***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[adub]

If it does stuff them up, it just means they probably weren't tough enough for international cricket anyway.

I find it really weird that people seem to think a youngster being dropped will somehow lose all will to be good. If they love the sport and love competing, it should spur them on.

No-one in their sporting careers has ever had it easy the whole way through.

Well, I'm not sure about Mitch Marsh to be honest.

I was talking about Hughes' situation specifically, which I contend was a very special circumstance. It wasn't his motivation that was effected (as is obvious now), but his approach to batting. He got told the game that got him to test cricket wasn't good enough to stay there, so he tried to change it. That's what I was talking about regarding having his head ****ed with. Now that he has realised all the people telling him to change are pelicans he has gone back to doing what has always worked for him, and lo and behold - it still works. If he has an extended stint without runs, then sure he should go just like anyone else, but that wasn't what happened to him and it's great that he has got it back together.

 

[NUFAN]

Does anyone have any idea what the SL attack will be? Herath will play, Mendis is likely, but beyond that I don't really have any idea. Welegedara + Lakmal? And surely they'll pick six specialist bats this time (Mathews being one of them)?

That's the 4 I'm expecting, but like I said a few pages back Eranga could be a smokey perhaps, he looked quite good in the ODIs. I don't know anything else about him though.

Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Rangana Herath Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka Welegedara, Ajantha Mendis. 12th man Shaminda Eranga

vs

Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke (capt), Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Trent Copeland, Ryan Harris, Michael Beer. 12th man Shaun Marsh

 

[Spikey]

From a winning-this-series point of view, definitely Lyon for me, and it's not even particularly close. I do worry that it might ruin him and get him canned prematurely though so it might almost be worth burning Beer here to get the best out of Lyon later.

i just hope whatever happens that, unless one of them absolutely stars- i'm talking match winning performances - they don't get the incumbency over Hauritz when he returns.

as for this series...Beer to start...Lyon to play a test.

 

[SamSawnoff]

i just hope whatever happens that, unless one of them absolutely stars- i'm talking match winning performances - they don't get the incumbency over Hauritz when he returns.

as for this series...Beer to start...Lyon to play a test.

Yes, there is all that, but of course the big question is... how will the headcase bowl? If he has a good match or even just a decent match first up, it makes life SOOOO much easier for everyone including the spin bowlers.

 

[Spikey]

quietly confident in MJ tbh









i'll live to regret that confidence

 

[Ruckus]

From a winning-this-series point of view, definitely Lyon for me, and it's not even particularly close. I do worry that it might ruin him and get him canned prematurely though so it might almost be worth burning Beer here to get the best out of Lyon later.

Hmm it's a tough one...Lyon definately has more potential, that's for sure, but it sounds like he was struggling again with the amount of overs. Beer looks like he kept things a fair bit tighter than Lyon and will probably handle the lengthy spells better, but on the other hand we are probably better off just hoping our pace attack can take most of the wickets anyway (even on a turner). Because Copeland is most likely to be in the team it means he could relied on to bowl long spells, and the spinner could be probably used less extensively than normal. If they were to be used somewhat sparingly as well you'd hope they would have a decent chance of actually taking wickets, and Lyon would definately have an advantage over Beer in that regard imo.

 

[Daemon]

Why the **** is Beer even near the test side. Such a desperate move.

 

[Julian87]

Hmm it's a tough one...Lyon definately has more potential, that's for sure, but it sounds like he was struggling again with the amount of overs. Beer looks like he kept things a fair bit tighter than Lyon and will probably handle the lengthy spells better, but on the other hand we are probably better off just hoping our pace attack can take most of the wickets anyway (even on a turner). Because Copeland is most likely to be in the team it means he could relied on to bowl long spells, and the spinner could be probably used less extensively than normal. If they were to be used somewhat sparingly as well you'd hope they would have a decent chance of actually taking wickets, and Lyon would definately have an advantage over Beer in that regard imo.

I think you're on the money. With Copeland in the side and no fit part time spin option I reckon they'll pick Lyon with the thought that he'll take more wickets.

I'd back Copeland and Johnson to bowl a lot of overs.

This side would be stronger with a 100% fit Katich opening in place of Hughes and adding a wrist spin option.

Being objective as an Aussie supporter I'd probably pick Beer (from the squad in Sri Lanka) because we're going t be in the field for long periods of time.

 

[Spikey]

SPINNERS GOING AROUND IN AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC CRICKET

those who have played more than 15 games
- Hauritz (injured)
- Doherty (****)
- Krejza (****)
- Dan Cullen (dead)
- Cullen Bailey (dead)
- Beau Casson (was thought to be dead, then returned last season)

those who haven't played more than 15 games
- Lyon (bowled a few good spells in the BigBash)
- Beer (hahahaha what a great name)
- Boyce (not really done anything apart from look good while Victoria were aiming for 1000)
- Holland (well he was good enough to keep Beer out of the vic squad...)
- vic_orthdox (Busy in England ****ing their women)
- O'Keefe (Has taken wickets, which we don't like)


That's why Beer is in the side. Pays to have a good last name.

 

[Julian87]

SPINNERS GOING AROUND IN AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC CRICKET

those who have played more than 15 games
- Hauritz (injured)
- Doherty (****)
- Krejza (****)
- Dan Cullen (dead)
- Cullen Bailey (dead)
- Beau Casson (was thought to be dead, then returned last season)

those who haven't played more than 15 games
- Lyon (bowled a few good spells in the BigBash)
- Beer (hahahaha what a great name)
- Boyce (not really done anything apart from look good while Victoria were aiming for 1000)
- Holland (well he was good enough to keep Beer out of the vic squad...)
- vic_orthdox (Busy in England ****ing their women)
- O'Keefe (Has taken wickets, which we don't like)


That's why Beer is in the side. Pays to have a good last name.

Meanwhile the best spinner in Australia under 40 is playing Fuures League.

 

[Spikey]

Greg 'Mo' Matthews isn't under 40 and isn't playing in the Futures League...?


Looking forward to benchmark00 pointing out Holland has played more than 15 games btw. ****

 

[Spikey]

but yes reading that Lyon/Higgs article was interesting...did we post it in here? Daniel Brettig: Nathan Lyon learns from his mentor Mark Higgs' mistakes | Specials | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Ruckus]

This side would be stronger with a 100% fit Katich opening in place of Hughes and adding a wrist spin option.

Yeah its really quite inconvenient not having a Smith, North or Katich in the side to provide some additional spin. I say we bring back North and use him as the spinner. Could bat at no. 11 too, where he belongs.

 

[Spikey]

Sri Lanka warned over faith healers


Without speech

 

[Howe_zat]

Bookies have decided the first Test's a draw.

 

[centurymaker]

Srilanka in their history have only beaten australia ONCE!!!

so it'll either be 1-0 or 2-0 to aus.

 

[howardj]

SPINNERS GOING AROUND IN AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC CRICKET

those who have played more than 15 games
- Hauritz (injured)
- Doherty (****)
- Krejza (****)
- Dan Cullen (dead)
- Cullen Bailey (dead)
- Beau Casson (was thought to be dead, then returned last season)

those who haven't played more than 15 games
- Lyon (bowled a few good spells in the BigBash)
- Beer (hahahaha what a great name)
- Boyce (not really done anything apart from look good while Victoria were aiming for 1000)
- Holland (well he was good enough to keep Beer out of the vic squad...)
- vic_orthdox (Busy in England ****ing their women)
- O'Keefe (Has taken wickets, which we don't like)


That's why Beer is in the side. Pays to have a good last name.

 

[adub]

Can they just get on with it. Maybe bring it forward a day? I'm hanging out for test cricket!

 

[stephen]

Can they just get on with it. Maybe bring it forward a day? I'm hanging out for test cricket!

This.

 

[Ruckus]

Does anyone else have a baaad feeling both Lyon and Beer are gonna play? Keep reading articles with hints at that being the case. Just read Watto's 'tour diary' and he says "The wicket already looks pretty dry, so we could play two spinners for the first time in quite a few years". Please make the first time a lot more than two years...