Little Richard

How is that comment biased? It's a pretty fair point that you can't tell 10 games into their respective careers who is going to end up the better player.

Anyway, to get back on topic, I love Jimmy T.

Scharenberg is a tall defender isn't he? Why on earth would we draft a tall back who has been nothing more than solid at the championships when we have the shitte$t midfield in the league? It's gotta be Dunstan for me, or if we manage to pick up another solid body in trade/FA Aish or Kelly.

Would it? I hear his form has been quite strong... You never know, we might end up with pick 3?

Though we needed an inside (Viney) and a highly skilled runner (Toump) in the last draft, let's not pass up on Luke Dunstan this draft plz.

Don't worry, we got our Wines in Viney, whom I think will show himself to be a better player in time.

I have to commend you for starting a POSITIVE thread about a new recruit, it doesn't happen often. You're spot on with your assessment I think and he'll be a very good player soon enough.

On holiday in the US at the moment and saw the Mets/Yankees at Citi Field the other day. I was backing the Mets as I always back the underdog (probably should have gone for the more successful side) and surprisingly they won 2-1! It was pretty entertaining and some guy whose name I can't remember hit a nice homer.

Haha, beauty!

Stock standard to show the supporters they are aware i guess... doesn't really have any other purpose

I spoke to a guy who claimed to be the cousin of Watts after the West Coast game and he said Watts has absolute faith in Neeld and his mates are all at the club... whether or not it was actually his cousin is very debatable.

He was gone a long time ago, mentally at least

Since when was Watts disgruntled? I agree that he is a natural forward but he did have his best year to date last year in the back half.

So.... who won?

It just shows how unwilling our boys are to play for each other. Good local sides go hard for one another because they are mates, so what does that make the lads down at the MFC? Not just local sides, all good sides are willing to work hard for each other.

I think one thing is obvious - it's not Doherty and never will be

Lyon has 76 wickets at 33 from 22 games - a pretty respectable return considering his Shield form that you pointed out. The fact is that four day shield cricket is very different from test cricket and can take quite a bit of adapting. At 26 I think Lyon is definitely the man who should remain number one test spinner as he has plenty of time to work on his game and his returns show that he has been improving. We shouldn't get carried away by a bloke who has played a few good shield matches and has a status in the cricketing community which is majorly inflated by of his back story.

Fair enough, it's not a bad side anyhow. I am under the impression Ahmed is about 30/31 but how old is he?

I think it is ridiculous of you to have Ahmed in your best XI Macca. He is a very raw, unproven leg spinner and Lyon is no doubt the most experienced and definitely reliable spinner in the country and is in my best XI every day of the week.

Looking towards the Ashes, this is my preferred squad... M Clarke S Watson* E Cowan D Warner P Hughes M Wade T Paine U Khawaja J Faulkner N Lyon J Pattinson P Siddle F Ahmed G Maxwell / M Henriques - one of and I'd lean towards Henriques as I could see his seamers being useful in the English conditions. P Cummins / J Bird - preferably Bird, subject to fitness (both) R Harris A real smokey for me could be Chadd Sayers of South Australia. Is 25 and has 59 wickets from his 12 shield matches. Not the quickest and I haven't seen a whole lot of him but he moves it in the air and off the seam which could be valuable on the English wickets. *I'm not convinced that Watson will provide much for the team if he isn't bowling. If he can't bowl personally someone like Rogers or Bailey would be much preferred.

Great test match, New Zealand finally have more than one or two bowlers at a time which look dangerous. Boult and Southee could be a great opening partnership in the future.

Johnson bowling rubbish, seen this before

Gazza!!! Dropping him after the first test was pathetic.

I don't really know why but I just hate it when we (Australia, Melbourne and any other team I am rooting for) wait until a series or season is lost to win a game; it feels pathetic and very hollow. I'm not quite sure why I feel like this but it could stem back to my junior footy/cricket days... My respect for the black caps is growing quickly, all over England at the moment! If someone told me Peter Fulton was going to make a test hundred against that bowling attack I would have told them they were insane but good on him! Liking the emerging pace brigade, it'll look even better with Bracewell back too.

So if we win, big deal there is very little positive to take from it if any at all.