I hope you are right, but we've had little consistency in our top 6 apart from Webster for some seasons.
Summer of Cricket thread
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Both good!
Richie
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Cant debate that mate. Tigers need a more solid middle order above all. Out with the inconsistent and ageing Wakim and Silk for starters.
I think Wakim is currently out of the team. Lovely batter to watch when in form!
Talk around the members is there are few talented youth emerging in the statewide coaching programs. There aren't enough First Grade cricketers putting their hand up with sustained, consistent performances to displace Silk et al.
Weatherald, Jewell and Ward have had a bit of a merry go round hitting form, then declining. If Webster isn't playing because he is playing for the Aus Test team, Tas is weakened even more.
Richie
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Two bolters Aidan O'Connor. Louis Smith. Both Emerging Tigers , Aidan also a Rookie Tiger.
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Konstas also played a useful role in the last two Tests.
I've watched Webster play a lot of cricket - live. I think he should have been in the Test frame a year ago.
I see every state team play Shield cricket each season. Players like Pucovski ( what a stylish batter), Gannon, Paris, Richardson, Meredith (a few seasons back), Neser, Peirson, Copeland, Chris Tremain, Doggett, McSweeney, Hunt, Bancroft, have played cricket well enough to be considered for Test selection too.
Good on you, Baggers.
Useful info.
We used to have one Tas Member who frequented the grade scene, and gave us reports on players. Unfortunately, he died last off season.
Richie
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Sri Lanka Squad: Mine.
Hunt
Konstas
Labs
Head
Webster
Carey
Richardson
Hazlewood
Rocky/Murphy
Swepson/T Sangha
Philippe, Kuhnemann
CA team:
Ussie
Konstas
Labs
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Boland
Kuhnemann
Murphy
Handscomb, Abbott.
Hunt
Konstas
Labs
Head
Webster
Carey
Richardson
Hazlewood
Rocky/Murphy
Swepson/T Sangha
Philippe, Kuhnemann
CA team:
Ussie
Konstas
Labs
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc
Boland
Kuhnemann
Murphy
Handscomb, Abbott.
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Richie
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PROPOSED TWO-DIVISION TEST CRICKET STRUCTURE
Division 1: South Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Division 2: West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe
Promote two more AM nations for D2. If it gives more minnows a pathway into Test cricket I am 100% in favor.
comments
Division 1: South Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Division 2: West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe
Promote two more AM nations for D2. If it gives more minnows a pathway into Test cricket I am 100% in favor.
comments
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onedaywinners...
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Presuming they pick a 15 man squad I'd go with:
Konstas
Khawaja
Marnus
Smith (c)
McSweeney
Webster
Marsh
Inglis
Carey
Connolly (prob should pick another spinner here but developing Connolly's spin in these conditions instead is prob more valuable)
Boland
Lyon
Richardson
Murphy
Kuhnemann
Richie
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Surely Ussie and Marsh are now finished. Time to move on to the next gen. Smith will prob call it quits after next home Ashes. You have sacked Head? If Hazlewood is fit he is back. Not sure it will be a 15 man squad as only two Tests and one 50 over. If the case then adding McSweeney and Hardie if fit.
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Richie
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Effing disgraceful!!! Sam admitted perhaps the occasion got the better of him, but in same breath says he is living his dream. Promises to down tone things in future.
Not sure if posted before, but some of the comments from the Indian fans
Poor losers make shit comments like that
Not sure if posted before, but some of the comments from the Indian fans
Richie
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Said he was targeting Sri Lanka but word is CA will play the caution card as they want him rearing to go for WTC final. He has a good Lords record. Probably at least one shield match too as he will need some lead in game time, plus the Blues sure can use him.
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onedaywinners...
Benchwarmer
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I definitely wouldn't want Uzzie to just be dropped and done like that! His performances for a while haven't been up to scratch, much like Marsh's, but he at least deserves Sri Lanka to prove he can still score tons at the highest level. Bumrah would have got most openers out and he batted at his most fluent in his final dig of the summer with no Bumrah.
I also don't feel the selectors will opt for MASSIVE change with the WTC final on the horizon which clearly marks the end of a cycle.
Head not picked as he said himself he was exhausted after this series and I don't think anything is gained by him going. IPL runs from March to May and then WTC so makes sense to rest now.
I also don't feel the selectors will opt for MASSIVE change with the WTC final on the horizon which clearly marks the end of a cycle.
Head not picked as he said himself he was exhausted after this series and I don't think anything is gained by him going. IPL runs from March to May and then WTC so makes sense to rest now.
onedaywinners...
Benchwarmer
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I literally only get at night to logon and have a look after working all day and dinner and kids to bed etc.
Do we maybe want to consider an 'Australian cricket' thread which can cover all mens and womens format teams? To try and drum up as much interest and engagement as possible? Or could do 'Baggygreens' just for test cricket? Just thoughts.
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Indian fans are the worst. After the game they were saying that Konstas was antagonising and causing problems. They just can never accept defeat well.
Not sure if posted before, but some of the comments from the Indian fans
Interesting to read the media about the Sri Lankan squad.
These days I'm getting a lot more soccer and cricket feeds on my FC home page, which is good - as opposed to all the garbage spam!
I don't subscribe to Murdoch's media empire, or the the SMH and Age, because one has to pay quite a lot, so I'm missing some cricket pundits like Crash Craddock ( usually knows his stuff) and a few others.
The Cricinfo guys Andrew McGlashan and Alex Malcolm are easily the best. They've done their research. Most guys writing in the Aus cricket media, including heaps of Indian writers, appear to know nothing about the Shield and players' stats. To actually have the media advocating players who don't play red ball cricket - is absolutely stupid!
*Who?
Adam Zampa - neither trains with the NSW Shield squad or plays in Sydney grade cricket! I think he is a talented wrist spin bowler, but he needs to play some hard red ball cricket over 4 days. He is just a white ball star. South Aus need a frontline spinner.
Glen Maxwell - says he want to be selected for India. To the best of my knowledge, GM has become very rich being a white ball superstar around the globe, but has barely played any red ball cricket for years. I wish he had, because he has immense talent.
Cooper Connelly - from what I've read he has played no Shield cricket yet?
Aaron Hardie - many rave about him, but I've never seen him perform well in the Shield - live. Plenty of his WA teammates have.
Josh Inglis - as a specialist batter he has been mooted for SL. A few years ago he made 3 tons in a Shield season. His overall FC average is 36.94. Given I watch West Aus play Shield at Bellerive every season, not sure I've seen Inglis play yet? Supposedly plays spin well. I can't seem to find his last 3 years in the Shield batting averages.
Ashley Agar - bowled for West Aus I think this season, because Rocc was possibly playing for Aus A? But Rocc has supplanted Agar as Sandgroper spin option. Rocc bowls well at Bellerive, with nice loop. Agar bowls innocuous darts that are hard to score off.
*The following are good SL candidates, who have done the hard yards playing red ball cricket.
The Cricinfo guys who have done their homework on stats and recent Shield and FC records, have said Peter Handscomb has been added to the Aus squad training for Sri Lanka. Handscomb has played plenty of red ball cricket. He is supposedly a good player of spin. I've seen him play at Bellerive Ninja Stadium each season, usually on seaming or flat wickets, since he was dropped for Tests. Can't remember how Handscomb played Tas off spinners, Jarrod freeman and Beau Webster. Supposedly, PH has no BBL contract.
Apart from Cricinfo writers, none of the other journos, or public cricket writer aspirants seem to have any awareness of the Shield. As I've said before from the 6 Shield matches this season, Kuhnemann has 18 wickets, Swepson 17, Rocc 14 and Murphy 12 are the tallies for spinners.
From a parochial perspective, Bellerive doesn't spin much, but Matt K has taken quite a few wickets for Tas, at low economy per over too. Rocc has taken quite a lot in Perth too, not renowned as a spin friendly wicket. Have seen all four of the spinners bowl at Bellerive a lot. Most impressive from visiting spin bowlers has been Rocc - including Lyon playing Shield. That was until this season, where Matt K has excelled for Tas.
A lot of journos seem to have no idea that Usman has averaged 20 for this series against India and about 25 for the rest of 2024/5. Or Labu has averaged 26 against India and about the same for this year. Labu hasn't averaged much over 30 for three years. This is abject failure! Just can't believe these journos think they will be opening and playing first drop?
Also, many journos think Marsh will be back, apart from the Cricinfo guys, who may have been influenced by a lot of former Test players who've lauded Webster's Sydney Test debut in many facets of play!
I'd have Usman in the squad, because of his experience. I would prefer him to be captain, or Carey, over Smith. The latter is neurodiverse, looked angry and frustrated with his teammates the entire time he was captaining, and was part of the ball tampering fiasco in South Africa. Paine and Cummins have been far better player managers and look relaxed if their teammates make mistakes on the pitch. Smith has also dropped 7 catches in the Indian series to date.
In the TCA members, in NZ a member discussed Webster with McDonald and batting coach, Di Venuto. They think Webster can't play spin, despite being a finger spinner himself. He might struggle in SL, if they play on bunsen burners.
I have little idea how well Henry Hunt plays spin, not noting how he performed against Matt K in particular in the South Aus Shield game a few weeks ago.
My team is this:
Usman gets a reprieve for scoring 41 under pressure to win the Test series. Fergus O'Neill, who has a lot of Shield wickets this season is only the same pace as Beau Webster. Albeit Chad Sayers played for Aus in Tests only bowling 120 kph!
Usman
Konstas
Hunt
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Starc G
Kuhnemann
Lyon
Boland
Extra squad members:
Handscomb ( reserve keeper)
Inglis (reserve keeper)
Murphy/Rocc
Doggett
Green ( if fit and into the team)
Abbott doesn't make the cut, as he loses potency very quickly when the shine goes off the new ball. Great when the ball is new!
McAndrew has been impressive in the Shield, and has more stamina, but doesn't swing it like Abbott..
Gannon and Paris - both these Sandgropers have been impressive in the Shield against Tas at Ninja Stadium, but are both 35 or close to it, plus the latter has injury problems.
Richadson - has played no recent Shield cricket - but is very talented.
Spencer Johnson - has played no Shield cricket.
Gabe Bell- not sure of this Year's Shield figures but he took a lot of wickets last season. Like Beau Webster a very economical action, so he bowls with minimum effort and has a lot of control. Not sure of his speeds?
Fergus O'Neill - too slow!
Wes Agar, left arm fast bowler, South Aus, is more impressive than brother Ashton, West Aus. Has pace and fire, but with his huge grunt when he bowls, his action takes a lot out of him.
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