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Originally started as a cricket podcast. I have begun branching out and writing about Cricket. Super passionate about cricket especially Test Cricket. If anyone would like to catch the podcast we are available on Soundcloud, Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts and anywhere else you can find Podcasts. https://linktr.ee/TwoSlipsandaGully
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The Bangladesh cricket team, known as the Tigers, became the 10th Test-playing nation when they made their Test debut in November 2000. That game…
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Our podcast’s quest to find the best Test Xis for each nation has moved to look at the Proteas of South Africa. The third…
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Over the course of the last few weeks on our podcast we have been exploring the best Test 11s for each nation.We started our…
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The first women’s Test match between India and Australia in 15 years has come to a disappointing finish. The rain-affected pink ball Test predictably…
Afghanistan’s first Test match in Australia looks to be cancelled again, and this time indefinitely. With the Taliban’s regime coming to power in Afghanistan…
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When people think of cricket they think of a nice flat ground with sweeping green grass bathed in glorious sunshine. So it is a…
2019 saw the implementation of the World Test Championship. Its purpose was to put the top nine Test-playing nations against each other over a…
The first two of the five T20 internationals between Australia and the West Indies have been completed. With two resounding victories to the West…
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With the conclusion of the first World Test Championship and a brief respite before the next Test series between India and England commences on…
Eventually.
Haven’t covered that on my podcast yet, but we’ll get there.
Zimbabwe's all-time Test XI
Thanks very much.
It was the aesthetic I was going for when I wrote these 😊
West Indies all-time Test XI
From what I’ve looked into he kept for his first 15 matches before giving the gloves away due to injury. His average after 15 matches was 40.
You won’t go wrong picking Walcott. But his body didn’t hold up to keeping and Dujon churned out 80 matches. So it seemed a little disingenuous to pick Walcott of the back of a 50 plus batting average to keep knowing he didn’t spend a great deal of his career there and was less successful statistically with the bat. But I completely understand people suggesting him, he was a special player.
West Indies all-time Test XI
Our podcast has 3 people.
But all of the articles published on here are written by the one person.
West Indies all-time Test XI
Haynes is actually equal 3rd in terms of hundreds scored when his team has been all out and his century was the only 50+ score. He has 4 centuries like that.
Lara has 7 and Sachin has 6.
It’s not a sure fire indicator but I think Haynes was more than an average player tagging onto a brilliant team
West Indies all-time Test XI
Underrated bowler because the Windies have struggled. Re invented himself after his body began to let him down and he couldn’t bowl rapid anymore.
Not touching the Parthenon of Windies bowlers but definitely one that deserves some kudos
West Indies all-time Test XI
I believe Boyd Rankin and Bruce Reid share the honour with Garner of being the 2nd tallest player.
Benn was about 6’7 so same height as Ambrose. Not not much difference between them all.
West Indies all-time Test XI
The reason we went Dujon over Walcott is because Walcott only kept for 15 matches and didn’t have amazing batting stats while doing it. While Dujon kept his whole career.
We decided keeping Greenidge and Haynes together because as a partnership they were greater than the sum of their parts.
In the podcast we did concede that Headley and Weekes definitely had a greater statistical resume than Lloyd but we went Lloyd on the basis of his captaincy and moulding the Windies into arguably the best team that’s ever played.
That being said your suggestions are amazing players that would in no way look out of place in a All Time XI
West Indies all-time Test XI
Oh wow, my mistake.
Thanks for pointing that out.
Should a have paid closer attention when writing the article.
West Indies all-time Test XI
There is a difference between India not at full strength and implying the replacement players weren’t test standard.
You can cut which ever way you like, that Indian side was severely under strength. What was good for them is that their player development system has produced players that were ready to stand up produce straight away.
Losing Kohli, Bumrah, Shami etc could only mean they weren’t at full strength. It’s a perfectly reasonable description of the side.
'Most talked-about series in 15 years': My Ashes preview
Mandhana went at 5 an over. As soon as Verma was dismissed everyone after her batted at a crawl.
And I’ve never said that Australia didn’t play negatively previously.
And the problem is you’re right if the situation was reversed we do the same as India. Which is my point, women’s cricket needs to find better ways of incentivising positive play.
And Lanning didn’t bat on much past the follow on she declared at the end of the session. Had she declared when they made the follow on they would have called tea. They gave India the extra half hour because Australia were close to being dismissed.
Perry and Gardner were actually batting relatively quickly on that 4th afternoon but Perry put the brake on when wickets kept falling at the other end. And when she first came into bat it was during the evening session when the ball was swinging and wickets were falling as well.
Australia showed more intent to force a result and that’s a fact. But like I said in the article neither team played an attractive brand of cricket. So it’s not a case of Australia good, India bad. It’s a case of India playing Australia out of the game for the sake of the overall series and Australia didn’t execute with bat, ball or in the field to a high enough standard and allowed India to do that. Even tactically as you’ve pointed out Australia struggled, sending India in, not sticking to plans, allowing India to let the game meander by over bowling players to simply dot the ball up rather than attack.
But India at the end of the day held the initiative by virtue of being the side batting and at no pout did they make a move to give themselves enough time to take 20 wickets.
'Not a great advertisement': Troubleshooting the women's Test
India did play too defensive and Australia by the virtue Lanning declared 136 runs behind showed more intent.
I’m sorry if that hurts anyone’s feelings.
But Australia and England have done the same thing in the past which is the point.
'Not a great advertisement': Troubleshooting the women's Test
I am blaming the format, as I highlighted there hasn’t been a result in a test for 6 years. It’s not isolated to this game.
The unfamiliarity with test cricket coupled with joining it to a multi format set up has consistently yielded negative cricket.
And only playing four days when statistically women need more than four days to take wickets hasn’t helped either.
'Not a great advertisement': Troubleshooting the women's Test
As I said IMO there were a number of contributing factors. Not playing enough test cricket impacted the skills on display, which more cricket will rectify.
Weather robbing sides of using a pink ball when it’s the most dangerous on a benign pitch.
And the mindset of teams to play it safe for the overall good of the series rather than win the match on its merit.
The last point isn’t isolated to this game. The Women’s Ashes have been marred by this attitude as well.
Freeing the Tests to be a stand alone competition would require more tests to be viable which is what we want. More tests will encourage the development of long form skills and having to win the test to progress in a test match championship setup will encourage positive play.
I am a massive advocate for more tests for women. Young girls deserve every opportunity to wear the Baggy Green. But there is no getting around that for a multitude of reasons that last game between India and Australia was not a great example of cricket which is a shame as the limited overs games have been of the highest quality.
'Not a great advertisement': Troubleshooting the women's Test
Stoinis has yet to consistently crack the WA side at all let alone push for a brand new position. In theory he could be a nice option as an attacking opener but he has a long long way to go. Opening in short form is a lot different to opening in first class
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
I can certainly see the criticism of Henriques after the short form disaster.
But his Shield form has been exemplary. And given the lack of obvious candidates for the number 5 spot I still think he has something to offer in the short term until a younger player matures into an international candidate.
Maddinson is a good shout however.
I’m not sold on Street just yet. He lacks a consistent scoring shot to rotate the strike. Hasn’t exposed him yet too badly at Shield level but not sure is quite ready to make the leap.
I’ll admit to being a big fan of Whiteman and may be a little biased but I genuinely think he’s put together a resume recently that should have him in the conversation for national honours
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
The same thing happened to South Africa when their regime banned a whole section of their population from participating in sport.
Unless your assertion is that this was different because the South African government wasn’t oppressing members of its population.
People have suggested the whole ROC from the Olympics approach but with a commitment to a women’s competition then the ICC will strip them of full membership anyway.
Part of the ICC giving Afghanistan test status is an organised women’s competition, which they gave them dispensation for under the condition that they work towards developing the women’s game.
As a board Cricket Australia has led the way in women playing cricket them taking a stand against a policy that discriminates against women makes of sense. The government already doesn’t approve of allowing the team to fly the Taliban flag giving legitimacy to a government that no one recognises.
At the end of the day the US military couldn’t reason with the Taliban what makes you think a cricket board will. All they can do is protest the violations in the only way really open to them in the short term, which is expulsion until a better solution is found.
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
I’ll give you that in the short form formats, he never has managed to find form at the international level.
But Henriques has put up good first class numbers for a number of years now. And was arguably hard done by losing the allrounder spot to Marsh in the first place all those years ago.
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
With the T20 WC on one side and the Ashes on the other I don’t think they have the time to fit 3 matches in
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
Swepson absolutely would be the Australia A spinner.
I’d prefer to see Jhye Richardson than Meredith
Return of Australia vs Australia A can save the summer of cricket
I know his recent t20 performances have left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth but Moises has been putting together strong Shield seasons for a number of years.
I believe he’s a definite short term contender for a middle order spot.
The issue with Travis Head is that he has obvious deficiencies in his game which have been exposed at test level and since being dropped has had no real opportunity to correct those flaws
If Australia A replaces Afghanistan in the schedule, who should we pick?
Before we go anointing Root better than Smith, remember Root’s purple patch these past 12 months is what Smith has averaged for the last 7 years.
Not to mention that due to Australia’s ineptness Smith has only played 5 tests since Jan 2020.
It’s easier to look good when the other guy isn’t even playing.
Headingly heroics: Lightning can strike twice
Curran unfortunately never played test cricket for Zimbabwe. He was an incredible player though. 36 with the bat and 27 with that ball in 300+ FC games
Zimbabwe's all-time Test XI