Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Three usually, although he's come through lower levels as an opener. He got his crack at 3 for NSW because we have Hughes, Watson, Katich, Jaques, Warner etc who are all openers.
-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
***Official*** Australia in South Africa
- Thread starter Spark
- Start date
davidgdafter
Cricket Spectator
The batsmen will fire eventually. There is too much class and experience in there for them to continually get knocked over every innings.
Would love to see Hussey in the runs next game.
howardj
International Coach
That's ^ half the problem with the team at the moment though. Eventually, yes, each player manages to fire eventually (Hughes, Ponting, Haddin will peel off the occasional good innings, and Johnson will take the actual bag). In between times though, it's absolute dross. Even Hussey failed for two years straight, then he has three good Ashes Tests, and that will probably buy him another few years. Where's the ruthlessness gone in the selection room? Like with Ponting (averaged in the 30s for the last two years, averaging 18 this year, is 37 years of age) and yet they STILL indulge him. It's got to get back to a 'team first' philosophy in the selection room. When you're ranked fourth or fifth in the world, underperforming players are owed nothing.
howardj
International Coach
Granted, he played well in SL, but my point was that everyone raved about his Ashes, but what about the two years before that? How he even got to the Ashes beats me. Anyway, the comment about Hussey was a minor point in an otherwise dead accurate post. We need to get back to some accountability at the selection table.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Would be starting with Warner ahead of Khawaja if the Wanderers is even half as lively as Newlands. Philander could cause him all kinds of problems.
Assuming if it is Cummins to come in (and it's nothing if not a bold selection) that means a(nother) life for Johnson too? Dunno what Cummins's batting's like (the stats aren't kind but it's a meaningless sample size) and wouldn't fancy Siddle, Harris or Lyon at 8 much.
Assuming if it is Cummins to come in (and it's nothing if not a bold selection) that means a(nother) life for Johnson too? Dunno what Cummins's batting's like (the stats aren't kind but it's a meaningless sample size) and wouldn't fancy Siddle, Harris or Lyon at 8 much.
Howe_zat
Audio File
Neither would I, but they're all reasonable #9s so it kind of cancels out. It's rather low on the priorities list anyway.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Possibly in theory, yeah. In practice tho Harris's test batting hasn't ever really lived up to the not too shabby FC stats & Lyon's more of a decent ten (maybe a a nine and a half) and I imagine Siddle, who's probably in the best form willow-wise, would be the unlucky twelfth.
A lengthening of the tail might not be a huge concern, but it'd be remiss on the selectors' part if it didn't at least cross their minds. 47ao and all.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Wait, if you're worried about dropping Johnson lengthening the tail, why would Siddle be 12th man in that case?
Sylvester
State Captain
Like his bowling we know Johnson can produce a good innings but they are few and far between lately so dropping him won't affect our lower order performance wise. On paper of course it does but on paper Johnson should be getting 5 fers.
Cricinfo have Cummins when they could have just predicted no changes to the bowling lineup so either they know something or they fell into the media trap.
Cricinfo have Cummins when they could have just predicted no changes to the bowling lineup so either they know something or they fell into the media trap.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
He wouldn't. Sorry, I was trying to construct the selectors' case for retaining Johnson should Cummins play. Might not have been immediately apparent.
Siddle
Harris
Lyon
Cummins
Would be a bit, y'know, wouldn't it?
Top_Cat
Request Your Custom Title Now!
adub
International Captain
Right ****s. Seeing as my tipping isn't exactly setting the world on fire I'm going to go out on a limb and go hard.
I'm going for this team to be selected:
Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Lyon
Cummins
Harris to miss out unfit, Copeland to miss out unfast, and Warner to miss out un****ed.
We'll bat first and Steyn will tear our top order a new one with Hughes, Watson, Khawaja, Clarke and Hussey all failing. Ponting and Haddin will launch the rescue mission though both being undeated with tons at stumps. Haddin will go early on the second day, but Johnson will hang around to support Ponting to his 200, then start to unleash. By tea Ponting will have his top score and Johnson will be powering past his 100. Ponting will go for 270, and Johnson, Siddle and Lyon will throw the bat to take us to 620 and a declaration with 90mins to play.
Clarke will throw MJ the new pill and it's going to swing from the get go. Siddle will join in the fun, Watson will offer support but Cummins will be wayward and surprisingly slow, and Lyon won't bowl. The Saffers will be 7/60 by stumps and Johnson will clean them up next morning for 110 to finish with 7/50, Siddle will have the other 3. After enforcing the follow on Johnson will have his 10-fer wrapped up just after lunch, but Clarke will need to bowl Cummins and Watson for a long spell to rest his 'strike bowlers'. Neither will do much and AB and Kallis will bat the session. Lyon will get on late in the session and go the journey several times as the Kallis tucks into his pies.
First ball after tea, Siddle bowling a lovely full length just on off stump at pace, will get a knick off AB that will fly low towards 1st slip, but Haddin seeing it's not going to carry will dive across and take an amazing chance. That opens the floodgates, and c Haddin, b Siddle sees off 4 more batsmen all to spectacular takes. Johnson cleans up the tail to also get a 5-fer and finish with 12 wickets and an unbeaten 150 to edge Ponting and Haddin for MotM.
All three are treated to a hero's reception upon return to Australia, with an official reception at Kirribilli followed by a ticker-tape parade down George St. Australia's new chairman of selectors will order 3 years worth of team sheets with the names Ponting, Haddin and Johnson prominently set in gilding. The first order of business of the new committee being whether to return Ponting to the captaincy now or wait for the end of the NZ series. Hughes and Khawaja will have their paper's stamped because someone will have to pay for that 47 back at Cape Town (protestations that Khawaja didn't even play in that game will be treated as the pathetic excuse making they so clearly are) and the team needs to look to the future rather than looking back to a dim past when Hughes and Khawaja were the best and most consistent run makers in the Shield.
With Ponting restored to his rightful place as Captain, Haddin surpassing Gilchrist at his peak and Johnson back to being the greatest left arm bowler in the history of angling the ball across the right hander Australia will go on a streak of unbroken series wins to regain the No.1 spot with consecutive 5-0 drubbings of England in the back to back Ashes series when all three will retire acknowledged as amongst the greatest in history.
Finger's crossed.
I'm going for this team to be selected:
Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Lyon
Cummins
Harris to miss out unfit, Copeland to miss out unfast, and Warner to miss out un****ed.
We'll bat first and Steyn will tear our top order a new one with Hughes, Watson, Khawaja, Clarke and Hussey all failing. Ponting and Haddin will launch the rescue mission though both being undeated with tons at stumps. Haddin will go early on the second day, but Johnson will hang around to support Ponting to his 200, then start to unleash. By tea Ponting will have his top score and Johnson will be powering past his 100. Ponting will go for 270, and Johnson, Siddle and Lyon will throw the bat to take us to 620 and a declaration with 90mins to play.
Clarke will throw MJ the new pill and it's going to swing from the get go. Siddle will join in the fun, Watson will offer support but Cummins will be wayward and surprisingly slow, and Lyon won't bowl. The Saffers will be 7/60 by stumps and Johnson will clean them up next morning for 110 to finish with 7/50, Siddle will have the other 3. After enforcing the follow on Johnson will have his 10-fer wrapped up just after lunch, but Clarke will need to bowl Cummins and Watson for a long spell to rest his 'strike bowlers'. Neither will do much and AB and Kallis will bat the session. Lyon will get on late in the session and go the journey several times as the Kallis tucks into his pies.
First ball after tea, Siddle bowling a lovely full length just on off stump at pace, will get a knick off AB that will fly low towards 1st slip, but Haddin seeing it's not going to carry will dive across and take an amazing chance. That opens the floodgates, and c Haddin, b Siddle sees off 4 more batsmen all to spectacular takes. Johnson cleans up the tail to also get a 5-fer and finish with 12 wickets and an unbeaten 150 to edge Ponting and Haddin for MotM.
All three are treated to a hero's reception upon return to Australia, with an official reception at Kirribilli followed by a ticker-tape parade down George St. Australia's new chairman of selectors will order 3 years worth of team sheets with the names Ponting, Haddin and Johnson prominently set in gilding. The first order of business of the new committee being whether to return Ponting to the captaincy now or wait for the end of the NZ series. Hughes and Khawaja will have their paper's stamped because someone will have to pay for that 47 back at Cape Town (protestations that Khawaja didn't even play in that game will be treated as the pathetic excuse making they so clearly are) and the team needs to look to the future rather than looking back to a dim past when Hughes and Khawaja were the best and most consistent run makers in the Shield.
With Ponting restored to his rightful place as Captain, Haddin surpassing Gilchrist at his peak and Johnson back to being the greatest left arm bowler in the history of angling the ball across the right hander Australia will go on a streak of unbroken series wins to regain the No.1 spot with consecutive 5-0 drubbings of England in the back to back Ashes series when all three will retire acknowledged as amongst the greatest in history.
Finger's crossed.
adub
International Captain
yeah, might have been a little overboard there.
