First Test- Australia v South Africa

[Sproj]

Let's not lose our minds here.

Lehmann started in 2015 and only played three games so I am happy to leave that- two 50's in those three games. Positive start.

First full year was last year with 8 games and 623 runs at 44.5 and a double 100- that's a good year- certainly not great.

This year two games 158 runs so far.

He's hardly demanding selection. He's had a positive start to his Shield career and is doing good/well the same as a few guys.

I don't disagree with you but I just don't see how you can take a mediocre career of a guy who is starting to get on over a youngish guy who has looked more than solid so far and certainly no worse than the guy they've picked.

And I would love to have guys averaging 50+ and scoring 1000 runs each year but that time has passed unfortunately and I do agree we should give some young guys a go.

I'd like to see a list of next in liners:

Openers: 1. Burns, 2. Bancroft, 3. Renshaw, 4. Maddinson - Outside of Burns, this is a problem area as Renshaw looks good but is too raw.

Middle-order: 1. Fergusen, 2. Lehmann, 3. Patterson, 4. Lynn (if he can ever stay on the field), 5. Heazlett - Some other good potentials but fit Lehmann and Patterson around Smith, Khawaja and Warner and we look ok for the next few years, not great though.

All-Rounders: 1. Head, 2. Henriques, 3. Faulkner, 4. Maxwell, 5. Cartwright, 6. Valente - We have some very promising young guys there but none are ready yet. Cartwright looks amazing to me but still needs time, Valente can't crack his state side yet. Faulkner seems to have gone backwards but I'd be keen to see him get another crack soon if Marsh gets a reprieve next test and fails again.

Keepers: 1. Wade, 2. Handscomb, 3. Whiteman - This is a problem area in that Wade has proven he can bat but has feet for hands, Handscomb is the best of the bunch all-round but doesn't keep for Victoria at the moment.

Pace Bowlers: 1. Mennie, 2. Bird, 3. Sayers, 4. Pattinson, 5. Cummins, 6. Behrendorff - We have so much talent here if they can all stay fit and that is a HUGE if given NCN, Pattinson and Cummins are all walking injuries. Paris, Steketee can't even crack their state sides. I just don't understand why we have gone with Mennie when both Bird and Sayers are better options, particularly Sayers at present.

Spin Bowlers: 1. SOK, 2. Agar, 3. Zampa, 4. Swepson - We look to have a fantastic prospect in Swepson but we've all thought that with Zampa, Muirhead and Boyce in recent times and none of them have gone on to anything FC level wise. Swepson has not started this season well and hopefully he doesn't follow that trend. I believe SOK is better than Lyon and I realise that will be controversial but his record speaks for itself. Most games he has played with Lyon at FC and national level, he has outperformed him. However, he is starting to get on and his time has passed outside the sub-continent. The big positive here is the improvement of Agar. He is becoming a genuine spin-all round option. He is fresh off a 10-fa and seems to be re-discovering his early career mojo with the ball. His batting is a very pleasant bonus and he is still very young.

 

[mitch222]

In the context of the current Australian batting crop, I'd say he is demanding selection, it's not like back in the good old days where you could wait until someone averaged 50 in FC and scored 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons before they're considered for selection, we simply don't have enough good batsmen coming through to be waiting for that to happen.

Who was the last batsmen we blooded that averaged over 45 in FC? Steve Smith?

Khawaja - 43
Maxwell - 42
Burns - 41
Cowan - 41
Nevill - 41
Wade - 40
S.Marsh - 40
Bailey - 38
Quiney - 38
Doolan - 36
Henriques - 31
M.Marsh - 30

My guess would be Voges

 

[mitch222]

Mitch Marsh is a spud. Cant take wickets with the ball and his batting is pathetic. He has been given a free ride in the test matches for 19 games now and he has a batting average of 23 and 29 wickets @ 37. Time to either play another batsmen or another bowler in the team in place of him. He is a big liability in this team

 

[Dash]

Personally I'm over the selection of players who've played less than 10 career first class matches. Picking bowlers who have played 5 matches and taken 15 wickets @ 32, or batsman who've made 3 fifties in a one season career are suddenly the great white hope.

Until they cut that shit out, there will never be anyone who averages 50+, because why the **** would you bother?

 

[broncoboy]

Siddle has been ruled out of the second tests leaving the door open for joe mennie

 

[Accept]

Siddle has been ruled out of the second tests leaving the door open for joe mennie

I hope Mennie doesn't go for many.

 

[Unbreakable]

Jackson Bird called into the squad, I'd personally much rather he comes in than Mennie, considering it's in Tassy. Bird dominates down there.

 

[1910]

In the context of the current Australian batting crop, I'd say he is demanding selection, it's not like back in the good old days where you could wait until someone averaged 50 in FC and scored 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons before they're considered for selection, we simply don't have enough good batsmen coming through to be waiting for that to happen.

Who was the last batsmen we blooded that averaged over 45 in FC? Steve Smith?

Khawaja - 43
Maxwell - 42
Burns - 41
Cowan - 41
Nevill - 41
Wade - 40
S.Marsh - 40
Bailey - 38
Quiney - 38
Doolan - 36
Henriques - 31
M.Marsh - 30

If you lower the bar, that is all you will ever get. You need to figure out why not just say a C is the new A. Our lack of 'Test batsmen" isn't a skill thing it's an application pride thing.

 

[1910]

In the context of the current Australian batting crop, I'd say he is demanding selection, it's not like back in the good old days where you could wait until someone averaged 50 in FC and scored 1,000 runs in consecutive seasons before they're considered for selection, we simply don't have enough good batsmen coming through to be waiting for that to happen.

Who was the last batsmen we blooded that averaged over 45 in FC? Steve Smith?

Khawaja - 43
Maxwell - 42
Burns - 41
Cowan - 41
Nevill - 41
Wade - 40
S.Marsh - 40
Bailey - 38
Quiney - 38
Doolan - 36
Henriques - 31
M.Marsh - 30

It's worse than that- Burns was the first batsman since Warner to be picked for Australia while averaging 40 plus. Quiney, Doolan, Bailey and Cowan were all averaging less than 40.