AUS Vs WI 15/16

[Quick Hands]

No doubt that a lot of it comes back to governance - but I think there's more at play here.

There isn't a lack of raw talent in the current squad, it's just that they possess neither technique nor the temperament for test crickets - that goes to the standard of their 1st class competition, the types of wickets being prepared, etc. There's also the fact that the islands of the West Indies are largely impoverished places and we know that when you mix elite international sport with sports administration what can often happen is that some of the administrators get their snouts in the trough and little reaches the players. Note that one of the biggest crooks in FIFA was Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago.

 

[Quick Hands]

Another cool one in Dunners, spectators & fielders all rugged up & the SL captain with his hands in his pockets (not a good look IMO). NZ lead is 320 & there's rain forecast so they'll need to keep things moving if they're to set a target that SL will have a crack at (not enough time left to totally bat them out've the match).

I see Khawaja has been added to the Aus squad for Sydney so does that mean Burns get the flick & Khawaja opens?

Depends on what the selection panel are thinking (and I'm not too sure how much thinking the current group do).

Cam across this interesting article on Voges and the same could apply to SMarsh IMO.

http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2015/12/11/voges-bogus-numbers-dont-add/

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^ ah, the old "it was only against "X" so it doesn't count" argument. I call bullshit unless everyone is scoring as heavily. Dropping a guy who's just hit 269* (or 182) would surely destroy team morale. So IMO Khawaja either has to open or carry the drinks until someone in your middle order stops scoring runs or gets injured.

Bugger, Williamson castled for 71, NZ 220/2 & lead by 357. Latham on 97, I reckon they need to put the hammer down once he gets his ton. Instead they send Taylor out.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Another DRS fail: SL review a not out LBW & there's no off-side hotspot available. Now we wait.... and wait.... and wait for ball tracker. Which is also unavailable so the somewhat bemused third umpire has no option but to go with the on-field decision (which was correct IMO, the ball seemed to change trajectory as it passed under the bat). SL don't lose a referral which is a good call, not their fault SkyTV NZ aren't up to it.

Latham gets his third Test 100 & first in NZ. Hammer time!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Taylor gone, Macca smacks his first ball for six so now just one short of Gilly's Test record 100. Sun has come out in Dunners but looks blustery & there's still plenty of rugs & the odd sleeping bag on the embankment.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Macca whacks Test six no. 100 then promptly declares 404 in front with ~165 overs to be bowled. Both sides over rates have been abysmal & there's now a storm warning for Invercargill to Christchurch so not sure how many of them will actually get bowled.............

Good 100 from Latham, 2015/16 looks like being his breakthrough season.

 

[Quick Hands]

^^^^^^^^^^ ah, the old "it was only against "X" so it doesn't count" argument. I call bullshit unless everyone is scoring as heavily.

So you value tries scored against Namibia the same as tries scored against the Springboks?

 

[Quick Hands]

Dropping a guy who's just hit 269* (or 182) would surely destroy team morale.

I've already said that SMarsh is undroppable after that innings - the same obviously applies to Voges. It doesn't make the original selection of either player correct though.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

So you value tries scored against Namibia the same as tries scored against the Springboks?

Marc Ellis scored six tries v Japan & I seem to recall Campo getting a truck-load v Korea (?). They all count. As to Namibia/ Sethfricka, ask me again after four years of the POC quota

I've already said that SMarsh is undroppable after that innings - the same obviously applies to Voges. It doesn't make the original selection of either player correct though.

Well you could argue that Marsh got his (umpteenth) chance & grabbed it with both hands, knowing he might not get another. Totally agree on Voges, though, Khawaja should've been brought in at five or six when Punter quit & Smith went up the order.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

SL 69/2 at tea, Chandimal & Mendis batting. Get one or both tonight & there's every chance we roll them by lunch tomorrow.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Well you could argue that Marsh got his (umpteenth) chance & grabbed it with both hands, knowing he might not get another. Totally agree on Voges, though, Khawaja should've been brought in at five or six when Punter quit & Smith went up the order.

Ussie played 3 and Smith 5 for the majority of the 2013 Ashes. Smith didn't move up to 4 until 2014 and by that stage Khawaja had done his knee and was out for most of a year.

Khawaja did bare the brunt of our batsmen's failures in 2013 by getting dropped but after 6 innings averaging 19 at 3 that will happen to you (plus he did get sawn off memorably too).

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Well you could argue that Marsh got his (umpteenth) chance & grabbed it with both hands, knowing he might not get another. Totally agree on Voges, though, Khawaja should've been brought in at five or six when Punter quit & Smith went up the order.

It would have made sense but Ussie wasn't making enough runs at test or first class level to cement a spot. I don't blame the selectors for picking Voges. He was one of the few guys sticking his hand up at Shield level last season and got a place. Fair enough. I'd be keeping him in the team for now while we sort out who else is a long term option out of the younger blokes and you can't drop him anyway after the runs he's made this summer. The big mistake this year was not picking Burns for the WI and England tours. That and letting Clarke bat on after the world cup. Actually that's probably unfair, but clearly Michael's body was cooked the whole summer and he was lucky to get a run in any international game. He wouldn't have played had he not been captain.

 

[Quick Hands]

I'd be keeping him in the team for now while we sort out who else is a long term option out of the younger blokes and you can't drop him anyway after the runs he's made this summer. The big mistake this year was not picking Burns for the WI and England tours.

I agree that Voges should stay in the side for the moment (without conceding that his original selection was in the best long term interests of the test side)

100% agree on the Burns non-selection - I'd even go as far as saying that Burns and Khwarja should have been there ahead of Voges and SMarsh (which I've also noted previously)

I suspect that Lehmann's continued support for SMarsh has a lot to do with Lehmann's own career. He was dropped and recalled to the test team on 3 or 4 occasions between 1998 and 2005. Interestingly, just prior to being dropped for the last time, Lehmann publicly said that the selectors could drop him in favour for a younger player. Sentiments I wholeheartedly endorse.


Australia's chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, has praised Darren Lehmann for even considering standing aside to ensure Michael Clarke stays in the Test team - but said the gesture would probably be ignored.
Lehmann's comments that he might give up his spot for Clarke were motivated by a desire to ensure that "an old bloke" was not holding up the progress of a 23-year-old, to spare selectors an "impossible" decision upon Ricky Ponting's return from injury, and to guarantee the team was not distracted by speculation during the series in India.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/13/1097607300398.html?from=storylhs

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

SL 109/3 at stumps, we got Mendis but Chandimal's still there with Mathews. After that it tails off rather badly so weather permitting a result is likely but maybe in the middle rather than first session.

 

[No4918]

Hard to be tough on Voges after reading these stats.

- more runs and better average than M Hussey at same stage of test career
- both had made 3 centuries
- both made 2 of those 3 centuries verse the Windies
- Voges has the 4th best strike rate for a test 250 EVER, the only player to do better is Virender Sehwag

Stats, have to love them.

 

[Quick Hands]

SL 109/3 at stumps, we got Mendis but Chandimal's still there with Mathews. After that it tails off rather badly so weather permitting a result is likely but maybe in the middle rather than first session.

Well done NZ, such a pity that they were underdone for the first test in Brisbane.

 

[Quick Hands]

Hard to be tough on Voges after reading these stats.

- more runs and better average than M Hussey at same stage of test career
- both had made 3 centuries
- both made 2 of those 3 centuries verse the Windies
- Voges has the 4th best strike rate for a test 250 EVER, the only player to do better is Virender Sehwag

Stats, have to love them.

Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics."
Mark Twain

 

[Strewthcobber]

Khawaja not passed fit to play in the Sydney Thunder BBL game up soon. Only has one more game before Boxing Day.

I'd say he probably won't get selected for the test now and they'll leave the batting order as is for Melbourne. Just means they can delay making any tough choices for a bit.

 

[Quick Hands]

Khawaja not passed fit to play in the Sydney Thunder BBL game up soon. Only has one more game before Boxing Day.

I'd say he probably won't get selected for the test now and they'll leave the batting order as is for Melbourne. Just means they can delay making any tough choices for a bit.

If he's unfit for Melbourne, that would normally make him unfit for Sydney as well.. Gets the selectors out of a jam (of their own making).

 

[Quick Hands]

SL 109/3 at stumps, we got Mendis but Chandimal's still there with Mathews. After that it tails off rather badly so weather permitting a result is likely but maybe in the middle rather than first session.

SL all out for 282 - Kiwis home by 122 runs.