***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Top_Cat]

Reckon SL pitches will prove the undoing of Watson. Even if the ball's moving around, if it's a true pitch he's comfortable. In places like SL and NZ where it doesn't come on, reckon he'll struggle a bit.

Mind you, same was said re: Ponting and he's done well there soo......

 

[adub]

Is it completely ridiculous to suggest swing bowlers are more likely to get nicks to slip than bowlers who rely more on seam movement?

Maybe.

J M Anderson (First Class) bowled 22%, lbw 15%, caught behind 25%, total 62%

then again maybe not?

I think all three together are more meaningful than just caught behinds or bowled or lbws on their own. So whilst Jimmy is at the lower end of the range for caught behinds (perhaps because the swing is taking it to the slips more often than a seam bowler, or perhaps just because he's knocking over the sticks more often), combined with his bowled and lb results its showing he is definitely attacking the stumps. The fact he is probably the best genuine swing bowler going around today would seem to indicate that even a guy who relies on movement in the air can and should look to more than just the outside edge to get his wickets.

We all know that bowling at middle peg all day long isn't going to get you anywhere because any half decent batsman is going to pick you off for runs through midwicket til the cows come home. But I do think the percentage for all (b,lb,cw) gives a good indication of how well the bowler is maintaining that attacking line that brings not just edges, but bowled and lbw into play. I think it is also self evident that all things being equal the bowler who is bowling this line is going to create more wicket taking opportunities than one who is more reliant on catches.

Obviously no single stat tells the whole story, but I reckon this one tells a tale and mixed in with the other more common stats can tell you a lot about a pace bowler.

 

[robelinda]

Reckon SL pitches will prove the undoing of Watson. Even if the ball's moving around, if it's a true pitch he's comfortable. In places like SL and NZ where it doesn't come on, reckon he'll struggle a bit.

Mind you, same was said re: Ponting and he's done well there soo......

Doesn't really matter if Watson makes 6 ducks does it? We only tour SL once a decade!!!!

 

[SamSawnoff]

i'd say hilf is a massive pile of crap and copeland is not a massive pile of crap and leave it at that tbh

I think his speed might be an asset in Sri Lanka, he'll be harder to get away.

I'll be expecting Johnson and Siddle to get hit. Mind you, Johnson seem to bowl well on unsuitable wickets so he might pull something out of the bag. Strange man. I reckon he prefers flat wickets as the expectation that he can do anything isn't there so his confidence is higher.

 

[SamSawnoff]

Doesn't really matter if Watson makes 6 ducks does it? We only tour SL once a decade!!!!

The rest of the batsmen owe Watson (and Katich) big time so if he doesn't get runs, Punter will have to pull some weight,. He needs to prove he still has what it takes..

 

[Nate]

O'Keefers affirming why he's my favourite player.

Stats show O'Keefe best spin option

 

[stephen]

From this article Australia in Sri Lanka 2011: Test players picked from anywhere, Cameron White believes | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

"We are obviously looking for the spinner who can take us forward in all three forms of the game," Nielsen said. "To be honest no-one has taken their opportunity and made it their own yet. No-one has made their spot their own. And that is why we see some fluctuations in who is selected.

"Because whether it be through injury or performance we haven't seen one spinner really take the job on. "

This thinking is utter drivel. They were totally fine with Brad Hogg being a one day specialist and MacGill being a test specialist (which unfortunately didn't work out properly after Warne's retirement due to MacGill's injuries). There have been countless times where spinners are picked for one format and not the other and are successful.

On the topic of spinners, not only was Hauritz inexplicably dropped before the last Ashes series, but the best performing spinner in Australia outside Hauritz seems to be the only one who can't get a gig in the test side. They seem to rate Beer higher because he's, well, taller. FFS height is not an advantage when you're a spinner. In fact it can be a disadvantage when you're trying to take wickets because your trajectory is worse for getting good loop.

The whole current Cricket Australia top administrators need to be sacked - Neilson as coach and all the selectors, particularly Chappell and Hilditch. We have managed to not develop the talents of Hilfenhaus into a world class bowler. We also have kept sending messages to our first class sides that performance does not matter, only how you look while making your ten runs, how "exciting" you are when take your six wickets at 40 or on some other intangible like how tall you are. That's it boys, we'll win by going through and picking the tallest players in the system. FFS my grandmother could have done a better job and she doesn't even watch the sport.

 

[stephen]

Australia in Sri Lanka 2011: Cut-price Trent Copeland shows Tests are cheapened | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

This article makes a good point.

I think it would be a much better situation if players were given some form of "partial contract" by CA. If you got a "test contract", an "ODI contract" and a "T20" contract we could address some of the problems caused by players wondering what they had to do. We could also give out more contracts this way as the states would then have to contract these players for the forms of the game that were not covered by the CA contracts.

Sure, Dave Warner would be #1 on the T20 contract list but he wouldn't be taking up a test contract as well by his selection (for example). We could contract 17 players for each form of the game (giving a total of 51 contracts). The total number of players contracted would then go up, but the values of these contracts could be adjusted based on the form of the game with tests given more money and T20s less. Players with overlapping contracts would then appropriately earn more for being good enough for all forms of the game.

Obviously the dollar values would have to be worked out and some players would be unhappy with this as they would have their pay cut (particularly for short-form specialists) but it would give the states incentive to develop long form players and not focus so heavily on the lucrative Big Bash.

 

[Spark]

Gerrard Whateley on Hilditch today, WAG!

Seriously, watch it, it's so good.

 

[robelinda]

Where where where???

 

[Spark]

On Offsiders, watch it on iViews. Says in no uncertain terms what we're all thinking about Hilditch/Chappell.

 

[robelinda]

Cool!!! I'll go find the iPad.....

 

[NUFAN]

Offsiders

10 mins 53 seconds in. Agree 100% with the boys, pretty sure nearly everyone does.

 

[Sylvester]

O'Keefers affirming why he's my favourite player.

Stats show O'Keefe best spin option

About time we got an article about him. Since the squad has been named there has been next to no mention of him apart from on the forums.

 

[Top_Cat]

Honestly it isn't that hard to see why O'Keefe keeps getting overlooked. The entire Chappell family hates even the whiff of a bits-and-pieces player, no matter how much of a high performer they are.

 

[Howe_zat]

Honestly it isn't that hard to see why O'Keefe keeps getting overlooked. The entire Chappell family hates even the whiff of a bits-and-pieces player, no matter how much of a high performer they are.

And yet, the very last test has Smith as 7th batsman and 6th bowler.

 

[Spikey]

About time we got an article about him. Since the squad has been named there has been next to no mention of him apart from on the forums.

Agreed with this. Seems the best way to make the team is to get your name in the paper...shame it didn't happen last week

 

[GotSpin]

Gerrard Whateley on Hilditch today, WAG!

Seriously, watch it, it's so good.

Spot on

 

[Top_Cat]

And yet, the very last test has Smith as 7th batsman and 6th bowler.

Sorry, forgot to mention the Leg-Break Exception rule; bowl over the wrist spin and you should be given absolutely every chance, no matter how often you get taken to the cleaners, because you might just influence the 5th day of a Test some day.

Leg-spin is hard, don't you know? If you're landing it on the cut portion more than half the balls of any given over, you must be uber-talented.

 

[Redbacks]

Is this roughly the tone of Wateley on Hilditch and the diabolical state of the national team

It's time to take the Australian Cricket Team back - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

That this panel has been allowed to appoint the next captain, end careers, hand out contracts and pick the next team is beyond negligent. It's reckless. It's a failure of every principle of accountability.
Cricket Australia will say it has a review underway into the Ashes failure.
It's July people. Simon Katich has done your work for you.