*Official* First Test at Trent Bridge

[Handsome Harry]

I know you won't agree PieMan being a Vic and all but I reckon your best attack is Patto, Harris, Bird and Lyon, with Siddle sitting out. No way that will happen though as Siddle is a lock in (and understandably)......so Patto, Siddle, Harris and Lyon?? For the first test anyway, I'm sure Bird will feature at some point in the series. Starc is 5th in line for mine.

I think Starc will play. When conditions suit he'll be dynamite with the Duke pill.

 

[Nate]

Can't believe both Siddle and Starc are set to start. Hoping to be proven wrong.

 

[Adders]

I think Starc will play. When conditions suit he'll be dynamite with the Duke pill.

He could be, but in between wicket taking deliveries he'll also offer up plenty of runs......like I said before our bats just have to be watchful and respect his good deliveries because there will be plenty of opportunities for runs. All your other bowlers are better options for keeping it tight and can still take wickets.

Given the fragile nature of a couple of your bowlers it is probably likely that all of Patto, Siddle, Harris, Bird, Starc and Lyon will feature in the series. What will be interesting to see is if the Aussies can pull off successful Horses for Courses selections like England did in Australia.

 

[social]

Can't believe both Siddle and Starc are set to start. Hoping to be proven wrong.

Have to assume that Harris has a niggle if he doesn't play as virtually everybody with a pulse recognizes that he and Patto are our 2 best bowlers

If Watto is fit to bowl, I can handle Starc being there as he will be boom or bust and if the latter, twatman can pick up some of the slack

But hoping that Siddle somehow turns up alright on the day despite weeks of under-performance and a very inconsistent 12 months is a real gamble when we have a couple of very good alternatives

 

[NUFAN]

Question: Who is the highest ranked bowler contesting in this Ashes series on the ICC rankings?

Answer: Peter Siddle. Treat the man with some respect ffs, some of you guys make it out as though he is Greg Campbell.

 

[Furball]

haha no matter how you spin it, he averages 30, yet Watson averages in the mid 40s in the same spot

but apparently you know better than the Aus hierarchy that Cowan should actually be opener ahead of him

furball >>> Aus hierarchy

we await your further words of wisdom during the series

lol, Watson's average is from 4 years ago.

 

[social]

Question: Who is the highest ranked bowler contesting in this Ashes series on the ICC rankings?

Answer: Peter Siddle. Treat the man with some respect ffs, some of you guys make it out as though he is Greg Campbell.

Look at his recent bowling

Crap in England

Crap in 3/4 tests in India

SL - clearly out bowled by Bird

Crap in 3/4 innings vs SA

What's more, the guy has barely moved a ball off the straight in 12 months and is down in pace

Sorry but I don't need to look at rankings to tell me that

 

[NUFAN]

Look at his recent bowling

Crap in England

Crap in 3/4 tests in India

SL - clearly out bowled by Bird

Crap in 3/4 innings vs SA

What's more, the guy has barely moved a ball off the straight in 12 months and is down in pace

Sorry but I don't need to look at rankings to tell me that

Why not include his man of the match performance against Sri Lanka instead of just saying out bowled by Bird. He was also definitely not crap in the second innings vs. SA and in the last 2 matches against India he was very good. That's Australia's last two matches..

 

[NUFAN]

]but apparently you know better than the Aus hierarchy that Cowan should actually be opener ahead of him

furball >>> Aus hierarchy

we await your further words of wisdom during the series

Worst reasoning ever. If the selectors did it so it must be right line is all it takes to be proven right well FMD.

 

[social]

Why not include his man of the match performance against Sri Lanka instead of just saying out bowled by Bird. He was also definitely not crap in the second innings vs. SA and in the last 2 matches against India he was very good. That's Australia's last two matches..

I didn't include his MOM vs SL because Mitchell bloody Johnson won a MOM as well and he didn't even make the tour

I said he was crap in 3/4 innings vs SA which implies that he wasn't in the other

And he definitely wasn't very good in 2 tests vs India

IMO, literally the only advantage that Siddle has over the other guys is that at least he has been playing consistently

However, Australian supporters have been waiting forever to pick from a full contingent of fast bowlers and we now have that so let's pick the best/in form ones

 

[Adders]

Question: Who is the highest ranked bowler contesting in this Ashes series on the ICC rankings?

Answer: Peter Siddle. Treat the man with some respect ffs, some of you guys make it out as though he is Greg Campbell.

I think it is fair enough to say that Siddle is underrated, he is a very good bowler and has certainly served the Aussie well the last few years. But I don't think you can use the rankings to prove this point, as long as my arse points to the ground I will never agree that he is better than Anderson no matter what the rankings say.

I think the trouble is, myself and obviously some others think that Harris, Patto and Bird are better, none of those have the caps to challenge Siddle in the rankings. I think Siddle is the safe choice and he will get picked and I don't even think that's the wrong move.........but as I said in our previous debate, from an English POV the other bowlers are more of a concern to me than Siddle is as I reckon any one of them has the potential to rip us apart in a session.......I don't see that in Siddle.

But this really is a mute point, Siddle will play so it's a toss up as to who is going to miss out today........I hope for your sakes he serves you well.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Siddle missing out isn't on the cards. His 2012 season against SC teams in Aussie conditions will see him through. Patto's the other shoe in IMO. Rhyno should be as well but I don't think he'll get the chance.

 

[Carn_the_pies]

rankings dont count for anything

Clarke is a better batsmen than Amla, I dont care what he rankings say.

Jimmy is a better bowler than Sidds quite easily.

 

[Handsome Harry]

Patto and Starc, and then I don't mind which of Harris, Sidds or Bird. They each have their strengths and weaknesses but I think they'll go Siddle. Over the course of the 5 Tests they'll all play at one point or another.

 

[Burgey]

Australia's chances just took a massive nose dive with Greg Norman tweeting his support to the lads. The human mock.

 

[Daemon]

Roughly when did Siddle turn vegan?

 

[The Battlers Prince]

About hattrick time? Feel like that, I think it maybe only last 12 months though

 

[NUFAN]

I didn't include his MOM vs SL because Mitchell bloody Johnson won a MOM as well and he didn't even make the tour

I said he was crap in 3/4 innings vs SA which implies that he wasn't in the other

And he definitely wasn't very good in 2 tests vs India

IMO, literally the only advantage that Siddle has over the other guys is that at least he has been playing consistently

However, Australian supporters have been waiting forever to pick from a full contingent of fast bowlers and we now have that so let's pick the best/in form ones

So if you don't rate man of the match performances against SL, there is no need to say he was outbowled by Bird.

Yes I understand, what 3/4 is and your implication. Obviously he was good in Adelaide, but I am saying he was good in another innings too. At the Gabba second innings, he bowled really well, the figures don't suggest anything amazing, but he was not crap at all, he was good.

you've acknowledged he was good in the 3rd Test vs. India, I believe he was good in the fourth test too. He only bowled 12 overs and it was a passable performance but his batting was stellar being the only cricketer from Australia on this tour to reach 50 in both innings of a Test this year. Yeah, yeah you were talking about bowling, but runs never hurt.

I think it is fair enough to say that Siddle is underrated, he is a very good bowler and has certainly served the Aussie well the last few years. But I don't think you can use the rankings to prove this point, as long as my arse points to the ground I will never agree that he is better than Anderson no matter what the rankings say.

I think the trouble is, myself and obviously some others think that Harris, Patto and Bird are better, none of those have the caps to challenge Siddle in the rankings. I think Siddle is the safe choice and he will get picked and I don't even think that's the wrong move.........but as I said in our previous debate, from an English POV the other bowlers are more of a concern to me than Siddle is as I reckon any one of them has the potential to rip us apart in a session.......I don't see that in Siddle.

But this really is a mute point, Siddle will play so it's a toss up as to who is going to miss out today........I hope for your sakes he serves you well.

Siddle of course has ripped apart England in a session on a few occasions already in his career, Harris has also once. I like Patto, Harris and Bird tbh and wish either Harris or Bird was above Starc. The whole accepting Starc but not Siddle in our XI is the thing which makes me feel the need to justify Siddle's inclusion. I'm also really of the belief when teams under perform you look to replace the under performers and keep the stronger performers so that would mean Clarke, Patto, Siddle should be retained and Warner too (before the root issue).

rankings dont count for anything

Clarke is a better batsmen than Amla, I dont care what he rankings say.

Jimmy is a better bowler than Sidds quite easily.

Yeah, I should just written fun fact before asking the question to myself, I don't actually believe he is the best bowler playing in the Ashes it was just a quirk in the rankings. I'm a huge Siddle fan and I talk about him a bit (lol), but since you are new you obviously wouldn't know that. So yes I agree, rankings are a bit rubbish.

 

[hendrix]

the rankings aren't complete rubbish though.
When Anderson was at his peak, he was at (or at least amongst) the top of the rankings. I think English fans are kidding themselves if they think that Anderson is near to the quality he was a couple of years ago, and the rankings reflect that.

Also, while the rest of Australia's "high potential" bowlers have performed well either against poor batting lineups or in favourable conditions or both - for short sharp spells at that, Siddle has performed against better batting lineups on flatter wickets in longer spells for a lot longer periods of time.

Whether he is the 5th best bowler in the world I don't know, but he certainly deserves to be there, and honestly he deserves to be ranked above Anderson for the way he's bowled in the past couple of years.

 

[Adders]

The whole accepting Starc but not Siddle in our XI is the thing which makes me feel the need to justify Siddle's inclusion

No argument from me there.....Siddle definitely well in front of Starc for mine.......Harry's on drugs!!