The Australian top order doom and gloom thread

[Prince EWS]

Cliffs?

Khawaja's defensive weakness is in the same area as the spot that ties him down, so it's easy to bowl to a plan to him (full on off) as he'll never hurt you there and eventually nick one. If you try to exploit Hughes's weakness and don't execute correctly he will murder you through the off side. I think The Prince has a more effective technique for that reason even though it's less pretty.

 

[cnerd123]

Really though, in our hearts, we all know the answer lies in this chap

C Ferg, WAG.

Why isn't he being spoken of as a serious prospect? He's a pretty good bat isn't he?

 

[Prince EWS]

Why isn't he being spoken of as a serious prospect?

He doesn't score enough runs. Given his home ground is Adelaide Oval, his output is inexcusable.

 

[benchmark00]

Was talking to a cricket mate the other day and he was adamant they should replace Ponting with Tom C00per. This was my reaction:

 

[Johnners]

Why isn't he being spoken of as a serious prospect? He's a pretty good bat isn't he?

Great to watch, plenty of starts, but has never been able to capitalise on them nearly often enough especially when you consider his home ground is the Adelaide Oval.

 

[Prince EWS]

I honestly wouldn't even complain if Ferguson was picked at this point though; the cupboard is bare. I've always said that he was likely to mirror whatever he was doing domestically at international level (ie. the difference in standard wouldn't phase him). We're pretty much at the point that if he did what he does for SA for Australia we'd take that. I'd prefer not to go down that path but I'd not complain if we did itbt.

 

[morgieb]

wtf happened? Looks like an entire generation got skipped for no glaring reason.

Australia have produced like 5 good batsmen born after 1975.

 

[benchmark00]

I would complain violently itbt.

 

[Johnners]

I'd love to see him picked, the thought of he & Clarke batting together is just...

 

[Prince EWS]

I would complain violently itbt.

I think it'd speak pretty poorly of our selection process and be a bit of a slap in the face to performing cricketers, but I can't say that I actually think he'd be worse than the alternatives.

 

[benchmark00]

Seriously, it actually would be worse than Hastings. At least with Hastings there were only about 4 better choices getting around, with Ferguson there are about 10 better alternatives.

 

[SeamUp]

You're probably pretty spot on there.

Usman looked pretty dour when playing test cricket because he got bogged down and couldn't rotate the strike when bad balls weren't coming. In Shield cricket he can get away with waiting on the loose one, can't do it so much in test cricket.

Yeah, thought so.

Just shows you how unforgiving the game of test cricket is. Khawaja will say I'm putting on the runs and deserve selection but is it necessarily good enough for test cricket !

People would pay big to watch a test match hundred of Khawaja ahead of a player pushing great's status in the next couple of years in Graeme Smith for example.

But its not how you look when you score your runs, its about keeping the very good balls out, putting the bad balls away and relieving as much pressure as you can by rotating strike on the decent to good balls.

Thats why I look at the Australian opening pair and say does Warner do his job ? Is it worth waiting for the 1 in 10 to 15 innings like at Adelaide 1st innings. Getting a 40 off 32 balls doesn't really hurt the opposition as the number 3 and possibly the number 4 will still be coming in with a new ball. Did that 100 at Adelaide paper of the cracks ?

 

[Spikey]

Was talking to a cricket mate the other day and he was adamant they should replace Ponting with Tom C00per. This was my reaction:

SL and NSW are pretty alike tbf

Dom Thornely scored runs on the weekend #comeback

 

[Howe_zat]

He doesn't score enough runs. Given his home ground is Adelaide Oval, his output is inexcusable.

I thought the Shield wickets have been much more bowler-friendly than the Test wickets in the last few years?

 

[Spikey]

except for the Adelaide Oval. However South Australia, being pals, decide to be horrible batsmen to keep the standard

 

[Prince EWS]

I thought the Shield wickets have been much more bowler-friendly than the Test wickets in the last few years?

Yeah, not Adelaide though. I even made an Adelaide exception when I was talking about Shield bowling records yesterday. Adelaide is Adelaide.

As Spikey alluded to though, South Australia can't bat, so it's not really a good Test of a bowler anyway unless he's actually playing at home against another side.

 

[uvelocity]

I wish I could draw cartoons

then hayden, ponting, lehmann, gilchrist, hussey, battering rams in hand smashing a door down
now hughes, khawaja, ferguson, lynn, marsh, with a little miniature hammer tap tap tap looking sheepish

 

[benchmark00]

b00nchm00rks batting pecking order (note it's what I think, not selectors):

Cosgrove
D00lan
Usman
Prince
Quiney
Burns
Bailey
D Hussey
Haddin as a bat
Ferguson.

So probs about 9 ahead.

 

[Johnners]

Yeah, not Adelaide though. I even made an Adelaide exception when I was talking about Shield bowling records yesterday. Adelaide is Adelaide.

Indeed, and it's not like he was piling on the runs before the trend to more bowler friendly wickets either.

 

[Prince EWS]

b00nchm00rks batting pecking order (note it's what I think, not selectors):

Cosgrove
D00lan
Usman
Prince
Quiney
Burns
Bailey
D Hussey
Haddin as a bat
Ferguson.

So probs about 9 ahead.

Yessss Cosgrove and Burns