titan_uranus

Important part of the side now. His run is unending. Backs up every time. And his kicking is pretty good as well. Definitely 'Best 22' material. Great pick up from late in the draft.

It's odd how Hussey struggles so much in Test cricket yet when he pulls the colours on he dominates. He really does inspire confidence when he's at the ODI crease, like he used to in Test cricket. I can't quite work out how he's fallen so far away in Test cricket yet can still be the best ODI batsman going around. Oh no, what a disaster. Maybe you will have to watch some Test cricket instead?

I heard a while ago that we'd be travelling early, likely in Round 1 as we haven't been intersate in Round 1 since '98 which is a long time. I'd also like us to do more travel in the first half of the year, as with younger legs I think we could give the interstate games a better shot early rather than having 4 out of the last 8 away from the G when we're either tired or pushing for finals. I'll repost the other thing I heard, which was an early-season Friday night away match against Collingwood (I'm tipping Round 3, with a home game in Round 2). AFL wants to build up our rivalry once more. Just rumours, but we'll see what happens.

Gee, that's a lot of delistings. For a team that has been crying out for ruckmen for two years, I'm surprised they think they're well off enough to drop Taylor and Skipper. Especially given Skipper played a healthy portion of this year in the seniors. Including the final vs Freo. As an insurance rookie he couldn't be that bad, but I would prefer us to play Martin. The rest are all duds, with the possible exception of Carl Peterson, but his head isn't in the right spot. Apparently nor are Dowler's or Hooper's. Muston played one good game. It was agaisnt us last year on debut.

On the flipside, all we have between now and the Brisbane Test is some ODIs and a T20 against India and Sri Lanka. Hardly the ideal preparation over the next six weeks. England have three warm up games (vs WA, SA and Australia A). Hence the idea of getting them all to play one Shield game as warm up.

Pretty fair summary. Hauritz is the no. 1 spinner but shouldn't be a certainty for Brisbane. How utterly embarrassing. 4-0 in a 5 game series. Bangladesh is now no longer the worst ODI side...they're the equal worst side, with the Windies!

Quite pathetic really. But I guess the game is more about showing it to the Chinese than for us.

I read in one of the papers that every Test player will be required to play at least one Sheffield Shield match before the Brisbane Test, so that should give us an indication of how Haddin's going. Moreover, it means Ponting might line up for Tasmania. I wonder when the last time that was?

Alright then HT, my side for Brisbane: Watson Katich Ponting Clarke Khawaja Hussey Haddin Johnson Siddle Hilfenhaus Bollinger Time for new blood. Instead of waiting for us to lose the first one or two Tests we need to be brave and make the call now. One of North or Hussey has to go. We can't carry both, and we need to get someone new in there. I've gone with Hussey as I think moving him down to 6 might work for him. That's where he bats in ODIs, and I know they're vastly different but I see him working well with the tail and hopefully doing better against the older ball. I've also gone with four pacemen, as I reckon Brisbane warrants that. Hauritz did OK there last year but that was the Windies. Furthermore I reckon we need Siddle in the side and hopefully if he gets his chance in Brisbane he takes some wickets and holds his spot for Adelaide and beyond. He did really well in last year's Ashes and does a lot of the bullocking, into the wind bowling that really no one else can do. It would be even easier to drop Hauritz if North played, but with Katich and Clarke, and Watson for back up, I'm not too fussed. Another option would be to drop Hussey for someone like David Hussey or Cameron White, who provide back up spin (D. Hussey's is better than White's). Haddin plays over Paine by virtue of experience and surer batting, but he will know he has to perform. Paine is a goer and will be the permanent keeper within 18 months I reckon.

Anzac Day, in either 04 or 05. Should have won the Anzac medal but they gave it to Lovett. Probably the only one though.

Oh I'm interested. Interested in if anyone actually thinks we should go after an unfortunately, but nonetheless definitely, crippled hack. Ah true. Did he keep his rookie spot at WCE?

Talked about here: http://www.cricinfo.com/rsavaus2009/content/story/396407.html Doesn't actually say he could bat in the top six, but I definitely remember reading it. Probably some knee-jerk reaction from a HUN journalist. Or WYL. Either way, he's fallen a long way away from where he was back then.

This is the worst thread I've seen here. Ever. Can only be beaten by someone asking if we should pick Jordan McMahon up.

Harsh on Hilfy who at times looked the only bowler likely of taking a wicket. Time some heat was put on Johnson IMO. Far too erratic, sprays it too wide too often. Relies on his angle and pace, doesn't have a lot of variation (e.g. in/out cutters, slower balls, swing). Isn't taking the wickets we need him to. Wastes the new ball. Edit: And his batting has gone nowhere. There was all this (premature) talk about him batting in the top 6 after the South Africa tour. But he's hardly scored a run since then. Not that he's there to bat, but it isn't helping. Yes but there's a big, big difference between Hussey/North and Clarke. Clarke has been in superb form for most of the last 18 months. Through the Ashes he was our leading run-scorer, and through the home summer he was in command of WI and Pakistan (not the highest quality opposition, but North struggled against them). He scored back to back 160+ scores earlier this year. Whether it's the move to 4, the Indian conditions, the upcoming Ashes or something else, I have a lot more confidence in Clarke making runs this summer than North or Hussey. Hussey is living on past credits, credits which he is rapidly running out of. According to the FTP, we have a series against Bangladesh in April/May next year. I seriously doubt Hussey will be there, and Hauritz and North might not be either. Interestingly, the ICC has approved a Test Championship, whereby after a 4 year period the top four teams qualify for the 'finals'. Currently we wouldn't make the finals as we are 5th. Who'd have believed you if you'd told them that 2 years ago?

It's pretty clear what Stefan needs to do over the pre-season: work on becoming a ruck/forward. He has little future as a backman. He's behind Frawley, Rivers, Garland and Warnock, and if we keep McNamara he'd have another contender. I thought he was quite good against Brisbane in the ruck when he got his chance early this year. But he is just terrible as a forward. If he can work at it, though, he could find himself in the 22 come Round 1.

What a load of crock. Cheney had basically reached his potential. He's short and a bit slow, and you can't overcome that, no matter how hard you try. He wasn't that skilful either. From what I've seen of TMac the possibility for improvement is much, much greater. He's tall, and mobile for someone of his height, has been played forward and back, and kicks nicely too. I really, really, really struggle to comprehend how you can look at the two of them and think that Cheney has more potential. He might have been further ahead in his development in 2010, but if we were to keep them both, I guarantee you McNamara would be the better player in 1-3 years. Edit: Great minds think alike E25...

You've gotta go with Warne on this one. I struggle to believe that Nathan Hauritz is so highly respected by Punter that he gets to set his own field. Furthermore, I struggle to believe that Ponting couldn't change the field if he wanted to. The problem, though, isn't the field (though our field placements aren't helping. We needed tigher fields and a stump-to-stump line from our pacemen, and needed to attack more on Day 5). It's the bowler. Look at every other Test playing nation. They all have at least one spinner who's better than Hauritz: Swann, Harbhajan/Ohja, Ajmal/Kaneria, Vettori, Murali/Mendis/Herath/Randiv, Harris (debatable), even Shakib al Hasan from Bangladesh is better. And what's worse is that there's no real stand outs in the Shield. Steven Smith is next but he's way off, and can't yet be selected as an all rounder either. It actually proved a lot. Proved that Hauritz is terrible. Proved that our pacemen need to lift. Proved that North is just as bad as he has always been. Proved that India are a much better side.

The numbers I put up were the averages for matches played in 2010.

I assume you mean 'can't' make the team? Jaques is patchy, but has the Test form. Khawaja and Ferguson will make it eventually. Hughes and Rogers are openers, true, but in Hughes' case I can certainly see him thriving at number 6 as a counter-attacking batsman. Would take a bit of a change but he won't make it at the top for another 2 seasons. McDonald's batting is on the up. But combined with his bowling I still think he's good enough atm. And disagree re: Hussey, he's a first-class performer. Leading run scorer in the Shield last season, and he also bowls well. Took the two big wickets today vs WA (Pomersbach and Swart). I don't really have time, but I'm doing it anyway: MEK Hussey: Batting Average = 36.83 (1 x 100, 2 x 50, 1 x 0) MJ North: Batting Average = 32.38 (2 x 100, 1 x 50, 3 x 0), Bowling Average = 16.71 (1 x 5WI, 0 x 10WM) NM Hauritz: Batting Average = 29.20 (0 x 100, 0 x 50, 0 x 0), Bowling Average = 41.31 (1 x 5WI, 0 x 10WM)

Moving away from WYL's senility... They might not have the 6-12 months of form on the board, but Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson are the two young guns who should be in the side soon. Then there's still Cameron White, Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, David Hussey, Chris Rogers, even Andrew McDonald and Michael Klinger, and the option of playing Haddin/Paine as a batsman. As for Hauritz, the options are less convicing, with Steven Smith the only possibility really. Shows the dire position spin bowling in this country is in. But despite Warne lashing Ponting's field settings, Hauritz is really struggling to bowl a decent line/length and bowls far too many boundary balls.

Ponting's just gone out. Flawless 72 till Zaheer got it to reverse. We're in danger of losing now, 6 down with a lead of only 164. That century he hit will do more harm than good.

Tendulkar got out to a debutant again. Did it with Cameron White and Peter Siddle 2 years ago, and apparently has done it numerous other times, now George got him. We did well to get back into the game by taking the last 5 wickets for 9 runs. If Vijay had been given out lbw to Hilfy when he should have been who knows what would have happened. But we're struggling with the bat. 3/66, all wickets falling to spinners, and Clarke out to a spinner again for just 3. Something's not right with him. Time for Hussey to stand up and score some runs. PS: If the fourth wicket falls soon, and North comes in with the pressure on and not many runs on the board, I wonder how he'll cope...

And now that Trade Week is finished, how do you propose we go about getting White/Cloke?

A few developments on the Miller-to-Tigers front. Nothing spectacular though: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-throw-miller-lifeline/story-e6frf9jf-1225937599112 I reckon it will happen. Nothing to lose and a potential gain there for Richmond. Being driven by CC I'm sure.

Along with AB McDonald's 163, Usman Khawaja is currently 204*. With Hussey, North and Hauritz all flailing at the moment, there are options popping up.