***Official*** Australian Domestic Season 2010/11

[Howe_zat]

Full round next week

Qld v SA
NSW v TAS
WA v VIC

Good to know. When does the Eng v Oz A match start?

 

[Noble One]

Good to know. When does the Eng v Oz A match start?

Wednesday

 

[Top_Cat]

These has been quite horrible Ashes warm-ups. Are there any more matches before the Ashes starts?

Or it could be that because the cricket's been tough and matches close, it's been excellent prep.

 

[social]

Or it could be that because the cricket's been tough and matches close, it's been excellent prep.

Only problem is that the vast majority of Oz's likely x1 have either been pretty bloody ordinary or havent played

 

[Spark]

Ah, so he's not completely incapacitated.

 

[Noble One]

Or it could be that because the cricket's been tough and matches close, it's been excellent prep.

I agree with this view. If Ponting had made a spanking 100 against a poor domestic attack, how is that any better than facing a good attack and struggling? Either way you are not prepared for the Test match. Atleast someone like Ponting will feel the pressure due to his poor performance, and may take the right steps to correct things.

 

[Spark]

Haha, what an appeal from Siddle! Bowling beautifully though.

 

[pup11]

Agreed. He's a Brett Lee type - incredibly good at times, but also poor and goes for plenty at other times.

AFAIC, Johnson ain't good enough to tie Binga's shoe-laces.
Lee's biggest issue right through his career was his injuries, which kind of halted his evolution as a test bowler, but still even at his worst he wasn't throwing the ball miles outside off-stump hoping the batsman somehow nicks it.
Coming back to the Blues v Bushranger game, Vics on the way to proving that big names don't matter much its how you play as a team that counts.
The Clarke injury also doesn't look good for the 1st test given the fact that whenever Clarke's back problem has flared up, he has taken sometime to regain full fitness.

 

[Spark]

He looks reasonably OK out there now though, obviously a bit stiff in that he's not really pushing twos but he's not looked particularly restricted in his front foot play.

EDIT: If it troubles it him at all then I'd seriously doubt he'd play the next game, though. Spent enough time in the middle in this game so it's not hugely critical that he plays/

EDIT: 50 for Haddin. Good to see.

Geez... three short covers!


---


That's that. Haddin finishes on 61*, good to see, and Clarke on 39* - he was looking mighty sharp towards the end there.

 

[outbreak]

Anyone know how serious Clarkes back is? Mcdonald come into ashes contention with another hundred next week?

 

[robelinda]

Anyone know how serious Clarkes back is? Mcdonald come into ashes contention with another hundred next week?

3 games, 3 tons. If he isnt in contention then he should change countries and try his luck elsewhere, i'd make him 12th man for the Gabba, he adds good value whoever might be injured.

 

[Jarquis]

Was White bowling leggies? Or the filthy meds he tried bowling in an ODI?

 

[Spark]

Was White bowling leggies? Or the filthy meds he tried bowling in an ODI?

Leggies. Not particularly threatening or brilliant but Jaques was in the mood to find fielders and Clarke was in no mood to do anything overly extravagant.

 

[Noble One]

Last season White bowled an entire spell of wrong-un's. One of the strangest sights, he bowled ok too. He has made the right decision though, his batting has exploded since giving up the leggies.

 

[pup11]

Was White bowling leggies? Or the filthy meds he tried bowling in an ODI?

The thing is White can be pretty serviceable bowler if he actually works a bit harder on his bowling, but at present I get a feeling he is almost scared of bowling.
The only way White could add to his test caps is by improving his bowling a bit, something he can do as he showed on the 2008 Indian tour, where he was decent in patches.
Also can't help but laugh at Clarke's predicament, read an article saying he was courageous but also foolish at the same time to bat today. Pretty sure the same people would have called him a softie had he not come out to bat today.

 

[GotSpin]

It ain't gonna happen...

It's wishful thinking I know! Just like getting rid of North and Hussey

He's still our best performing bowler, despite the dross he occasionally bowls.

From memory his last 30 wickets or something have come at a touch over 35. Someone else posted the stat, but it's of concern that Johnson is seen as our strike bowler considering how erratic he is.

 

[Spark]

The thing is White can be pretty serviceable bowler if he actually works a bit harder on his bowling, but at present I get a feeling he is almost scared of bowling.

I feel this is because that if he bowls more, he fears people will start to think of him as an all-rounder again when he most certainly isn't.

The only way White could add to his test caps is by improving his bowling a bit, something he can do as he showed on the 2008 Indian tour, where he was decent in patches.

More important I feel is that he tightens up his technique around and outside off stump which is my main reservation with getting him into the test side. This match hasn't exactly alleviated his concerns. The shot he played 1st innings was a horrible pointless shot, an awful slash that deserved to be caught (I note that Haddin took it right in front of Watson's face... I wonder what that says about his confidence in his 1st slip ). The second innings was a beautifully constructed dismissal by Cameron, but the ball that got him out was short of a length, somewhat outside off. Those are the kinds of overs and deliveries you need to be able to negotiate if you want to survive at test level.

Also can't help but laugh at Clarke's predicament, read an article saying he was courageous but also foolish at the same time to bat today. Pretty sure the same people would have called him a softie had he not come out to bat today.

When it comes to Clarke it always has been, probably will be for some time, damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Mister Wright]

OMG! QLD won.

 

[Dasa]

Steve Waugh gave up his pull shot in 1989, only after 4 years of test cricket. He wasnt good at it anyway and hardly got any runs with it, and was only what 23 at the time? Bit different to changing your game in your 30's and becoming defensive. Steve got more attacking in his early 30's, and even pulled a bit.

There's a difference between becoming defensive and cutting out risks - Tendulkar has done the latter. You might find that boring, but defensive it certainly is not. He's not scoring any slower than he did in the 90s - actually, I think this year he's been scoring faster than he has throughout his career on average.

 

[pup11]

I feel this is because that if he bowls more, he fears people will start to think of him as an all-rounder again when he most certainly isn't.

More important I feel is that he tightens up his technique around and outside off stump which is my main reservation with getting him into the test side. This match hasn't exactly alleviated his concerns. The shot he played 1st innings was a horrible pointless shot, an awful slash that deserved to be caught (I note that Haddin took it right in front of Watson's face... I wonder what that says about his confidence in his 1st slip ). The second innings was a beautifully constructed dismissal by Cameron, but the ball that got him out was short of a length, somewhat outside off. Those are the kinds of overs and deliveries you need to be able to negotiate if you want to survive at test level.

Look mate... the bloke has 200 odd FC wkts, and its unlikely that he just picked all those wickets bowling long-hops and full tosses!!
My point is he is a pretty established limited overs player now, and its unlikely he would get locked into any particular role anymore, but if he wishes to evolve further as a player than he should improve his bowling as it would only raise his stocks.
Nobody is expecting him to turn into an out-an-out champion all-rounder, but if he bowls handy overs like Symonds & Watto then his chances of playing test cricket improve massively.
As for him improving his technique that's unlikely to happen, because his stance and footwork (or the lack of) is such that he is always going to be a bit lose when the conditions are a bit testing.