***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[adub]

well we dumped the guy who more or less did that to good effect at test match level so I suppose we shouldn't be that surprised that they're over-looking SOK.

Absolutely right. Haurie's numbers at test level aren't light years away from Mallett and Yardley. He has a way better strike rate than just about any offie to play for us in the last 40 years (other than maybe Funky). His rpo lets him down a little though and is the higher than Mallett, Yardley, May, Miller and Matthews.

If you had a real match winner you'd look at alternatives, but he wasn't going so bad that he demanded to be dropped. His response for NSW with both wickets and excellent runs show he's tougher than he looks and he's young enough to play another 5-8 years. I'd have no problems seeing him back in the test side. My only issue is that if he isn't then SOK is the best of the rest.

 

[adub]

As easy as it is to diss the current panel re: spinners (and it is fun and true that they suck), don't underestimate the role of Ponting in the dismal handling of nearly every spinner we've had. He has or did fall out with nearly every one of them, set them poor fields and bowl them at by and large the wrong times - when it was too far gone or when throwing them to the wolves. His handling of them left a lot to be desired. At least I think that might improve under Clarke, and Beer and Lyon will be the benefactors of that.

100%.

Bowlers are going to enjoy playing under Clarke I reckon.

 

[Spark]

But imagine what it must be like to play alongside him. Some members of the team must want to deck him three-quarters of the time. How can you build a cohesive unit with such a loose cannon?

Then maybe the rest of them might want to start taking match-winning hauls a bit more often.

 

[Sylvester]

Thos people predicting a SL win in this series obviously didnt see them play against England

Forget about conditions, they literally have one decent bowler (the offie) and shouldnt pose a threat

We may not take 20 wickets but there is no way that they should either

On paper they shouldn't but the way our batting has been of late I wouldn't put it past us to throw in a collapse or two.

 

[SamSawnoff]

Then maybe the rest of them might want to start taking match-winning hauls a bit more often.

It might help if he wasn't such a pressure valve.

 

[Ruckus]

It might help if he wasn't such a pressure valve.

That's why we need someone like Copeland imo. Otherwise, as you implied, if Johnson is having an 'off' day there ends up being no pressure on the batsmen because we don't have any other bowlers maintaining it. Hilf was meant for that role apparently, but as Spikey (I think) said he doesn't acually build much pressure but just bowls outside off all day long. Who knows maybe a kind-of inverse to what you are saying could happen if we actually have bowlers that complement Johnson - maybe Johnson himself would be able to feel more free, and less pressured, if he knew other bowlers were keeping things tight.

 

[TumTum]

Don't think SL is the best place to debut a medium pacer that likes a seamer friendly pitch. Also Johnson has done pretty well against SC batting sides, he'll come into his own on a dry pitch, getting that ball to tail away late using reverse swing from a RH batsman.

 

[Ruckus]

Yeah def isn't the best place to debut, but considering the alternative is Siddle, I'd much prefer Copeland. I would imagine that the pitches that they played on in Zimbabwe were probably pretty similar to the subcontinent, and Copeland performed favourably to Siddle there despite not even getting the new ball.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Thos people predicting a SL win in this series obviously didnt see them play against England

Forget about conditions, they literally have one decent bowler (the offie) and shouldnt pose a threat

We may not take 20 wickets but there is no way that they should either

Can't see either side taking 20 wickets to be honest. Sri Lanka may have pitches where 3 spinners are needed knowing the lack of them in the Aussie side and that may help them. If they rely on their pace attack then they have serious problems as they just aren't good enough.

Wouldn't be surprised if it ended as a high scoring 0-0 draw.

 

[Migara]

Thos people predicting a SL win in this series obviously didnt see them play against England

Forget about conditions, they literally have one decent bowler (the offie) and shouldnt pose a threat

We may not take 20 wickets but there is no way that they should either

Couldn't be more right. The ordinary spinner (Randiv) may take some useful wickets but he's not a Murali who will cause collapses in a side. The onus will be on seamers to make some in roads, but with Malinga retired, Thushara injured and Welegedara out of form, I don't have much hope in that. It might be the second spinner whose going to matter most. ATM S'nayake is the best choice, but he also has been losing that spark he had when we were calling for his selection couple of years ago.

 

[Himannv]

Been hoping Senanayake performs in the A team but doesn't look like thats happening either.

 

[Furball]

Been hoping Senanayake performs in the A team but doesn't look like thats happening either.

He got 5 today in the 'Test' match vs England Lions?

 

[robelinda]

Even though SL pitches are usually flat, Australia really hasn't endured a flat or crazy spinning SL pitch ever. Ive seen every match Aus has played in SL and never has a pitch been flat for 5 days, in 2004 it was hell on day 1 and 2 for batsmen. In 1999 the pitches spin a bit, but not over the top, same in 1992- hell Greg Matthews scored five 50's in that series so it can't have been that bad, though M Waugh obviously struggled. We'll see what is offered this time.

 

[howardj]

Sorry not buying. See what I said about Marsh and add 20% snark. He's a fraud.

His knee injury cruelled him just when he looked like he might put some consistent runs on the board, but he's only played 19 FC games in the last 3 seasons. His numbers in that time look like Marcus North with 4 hundreds and 5 fifties, but 16 scores under 20 and his average is not much better than his career average in that time.

link?

source?

 

[stephen]

I'd like to see Copeland play alongside Harris and Johnson. I don't really care who the spinner is, they'll likely get carted around the park. What I would like to see is some application by our batsmen. I'm totally sick of collapses from batsmen who should know better.

I would be extremely happy with a series win, but almost as happy as some high scores in this series. Nothing like a flat track to pile on the giant scores and get our blokes into some form.

 

[Furball]

I'd like to see Copeland play alongside Harris and Johnson. I don't really care who the spinner is, they'll likely get carted around the park. What I would like to see is some application by our batsmen. I'm totally sick of collapses from batsmen who should know better.

I would be extremely happy with a series win, but almost as happy as some high scores in this series. Nothing like a flat track to pile on the giant scores and get our blokes into some form.

Like Adelaide?

 

[Jayzamann]

Like Adelaide?

 

[adub]

link?

source?

you can dig it up on cricketarchive.

Since the start of the 08/09 summer till the end of the Zimbo tour he has played 19 games. His scores are: 21, 2, 47, 26, 65, 30, 13, 132, 5, 4*, 35, 81, 115, 3, 54, 11, 12, 15, 60, 25, 129, 35, 11*, 7, 10, 12, 36, 14, 131, 0, 15, 56, 0*, 48

and that's the good part of his career.

A bit more nuanced than Marsh because at least he can score 100s at a reasonable rate. 1 every 5 matches is pretty good. Add in 5 50s and he should be averaging 50+ in this time. But like North he just fails far too often.

34 innings, 3 n.o., 1260 runs @40.65. Add in the fact as others have pointed out that he plays half his games on the best batting pitch in the country and frankly that's no where near Test quality. Ben Rohrer has played the same amount of games (but 4 less innings) and has 1090 runs at 47.39 including 2 tons and 8 50s. NO ONE (quite rightly) talks about a fringe player like Rohrer as a potential test player, but his numbers expose what a fraud Callum Ferguson is.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yep, exactly. The Aussie batters don't need flat tracks to get them into form because when they play someone decent, the same old problems crop up. The problems aren't about form but about technique so until certain blokes learn to play balls coming back into them and others stop having a big dash at anything remotely outside their off peg, the problems with the batting will continue.

The selectors keep shuffling the bowling unit but have done nothing about the dudes higher in the order. When they have, it's been to drop the one bloke who's been consistently contributing (albeit without any dominating knocks).

 

[Top_Cat]

you can dig it up on cricketarchive.

Since the start of the 08/09 summer till the end of the Zimbo tour he has played 19 games. His scores are: 21, 2, 47, 26, 65, 30, 13, 132, 5, 4*, 35, 81, 115, 3, 54, 11, 12, 15, 60, 25, 129, 35, 11*, 7, 10, 12, 36, 14, 131, 0, 15, 56, 0*, 48

and that's the good part of his career.

A bit more nuanced than Marsh because at least he can score 100s at a reasonable rate. 1 every 5 matches is pretty good. Add in 5 50s and he should be averaging 50+ in this time. But like North he just fails far too often.

34 innings, 3 n.o., 1260 runs @40.65. Add in the fact as others have pointed out that he plays half his games on the best batting pitch in the country and frankly that's no where near Test quality. Ben Rohrer has played the same amount of games (but 4 less innings) and has 1090 runs at 47.39 including 2 tons and 8 50s. NO ONE (quite rightly) talks about a fringe player like Rohrer as a potential test player, but his numbers expose what a fraud Callum Ferguson is.

But his cover drive looks gorgeoussss.