***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[age_master]

Imagine a praying mantas (sp?!) crossed with a slingshot, with a firecracker up its rear end.

 

[Linda]

As far as speed, are we talking 'Jones', 'Harmison', 'Brett' or 'WTF was that'?

I've no idea really, Ive never seen a concrete speed. But its gotta be up near 'Brett', anyone?

 

[King_Ponting]

As far as speed, are we talking 'Jones', 'Harmison', 'Brett' or 'WTF was that'?

About bretts pace i believe. However i do remeber a match at the waca where he was edged for six which might put him in the wtf was that category

 

[tassietiger]

Yeah, Brett pace I'd say, but he is young and may soon be pushing for WTF was that?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Incidentally, I have never seen Shaun Tait bowl a ball. Over the last 6 months I have been in a loony bin and there's no tv in the 'rubber room'.

Actually I've been in Ireland and cricket coverage has been a little limited. Besides, it's different to see the tv through a pint of Guinness.

So, what's Tait like?

Been over it a bit in other threads. He's got an extremely unorthodox action where he has a very low point of delivery, he's extremely sharp, has a brilliant yorker and a very good outswinger, and moves the ball at will both in the air and off the pitch on the flat Adelaide wicket. Basically, he bowls as many wicket balls as any bowler I've ever seen, but can also send it to third slip sometimes. His accuracy and no ball problems are improving as he matures though, so hopefully he will continue in that fashion.

I'm a big fan of his, and rate him a fair chance of international success. I'd like to see him playing ODIs in the next Australian summer.

I posted a pic of his acton here, so you can see what everyone is on about re: his unorthodoxy.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/showthread.php?p=509309&highlight=tait#post509309

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

As far as speed, are we talking 'Jones', 'Harmison', 'Brett' or 'WTF was that'?

My assessment would be about Lee, these days. I'd say Lee can bowl quicker than Tait, but usually doesn't. Either way, I've never seen Tait clocked, but he definately bowls over 90mph at times imo.

 

[Craig]

I think now Brett Lee has to be a certainty for the first Test, either Gillespie or Kaspa has to miss out and I am leaning towards Kaspowicz as I think it is more likely for him to be left out then Gillespie. If he isn't picked surely he would have every right to go to the Aussie selectors and ask what does he have to do to get a game?

As for Ricky Ponting with his hundred he has shown that when in top form he is clearly one of the best batsmen around. And how about his catch? Simply stunning - rank it up there with Collingwood's.

 

[shaka]

I think Lee has to be a certainty now for the 1st Ashes game (at the very least).

 

[King_Ponting]

I think now Brett Lee has to be a certainty for the first Test, either Gillespie or Kaspa has to miss out and I am leaning towards Kaspowicz as I think it is more likely for him to be left out then Gillespie. If he isn't picked surely he would have every right to go to the Aussie selectors and ask what does he have to do to get a game?

As for Ricky Ponting with his hundred he has shown that when in top form he is clearly one of the best batsmen around. And how about his catch? Simply stunning - rank it up there with Collingwood's.

I thought pontings catch was a class above collingwoods. Simply becasue not only did he have to run at full pace to get there, he had to dive and when he hit the ground had to still keep hold of it.

 

[luckyeddie]

He really doesn't appear to be doing himself any favours as far as making himself 'tall' is concerned. It doesn't look as though the bouncer would be much of an effective weapon, on account of the fact that he would have to 'telegraph' it, either by changing his action or hitting his own toes.

Then again, if he can swing it and get seam movement, we're talking 'Glenn Plus' so it would be unfair for him to be able to peg a batsman onto his back foot too, especially if the yorker is as good as suggested.

We'd then be talking 'greatest fast bowler of all time by a mile'

 

[Mister Wright]

I think now Brett Lee has to be a certainty for the first Test, either Gillespie or Kaspa has to miss out and I am leaning towards Kaspowicz as I think it is more likely for him to be left out then Gillespie. If he isn't picked surely he would have every right to go to the Aussie selectors and ask what does he have to do to get a game?

As for Ricky Ponting with his hundred he has shown that when in top form he is clearly one of the best batsmen around. And how about his catch? Simply stunning - rank it up there with Collingwood's.

It depends what criteria we want to use to select our bowlers.

If we are selecting on form then it should be McGrath, Lee, Kaspa & Warne.

If we are going to select on loyalty then it should be McGrath, Gillespie, Kaspa & Warne.

You can't say, we are selecting Lee on form, but we're going to select Gillespie because, although in worse for than Kaspa, we think he'll come good for the test series - a case of double standards.

 

[luckyeddie]

I thought pontings catch was a class above collingwoods. Simply becasue not only did he have to run at full pace to get there, he had to dive and when he hit the ground had to still keep hold of it.

It was a different type of catch altogether - chalk and cheese.

 

[King_Ponting]

He really doesn't appear to be doing himself any favours as far as making himself 'tall' is concerned. It doesn't look as though the bouncer would be much of an effective weapon, on account of the fact that he would have to 'telegraph' it, either by changing his action or hitting his own toes.

Then again, if he can swing it and get seam movement, we're talking 'Glenn Plus' so it would be unfair for him to be able to peg a batsman onto his back foot too, especially if the yorker is as good as suggested.

We'd then be talking 'greatest fast bowler of all time by a mile'

Hes broken records in australia

 

[luckyeddie]

Hes broken records in australia

I dropped a box load of old 78s myself once.

 

[King_Ponting]

I dropped a box load of old 78s myself once.

And he was the leading wicket taker in australia last year, combined with the fact that his home ground is a batsmans paradise.

 

[Craig]

Didn't he take over 60 wickets?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

He really doesn't appear to be doing himself any favours as far as making himself 'tall' is concerned. It doesn't look as though the bouncer would be much of an effective weapon, on account of the fact that he would have to 'telegraph' it, either by changing his action or hitting his own toes.

Then again, if he can swing it and get seam movement, we're talking 'Glenn Plus' so it would be unfair for him to be able to peg a batsman onto his back foot too, especially if the yorker is as good as suggested.

We'd then be talking 'greatest fast bowler of all time by a mile'

Well, his low action is an advantage in some respects as well as a disadvantage in others. If you remember Malcolm Marshall's bouncer, it was considered quite dangerous because of the way it skidded on to the batsman. Tait's bouncer is excellent for the same reason, and he gets plenty of wickets with it. His low action however takes the slips out of the equation somewhat just like a young Brett Lee, and he can't get the ball to really rise on the batsman, even though he can hit them in the head.

His yorker is just sublime though. It's one of the best I've ever seen, and if he can learn to send down 4 or 5 of them in an over he'd be an amazing death bowler.

 

[King_Ponting]

61 i think

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Didn't he take over 60 wickets?

62 @ 20, with a strike rate in the mid 30s. Amazing season.

 

[luckyeddie]

OK, so now we've got the pace of Lee, the accuracy of McGrath, the seam movement of Hendrick, the swing of Waqar Younis, the yorker of Andrew Hall and the bouncer of Malcolm Marshall - and all this from a guy who is yet to play at the highest level and is therefore an 'unknown quantity'.

Here. Keep the bloody Ashes and sod off home now.