have used the loss a factor or some other slight to “rise to the challenge”. There’s point in the hero’s journey where he conquered the beast. Jordan has this thing where there is always another beast.

Petty MJ was cringe-worthy in The Last Dance

View Comment

Basketball

6d

MJ taking a stance on sportsman is really something. “I’m annoyed they didn’t shake hands”, but is also happy to punch team mates, take their money playing poker, and laud it over them in a shooting contest?

I was astounded that, here’s a guy who is clearly the best layer in the league at the time, needs motivations, imagined or real, to play at his best. It’s a different psyche. Does he have a therapist?

Petty MJ was cringe-worthy in The Last Dance

View Comment

Basketball

6d

MJ taking a stance on sportsman is really something else. Being annoyed they didn’t shake hands, but is also happy to punch team mates, take their money playing poker, and laud it over them in a shooting contest?
I was astounded that, here’s a guy who is clearly the best layer in the league at the time, needs motivations, imagined or real, to play at his best. It’s a different psyche.

Petty MJ was cringe-worthy in The Last Dance

View Comment

Basketball

6d

Yeah its crazy, in a league that celebrates coaches, e.g. Pat Reilly, Red Auerbach. No one has matched Phil’s record and it’s all kinda of dismissed as a bit of a one trick pony.
With 13 in total he has to be the leading person for most NBA championships! That’s not a bad trick.

What happened to the Bulls after The Last Dance?

View Comment

Basketball

1w

This is your takeaway from the series?

Right….

If anyone is sad, I’d go with Jordan. Doesn’t seem to have any real connection to former teammates or peers, which is kinda understandable on their behalf.

What happened to the Bulls after The Last Dance?

View Comment

Basketball

1w

It’s weird, Phil’s legacy gets tarnished for his ending at the Knicks, whereas Jordan’s fizzle at the Wizards is kinda glossed over, and people just remember the first 13 seasons, but really the last 7.

Phil’s record is incredible, winning 9 times in 12 years and all of those wins hat tricks is no mean feat.

What happened to the Bulls after The Last Dance?

View Comment

Basketball

1w

The test of a best test bat, is that the best test bat bats best in tests.

The new fab four of batting... and Steve Smith doesn't make the cut

View Comment

Cricket

2w

That was an interesting read.
But worth noting aussie rules in Queensland wasn’t unknown in 50’s. The QAFL had been in existence from 1903 and Queensland had fielded teams in the old interstate carnivals.

Conquering frontiers: The untold story of the VFL's first foray into Queensland

View Comment

AFL

2w

I think players could have gone from ball 1 in any era. They just didn’t need too. If the ball in the hitting zone, go for it.

The build your way into an innings is usually way to get used to the conditions.

Is seeing the ball a superpower?

View Comment

Cricket

2w

Really?

M.Waugh off his pads is the creme de la creme of batting.

Best cricketers for Australia and England who played only one Test

View Comment

Cricket

3w

I did think with a bit more research, there would be some players with very good FC records that would warrant a spot.

Best cricketers for Australia and England who played only one Test

View Comment

Cricket

3w

TBH I kinda stopped looking when I got to S.Law, but realised i needed a few more bats. Then Phillips and Moss filled that gap.

On that single test performance Mick Malone probably should get a spot. But at who’s expense?

Best cricketers for Australia and England who played only one Test

View Comment

Cricket

3w

You’ve kind of beaten me. In the light of people making best of lists. I was thinking could you make an Australian best of the 1 test players. Turns out you can.

Of 458 Australian test players, the most common number of tests played is one! With 70 players representing Australian just the once. Probably not unsurprisingly many of these are pre-World War 1. And this was the next challenge, how do you rank players from different with limited test match stats? And sorting out the issues of comparing era equally, i.e. an FC average of 20 odd in 1890 was probably decent enough, so is that better than someone in the 1980’s average 35? Dunno.

Another issue is the list is dominated by bowlers on the most part.

But siding with recency bias, probably the best XI of 1 test players are:

Jeff Moss
Wayne N Phillips
Stuart Law
Callum Ferguson
John Hastings
James Faulkner
Phil Emery
Beau Casson
Clint McKay
Chadd Sayers
Matthew Nicholson
Shaun Young (12th man)

Best cricketers for Australia and England who played only one Test

View Comment

Cricket

3w

Both Folau and Karmichael Hunt and three code athletes. League, Aussie Rules and Union.

Seeing double: Who are the best multi-sport athletes?

View Comment

Other Sports

Apr

I think his FC gets helped by his Test and his time with Hampshire. For Victoria his Average is 34.7 with a strike rate of 73.6

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Who wins the Alphabet Cup?

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

I’d imagine if you could simulate it, there’d be these not so obvious teams pop up, like a Team G with wins.

What’d be interesting, is Warne’s test average compared to his domestic average, which I’ve always thought wasn’t that good (was it he just bowled stock deliveries and dialed it down a bit at home?).

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Who wins the Alphabet Cup?

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

Team G over Team P and Team C is a tough read. I favored P and C because of their batting. But you need to take 20 wickets don’t you…
Good read, would be an interesting series if you could simulate it.

The Australian cricket all-time great alphabet teams: Who wins the Alphabet Cup?

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

This writes itself:

Jimmy Maher
Wade Seccombe
Trevor Barsby
Paul Jackson
Dirk Tazelaar
Ashley Noffke
Lee Carseldine
Joe Dawes

The best players who never played Test cricket for Australia

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

Always felt like Manou’s trip to England was like a modern benefit season. Not sure why he was selected, but being from Queensland I’m going with bias.

The best players who never played Test cricket for Australia

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

You can do this yourself now with games like Cricket Captain. The Classic Series on Cricket Captain can be entertaining.

It’s all alorithims based on compiled data like CricViz do, cricket is game with enough sample points that you could simulate matches pretty well.

Bradman's last 'Test' match

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

um I agree…

Pick The Roar's greatest Ashes XI of all time: Shane Warne vs Jim Laker

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

This might be a case against pure stats. Warne had at his prime an almost stranglehold over England. From the Gatting ball to even the 05 series where he was probably Australia’s best player.

As great as Laker was as a bowler, I’m not sure he had the same psychological advantage as Warne did.

Pick The Roar's greatest Ashes XI of all time: Shane Warne vs Jim Laker

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

I hope this is just Warne era mind games.

It’s the same ball with a different name.

Nathan Lyon on how he's using isolation to develop a mystery ball

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

The same really, both his average and strike rate just steadily climbed his whole career, never really plateaued. Lowest point (bowling average) was 16 (4th match in) and then climbed to 28.4.

Then comparing to Miller, while his batting (averaged) decreased, his bowling average was pretty consistent. As soon as he topped 20, his 9th match in, it never went above 24 for the rest of his career.

Pick The Roar's greatest Ashes XI of all time: Ian Botham vs Keith Miller

View Comment

Cricket

Apr

josh

josh hasn't published any posts yet