World Test Championship Final, South Africa v Australia - Lord's 11-16 June

[lemmon]

What a player Captain Pat is. It's felt like he knew he could get on a roll today and he's just started rumbling through them.

[Bornadog]

Webster with a brilliant catch and Pat gets his 6th and 300th wicket

[whythelongface]

Ussie and Green gone in quick succession. Saffers still in it but would need to keep us under 150 to be any chance.

the Green experiment hasn’t worked.

[whythelongface]

218 lead at the moment with 2 wickets in hand. Should be enough to see us win, however SA have given themselves a chance. A stronger batting team could possibly get the runs - just can’t see SA getting close.

Our inconsistent batting continues and is a concern. Marnus has looked ok without getting many runs. Green is a 5/6 batter. Smith needs to bat number 3.

[Bornadog]

218 lead at the moment with 2 wickets in hand. Should be enough to see us win, however SA have given themselves a chance. A stronger batting team could possibly get the runs - just can’t see SA getting close.

Our inconsistent batting continues and is a concern. Marnus has looked ok without getting many runs. Green is a 5/6 batter. Smith needs to bat number 3.

We really need to get our shit ourselves together with the Ashes series looming. Opening is a huge problem and Marnus hasn't set the world on fire at 3 in the past few years, he certainly isn't an opener and I don't think Green at 3 is the answer either.

I can't see SA winning this and I mentioned earlier in the thread this was always going to be a battle of the bowlers

[lemmon]

We really need to get our shit ourselves together with the Ashes series looming. Opening is a huge problem and Marnus hasn't set the world on fire at 3 in the past few years, he certainly isn't an opener and I don't think Green at 3 is the answer either.

I can't see SA winning this and I mentioned earlier in the thread this was always going to be a battle of the bowlers

Why isn't Marnus an opener? He's come in early a lot over his career (he batted behind Warner for most of it during Warner's worst years), starts well and is good against high-quality pace. Marn's issue has always been that he was every chance of getting to 20 and then doing something stupid, but he's always been fairly safe in terms of getting a start and he's not a guy that really chases with his hands outside off.

I quite like Marn up top because I think it uses a lot of his strengths - and I'm one of his biggest detractors as a Test cricketer.

I'm ho-hum about Green at 3. He's made most of his runs at 4, I don't think shifting up one spot has exposed him. I think the issue is that he's been picked off runs against Ian Holland and Harry Conway before being thrust into Rabada at Lord's. The media excitement for runs that were the equivalent of clubby runs in Australia was over the top.

I said it at the time but the issue was the way we managed the side in dead rubber Tests in Sri Lanka. Konstas had to open there because we still have no idea what we have. Some of his late Shield runs were good and mature, he should've played in Sri Lanka as a trial for this one. We know Head can open in the subcontinent, we learnt nothing doing it again.

We're favourites, but I think it's only a 55-45 advantage. Lord's can be a good place to bat on day 3 and I think South Africa will relish knowing what the target looks like.

Hazelwood is the key for me, he'll constantly ask questions of nervous outside edges. If he takes wickets, we win.

[Bornadog]

Why isn't Marnus an opener? He's come in early a lot over his career (he batted behind Warner for most of it during Warner's worst years), starts well and is good against high-quality pace. Marn's issue has always been that he was every chance of getting to 20 and then doing something stupid, but he's always been fairly safe in terms of getting a start and he's not a guy that really chases with his hands outside off.

I quite like Marn up top because I think it uses a lot of his strengths - and I'm one of his biggest detractors as a Test cricketer.

I'm ho-hum about Green at 3. He's made most of his runs at 4, I don't think shifting up one spot has exposed him. I think the issue is that he's been picked off runs against Ian Holland and Harry Conway before being thrust into Rabada at Lord's. The media excitement for runs that were the equivalent of clubby runs in Australia was over the top.

I said it at the time but the issue was the way we managed the side in dead rubber Tests in Sri Lanka. Konstas had to open there because we still have no idea what we have. Some of his late Shield runs were good and mature, he should've played in Sri Lanka as a trial for this one. We know Head can open in the subcontinent, we learnt nothing doing it again.

We're favourites, but I think it's only a 55-45 advantage. Lord's can be a good place to bat on day 3 and I think South Africa will relish knowing what the target looks like.

Hazelwood is the key for me, he'll constantly ask questions of nervous outside edges. If he takes wickets, we win.

My issue with Marnus is his last few years. I agree many times he has come in early and virtually played the opening role.

I asked AI to give me a breakdown of his averages:


Marnus Labuschagne's test batting averages have varied across the years, peaking at 60.82 for his first 30 matches and then dropping to 50.82.

More specifically, he averaged 56.29 in 2022, 34.91 in 2023, and 26.88 in 2024. He has also shown a difference between home and away averages, with a 55.98 average in Australia versus 37.86 elsewhere.

Here's a more detailed look:

2022: 56.29
2023: 34.91
2024: 26.88

First 30 Tests: 60.82
Overall Career Average: 46.77
Home (Australia): 55.98
Away: 37.86

[lemmon]

My issue with Marnus is his last few years. I agree many times he has come in early and virtually played the opening role.

I asked AI to give me a breakdown of his averages:


Marnus Labuschagne's test batting averages have varied across the years, peaking at 60.82 for his first 30 matches and then dropping to 50.82.

More specifically, he averaged 56.29 in 2022, 34.91 in 2023, and 26.88 in 2024. He has also shown a difference between home and away averages, with a 55.98 average in Australia versus 37.86 elsewhere.

Here's a more detailed look:

2022: 56.29
2023: 34.91
2024: 26.88

First 30 Tests: 60.82
Overall Career Average: 46.77
Home (Australia): 55.98
Away: 37.86

I do agree - I just don't think the argument is whether Marnus is an opener or not, it's whether he should've been selected at all (and that was the conversation selectors seemed to be having as well).

I think they'll go with Konstas in the West Indies to try and find out some of the information that we could've got in Sri Lanka, and you can't drop Khawaja after what he did in Sri Lanka.

That leaves Marnus or Green battling it out for number 3. I suspect they'll go with Green because Marnus lost the number 3 spot to him for this Test anyway.

It would've been convenient for Marnus to get runs here, because a top 4 of:
Konstas
Khawaja
Green
Smith

Feels very risky heading into an Ashes.

[whythelongface]

Good assessment Lemmon. Agree with you re Marnus. Like you not a huge fan but he should be given an opportunity. The non selection of Konstas baffles me - again not a fan of some of his shot selection but he can play and needs to be the opener no matter what the conditions.

the only thing I can’t agree with you on is the 55-45 chances. Reckon it is more 90-10. The pitch may flatten out but their batting lineup is abysmal (one of the worst top 6 lineups that I can recall). It would need a Makram or Bavuma to anchor the innings and hope others hang around. Other bowling is too strong to allow that to happen.

[lemmon]

Good assessment Lemmon. Agree with you re Marnus. Like you not a huge fan but he should be given an opportunity. The non selection of Konstas baffles me - again not a fan of some of his shot selection but he can play and needs to be the opener no matter what the conditions.

the only thing I can’t agree with you on is the 55-45 chances. Reckon it is more 90-10. The pitch may flatten out but their batting lineup is abysmal (one of the worst top 6 lineups that I can recall). It would need a Makram or Bavuma to anchor the innings and hope others hang around. Other bowling is too strong to allow that to happen.

I just haven't seen enough of them to have an opinion on it, to be honest.

I think realistically, two decent partnerships get them home. Markram isn't the worst, Rickleton has a good First-Class record, Bavuma struggles against quality pace but is experienced and has recent runs, Stubbs is very highly rated around the IPL, Verreynee's a fighter, and Jansen is a good 8.

I can see just a few of those guys gritting their teeth and battling towards an achievable target, if the conditions do get a bit easier.

All will be revealed tonight!

[Axe Man]

Another 30 runs would be gold but given the very limited contributions of the tail in the game so far it feels optimistic.

[Bornadog]

Lead now 239

[Bornadog]

Starc putting up a fight - 41 not out

Lead now 256 - Australia 9 for 182

[Bornadog]

Starc was dropped in the last over last night on 14 and is now 52 n.o.

Lead now 275

[Bornadog]

all out for 207 giving Australia a lead of 281