***Official*** Australian Domestic Season 2008/09

[Redbacks]

damm, Blues batters too good for us. Still alot of work to do for the Redbacks

 

[Jakester1288]

damm, Blues batters too good for us. Still alot of work to do for the Redbacks

I wouldn't say our batsmen were too good, whilst we batted well, you must remember your captain Manou made a sporting declaration 179 runs behind on first innings, thanks for giving us that opportunity but it made for great cricket, good entertainment and a good game. It was the best way to give yourself a shot, your bowlers let you down though, when you had a second crack at the Blues.

 

[James90]

Hope Dougy can string a few more performances together and take his rightful place ahead of Siddle in the test team.

 

[chaminda_00]

See what happens when you play a proper XI, not filled with a million bits and pieces all rounders. Yeah I know we only won due to a sport decaration, but these days that par for the course with so many flat tracks on days one and two.

I hate the Saffes though, they show up Siddle for the hack he is and then they call up Bollinger so the Aussie can have a bowler that is actually capable of being Test class. Hopefully the selectors get bluffed again by Hilf so called ability to swing both ways and Bollinger gets released.

 

[aussie]

See what happens when you play a proper XI, not filled with a million bits and pieces all rounders. Yeah I know we only won due to a sport decaration, but these days that par for the course with so many flat tracks on days one and two.

I hate the Saffes though, they show up Siddle for the hack he is and then they call up Bollinger so the Aussie can have a bowler that is actually capable of being Test class. Hopefully the selectors get bluffed again by Hilf so called ability to swing both ways and Bollinger gets released.

. This is funny but a very dangerous comment.

Is Bollinger really a better bowled ATM than Hilfenhaus though?

Really wish i'd seen Bollinger somehwere to give an opinion on him personally before this CRUCIAL test, since Australia only need one genuine swing bowler at the G.

 

[Manee]

Did a quick check on cricinfo during an enthralling msn convo with a mate and it came out that Geeves has 22 top order (1-7) wickets this season and Hilfenhaus has 15.

 

[chaminda_00]

ATM Bollinger is still a better bowler, though Hilf has more potential and is starting to show that potential again this season. Though Siddle has more potential as well. If your picking a bowling attack for tomorrow, it would be Bollinger. However if you still have an eye for the future it will be Hilf.

 

[Julian87]

Yeah, it has to be Bollinger.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Really wish i'd seen Bollinger somehwere to give an opinion on him personally before this CRUCIAL test, since Australia only need one genuine swing bowler at the G.

Surprisingly, it doesn't matter whether you've seen him or not because most other people here have. Not sure how you can continually downplay him if you've never seen him bowl, by the way. That's very Richard of you.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Did a quick check on cricinfo during an enthralling msn convo with a mate and it came out that Geeves has 22 top order (1-7) wickets this season and Hilfenhaus has 15.

I've maintained for a very long time that Geeves is a much better bowler than Hilf and have been consistently lambasted for it.

Considering he's got more guts to throw them up there, swings the ball in better ways than Hilf (oh look that ball was an outswinger from the hand from Hilf for the 45th ball in a row) and is a much better package with both bat and in the field.

 

[aussie]

Surprisingly, it doesn't matter whether you've seen him or not because most other people here have. Not sure how you can continually downplay him if you've never seen him bowl, by the way. That's very Richard of you.

No way was i downplaying Bollinger nor have i made it a habit. You read me wrong son.

All i saying in that post, is i wish i had seen him before given that he is very likely to be picked for the MCG test so i could get an personal opinion as i have with Hilfenhaus.

Not that it will make a difference of course once he deserves to be picked. Given that seems to be the general consensus by most of you Australians since last summer that Bollinger is very much test quality.

 

[aussie]

I've maintained for a very long time that Geeves is a much better bowler than Hilf and have been consistently lambasted for it.

Considering he's got more guts to throw them up there, swings the ball in better ways than Hilf (oh look that ball was an outswinger from the hand from Hilf for the 45th ball in a row) and is a much better package with both bat and in the field.

Greeves FC form no doubt this season has been impressive. But seeing him bowl in the IPL & vs Bangladesh he looks wayyyyy off test match quality. Would cringe if he gets anywhere near to the test set-up.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Greeves FC form no doubt this season has been impressive. But seeing him bowl in the IPL & vs Bangladesh he looks wayyyyy off test match quality. Would cringe if he gets anywhere near to the test set-up.

Never said he was test match quality and I don't think he is. Shows how lowly I rate Hilf tbh.

 

[aussie]

Never said he was test match quality and I don't think he is. Shows how lowly I rate Hilf tbh.

Fair enough my youth..

 

[oldmancraigy]

ATM Bollinger is still a better bowler, though Hilf has more potential and is starting to show that potential again this season. Though Siddle has more potential as well. If your picking a bowling attack for tomorrow, it would be Bollinger. However if you still have an eye for the future it will be Hilf.

I disagree- an eye for the future would be Bollinger. Hilfenhaus doesn't look dangerous at the next level - perhaps he'd be useful in English conditions - but apart from that, no thanks.

Noffke is worth a shot as the 4th bowler imo - sure he's not going to be the number 1 striker, but at least he can keep it tight while 2 of Lee/ Johnson/ Bollinger get ready for another spell.

Sadly there are no spinners worth selecting at shield level - let alone test level in Australia right now! Where are all those kids who (allegedly) took up legspinning because of Shane Warne????

Maybe next season Stephen Smith (NSW) will start to show some consistency?

 

[Mr Casson]

I disagree- an eye for the future would be Bollinger. Hilfenhaus doesn't look dangerous at the next level - perhaps he'd be useful in English conditions - but apart from that, no thanks.

Noffke is worth a shot as the 4th bowler imo - sure he's not going to be the number 1 striker, but at least he can keep it tight while 2 of Lee/ Johnson/ Bollinger get ready for another spell.

Sadly there are no spinners worth selecting at shield level - let alone test level in Australia right now! Where are all those kids who (allegedly) took up legspinning because of Shane Warne????

Maybe next season Stephen Smith (NSW) will start to show some consistency?

Noffke would be playing, if he was fit and had played an FC game anytime recently.

Dorey has been doing a bang up job lately, but I don't think the selectors are interested in backtracking like that.

 

[stephen]

Sadly there are no spinners worth selecting at shield level - let alone test level in Australia right now! Where are all those kids who (allegedly) took up legspinning because of Shane Warne????

For the under 15 regional side the selectors picked an offspinner from my club side who had done nothing at club level while I had taken the wickets of the top 3 batsmen in the last two games I'd played (our club team went up against the two most difficult teams in the weeks prior). I was a leggy who was taking wickets of quality batsmen (at that level) and gave the game away after that season, mostly due to that decision. Even then I could bowl a wrong 'un and a flipper. To this day I wonder what could have been if that selection was different. I got a weekend job and entered the rat race and didn't bowl another over in club cricket for 8 years after that, by which time I had lost much of my technique and spin (though my wrong 'un and flipper is still very deadly, my leg break sucks). That same season I was told that I would easily have won best bowler for the club (based on average) except for the rule which says that you could not be awarded best bowler unless you have bowled over half the overs of the bowler who has bowled the most (I was a few overs short).

Even at junior levels the selectors are picking spinners based on batting ability rather than form or spin bowling ability. Admittedly this is one anecdote, but the fact remains that spinners find it very hard to break through right from junior levels. Captains also view spinners as riskier options and so they get less overs.

 

[chaminda_00]

TBH though there is a lot of keepers and fast bowlers that don't get a run if there batting not up to scatch. It just seems to be the way the game is going. Though if you have pace as seamer that will always give you a leg up. I've seen the odd spinners in lower grades that can spin the bowl a mile, but even that doesn't give them a leg up.

 

[Julian87]

Where are all those kids who (allegedly) took up legspinning because of Shane Warne????

They're waiting for a captain who knows how to use them in most cases.

 

[Manee]

I've maintained for a very long time that Geeves is a much better bowler than Hilf and have been consistently lambasted for it.

Considering he's got more guts to throw them up there, swings the ball in better ways than Hilf (oh look that ball was an outswinger from the hand from Hilf for the 45th ball in a row) and is a much better package with both bat and in the field.

Working with Lillee and Sekhar at the Delhi Daredevils isn't going to have done him too much harm either.