***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Nate]

Pretty sure Julian actually had praised him a couple of times on here before you'd ever seen him bowl tbh.

He's always someone I've kept an eye out for because I know Julian, but I never actually expected him to be good until I saw him bowl. Genuinely talented bowler. I'd certainly pick him ahead of Beer - if we're going to pick spinners based on absolutely no performance so far then we might as well pick the one that at least looks decent.

You'd be wrong then.

He definitely looks better than Beer. I guess we'll find out soon whether or not that will translate into performance.

 

[robelinda]

So who will bat 4? I'd be happy for Usman there. Clarke should do the right thing and drop to 5.

 

[Prince EWS]

So who will bat 4?

Clarke will IMO. I don't think he should, but he will.

 

[Prince EWS]

You'd be wrong then.

He definitely looks better than Beer. I guess we'll find out soon whether or not that will translate into performance.

I realise this barely qualifies as praise, but had you seen him bowl before February 2009?

Genuine question btw; not just being a ****.

 

[Spark]

So who will bat 4? I'd be happy for Usman there. Clarke should do the right thing and drop to 5.

Clarke will IMO. I don't think he should, but he will.

Agreed with both these. Nothing wrong with #5 so long as he does his job, but he sees himself as #4. That's the end of it, really.

 

[Nate]

I realise this barely qualifies as praise, but had you seen him bowl before February 2009?

Genuine question btw; not just being a ****.

Yeah, I was wondering about this, and I have in an Under 19s game. But I musn't have thought much of him, because I wasn't sure if I'd seen him when he debuted for SA, haha.

EDIT: I don't want to derail the thread with all the cricketers I have and haven't seen in First Class/Futures/etc over the years. Feel free to PM me.

 

[SamSawnoff]

Heard much the same thing.

I think that maybe, just maybe, he could be a bit of our Michael Vaughan. Always seen as a very special talent, strings together some good FC seasons despite having underachieved to this point in his career. And makes the most of his chance. And injury prone.

Certainly won't be captaining though...

Vaughan has got a brain though and can be fairly charming for a sportsman.

Anybody ever heard Shaun Marsh interviewed? He's getting better, but seriously, he sounds like he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic and really uncomfortable with the media.

But then Andy Symonds was like that, he sounded like he had learning difficulties at first he was so poor and awkward in front of a camera, then he got comfortable and you couldn't shut him up.

 

[SamSawnoff]

0:49 - One of the best arm-balls I've seen. Massive loop and drift, barely any turn.

Really nice to watch, gets some decent turn and lovely flight. Nothing wrong with trying to get the batsmen hitting you in test cricket, that's what Warney always said he wanted, so if he is very attacking, good for him.

I doubt he'll have much success but at least he won't be bowling flat darts. God, I hate seeing players do that in test cricket.

 

[adub]

Quite reasonable, as his Test record at #5 is stellar - in fact, one of the best ever for anyone with a decent amount of Tests there. He is, however, been consistently groomed and developed with an eye to the #4 spot. He bats #4 for NSW (when he can) and in the few FC matches he's played in recent years, has basically scored runs for fun there. There is no real reason I can think of that he should have such a disparity between his Test record at #4 and #5. I'd put it down to sheer bad luck and an anomaly, happening to play there in periods of bad form. But it's happened twice now at very different stages of his career, and there should be no reason for it.

I think some things you just have to accept without trying to work out why. Steve Waugh should have had the game to bat 3 or 4 too, but he just couldn't make runs there. 5 and 6 he was a gun. I don't see the point in weakening a position to strengthen another. Even if we can only find a guy to bat 4 who averages 40, having Pup back at 5 averaging mid 50s will make it worth it (very similar to the Waugh twins).

It's interesting that Hussey also stated making runs again once he moved down to 5. You wouldn't think there would be a huge difference between 4 and 5, but for Pup and Huss there obviously is. So bat them at 5 & 6 and let them average mid 50s for you rather than pull your hair out wondering why they can't hit it off the square up at 4.

Uzi (or Marsh - god it pains me to say that) should take 3 or 4 depending on how stubborn Ponting wants to be (or how long he keeps failing).

 

[Spark]

Hussey at least managed to score some runs at 4 though.

 

[Julian87]

Yeah, I was wondering about this, and I have in an Under 19s game. But I musn't have thought much of him, because I wasn't sure if I'd seen him when he debuted for SA, haha.

EDIT: I don't want to derail the thread with all the cricketers I have and haven't seen in First Class/Futures/etc over the years. Feel free to PM me.

He was actually top wicket taker in his second season (and I think the last season as it was known) of CA Cup. That has a lot to do with the captaincy of Higgs though (who he rated as the best spin bowler around).

 

[Top_Cat]

Don't think Clarke's batting at 4 has any great mystery about it; he's been more likely to come out when the ball's still got shine on it and just isn't as good against the moving ball. Hasn't been able to find his ideal tempo in those circumstances and has either gone early or struggled for a while then played some daft shot

That and he's just been wildly out of form of late.

 

[Spikey]

Warner in frame for shock Test selection

i think we should assume they actually meant to pick m marsh but by the time they realised they stuffed up

 

[Jarquis]

Haha, smh.com
How apt, as if I was an Australian I'd be smh at such a story.

 

[Furball]

Warner in frame for shock Test selection

i think we should assume they actually meant to pick m marsh but by the time they realised they stuffed up

It's actually got more going for it than some of the spin selections we've seen recently...

 

[Jacknife]

Watching Lyon bowl in that Youtube vid and he looks a decent bowler, gives it a good tweak, gets drift , dip and gives it some nice air and I like his arm ball . Obviously Test cricket is a different game but he seems to have all the tools there to be a good bowler

 

[howardj]

Yeah, spinners in Tests need to bowl for long spells and back up each day. I read yesterday in the HUN that he struggled with the physical demands of back to back Shield games last summer (bearing in mind he's only played four games in total). This is where I think people totally underrated Warne's efforts - coming out and maintaining accuracy, day after day, long spell after long spell.

 

[adub]

Yeah, spinners in Tests need to bowl for long spells and back up each day. I read yesterday in the HUN that he struggled with the physical demands of back to back Shield games last summer (bearing in mind he's only played four games in total). This is where I think people totally underrated Warne's efforts - coming out and maintaining accuracy, day after day, long spell after long spell.

That's the huge part of their workload - just long spells. I didn't think Warne would come back from his shoulder problems but he was a freak. He bowled 40 or more overs in 34 test innings including a marathon 70 (out of 162) over effort at Newlands in 02.

I like Lyon as a prospect, but how can he be expected to bowl these long spells and then back up for back to back tests? You can't really train for that. It comes from doing it on the field. He's been picked at least a season too soon. Good luck to him, but I'd hate to see him get burned up.

 

[robelinda]

I doubt Lyon will play a test anyway, Beer will play ahead of him.

 

[Prince EWS]

That's the huge part of their workload - just long spells. I didn't think Warne would come back from his shoulder problems but he was a freak. He bowled 40 or more overs in 34 test innings including a marathon 70 (out of 162) over effort at Newlands in 02.

I like Lyon as a prospect, but how can he be expected to bowl these long spells and then back up for back to back tests? You can't really train for that. It comes from doing it on the field. He's been picked at least a season too soon. Good luck to him, but I'd hate to see him get burned up.

Yeah I agree, and it shows the ridiculous nature of the over restrictions on innings in the Futures Cup. Something Lyon himself has pointed out, actually.