**Official** Tour Matches

[pup11]

McDonald's not marginally better than Lee if Lee is bowling poorly, there's enough difference that I'd pick McDonald every time if Lee was bowling absolute **** (edit: I'm not saying I'd only pick McDonald by the way, but that's who we're talking about here). Mainly because, when Lee bowls badly not only doesn't he get wickets, he goes for thousands too. If Lee took a couple of wickets in each innings on average and didn't go for many runs everyone would say he's bowling pretty well.

I agree though that Lee can do significantly more damage if he's bowling well.

It's about who's the best bowler on their current form. Lee's performance last night means he's the one to pick. I'm happy to see him bowling well too. I certainly wouldn't prefer to have McDonald there.

The reason why they were in contention was that Lee and Clark were coming back from injury, they weren't sure how they would go, and Cardiff is supposed to be slow and turn. Add to that the fact that Lee's been very poor in England in previous series. It doesn't take a lot of working out really. It's easy to say in hindsight now that Lee's performed well that they should never have been in contention. But at the start of the tour that's how it stood.

I think if one is looking for containment, then one can see McDonald as a viable option for the bowling attack, but regardless of Lee' previous record in England, there is no sense in replacing a strike-bowler like Lee, with a bloke like McDonald, especially when you already have a bloke like Clark in the attack, who can keep a check on the flow of runs.

I don't think McDonald's bowling is good enough, for him to be competing for a spot with any of the four main Aussie quicks atm, and maybe the only bloke he could realistically push for a spot in the side is Stuey Clark, that too considering Clark fails to do well in the initial tests.

 

[Matt79]

The prob with Lee when he's not in peak form is that he's all gold or totally ****. Given he still doesn't have a lot of bowling in him, i'm still nervous as to how he'll go this series (he'll certainly play, not that he was much chance of missing ever). A team with McDonald in it will do better with Lee in it, if Lee is not bowling well. McDonald is reliably tight.

Still expect Johnson and Siddle to comprehensively out bowl Lee this series, but I of course am
pleased to see Lee bowling well in this tour match. I've never stopped liking him, have just been concerned that his fitness and lack of match time might prevent
him from producing his best.

 

[Hoggy31]

I think if one is looking for containment, then one can see McDonald as a viable option for the bowling attack, but regardless of Lee' previous record in England, there is no sense in replacing a strike-bowler like Lee, with a bloke like McDonald, especially when you already have a bloke like Clark in the attack, who can keep a check on the flow of runs.

I don't think McDonald's bowling is good enough, for him to be competing for a spot with any of the four main Aussie quicks atm, and maybe the only bloke he could realistically push for a spot in the side is Stuey Clark, that too considering Clark fails to do well in the initial tests.

McDonald's not even competing against the quicks, in these circumstances he's our best bet in the spinners role, 10-12 over spells and tieing up an end. I'm not sure Clark has the fitness at this stage to bowl long spell after long spell.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Dunno if it has any significance for the tests, but Lee's been given first dibs here with the new pill and squared Rashid up first ball to take a leading edge that went for a single.

 

[Uppercut]

The prob with Lee when he's not in peak form is that he's all gold or totally ****. Given he still doesn't have a lot of bowling in him, i'm still nervous as to how he'll go this series (he'll certainly play, not that he was much chance of missing ever). A team with McDonald in it will do better with Lee in it, if Lee is not bowling well. McDonald is reliably tight.

McDonald was utterly smashed in his last test by AB De Villiers and Albie Morkel, if you remember. He's not the 100% guarantee to go at 2 per over some are making out.

 

[pup11]

The prob with Lee when he's not in peak form is that he's all gold or totally ****. Given he still doesn't have a lot of bowling in him, i'm still nervous as to how he'll go this series (he'll certainly play, not that he was much chance of missing ever). A team with McDonald in it will do better with Lee in it, if Lee is not bowling well. McDonald is reliably tight.

Still expect Johnson and Siddle to comprehensively out bowl Lee this series, but I of course am
pleased to see Lee bowling well in this tour match. I've never stopped liking him, have just been concerned that his fitness and lack of match time might prevent
him from producing his best.

No matter how well McDonald bowls, he can never match the kind of spell Binga produced yesterday, Lee' biggest weakness on docile tracks is that, he is unable to make the ball move in general, but if gets reverse swing going like he did yesterday, then he suddenly turns into a very dangerous bowler.

For an Australian bowling attack that has been finding it hard to bowl the opposition twice in a test, and having both McDonald and Clark in the same XI ahead of a bloke like Lee wouldn't help their cause one bit.

 

[BoyBrumby]

First wicket for Johnson. Horrible shot from Bresnan to drag a wide short of length ball onto his off stump tho. Still no swing for Mitchell.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Mahmood gifts Lee a sixth wicket. Bouncer hits him on the shoulder, balloons up and over his body onto the srumps.

Saj's batting still better than his bowling IMHO tho.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Flashing cut for 4 behind square brings Rashid his 50. Well played young man. Batting definitely has potential in the longer game.

 

[Burgey]

Mahmood gifts Lee a sixth wicket. Bouncer hits him on the shoulder, balloons up and over his body onto the srumps.

Saj's batting still better than his bowling IMHO tho.

Lee's been great again this morning. Good signs, but loling at Saj.

Colville hits us with "Rashid didn't take wickets 1st dig, but it's a tough wicket". As opposed to the one Hauritz bowled on yesterday, eh? Please tell me this muppet isn't commentating all series.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think if one is looking for containment, then one can see McDonald as a viable option for the bowling attack, but regardless of Lee' previous record in England, there is no sense in replacing a strike-bowler like Lee, with a bloke like McDonald, especially when you already have a bloke like Clark in the attack, who can keep a check on the flow of runs.

I don't think McDonald's bowling is good enough, for him to be competing for a spot with any of the four main Aussie quicks atm, and maybe the only bloke he could realistically push for a spot in the side is Stuey Clark, that too considering Clark fails to do well in the initial tests.

I'd agree actually, the other guys are bowling pretty well and that's a good thing.

I don't think McDonald would be considered a direct replacement of Lee though, he wouldn't have been when he came in. You don't pick the next guy who can bowl at 150 though if Lee is missing if he's no good, you pick a guy who you think will fit in with the team you have. As we saw in SA, Johnson stepped up to Lee's role, Siddle came in and was aggressive and the others played around them.

 

[inbox24]

I feel that these two last wickets will be brutal on our bowlers.

 

[GIMH]

Lee's been great again this morning. Good signs, but loling at Saj.

Colville hits us with "Rashid didn't take wickets 1st dig, but it's a tough wicket". As opposed to the one Hauritz bowled on yesterday, eh? Please tell me this muppet isn't commentating all series.

Nah, he'll be shoved away for the highlights when the Tests come along

 

[BoyBrumby]

Lee's been great again this morning. Good signs, but loling at Saj.

Colville hits us with "Rashid didn't take wickets 1st dig, but it's a tough wicket". As opposed to the one Hauritz bowled on yesterday, eh? Please tell me this muppet isn't commentating all series.

Reckon you'll be right. He might do an few boundary edge interviews, but my guess is Gower will be main presenter. Colville, Knight, Allot and maybe Willis will be dispatched to the shires for whatever domestic stuff Sky shows between tests.

EDIT: Bad news is you will have the joys of Beefy's disgruntled ****-wittery tho.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Nah, he'll be shoved away for the highlights when the Tests come along

Wardy for the highlights? Seems to be above Colville in the pecking order now.

 

[Uppercut]

Lee's been great again this morning. Good signs, but loling at Saj.

Colville hits us with "Rashid didn't take wickets 1st dig, but it's a tough wicket". As opposed to the one Hauritz bowled on yesterday, eh? Please tell me this muppet isn't commentating all series.

Yeah, the commentators have been far too apologetic for Rashid. He never looked like taking a wicket and got smashed, all we hear is how unfortunate he was to end up with something like 0/74 off 11.

 

[Burgey]

I feel that these two last wickets will be brutal on our bowlers.

I feel that this constant negativity will be brutal on Australian forum members...

 

[Burgey]

Yeah, the commentators have been far too apologetic for Rashid. He never looked like taking a wicket and got smashed, all we hear is how unfortunate he was to end up with something like 0/74 off 11.

There are a stack of merde commentators, but having said two overs ago that Ponting now knows what Lee's bowling like and should give Clark a go (ie - it's a practice game), he now says if Harmison gets going Australia should be terrified (ie - it's full on).

The man's plainly a nonsensical ****.

 

[BoyBrumby]

First scalp for Clark. Lovely take from Hussey at cover point. Rashid the man to go.

14 runs the deficit and last man in.

 

[King Pietersen]

2nd drop in the innings from Haddin. Really poor footwork.