Ashes 2019

[Hound]

Agree He should stick to strategy. He seems to take a liking to a player and just won't drop it. I could see a Warne team full of blokey blokes who enjoys a durrie and a drink with questionable cricket ability

 

[RugbyReg]

With Warner and Smith's return imminent, it's interesting to see the top order candidates making some real runs this Shield Round.

Renshaw hasn't really made the most of his opportunities with 29 (off 79) and 47 (84)

But:

Joe Burns 60 (86) & 80 (138)
Marcus Harris 95 (155) & 94* (121) - STILL BATTING
Cameron Bancroft 138* (358) & 73* (233) - STILL BATTING

Further down the order Travis Head got a couple of 50s (literally), Matthew Wade got 77, Kurtis Patterson got 134 and even Nic Maddison got 108.

But the form of Burns, Harris and particularly Bancroft is great news.

 

[Up the Guts]

I think Renshaw is down the pecking order atm and would be surprised if he got picked. Bancroft may well force his way into the squad but I’d still be wary of picking him in England because of his tendency to fall across his stumps. Even when he was playing in the 4-0 Ashes victory at home England worked him out pretty quickly—he was basically the only player not assured of a place going into the fateful South African tour.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Bangers, Burns and Harris getting big runs is excellent news. More of that please boys, because it's what we've been screaming for over the last few seasons: blokes banging down the door for selection through sheer weight of runs.

Head and Patterson making scores is also good momentum heading into the Ashes.

 

[Braveheart81]

Hopefully this gives the selectors some confidence that they don't have to rush Warner straight back into the side for the Ashes.

 

[Up the Guts]

These are who I think the locks and the open positions are for the first test (although as BH points out a Warner alternative wouldn’t be the worst)

1.
2. Warner
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Head
6. KP
7. Paine
8. Cummins
9.
10, Lyon
11. Hazelwood

 

[Froggy]

Think you're right UTG, with Bancroft, Harris & Burns competing for 1., and Richardson and Starc for 9. Starting to look like a decent team. The only player under scrutiny there is Khawaja imo.

 

[Up the Guts]

I’m not sold on Khawaja either but at least he did find some form at the end of summer (and with Sri Lanka’s destruction of South Africa those runs are looking more valuable). Josh Hazelwood gave an interesting interview a few weeks ago when he talked about the mindset of our batsmen without Smith. Basically, with Smith in such divine touch our batsmen didn’t have to worry about the team’s prospects because Smith would score nearly unfailing and hold the team together. Without him holding it all together the batsmen had a pressure that they’d never felt before. Perhaps the pressure got to Usman as the senior player without Smith (and dealing with all the fallout from his brother’s charges).

 

[Brumby Runner]

Very pleasing to see Patterson now considered as an integral part of the team, after being ignored by the selectors, then they having to eat humble pie and bring him in after his standout game in Hobart.

 

[Braveheart81]

Very pleasing to see Patterson now considered as an integral part of the team, after being ignored by the selectors, then they having to eat humble pie and bring him in after his standout game in Hobart.

I've been a big fan since he scored a hundred on debut for NSW and always thought he had the ability to play for Australia. This season is when he's finally got it together though. Before he scored a century in tough conditions over in Perth earlier in the year that won NSW the game, he hadn't scored a first class century for 3 or so years. His results during that time were reasonable but you really want young players making big scores to push for test selection, not stringing together a moderate season on the back of a few 50s but never going on with it.

This year he's really got it all together, scored a couple of really good Shield centuries, dominated the Cricket Australia game which forced the selectors to give him a test debut and then scored a century in his second test. Like any batter, facing the swinging ball in England will be a huge challenge but if he has a good series there he could really set himself up to be a fixture for years to come.

He's an excellent fielder in the gully too.

 

[Brumby Runner]

He's an excellent fielder in the gully too.

Absolutely. Took a couple of belters in his first test match that probably only Curtley Ambrose from reasonably recent times would have got a hand on. One way to the side and the other well over a normal person's height and arm stretch.

 

[Braveheart81]

He's 6'3 which isn't really that tall. He just looks really tall because most batters could moonlight as jockeys.

 

[Up the Guts]

He does use his height to good effect against spinners by getting a large stride in and smothering the ball. It also means he doesn’t play as far away from his body when driving through the covers unlike a Warner.

 

[DominosPizza]

Dominos Pizza Australia XI
1. Burns
2.Harris
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Wade
6. Patterson
7. Paine
8. Cummins
9. Richardson
10. Lyon
11. Hazlewood

reckon this is the best team we can field, Wade was snubbed from the team multiple times, his performance in shield warrants him a position on this team

 

[Getwithme]

Starc over Richardson, Head over Wade and Burns/Harris to fight it out to partner Warner.

 

[DominosPizza]

Starc over Richardson, Head over Wade and Burns/Harris to fight it out to partner Warner.

Not a big fan of Warner so their was a bit of bias in the selection. All the other changes I could agree with except Head over Wade. Whats your reasoning behind that?

 

[Getwithme]

Incumbent with a Test average of 51 who's shield form in the last couple of weeks has been decent enough. I think he's got the runs on the board if he can stop himself from driving so square of the wicket on that back of a length, 5/6th stump line.

I just think Wade has been there before and has shown over 20 odd Tests that his batting isn't World Class quality. If it's the same as Head's, well Head is A-head due to his incumbency.

 

[Froggy]

Everything I hear indicates Warner is a definite starter. His partner is still wide open. Burns missed out on the weekend, while Harris & Bancroft both got runs, every innings is going to count for those three.
Head and Patterson I think are locks at 5 & 6, and both got runs on the weekend.

 

[Up the Guts]

Really, I think the only contestable batting position is the opening spot beside Warner.

 

[RugbyReg]

AUSTRALIA A FOUR DAY TOUR MATCH SQUAD ANNOUNCED
“We have announced a fourteen-player squad for the Australia A Four Day Tour of England starting on July 7,” Hohns said.

“The tour will see Australia A play three four-day tour matches in the build up to the Ashes Tour of England, providing the players with a good opportunity to push their case for selection.
“We have Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Peter Siddle and Daniel Worrall in our sights but they have not been included in the squad and will continue to play through this period with their County teams.
“However, we have made it clear that strong form with their County teams will be taken into account for selection in the Ashes squad or the Australia v Australia A tour match.
“Following the four-day tour match in Hampshire we will be in a position to announce our squad for the Ashes.”
Australia A Four Day Squad:
Tim Paine (c) (Tasmania)Marcus Harris (Victoria)
Kurtis Patterson (New South Wales)
Will Pucovski (Victoria)
Travis Head (vc) (South Australia)
Peter Handscomb (Victoria)
Matthew Wade (Tasmania)
Mitch Marsh (Western Australia)
Michael Neser (Queensland)
Jon Holland (Victoria)
James Pattinson (Victoria)
Jackson Bird (Tasmania)
Josh Hazlewood (vc) (New South Wales)
Chris Tremain (Victoria)