Cricket Summer 2017/18

[WorkingClassRugger]

Not a great test to watch in the end. Pitch was rubbish and the rain yesterday probably ruled out any chance of a result for Australia. Smith was between a rock and a hard place because if he'd gone harder and gotten himself out it may well have led to a collapse. Main positive from the Australian perspective was M Marsh showing off his new and improved technique and gaining more confidence. Smith getting a hundred is hardly anything to write home about these days.

Smith essentially said that once the rain started yesterday that ruled out any hope of pushing for a result. He also mentioned that the pitch was an absolute road. Which was disappointing.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Dont know much about cricket but I said to my 17 year old he may never see better

If he keeps this run of form going you very well may be right.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

If he keeps this run of form going you very well may be right.

Pretty confident I won’t see his like.
I’m intrigued by the fact that he was first picked as a bowler, as I understand it. There must be a lesson in there for talent selection or the timing of talent identification or something.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Pretty confident I won’t see his like.
I’m intrigued by the fact that he was first picked as a bowler, as I understand it. There must be a lesson in there for talent selection or the timing of talent identification or something.

A leg spinner from memory. Amazing how things have worked out. Fairly average leggy comes world best batsman and one that's rapidly emerging as one of the best to have played.

 

[Up the Guts]

People have tried to claim Bradman is the greatest sportsperson ever given how far ahead he is of anyone else in cricket. Smith may well end up stopping people being able to claim this.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Another great effort by Smith, the batsman. Long may it last. It was very heartening to see Mitch Marsh looking so solid. Maybe the long innings of 181 won't just be a one-off.

Not so much for England out of the game. Had Smith taken the fairly simple catch off Cook at about 66, then they would have been pushed to even get a first innings lead. Could well have been the most pivotal moment of the test. Otherwise, Anderson is still causing some grief with his swing. The rest are pretty ordinary to very poor particularly in one spinner's case.

Expect Sydney to see the ship righted for the Aussies.

 

[cyclopath]

Another great effort by Smith, the batsman. Long may it last. It was very heartening to see Mitch Marsh looking so solid. Maybe the long innings of 181 won't just be a one-off.

Not so much for England out of the game. Had Smith taken the fairly simple catch off Cook at about 66, then they would have been pushed to even get a first innings lead. Could well have been the most pivotal moment of the test. Otherwise, Anderson is still causing some grief with his swing. The rest are pretty ordinary to very poor particularly in one spinner's case.

Expect Sydney to see the ship righted for the Aussies.

I thought Broad re-found some of his mojo - bowled much better lines and length to get something from some small lateral movements. I agree Ali looks really out of sorts in all facets. We still look brittle under the surface of Warner and Smith and Starc was definitely missed.

 

[Brumby Runner]

If Starc isn't fit for Sydney, I'd presume they'd go with two spinners to back up Hazelwood and Cummins. Either way, I'd be surprised if Bird survives in the match day 11.

Any thoughts on who might be the best third pace bowler if any one of the top three are out? Bird would still be in the mix, but Pattinson would have to get the nod if fit. Are there others who might make the grade?

I know Abbott has ambitions, but very little form this year. Coulter-Nile can back up his bowling with exceptional fielding and a bit of batting, but I think is still injured. Maybe Boycott (or Vaughan) is right in saying the fast bowling stocks are vulnerable at the moment?

 

[Braveheart81]

Pattinson is out for the summer again. I have my doubts he will ever play a test again.

I think Sayers could be next in line after Bird but would expect two spinners in Sydney if Starc isn't fit.

If Starc is fit it will be an interesting selection decision as to whether they pick O'Keefe at the expense of Hazlewood or Cummins to give them a rest.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Brumby Runner]

I don't think Hazelwood needs a rest BH. He is one bowler who apparently thrives on a lot of work. The decision to leave him out of a Shield game earlier left him a little underdone for the first test. And if I recall, a similar situation existed a year or two ago as well.

He is still getting better in the later tests, and it would be a huge error to rest him in Sydney.

I think a similar observation could probably be made about Pat Cummins as well, but he is not the value that Hazelwood is to the test team, at least with the ball, so if Starc plays and two spinners are used (not O'Keefe, please - surely Agar must get a go) then it should be Cummins to miss out.

 

[Up the Guts]

There's a new curator in Sydney and apparently it's looking green although we'll have to wait till closer to the date to find out how it will play. At this stage I don't think Sayers is in the squad and I expect Bird to fill in if one of the three is out. Cummins is the most likely to be rested in my opinion given he is so injury prone and has had a large workload for his first full season back from a few years of injury.

If they do play two spinners it will almost certainly be Agar that plays given his form in Bangladesh and Mark Waugh basically said as much in an interview the other day in the Big Bash.

In regards to James Pattinson he is having spinal fusion surgery and apparently this is likely to be the last role of the dice to get him back playing again. He was almost the most promising of Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood, which is saying something, and would be a real shame if he never bowled for Australia again.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I have been a huge Hazelwood fan since the U19 world cup in 2010 when he took 4/30 against Pakistan in the final. However, I think that Pattinson might have eclipsed even Josh had he stayed fit.

 

[Lindommer]

There are some positives to take out of this somewhat disappointing draw in Melbourne:

1. Smith would be kicking himself for getting out in the first innings after being set on 76, a rash shot he seemed to've eradicated from his repertoire. Sometimes (many times?) an event in a cricket match has a knock-on effect: Smith's wicket was the first of many to tumble quickly and hampered what should've been a much higher first innings total. FU Watson understands these momentous occasions intimately.
2. Has Smith ever dropped two catches in one match prior to this one? The first offering probably would've had the Poms trailing on their first innings.
3. Broad recovered his mojo and Anderson bowled well.
4. Our pace attack isn't well-balanced and is vulnerable to injury, as was shown when Cummins went off on day 3. Marsh isn't taking the wickets we need him to take.
5. Despite Australia not playing well and handing the Poms some 200 runs we still didn't lose. That must be of some comfort to Smith.

 

[Lindommer]

Delighted to read in yesterday's SMH the boss of cricket in NSW, John Warn, is totally against drop-in pitches at the SCG. Mildly concerned to read in today's SMH the chairman of the SCG Trust, Tony Shepherd, an AFL aficionado and the chairman of the GWS Giants, hasn't unilaterally ruled them out. If Rodney Cavalier was still the chairman of the trust the subject of drop-in pitches would never be mentioned. The arenas in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are called Cricket Grounds for a reason. AFL can fuck off.

 

[Up the Guts]

Delighted to read in yesterday's SMH the boss of cricket in NSW, John Warn, is totally against drop-in pitches at the SCG. Mildly concerned to read in today's SMH the chairman of the SCG Trust, Tony Shepherd, an AFL aficionado and the chairman of the GWS Giants, hasn't unilaterally ruled them out. If Rodney Cavalier was still the chairman of the trust the subject of drop-in pitches would never be mentioned. The arenas in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are called Cricket Grounds for a reason. AFL can fuck off.

ICC officially rated the MCG Pitch as poor. From January 1 the ICC can rate a pitch as below average incurring 2 demerit points, poor incurring 3 points, and unfit incurring 5. If the pitch receives 5 demerit points in a rolling five year period the ground will be banned from hosting international matches for a year so some real incentive to get it right.

 

[cyclopath]

ICC officially rated the MCG Pitch as poor. From January 1 the ICC can rate a pitch as below average incurring 2 demerit points, poor incurring 3 points, and unfit incurring 5. If the pitch receives 5 demerit points in a rolling five year period the ground will be banned from hosting international matches for a year so some real incentive to get it right.

We'll know the BCCI, I mean ICC, is fair dinkum when we see some ratings of pitches on the subcontinent as poor. There were some epic 2 innings drawn Tests at Columbo in the not too distant past. This tub-thumping from the ICC has inconsistency written all over it, I reckon.

 

[Hound]

Will be interesting to see if the SCG takes as much spin as previously. Who has the correct team selection with Aussie one spinner (add Smith if required) or England with two? Will Ali finally do something with the ball and show that he can bowl. If I were England I would be worried about Starc - just get the feeling that he will have a big test. Dead rubber or not still looking forward to the first day. Go Pink today

 

[Up the Guts]

Bit of the story of the summer today's play. England get into a good position led by Root and look like they're going to be on top before going into stumps only for the tables to be turned. I thought it was unwise for Bairstow to go in when he did and in the end it turned out to be a terrible move. Some concern over Starc's calf late in the day, hopefully just a cramp.

 

[Brumby Runner]

The pitch looks suspiciously tame; a bit like the Melbourne one. Might be another poor rating coming on - depending on how it lasts into the fourth and fifth days of course. But right now, it's offering little to nothing for the bowlers.

 

[Aussie D]

looks like it will turn a bit on the last two days. the first few days may play like a twenty20 wicket though.