Cricket Season Thread

When you list all our top order collapses in our last 9 tests it makes for shocking reading and I don't count today as meaning much except for our top 3 who were trying to bat normally but still couldn't survive
Smith belted one straight over the bowlers head and then got the legside strangle again !
Head and Carey and Cummins were playing 20/20
Kwajaja and Marsh got jaffas but
McSweeney and Marnus out playing dreadful shots
McSweeney needs to go back to Shield as his confidence is shot
However when you look at the entire list last 9 tests "blind freddy " can tell you must make changes !
 
Well how's this for stupidity
We come out and bash the ball and Head may have done a groin injury
McDonald and Cummins may have cooked up a plan which might just lose us the series
Head has 408 runs for gods sake no one else in either side comes close
 
Kwajaja at 38 is our oldest opener since Lindsey Hasset
Makes you think a bit
Another Stat
Our top 3 total batting average over 3 tests lowest since 1888 ?
 
My team for Melbourne
1. Kwajaja ( absolute last chance )
2.Konstas
3.Labuschagne
4.Smith
5.Head
6.Carey
7.Webster
8.Cummins
9.Starc
10.Murphy
11.Boland
Its not ideal but Our physios need to work overtime to make sure
Head ,Cummins and Starc are good to go 26th Dec
Lose any of those 3 then we are in big trouble
 
Our batsmen are awful when pressure is placed upon them. Including Smith.
There was a time he could be relied on when the top order collapsed but he hasnt been that guy for a while now.
Id really like this series to be his swansong.
 
Match drawn, as predicted a couple of days ago.
Agree with the posts about changes for Melbourne ,however, like most Aussie teams it’s harder to get dropped than it is to be selected.
Interesting to see what happens and what changes,if any, are made, not withstanding injury concerns.
 
That was a high pressure ton on a tough wicket Smith scored in the first innings... most here had him dropped last test
It was decent. Batting first in a rain delayed match where the bowlers cant get any rythm going early isnt high pressure compared with saving a collapse in the second innings while still scoring runs. Thats where he is awful lately.
 
Head 2 MOM awards in a row
Smith his ton in 1st innings have bought him some time the first 50 was a bit scratchy and arduous but the second 50 was the Smith of old
Carey like Head is batting brilliant
Kwajaja with scores of 21 and 8 got jaffas both times but he's starting to run out of chances .Marnus in similar situation
Marsh can't justify his place as he can't bowl much and not batting well either
McSweeney looks like a frightened deer in the headlights and just tries to survive and can't do that .Maybe go back to Shield and regain confidence

Summary : at minimum replace McSweeney with Konstas who has oodles of confidence
If Marsh not up to bowling at least 10 effective overs then replace him with whoever is our best all-rounder
However even these 2 changes are unlikely as our selectors don't admit mistakes and will double down .
Once in the Australian team your job is secure
 
It was decent. Batting first in a rain delayed match where the bowlers cant get any rythm going early isnt high pressure compared with saving a collapse in the second innings while still scoring runs. Thats where he is awful lately.
Smith is not the same player he was. Definitely the twilight of his career, i rate that hundred pretty highly though, the 2nd 50 was vintage Smith. Wouldn't put too much stock into today.

The top 3 have been terrible this series though. They have soaked up balls which is probably the bare minumum. It needs to be fixed quickly as head, carey and the bowlers can't keep bailing them out
 
Smith is not the same player he was. Definitely the twilight of his career, i rate that hundred pretty highly though, the 2nd 50 was vintage Smith. Wouldn't put too much stock into today.

The top 3 have been terrible this series though. They have soaked up balls which is probably the bare minumum. It needs to be fixed quickly as head, carey and the bowlers can't keep bailing them out
He’s got to stop playing the leg glance.
 
Pat Cummins post match interview he defended our failing top 3 especially McSweeney .Saying in this 2nd innings they sacrificed their wickets in trying to get quick runs .That might be true for Kwajaja who went 4, 4 and out to a Bumrah jaffa . But Marnus 1 from 11 and McSweeney 4 from 25 were not
He looked as nervous as he'll and was just trying to survive
Head ,Carey and Cummins were belting it everywhere
Pat got 22 off 10 balls
However at the press conference what else can he say as he must defend his players .
 
To highlight where our batting stands after 3 tests
1.Kwajaja 63 runs ave 12.6
2.McSween 72 runs ave 14.4
3.Marnus 82 runs ave 16.4
4.Smith 124 runs ave 24.8
5.Head 409 runs ave 81.8
6.Marsh 69 runs ave 13.8
7.Carey 162 runs ave 40.5
8.Cummins 59 runs ave 11.8
9.Starc 76 runs ave 19.0
10.Lyon 11 runs ave 3.7
11.Hazelwood 7 runs not dismissed so no ave

Assume batters in tests supposed to ave 40
Then Head at 82 and Carey at 41 are standouts
Cummins at 12 and Starc at 19 also good
BUT 5 OF OUR TOP 7 ARE FAILURES
STARC HAS OUR 4TH BEST AVE

How long do we expect Head and Carey to cover up our batting failures
Make no changes as is our apparent policy I predict series failure
 
Apparently the selectors are listening
Breaking news
McSweeney out
Konstas in

3 others are on thin ice
Labuschagne ,Kwajaja and Marsh
Its possible to play Inglis as a batter .
For me If Marsh can bowl 10 overs / day He survives if not Beau Webster is in the squad
Also Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott in the squad as cover for our bowlers
I sure hope they are not needed
 
For me If Marsh can bowl 10 overs / day He survives if not Beau Webster is in the squad
I’m not a fan of picking an all rounder for the sake of it. For me, an allrounder batting at #6 has to be able to make good runs on a consistent basis, and take the pressure off the front-line bowlers and bowl some decent long economical spells.

In this series Marsh has failed to do either. He is averaging 14 with the bat and he has bowled a total of only 23 overs in the three completed tests.

What is surprising is that when Hazlewood went down early in the Indian innings, one would expect the allrounder to share the bowling load. Marsh bowled a total of 2 overs in the innings. It makes me wonder why we carry him when he is not needed.

He is a waste of a spot. He is not scoring runs and he is not being called on to bowl.

It is clear that we need to reinforce the batting. Our batting has been flaky for years, but confronted by a high quality bowler in Bumrah, it is becoming embarrassing.

I like your idea of playing Inglis at #6. He is averaging 72.6 in the shield this year. Another option is Kurtis Patterson. He is averaging 105 this year. Both are in good form and would be a better option than Marsh.
 

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