titan_uranus

Well the squad for Perth has been named. Not happy Jan. Doherty dropped after two Tests. Well fine. But his replacement is Michael Beer. Who gets a game because apparently the WACA is his home ground. But he's only played three games there. Hauritz has played three. Beer is young 26, he's only played a handful of first class games (5 games for 16 wickets at 39.93). Bad move. North dropped. Good. About time. His replacement? The wunderkind, Steve Smith. Who can't bat, yet will have to bat at either 6 or 7. Even 7, IMO, is too high for him. I don't rate him, but now that he's in, I hope he stays there. Give him an extended shot at it. Katich's replacement is the other wunderkind, Hughes. Who, upon hearing the news, walked out to bat for NSW, and added to his first innings 4 with a second innings duck. Off a full toss. He's in no form at all. Meanwhile Shaun Marsh sits around waiting. David Hussey is on 30* off 45. Naming the team now doesn't give him any chance to prove himself. He might make a century here, against the English, but won't get a look in. Deserves a chance, he'll never get it. We drop Johnson and Hilfenhaus for poor bowling in Brisbane, but recall them straight away after Adelaide. Neither has played a game since. What the hell was the point? Sure, Bollinger's injured/crap, but how is returning to the two guys who couldn't peform in Brisbane, and who haven't performed in any game since, a solution? With all of Johnson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, and Harris in the squad, and with Hilditch virtually confirming Beer's spot, I fear for Siddle. Hopefully he gets the nod over Hilfenhaus, who adds nothing and is less dangerous than Boycott's grandmother. Hilditch's words suggest only one of Johnson and Hilfenhaus will play though. Squad: Watson, Hughes, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Smith, Haddin, Johnson, Siddle, Beer, Harris, Hilfenhaus.

I'm just getting into NFL at the moment. Rules are a bit of a killer working out what's going on and what the heck a down is, but I'm getting there. It's good fun. Someone tell me which team to follow.

Peter Roebuck's article today is very, very good: http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-pays-high-price-for-focusing-on-youth-20101208-18psn.html Basically says that Hughes, Smith, Khawaja and Ferguson are being touted as the next big things in Australian cricket, but none of them are in any sort of form nor do they have the figures to back up their selection. The main reason their names are being floated is because they're young. Which isn't an automatic selection. In contrast, David Hussey, White and McDonald have the experience, the credentials, and the form to warrant selection (despite McDonald's broken hand). But few want to talk about them.

Hauritz has made a century batting as a nightwatchman for NSW. Currently 103*. His first first-class century too. That can't hurt.

Just thinking over some selection issues: 1) Who replaces Katich? The obvious choice is Hughes, but his form this year hasn't been great (highest first class score this season is 81*). Jaques hasn't set the world on fire either (in fact his 40 yesterday is his top score). Shaun Marsh might be one from left-field. He's doing really well for WA in the Shield, averaging 84.75. 2) Which 4 bowlers? Ryan Harris keeps his spot but the other three (Doherty, Bollinger and Siddle) were virtually useless and aren't certain starters. I'd keep Siddle there as I think he bowled the best of that lot, he had a few chances put down and/or referred and overturned, and I still think he does the job. I'd drop Bollinger, maybe for Mark Cameron or Trent Copeland, for someone new, or Johnson, which I don't think is the best option but he does bowl well in Perth. I don't know what to do with Doherty. If it's not him, it's Hauritz, but he's not exactly superb, or Smith, who I don't rate half as much as the general public. I don't think Smith can be the number 1 spinner in three Ashes Tests. 3) What do we do with the batting? Watson and Hussey stay for obvious reasons, as does Ponting, who needs runs desperately. Clarke stays too, and hopefully we see more of that form through the series. Which leaves North, who goes. I'd play David Hussey but there are other options out there. Khawaja is currently in the 40s for NSW. A big score today will help him immensely. Some will say Smith should bat at 7 and Haddin at 6, but I don't think Smith's good enough for that yet, and Haddin needs to bat as low as possible. For mine a long term solution does not involve Haddin at 6. Which makes my team: Watson, Hughes, Ponting, Clarke, M. Hussey, D. Hussey, Haddin, Harris, Hauritz, Siddle, Cameron.

ODI performances shouldn't come into consideration when picking the Test side. If he's the best batsman in the Shield (which I believe he is) then he should come in for North. Smith can't bat btw. Not yet. Agree with that. Jaques made 40 yesterday for NSW whilst Hughes made 4. Jaques was solid when he played for Australia. If he makes 100 and Hughes makes a duck in the second innings you'd feel sorry for Jaques if Hughes gets the nod. However I'm sure Hughes will play regardless. It's a tough one. Dropping him shows a complete lack of faith in a man who's had three innings to have a go. He obviously hasn't done any good, but is three innings enough to pass judgement. I mean, Hauritz had two years to settle, and never quite did. Twice in the Ashes too. Once against India in 2008. Can't remember the fourth one. Was it against NZ in Brisbane in 2008, where he got bowled by Ryder? I don't think that was the last over though...

Does that really solve anything? Smith's batting is not top-7 material at the moment. Playing him just because he bowls is not the answer. David Hussey is a much better batsman who has the record to back it up. He's in form for Victoria, he can bat from 3-6, and to top it off he bowls off spin just as well as North does.

Thanks Einstein. Clearly since Warne and MacGill we've had no one. That wasn't my point. It doesn't matter who we play, no one's capable at the moment. We need to hope someone like Michael Beer or Cameron Boyce, maybe even Steve Smith, develops into a decent spinner. Until then we're going to struggle to bowl teams out.

Just to be fair, I was the one who brought up Krejza. I wasn't saying we should bring him in, I was saying I reckon it was the moment we dropped him that our spin problem truly developed. The best spinners in the world, Swann, Harbhajan, Randiv, Herath, Benn, Vettori etc., all have one thing in common, and that is they spin the ball. It takes time for any spinner to develop an economy rate if they're spinning it, as spin necessitates a loss of control. But the fact of the matter is that spinners who don't turn it don't succeed and don't bowl you to a win. Hauritz's successes have come against sub-standard teams and he won't win us the Ashes.

Krejza's figures vs India at Nagpur were 8/215 (at 4.9 an over) and then 4/143 (at 4.61 an over). India made 441 and 295. We lost by 172 runs. In Perth against RSA he took 1/102 (at 4.08 an over) and 0/102 (at 4.25 an over). Those figures are worse than I remember, but I still feel that if we'd persisted with a spinner who can spin the ball (i.e. not Hauritz) we wouldn't be in this predicament.

He's still bowling over 140 in the Ryobi Cup. His flat trajectory never hurt him before. The point wasn't 'Let's bring Lee back', it was more 'I wish we has someone like Lee to bring in'.

Agree re: George but there's precious little else. Forgot about Mark Cameron btw. He's a chance, surely. He swings it for starters. I wish Brett Lee hadn't retired. He's the kind of spearhead we need. McDonald got injured in the Sheffield Shield. Not that T20 game. And there was an explanation for Krejza being dropped, that being he leaked far too many runs.

True that. But given they have Shahzad and Bresnan, and they all bowled pretty well in Hobart, and the man they're replacing is Broad, I'd say the other two are ahead at the moment. But I guess they'll all, with Panesar, get a game vs Victoria in a bowl-off. Didn't justify his selection. Didn't look fit either. Johnson doesn't deserve a recall yet. He needs time to work on his action. Hilfenhaus is useless, and Nasher's rumour is one I subscribe to. I don't see any future in him. So maybe it'll be a left-field pick. Peter George took a five-for last week or the week before, Clint McKay continues to bowl well for Victoria. If Mitchell Starc wasn't injured I'd look at him too. Same deal with Andrew McDonald. I have a gut-feeling it'll be Johnson even though that's not what I'd do. But of all the guys we've tried, Krejza remains the only one who properly turns the ball. Yes, he leaked runs, but two Tests, against the two best sides in the world, isn't exactly the easiest task. Meanwhile Hauritz's credits come from a summer against the two worst sides, Pakistan and the Windies. I still think if we'd kept Krejza in there and persisted with him maybe we'd be in a better situation than we are.

From here, we need to win 2 of the last 3 Tests to win the Ashes. They need to only win one of them, any one of them, and the Ashes are theirs. 5/620 vs 20/549. That's a shellacking if you've ever seen one.

Pathetic. But good bowling from England. Took the new ball and it worked, getting Hussey, who played a poor shot, and then Haddin. Our two in-form batsmen. Swann's doing the rest. Our spin woes started when we dropped Krejza after 2 Tests. Since then we have played Hauritz and Doherty, who can't spin it, and Smith, who's 2-3 years away from being any good at Test level. IMO Krejza spins it the most out of all Australian bowlers but I don't see him getting a game any time soon. It's patently clear that we need a decent spin bowler who can break partnerships and help us get 10 wickets an innings but Doherty's not the answer, and frankly, Hauritz and Smith aren't either. Batting woes are still there. North should be gone now. Just can't do it. Katich is injured and won't play, so you'd expect Hughes to get another crack. Watson needs to learn that 50 isn't enough, Ponting needs to find some form badly. 3/238, now 9/297. We continue to lose wickets in clumps and if we ever get into a position of advantage we let it slip. Now we need to win 2 of the last 3 games to win the Ashes back. Can't see that happening with this team. For mine, Hughes comes in for Katich, D. Hussey or White comes in for North (hopefully one of them will tear England's bowlers to shreds in the tour game) and then there'll probably be a change in the pace bowlers, Bollinger was no good so maybe someone will get his spot. Edit: Katich is out for the series. Might be the end for him. Sad, he's been one of our best performers over the last 2.5 years. Dependable with the bat, should have bowled more often too.

Stuart Broad's out for the series. Harsh for him, but that helps us. One less bowler today. I think Bresnan will come in for him as he can bat a bit, like Broad. If they play Tremlett their tail gets really long. First session is crucial. Don't think it will rain until later in the afternoon so North has to tough it out.

Wtf...Clarke was well set on 80, and Pietersen gets him in the last over of the day. Therein lies the difference between us: even when we reach 50 we are still prone to go out. They're not. Too many 50s. Watson has 2. Needs to learn to convert. Rain required tomorrow or it'll be a loss. Big day for North. Possibly his last. Ponting won't get far past the Ashes. This might be it.

5/1000+ over the last two innings. Sadly, what can we do? Drop Doherty after two matches? That's hardly productive. We need to show the spinner we pick some faith. So he should stay. Drop a paceman or two? Siddle's wicketless since Day 1 of Brisbane. Bollinger is leaking just as many runs as Johnson did, and his only wicket was a major blunder from Strauss. Harris is the best and holds his spot but really, we could change the bowling as much as we want, there's no one in the counry who is any more capable than the bowlers we've got in the side. Long term we'll be looking at Mitch Starc and Trent Copeland from NSW but they're for the Ashes 2013, not the Ashes 2010/11.

More insipid bowling and fielding. This test is gone. No swing, no control. No plan at times. And catches dropped again. Batsmen were also poor. No call from Watson, loose from Clarke and North. Anderson did bowl well but I don't rate the batting performance at all. North must be dropped. David Hussey in. Pressure on Clarke too, but I'll back him in to pick up.

Harris in for Hilfenhaus too. Another good call. And we won the toss and are batting.

Johnson out. Good call. I'd go with Siddle, Bollinger and Harris. Harris will be more damaging than Hilfenhaus once the shine wears off the new ball. The problem with Harris is his potentially dodgy knee. Claims that the tail will be lengthened aren't that big of a worry. With six ducks in his last 12 innings, it's not like Johnson has been scoring plenty at 8 anyway. Harris can bat at 8 no worries, so can Doherty. Hilfenhaus has a Test 50 to his name, and Siddle was a part of that big partnership in Sydney with Hussey. So there's a bit of batting there.

Australia's issues, for mine, stem back to the tour of India in 2008. In the first Test there we put 430 on the board in the first innings and then had India at 7/232, but Harbhajan and Zaheer then put on 80 for the 8th wicket. Since then we've seen the Australian team fail numerous times to take 20 wickets (vs South Africa in Perth and Melbourne, vs England at Cardiff, vs West Indies in Adelaide, vs India at Mohali, now vs England at Brisbane). Most of those games we were in winning positions at some point too. I thought the first three days were quite good. Obviously Days 4 and 5, with the extra sun, the pitch became a road and only two wickets fell. But the first few days were a pretty gripping contest, ebbing and flowing. I'd also rather have England's bowlers than Australia's, but maybe not if Bollinger and Harris come in for Johnson and Hilfenhaus.

Its not really a stock delivery because he has no control over it HT. Katich out for 4. Lack of discipline (flirted outside off), diligent bowling and a catch taken. Spot the difference.

Same problems resurfacing. Embarrassingly huge partnership between Cook and Trott. 316. None of the bowlers have looked capable. Our ability to take 20 wickets has always been an issue and its not improving. Hilfy isn't threatening without swing and bowls far too straight too often. Johnson has no stock delivery nor accuracy and should be dropped. Siddle lacks venom at the moment. Doherty is getting attacked too easily. Bollinger for Johnson in Adelaide, and Harris to threaten Hilfenhaus. Should be interesting to see what happens when we bat today.

Our advantage is slowly slipping away. That drop from Johnson will likely prove very costly. I see a big Strauss century coming up, and even though Doherty's getting spin and bounce, to lefties it's not nearly as threatening as to right handers. We need to break the partnership right now, and then Doherty will hopefully hurt their middle order. Hussey and Siddle were probably the two most contentious selections, but they've put us where we are now. Siddle was OK this morning, nearly had Strauss of an inside edge. Johnson and Hilfenhaus are both bowling varying levels of rubbish. At times Johnson looks threatening but then he slides one down the legs or bowls too far outside off. Hilfenhaus doesn't get his line right, and without swing he's much less dangerous. With Bollinger to come back they need to lift their game.