Is the current Australian batting order stronger than that of the lost generation?

[NUFAN]

I know JB played at the WACA too but I think its similar to Cox vs. Nobes.

Cox averages less but is considered by all/most to have been better. Maybe it was just because Cox was more compact/less loose than Nobes.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah thats not a bad shout. I definitely think Adelaide Oval runs were easier than runs at Hobart. If we dont factor in bowling, I definitely can see Brayshaw being a better option.

Did I miss anyone else?

Shane Lee as an Allrounder is another worth a shout. Played decent amount of odis. No superstar but I mean, they pick MMarsh fairly consistently these days when he’s available and I don’t know that guys like Lee were worse players than he is.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Needs more Joe Scuderi

 

[Burgey]

Yessss. Good shout

 

[James90]

If you were picking a tour squad...

J. Cox
M. Di Venuto
M. Love
B. Hodge
S. Law
M. Bevan
T. Moody
D. Berry
A. Bichel
C. Miller
A. Dale
---
J. Siddons
J. Dawes
J. Angel
J. Maher
W. Seccombe
B. McGain

The second spinner spot was the hardest. Casson, Krejza, Hauritz, Doherty and Robertson all with woeful stats.

 

[mr_mister]

Definitely have BJ over some of those guys. Crap stats but clearly talented

 

[NUFAN]

I totally forgot about Phil Jaques, he fits the criteria and deserves a spot.

 

[NUFAN]

Doing some more research and I think the following deserve a mention:

Phil Jaques
Ashley Noffke
Dirk Tazelaar
Shaun Tait
Andrew McDonald
Matthew Inness
Jason Arnberger
Ryan Campbell
Matthew Nicholson

I think Jaques, McDonald and Tait are good chances to make your squad James/would make my squad at least.

 

[stephen]

Doing some more research and I think the following deserve a mention:

Phil Jaques
Ashley Noffke
Dirk Tazelaar
Shaun Tait
Andrew McDonald
Matthew Inness
Jason Arnberger
Ryan Campbell
Matthew Nicholson

I think Jaques, McDonald and Tait are good chances to make your squad James/would make my squad at least.

Much as I love Noffers Noffke, I think he's about as good as Neser - not good enough to make it on his bowling and his batting isn't going to set the world on fire. 'dat peak tho.

 

[Teja.]

Yes but only because of Smith. I reckon I might be able to pick two entirely separate lost generation batting lineups better than the one selected last summer to play India.

Can you pick one definitively better if we disqualify both Bevan and Smith?

 

[NUFAN]

Much as I love Noffers Noffke, I think he's about as good as Neser - not good enough to make it on his bowling and his batting isn't going to set the world on fire. 'dat peak tho.

Yeah thats fair. I was just including guys with good shield careers who werent mentioned but had a chance of making James squad.

There are a bunch of bowlers mainly from Vic and Tas that i felt were just below being really good like Saker, Harwood, Lewis, Wright, Ridgeway, Denton, Wise.

 

[Burgey]

The great Andrew Downton - the pride of Wenty Waratahs - also a decent bowler who played a lot less FC cricket than he should have.

 

[jimmy101]

I remember Mark Higgs & David Freedman used to get quite the positive wrap back in the day, even though their FC stats aren't exactly phenomenal.

Shawn Bradstreet had a decent List A career.

 

[Prince EWS]

Can you pick one definitively better if we disqualify both Bevan and Smith?

Yeah I think NUFAN's lineup with Hodge in for Bevan and Jaques in for Di Venuto would be very likely to outperform a Smithless current Australian batting lineup. I only say "very likely" because players with limited Test experience are not easy to predict but my money would be on them.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah Phil Jaques was absolutely cruelled by injury wasn't he?

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah Phil Jaques was absolutely cruelled by injury wasn't he?

Yeah he had a bad back injury. He had surgery on it and expected everything to be fine, but even though he reported little to no pain afterwards he was never the same batsman after that for whatever reason. He was averaging 60+ in First Class cricket at the time he played his last Test I think (or at the very least high 50s), and his Test record wasn't exactly bad either (three tons in 11 games, average 48). He fell away massively after that to the point where his spot in both Australian and English domestic cricket was being propped up by hope/reputation for a while.

 

[NUFAN]

So my official best XI

01 Jamie Cox
02 Phil Jaques
03 Martin Love
04 Jamie Siddons
05 Michael Bevan
06 Stuart Law
07 Tom Moody
08 Darren Berry
09 Andrew Bichel
10 Colin Miller
11 Jo Angel


Aus A (or is that B?)

01 Michael Di Venuto
02 Dene Hills
03 Jimmy Maher
04 Brad Hodge
05 Dom Thornley
06 Andrew McDonald
07 Wade Seccombe
08 Brendon Julian
09 Adam Dale
10 Peter McIntyre
11 Shaun Tait

I went BJ just ahead of Noffke or Nicholson because I thought a left armer would compliment the rest of the attack more.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah he had a bad back injury. He had surgery on it and expected everything to be fine, but even though he reported little to no pain afterwards he was never the same batsman after that for whatever reason. He was averaging 60+ in First Class cricket at the time he played his last Test I think (or at the very least high 50s), and his Test record wasn't exactly bad either (three tons in 11 games, average 48). He fell away massively after that to the point where his spot in both Australian and English domestic cricket was being propped up by hope/reputation for a while.

Yeah he had what was meant to be routine surgery and ended up legit losing about an inch and a half in height. Was such a shame. When I think about how Australia’s dynasty was supposed to continue, I see his and Stu Clark’s injuries as the main reasons it didn’t for a few more years tbh.

 

[mr_mister]

Wayne Cracker Holdsworth worthy of mention?

 

[Burgey]

Fmd he is a funny **** too. And was seriously rapid. Good enough to tour England in 93.