Just continining to add to that post oz . I think Aus needs to be careful after a year away from any red ball cricket this shield form is really important . McDermott and phillipe are making runs . Khawaja racked up a huge century when everyone was failing in this shield match . Carey can be a steadying influence with bat and totally different to head who can change a match but also be so streaky outside off stump.
Sadly oz you are right about Carey not playing until Paine moves on or fails again. We are wasting time and probably runs for me not playing him instead of Paine now as the later has played no red ball cricket and is 36 and ageing . One thing about subcontinent next year is khwaja may be worth another look . He had a tricky run with family matters and then a hard uk ashes where he wasn’t allowed to open after good subcontinent form just previous to that where he had a run as opener. I’m really wondering if it is time to move on from warner as he shouldn’t tour abroad again next year . Alot of time out of red ball cricket and some of them getting on in age .

It’s very a tricky lead up for Australia with some candidates that could be playing shield cricket playing t20 cup abroad . Smith has been hitting it ok with t20 but warner is hideously out of form and was dropped in India all be it both aren’t playing red ball cricket . Nsw and Vic shield is on standbye and it seems the first true set of matches were last two matches with one at Adelaide oval .
There’s been a stand out performance with ball by steketee in shield but the batting is hard to read with two states missing and few matches at the ashes venues.
Head match this week at Adelaide oval match was a little more challenging scoring 55 and 23 I think . Carey 35 and 66* very telling and well as many know I’d be getting him in there in front of Paine at Carey’s age asap. Inglis smacked some good runs in t20 against kiwis but is missing red ball lead up
Otherwise khawaja made a very good century . I think khawaja head and Carey are batsmen to consider. Carey’s selection may be inevitable next year coming up. Whiteman is an interesting opener . He just opened with a solid 49 second innings In a tough low scoring match at waca . Phillpe and McDermott continue to pile up some good runs with half centuries . I’m not sure there are many others to consider beside the perennial shield form of marsh who I still think probably should have been selected against India as he was clocking up huge shield runs last year and now again but he’s no long term touring prospect . Inglis may be interesting but t20 is not helping to get a read on hisbred ball form . Moreover warner is dire at present in the short form with no lead up red ball form after injuries last year . Cameron greens single digit fails were surpising in this current shield match

Jeff intersting with Queensland putting up hard quarentine for foreigners until 17 Dec there are calls to do exactly what I anticipated fly England in to Sydney no quarentine much like family in to Vic no quarentine a bit later . Brendan Julian suggested if Queensland and wa make it difficult to have multi tests in Vic and nsw which is what I was getting at . I thought this was a bit predictable when we were talking about this a few weeks ago . I’m sure tests will go ahead but Sydney and melbourne have dropped quarentine as I anticipated and become the natural fly in go to and it’s was all about obvious given zero covid in Queensland and wa and the protection of community with slower roll out there . Nsw and Vic will satisfy the concerns of the poms although I hope we get Gabba , Perth and SA off smoothly as they are the grounds Australia should get results at

Ohpontong progeny this is great news . His dad wasn’t a great captain but. But for a long while the best first drop since bradman

Hahaha Timmy stop no more your playing they won’t sack you even if you fail.!!!

Streetspunds intersting . Whiteman ? Need a balance for ambiguous warner

Ashes is still 8 weeks . Pucovski should get scans in a few weeks before this talk all sets in
Head is hitting big but he’s flashy . Warner and head flashing outside off to open are both similar . No thanks . Khawaja could be fine on Aussie wickets but perhaps an opportunity to look to future and aubcontinent tours next year . A few other candidates. Alot of the side already chosen . Head should start at 5 given his form . Forget wade .
Labs smith Green and potentially head now seem a lock if head can keep replicating in shield. See today . Paine is well a selectors CA darling so he is in as captain , as is warner who is ambiguous at his age but will start until they realise they need to look at others next year for sub continent tours or until it costs us again . Doesn’t leave many selections if pucovski recovers. Not my ideal team but selectors are stubborn . Whiteman may be interesting if he can hold form to open ? Someone suggested street? Be interesting to see if the Tassie kid Tim ward can repeat his first shield game performance opening well next few shield games.

Alot of draws in recent years solid wins before that

Australia will certainly want a healthy Gabba Adelaide and Perth performance where they are strongest . Mcg and scg performances have been dire in recent years as they stick with the same non performers at those grounds time after time outside of the dire nz tour pre bushfires heat where Aussies batted first . It’s been a disaster either side of that for aussies as they refused to change bowling line up at mcg and scg

He certainly got good guarentrees out of Queensland and Victoria with a golf resort and outdoors quarnetine and no quarentine for the families regionally . Australia gave way to English demands really

Jeff there are already huge questions on paines captaincy both on and off the field and many commentators held their toungue after starting to lay in to him during the indian series for inept decision making let alone key moments in the UK ashes . Respectively I have to agree Paine has severely contributed In costing Australia key results in series against India at home and england abroad and many will agree with that assessment as per this article including Australian test players who progress carefully with PC stances around their commentating duties . Healy warne border have all made comment about paines poor decision making at times only to then make neutral comments after . Paine has made careless to dangerous comments off field against Afghanistan and now England during the pandemic

Spot on micko I can list more Paine mistakes at lord’s final day and at mcg against India but he was dire as captain at headingly . Not to mention sending England in to bat at the oval first (after we had just been out in the field bowling the test previous ) . Mistake after mistake as captain and we drew and lost key series that we could have won and or drawn respectively . Alot was down to paines inept decision making tactically , so many poor drs decisions and crumbling under pressure with panic decisions. He took way to long to bowl labuschsnge too at the Manchester win from memory where the ball was turning

Micko I made the calls about starc lyon going in to Sydney and Melbourne tests but got lambasted after I said they are weaker grounds at times for both and that they hadn’t fared well against quality teams at mcg and scg (their averages are much worst at both grounds and got bolstered by Pakistan white wash.
their averages at those grounds were nowhere near as good as Adelaide Perth and Gabba where bounce deck and movement suits both . Pink ball really suits starc in evenings . They refused to bring Pattinson at mcg who is a machine there and we lost there and refused to bring neser in to the mix at scg and Gabba in particular . As for paines captaincy the decisions and results speak for themselves

Never should have been played Gabba, Pattinson mcg where his record is insane. Starc pink ball specialist now and loves the evening conditions. Selectors need to wake up to key rotations and ground condition changes

I was there one of the greatest days in Australian cricket despite losing the match . Amazing innings the poms got very nervous thinking the game was dusted and were humiliated with agars innings

Maybe the new opener to join pucovski if not whiteman . Will need quite a few more but a promising start . McDermott adding to his case for middle order start . I’m guessing the pitch is a bit of a road and will wait to see Queensland bat . More shield games can’t come soon enough with Victoria and nsw watching paint dry for several weeks

Kelly will be perfect to shut down the Cody weightmans and other small forwards a great trade

Bombers will be top 8 this year . Results this year included three one goal losses , two goal losses and a three goal loss to very good teams when we had key injuries and young kids as rookies . There’s only upside coming . It’s st kilda or essendon to go for king in a year . With potential pick 11 and a another first round pick being worked (rumor is as may give next year’s first round pick away to get one this year ) on and potential for another decent trade too. Hurley will likely go in a year and his salary will give bombers even more room for king In the cap . They could also trade shiels in a year if need be for more room In cap. Big upside still hard to say if essendon can push in to top four next year . You’d be betting on a 5 to 8 finish unless key injuries occured and a small chance to go top four but no certainty there

Very interested to see if Baldwin can become the gun forward he could be . Alot of it may depend on his knee but he’s supposed to be a great kick for goal and one of the best talents in Sa pre injuries . Reid has huge tabs on him and will begin to bulk up in next few seasons .

Jeff interesting today it’s been published that the English cricket families won’t be subjected to hotel quarentine in Melbourne and be located regionally . Queensland following suit with a seven day home quarentine proposal . Nsw under perrotet quickly dropping draconian restrictions . It’s clear this got the English cricket team accross the line as predicted east coast promises were made to do it at this particular point in time . Wa couldn’t promise it of course but perhaps doesn’t need to as thy were never set to start there and really If there ongoing problems the players can fall back to covid open
states . Of course come december hopsitisations in east may play a crowd capacity issue but at this point nsw premier is making it clear there won’t be a uturn and Dan has also said 80 percent means an opening with no uturn . Perhaps the series will unfold just fine . In terms of public safety it would probably not be wise to have full crowds all round or limited crowds but I’ve noticed sports got alot of favors in east coast to the detriment of public restrictions becoming worse after the contests .

Intersting intelligence Jeff good to understand mindsets of other states m think all the states don’t understand the voting mentalities per each state and what they have been through . Enter Scotty he lost unity of his country

Try 240 days in Victoria that said I’m sure there’s a million Aussies stranded from loved ones who are citizens with a right to come home and be protected like any other Aussie at home. Yes the wealthy and privileged took the piss out of the quarentine system early on in particular and favors were granted to actors and wealthy with connections for sure . Plenty of catch 22s and brutal hardships with citizens that deserved to come home . Slater is not one of them

Some good valid points nics . Good to hear some relevant data . End of the day though it comes down to what England will put up with if wa gets cases and lockdowns and onerous restrictions in WA or even SA . Pretty sure it won’t matter in Vic and nsw who will be 90 percent double vax by December at some point . They will host of WA or Sa can’t . Am sure it will go ahead ok tho . December is unpredictable for wa sa and Queensland is all. Nsw and Vic well they kind of know where they stand I think . Dan Andrews more prone to cover up his I’ll prepared hospital systems with low to no crowd policies of hospitals get that out of hand . He covers his own botch ups over here and blames the citizens in general although Scotty has not helped him with aged care and vaccine botch ups

I think it’s quite simple matt we all hit 80 percent double vax by Dec 1 . Wa and lesser covid states get real nervous with hospital systems that have not been prepared . People’s of Vic nsw and uk have been through too much lockdown to fathom or idea of 14 day quarentine in WA mentally again . Included cricketers or citizens . Wa and covid zero states phase back in slower from January. That means the covid zero states are prone to last minute lockdowns and restrictions and could maybe play a test in bubble with no crowds if cases or England could say no to a particular covid zero state that treats them like hotel lab rats . Who knows bit my gut feel is Queensland will happen with or without a crowd and then the families have gone to Vic and been given relaxed conditions outdoor access and shorter duration in quarentine guarenteed and nsw and Vic could host double tests if it all went tits up in other states. Suspect they will make it all happen with some uncertainty over wa and sa potentially but sa and wa may still have that bubble . Need some.luck too. It is a high transmission virus and people are reckless and getting on with life more with less concern especially youth

It’s hard matt but we do a third of those numbers after higher vaccination per Capita maybe less actually as a projection given more spacing, summer and higher vax rates come decemeber we did 18 months to double vax and then all bets are off . Australias people’s particularly a third to a half of lower socio economic and small biz Vic and nsw dug real real reel deep financially and mentally for state and federal government ineptitude , not to mention their kids and retirees and singles locked in rooms . You can’t imagine what they’ve gone through for these idiot politicians over 100 to 250 days . Of course many are fine and earnt more money and are apathetic . You are right Queensland and wa haven’t readied their hospitals nor has Dans Victoria to a lesser extent but the fed cash taps are off . It’d crack on time . Consider yourself lucky if in WA , sa , queensland and Tassie (Tim Paine at home with freedoms) . Hard yards on interstate loved ones being blocked off