NSW/Australia A is the 2nd best team in the world !!

[Salamuddin]

This assertion was banded about by a few one-eyed Australia supporters a while back - that NSW or Australia A would beat most international sides in a test series with the possible exception of RSA.

I think this summer's test series more or less proves it to be utter nonsense.

Any takers for this still around ?

 

[Tim]

Australia 'A' would be a good challenge for most of the international sides, but NSW..I don't think so.

 

[Linda]

The fact that you said 'most' international sides doesnt help your case, because it sounds like your trying to say that India could beat them. Your not referring to other teams.

 

[Salamuddin]

The fact that you said 'most' international sides doesnt help your case, because it sounds like your trying to say that India could beat them. Your not referring to other teams.

umm...Linda, I don't think you understood the post. A couple of months ago, there was a thread which debated whether NSW would compete at international level. Read some of the posts there and you'll see what I mean.

The fact that Australia has enjoyed unprecedented success over the last 4 years has basically led to a lot of arrogance -- both within the team and within the minds of some supporters.
So much so that some people claimed in that thread claimed NSW or Australia A were 2nd only to Australia.

The fact is international cricket is tough -- irrespective of whether you are playing India, England , RSA, the Windies or any other test playing nation.
Test Victories are not easy to come by -- there are a lot of quality test cricketers in these nations and Australia would do well to remember that and not undestimate them.
Victories are not always going to come as easily as they did under Steve Waugh -- other teams will learn and improve.

 

[Craig]

No way.

 

[iamdavid]

1.M.J.Slater - 5312 test runs @ 42.83 , 987 ODI runs @ 24.07
2.B.J.Haddin - 2332 FC runs @ 31.94 (SR 72.51) , 131 FC dismisals
3.S.M.Katich - 420 test runs @ 60 , 8481 FC runs @ 52.35
4.M.E.Waugh - 8029 test runs @ 41.81 , 8500 ODI runs @ 39.35
5.S.R.Waugh - 10927 test runs @ 51.06 , 7569 ODI runs @ 32.9
6.M.G.Bevan - 785 test runs @ 29.07 , 6686 ODI runs @ 54.8
7.M.J.Clarke - 2316 FC runs @ 39.25 , 472 ODI runs @ 52.44
8.B.Lee - 139 test wickets @ 31.66 , 139 ODI wickets @ 21.93
9.N.W.Bracken - 6 test wickets @ 58.5 , 28 ODI wickets @ 19.71
10.S.C.G.MacGill - 147 test wickets @ 28.63 , 6 ODI wickets @ 17.5
11.G.D.McGrath - 430 test wickets @ 21.71 , 284 ODI wickets @ 22.38


Im sorry but I fail to see how that wouldnt be one of the better sides on the international circuit ATM , 'would beat any other international side' , is a bit over the top.
But the fact most of them have been succesful at the top level for a long period of time , some of them extremely succesfuly , indicates they would make a pretty solid unit in both forms of the game.

The bowling would be light on by test standards , but the batting phenomenal.

 

[Rik]

1.M.J.Slater - 5312 test runs @ 42.83 , 987 ODI runs @ 24.07
2.B.J.Haddin - 2332 FC runs @ 31.94 (SR 72.51) , 131 FC dismisals
3.S.M.Katich - 420 test runs @ 60 , 8481 FC runs @ 52.35
4.M.E.Waugh - 8029 test runs @ 41.81 , 8500 ODI runs @ 39.35
5.S.R.Waugh - 10927 test runs @ 51.06 , 7569 ODI runs @ 32.9
6.M.G.Bevan - 785 test runs @ 29.07 , 6686 ODI runs @ 54.8
7.M.J.Clarke - 2316 FC runs @ 39.25 , 472 ODI runs @ 52.44
8.B.Lee - 139 test wickets @ 31.66 , 139 ODI wickets @ 21.93
9.N.W.Bracken - 6 test wickets @ 58.5 , 28 ODI wickets @ 19.71
10.S.C.G.MacGill - 147 test wickets @ 28.63 , 6 ODI wickets @ 17.5
11.G.D.McGrath - 430 test wickets @ 21.71 , 284 ODI wickets @ 22.38


Im sorry but I fail to see how that wouldnt be one of the better sides on the international circuit ATM , 'would beat any other international side' , is a bit over the top.
But the fact most of them have been succesful at the top level for a long period of time , some of them extremely succesfuly , indicates they would make a pretty solid unit in both forms of the game.

The bowling would be light on by test standards , but the batting phenomenal.

It's pretty obvious you have mixed FC and Test records, which you just can't do. I don't think NSW is anywhere near the 2nd best side in the world, and other than against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh I can't see them winning. Hell I even think Surrey would beat them!

 

[Salamuddin]

1.M.J.Slater - 5312 test runs @ 42.83 , 987 ODI runs @ 24.07
2.B.J.Haddin - 2332 FC runs @ 31.94 (SR 72.51) , 131 FC dismisals
3.S.M.Katich - 420 test runs @ 60 , 8481 FC runs @ 52.35
4.M.E.Waugh - 8029 test runs @ 41.81 , 8500 ODI runs @ 39.35
5.S.R.Waugh - 10927 test runs @ 51.06 , 7569 ODI runs @ 32.9
6.M.G.Bevan - 785 test runs @ 29.07 , 6686 ODI runs @ 54.8
7.M.J.Clarke - 2316 FC runs @ 39.25 , 472 ODI runs @ 52.44
8.B.Lee - 139 test wickets @ 31.66 , 139 ODI wickets @ 21.93
9.N.W.Bracken - 6 test wickets @ 58.5 , 28 ODI wickets @ 19.71
10.S.C.G.MacGill - 147 test wickets @ 28.63 , 6 ODI wickets @ 17.5
11.G.D.McGrath - 430 test wickets @ 21.71 , 284 ODI wickets @ 22.38


Im sorry but I fail to see how that wouldnt be one of the better sides on the international circuit ATM , 'would beat any other international side' , is a bit over the top.
But the fact most of them have been succesful at the top level for a long period of time , some of them extremely succesfuly , indicates they would make a pretty solid unit in both forms of the game.

The bowling would be light on by test standards , but the batting phenomenal.

Even the batting is not as good as u think. Slater wasn't as good a player against the better bowling teams.
Bevan has technical flaws in his game against good pace bowling.
Katich, Haddin and Clarke are largely unproven at test level.
M Waugh was a good player but again like Marto a little overrated.

It's not a patch on the Aussie test batting lineup -- where are the equivalents of Hayden and Ponting ?

 

[iamdavid]

Even the batting is not as good as u think. Slater wasn't as good a player against the better bowling teams.
Bevan has technical flaws in his game against good pace bowling.
Katich, Haddin and Clarke are largely unproven at test level.
M Waugh was a good player but again like Marto a little overrated.

It's not a patch on the Aussie test batting lineup -- where are the equivalents of Hayden and Ponting ?

Obviously it aint the equivalent of the Aussie lineup , but when did I claim it was?

I never said that NSW would be the 2nd best team in the world either.

My point reads - "a full strength NSW side would IMO be one of the better international sides around ATM , I never said they were the second best or they would beat so & so , just that I beleive they would be one of the better sides around ATM.

 

[Richard]

It's pretty obvious you have mixed FC and Test records, which you just can't do. I don't think NSW is anywhere near the 2nd best side in the world, and other than against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh I can't see them winning. Hell I even think Surrey would beat them!

I think the Surrey First XI of 2001 against the NSW First XI of today and the Surrey Second XI of the same year against the NSW Second XI would be a cracking contest.
Surrey have lost, for varying reasons, Ben Hollioake, Stewart, Ward, Gary Butcher and Gareth Batty. Their side in 2004 will be a shadow of it's 2001 brilliance (badly disrupted by injury, but hey - we won the Championship so I'm not complaining )
They are still pretty good but not their former dominant selves and I don't think they would any longer be a match for NSW.
But I also think we would have had a good chance against them in 2001.
Personally I have long thought NSW have a brilliant first-XI (not that it really ever plays) but I don't think they would beat the best-XI of even Zimbabwe of 2000, let alone any other best international XI of the last 3 years.

 

[PY]

1.M.J.Slater - Good record.
2.B.J.Haddin - Unproven
3.S.M.Katich - Looks pretty good at Test level
4.M.E.Waugh - Good Test record but a while ago.
5.S.R.Waugh - Older now but record speaks for itself.
6.M.G.Bevan - Never been good in Tests.
7.M.J.Clarke - Promising at best for Tests.
8.B.Lee - Over-rated.
9.N.W.Bracken - Average.
10.S.C.G.MacGill - Pie thrower.
11.G.D.McGrath - No-one knows if he'll recover from injury but obviously top-class.

These are obviously overly critical because I don't agree with it. But all of them have merit to some degree.

 

[Craig]

Obviously it aint the equivalent of the Aussie lineup , but when did I claim it was?

I never said that NSW would be the 2nd best team in the world either.

My point reads - "a full strength NSW side would IMO be one of the better international sides around ATM , I never said they were the second best or they would beat so & so , just that I beleive they would be one of the better sides around ATM.

But when have NW been full strength or when have they put that line-up in the field?

 

[AndyJ27]

But when have NW been full strength or when have they put that line-up in the field?

They never have, never will cause as we all know NSW cap = Surefire Australian cap

 

[Tim]

While I think Brett Lee is down on form at the moment, there's also no doubt that he's benefited greatly from having McGrath & Warne bowling at the other end.

 

[Linda]

It seems alot of people are just writing off NSW completely, not alot of people can admit theyd be pretty damn competitive at full strength.

As for the old 'if you're from NSW you'll be in the Test team', arnt people starting to get a little sick of that? I know I am.

 

[Tim]

Personally I think you should take the players who represent their state/province the most times during the season & thats the NSW side.

And thats not only for NSW, it can apply for every domestic side worldwide.

 

[deeps]

the bowling light? mcgrath, lee macgill and bracken are a pretty good bowling attack....with matthew nicholson and stuart clarke mssing out

battingwise, i think the weakest link is michael slater......he used 2 b good,but is not even a quarter of the player he used 2 b... the rest of the batting is pretty damn awesome...

ok richard and rik..u don't think they can beat the surrey tem...well,i'll compare them with england....i'm gonna compoare them at test level..

1.M.J.Slater
2.B.J.Haddin
3.S.M.Katich
4.M.E.Waugh
5.S.R.Waugh
6.M.G.Bevan
7.M.J.Clarke
8.B.Lee
9.N.W.Bracken
10.S.C.G.MacGill
11.G.D.McGrath


VS

England (their last played XI) 3rd Test vs SL

M.Trescothic
M.Vaughan
M.Butcher
N.Hussain
G.Thorpe
A.Flintoff
G.Batty
C.Read
A.Giles
R.Kirtly
J.Anderson

The result:

Trescothic +12
Vaughan + 20
Katich + 8
M.Waugh + 6
S.Waugh + 15
M.Bevan + 3
M.Clarke + 15
C.Read + 5
Giles + 5
Macgill + 5
Anderson +1


England +43
NSW + 52


So the NSW batting line-up is stronger than the english one..NSW has a better keeper/batsman

BOwlingwise: NSW have a much better spinner.... one of the best fast bowlers in the world (mcgrath)....I think NSW win that side margianlly as well.....


NSW will defeat england :P especially with the grit and leadership of s.waugh on the team,it's hard 2 see them losing

 

[Craig]

Yes but you dont realise NSW are never full strength.

 

[iamdavid]

But when have NW been full strength or when have they put that line-up in the field?

Very , very rarely , but if they were an international side then they would & Im saying if they did they'd be one of the better sides in both forms.

 

[NZTailender]

NSW has more players in, usually, cos its the largest state population wise. AFAIK, more club teams in sydney then most have in their state?

or im completely wrong. :rolleyes: