*Official* Fifth Test at the SCG

[hendrix]

Amla's better than Clarke though, IMO.

 

[Shri]

Faf isn't getting enough credit here. Better than any batsman of Aus bar Clarke/Haddin atm. And he is probably going to bat at 4 from now on so he should not be counted as a fringe player and be ignored.

Smith Vs Warner
Rogers Vs Petersen
Amla Vs Watson
Abdv Vs Clarke
Faf Vs Smith
Duminy Vs Hughes/Failey
Haddin Vs ???
Philander Vs Johnson
Peterson Vs Lyon
Steyn Vs Harris
Morkel Vs Siddle

Have to say the teams are pretty evenly matched. Too many fast bowlers in there who could rip through a side in one spell. Gotta be a brave person to predict the outcome of the series. I think I'll pass.

 

[Jono]

Big fan of Faf, but can you 100% categorically say he's ahead of Smith? Smith's played some damn good knocks in the last 12 months too. Close call imo.

 

[Prince EWS]

Big fan of Faf, but can you 100% categorically say he's ahead of Smith? Smith's played some damn good knocks in the last 12 months too. Close call imo.

Yeah it's weird IMO to say Faf/S.Smith is definitive but G.Smith/Warner isn't.

 

[Shri]

Its just a feeling having watched both bat. Smith was the best opener in the world of 2013. Warner was just good for half of the ashes but looked like he was back to his best. So don't know about those two.

 

[91Jmay]

I'd pretty comfortably take Smith over Warner for next series and beyond.

 

[Shri]

I'd pretty comfortably take Smith over Warner for next series and beyond.

Warner is the closest opener to Sehwag and those sort of players are worth having a gamble over imo.

 

[91Jmay]

Going up against South Africa's attack, in South Africa i'd have comfortably took Smith over Sehwag as well.

 

[Shri]

I just mean the aggressiveness. Warner's technique is obviously better than Sehwag's for SA/Aus conditions so the probability is bigger for Warner to do something freaky in SA in an innings and turn a game around. Smith is the obvious choice if you need stability and steady runs at the top but Warner could be a real trump card too and do things no other opener in the world can do bar Sehwag. That ability of Warner's is what is stopping me from saying Smith is definitely going to be better in the series(Ah, guess I confused a few of you guys here. I am trying to guess who the better players in the upcoming series are going to be based on the past and other things too, not just the past).

 

[91Jmay]

Slightly facetious point but Mitchell Johnson might have the ability to play a more devastating innings but I wouldn't take him over Smith. I just wouldn't take Warner over Smith under any circumstance to be honest.

 

[Adders]

Take it to cricket chat ****s.........I'm trying to grieve here.

 

[Shri]

Slightly facetious point but Mitchell Johnson might have the ability to play a more devastating innings but I wouldn't take him over Smith. I just wouldn't take Warner over Smith under any circumstance to be honest.

Probability of it though? Warner is a specialist bat not a lower order bat like MJ who used to make the odd 50 some time ago. And Smith does struggle against left arm pace bowlers and I would back Warner to have the better series. Sure he will get owned by Philander/Steyn in the first innings but I would back him to get a second innings 100 when the conditions are less helpful to the fast bowlers.

 

[Jono]

Clarke is just so much better than AB in every way.

Nah AB is a better keeper and fielder.

 

[Prince EWS]

Nah AB is a better keeper and fielder.

Probably a better seamer as well, although I do have an ABC Cricket Book from around the time Clarke was first entering the NSW setup that has his bowling style down as "Left arm medium-fast / slow left arm orthodox" which I've found intriguing since the first time I ever saw it.

 

[Jono]

I would back Clarke, bad back and all, to bowl seam up better than what AB did in Jo'burg

 

[Spark]

Didn't Clarke try to become a quick bowler when he was really young, which is what triggered his back problems in the first place?

 

[Prince EWS]

Didn't Clarke try to become a quick bowler when he was really young, which is what triggered his back problems in the first place?

Yeah indeed. Not sure how long exactly he tried to do that but the ABC seemed to think he was still a fast bowler when he made the NSW squad which intrigued me. Not sure if they just had outdated info or if he really was still tinkering with it that late in his junior development.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Mixed him up with another Clark, whether that be Stuart or maybe Anthony?

 

[Spikey]

Incidentally I've never really seen a good source for

Didn't Clarke try to become a quick bowler when he was really young, which is what triggered his back problems in the first place?

I know Brettig has said it, but he's probably also said faulkner is good

 

[Prince EWS]

Well it's on the CA website.