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***Official*** 5th Test at the SCG

Top_Cat

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Yeah , Crane has got it.

Please England, stick by him through the tough times early on.
If history is any guide, the signs aren’t good. England’s all-time best performed right-arm leggie is Alfred Percy ‘Tich’ Freeman with 66 Test poles. The English tendency seems to be to pick them for a while then drop them forever once people nut their variations.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Eric Hollies and Doug Wright. Sydney Barnes could bowl both ways also. And Borthwick was a number 3 at Durham.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Honestly if these Marshes keep showing up I'm very happy to continue with them in the team. A couple of half centuries and a ton at one point each series is pretty bloody good.

I think in M Marsh's case it's more a matter of finally repaying the faith he had been shown.

With Khawaja locking down the number 3 spot for South Africa and the Marsh brothers both in good touch with the bat, the only spot left open for South Africa is Bancroft's spot.

How long do the selectors keep showing faith in a guy who had two really good shield games in a row and made a half century a few tests ago?

Do we pick Burns again? Renshaw? Cowan? Or do we pick another opening partner for Warner that we'll inevitably discard in six to twelve months?

Our team for South Africa:

Warner
Opener
Khawaja
Smith (c)
S Marsh
M Marsh
Paine (wk)
Starc
Cummins
Hazlewood
Lyon

Bird/Sayers/random WA quick
Handscomb
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Actually, who is opening for WA now? I'm sure Langer can push their case to the NSP.
 

theegyptian

International Vice-Captain
There's no question that the effort and desire is there. It's been a tough trip but the desire is still there." Jonny Bairstow

These interviews are getting boring. I hope they’re asking more searching questions internally. Desire and effort ain’t enough.
There's really nothing you can say that sounds good when you keep losing.

'Australia better team in conditions' - defeatist and bad loser/defensive bringing up conditions.
' Australia no better than us' - deluded
' We need to do better, need to keep working hard' - can only really say that once before people bore of it, and it sounds pitiful.

But yes you hope that once the series is over they sit back and reflect and come to the right conclusions.

I don't think they will though with the current managament. Bairstow refers to the 'live by the sword, die by the sword' mantra in reference to his first innings dismissal. As it so often does they go from one extreme to the other. Flower regime at the end seemed to be authoritarian and the players had given up listening, Bayliss and Fairbace seems to be the more laissez faire approach, and the players are happy doing what they want. Sometimes you need the coach to give a Stokes a bollocking and tell him he can't go out and get pissed during a test, or tell Root he needs to get his head down, or tell Bairstow to stop being stupid and use a nightwatchman.

Amazed there isn't more talk of sacking Bayliss and Fairbace.

Bairstow has put to bed with his performances (or lack of) in the last year or so any consideration of him playing as a batsman alone, which I guess he won't be disappointed in seeing as he wants to keep wicket.
 
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Burgey

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Smith aside (obviously) Darsh has been the most consistent batsman this series. Happy to cop the razz, he’s been fantastic tbh. Probably has the best defensive game on either side apart from an in form Cook.
 

quincywagstaff

International Debutant
This looks like a replay of Brisbane and Perth in that England start off well initially but once they fall behind on Day 3, they just seem to totally wilt. Innings defeat would be my guess from here.

Also, Bairstow apparently said Moeen’s bowling was “outstanding”?!?! Have to agree with what others have said here that the ethos around the side is too soft and they were probably mentally expecting defeat once Stokes was out.
 

flibbertyjibber

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Also, Bairstow apparently said Moeen’s bowling was “outstanding”?!?! Have to agree with what others have said here that the ethos around the side is too soft and they were probably mentally expecting defeat once Stokes was out.
Compared to the other 4 tests it has been. Only 1 pie an over on average not 3.
 

burr

State Vice-Captain
There's no question that the effort and desire is there. It's been a tough trip but the desire is still there." Jonny Bairstow

These interviews are getting boring. I hope they’re asking more searching questions internally. Desire and effort ain’t enough.
Yes, I've noticed this attitude. Not good enough. Amongst the England media too. Apparently everything could have been so different and every match could have been a draw if only for the odd key moment. And the latest is apparently the DRS technology in Australia is not as good as the England DRS technology. Not a good look. England fans deserve better. All fans deserve better.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Why is Mark Renshaw not a lookin anymore? Wasn't he touted as the next Tubby not so long ago?
Matt Renshaw was stitched up by Langer who wanted a WA player to open. Before the shield started, Langer publicly said that Renshaw's place was under pressure, despite the fact that Renshaw was our second best batsman in India, and only had one poor test in Bangladesh.

Renshaw then had a poor start to the shield and was axed for Bancroft, who had two very good shield games in a row, carrying his bat against the Aus attack and then scoring a double hundred on a WACA road.
 

burr

State Vice-Captain
Great interview with Jimmy on the BBC. I have to say, I do love Jimmy. Wonder if he could've ever made a decent England captain and let Root focus on the batting.
 

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