***Official*** West Indies in Australia

[howardj]

You've answered your own question there, Howard, mate

Pak v Eng was up on Sept 10, but the 1st Test started yesterday.

Windies v Aust was up on Sept 17, but the 1st Test started Nov 3.

With the 1st Test but a month away, It's time for SA in Aust, goddamit!

 

[howardj]

Im not going away until I have my thread!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Just wondering where you'd seen him play, that's all.

I was in England for 5 weeks over the English summer and saw him live a few times. Previously, I'd seen highlights of several of his innings.

 

[superkingdave]

Im not going away until I have my thread!

you know you can start it yourself and the mods will sticky it when they get the chance, it is what usually happens

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Pak v Eng was up on Sept 10, but the 1st Test started yesterday.

Windies v Aust was up on Sept 17, but the 1st Test started Nov 3.

With the 1st Test but a month away, It's time for SA in Aust, goddamit!

We're not going to sanction an "Official" thread pertaining to a regular series involving Australia when Australia is currently competing in another Test series. South Africa also has a series before that one.

 

[marc71178]

apart from Jones and Giles i wouldn't say England were carrying anyone.

You're not the one who's been criticising the majority of the England team as "poor"...

 

[Mister Wright]

Really intelligent stuff from Lee, as mentioned. The best he's bowled in a test match ever, in my opinion. 5/30 against the West Indies isn't that stunning on paper, but I thought he was really good. And, obviously, the best Bracken has bowled in a test as well. And, no wickets to either Warne or McGrath.

And it's about time. If you give someone enough chances they should take one occasionally. I'll credit Lee with a good bowling performance in the 2nd innings and he bowled well against Qld, but can he do it consistently? It looks like he can for the moment, but he's been prone to patches of brilliance then half a decade of mediocrity before.

 

[Mister Wright]

it comes off when he plays in batter friendly conditions, and he looks like a joke in seamer friendly conditions.

Are you talking about his batting or bowling here?

 

[Mister Wright]

When Bracken took 7-4 or whatever it was in that Shield game (I think it was at the Gabba too) he was hooping them more than anyone in world cricket.

Half those dismissals looked like he was bowling with a taped tennis ball they were doing so much.

Makes someone like Hoggard look gunbarrel straight on his day.

It was the SCG against S.A.

 

[Mister Wright]

You'll have to enlighten me as to the purpose of picking a 27 year-old Hopes ahead of a not-too-much older Hodge. Sorry but forget his average - a 600-run summer being his best ever isn't quite good enough to be batting 6 for Australia. Pick North, pick Jacques, pick Thornley even but Hopes? Why replace one mediocre allrounder with an even more mediocre one? When Warne made his mark as a leg-spinner, how many teams suddenly picked one? Just about all of them. How many are still playing?

You pick your best team first. And there is no way Hopes in the best XI Australia can offer. And if you pick him, there's no way you'd bat him above Gilchrist. Geez, batting Hussey at 6 would be a better option. As Jack said - someone already in the international framework would be the most likely option anyway.

Your post made sense until you mentioned Thornely's name.

Australia haven't picked the best XI available for a long time whilst Clarke and Lee have been underperforming

 

[Mister Wright]

kinda shocked Katich was dropped but not totally surprised either but i would have loved if Martyn could have been recalled but they cant do that just as yet because they at least need to give Hodge a chance at the highest level, so good luck to him at hobart...

If Martyn had of scored double centuries on the trot and Hodge failed he would have been picked.

Dropping Katich is a great decision for the selectors, for too long the selector have let guys that underperform remain in the side for too long. Clarke must be a bit worried.

 

[Mister Wright]

Hodge is a better batsman than Symonds.

That's a stretch. If anything they're fairly similar. Both were very inconsistent at the beginning of their first class careers, and have only gained consistency in the last few years. Symonds is highly under-rated as a first class batsman, he has the ability to adapt his game to the conditions.

 

[Mister Wright]

Lehmann should've played 3 times the no. of tests that he did and was only given a run when he was coming towards the end of his career.

One of the most talented players in the history of Aus cricket was treated shamefully by the selectors.

Have to agree with that. While we let Mark Waugh drift along for half a decade only scoring runs when HE NEEDED THEM middle order batsman around the country gave up all hope.

 

[Mister Wright]

well if you look back at that time selecting Lehmann as Waugh's replacement was the BEST option..

Not necessarily, it was more of a charity selection than anything else.

 

[Mister Wright]

no seriously he was the best option to replace mark waugh at that time, just look back at the batsmen who were probably up for selection around then, lehmann was surely the best, opinion has nothing to do with it.

At that time Martin Love was blazing double hundreds everywhere, he should have been selected ON FORM and ended up getting selected when Lehmann was injured, as I said in my last post, Lehmann's selection was a charity/sympathy selection.

 

[SquidAU]

Not necessarily, it was more of a charity selection than anything else.

Thats the feeling I got about Lehmann's return.

 

[social]

Have to agree with that. While we let Mark Waugh drift along for half a decade only scoring runs when HE NEEDED THEM middle order batsman around the country gave up all hope.[/QUOTE

Unfortunately, quality players like Love, Maher, Lehmann, Cox, etc did not have faces that fit at the time despite being more than adequately qualified.

 

[andyc]

That's 9 posts in a row Kyle, must be bordering on some kind of record.

 

[Mister Wright]

That's 9 posts in a row Kyle, must be bordering on some kind of record.

Not even close. I'm sure Richard or TEC have far more in a row than I.

 

[aussie]

Not necessarily, it was more of a charity selection than anything else.

well yea, ur probably right...