*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[uvelocity]

why is everyone putting clarke at 5. sure india was a 'lets get our best player of spin in earlier' thing, and sure he has a much better record at 5, but we all know it doesn't mean much if anything between 4 and 5. would much rather put him higher, though I don't see a good case with so many openers for MC at 3

 

[Cabinet96]

And the thing is, at the back-end of the India tour you could tell he'd worked his arse off to improve - following his complete lol-worthiness against spin in the first two tests, he knuckled down and made a couple of decent scores (69 in the second dig at Mohali before getting a shocker of an lbw decision, then 45 in the fourth game before copping one in the helmet from Sharma off a length).

He wasn't great, but he'd worked hard to not be completely useless at the end of the series. And that's what we need from out batsmen right now - hard work to overcome technical flaws.

Yeah I made the point a week or so ago that Hughes seems like the guy who absolutely works his socks off, when LHC had Khawaja over him in the no ****s XI. For that reason I hope he does well really. Would be really frustrating if he's dropped because of a poor India test where he got a couple of brute deliveries (Jadeja at Chennai, Ishant at Delhi) and a poor umpiring decision. Even if he did look crap for a lot of it.

why is everyone putting clarke at 5. sure india was a 'lets get our best player of spin in earlier' thing, and sure he has a much better record at 5, but we all know it doesn't mean much if anything between 4 and 5. would much rather put him higher, though I don't see a good case with so many openers for MC at 3

Because every other decent Australian batsman in the country is an opener, so it's much better idea to have them at 3 and 4. Besides, I quite like the idea of having the sides best batsman at five if the batting line up is weak. Everyone always whinges and it, but there's a reason guys like Chanderpaul don't bat three for the West Indies, they're far too valuable to have to go out when batting is at it's absolute toughest. It's much better to have a plodder like Cowan try to blunt the new ball and make Clarke's job easier when he first comes in. It's the best possible way to maximise the batting skill of Clarke IMO.

 

[Riggins]

i guess the counter argument to that is that your best batsmen is probably most able to get through the tough conditions, and so give the crappier batsmen a chance to bat in condiitions they are more likely to excel.

 

[Cabinet96]

In this case they're also more accustomed to dealing with those conditions and circumstances though, since they're natural openers in FC cricket, and Clarke isn't. Obviously it would be a bit more complicated if they were all middle order batsmen.

 

[Tangles]

Clarke at 5 shouldnt be changed for any reason. Its one of the few things thats actually working. We just need people for him to bat with.

 

[Adders]

I would hate to see all 5 openers we have in the same side, pick three of them (IMO Watson, Cowan and Rogers) and let Warner come in for anyone whose form drops

How can you drop from ground zero??? They can't get any worse surely to god??

<sorry, couldn't resist >

 

[Maximas]

How can you drop from ground zero??? They can't get any worse surely to god??

<sorry, couldn't resist >

"Anyone whose form becomes so bad that it actually becomes noticable in comparison with the failings of our other batsmen". There, fixed.

 

[the big bambino]

i guess the counter argument to that is that your best batsmen is probably most able to get through the tough conditions, and so give the crappier batsmen a chance to bat in condiitions they are more likely to excel.

Cowan at 5 might "excel" with 60. Clarke with 259*

 

[Ruckus]

Here's a question: what batsman and bowler from the opposition do you fear most going into this series? For me it would be Anderson and Trott.

 

[Cabinet96]

Pattinson and Clarke. If I was Australian it would probably be Anderson and Pietersen.

 

[Maximas]

Swann and Prior

 

[Ruckus]

I fear more the slow, attritional kind of batting that players like Trott and Cook are so good at. Feel it's more likely to bring our bowlers down than someone like Pietersen who always makes you feel like you've got a chance.

 

[watson]

Somerset slumped from 303/3 to 320 all out, with 5 ducks in a row. I've never seen 5 ducks in a row before which could be some kind of record.

All good omens courtesy of Pattinson and Starc.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013/engine/match/566928.html

 

[Maximas]

I fear more the slow, attritional kind of batting that players like Trott and Cook are so good at. Feel it's more likely to bring our bowlers down than someone like Pietersen who always makes you feel like you've got a chance.

I disagree, I think Pieterson is perhaps more fearful because he can take the game away from you quickly, even if England is behind in the game. Cook and Trott are scary when they come into bat after Australia puts a crappy score on the board, then they will just slowly devour our bowlers.

 

[Furball]

Clarke at 3 or 4 against a newish moving ball will be all kinds of fail.

 

[Furball]

Here's a question: what batsman and bowler from the opposition do you fear most going into this series? For me it would be Anderson and Trott.

 

[Top_Cat]

So long as they don't take 5 or more tests to accept it's not working if it isn't working. He's been averaging mid 20s as an opener, no.3 and no.4 since the last ashes as well as missing significant chunks due to injuries and indiscretions. 2 maybe 3 tests tops for mine. Make scores (and 30s ain't scores) or **** off. He's got his wish, now he has to deliver.

Anyone who reckons he isn't nailed on for the whole 5 is kidding themselves.

 

[uvelocity]

i didnt say 3 ****s, i said 4. but theres an unwritten rule in picking these teams that clarke has to be at 5 and i don't think he does have to be

 

[Burgey]

Pietersen and Anderson. Shout out to Cook too. IMO KP is the best English batsman since Gower or Gooch. He's devastating. Cook is rapidly becoming a ****ing annoyance to me though.

 

[Spark]

Clarke at 3 or 4 against a newish moving ball will be all kinds of fail.

Hmm, it's not like he hasn't been facing a lot of a newish ball a lot in recent years regardless...