Little Richard

People tend to judge him on recent form. He's been underwhelming under Neeld and was outshone by Garland particularly last season. He is a great player, no doubt about it. So far this season, despite the flak he has copped, he's averaged 10 marks a game which is huge. Frawley for me is still in the top 5 key defenders in the competition but just needs to recapture form, which I think he's on track to do this season. Once he performs, people will singing his praises like there was never any doubt. However, I'm not confident he'll hang around.

In both those cases the player is worth more than those offers. Regarding Wines, there is nothing to indicate that he is anything but ecstatic about being part of the Port outfit - he is an unrealistic target. Dangerfield too, probably.

Haha yes I did, I was just waiting for someone to pick up on it. But seriously, he dominated for the Knights yesterday.

Having pick one does not sound good to me.

I'm picking young Billy Carter from the Northern Knights to push from nowhere to top 3 contention. Plays in the middle, runs all day (beep test of 16.4), is a great height at 189cm and is already built like a brick shithouse, having put on 12kg over summer. He's been tearing it up at preseason training and will be making a huge impact this season.

He coached me for a bit a few years ago when he was playing for Carlton. Good bloke! Except for when he was giving you throw downs in the nets...

A little birdy told me that a lot of the drama and Trott's breakdown was due to Swann sleeping with Trott's better half.

Smith gone very early again. Opposition captains just can't catch a break at the moment in the face of Harris and Johnson. I'd like to see them destroy Smith mentally like they did to Cook - it looks as though it may have already happened. He's faced 77 balls for the series.

Quite a collection!

Thanks, I'll give that a go.

Shooting my first short in the coming month, pretty pumped! Anyone seen The Raid? Apparently a kick ass kung fu cop movie, based in Indonesia. Downloaded a version but it turns out it's subtitled in French (all the dialogue is in Indonesian). Unfortunately I'm not fluent in French, though I studied Indo at school. It's all gone now though.

Very happy with my batting lineup as of recent times - Clarke, Taylor, Du Plessis, Bravo, Gambhir and Dhoni performing well. Bowling aside from Johnson is not very good though. Anyone know where Ajantha Mendis is theses days? Just another mystery spinner to disappear into the annals of cricketing history?

Johnson and Stokes both cited for contact (when Stokes was running and Johnson didn't move). Nothing will come of it I think.

And Smith

I'll be expecting Lyon to take a few wickets second innings if the pitch wears - bowled really well in the first innings. They definitely made the right choice in honoring Lyon's decent test form over Ahmed's shaky first class form.

Keep Lyon in. 3 quicks, 1 spinner plus Smith and Watson makes 6 bowling options.

Not a chance.

Anyone seen 100 bloody acres? Low budget slasher flick, Australian and starring Angus Sampson and Damon Harriman. Has the odd stat of being the third most illegally downloaded Australian film in the last few months. Also won a couple of awards and got some great reviews.

Spoke too early, Cowan out for 78.

If Cowan posts a very big score, it will be interesting to see the selectors reaction.

He manages to front pad thrust his way to 90 pretty well...

Watson, who continually makes it to the 90's, only to get himself out? The evidence is there, just look around.

No, I was saying a lot of his club cricket has probably also contributed to the 'hit out or get out' mentality that he often shows. I agree that we are bereft of technically good batsman, that much is obvious. 20/20 though is affecting the players games though, as I said above, in terms of concentration at the crease and not knowing when to attack or defend. There are plenty of examples of our batsmen getting themselves out over the past couple of years in that way and the big scores (batsmen batting on after 100) are less and less each year. Due in part to talent and skill but also this plight.

That is my point, the 20/20 matches and the extra focus on it these days really affects the batsman's ability to concentrate, at least in Australia. If Warner had been brought into tests before 20/20 there is a good chance he would have developed better concentration and discipline at the crease, rather than playing rash shots and being indecisive as to when to attack and defend. And I believe that in his club cricket, Warner was also playing 20/20 and 50 over matches. It is affecting arguably all the bats aside from Clarke, who is obviously our best bat.

And there in point is what 20/20 cricket has done to our test players.