Australian Domestic Season 2017/18

[stephen]

Yeah I think that NSW fielded the most well balanced attack by a team not named South Africa in the last 10 years.

 

[S.Kennedy]

It petered out then (I fell asleep toward the end)? I thought the South Australian captain got some things wrong. They definitely should have won that. Too much Zampa who couldn't hit a barn door he was so wayward.

 

[vcs]

Impressive effort by Bancroft against that attack. Is he in contention for the wicket-keeping spot?

Two hattricks for Starc in the match, wow.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

I rate Bancroft, but absolutely do not want him keeping wicket in the Ashes. Part time glovemen are never the way to go.

 

[Gob]

Tim Paine

 

[the big bambino]

I rate Bancroft, but absolutely do not want him keeping wicket in the Ashes. Part time glovemen are never the way to go.

I believe Bancroft has kept all season so far except for one match. If so then WA are playing him as a full time keeper and lets just say that the contenders for keeping have been so poor that Bancroft suddenly becomes a very interesting consideration.

 

[Burgey]

If Bancroft gets a gig this summer, I hope it's as a batsman only.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah I think that NSW fielded the most well balanced attack by a team not named South Africa in the last 10 years.

A little funny that the NSW attack was stronger than any attack that Australia's put forward recently

 

[S.Kennedy]

There is an interesting article in this months The Cricketer and it basically said that that attack, and even more so an attack with Pattinson, is a 'paper attack' as Cummins or one of the others is always buggered. It also said Aussies have had trouble identifying with the Clarke-Smith era teams because they lacked personality and a certain ''Australianess'' unlike the Chappell and Warne-McGrath eras which had this characteristics in droves- one of the reasons why (test) cricket has a bit of a crisis in Australia (non-Ashes attendances). It also had Cartwright and Wade in the likely eleven - do not shoot the messenger - and mentioned the Smith Ed Cowen thing.

 

[Midwinter]

Another good round of cricket for those of us with long attention spans.

WA was going along quite nicely to upset NSW until one of most awful collapses of recent time, 10/44 gave the Bluebaggers their second win of the season and put them on top of the table.
WA still put in a good performance knocking them over for 270 in the first innings and having some of the NSW top order out cheaply. But fronting up to the Australian test attack is a big ask at anytime.

The Bananabenders also won their second game, after beating the Vics the first game, they came from behind to defeat the Appleaters. Like the first game the top order came good in the second innings to get the win.Renshaw, Burns, Khawaja and Labuschagne is a pretty handy top 4.
Tassie's bowlers did sterling work to get the first innings lead but a collapse, almost as good as WA's 8/30, in the second innings for the second game in row put paid to their chances. They are now at the bottom of the table and I don't think anyone is picking them to get any higher for the rest of the year.

The Shield final replay ended as a draw between two evenly matched teams but the Croweaters batting lead by Lehmann, capped by Ferguson and supported by the new opening pair of Dalton and Weatherald show signs of improving on last year.
Vics had their chances but a lack of batting in their lower order stopped them from pushing for a win at the end.

Batting
NSW Smith 215, Warner 125
QLD Khawaja 217, Burns 122
WA Bancroft 197, SMarsh 167
SA Ferguson 222, Lehmann 212
VIC Finch 157, Maxwell 151
TAS McDermott 82, Doolan 71

Ferguson has the seasons high score to date 182no
Tassie's leading batsman is McDermott at 25th on the list with the all top order even lower.
Lehmann and Bancroft had good games this round.

Bowling
NSW Starc 17, Copeland,Hazlewood,Cummins 6
QLD Neser 12, Feldman 10
WA Richardson10, Mackin 9
SA Sayers 9, Mennie,Worrall 7
VIC Tremain12, Boland 12
Tas Bird 10, Rainbird 8

Starc's is way out in front in the wicket taking with two hatricks in a game ! (even if it is only cleaning up the tail).
Neser the surprise packet for Qld, Feldman again being consistent.
The Vics Tremain and Boland have continued on from last year
Jackson Bird is off to his usual consistent start.
The wickets for SA are shared as usual between the triumivirate of Sayers, Worrall and Mennie.

Spinners
Fawad 9, Lyon 5,Zampa 4, Swepson 4

Last year's leading spinners Holland and Somerville are yet to take the field.
Zampa's 4 wickets have cost 71 apiece and he will be lucky to play next round,
Swepson is yet to be a major part of the Qld attack with only 21 overs in the 2 games so far.

Keepers, (catches, stumpings, runs,byes)
NSW Neville 7/-,63, 4b
Qld Pierson 3/-,39,1b
WA Bancroft 3/-, 197,2b , Inglis 5/-,16, 0b
SA Carey 5/-, 72, 4b
Vic Harper 10/1, 28, 6b
Tas Wade 5/-, 33, 9b

Next round is convenient as each team plays the one below/above it on the table

NSW v Qld
WA v SA
Vic v Tas

WA and the SA will a good one with the up and coming Sandgroper batting playing the experienced Croweater pace attack and has the SA batting achieved some solidity ? It will be tested against the WA pacers.
A chance for Vic to get the shield defence back on track against Tassie.
The Qld top order will take on Australia attack and the NSW batting will be expected to dominate the Qld attack.

Starts next Monday 13th Nov

 

[stephen]

I wouldn't mind Bancroft playing for Australia as keeper on the proviso that he is being picked for the long term. He would need a 20+ test guarantee and not be dropped after one poor performance or a run of bad tests. He would have to be seen as the long term player that Healy was and unless a Gilchrist emerged he would be given clear air to establish himself as our primary keeper/bat over the next decade.

Otherwise we pick Nevill for the short term and go from there.

 

[Prince EWS]

I believe Bancroft has kept all season so far except for one match.

Well I mean this is technically true, but there have only been two matches this season, so it sounds more impressive than it is (unless you're including the one day stuff?)

 

[Burgey]

Can see Cummins being rested for the third round, with either Dougeh, Copes or Dermo Abbott coming into the side.

 

[quincywagstaff]

It also said Aussies have had trouble identifying with the Clarke-Smith era teams because they lacked personality and a certain ''Australianess'' unlike the Chappell and Warne-McGrath eras which had this characteristics in droves- one of the reasons why (test) cricket has a bit of a crisis in Australia (non-Ashes attendances). It also had Cartwright and Wade in the likely eleven - do not shoot the messenger - and mentioned the Smith Ed Cowen thing.

I'd be interested to read that article but I have to take issue with the assumption that Test cricket crowds in Australia are "in crisis".

Against the not particularly box-office duo of South Africa & Pakistan, I thought the crowds were pretty good; iirc the total crowd aggregate for the MCG Test was a record for all Pakistan Tests at that ground (edit: just checked this but fell short of 09/10 Test).

I thought the Brisbane D&N crowds were largely excellent; the first three days of over 26k, 25k & 20k at a ground that historically has been pretty poor in terms of attendances was a big success.

And it was a summer where several Tests were impacted by bad weather; particularly Hobart which had its Sunday washed out (and Saturday significantly impacted by bad weather) and the box office MCG & SCG Tests regularly impacted by rain.

I'm not saying that it was an entirely rosy picture with the crowds (Perth was pretty disappointing imo) but I think too many people just assume that Australia was playing in front of full houses in Tests during the 1980s and 1990s when that is far from the case. In fact, Test crowd aggregates have largely gone up in the past 15-20 years.

Sure, there are issues with cricket and popularity on occasion in Australia, but this lazy default assumption within the mainstream media that Test cricket is always 'in crisis' really irks me.

 

[Burgey]

Crowds would have been big had SA toured over the holidays. Weather was appropriate for Pakistan. Always a damp squib when they tour here.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'd be interested to read that article but I have to take issue with the assumption that Test cricket crowds in Australia are "in crisis".

Against the not particularly box-office duo of South Africa & Pakistan, I thought the crowds were pretty good; iirc the total crowd aggregate for the MCG Test was a record for all Pakistan Tests at that ground (edit: just checked this but fell short of 09/10 Test).

I thought the Brisbane D&N crowds were largely excellent; the first three days of over 26k, 25k & 20k at a ground that historically has been pretty poor in terms of attendances was a big success.

And it was a summer where several Tests were impacted by bad weather; particularly Hobart which had its Sunday washed out (and Saturday significantly impacted by bad weather) and the box office MCG & SCG Tests regularly impacted by rain.

I'm not saying that it was an entirely rosy picture with the crowds (Perth was pretty disappointing imo) but I think too many people just assume that Australia was playing in front of full houses in Tests during the 1980s and 1990s when that is far from the case. In fact, Test crowd aggregates have largely gone up in the past 15-20 years.

Sure, there are issues with cricket and popularity on occasion in Australia, but this lazy default assumption within the mainstream media that Test cricket is always 'in crisis' really irks me.

Ashes special. Great read,

 

[Spikey]

Can see Cummins being rested for the third round, with either Dougeh, Copes or Dermo Abbott coming into the side.

think starc and cummins are both being rested

 

[stephen]

In normal circumstances you'd feel a bit ripped off to be dropped after taking a 6fer, but Copes really does have nothing to complain about being displaced by Haze.

 

[adub]

If my missus wanted to replace me with Haze I'd be 'yeah good call'.

 

[Spikey]

we would have won the game before the last hour if Copers Copeland was playing tbh