Stuart Law/ Ricky Pointing

[Top_Cat]

Plus Blewett did have a stellar beginning to his Test career that probably sustained his position in the team, and the selector's pecking order, a bit longer than was merited in the end.

Blewwy was stuffed-around, though. He was eventually picked to open which was good. Opening with Slater, even better. Told to be the defensive rock and bat around Slater........ uh oh. Blewwy, even though he opened at state level, was never a brilliant defensive player. Always had plenty of shots. Was very sad to see him shelve them to remain in the team and cost him his spot eventually. His 82 in Adelaide 1999 was painful to watch.

 

[NUFAN]

Blewwy was stuffed-around, though. He was eventually picked to open which was good. Opening with Slater, even better. Told to be the defensive rock and bat around Slater........ uh oh. Blewwy, even though he opened at state level, was never a brilliant defensive player. Always had plenty of shots. Was very sad to see him shelve them to remain in the team and cost him his spot eventually. His 82 in Adelaide 1999 was painful to watch.

Yeah I agree completely with your post Top Cat.

 

[Mister Wright]

Wouldn't have changed that much. Law may have played a few more tests, but his personality didn't suit the Australian team. He was a great player no doubt and I reckon he would have been a success at test level, however given that at the first opportunity he was always left out for someone else in the ODI side, whereas guys like Blewett had to basically not score a run for a year to be left out of the team.

Ponting would have played 100+ tests no matter what he would have scored in that debut test. But, Law should have played more tests.

 

[iamdavid]

Blewwy was stuffed-around, though. He was eventually picked to open which was good. Opening with Slater, even better. Told to be the defensive rock and bat around Slater........ uh oh. Blewwy, even though he opened at state level, was never a brilliant defensive player. Always had plenty of shots. Was very sad to see him shelve them to remain in the team and cost him his spot eventually. His 82 in Adelaide 1999 was painful to watch.

I recall reading something on this by Allan Border, where he basically said that opening the batting was completely Blewett's own idea and he wasnt forced into it at all, AB said he reckoned Blewetts game was more suited to the middle order and that he'd told him so but Blewett stubbornly remained commited to opening.

I also recall he wasnt a million miles away from a recall to the one day side in 2002-03, was being touted as a batting allrounder for the world cup as he was making plenty of runs at the time and his bowling was doing a job...must've just missed out to Symonds and the rest is history.

 

[Mister Wright]

I recall reading something on this by Allan Border, where he basically said that opening the batting was completely Blewett's own idea and he wasnt forced into it at all, AB said he reckoned Blewetts game was more suited to the middle order and that he'd told him so but Blewett stubbornly remained commited to opening.

I also recall he wasnt a million miles away from a recall to the one day side in 2002-03, was being touted as a batting allrounder for the world cup as he was making plenty of runs at the time and his bowling was doing a job...must've just missed out to Symonds and the rest is history.

Yeah, pretty sure he was in the 30 original 30 man squad for the 2003 World Cup.

 

[Top_Cat]

I recall reading something on this by Allan Border, where he basically said that opening the batting was completely Blewett's own idea and he wasnt forced into it at all, AB said he reckoned Blewetts game was more suited to the middle order and that he'd told him so but Blewett stubbornly remained commited to opening.

Not saying he was forced (although it's possible he was in a Shane Watson-like mindset where he felt he should campaign to open because a middle-order spot wasn't available) and I can believe it was his idea. I do recall hearing around the traps he was essentially picked to bat around Slater, though, and considering the way he batted, wasn't going to work for too long.

I also recall he wasnt a million miles away from a recall to the one day side in 2002-03, was being touted as a batting allrounder for the world cup as he was making plenty of runs at the time and his bowling was doing a job...must've just missed out to Symonds and the rest is history.

That's true. I don't think he was seriously under consideration for the final squad, though. Even considering Symonds' fairly ordinary record at the time.

 

[Matt79]

given steve waugh couldn't crack a spot in the final squad, yeah.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If Watson didn't do his back pre-WC what would've happened to Symmo? Oh the wonders.

 

[eglezdzdiyd]

I've always been annoyed by law never getting another shot. Qld had such a strong team in the mid to late 90's. We could have been a very successful test nation in our own rights when you look at our team of that time:
1. hayden
2. barsby
3. love
4. law
5. maher
6. symonds
7. healy
8. mcdermott
9. bichel
10. rackermann
11. kasprovicz

 

[eglezdzdiyd]

If Watson didn't do his back pre-WC what would've happened to Symmo? Oh the wonders.

harvey came in for watson......

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

harvey came in for watson......

Yeah, but Watson was the incumbent in the middle order, would Symonds have played against Pakistan?

 

[Mister Wright]

Yeah, but Watson was the incumbent in the middle order, would Symonds have played against Pakistan?

Yes, most likely. Maher would have been the one to make way probably.

 

[kanga_kid]

stuart law isnt the only cricketer in the mid 90's to miss out on a decent test carrer in australia. the fact is he didnt make it, because he wasnt the man for the job, leighman if given a go earlier could have been anything, beavan was a mystro with the bat and the whole vulnarable with a short ball is bogus. an unknown tassie opener Cox finished his carrer as the highest run scorer in austalian state cricket ever, and never earnt an aussie baggy green. , and what about the bowlers? Bichael as a great bowler who can go down in history as australia's greatest ever number 12, the fact is in no team would i put any of them in the same league as Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Boon, Martyn, any of the regular spot boys. because at the end of the day we won tests. try changing a winning formula. thats what australia pride ourselves on, and that is its hard to earn a baggy green. its not a revolving door, its not a place to try things out, its hit or miss and if you miss. your put to the back of the line.

" wait your turn" and "earn it" and you will be more likely to do something with it.