*Official* Zimbabwe in Australia Thread

[Craig]

I've thought exactly that since I first saw him bat at Kingsmead in early 2000.
Why on Earth hasn't this guy scored far more runs than he has at international level?
Still, there's some clues in his domestic averages. Likewise Carlisle, a good player with a disappointing record. Guy Whittall was exactly the same, too, though he had the best ever average counting only scores over 100.

Just found-out the Aussie assistant-coach is substituting! What a state the organisation must be in there! No 13th-man!

Simple Richard - Australia only names a 12 man squads and the 12th man usually stays on.

 

[marc71178]

How bad are MacGill and Gillespie by the way?

 

[iamdavid]

How bad are MacGill and Gillespie by the way?

MacGill yes but whats you're problem with Gillespie , he's the unluckiest bowler going around today yet he still manages to have a great record.

 

[Eclipse]

MacGill yes but whats you're problem with Gillespie , he's the unluckiest bowler going around today yet he still manages to have a great record.

marc was talking about there injurey's.

Any way to answere your question they will both miss the next test but I am not sure after that.

 

[Eclipse]

Vermeulen was looking good today pity he got a bad decision because he was looking fairly impressive.

That six off Lehmann was huge

 

[iamdavid]

Predicted aussie team for next test-
1.J.L.Langer
2.M.L.Hayden
3.R.T.Ponting
4.D.R.Martyn
5.*S.R.Waugh
6.D.S.Lehmann
7.+A.C.Gilchrist
8.G.B.Hogg
9.A.J.Bichel
10.B.Lee
11.B.Williams
12th man:A.A.Noffke

I reckon Hogg will get the nod but they will consider Cameron White for the spinners role , may even consider playing no specialist spinner & just using Lehmann seeing as he's giving them so much trouble today.

Williams will come in for Gillespie & I think they will chose another paceman as cover , Ashley Noffke is probably next in the pecking order although Bracken , Inness , Clark or possibly even Shane Watson could get the call up.

 

[Eclipse]

Shane Watson will not be bowling again untill december or later apparently.

Greg Chappell seem's to think J. Davison is the best finger spinner in Australia ATM. It's a supprise nomination but he did bowl and bat so brilliantly for Canada in the World cup and his form with the ball for SA last year was his best ever.

 

[age_master]

Hogg wll almost definatley play, even with Macgill playing. Gillespie is almost certain not to play. i would suggest that Cam White is a good chance to play along side Hogg should Macgill not play, its pretty clear that Australia will have no trouble crushing Zimbabwe again, especially with Langer, Ponting and Martyn really keen to score runs.

there is 1 final option that could be considered for the spot, Simon Katich. he has 1 test cap and made like 15. last season for NSW he did quite well with the ball, another left armer, plenty of experience at first class level, playing for WA and NSW as well as in county cricket for a couple of seasons. Last season he took 19 wickets @ 21 and a SR of 43.

Cam whites stats for last seaosn were 28 wickets @ 25 with a SR of 51. due to his age he i would say is more likley to get the nod.


Lee and Bichel will again lead the attack if we play a 3rd spinner Williams will probably get the nod, hes 12th man in teh current test. but personally i would prefer to see Noffke in the team, he took 6/24 at the SCG last season, removing Slater, Mail, Katich, S Waugh, M Clarke and Haddin. thats a pretty good effort. Last season Williams took 17 wickets @ 28, noffke 37 @ 21. i would like to see this line up


Langer
Lehmann
Ponting
Martyn
S Waugh (c)
Gilchrist (wk)
C White
B Hogg
B Lee
A Noffke
A Bichel

you may notice i have left out Hayden, my reasoning is that he has already made enough runs for 2 tests and the others wont get a go if he plays... all of those bowlers bat really well and could bat in any order, White and Hogg are the specialist all rounders but we all know that Bichel and Lee are good, Noffke can also reach the boundary fairly regularly :

 

[Eclipse]

Cam White needs more time to develope IMO.

And I dont see why we need to or should play 2 spinners at the SCG. Traditionaly it has suited spin but recently it has been a pace bowlers wicket and especialy with the recent wether in syd I would think 1 spinner would be enough.

I agree with you about Williams he probably deserves the next call up for the One day games but Nofkie was much better FC wise last season.

 

[iamdavid]

I also hope Williams is left out , however Ian Healy says Noffke's injured as well so Bracken os the next most likely.

Katich has shown rapid improvment with the ball in the last 12 months & I think he was unlucky not to go to the Caribean seeing as Australia seemed to want to play 5 bowlers , however I think its unlikely , I also doubt they will play two spinners but I hope White does get the call ahead of Hogg.

By the way is John Davison eligable to play for Australia after representing Canada so recently?

 

[Eclipse]

By the way is John Davison eligable to play for Australia after representing Canada so recently?

Yes

 

[Eclipse]

Ervine has alos shown improvment since the England tour he made a very good fifty and his bowling was by far the best off all of the Zimbabwe bowlers including Streak.

 

[age_master]

true noffke could be injured, not sure how bad that is. Bracken would not get picked, he hasn't been good enough at first class level, most of his sucess comes from one dayers.


on Cam white, yeah, but one test on a wicket that will more than likley turn quite abit, missing just a grade game in melbourne is hardly going to harm it, and Macgill will probably be around to give him some advice. and he will more than likley be able to take wickets against a batting line up that looked very un impressive against leg spin.

white wouldn't get the call up over hogg, hogg has more expetrience and has been a pretty regular wicket taker for the national team in recent times

 

[Craig]

Having Lee and Bichel open for Australia has got to be one of the poorest new ball partnerships they have had.

Lee's accuracy and line and length is inconsistant while Bichel is ok, but nothing special.

 

[age_master]

interestingly Cam white has found a litle form for the Victorian 2nd XI (which is more a young XI rather than an actual 2nd XI)

he captained and won.

Made 59 and 87 with the bat and took 4/60 and 3/88 with the ball

 

[age_master]

Having Lee and Bichel open for Australia has got to be one of the poorest new ball partnerships they have had.

Lee's accuracy and line and length is inconsistant while Bichel is ok, but nothing special.

lol, hardly, Lee is still a little rusty from the off season, but starting to show more form today, will get better for the next match, Bichel is a champ too

 

[iamdavid]

Having Lee and Bichel open for Australia has got to be one of the poorest new ball partnerships they have had.

Lee's accuracy and line and length is inconsistant while Bichel is ok, but nothing special.

This is the best I have seen Bichel bowl in a test match , I think the day is fast approaching when he will replace Lee in Australias best test XI , Lee's actually not that inaccurate anymore , he is just a two length bowler who gets impatient to quickly.

His ball to get Streak was unplayable , why? , because he hit the right length , if only he did that more often then what a bowler he would be.

 

[Eclipse]

Having Lee and Bichel open for Australia has got to be one of the poorest new ball partnerships they have had.

Lee's accuracy and line and length is inconsistant while Bichel is ok, but nothing special.

What would you know Craig Bichel has bowled great of late and and a few off his spells in this test have been outstanding.

Also Lee was accurate this whole test and despite not taking as many wickets as he may like at least he is not bowling wildly and just giving the batsman runs.

His RPO has been better than Bichel and he could have taken a few more wickets if things had gone his way.

 

[age_master]

This is the best I have seen Bichel bowl in a test match , I think the day is fast approaching when he will replace Lee in Australias best test XI , Lee's actually not that inaccurate anymore , he is just a two length bowler who gets impatient to quickly.

His ball to get Streak was unplayable , why? , because he hit the right length , if only he did that more often then what a bowler he would be.

Give him half a chance to get into the season, he can bowl good length when he shoses, but that is not his role in the side most of the time. his role is to take wickets, something that he has alot of sucess with with his SR of 50.7. McGrath is there to keep it tight, Gillespie does abit of both. Bichel is more the McGrath / Gillespie type bowler and less of the wicket taker, on his type of pitch he will tear through any team, but not, he will hardly take any wickets, Lee takes wickets anywhere and can pull wickets from nowhere. but most improtantly he is a penetrating wicket taker, which completes the aussie attack

 

[Eclipse]

His ball to get Streak was unplayable , why? , because he hit the right length , if only he did that more often then what a bowler he would be.

And thats why wee need to keep him in the team. He is a two length bowler allthough less than last year but he is actualy quite accurate when he has to be. basicly once it clicks in his head "right this is how I have to bowl in test matches to be a great fast bowler" he will just go from strength to strength.