Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

[Dry Rot]

Good 167 today. Rogers made 9 and 17.

Another Blue for the Test team!

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Good 167 today. Rogers made 9 and 17.

Another Blue for the Test team!

Heard crash Craddock on the radio this morning saying a big smokey to represent Australia this season is a bowler called Bollinger. Where's he from?

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Excellent news - he got a hat trick today I believe.

Another NSW player in contention.

BTW - thanks again for the avatar.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Jacques has the position locked in now. Lets hope his lack of footwork doesn't get exposed during the test matches.

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Excellent news - he got a hat trick today I believe.

Another NSW player in contention.

BTW - thanks again for the avatar.

You're welcome. Looks good. I was looking through some membership cards earlier & that pic was on one of them.

I remember the late David Hookes saying that when you got your NSW cap, they gave you a brown paper bag with a baggy green in it!

[Twodogs]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

I disagree with GVRjr on Jacques having the position locked in and agree that his lack of footwork is a problem. Hayden is a player with cement feet, a brilliant eye and the strength and physical staure to intimidate fielding sides-Jacques is virtualy the same player. Langer was a gutsy player who didnt flinch, had immense concentration and stamina, used his feet and could adapt between attack and defense-in other words he was the textbook opener.

Jacques is the classic fat track bully, just like Hayden in his first test stint and Matthew Elliot and those blokes just dont prosper at the top level.

I'd like to see Michael Hussey open the batting and his brother David come into the team batting in the middle order.

[Twodogs]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Having said that Jacques 94 for Australia at Telstradome in the 2005-6 season in the ODI was the best innings I've seen in person in international cricket since Marlon Samuels 70 odd at the 'G in a test match about 8 years ago.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Heard crash Craddock on the radio this morning saying a big smokey to represent Australia this season is a bowler called Bollinger. Where's he from?

Bollinger! He has been around for years and done nothing. This is laughable.
No smokey he has a royal blue cap and therefore a baggy green already.

[GVGjr]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

I disagree with GVRjr on Jacques having the position locked in and agree that his lack of footwork is a problem. Hayden is a player with cement feet, a brilliant eye and the strength and physical staure to intimidate fielding sides-Jacques is virtualy the same player. Langer was a gutsy player who didnt flinch, had immense concentration and stamina, used his feet and could adapt between attack and defense-in other words he was the textbook opener.

Jacques is the classic fat track bully, just like Hayden in his first test stint and Matthew Elliot and those blokes just dont prosper at the top level.

I'd like to see Michael Hussey open the batting and his brother David come into the team batting in the middle order.

I wouldn't be moving Hussey from the middle order just yet. I like having a settled middle order. I think we need to go in with Hayden and a newbie and at the moment Jacques is in front.
I like the idea of David Hussey though. I guess it could down to a race between him, Hodge and Voges for a middle order spot.

[Twodogs]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Doug(?) Bollinger is quality. There must be few ahead of him but it wouldnt suprise me to see him get a chance this year. Very good change of pace and an international bowler needs that.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Bollinger! He has been around for years and done nothing. This is laughable.
No smokey he has a royal blue cap and therefore a baggy green already.

With Hayden and Gillie on the way out we could make this selection business a lot easier.

Just get Ponting to move to Sydney to captain the Blues, and then issue each player with a double sided cap - blue on one side, green on the other.

Problem solved and we'd save on the cost of selectors.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

Doug(?) Bollinger is quality. There must be few ahead of him but it wouldnt suprise me to see him get a chance this year. Very good change of pace and an international bowler needs that.

I have no idea if he is good or not. Know he is no spring chick. Is he more qualified than people from other states?
What gets me upset is, how he can be the first to be looked at? There are plenty of equally or better qualified players around Australia and they don't get the opportunities.

How can you have Lee, Stuart, Bracken, MaGill and now Bollinger all there abouts for test spots? They played they as highly as the selectors thought of them then NSW should be cleaning up in the Pura Cup and bowling out all side for 50 every time.

[Twodogs]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

I wouldn't be moving Hussey from the middle order just yet. I like having a settled middle order. I think we need to go in with Hayden and a newbie and at the moment Jacques is in front.
I like the idea of David Hussey though. I guess it could down to a race between him, Hodge and Voges for a middle order spot.

I cant see Hodge hanging around for long enough to settle into the middle order(I hope his mum doesnt post here!). The experience and dependability of Gilchrist at 7 usually means we can overcome any middle order collapses, although his batting in ODIs recently has suffered and I'm a little concerned about him.


As it stands;

Hayden
???????
Ponting
M Hussey
Clarke
Symonds/Hodge
Gilchrist

As it stands possies 1,3,4,5 and 7 pick themselves and probably will do for the next 8-12 months, theyre not an immediate concern. I dont think that Symonds or Hodge are as secure as any of the others and to be truthful I dont think that either of them are up to it.

I wouldnt be suprised to see the selectors move Hussey to open and experiment with a couple of newer players in the middle order-D. Hussey, Voges, Cosgrove, Sean Marsh.

[Dry Rot]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

How can you have Lee, Stuart, Bracken, MaGill and now Bollinger all there abouts for test spots? They played they as highly as the selectors thought of them then NSW should be cleaning up in the Pura Cup and bowling out all side for 50 every time.

Clark? (or does he have an "e" - I get confused)

[Twodogs]

Re: Our next test Opener - come on down Phil Jacques

I have no idea if he is good or not. Know he is no spring chick. Is he more qualified than people from other states?
What gets me upset is, how he can be the first to be looked at? There are plenty of equally or better qualified players around Australia and they don't get the opportunities.

How can you have Lee, Stuart, Bracken, MaGill and now Bollinger all there abouts for test spots? They played they as highly as the selectors thought of them then NSW should be cleaning up in the Pura Cup and bowling out all side for 50 every time.

It's not how well qualified or even how well performed you are. Selectors look at many things-temprement, the type of player they are in relation to the type of player they need, the type of pitch, the opposition but mainly whether they are ready to step up. Getting a heap of wickets in Shield cricket on Australian pitches doesnt automatically going to be a good bowler in India or even against India in Australia.