***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Spark]

Honestly speaking, Hussey's shot was just as bad. Didn't look as bad but was equally needless and was the first ball after tea to boot.

 

[Tom Halsey]

What would have happened if we did that with Hussey?

Just because sticking with a horribly out of form player worked in one case doesn't automatically mean that it will work in every case, or that it is the best thing to do.

I think Ponting is probably still in Australia's best six batsman as well fwiw, though not based on a great deal of rationale - I'm not particularly in the know about what there is waiting in the wings.

 

[Furball]

Certainly not defending our batting line-up but there is no shying away from the fact that we were playing with a two man bowling attack right through this game, despite our horrific batting display in the 2nd innings we still would have had a chance of winning this game had all our bowlers been contributing something to the attack.

This was totally a bowler's pitch and if guys like Siddle and Johnson can't perform in these conditions, then considering their past performances as well they have very little merit of holding onto their places in the side.

Wasn't a bowler's pitch on day 3.

 

[Spikey]

Yeah if we drop Haddin for that shot - you don't - you've gotta drop Hussey. It makes even less sense. at 3/13 the innings could be saved. At 5/20 with a dead Marsh and Johnson at the other end, well i can understand just slogging.

 

[benchmark00]

Oh I am afraid he does, currently in Sky's Z list of county cricketers who do the occasional domestic one day game but only a matter of time before he moves onto greater things, the crappy studio job covering a Bangladesh test with Shaun Udal.

The bloke is as close to being ******** as you could possibly come whilst still having a full set of chromosomes (I assume).

 

[benchmark00]

Just because sticking with a horribly out of form player worked in one case doesn't automatically mean that it will work in every case, or that it is the best thing to do.

I think Ponting is probably still in Australia's best six batsman as well fwiw, though not based on a great deal of rationale - I'm not particularly in the know about what there is waiting in the wings.

So selectors should apply an inconsistent policy even though precedence suggests the alternative works?

Not sure why people are ever upset with selectors itbt.

 

[Johnners]

I'm not exactly sure how anyone can justify Siddle over Johnson or vice-versa, after this match, I don't think either really have a case. I'll (quite obviously) defend Johnners to death 99% of the time, but it's become increasingly obvious that over the past 2 years in an attempt to turn him into an amazing swing bowler - he's moved away from what worked best for him (see South Africa in Australia 09 - think PEWS touched on this earlier) and has become increasingly frustrating and inconsistent. His position is nigh-upon untenable after this match, and I really don't see how anyone can argue Siddle is any different. Ashes hattrick aside, the good has been few and far between the back of a length innocuous r00bish. Both cannot and should not play together, and I think it was painfully obvious in Sri Lanka that for even one of them to be in the team, a bowler like Copeland is a must. Who knows what might have happened if either of them had been able to bowl with more discipline in the 2nd innings.

 

[benchmark00]

I'm not exactly sure how anyone can justify Siddle over Johnson or vice-versa, after this match, I don't think either really have a case. I'll (quite obviously) defend Johnners to death 99% of the time, but it's become increasingly obvious that over the past 2 years in an attempt to turn him into an amazing swing bowler - he's moved away from what worked best for him (see South Africa in Australia 09 - think PEWS touched on this earlier) and has become increasingly frustrating and inconsistent. His position is nigh-upon untenable after this match, and I really don't see how anyone can argue Siddle is any different. Ashes hattrick aside, the good has been few and far between the back of a length innocuous r00bish. Both cannot and should not play together, and I think it was painfully obvious in Sri Lanka that for even one of them to be in the team, a bowler like Copeland is a must. Who knows what might have happened if either of them had been able to bowl with more discipline in the 2nd innings.

Do you regret changing your name to Johnners?

 

[NUFAN]

Honestly speaking, Hussey's shot was just as bad. Didn't look as bad but was equally needless and was the first ball after tea to boot.

I don't think so. I might have to watch Hussey's a few more times, but I've seen Hussey early in an innings hit similar shots that race between third slip and gully for four and you hardly think anything of it.

Yeah if we drop Haddin for that shot - you don't - you've gotta drop Hussey. It makes even less sense. at 3/13 the innings could be saved. At 5/20 with a dead Marsh and Johnson at the other end, well i can understand just slogging.

The innings needed even more composure at 5/20! Haddin's shot looked totally clueless, Hussey's did not.

 

[Spikey]

My Weekly Posting Of MJ And Siddle's Bowling Graphs

HowSTAT! Player Bowling Graph
HowSTAT! Player Bowling Graph

Credit to Siddle - he's got another red line in there. A hollow one but a red one nonetheless

 

[Spikey]

The innings needed even more composure at 5/20! Haddin's shot looked totally clueless, Hussey's did not.

at 5/20 with johnson there the innings was stuffed! **** composure!

On a related note, i miss hauritz in the lower order. if he was at the other end i don't think haddin plays that shot.




or maybe he does i dunno know

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't think so. I might have to watch Hussey's a few more times, but I've seen Hussey early in an innings hit similar shots that race between third slip and gully for four and you hardly think anything of it.



The innings needed even more composure at 5/20! Haddin's shot looked totally clueless, Hussey's did not.

The innings needed more composure at 13/3.

At 20/5 with Marsh doubtful to bat at all, Haddin was batting with the tail on a tricky deck against quality bowling. He executed the shot extremely poorly but the idea to counter-attack at that point was sound in reasoning, particularly given he's a naturally aggressive batsman.

 

[Spark]

at 5/20 with johnson there the innings was stuffed! **** composure!

On a related note, i miss hauritz in the lower order. if he was at the other end i don't think haddin plays that shot.




or maybe he does i dunno know

6/20 effectively.

 

[pup11]

Bowling - yes.

Batting - no.

Cosgrove, Finch, Smith, Maddinson, Warner, Ferguson, Lynn and Wade make a pretty decent pool of young batsmen to pick from, the problem is that we are expecting these guys to average 50-60 in bowler friendly conditions which obviously isn't likely to happen.

 

[Ruckus]

Whilst they were definately bad shots, I don't think Hussey or Haddin had the wrong mentality. Every good score in the match was with a really high SR. Clearly the way you needed to score on that wicket.

 

[Tom Halsey]

So selectors should apply an inconsistent policy even though precedence suggests the alternative works?

Not sure why people are ever upset with selectors itbt.

Precedence doesn't show the alterative works. It has 'worked' in one case that you've shown, probably more, but that still doesn't mean you should stick with old out of form players if it doesn't work more often than it does. Or to put it another way, you just pick the batsmen for the Test that you think are likeliest to score runs.

It would be inconsistent selection, yeah, but that's irrelevant. Sunk costs etc. Past selection is no reason to make a selection error now.

 

[Spark]

Cosgrove, Finch, Smith, Maddinson, Warner, Ferguson, Lynn and Wade make a pretty decent pool of young batsmen to pick from, the problem is that we are expecting these guys to average 50-60 in bowler friendly conditions which obviously isn't likely to happen.

I expect a Test quality batsman to average more than 36 after 50+ FC games when your home ground is one of the flattest decks in the world.

Smith has to work on his technique. Maddinson and Lynn are prospects but not much more at this stage. Warner I'll give you.

 

[Spikey]

Cosgrove - doesn't want it
Finch - meh
Smith - meh
Maddinson - yeah maybe
Warner - yeah maybe
Ferguson - closer to SA 2nd XI
Lynn - leaning towards yeah maybe
Wade - yeah maybe

 

[Johnners]

Do you regret changing your name to Johnners?

Naaah

 

[Spikey]

can we have a date re your name change? jus hinting...