howardj
International Coach
Benn is woeful.Would play Benn over Powell but that depends on the picth. Otherwise, agreed.
Club standard.
Benn is woeful.Would play Benn over Powell but that depends on the picth. Otherwise, agreed.
AWTA, nothing more than an average ODI prospect and good T20 prospect imo.Benn is woeful.
Club standard.
Frustrating, isn't he? Looks like he has everything to make him a good test bowler, but just doesn't ge the job done very often. Can bowl some good stuff when he's on song though. Maybe with Edwards and Taylor getting better all the time, Powell can lift as well. Love his facial expressions. A character IMO.Do the Windies have anyone better than Powell? Taylor and Edwards are pure class, but Powell seems to fire only when the mood takes him, he often looks so dreadful.
Sources deep in the jungles of the Carribean tell me that Johnson is certain to play, despite his underwhelming series thus far.
In the search for a left-arm quick, the Aussie selectors will do anything. Witness the continued selection of Brendan Julian. Or the selection at all of Chris Matthews. I'd say he'll be given every chance to get some form and he'll also play in India. Without a decent spinner, variation is the buzzword for India I'd guess.
Not at you, at Merv and co. Sick to death of this 'chosen one' policy that's been done to anyone under 30 who can swing a ball or unfurl pretty chips over midwicket.
In his defence, BJ was a top tourist, a ripper bloke and great for team morale apparently!In the search for a left-arm quick, the Aussie selectors will do anything. Witness the continued selection of Brendan Julian. Or the selection at all of Chris Matthews.
I take your point, but we have three issues:I really don't see the issue. You pump the Tests into the bloke while the team is winning, the guys is fit, and you can afford to carry him. Then come the more important matches, he has more experience and knows his game, and Test cricket better. Who cares if it means that his personal numbers take a hit, it'll ensure that going forward we'll be a better side.
it's only one draw though. A side with an arguably better attack lost to WI after setting a record chase last time around. An attack containing Warne and McGrath also failed to bowl out SA in Perth when they had nigh on 2 days to bowl them out.I take your point, but we have three issues:
1. The team is not winning, it's drawing against the #8 side (albeit in Antigua).
2. The time-honoured Australian practice of dropping nascent players has invariably brought success from them when they get re-picked after working on their game (see Clarke, S. Waugh, Warne, Ponting, Langer, Hayden, Lee and Katich)
3. Noffke has patently played well enough to deserve a spot, irrespective of Johnson's pedestrian form and season performance.
Apart from Midge playing like a total liability atm. Would sooner have Watson there as a pure bowler.
yep. well put.Perhaps so, but that's no reason to take for granted the strength we do have in Noffke and Bollinger, just for the sake of not damaging Johnson's confidence.
I agree stick Colleymore in there with Taylor, Powell, Edwards, Sammy and Bravo... and possibly Ravi Rampaul lol... right arm over the wicket all day!I think the west indies attack is unbalanced they should play 6 right arm fast bowlers.
But it's a fair argument to suggest that Mitchell Johnson and Stuart MacGill were the weak links that could have lost Australia the first Test. Clark bowled out of his skin to win it for Australia, and therefore did not expose that potentially game-losing flaw.I really don't see the issue. You pump the Tests into the bloke while the team is winning, the guys is fit, and you can afford to carry him. Then come the more important matches, he has more experience and knows his game, and Test cricket better. Who cares if it means that his personal numbers take a hit, it'll ensure that going forward we'll be a better side.
Never been his problem tbh, gun net bowler. Look, quote me as saying he will go alright in this last Test, but I'd put most of it down to novelty factor. I don't think he's the answer.Apparently Casson has been bowling very well in the nets over in the West Indies, so my spies inform me.