*Official* Second Test at Lord's

[GIMH]

Shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch but would England rest Anderson and/or Swann if they go 3-0 up?

I would have thought the opportunity to avenge 06-07 would be too much to resist.

 

[luckyeddie]

It's futile mate, this is by and large the best we've got. That's why it's depressing, because for once it isn't the result of poor selections or anything like that. We just are sub-standard, and there ain't much we can do about it.

Sensible question from me (for once) - how much of the current state of Australian cricket is down to the fact that there seemed to be a resistance to introduce many new players into (probably) the greatest team of all time until they had all grown old together? Then one retires, they all retire?

 

[91Jmay]

If one wants to judge these players on their inabilty to play spin, then yeah.. they are pathetic players but you gotta to remember that these guys don't get to play any sort of decent spin back in Australia which is evident from the Aussie spin stocks, so playing spin or reverse swing is something, they are having to adapt to at the international level which is never easy. Also these are young batsmen and bowlers who are being thrown into the deep end with a new role after every game, such impatience never works with young players especially in a team where the senior players themselves aren't performing.

Jimmy didn't bowl spin at TB.

 

[James]

It's futile mate, this is by and large the best we've got. That's why it's depressing, because for once it isn't the result of poor selections or anything like that. We just are sub-standard, and there ain't much we can do about it.

I think he might have went for Chris Hartley and Adam Voges as the backup keeper and batsman. Just a wild guess, I don't have any real reasoning behind it.

Fair enough, was interested to hear what the general thought was there. Thanks. Can't quite believe how poor Australia's batting is, the general mental state of the players must be shot to hell.

 

[Ruckus]

Sensible question from me (for once) - how much of the current state of Australian cricket is down to the fact that there seemed to be a resistance to introduce many new players into (probably) the greatest team of all time until they had all grown old together? Then one retires, they all retire?

Yeah it's probably part of the problem, and someone like Ponting could have gone at least a year earlier. You feel Hussey should have held off a little longer too, but I mean it was his personal choice so there's not much you can do about it. The bigger problem though was the massive lack of good players in the Watson age group, meaning the bulk of the replacements had to be inexperienced younger players.

 

[morgieb]

I reckon Boof would pick Boof Jnr. aka Cosgrove.

 

[Expressway76]

Every time the camera pans to Boof, he looks like he's been sipping from the poisoned chalice he's been handed.

 

[Expressway76]

I reckon Boof would pick Boof Jnr. aka Cosgrove.

Would need to put the players canteens on high alert at each test ground.

 

[Garson007]

It's futile mate, this is by and large the best we've got. That's why it's depressing, because for once it isn't the result of poor selections or anything like that. We just are sub-standard, and there ain't much we can do about it.

Get in some older guys. I don't understand the current obsession in CA for young guys when a decade back a player only got into the team after ten years in first class cricket.

 

[social]

That's something we can agree on, social

C'mon mate, we have to support our home town guys!

Reckon Scott will run him down in Faldo fashion but let's have some confidence in the mean time

 

[NUFAN]

Hey NUFAN,

Based on your 'Ordfinary away: Go for the draw' thread - what team would you be picking for Australia?

lol. Its pretty difficult with Australia since our bowlers are probably more likely to knuckle down than the top order but I would look at something like:

1. Chris Rogers
2. Ed Cowan
3. Alex Doolan
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Michael Clarke
6. David Warner
7. Mark Cosgrove
8. Chris Hartley
9. Luke Butterworth
10. Steve O'Keefe
11. Trent Copeland

- I had a last minute change from Siddle to Copeland as I would hate Siddle's average to go up haha and Copeland is tidy and a better bat compared to Bird. SOK is a tidy spinner and can bat.

 

[Spikey]

Cricket David Warner Shane Watson Twitter abuse

 

[Jarquis]

lol. Its pretty difficult with Australia since our bowlers are probably more likely to knuckle down than the top order but I would look at something like:

1. Chris Rogers
2. Ed Cowan
3. Alex Doolan
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Michael Clarke
6. David Warner
7. Mark Cosgrove
8. Chris Hartley
9. Luke Butterworth
10. Steve O'Keefe
11. Trent Copeland

- I had a last minute change from Siddle to Copeland as I would hate Siddle's average to go up haha and Copeland is tidy and a better bat compared to Bird. SOK is a tidy spinner and can bat.

Haha, that's why I asked. Make Doolan keep and bring in McDonald for Hartley and Siddle for Butterworth I reckon.

 

[social]

Sensible question from me (for once) - how much of the current state of Australian cricket is down to the fact that there seemed to be a resistance to introduce many new players into (probably) the greatest team of all time until they had all grown old together? Then one retires, they all retire?

Why would you drop an all time great player?

These things simply don't happen

 

[NUFAN]

lol. Its pretty difficult with Australia since our bowlers are probably more likely to knuckle down than the top order but I would look at something like:

1. Chris Rogers
2. Ed Cowan
3. Alex Doolan
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Michael Clarke
6. David Warner
7. Mark Cosgrove
8. Chris Hartley
9. Luke Butterworth
10. Steve O'Keefe
11. Trent Copeland

- I had a last minute change from Siddle to Copeland as I would hate Siddle's average to go up haha and Copeland is tidy and a better bat compared to Bird. SOK is a tidy spinner and can bat.

Actually maybe Andrew McDonald instead of Copeland. Voges, Hughes, Bailey, Faulkner and maybe Silk and Hopes could come into contention too I guess.

 

[Garson007]

Yeah it's probably part of the problem, and someone like Ponting could have gone at least a year earlier. You feel Hussey should have held off a little longer too, but I mean it was his personal choice so there's not much you can do about it. The bigger problem though was the massive lack of good players in the Watson age group, meaning the bulk of the replacements had to be inexperienced younger players.

Surely the aged journeymen will do better than the young talented whack-a-mole group?

 

[Ruckus]

Get in some older guys. I don't understand the current obsession in CA for young guys when a decade back a player only got into the team after ten years in first class cricket.

Aside from Katich, who is 38 now, there isn't really anyone. David Hussey is all there is, and he is like 36. In terms of the options in the middle-age range of 30-ish, I just don't think there is really anyone who is that much better. Cosgrove maybe, but he isn't with out his problems. Voges, Cowen, Klinger - meh. Might as well just give the struggling younger batsmen more experience, and hopefully it will bode well for them down the track.

 

[uvelocity]

lol. Its pretty difficult with Australia since our bowlers are probably more likely to knuckle down than the top order but I would look at something like:

1. Chris Rogers
2. Ed Cowan
3. Alex Doolan
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Michael Clarke
6. David Warner
7. Mark Cosgrove
8. Chris Hartley
9. Luke Butterworth
10. Steve O'Keefe
11. Trent Copeland

- I had a last minute change from Siddle to Copeland as I would hate Siddle's average to go up haha and Copeland is tidy and a better bat compared to Bird. SOK is a tidy spinner and can bat.

clarke
agar
copeland
faulkner
starc
pattinson
siddle
harris
cummins
lyon
bird

 

[NUFAN]

Haha, that's why I asked. Make Doolan keep and bring in McDonald for Hartley and Siddle for Butterworth I reckon.

Big ask making Doolan keep IMO and I really do think Hartley's best attribute is to fight so he would stay in my team. I totally forgot about McDonald and only included him in my next post, a must at 10 or 11.

 

[Ruckus]

Surely the aged journeymen will do better than the young talented whack-a-mole group?

I'm sure someone like Katich would, but really what's the point? He'd have like one more year in him. It's just like staving off the inevitable for the sake of it.