Rhino Richards

I also love Test Cricket. Great finish as expected. Well done Postman Pat. But I cannot work out why this is only a 2 Test series. Honestly Australia should be playing 3 to 5 Test Series against South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, WI and England. It should reserve the 2 Test friendlies to countries like NZ, Bangladesh.

Agree Bob. Cummins looks one out of the bag and has lived up to the very strong comments made about him at more junior levels. On the other hand, Harris's phyiscal frailties and Johnson and Siddle's lack of consistent firepower does not augur well for them. i think we will see other young quick prospects get a go this summer like Hazlewood and Starc. Whether its Paine or Wade, Haddin should be feeling the heat well and truly. Mind you if he were to play a pivotal role in the final day at the Wanderers then he gets a possible reprieve. Paine must be cursing his luck with the finger injury. He was close to a call up before the SA tour in my opinion. Haddin's efforts on tour have brought him closer to the cap But Mathew Wade has definitely timed his form beautifully. It would appear that keeping is the one area we appear reasonably stocked in.

Beautifully written Franky. Well done. I have just been informed that a close work colleague of mine (who I would call a friend) has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and now goes into the horrible process of doctor check up, operation and possibly chemo. I can only imagine the inner turmoil she is suffering and only admire her strength at this time. I think the same things could be said about 2 Sheds. I dont know him but I enjoyed his posts and admired his strenght of character in dealing with his battle. I can only hope that science can crack this scourge called cancer. It takes away so much that we value that all other issues are just irrelevant. RIP 2 Sheds.

I think the new Chairman of Selectors John Inverarity needs to have a number of discussions with Ponting leading to an agreed departure at the CA's basis. He needs to be told hook or by crook, you have until the SYD test at most if your form holds. Either SYD is your last Test. If getting dropped is not the end then someone please tell Ben Hilfenhaus that. He is finished at Test level. The McGrath analogy is not a good one. I am not sure being dropped 5 times in 9 tests measures my point. Mitch Johnson has been around for 4 years and nearly 50(?) Tests. We know quite a bit about Mitch. And if he cannot sort out his appalling inconsistency and all too infrequent high points at Shield level for a sustained period, he is finished. The same with Hughes. If he cannot demonstrate an ability to properly address chinks in his technique then he is finished at Test level. Unless Siddle can develop a consistent killer delivery to survive at the top level then he is just honest fodder at Test level and will only appear if there are injuries. All three have been on scene for four years or so. We know what we get from them. What we have seen to date is not good enough. They could well change and improve but I would want extra evidence to suggest that is the case. And they would want to change as cricketers. Some could change but I think a couple could go the way of Hilf and be a handy Shield bowler. For example, I have felt for Ponting and Clarke as captains when your apparent strike bowler serves the sub standard rubbish that he does.

Nuggets, the World Cup I think was indeed a turning point in confidence that really flowered in 1989. Yes Ch 9 did not show the final live. Curse them!

The 1989 was a far more experienced team. If your saying their young players then another 2.5 years is a hell of alot of experience and players like M Taylor, M Waugh, Hughes were all better players in 1989 than when they were 1986/87. You could argue thoese players alone were not inexperienced at all . So the 1989 team does not support your argument at all. Depends how forward looking you are being. Hussey Ponting, Haddin should not be in the team by the end of the Australian summer. Hughes is an easy drop but he too is relatively inexperienced and young. Johnson has burnt his tickets up in Sri Lanka and South Africa but had credits to continue after the Ashes in the absence of better options. And the better options for strike bowlers Hazelwood, Starc and Cummins are very young. My forward team (out six months) wont be much different to yours give or take. Its just many of those players have not been ready (or fit) in the period from the Ashes to now. FWIW, i am not sure there could be lost of options for Johnson, Siddle or Hughes unless they really change their stripes. Performances to date are not encouraging.

Bob raises good points Nuggets. You are also trying to argue the 1986/87 side against the 1989 side. I think you are looking at two different team with different experience levels. The team that went to England was indeed very capable. I dont know why you would use the English press hoopla to support just playing the kids.

I think you have to look at what has happened during and since the campaign. Hughes did not play much during the Ashes and IMO is a flawed batsman. Against Sri Lanka Khawaja was there with Marsh, Copeland and Lyons. For this Test, we had three relative newbies with little experience. Its a line ball with Copeland getting a guernsey and with Tim Paine out, Haddin has been breathing longer. I think Copeland, Khawaja and Warner are all set to come in. The debacle that has occurred has blotted a few line ball players futures. Johnson, Hussey,Haddin will go over the summer.Hughes is gone for mine. I think Siddle is warming a spot for a better bowler. Ponting has been a great and needs to be managed professionally out of the team. One of his saving grace is that there have not been better batting performances at home. I dont we have the calibre and depth of player atm that you refer to 86/87. Ignore the other "learn from it" its been deleted.

Nice work. I cant delete a PM after its reaches the recipient.Maybe its just you.... Talk about missing the point.....and an absence of the facts Good summnation Bob. Agree about the batting and spinning options And Nuggets by your own hand, the selectors are actually doing what you have suggest. Not doing mass changes but certainly changing the scenery. Lyon, Khawaja, S Marsh and Copeland have all been blooded since the Ashes were lost. That's over 40% of your sideI would expect that Haddin, Johnson, Ponting and Hughes will be on rice paper. Paine, Cummins, Hazelwood and Starc should debut this summer.

Talking about missing the point... Debacles like that sit squarely in the hands of the players first and foremost. Agree about the selection issue. And I agree the next 3 debutants do look like coming from NSW.

Well, I cant belileve it. I fell into bed last night at 1/46 and dreamt that Australia bowled SA out for 140. I check the scores this morning Australia was also bowled out where both sides made 140. Wow. 9/21...... Clarke could be man of the match for his 150 but we still lose handsomely. His innings was outstanding...head and shoulders above other batsman. Hughes, Ponting and Haddin must starting to feel some heat. Something to note in the bowling...Harris and Watson taking wickets.....Johnson, Siddle no wickets... Since debut.. Lyon has no done much. We rely on too few with the ball. SA in the box seat but I am too scared to call the result after what has happened! SA shouldn't win either because they won the toss and sent Australia into bat. Shame on them.

SA 1 for 46 off 11.. not good but Harris once again the pick of the Australian bowlers.

Or we know where they stand for the future in their last years of their contracts. Aside from Bennell and a pre 2011 Davey I am not sure you going to see anything different from the others. And allowing for Col being well Col. You will see the signs in 2012 but it will take them 12 months to learn the Neeld game plan sufficiently. Neeld should benefit from the growing maturity in the quality players on our list.

Great knock by Clarke. Listening to the commentary that 284 is not a bad position given the toss. Johnson 2 overs for 14......tick tick bomb! Early days but I hope he finds his mojo in his next spell.

He had an outstanding series last time in South Africa with some truly brutal spells of bowling that were the equal of Steyn on occassions. Also hit a century on the tour. Has largely disappointed since.

Agree. i have only heard the days wrap on a couple of radio stations. The pitch seemed lively early. Great knock by Pup. I also thought of the Hughes knock against the Windies. If the planets line then Mitch Johnson could bowl hand grenades but we do know that he could easily bomb. Fascinating

I just checked the records and Aust played Pakistan at home after the 1981 ashes in Oct-Dec 1981. Wellham did not play in the first test but played the next 2 tests and you're right he never lived up to the day at the Oval. He may well have been injured for the first test but I cannot recall.

Ok thanks. He was a NSW Captain at the time and not the most popular cricketer going around. I think he got dropped for the next season after scoring a ton in the last test of the Ashes series. Funny I didnt realise he came back and played another 5 tests over 5 years.

Hell, Dirk Wellham must have been hated given he never played a Test again after an away series Ashes century. I am not sure either Katich or Clarke's blotters are unmarked but one is the incumbent Test Captain starting to get some form and just winning a series in Sri Lanka. The other is 36yo, bitter and not making runs....

Yikes! Victoria 317/7 (49/49 ov) New South Wales 323/3 (40.4/49 ov) Wow! Victoria batted well after a difficult start and 774 radio had them a shoo in with that score. Ouch. Smith 29yo and built like a brick fortress hits 12 sixes. Katich 13 and he may want to make his bat talk louder than his mouth.

I rate players whose impact on the game changes the way the game is played. From the Australian perspective in recent years, players like Hayden - bruising, intimidating batting changed the way Test opening batting was seen relative to ODI. Regularly walked off at lunch with the scoring rate at between 4 to 5 runs an over Ponting - As complete a number 3 as we have had. Able to destroy attacks and be the backbone of big scores. Also able to bulid the patient big knock. Footwork and hand to eye movement as good anyone I have ever seen. Stunning fieldsman in any position. Gilchrist - Rewrote the book on keeper/batsman. Able to win a Test from No 7. Able to destroy an attack from No 7. Rarely seen power game. Warne - Enough said. Completely changed the laws of leg spin. As complete a mater of the complex skill as has ever been. Just re wrote so many so called tenets of the game. 2nd best cricketer ever produced by Australia after the Don. McGrath - the human metronome. Ultimate master of economy in action, delivery and performance. Ruthless and underrated. Normally a Test side is lucky to have one such player at one time. We had arguably 5 players. Australian and World cricket supporters were well and truly blessed. And it will be years down the track before people will recognise the uniqueness of each player and their impact on the game.

I would have Ponting up there as a batsman. Since watching cricket since the early 1970's, if we did not have the Don at No 3 then he would be No 3 in the best Aust team I have ever seen. Hayden Langer Ponting G Chappell S Waugh Border Gilchrist Warne Lilliee Thomson McGrath Apologies to the pre 1970 players I did not see. And the Don would replace Ponting in the side if I did see him.

20/20 or 50/50 - Psst it played on the same day on the same wicket. So the reason to bat or bowl in short forms of the game are not dictated by the state of the wicket as in the longer forms of the games. Check that the captains you have observed follow that basis without you falling off the edge. If you actually do the research JJC you might find they dont always adhere to your square earth policy and the result of the game was not dependent on which the toss of the coin. Most times in longer forms of the games you bat first..... but wait for it.... not always. Shock heresy i know but there you have it.

Careful Jack your pushing an argument which belongs with the square earth crowd. It does not matter a jot in T20 whether you bat or bowl because the wicket aint going to change that much. In the Shield match we could have been playing for a win had we held critical catches and batted better (sans Quiney) in the 2nd dig. I am not sure Q'land are an inferior side. Victoria has been routed by retirement and injury in the off season.

Graham Dilley dies prematurely after an illness. Deserved a longer innings A sad loss to any ever youthful bowler who was better than Dilley ever gave himself credit for. RIP and thanks for memories. http://www.theage.co...1006-1la8y.html