Roar Guru
Joined May 2017
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I live for the sound of leather on willow, and will drop anything to watch a round of MMA. I am always happy to settle for a game of League in the winter months. Fascinated by the history of sport.
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Due to a depressing lack of Test cricket, this year's Sheffield Shield has more eyes on it than most years. Combine this with the…
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@ Don,
Totally agree that Green has been more impactful than Stokes overall, but his batting average is buoyed by his last score. I think we can agree he’s been disappointing with the bat. Nevertheless, I certainly agree with you that our 4-7 was better overall – in fact you might say our 1-11 was better. And yep, the fielding is no contest whatsoever.
Ashes Scout: Shock 'favourite' to replace Langer, suffering Stokes should be dropped for own good
Interesting discussion fellas. I found the stats.
Number 5
– B. Stokes
227 runs at 28.37
4 wickets at 71.5
– T. Head/U. Khawaja
U.K. 238 runs at 238.00
Head, 248 runs at 62.00
Combined: 486 at 69.4.
Number 6
– C. Green
131 runs at 26.20.
9 wickets at 15.44.
– O. Pope/J. Bairstow
Pope: 48 runs at 12.00
Bairstow: 194 runs at 48.50
Combined: 242 at 30.25
Number 7
– A. Carey
110 runs at 15.71.
18 catches from 8 innings
– J. Buttler
Buttler 107 at 15.28
12 catches from 7 innings
From the stats, with the bat our no. 5 has been FAR better, but their no. 6 has been significantly better than Green. At 7, the batting for Buttler and Carey are pretty much the same, but Carey has been a bit better with the gloves. Comparing our allrounders, Stokes has been notably better with the bat, but Green notably better with the ball. Overall, safe to say our 5,6,7 have been better, but I’m not sure we “blitzed” it.
Ashes Scout: Shock 'favourite' to replace Langer, suffering Stokes should be dropped for own good
The Darwin Mozzies is a team name just waiting to explode 😂
The Dolphins will be paddling upstream unless they settle on proper name
Fair. Still their third best.
FLEM'S VERDICT: 'Bowl-off' looms between new quicks for Boxing Day spot
Don’t really have a dog in the fight with the whole Buttler/Foakes argument, but I think you’re not giving Stokes his due, Don, when saying he is behind Buttler in their batting ranks. Stokes is certainly at least their 3rd best bat.
Stokes averages 36.61 with 10 centuries, and Buttler only 33.72 with 2 centuries. Your point about his concentration is taken, but he has absolutely proved himself more often and in more important situations than Buttler.
FLEM'S VERDICT: 'Bowl-off' looms between new quicks for Boxing Day spot
It’s because we’re mostly Anglophiles.
UK View: Poms react to 'doomed shambles,' Rory burned, as lightning strikes twice
No nation delights in their own shortcomings more than the Poms, it reinforces their lethargic social status quo – anyone rising above their station must be grounded regularly.
UK View: Poms react to 'doomed shambles,' Rory burned, as lightning strikes twice
Are either of them worse than Burns is currently looking?
UK View: Poms react to 'doomed shambles,' Rory burned, as lightning strikes twice
From a quick look, Sri Lanka beat Pakistan when Pakistan they were hosting in Dubai, and they also beat the Windies in Kingston. Other than that, all home teams.
FLEM'S VERDICT: 'Five years ago he'd be stressed' - Warner's big mentality shift, England's selection self destruction
I believe of the 16 Pink ball tests, non have been draws. I also think that of the 8 Australia have played in, they’ve won them all. That won’t remain the case for ever, but the lack of draws is interesting.
FLEM'S VERDICT: 'Five years ago he'd be stressed' - Warner's big mentality shift, England's selection self destruction
Not trying to be pedantic, but proper analysis is such a rare thing these days (let alone actual statistical analytics) we need to protect the name. ‘Genuine analytics’ would be providing and then examining some sort of data to support the claim that the team batting second needs to be 50 runs to ahead for a match to be in the balance. There may well be such data, but you certainly haven’t provided (let alone analysed) any, simply stating without evidence that it is “an extremely sound principle.” Without support for this claim, your following data, while interesting hypotheticals, have no basis.
I don’t want to put shade on your article, as I said, it was enjoyable, but let’s call a spade a spade: this article provides an interesting hypothetical argument about why Head’s runs mattered, but it is not based in any sort of real statistical analysis.
How valuable were Head's runs?
Have to agree here, is it not ‘genuine analytics’ at all. All the numbers in OUTR’s article (which I did enjoy) are based on Renato Carini’s claim of equilibrium after 2 innings. However, this has no real-life application to the situation. The simple fact (and Chapelli’s point), is that any batsman coming in when their team is already ahead will not feel the pressure of one who comes in with the game in the balance. Now you could claim in hindsight that the game was in the balance, but there was no real suggestion of that at the time, considering the English performance in the first innings. Head came in at a good time, and batted well. It’s not the same as coming in at 5/50 chasing 350.
Head batted very well, and certainly deserves his credit and a spot for the series. But I would argue that Warner and Labuschagne’s partnership was more important, and the best individual performance of the match was actually Cummins’ five-for in the first innings. If you consider a five-for and a century of roughly equal weight, Cummins’ effort first up did more to win the match.
How valuable were Head's runs?
Cummins should retire now, it can’t get any better than that start 😂
DAY 1 REPORT: Cummins revels in 'dream start' to captaincy reign as England leave out big guns
This is the biggest issue. Bangladesh would only profit (financially) from series against other test teams, I doubt the BCB would be willing to fork out for a series against Australian first-class clubs.
I appreciate the spirit of this article – helping developing test nations to improve is a great cause– but I don’t think it is so simple. For one thing, if they were going to play in a different domestic league, the obvious one is India’s, not ours (Bangladesh coming here would be like Kiwi cricketers looking for extra first class experience in South Africa). Besides that, thinking that more first class experience will suddenly turn Bangas into a great test team is pretty reductive. Their issues, I suspect, run a lot deeper than that.
Why inviting Bangladesh to the Sheffield Shield would improve international cricket
Hi Trent, if we’re asking questions for future editions…
Do you believe that white-ball form usually translates to red-ball form, and what evidence (or metric) do you use to judge this? You hinted at an answer, but I’d enjoy reading a more detailed one.
Also, have you worked much with Khawaja? What do you make of his form and selection for the Ashes squad?
Only as a bonus, what do you make of the Ashes squad in general? A detailed breakdown of the players from your POV/experience would be a fascinating article.
Keep up the good work, I enjoyed the article.
Deep Point: Working with Warner, how Ashes batters will prepare and why Marsh can still be key Test player
Class may have something to do with it, but it definitely has very little to do with intellect. Most of the blokes are separated from society (and regular education for the most part) from a young age and put into “excellence” pathways, where they are taught to put all their focus and energy into themselves, their team and teammates. And we wonder why they don’t act with greater society in mind: they’re taught to ignore the outer world, and all their rewards systems incentivise selfishness. I appreciate the tone of the article, but painting league players as particularly “dumb” is a bit reductive.
Rugby league and the D word: An investigation
You must be very young or have a poor memory. Winning the next 30 Origin matches in a row by 50 points each wouldn’t be enough for me.
“Dangerous” Maroons put NSW on red alert
Can you blame them though? The chance for a big pay-day arrises at home (fighting blokes they should beat) and they prefer that to fighting contenders on an undercard in the states. Then they get the opportunity to fight for a championship in the states, getting much more recognition along with PPV points at the head of a card. It’s understandable.
It takes a special person to forgo fame and wealth in order to be the best in boxing, and Australia hasn’t had one in years. I hope Tim is that bloke, but if he’s not I’ll understand and cheer for him anyway.
The key strategic error holding back Tim Tsyzu
Absolutely disagree. Would love to see you put up a Qld B-team in the late 00s early 10s that would beat the NSW team.
Qld without doubt had a much much better team in its dominance, but it was dependent on 4 or 5 generational talents with the rest being excellent workers. NSW were never as far behind Qld as this team is this year, and most of the time had a few Australian forwards and at least some backs in Brett Morris and Hayne.
NSW always has more depth because of it’s population. That’s what makes Qld’s era of dominance so remarkable.
A Blues B-side could beat this Maroons outfit
Totally agree. Now that you can’t give “receipts” in a game grubs are allowed to develop a habit. Not that I think we should go backwards or anything, we just need to find a new and better disincentive to be grubby.
Phil Rothfield goes whack on Cameron Munster after Origin cheap shot
I was hardly outraged, Rob, just pointing out it’s a bad look. I don’t care if he plays or not. But as it turns out he is ineligible and the QRL looks silly.
Mulitalo OUT of Origin II over eligibility concerns, Coates back in
How do you blokes think this will go, imagine wise, for Qld? Because I reckon it’s a pretty bad look.
Qld are infamous for “poaching” players from elsewhere (‘that’s in Queensland’), and we’ve all had a bit of fun referring to Greg Inglis as the best Queenslander ever to come out of Bowraville, but it now looks like Qld are picking players who they know are ineligible and trying to sneak them through the under 20s to confirm their eligibility. Isn’t that just cheating?
Mulitalo OUT of Origin II over eligibility concerns, Coates back in
It’s all clear now. Queensland knew he was injured the whole time and were never going to play him. They’re just playing silly-buggers again, old Queensland silly-buggers.
Maroons mayhem: Reece Walsh OUT of Origin II
“Mudflat loving motel cleaners” is possibly the best thing I’ve ever heard 😂
I’ll head down to the Balaclava Hotel later and see if they agree…
Why Queenslanders love State of Origin
@ Don: true, an average is an average.
Ashes Scout: Shock 'favourite' to replace Langer, suffering Stokes should be dropped for own good