***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[DingDong]

Phillip Hughes

Hughes?

 

[Burgey]

What odds do you guys think Australia would be right now in the test series in SA, assuming Clark is fit?

 

[Redbacks]

What odds do you guys think Australia would be right now in the test series in SA, assuming Clark is fit?

Depends on the fitness of Smith. With Hayden out and Stuart Clark back in we are about a $3.50 chance IMO

 

[social]

What odds do you guys think Australia would be right now in the test series in SA, assuming Clark is fit?

Should be an even contest but so much depends on fitness of players from both sides

SA obviously have worries re Smith but Oz players currently on the sidelines include Siddle, Clark, Clarke, Symonds and Jaques

 

[Matt79]

Geez, there doesnt seem to be a few fans of marshy here so ill come into bat for him. At least he has made runs in the one dayers and consistently as well against the south africans. He probably doesn't quite warrant a test opening spot at the moment but if jaques is still injured, who else are you going to play????? I still don't think marsh is best suited as an opener but he is a great cricketer. I would have to agree with you 'pup11', marsh seems to raise his game for the big matches on the international stage. He still has an average in one day cricket of inexcessive of 50 though (not sure exactly what it is and i cant be bothered finding out but that is an excellent average to have, especially with the season form he has been in). I think he should get a chance at test cricket and see what he can produce.

If not Hughes, Chris Rogers?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Depends on the fitness of Smith. With Hayden out and Stuart Clark back in we are about a $3.50 chance IMO

I'd pile in at those odds. $2.25 more realistic I'd say. SA start as favourites because of the series in Oz, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Australia get up.

 

[Evermind]

Should be an even contest but so much depends on fitness of players from both sides

SA obviously have worries re Smith but Oz players currently on the sidelines include Siddle, Clark, Clarke, Symonds and Jaques

Lee, Watson.

 

[howardj]

SA should be warm favourites for the return Test series.

 

[pup11]

SA should be warm favourites for the return Test series.

Indeed, even if all Aussie players were fit and in form and even if they had won the home series, i think still the South Africans would have started as hot favoutites while playing in their own backyard, the South African bowlers become doubly dangerous in their own home conditions, and likes of Steyn, Ntini, Morkel and even Kallis would be very hard to face in those conditions, to add to Australia' woes the key players are missing and the team combination hardly has a settled look to it, so even if Clark is back for the series, i don't think he alone would make much of difference, it would take a herculean effort from every member of the Australian team to upset South Africa at home.

 

[Craig]

Turns out Lee Carseldine was close to Australian selection according to Ryan Harris. That guy is a legend IMO, to come back after such a serious back injury and be the verge of national selection in the T20 and ODI side is awesome. Yeah I'm a fan.

 

[inbox24]

Turns out Lee Carseldine was close to Australian selection according to Ryan Harris. That guy is a legend IMO, to come back after such a serious back injury and be the verge of national selection in the T20 and ODI side is awesome. Yeah I'm a fan.

This would be crazy, it seems like the selectors are just picking randoms. Firstly there's no room in the our middle order for players with a temporary run of form who'll no doubt just drop off later and secondly we need to give the true talents who've worked hard over the years a good extended run. At this stage, Hodge should be closer to ODI or T20 selection than Carseldine.

 

[pup11]

Turns out Lee Carseldine was close to Australian selection according to Ryan Harris. That guy is a legend IMO, to come back after such a serious back injury and be the verge of national selection in the T20 and ODI side is awesome. Yeah I'm a fan.

Haha given the current form of the selectors, would be hardly surprising if Carseldine were to be picked for the Australian side, and his recent run of form is also pretty good, but tbh he is on the wrong side of 30 to be making his limited overs international debut, and there is no reason why he should be picked ahead of Hodge.

 

[Mister Wright]

Scheduling of this series is a joke. Shouldn't have to wait 5 days for the next games. I had three perfectly good days of holidays left from Monday-Wednesday, but have to work tomorrow and Friday. Piss poor effort.

 

[aussie]

Looking @ the first two games with some of the fringe players getting a run. When the big boys return what is likely to be Australia's best ODI XI??. I'm leaning towards something like this personally:

Marsh
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
M Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Bracken
Tait

 

[howardj]

Looking @ the first two games with some of the fringe players getting a run. When the big boys return what is likely to be Australia's best ODI XI??. I'm leaning towards something like this personally:

Marsh
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
M Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Bracken
Tait

Loving that team, except I'd probably squeeze Dussey in there somewhere. As for the scheduling, I think the Aussie games are similar to previous years (i.e. Friday and Sunday), with the only difference being that there is no neutral match (SA v NZ) during the weekdays. But yeah, the series - which has so far been an absolute cracker - does lose a lot of momentum with the big break from Sunday to Friday. Wonder what SA do to fill in the down time. Gibbs drinks, I guess.

 

[Johnners]

Don't see how you'd fit Dave Hussey in there without really messing up the balance of the side tbh.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Looking @ the first two games with some of the fringe players getting a run. When the big boys return what is likely to be Australia's best ODI XI??. I'm leaning towards something like this personally:

Marsh
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
M Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Bracken
Tait

Yep. Hauritz in for Tait is a possibility, but otherwise that's exactly the XI Australia should be playing with everyone available.

 

[inbox24]

I think the only way to fit Hussey in there is if we pushed Haddin to opening. As it is I think Haddin is wasted that low anyway so why not give him a chance or two opening? I mean if we are in the business of doing random stuff (picking players out of the blue, stuffing up side balances with bits and pieces players), then we should just drop Marsh who just seems plain on getting strike rates of 70 purely to retain his spot, why not have Haddin up the top who potentially strike at 85-90. That way we have Watson and Haddin up the top who can still get us off to fliers and the side balance is good.

Haddin
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Symonds
Clarke
Hussey
Johnson
Lee
Bracken
Tait/Hilfenhaus

That middle order would hark back to the days of 2006 when Martyn was there and our middle order was fit and firing, the best in one day cricket. The only change would have to be Hussey in for Martyn which is totally acceptable.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Marsh has been playing well. He deserves an extended run given that A) he's been making runs and B) we don't have any established ODI openers at the moment. I don't see why you'd randomly throw Haddin to the top of the order when he's been doing fine at 7 and Marsh has been doing fine opening.

Marsh's scoring rate in this series has been around 80, BTW. Perfectly acceptable given the bowling has been good, and above the general run rate of the team.

 

[Top_Cat]

I think the only way to fit Hussey in there is if we pushed Haddin to opening. As it is I think Haddin is wasted that low anyway so why not give him a chance or two opening? I mean if we are in the business of doing random stuff (picking players out of the blue, stuffing up side balances with bits and pieces players), then we should just drop Marsh who just seems plain on getting strike rates of 70 purely to retain his spot, why not have Haddin up the top who potentially strike at 85-90. That way we have Watson and Haddin up the top who can still get us off to fliers and the side balance is good.

Haddin
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Symonds
Clarke
Hussey
Johnson
Lee
Bracken
Tait/Hilfenhaus

That middle order would hark back to the days of 2006 when Martyn was there and our middle order was fit and firing, the best in one day cricket. The only change would have to be Hussey in for Martyn which is totally acceptable.

And another one falls for the Haddin hype.

Dropping Marsh at this stage is ridiculous. Really. You might decry his strikerate but his scores have masked the failures of the rest of the order, really. And, as FaaipDeOiad said, he's still been scoring faster than the rest of the order. The pitches have been a bit spicy and he's played accordingly.