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Australian tour of SA

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No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Squad announcement is today. It sounds as though Bailey is gone and Marsh & Hughes are set to travel over Doolan.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Australia Test squad for South Africa:
Michael Clarke(c)
Brad Haddin (vc)
Jackson Bird
Alex Doolan
James Faulkner
Ryan Harris
Mitchell Johnson
Shaun Marsh
Nathan Lyon
James Pattinson
Chris Rogers
Peter Siddle
Steve Smith
David Warner
Shane Watson
 

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
James Pattinson looked ordinary last night. Hope he come good.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
I'm a massive Pattison fan, but agree he didn't look great last night. But, meh, that was a meaningless ODI.

His aggression will be perfect for this series.

Big tour for the Taswegians - Doolan and Faulkner. Cam't wait.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
Very disappointed with the batting changes. The selectors had the opportunity to rectify a weakness in the line up with one of any number of well performing players from Shield level this season. Depending on what they wanted (experience/all rounder/youth), the following players were all both performing well this season (averaging 40+) and have good career averages (40+):

Marcus North (Experience, leadership, extra spin option, runs at test level)
Cameron White (Experience, leadership, extra spin option)
Phil Hughes (Youth, runs at test level)
Chris Lynn (Youth)
Nic Maddinson (Youth)

Instead they've gone with one tried and tested failure at test level (Marsh) who has shown nothing at FC level to indicate any improvement, and in fact peaked at that level years ago. Then the other one (Doolan) whose mediocre career average at 28 is on par with his mediocre average this season so far, has apparently been picked on the back of one good innings for Aus A, disregarding the bad ones (such as for PM's XI).

SA will be a much sterner test and not the time to be gifting spots to players based on anything other than results. We will want to hope that not a single member of the top 5 gets injured because the drop in class to Marsh and Doolan is massive.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Marcus North (Experience, leadership, extra spin option, runs at test level)
Cameron White (Experience, leadership, extra spin option)
Phil Hughes (Youth, runs at test level)
Chris Lynn (Youth)
Nic Maddinson (Youth)




I am a big Marsh fan on the ODI scene and agree his shield form does not warrant selection. Maddinson is the only one of the above that I would not consider to go in Marsh & Doolan's place. Maddinson needs to grow up a lot before throwing him into a test side. There is also talk that Watson will move to 6. Hughes and North would have been my preferred options to come in at 3.

Pattinson and Bird have both missed the shield season so far, really hope they are not underdone if called upon.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
I'm not completely against Watson moving to 6 (though I think he is best suited up the order and it's my opinion if he isn't our best option there, then he should not just be accommodated down the order), with the players taken it certainly can't be considered an option.

Hughes or North could have allowed for that, or potentially Lynn or Maddinson could have played at 6 with the view of swapping once they have settle in to test cricket.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I'm a bit disappointed that Hughes wasn't picked, based on his Shield form from earlier in the season and the fact that he could slot straight into first drop. I feel bad for George Bailey, but his technique isn't good enough to play test cricket. He hardly scored a run during the Ashes and left an awful lot up to Brad Haddin, which we can't rely on forever. Watson should drop down to 6, because I don't think he's a top order player at all these days. Against the older ball I think he'll be a lot more effective.

Of the other candidates, you'd be tempted to go with North, but I think he's done his dash. Way too inconsistent at test level. I just looked at Voges record this season and it's impressive, so he's perhaps a bit stiff to miss out. Why Shaun Marsh has been picked baffles me, his Shield record isn't great over his career, let alone this year. Chris Lynn and Nic Maddinson were other guys worth looking at, but no hundreds this season. I think that if you're a specialist batsman you've got to be peeling them off at first class level to be considered for test honours.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I'm disappointed they've picked Marsh over Hughes.

It seems to me to be a similar selection to picking Bailey based on his short form cricket.

Marsh has been tried before and has shown over a long period of time now that he does not play anywhere near his best cricket in the four or five day form of the game.

It seems funny to select him now as a 30 year old who has done little in four day cricket this season to show that he warrants a recall.

I agree with others that if you wanted a veteran, Marcus North would be the guy to pick. Personally I'd have given Hughes another crack.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
TBH you've been very harsh on North. The bloke managed 5 hundreds and converted 25% of his innings to a 50 or 100 (Ponting is around 36% for example).

His test average of 35 wouldn't be terrible in the current line up and is in fact superior to Hughes.

Anyway TBH, based on who they've picked, moving Watson anywhere would be more insane then their selections of Doolan and Marsh. North for example would have been an option that would allow it. Top order player, has the experience that Bailey was picked for despite lack of form, actually has form.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
TBH you've been very harsh on North. The bloke managed 5 hundreds and converted 25% of his innings to a 50 or 100 (Ponting is around 36% for example).

His test average of 35 wouldn't be terrible in the current line up and is in fact superior to Hughes.

Anyway TBH, based on who they've picked, moving Watson anywhere would be more insane then their selections of Doolan and Marsh. North for example would have been an option that would allow it. Top order player, has the experience that Bailey was picked for despite lack of form, actually has form.



I base my view on Northy getting a hundred and then getting a total of about 20 runs in his next half dozen innings a few times. Trust me, as a West Aussie I want him in the team in this kind of form, but I just don't think he can be trusted. I just looked at his record and of his 35 completed innings he scored 10 or less 17 times!
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
I did a bit of in depth research on our top batsmen last week and I agree, that is one area where North lacks compared to other candidates. When you consider his 50/100 conversion rate, and his average still being 35, it's obviously just looking at that, that when he doesn't get at least a 50, he gets fuck all.

So yes with him, you do miss those handy 20/30s yes. But I just think with a bloke who averages 35 in tests, has 5 hundreds, converts a quarter of his innings when even Ponting only converts 36%, and is now in career best form, averaging close to 100 this season, he is at least worth a look.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I did a bit of in depth research on our top batsmen last week and I agree, that is one area where North lacks compared to other candidates. When you consider his 50/100 conversion rate, and his average still being 35, it's obviously just looking at that, that when he doesn't get at least a 50, he gets fuck all.

So yes with him, you do miss those handy 20/30s yes. But I just think with a bloke who averages 35 in tests, has 5 hundreds, converts a quarter of his innings when even Ponting only converts 36%, and is now in career best form, averaging close to 100 this season, he is at least worth a look.



Fair comment. It would have been mighty tempting to pick him and he's certainly better credentialled than Shaun Marsh, whose selection still baffles me. The non-selection of Hughes on that basis is absurd.
 

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Peter Fenwicke (45)
Jeez, I am pissed off that they selected Marsh. The bloke is 30 now and has had plenty of chances to prove his worth and failed at every opportunity. I thought Australian cricket had moved away from selecting favourites but clearly not. There must be some advantage in having a famous surname. That decision baffles me as surely Hughes was the obvious choice given not only his form but also his age. Fingers crossed none of our top 6 pick up an injury (incredibly likely with Watson and Clarke) or we are in serious trouble having to rely on Doolan. He'll be okay if he can settle into test cricket at 6 but if one of the blokes mentioned above needs replacing I wouldn't feel confident with him at 3 or 4 just yet.

Obviously Bailey didn't deserve to retain his spot after the Ashes but I'm very confused as to why Lehmann would want another one day type player in the side. Maybe Marsh is seen as added depth in the opening position as well as anywhere in the middle order, but Hughes offers the same IMO. Selectors have got this one completely wrong.

Happy to be proven wrong and will totally get behind the bloke if he can step up against the Saffa bowling attack. With any luck Faulkner will bring his ODI form to the test arena but that is just as likely as Bailey was.

Bird and Patto are very good choices as I think they will give us variation and we will need back up for Harris. There weren't too many other options to be fair. Lyon MUST stay fit as he is probably the difference between the two sides right now.

1st test team for mine would be:
Rogers
Warner
Watson
Clarke
Smith
Faulkner/Doolan
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Harris
Lyon
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
Maybe Marsh is seen as added depth in the opening position as well as anywhere in the middle order, but Hughes offers the same IMO. Selectors have got this one completely wrong.

Could not agree more. No benefit in covering a number of positions poorly.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think they've picked Marsh because he is a genuine three and they are planning to move Watson to six.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
If he was a genuine 3 he would have scored more than 7 FC centuries in his career.
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
If he was a genuine 3 he would have scored more than 7 FC centuries in his career.

I disagree. I think he is a genuine three. I just think he is an absolute basket case on the mental side of batting.

He has a huge amount of talent that he hasn't delivered on in four or five day cricket.

He makes Shane Watson look like he has the mental strength of Steve Waugh.

He bats like an Aussie three though. Aggressive and a great strokemaker.
 
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Train Without a Station

Guest
If he was a genuine 3, he'd have the mental strength to play there though.

I certainly don't consider Watson a genuine 3, though he is a makeshift option that is doing the job for now.

If Marsh was going to become a test quality cricket by now, 30, he would have given an indication he had the ability and consistency. He's been repeatedly persisted with and given chances that others haven't and has done nothing. He fucking averaged 2.83 last test series he played in for fucks sake. The rest of the batting line up averaged 40 for the series (India here, when we beat them 4-0).

Sure, he might "look like a cricketer and a 3. but this "look" doesn't put runs on the fucking scorecard, and neither does Shaun Marsh.

About the only thing Marsh has shown through his career, is that his returns diminish from debut.
 
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