*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[jondavluc]

How can we be being flattered?

You all moaned last week we weren't dominating against weak sides.Now we are against the A team and we are flattered.Just wait till we peak.

I'm sorry that Top Cat didn't give the team enough undeserved credit to help grow the already large heads that some of you English have been sporting.In future I will personally give you enough undeserved credit to make up for Top Cats mistake. After all we wouldn't want your head to explode from the possibility that What England have done has not been as impressive as you think it has.

By the way yes I'm deadly terrified of the England teams peak.Watch Out Aussies!!!!!

 

[Son Of Coco]

Wash your mouth out

If Bell succeeds then we truly have hit rock bottom!

I agree.

 

[Jacknife]

I'm sorry that Top Cat didn't give the team enough undeserved credit to help grow the already large heads that some of you English have been sporting.In future I will personally give you enough undeserved credit to make up for Top Cats mistake. After all we wouldn't want your head to explode from the possibility that What England have done has not been as impressive as you think it has.

By the way yes I'm deadly terrified of the England teams peak.Watch Out Aussies!!!!!

I don't think England fans are getting big headed at all, aside from a the odd bit of banter, everyone's just pleased it's going well so far, considering we haven't won a Ashes warm up game in 500 years. England fans know there are weaknesses in the team and however unsettled the Oz team is it's going to be hard work for England to pull this off. Saying that, there are some Oz fans that have tried to play down every good thing England have done and have already started with the excuses.

 

[social]

Seen enough to know what my Oz squad for the first test would be

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
North
Haddin
O'Keefe - I'd like to pick Harris but dont think the selectors will risk it
Johnson
Bollinger
Hilfenhaus

12. Siddle - Harris is unlikely to be chosen due to injury risk

13. Hughes - best young bat by a country mile and we'll be truly ****ed if the selectors neglect to include an extra batsman and someone breaks down just before the match

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Seen enough to know what my Oz squad for the first test would be

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
North
Haddin
O'Keefe - I'd like to pick Harris but dont think the selectors will risk it
Johnson
Bollinger
Hilfenhaus

12. Siddle - Harris is unlikely to be chosen due to injury risk

13. Hughes - best young bat by a country mile and we'll be truly ****ed if the selectors neglect to include an extra batsman and someone breaks down just before the match

Think you basically have the 11 i'd go with there but in all honesty i think we both know deep down that O'Keefe has no chance of playing.He has impressed me in the A game,useful bat and steady bowler and seeing as there will be so much pressure on Hauritz who buckles under it he'll probably be a better choice.

Trouble is though O'Keefe and Hughes aren't in the 17 so if they get picked in the 13 now the selectors will get even more stick for not knowing what they are doing.

 

[social]

Think you basically have the 11 i'd go with there but in all honesty i think we both know deep down that O'Keefe has no chance of playing.He has impressed me in the A game,useful bat and steady bowler and seeing as there will be so much pressure on Hauritz who buckles under it he'll probably be a better choice.

Trouble is though O'Keefe and Hughes aren't in the 17 so if they get picked in the 13 now the selectors will get even more stick for not knowing what they are doing.

I know that both O'Keefe and Hughes have approximately zero chance of being picked in the squad (as has Copeland, who, in truth, should be selected before Siddle at least) but the timing of the squad selection was an absolute farce - you know it, I know it, the entire cricketing community knows it

If the selectors stick to their guns, pick from the 17 and the it ends up costing the team then they should be sacked - no ifs, buts or maybes

 

[howardj]

Just get home to read that Xavier Doherty, according to the Courier Mail, is set to be selected when the squad is pruned today. My God, if we're going to go for an unproven left arm tweaker, let's go for O'Keefe who at least has a good FC average, is just 24 years of age, and has just taken four wickets in a tidy innings display against the English Test batting lineup. By contrast, Doherty has been floating around the scene for years, and has an average of 48. Some of our decision making just leaves me stunned.

 

[Furball]

Just get home to read that Xavier Doherty, according to the Courier Mail, is set to be selected when the squad is pruned today. My God, if we're going to go for an unproven left arm tweaker, let's go for O'Keefe who at least has a good FC average, is just 24 years of age, and has just taken four wickets in a tidy innings display against the English Test batting lineup. By contrast, Doherty has been floating around the scene for years, and has an average of 48. Some of our decision making just leaves me stunned.

To be fair 2 of O'Keefe's 4 were tailenders who won't feature in the Test lineup. Steve Smith got as many of the actual batting lineup as O'Keefe did, although granted Smith got belted by Bell.

 

[social]

Just get home to read that Xavier Doherty, according to the Courier Mail, is set to be selected when the squad is pruned today. My God, if we're going to go for an unproven left arm tweaker, let's go for O'Keefe who at least has a good FC average, is just 24 years of age, and has just taken four wickets in a tidy innings display against the English Test batting lineup. By contrast, Doherty has been floating around the scene for years, and has an average of 48. Some of our decision making just leaves me stunned.

You forgot to add "on the basis of a couple of good overs in a single ODI and with the endorsement of a captain who has virtually never seen him bowl"

Wish the guy well but it truly beggars belief

 

[howardj]

Yeah, I really rate Smith as a cricketer and think he has a massive future. However, I think O'Keefe was very tidy overall much more so than Smith who to his credit did bowl well on Friday. Anyway, my beef is more with Doherty. It's just another nothing selection, a deadender, a silly stop gap measure. Sort of like picking North or Clint McKay for Tests.

 

[social]

Yeah, I really rate Smith as a cricketer and think he has a massive future. However, I think O'Keefe was very tidy overall much more so than Smith who to his credit did bowl well on Friday. Anyway, my beef is more with Doherty. It's just another nothing selection, a deadender, a silly stop gap measure. Sort of like picking North or Clint McKay for Tests.

Cant believe that Doherty is even under consideration

The guy has done NOTHING and was reportedly outbowled by the crayfish at the SCG yesterday

If you're going to punt on anybody, it should be O'Keefe as a spinner and Copeland as a pace bowler

 

[howardj]

Agree

 

[Nate]

This thread just gets betterrrrrrrrrrr

 

[NUFAN]

Who was it who said that Doherty, O'Keefe, Smith are all naturally confident bowlers while Hauritz is not. That pretty much sums up Haury who might be playing grade cricket by seasons end.

 

[Prince EWS]

Who was it who said that Doherty, O'Keefe, Smith are all naturally confident bowlers while Hauritz is not.

Me.

 

[NUFAN]

Me.

Gun I knew it was **** like you or Peter Roebuck.

 

[benchmark00]

If you're a spinner, once you've been chewed up and spat out by the Australian selectors, it's a fast, fast decline.

Cullen, Casson et. al.

 

[howardj]

God knows where Haury will be this time next year

 

[howardj]

My Jollimont moles can confirm that Doherty and Smith have been given the nod for Brisbane.

Ponting (c)
Clarke (vc)
Katich
Watson
North
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger
Siddle
Doherty
Smith

 

[robelinda]

My Jollimont moles can confirm that Doherty and Smith have been given the nod for Brisbane.

Indeed! Hauritz OUT! Finally.