CRICKET General Cricket Discussion - 2023/24

[Sproj]

Davies falls for 28.

 

[Fitzy]

Hardie opening for WA. Weird decision. Another poor innings to start the year for him.

 

[Sproj]

WA - 6/52!

 

[Sproj]

Make that 7/52.

 

[Sproj]

8/53

Webster 5-17.

 

[Sproj]

9/53

Webster 6/17

 

[Browny]

9/53

 

[Sproj]

I mean, I know it isn't FC but given how well he has gone in that comp as well, I just don't see how you can leave him out of the test squad. I'd go with him at 6 over Marsh.

 

[Sproj]

All out 53. That's nuts.

This is WA we're talking about.

 

[Browny]

lol team hat trick

 

[Fernando]

I mean, I know it isn't FC but given how well he has gone in that comp as well, I just don't see how you can leave him out of the test squad. I'd go with him at 6 over Marsh.

Gotta be real close. Marsh didn't bowl a ball in the Shield match and can't really be relied on.

 

[Sproj]

Haha Harris, my gosh, what on earth. The guy is a space cadet.

 

[Sproj]

All over, WA beaten by 7 wickets.

 

[Fitzy]

I mean, I know it isn't FC but given how well he has gone in that comp as well, I just don't see how you can leave him out of the test squad. I'd go with him at 6 over Marsh.

Don’t agree. He got the same amount of wickets in his last 7 deliveries today that he has in 4 innings of shield.

Scored the 100 to start the shield season but been poor for his standards the 2 innings since. At 30 I don’t know why on earth you would pick him tbh doesn’t have much left in him, doesn’t strike me as the sort of player who would just hit the ground running so by the time he gets going, if he gets going (which I don’t think he would) it’s bye bye. At 30, I just don’t think he is naturally as talented as other players, his potential isn’t that high, his results to start the season aren’t quite the same as last. One bloke is getting in this side if it’s middle order you go McSweeney because someone needs experience that’s going to cover the top order and if you go opener it’s probably Konstas.

6-fa with a white ball against an all time collapse when your red ball bowling doesn’t match and your red ball batting isn’t remotely comparable to others who are younger, more talented or more experienced at test level is a tough ask to drop (or move) the reigning AB medalist who has had a relatively similar start to the shield season batting at 3 in an unfamiliar position against a new ball not batting at 6.

 

[Sproj]

I suspect India has been putting all their prep into the Aus series and completely dropped the ball here against NZ. NZ is a session or two from winning a series against India in India. Crazy.

 

[Fitzy]

That is all the domestic cricket the test hopefuls will play before the series.

1. Khawaja
2. TBD
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Marsh/TBD
7. Carey
8. Cummins
9. Starc
10. Lyon
11. Hazlewood

12. Boland
13. TBD

Options:

Marcus Harris:
4 Innings - 237 runs @ 59.25 - HS 142 - 1 100's - 1 50's

Junction Oval specialist. At 32 his 607 runs @ 25.29 with 3 50's 0 100's at test level is enough to just say no. He has played some big series so I think thats probably his final push for the test arena. Needs to top score comfortably in the A series to be the pick for mine.

Cameron Bancroft:
4 innings - 10 runs @ 2.5

I think he is probably out. If the previous 2 seasons wasn't enough to get him his spot he is going to need some daddy hundreds in the 2 A games to get the spot now.

Sam Konstas:
4 innings - 302 runs @ 75.50 - HS 152 - 2 100's - 0 50's

He has the runs on the board if he can put up convincing numbers again in the A series he is within a shot. I think its probably to early but at the end of the day we are in need of an opener beyond the Green injury and I don't think we can do any worse than Harris and Bancroft. the 2 100's were sublimely impressive. The low score against vic was worrying but he bounced back with a hard fought 40 in trying times for NSW before a silly shot to get out. I think personally with how average Labuschagne and Smith have been you are throwing the poor kid to the wolves. I don't see a world where he is good enough for India's attack.

Josh Inglis:
4 innings - 1 no - 297 runs @ 99 - 85 SR - HS 122 - 2 100’s - 0 50’s

Tremendous start. Sadly for Inglis, Carey has matched it so he won’t be the keeper. I think if Konstas and McSweeney fail and he has a good one day series there’s every chance he gets the opener spot. I think he is a really classy batsman and we are struggling for openers. I am of the opinion that openers should be specialist or experienced but at the end of the day if they need an opener it’s probably more appropriate to keep marsh and head where they are and get Inglis who is the most proven batsman on an international stage albeit in white ball cricket but just as in form as the rest in red ball cricket the nod. I think he only gets the nod at opener if all else fails in the A series and I think he is likely to be the squad batter/keeper if he is not in the side just be cause he covers two birds with one stone.

Nathan McSweeney:
4 innings - 1 no - 291 runs @ 97 - 1 100’s 2 50’s

I think he has the most potential of the lot of them, I think he is the most technically sound, limited weaknesses. In the best form. He has faced the most balls comfortably with 637. He just smacked a hundred again today on white ball cricket. Team of the year in both shield and marsh one day last year. Young. I think he is the most well rounded option in terms of I think he is the classiest, most ready, most likely to succeed instantly and you get the most out of blooding him beyond this series in both red and one day set ups. My only shortfall for Nathan is he shouldn’t be an opener. To talented in a position we lack far to much talent in to throw him to the wolves at opener. I don’t think that’s a position you want him to be stuck batting because you have nobody else either. I think Marnus and Marsh are unlikely to open the batting and there his only entrances. I think if he is the most successful in the A series they don’t have a choice but to throw him in though. He is my pick I just can’t see a realistic path into this set up where he is batting in an ideal position so I think I would rather him miss out than risk his confidence.

Beau Webster:
3 innings - 151 runs @ 50.33 - HS 113 - 1 100’s and 0 50’s - 3 wickets @ 52.00

Had a terrific season last year but at 30 and in the position Australia does not lack options and talent I just don’t think he is good enough to put India and England to the sword at all let alone enough to warrant selection over marsh or other options who will prove to be me more valuable in the future. I like Beau I do but at the end of the day there are younger more valuable options for the teams future that have outperformed with the bat this season albeit in 1 extra innings each. On top of that Beau is just not a good enough bowler to force his way into this side through any of the possible avenues. Had he done what he had done for 2 or 3 seasons potentially we sit here and have a different discussion but it was 1 at the age of 30. Doesn’t help the AB medalist is in his spot either.

My power rankings
1. McSweeney
2. Konstas
3. Inglis
4. Harris
5. Webster
6. Bancroft

Most Realistic power rankings:
1. Konstas
2. Harris
3. McSweeney
4. Inglis
5. Bancroft
6. Webster

 

[Allo]

All out 53. That's nuts.

This is WA we're talking about.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of pricks

 

[Fitzy]

I suspect India has been putting all their prep into the Aus series and completely dropped the ball here against NZ. NZ is a session or two from winning a series against India in India. Crazy.

You could say that but if Australia were preparing heavily for India in India do I think we would lose to New Zealand on our home deck a month before? No I don’t. So I would say this could be a bit of poor form from India heading into the Aus series but it’s far enough out to be a big wake up call which should scare the Aussies.