5 minutes ago, Macca said:

Yes well done to Slartibart, Civ & Lex

Gillespie & Hodge was the correct answer.  Not sure how many Tests Hodgey played after his double hundred but he only played 6 Tests in total

Averaged 55 as well

But it couldn’t have been it 2005 since that was an Ashes campaign year.

Maybe the year before?

Edited November 11, 20231 yr by WalkingCivilWar

3 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

But it couldn’t have been it 2005 since that was an Ashes campaign year.

Maybe the year before?

I did a google 

 

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-tour-of-australia-2005-06-209671/australia-vs-south-africa-1st-test-226371/full-scorecard

 

1 minute ago, Lexinator said:

I did a google 

 

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/south-africa-tour-of-australia-2005-06-209671/australia-vs-south-africa-1st-test-226371/full-scorecard

 

So it was 2005. I thought it was earlier than that.

But geez there’s some great names on that scorecard!

2 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

So it was 2005. I thought it was earlier than that.

But geez there’s some great names on that scorecard!

Absolutely! I thought Hussey came a little later but he's on there!

17 minutes ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

But it couldn’t have been it 2005 since that was an Ashes campaign year.

Maybe the year before?

We were in England in '05 so it might have been the summer of '05/'06 (Lex got it - above)

Anyway, Hodgey should have played a  bit more Test cricket but we had a very good team back then

According to folklore, it's often harder to go out of the test team than get into the team! 

From memory I reckon Michael Clarke was preferred and that was the only spot available ... Langer, Hayden, Ponting, Martyn, Hussey & Katich being the mainstays.  And then Clarke

Hodge was in the 2005 Ashes squad but he never played a Test in England

Edited November 11, 20231 yr by Macca

1 minute ago, Lexinator said:

Absolutely! I thought Hussey came a little later but he's on there!

Before Michael Hussey made his debut for Australia he was in 2 Ashes squads that toured England - carried a lot of drinks apparently

 

A couple more interesting facts

Glenn McGrath was dropped from the Test team 5 times before he played his 10th Test

And Ricky Ponting played his first 20 tests primarily as a no.6 batsmen (apart from a couple of his early tests)

 

As for the make-up of the team, I'd play Smith & Marnus as SF's & Finals often require a bit of resolute batting

Besides which, all the other 5 batsmen are hitters ... Stoinis to miss out (unfortunately)

A batting order of Head, Warner, Marsh, Smith, Marnus, Maxie & Inglis looks good enough to me

Inglis, Maxie & Marnus can float about in the order too ... either up or down.  I just feel we need a couple of steadying influences (Smith & Marnus)

As for Wednesday ... Go the Kiwi's!!

8 hours ago, Macca said:

As for the make-up of the team, I'd play Smith & Marnus as SF's & Finals often require a bit of resolute batting

Besides which, all the other 5 batsmen are hitters ... Stoinis to miss out (unfortunately)

A batting order of Head, Warner, Marsh, Smith, Marnus, Maxie & Inglis looks good enough to me

Inglis, Maxie & Marnus can float about in the order too ... either up or down.  I just feel we need a couple of steadying influences (Smith & Marnus)

As for Wednesday ... Go the Kiwi's!!

Agreed. I'd have same battling line up. Personally I'd like to see Smith after Marnus, he's played alright achoring but also played big shots too, something I like seeing later in innings partnered with say a Maxxie. Bowlers Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Zampa. Maybe Abbott for Hazlewood if we need extra battling depth down the order?

Edited November 11, 20231 yr by Lexinator
Oh yeah I forgot... go Kiwis!

9 hours ago, Macca said:

As for the make-up of the team, I'd play Smith & Marnus as SF's & Finals often require a bit of resolute batting

Besides which, all the other 5 batsmen are hitters ... Stoinis to miss out (unfortunately)

A batting order of Head, Warner, Marsh, Smith, Marnus, Maxie & Inglis looks good enough to me

Inglis, Maxie & Marnus can float about in the order too ... either up or down.  I just feel we need a couple of steadying influences (Smith & Marnus)

As for Wednesday ... Go the Kiwi's!!

Fair call re Stoinis. Marnus isn't a big hitter but he is been good at righting the ship more than once. Smith too. 

With Marsh finding some form again we will look quite dangerous with him firing alongside Maxwell.

We need a couple of bowlers to step up though. We are lucky to have Zampa but he needs help.

Will be an ripper of a game against S.A.

Kind of agree with maccas batting order but after 30 overs then I would be keeping Marnus lower in the order. The unit and Marnus batting together in a one dayer is slightly nightmarish.

Hodgey! No more centuries after his double v. S Africa

Edited November 12, 20231 yr by Jumping Jack Clennett
typo

On 11/11/2023 at 22:46, Macca said:

@ANG13 @Lexinator @hardtack @Jumping Jack Clennett @leave it to deever @dl4e @Slartibartfast  @WalkingCivilWar @H_T  @grazman  @DutchDemons @Jara

 

Glenn Maxwell's classic double hundred reminds me of the 2 Australians who both scored 200's in test cricket but never scored another century!

It's actually happened 7 times with Reginald Foster (way back when) scoring a massive 287 but never reached 3 fugures any other time

So who are the 2 Aussies?  We're working on an honour system here so googling is not allowed!!

I just googled R E  ("Tip") Foster.

That 287 in 1903 was his first test!  It was the highest Test score till 1930 (when Sandham, then the Don, scored triples.)

287 remained the highest score on the SCG till Michael Clarke's triple century.

Foster captained England in cricket and soccer.

I wonder if his nickname, "Tip" came because of his profession......he was a stockbroker.  He died aged 36 of diabetes.

 

24 minutes ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

I just googled R E  ("Tip") Foster.

That 287 in 1903 was his first test!  It was the highest Test score till 1930 (when Sandham, then the Don, scored triples.)

287 remained the highest score on the SCG till Michael Clarke's triple century.

Foster captained England in cricket and soccer.

I wonder if his nickname, "Tip" came because of his profession......he was a stockbroker.  He died aged 36 of diabetes.

 

There's thousands of cricket stories JJC, many of them quite fascinating

The timeless tests are intriguing ... the last one was played in 1938/1939 between England & South Africa which was abandoned after the actual game went for 9 days spread over 12 days (2 rest days and a washed out days) 680 overs 

Abandoned because the England team would have missed the boat home!! They only just fell short too (30 odd runs)

 1939 South Africa vs England 5th Test

I see India have ordered (and received?) a slow wicket tonight with the turf shaved almost completely off.  Sure to be a turner if so

I'm not sure any sort of request of this nature (by any nation) should be allowed especially in an international tournament and a World cup

Stokes ordered flat roads in England for the last Ashes series and that's wrong as well

Spirit of cricket?  Apparently only Australia transgresses

If the ICC had any sort gumption they'd knock this sort of thing on the head, quick smart ... big fines and suspensions would do the trick

Read the full Story here

2 hours ago, Macca said:

I see India have ordered (and received?) a slow wicket tonight with the turf shaved almost completely off.  Sure to be a turner if so

I'm not sure any sort of request of this nature (by any nation) should be allowed especially in an international tournament and a World cup

Stokes ordered flat roads in England for the last Ashes series and that's wrong as well

Spirit of cricket?  Apparently only Australia transgresses

If the ICC had any sort gumption they'd knock this sort of thing on the head, quick smart ... big fines and suspensions would do the trick

Read the full Story here

Some say AFL is the most corrupt sporting organisation in other threads. In comparison to ICC, not even close. 

Go Kiwis! 

19 minutes ago, Lexinator said:

Some say AFL is the most corrupt sporting organisation in other threads. In comparison to ICC, not even close. 

Is there a sporting body that isn't corrupt Lex?  Haha

FIFA is top of the list probably and then there's the IOC

Any sporting body in the USA is questionable as well especially in relation to performance enhancing drugs (super soft approach)

The ICC has no teeth

Virat’s 50th ODI century, just incredible. Right now the poor old Kiwis are simply extras in the King Kohli show.

1 hour ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Virat’s 50th ODI century, just incredible. Right now the poor old Kiwis are simply extras in the King Kohli show.

Incredible player. Probably the best white ball cricketer ever.

Aa good as the batting has been, the bowlers are generally treated like cannon fodder.  Much like t20 cricket, 50 over cricket is a battle between bat & bat with the bowlers playing a minor role

The tracks are like blocks of concrete

The solution is to leave a reasonable amount of grass on the decks so as to help the bowlers.  Sporting wickets instead of roads.  A high score of about 260 - 280 would see more of a proper contest

4 hours ago, Macca said:

Aa good as the batting has been, the bowlers are generally treated like cannon fodder.  Much like t20 cricket, 50 over cricket is a battle between bat & bat with the bowlers playing a minor role

The tracks are like blocks of concrete

The solution is to leave a reasonable amount of grass on the decks so as to help the bowlers.  Sporting wickets instead of roads.  A high score of about 260 - 280 would see more of a proper contest

That's why I like Australia's approach to pitches. Each ground seems be be different, you know what to expect but all are different and vary year to year at same time and makes it a pretty even contest with bat and ball. My favourite format is test so the aforementioned especially applies.

37 minutes ago, Lexinator said:

That's why I like Australia's approach to pitches. Each ground seems be be different, you know what to expect but all are different and vary year to year at same time and makes it a pretty even contest with bat and ball. My favourite format is test so the aforementioned especially applies.

Agreed but we did go through a decent period where we produced road after road ... the last 2 seasons back to sporting wickets

Good start Aussies! 

Didn't want to field first because we have struggled to chase.

But this is a great tight and successful early spell by our bowlers.