Australian test team

[Scotty]

Probably fair for the selectors to pick McGain, who was the number one spinner (in there eyes) prior to india, but broke down with injury. I agree that North should be ahead of McDonald (who wouldn't even scare state cricketers). I'd like to see Hilfenhaus with the new ball, but I doubt they will pick him over the incumbents of Siddle or Bollinger. My team would be:

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Clark
Hussey
North
Haddin
Johnson
McGain
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

 

[cyclopath]

Hilfenhaus? I've yet to see the story behind the hype. He seems good at bowling tripe when it counts in ODIs. Then again, he's in good company there. I like the idea of a good swing bowler...

 

[barbarian]

Hilfenhaus? I've yet to see the story behind the hype. He seems good at bowling tripe when it counts in ODIs. Then again, he's in good company there. I like the idea of a good swing bowler...

Agree, he hasn't really et the world on fire this series. Good in patches, but bowls a fair few pies. Could be different in the longer form of the game, though.

 

[RugbyReg]

Hilfy's strength is the longer form of the game. He moves the ball so gets the early wickets with edgy batsmen and plenty of catchers behind the stumps.

 

[Pfitzy]

Hilfenhaus is a bag of shit as a fielder and not much more impressive as a bowler. What the fuck he's doing in the team is anyone's guess. Is there no-one better?

 

[mark_s]

Hilfenhaus was our best bowler in the series V South Africa if you measure it by average was 29.57 or strike rate was 32. His economy was poor, but was still better than Johnsons.

Hopes was probably our overall best bowler as Brackens average and strike rate were poor.

 

[Cutter]

Bracken wasnt getting many wickets but he was tight in all but one game. If there were decent bowlers around him, the tight bowling at one end would lead to pressure and wickets. Instead, batsmen know they only need to take 2 or 3 from a Bracken over and then they can smack 6-10 from Tait, Mitchell, Hilfenhaus, White, Clarke, Hussey etc.

 

[Ash]

You guys do know that Bryce McGain is 37 this year, right? I wouldn't want select him despite his good return from injury unless we really have to. Do we have a choice, though? We need to groom a younger spinner with talent...it's just a shame that we don't have any.

 

[Scotty]

Yep, knew that, but I think when the No 1 spot is on the line we need to pick the best available, there are enough youngsters in the side already.

 

[Lindommer]

Hughes just brought up his ton, and you would think a plane ticket to the Republic beckons.

This kid might be something very special. Please God, I hope so, we desperately need something to kickstart the Oz cricket revival.

from cricinfo:

The 20-year-old Hughes combined with the vastly experienced Simon Katich (108) for a 184-run partnership - the highest first-innings opening stand by an Australian duo since 2005 - and in so doing announced himself a legitimate international force. Just nine days removed from a fourth-ball duck in his maiden Test innings, the rookie left-hander produced a powerful, nerveless 115 highlighted by a pair of towering sixes that guided him through the 90s and into Australian cricketing folklore. Not since Doug Walters in 1965-66 has an Australian batsman notched a Test ton at such a tender age.

Let's hope he continues to be something very special. 91 to 103 with consecutive sixes? So much for the nervous 90s.

 

[Pfitzy]

i think you'll find it was 93 to 105... Yes, on 99 he decided that Harris might as well disappear into the stands, seeing as how the previous ball had made it over the rope.

still, the Saffers sound like they're horribly flat at the moment...

 

[Scotty]

He is doing a good job of shoving DeVilliers words about him after the first game straight back down his throat. Great to see.

 

[Pfitzy]

Back-to-back tons - youngest ever to do it. Well done that man.

 

[Lindommer]

article in today's Telegraph

Proposed Australia XI for first Ashes Test
Simon Katich
Phillip Hughes
Ricky Ponting (captain)
Michael Clarke (vice-captain)
Michael Hussey
Marcus North
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
Stuart Clark
Ben Hilfenhaus

Presumes Clark's fit, bloody well hope so. Dropping Hussey down the order might be a godsend; in the next few years Punter should also go down one spot.

This looks like a seriously good team. If Katich, Clarke and North get an inkling of turn, and Siddle and Clark strangle the Poms with straight bowling, we should roll them.

 

[Scotty]

As long as Hussey and Clark are performing with the bat, then it is a good team.

Same team that I would pick.

 

[Moses]

I'm not ready to count McGain out... I'd take him on tour and see how he goes in the warm up matches. Ideally he can do a stint with a county before the Ashes. Sure his debut was not exactly flattering, but I reckon he's worth another shot.

Before you laugh me off the forum, consider the story of another leg spinner whose first test figures were 41 overs, 1/150. The dismissed batsman was caught after making a double hundred and the opposition spinner recorded 13 overs 0/37 then 24 overs 4/45.

But then he went on to become the greatest slow bowler of all time. True story.

 

[Ash]

I'm not ready to count McGain out... I'd take him on tour and see how he goes in the warm up matches. Ideally he can do a stint with a county before the Ashes. Sure his debut was not exactly flattering, but I reckon he's worth another shot.

Before you laugh me off the forum, consider the story of another leg spinner whose first test figures were 41 overs, 1/150. The dismissed batsman was caught after making a double hundred and the opposition spinner recorded 13 overs 0/37 then 24 overs 4/45.

But then he went on to become the greatest slow bowler of all time. True story.

But he wasn't 37 years old or injury ridden, either...

 

[Moses]

I agree the age is an issue, though he's not played a huge amount of cricket so there could be a lot of overs left in him. If we were concerned about injuries surely Shane Watson would have been put down years ago.

11 Tests later Warney delivered a nicely flighted ball to Mike Gatting.

 

[formeropenside]

I agree the age is an issue, though he's not played a huge amount of cricket so there could be a lot of overs left in him. If we were concerned about injuries surely Shane Watson would have been put down years ago.

11 Tests later Warney delivered a nicely flighted ball to Mike Gatting.

Problem is, we dont have 11 tests before the Ashes, and Gatting retired years ago.

 

[Moses]

too late to call Warney up? He'd be keen for a run in England so long as the selectors can swallow their pride and say we need him...