Boxing Day Test

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Boxing Day Test

M. Hussey in trouble too?

Not yet.

He did average 66 in India and made a 70 v NZ.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Well, Day 4 was simply a display in how to throw away a test match. Of the top 6 batsmen all bar Symonds and Hussey threw their wickets away with loose shots. Shots, which given the situation that they faced they just should not have been playing. To be 3 down before passing the Saffa's score is horrible. To be 3 down and have had Haydo and Katich play shots which were loose and unnecessary is simply disgraceful. It is however symtomatic of the Australian malaise.

We are not capable of playing dirty cricket. The kind of cricket where you don't score 300 in a day, but where you graft along accumulating runs, much like the Saffa's did yesterday and tbh have done the whole series bar the Johnson spell in Perth. Our batsmen are so accustomed to bullying attacks that when they face a good bowling attack they crumble because their shot selection and temperament is simply not accustomed to playing any other type of cricket.

Personally, I'd tap Haydo on the shoulder and say that its time. I like the idea of moving Hussey up to opener despite his success as a middle order player. I'd bring in one of the good young middle order players who have been scoring runs (D Hussey springs to mind).

I'd dump Symonds for a specialist batsman. Whilst Watson has his supporters there is no way you could bat him at 6 and expect him to average 50 which is basically the expectation that we should have of all of the top 6. Guys like Hodge, D Hussey, Hughes, Klinger and others should be given the opportunity.

Lee is unfit and needs to be given time to recuperate. Hilfenhaus is the obvious replacement. I don't think Lee's finished. I think he's had a heck of a year and needs some time to recover. To me he'd still be leading the team to the Ashes next year.

The shining light has to be Clark (well first innings anyway) who grafted away on day 1 and but for some loose shots from Symonds and Haddin could well have put us closer to 500 rather than 394.

I guess we really are in a transition stage.

[GVGjr]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Personally, I'd tap Haydo on the shoulder and say that its time. I like the idea of moving Hussey up to opener despite his success as a middle order player. I'd bring in one of the good young middle order players who have been scoring runs (D Hussey springs to mind).

I'd dump Symonds for a specialist batsman. Whilst Watson has his supporters there is no way you could bat him at 6 and expect him to average 50 which is basically the expectation that we should have of all of the top 6. Guys like Hodge, D Hussey, Hughes, Klinger and others should be given the opportunity.

Lee is unfit and needs to be given time to recuperate. Hilfenhaus is the obvious replacement. I don't think Lee's finished. I think he's had a heck of a year and needs some time to recover. To me he'd still be leading the team to the Ashes next year.

The shining light has to be Clark (well first innings anyway) who grafted away on day 1 and but for some loose shots from Symonds and Haddin could well have put us closer to 500 rather than 394.

I guess we really are in a transition stage.

What sort of average could you see Watson obtaining if he was given an extended run at it? My guess is in the low 40's which when coupled with his bowling would make him a solid prospect.

I'm not sure about Hilfenhaus for the Sydney Test because I think we need to play 2 spinners plus Watson and the 2 quicks.

[Mantis]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Personally, I'd tap Haydo on the shoulder and say that its time. I like the idea of moving Hussey up to opener despite his success as a middle order player. I'd bring in one of the good young middle order players who have been scoring runs (D Hussey springs to mind).

David Hussey is 31, he aint that young.

At present the only move Mike might be doing is out of the team and not up the order.

And why would you even consider this move when you have two specialist openers (Hughes & Rogers) performing very well at state level.

The shining light has to be Clark (well first innings anyway) who grafted away on day 1 and but for some loose shots from Symonds and Haddin could well have put us closer to 500 rather than 394.

Yeah I hate Clarke so my opinion is biased, but he played a pig of a shot today. He had his captain in great touch at the other end and played a careless shot just as we were digging our way out of a considerable hole.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Boxing Day Test

David Hussey is 31, he aint that young.

I think young is overrated in cricket terms. Unless the guy is a prodigy (see Ricky Ponting) then bringing them into the team as a youngster means they are carried a little. If D Hussey is doing the business at state level then why shouldn't he get a go?

At present the only move Mike might be doing is out of the team and not up the order. And why would you even consider this move when you have two specialist openers (Hughes & Rogers) performing very well at state level.

I don't think Hussey is at the stage where we would drop him. Yes he has had a poor spell and yes the Aussies have performed badly, but this is the first blip in 2-3 years of test cricket. I think moving him to the opening position would be a good move because it would get him into the action early. At the moment he is coming in under pressure because we've lost a couple of wickets and I think he is struggling with this. Giving him the responsibliity to open the batting could work in much the same way it has for Langer and to some extent Katich.

Australia gains nothing by dropping him, so promoting him to opener is a worthwhile option especially given that losing Haydo's experience is not something I'd want to replace with an inexperienced player like Rogers/Hughes.

Yeah I hate Clarke so my opinion is biased, but he played a pig of a shot today. He had his captain in great touch at the other end and played a careless shot just as we were digging our way out of a considerable hole.

Can't disagree with that. His shot selection yesterday was disappointing especially since he and Ricky had worked hard to get the Aussies back into a position where they could build a good total to defend. I think Pup needs to grow up a little more and to a large extent he has done that this year. He has become more consistent and more reliable which is something Australia has needed. Yesterday though was a fall back into old habits.

[FrediKanoute]

Re: Boxing Day Test

What sort of average could you see Watson obtaining if he was given an extended run at it? My guess is in the low 40's which when coupled with his bowling would make him a solid prospect.

I'm not sure about Hilfenhaus for the Sydney Test because I think we need to play 2 spinners plus Watson and the 2 quicks.

Yeah I can see your point and if Watson was capable of doing this then fine, but if he averages less than 40 it means we are batting to 5 putting extra pressure on the guys before him.

If his bowling is good enough to take wickets then play him as the 3rd paceman batting above Haddin, god knows that currently we have a dearth of quality pace bowlers who can actually move a ball sideways either through the air or off the seam.

[westdog54]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Yeah I can see your point and if Watson was capable of doing this then fine, but if he averages less than 40 it means we are batting to 5 putting extra pressure on the guys before him.

If his bowling is good enough to take wickets then play him as the 3rd paceman batting above Haddin, god knows that currently we have a dearth of quality pace bowlers who can actually move a ball sideways either through the air or off the seam.

Much of this discussion about Watson is now a moot point as it was announced this morning he is out for another 6 months through injury.

Now what?

[Twodogs]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Much of this discussion about Watson is now a moot point as it was announced this morning he is out for another 6 months through injury.

Now what?

We can all stop worrying about him being in the test team for a while?

[westdog54]

Re: Boxing Day Test

We can all stop worrying about him being in the test team for a while?

Is that necessarily a good thing?

I suppose we'll find out in 6 days once we've seen what McDonald can do at Test Level.

[Mantis]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Is that necessarily a good thing?

Yep.

The guy has a batting average of under 20 and a bowling average of over 35 in the 8 tests he has played in the 4 years he has been playing test cricket. Yep 8 games in 4 years, he gets on the park less than Tom Williams does.

[Twodogs]

Re: Boxing Day Test

Is that necessarily a good thing?

I think it is. Test cricketers must be talented sportsmen and more importantly still have to be strong mentally. Watson has always shown that he is a very talented sportsman but he fails dismally at the strong mentally bit and I dont think he can ever cut it at test level.

[GVGjr]

Re: Boxing Day Test

I think it is. Test cricketers must be talented sportsmen and more importantly still have to be strong mentally. Watson has always shown that he is a very talented sportsman but he fails dismally at the strong mentally bit and I dont think he can ever cut it at test level.

I'm not sure I agree with this. It takes a lot of mental toughness to bounce back from so many injury set backs. I'd say he has displayed some immaturity but I think he was tough enough to make it.

[Twodogs]

Re: Boxing Day Test

I'm not sure I agree with this. It takes a lot of mental toughness to bounce back from so many injury set backs. I'd say he has displayed some immaturity but I think he was tough enough to make it.

I think other players get into his head far too easily. Players with far less talent than him can make him play the game to their rules. IMO that's his major failure as a cricketer and something that he's shown no abilty to overcome.

[westdog54]

Re: Boxing Day Test

I think other players get into his head far too easily. Players with far less talent than him can make him play the game to their rules. IMO that's his major failure as a cricketer and something that he's shown no abilty to overcome.

There's merit in that statement.

Look at Daryl Cullinan, a fine cricketer and a highly skilled batsman. Whenever he came up against Australia he crapped himself, and no amount of work with a Psychologist could overcome that. He was and always is Warne's B***h.

[Twodogs]

Re: Boxing Day Test

There's merit in that statement.

Look at Daryl Cullinan, a fine cricketer and a highly skilled batsman. Whenever he came up against Australia he crapped himself, and no amount of work with a Psychologist could overcome that. He was and always is Warne's B***h.

One of the reasons I can still play cricket even though I'm a 44 year old with a severly damaged body is that I fancy my chances of putting kids who have a physical advantage over me through a psychological workout. I can stand at slip or short leg and just chip away until I get a reaction. When I've got a reaction they are woriied more about me than what they are supposed to be doing. From there it's not long to game, set and match!