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@Geo. said::master: Ritchie is an absolute Legend….commenting on the use of the small roller at the change of innings.........."about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike"....R. Benaud
@Geo. said:Great test match so far…....Paki's are hanging in there....It will be a very intersting last day.....Or bowlers really need to step up and finish them off....
@Marshall_magic said:@Jazza said:Recent Shield match:
Smith - 25 overs, 0/156
First Class average - 75
At the moment, he is a batting allrounder, I could understand more if maybe North or even Watson was injured, but at the moment his bowling isnt up to scratch to replace Hauritz. I think Krezja should be there instead.
Mackay has a pretty good record, I see him like a Paul Reiffel, nags a away at a fullish length, chips in with some wickets too, he could be handy at the WACA.
I still cant get over Geeves being there, he goes for runs, averages 34 on a deck that usually favours the seamers, over-rated imo.
I've been saying it for months, Steve Smith as a bowler would be as dumb a selection as Cameron White was. He is a very solid batsman, but has a long way to go with the ball. If he wasn't a blonde leg-spinner (like Cameron White) nobody would say a think about him as the spinner.
@Marshall_magic said:It's a 20/20\. Hit out or get out, not a test. Smith has a bowling average of 75 in Sheffield Shield cricket, which is not good enough for someone looking to be a specialist spinner. He's a good bat, but pretty ordinary with the ball.
@citizen cub said:convincing win today. all the bowlers are performing and you'd think it would be difficult to drop bollinger for hilfenhaus. some are suggesting siddle, but he has definitely proved his spot and is a man who gives it 100% every ball. hilfenhaus was our best bowler in the ashes….does that mean he instantly warrants selection when he comes back from injury? with bollinger taking his oppurtunity does this signal an end to the test careers of stuart clark and brett lee? to be honest, australia have found their attack for the next 5 years. i heard something about glenn mcgrath and dennis lillee being the only aussie bowlers to play tests over the age of 34\. so going by this stat, bollinger has a good 5 year ahead of him at 29\. johnson is 27, siddle is 25 and watson is 28\. i think in a couple of years watson will turn his full focus to batting which will allow him to play as a specialist batsmen which i think he is quite capable of doing
@magpie mania said:@Marshall_magic said:It's a 20/20\. Hit out or get out, not a test. Smith has a bowling average of 75 in Sheffield Shield cricket, which is not good enough for someone looking to be a specialist spinner. He's a good bat, but pretty ordinary with the ball.
after last night he has a average of 3.25 with the ball not bad for someone ordinary with the ball I think mcgrath averaged twenty.lol
@Marshall_magic said:@magpie mania said:@Marshall_magic said:It's a 20/20\. Hit out or get out, not a test. Smith has a bowling average of 75 in Sheffield Shield cricket, which is not good enough for someone looking to be a specialist spinner. He's a good bat, but pretty ordinary with the ball.
after last night he has a average of 3.25 with the ball not bad for someone ordinary with the ball I think mcgrath averaged twenty.lol
Being a good 20/20 bowler does not get you a test spot. He has a good range of shots, and picks up a cheap wicket (which he won't get in test cricket). If he wasn't a blonde legspinner (like Cam White) I bet no one would be calling for him as a test spinner. He'll get a gig in the ODI series this summer, and they can see how he goes there, but not in the test team, until he can prove himself in shield cricket.
@magpie mania said:@Marshall_magic said:@magpie mania said:after last night he has a average of 3.25 with the ball not bad for someone ordinary with the ball I think mcgrath averaged twenty.lol
Being a good 20/20 bowler does not get you a test spot. He has a good range of shots, and picks up a cheap wicket (which he won't get in test cricket). If he wasn't a blonde legspinner (like Cam White) I bet no one would be calling for him as a test spinner. He'll get a gig in the ODI series this summer, and they can see how he goes there, but not in the test team, until he can prove himself in shield cricket.
HE PICKED UP FOUR CHEAP ONES LAST NIGHT IN A GAME WHERE EVERY OTHER BOWLER GOT SMASHED I know his bowling will improve with time and the right coaching.p.s he also took a absolute screamer of a catch in the outfield so theres no question with his fielding.
@magpie mania said:you raise a valid point about krezja and no his shield figures arent good but I think he should get a run for us at one day level to blood him for next wc in india where I think he will fire.
@Jazza said:@magpie mania said:you raise a valid point about krezja and no his shield figures arent good but I think he should get a run for us at one day level to blood him for next wc in india where I think he will fire.
Id blood him at some stage in the odis to, but Id wait until the Shield season is over and blood him in NZ or England when we play Pakistan there.
Just so that he can get as many overs as possible trying to work for his wickets rather then play some odis and try to contain the batsman. I'm sure he'd do well if blooded but I just dont want him to turn into a batsman who bowls some overs in some odis like Cameron White.
I'd much rather him do the role that Graeme Swann does for England, be in there for his bowling and chip in with some handy runs near the end as well.
@Jazza said:@citizen cub said:convincing win today. all the bowlers are performing and you'd think it would be difficult to drop bollinger for hilfenhaus. some are suggesting siddle, but he has definitely proved his spot and is a man who gives it 100% every ball. hilfenhaus was our best bowler in the ashes….does that mean he instantly warrants selection when he comes back from injury? with bollinger taking his oppurtunity does this signal an end to the test careers of stuart clark and brett lee? to be honest, australia have found their attack for the next 5 years. i heard something about glenn mcgrath and dennis lillee being the only aussie bowlers to play tests over the age of 34\. so going by this stat, bollinger has a good 5 year ahead of him at 29\. johnson is 27, siddle is 25 and watson is 28\. i think in a couple of years watson will turn his full focus to batting which will allow him to play as a specialist batsmen which i think he is quite capable of doing
Thats a good fact about the fast bowlers there.
I think Thommo was also 35 when he played on the 85 Ashes tour.
I was just thinking of some of our fast bowlers in the post Lillee era: Lawson, Alderman, Reid, Hughes, Whitney, Rackemann, McDermott, Reiffel, Fleming, Gillespie, Bichel, Kasper, and now Lee and Clark were all below 35 when their international careers finished. It shows you how hard fast bowling is and makes you admire Glenn McGrath more that he lasted that long. The only other quicks I can think of that played well into their mid 30s were Walsh, Ambrose, Hadlee, Imran and Akram.
I think if Hilfy comes into the side it should be for Siddle, but in saying that, Siddle was excellent in South Africa (Our best bowler imo), and sometimes I think Hilfy can be a bit rusty coming back from injury and by the time he comes back, Siddle should be back to full match fitness and bowling better.
I think if Hilfy is fit and has got a few matches under his belt, I'd throw him in for Siddle down in Hobart. Especially in his home conditions where it can be cloudy and swing around a bit.