***Official*** New Zealand in Australia 2011

[Ruckus]

Yep Cummins, Bollinger, Copeland, Hazlewood all ahead of Starc for mine.

One last thing on Copeland; surely it wouldn't hurt just to give him, say, 10 test matches. If it honestly looks like he won't provide anything worthwhile for the side, then by all means let him go. But dumping the guy after two freaking matches is just not on. If we can let players like Hilfenhaus have 15+ matches, then surely we can afford the same courtesy to someone like Copeland.

 

[NUFAN]

What makes you think other bowlers who can't even take as many wickets as Copeland in Shield cricket, will be able to in test cricket?

That's a fair question and it's difficult to convince someone why X is better than Copeland when they play in the same comp or even the same team.

Some bowlers produce spells that look like they would be a handful for Test batting lineups, others do not. This can happen even when they don't take many wickets.

tbf naming the aus a team on a day two shield games were finishing and where one good performance could get you in the team (oh hai cooper) was a bit silly. and then it turns out we were planning to pick the team the first day of the aus a game. not off to the best start

Yeah Cooper was lucky to be selected, but I don't have a real problem with the squad for the A game as all 6 states were/are involved in matches at the same time.

I don't know about the timing of the Test squad, was it really going to be named after Day 1? I reckon they should have named it tomorrow, that would have been enough time.

 

[Spikey]

the group phone call where the team was picked was to be done on the first night of the game, with the team being announced shortly after. but they correctly postponed it due to all the injures. i'm not really sure why there was such a rush. i guess we could call it a minor thing but it still ****s me a bit.

 

[NUFAN]

You're playing against New Zealand, most of our team tend to get out by playing poor shots. Copeland would have been absolutely ideal.

New Zealand have a good batting lineup especially if you go in with just the 4 bowlers.

However, perhaps wrongfully the selectors are possibly not looking for bowlers who can get wickets by batsman playing poor shots (yeah yeah, I can't explain Johnson's continued selection), so they want to give a few more quicks an opportunity to gain Test experience and they'll be able to see who offers the most for the India Tests later in the summer.

FTR I wouldn't be taking NZ so lightly as like I say, you have a good batting lineup and also our batsman have been inconsistent.

 

[Athlai]

New Zealand have a good batting lineup especially if you go in with just the 4 bowlers.

However, perhaps wrongfully the selectors are possibly not looking for bowlers who can get wickets by batsman playing poor shots (yeah yeah, I can't explain Johnson's continued selection), so they want to give a few more quicks an opportunity to gain Test experience and they'll be able to see who offers the most for the India Tests later in the summer.

FTR I wouldn't be taking NZ so lightly as like I say, you have a good batting lineup and also our batsman have been inconsistent.

I'm not taking us lightly, I reckon we'll whip your bowlers. But Copes playing a frustrating line to Baz, Guppy, Taylor and Ryder would be a great strategy in trying to buy a wicket out of them.

 

[BeeGee]

Pretty happy with the warm up game, so far. The only real disappointment has been the double failure of Williamson. If Guppy, Taylor and (especially) Jess can get some good batting practice in today then it will have been the perfect prep for the Tests.

BTW, what's with all the lefties in the Aus batting lineup? I hope that myth about Martin bowling well to lefties comes true...

 

[Prince EWS]

no we'd pick Bollinger ahead of him. and then I - and probably every other NSW fan - would go 1. Copeland 2. Haze 3. Starc

Yeah Starc is #4 in the NSW fast bowling pecking order at best IMO and most would have Hazelwood ahead of him too which would make him #5. And that's not counting Watson.

I'll throw this spanner into the works too - with Watson in the side I might even pick two spinners for NSW's full strength side.

 

[adub]

Yeah Starc is #4 in the NSW fast bowling pecking order at best IMO and most would have Hazelwood ahead of him too which would make him #5. And that's not counting Watson.

I'll throw this spanner into the works too - with Watson in the side I might even pick two spinners for NSW's full strength side.

If it was Sydney after a dry spell and both Haurie and SOK were fit you might not even wait for Watson as Henriques is a solid third pace option. Starc has been elevated well above his station. I do think he could be a very good bowler, but he isn't one yet.

 

[adub]

To me Copes/Starc is the only real problematic selection. Mostly that is based on the fact that Copeland has been ****ed over. I was fair enough for him to lose his spot in SA as Siddle had done more in the last test, Shield and tour match. That was fine both had equal opportunity.

But when he goes from 12th man to completely overlooked for the A team, that's just bull****. What was the danger if they played him? Oh **** he's grabbed a 5-fer but we have a hard on for Starc so he misses out? Utter crap. If he played and Baz slapped him about and he ends up with no wickets then sure no test- that's fair and reasonable, but to not even give an incumbent who has recently done a job for you a crack, that's a dog act.

On the positive side though we didn't see the feared return of the Hilf, and young guys are getting a go. That's what I've been crying out for for years, and whilst it's probably only come about due to the injuries the selectors have gone with young guys, rather than 30 yo hacks averaging in the 30s. Finger's crossed at least some of them step up and give the selectors more encouragement to move on old men past their use by date and bring in guys with a decade of test cricket ahead of them. Hopefully Warner will inspire a generation of young bats to enjoy the hit and giggle and make some cash, but still to get their head down and churn out consistent big scores in the Shield. We'll need them soon.

 

[Prince EWS]

If it was Sydney after a dry spell and both Haurie and SOK were fit you might not even wait for Watson as Henriques is a solid third pace option. Starc has been elevated well above his station. I do think he could be a very good bowler, but he isn't one yet.

Well yeah but I wouldn't have Henriques anywhere near a full strength NSW XI. Even if Watson was unfit I'd rather use Katich or Smith as the fifth bowler and leave Hauritz or O'Keefe out.

 

[adub]

Personally, the side I would have picked would have been:

Butterworth (excellent overall record, excellent recent form, adds a lot with the bat and simply deserves a go)
Copeland (simply didn't deserve to not be given another chance, enough has been said about him)

Could argue that having Butterworth and Copeland in the side lacks penetration, but the reality is alternatives like Starc haven't even been 'penetrating' at shield level so far let alone a step up. Plus more importantly, with the supposedly new regime good performance HAS to be rewarded over whims about potential or biases to do with how fast someone bowls.

Would at this stage definitely go either Copes or Butts, but never both. See them both doing a similar job despite the differences in their method. In 12-18 months time (or maybe less) Hazelwood will take over this role.

 

[adub]

Well yeah but I wouldn't have Henriques anywhere near a full strength NSW XI. Even if Watson was unfit I'd rather use Katich or Smith as the fifth bowler and leave Hauritz or O'Keefe out.

I wasn't really talking about full strength, and I know what you're saying as I've said similar things myself. But he's a better bowler than bat in my eyes and the NSW selectors do love to play him.

If we're playing on an SCG wicket expected to turn and SOK and Haurie are fit in form and available then the point we're both making is that Starc would no way get a game without orders from above or a long injury list.

 

[Prince EWS]

I wasn't really talking about full strength, and I know what you're saying as I've said similar things myself. But he's a better bowler than bat in my eyes and the NSW selectors do love to play him.

If we're playing on an SCG wicket expected to turn and SOK and Haurie are fit in form and available then the point we're both making is that Starc would no way get a game without orders from above or a long injury list.

Yeah. If Henriques was one of the best six batsmen available and we also had O'Keefe and Hauritz fit, I'd sooner play both spinners than play Starc. Absolutely.

Here's a (perhaps) more interesting one - Starc v Henriques on bowling alone? I mean I'd probably go Starc here but you could make a decent case for Henriques really. And we do have Siddle batting eight in the Test side now...

 

[Sylvester]

I'd say now Starc would be the best 11 for NSW not because he is their best but because CA would be in the ears of the NSW selectors to pick him.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd say now Starc would be the best 11 for NSW not because he is their best but because CA would be in the ears of the NSW selectors to pick him.

Whether or not Starc would bepicked for NSW and whether or not he should be picked for NSW aren't the same question.

 

[Howsie]

Looks as though New Zealand will be going with just the four bowlers:

Woodhill says three pace bowlers should do the job this week.

"There are not too many times where you'd play four pace bowlers at the Gabba. There's a chance they wouldn't be used enough if the ball does a bit. Trent [Boult] would have to push one of the other three out to get a go. In Australia generally I think you should pick your six best batsmen first."

It's a shame that same logic doesn't apply to the bowling attack huh.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Six Best Batsmen
McCullum, Guptill, Williamson, Taylor, Ryder, Vettori

OK, we have picked the six best batsmen first. Now what?

 

[Prince EWS]

Six Best Batsmen
McCullum, Guptill, Williamson, Taylor, Ryder, Vettori

OK, we have picked the six best batsmen first. Now what?

They you pick the best keeper and the best four bowlers.

Looks like you're playing with 10.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

I could even be playing with 9, tbh.

 

[Prince EWS]

I could even be playing with 9, tbh.

Haha, touche. McCullum WAC.