Roar Rookie
Joined April 2015
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While I'm only a casual NBA fan, this year's finals series between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers has me hooked. After…
After the touring Australians chalked up a dominant nine-wicket win in Dominica, we head to Sabina Park, Kingston for the second and final Test…
I hate to be a downer on our recent success, but the past two summers' Test performances have lulled Australia into a false sense…
“This lost its effect however, as I ran him out three balls later”
HAHAHA had me cracking up
Walking and its place in cricket
Also Shaun Marsh’s recent numbers are better than I expected
Steve Smith is worth his weight in gold
Feel for Smithy being dismissed on 199! Looked so shattered walking off.. What a mighty innings though! At 26 years and already 9 Test hundreds (including two scores in the 190s) he could well be headed for legendary status! You are spot on, he is worth his weight in gold.
Steve Smith is worth his weight in gold
Thought the same thing re the bats Josh haha. I’m thinking the cherries might be darker because of the Dukes ball over here. They always seem to have stained bats in the Windies and UK
Another Australia collapse highlights value of Rogers
Dumbest comment of the year. Let’s have a look at the so called ‘flat track bully’ tons shall we? Maiden ton on an absolute green top in Hobart with ball seaming. No one else makes above 40 from memory. Warner carries his bat. I’ll admit next 4 tons were on flatter pitches in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth again. Regardless you still have to be good enough to score runs on any wicket. Then we come to South Africa, Warner scores 3 tons (and two fifties) on seaming decks against the best attack in the world. Next ton was against Pakistan in the UAE on a spinner’s paradise where no other Aussie made runs. And of course, the next three tons were last summer in Adelaide (twin tons) and Sydney. Yes the pitches were pretty flat last summer but with the emotional toll on Warner plus still needing to be good enough to score runs regardless of where it is makes them special achievements. He averages just under 50 in Test cricket after almost 40 or so matches, he can’t be too much of a flat track bully to be doing that…only series he hasn’t performed were the last time we played in the Windies (1 half century in two matches), the Indian tour in 2013 (2 half centuries in 4 matches. Every single other tour and home summer he has scored at least one ton (apart from the 2013/14 home summer, where he scored 6 half centuries on the trot). He’ll make runs come the second innings in this current Test, too. Warner will go down as a great of the game.
Another Australia collapse highlights value of Rogers
And as luck would have it, both of my “key players” for the Windies (Samuels and Bishoo) both get ruled out on the morning of the Test after the article has been published haha!
Australia vs West Indies: Second Test preview
Warner gone third ball. If Smith fails too we might get a look and see if anyone will stand up here.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Mate the Dragons were robbed on Monday!! Shocking
Four ways the USA can help the NRL improve its product
All good points you’ve raised too. I think the biggest hurdle besides actually bringing in the whole system and changing everything would actually be that there would be a number of players not willing to move interstate. I’m sure some type of adjustment could be made to ensure that someone who enters the draft hoping to stay in Sydney doesn’t have to move to NZ. I also think maybe a rule such as used in the IPL cricket auctions, where if a rival team bids for a player, the current club has the chance to match the offer and retain the player or to let them go. This would again place more emphasis on loyalty in our code and the chances of players staying at their current club would go up IMO
Four ways the USA can help the NRL improve its product
I do see your point. However, I’m sure it could be managed. Perhaps clubs also get some amount of prize money depending on where they place for that season? If there was incentive not to finish down the bottom I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem
Four ways the USA can help the NRL improve its product
I also see your point about however many we make they’ll make less, however I find it unreasonable to suggest our bowlers are going to be in top form every game.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
awesome side right there! Only doubt is Faulkner is a genuine number 6, so M. Marsh over him if Faulkner is going to bat at 6.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
I never once said our bowling wasn’t the best in the world. I think we are a good team. The article is more getting at the point that perhaps we rely on our bowlers too much, and that we need to develop batsman at state level to come through soon as we have a battle weary and aging roster that won’t be around too much longer. Yes, as many have pointed out there were a lot of young batsmen who performed well last Shield season, but one season doesn’t make a Test player. We need to continue to develop these batsmen and get them ready to make the leap to international cricket, rather than allowing them to drop off. I think we’ve been overhyped to some degree – yes we’ve played well, but as I said in the last paragraph quality of opposition and conditions help. I think we are a much improved team from a few years ago, I just think we can still improve. A scary thought for opposition sides given we are winning now. In regards to the headline, I think it gives the article a more critical view than I wanted. I don’t want to throw the editor under the bus, but my headline in the original wasn’t exactly the one that was published. In summary, my thoughts are that yes, this a good Australian team capable of competing with and beating every Test nation when we are at our best, but a truly great Test side we are not.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
That’s a fair point mate. I did miss quite a few people on the short “contenders” list I wrote. However I tried not to include anyone who had only had one decent season – eg. Handscomb, Bancroft. I really like Sam Whiteman as a keeper bat but he completely slipped my mind when writing the list. I should rephrase now my point of developing our young batsmen – there isn’t many proven ones out there. Again I’m not including 1 decent season as being available to be placed in this list. Going off that, Silk probably shouldn’t be included either. I do strongly believe he has something special about his temperament that will see him play Test cricket one day though.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
I did miss Whiteman apologies there. Agar in my opinion is overrated as a bowler. He had the one standout performance last season but not much else
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Jake Doran is 18. He is yet to play First Class game. What relevance does he have in this debate?
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
4 years younger. Huge difference
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Yes our bowling attack is by far the best in the world, but if we produce consistently small totals then even they are going to have trouble bowling teams out. As I said in the article, I think our brilliant bowling and Warner/Smith form has papered over the cracks of our mostly frail batting.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Twice during the article I stopped to do exactly that, give credit to the boys for their performances. I’m not for one second saying they haven’t played well.All I’m saying is that if Warner or Smith happen to be out for an extended period, we need to have a back up plan there. At the moment you take away Steve Smith and if Warner doesn’t fire , more than likely we would collapse.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Look at his age. I strongly believe that he has the temperament and skills to succeed at Test level. 33 isn’t overly terrible – Shaun Marsh was recalled to the Aussie team averaging 31 remember – but I agree he isn’t pounding down the door right now for selection. As I said before, he’s been solid. Not spectacular, but solid. Give him 3 years to continue to develop and I believe he’ll be playing Test cricket by then.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
I agree with everything you said JimmyB. Your comment was what I was trying to get across in my article.
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Although he didn’t score heavily against us in the 2013/14 series I thought he looked an organised player. Yes you are quite right, those stats do say he has a lot to prove. But regardless an average of over 50 at both Test and FC level show that he has some ability. He’ll come good I think and score heavily against us. Although I hope I’m wrong and he bats like a hack for the sake of Australia haha
False sense of security: We're not as good at cricket as we think
Yeah was going to say the same thing, Buttler probably knew that he would’ve had to go soon after being given not out anyway if the Aussie’s reviewed the decision ( you’d assume they would have) so wouldn’t even class it as walking, more just saving time.
Walking and its place in cricket