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Ashes 2019

Sully

Tim Horan (67)
Staff member
Yep, Paine should definitely retire on a high. Captaincy is a bit of a quandary but you can easily have someone as the nominal captain while Smith is helping run the show from first slip.

Why would you mess with Smith? Just let him bat!
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
I think it's hard to say we should bring in Player X, or Y into the batting lineup at this point.

What we are going to see is the mother of all Sheffield Shield bat-offs, with as many as four spots up for grabs.

If you were a Shield batsman of any quality, you'd be thinking 'I'm just three hundreds away from a baggy green'.

Guys like Burns, Patterson, Pucovski etc. have claims, but if they don't score Shield runs then I doubt they make the squad for the first test.
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Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Yep, would go along with that. Clean house and get some new players into that batting order. Burns would help shore up the top order and Pucovski looks a super talent. Patterson needs some runs early in the FC season though, because he tailed off at the end of last season.

What is Patterson's test average, as a matter of interest?

Certainly think Burns, Patterson and Pucovski must come into calculations, I would also expect both Khawaja and Warner to get among the runs again once they get back home.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Why would you mess with Smith? Just let him bat!
From what I’ve observed he’s been directing a lot of the traffic from first slip this series anyway (making suggestions for field placements etc.). It raised a few eyebrows in the first test because some thought it was making a mockery of the ban. I don’t think it’s a bad time to anoint someone who would normally be considered too green when you have someone of his experience and stature to assist.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I think it's hard to say we should bring in Player X, or Y into the batting lineup at this point.

What we are going to see is the mother of all Sheffield Shield bat-offs, with as many as four spots up for grabs.

If you were a Shield batsman of any quality, you'd be thinking 'I'm just three hundreds away from a baggy green'.

Guys like Burns, Patterson, Pucovski etc. have claims, but if they don't score Shield runs then I doubt they make the squad for the first test.
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Correct. The three mentioned are the most obvious candidates but it's a wide open field at the moment. The unfortunate part is that blokes like Harris and Wade have been picked on the basis of a mountain of Shield runs, but that hasn't translated to test success. They've looked like park cricketers by comparison.

I'd be telling Warner to go back the Shield and find some form before the first home test, because he looks nowhere near at the moment.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Why would you mess with Smith? Just let him bat!


That's my view also. Smith should not be made captain again, but the question is who should? We are not in the habit of changing our skippers that often and I'm totally on board with it, it creates stability
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
What is Patterson's test average, as a matter of interest?

Certainly think Burns, Patterson and Pucovski must come into calculations, I would also expect both Khawaja and Warner to get among the runs again once they get back home.


KP has an average of 144 after two tests. Averages 40 in FC cricket and did last Shield season.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
We're gone here. England are effectively 2/204 and we're not looking crash hot. The thing that makes me mad is how we've inflicted most of this on ourselves, from selection, to bowling first, to dropping catches, poor use of the review and generally being shit with the bat.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
We're gone here. England are effectively 2/204 and we're not looking crash hot. The thing that makes me mad is how we've inflicted most of this on ourselves, from selection, to bowling first, to dropping catches, poor use of the review and generally being shit with the bat.

But the best thing is, and England of all nations will appreciate this, we draw the series and yet they lose. And, having used up all their sanctimony with the CWC and booing, their well is dry.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Right, I've fucking had enough of this top order calamity. Both openers sent back to the Shield and not to come back until they've sorted out their techniques to the right armer around the wicket.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Warner's series aggregate of 95 is now easily the lowest for anyone who batted 10 times in a series, the previous lowest being 136 by John D'Arcy for NZ during the disastrous 1958 tour of England. Broad dismissed home seven times, just the fourth time its happened in an Ashes series: Lyon (Moen Ali, 2017-18), McGrath (Atherton, 1997) & Lawson (Gower, 1989) are the others.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/crick...lander-to-unwanted-record-after-horror-series

Steve Smith, meanwhile, now has the highest average of anyone ever after playing their 68th Test. Neat little graphic tracking the average of everyone who has ever averaged over 50 in a 50+ Test career here:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27619960/where-does-rank-greatest

What's really astonishing is that he didn't start averaging 50 until his 28th Test, so his average in the last 40 he's played must be truly astronomical.
 

Finsbury Girl

Trevor Allan (34)
Well what a shite end to the series. The selections really came home to roost. Time for a change these guys are clueless.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
It's hard to blame Warner when it's the selectors job to drop underperforming players.

How could they let him have 10 innings in this kind of form?

Smith and Cummins aside, we are pretty damn average at the moment.

Happy to retain ashes though.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
Yep, a disappointing end to the tour. Was on the cards, of course, from the moment Paine sent England in.

The real failures in the series, imo, were the decisions by the selectors and coaches. I don't think there was a person in the country who couldn't see that there was a big problem at the top of the batting order, but the fact Warner played all tests was confirmation to me that Justin Langer is way out of his depth.

To my surprise, Wade came good again at the end but inconsistency is a problem. Personally, I would have liked to have seen him open in Warner's place this test. There will be significant changes before the Pakistan series, I'll warrant. First needs to be a new coach. On that subject, a replacement for Hick should also be on the cards.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
Jeez, crack a smile you blokes - we retained the Ashes on English soil. And some of you want to dump the coach?

I mean, I know we're on G&GR here, but still.

It's been a successful few months. If someone in June offered you a CWC semi-final and a 2-2 Ashes series, you'd take it 10 times out of 10.

Remember how shithouse we've been in the last 12 months? Just losing series for fun, at home and away. So to come out and retain the Ashes away from home is a pretty good turnaround.

I grant you it's not an all-time triumph, but it's still pretty bloody good.
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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
The issue with Warner is that it's not like the opener at the other end did anything. Bancroft played 2 tests and then got dropped averaging 11. Marcus Harris came in for the last three tests and was even worse.

Clearly Joe Burns should have been in the squad. They opted not to select a player who scored 180 in his last test opening the batting and then we went through a series without having an opening partnership over 20.

I fully expect Warner to keep his place next Summer. His career record has earned him time that the other people competing with him and failing aren't owed.

I definitely think Australia made poor selections and then a poor decision to bowl first in the final test. It was certainly a disappointing way to finish a great series.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
Jeez, crack a smile you blokes - we retained the Ashes on English soil. And some of you want to dump the coach?

I mean, I know we're on G&GR here, but still.

It's been a successful few months. If someone in June offered you a CWC semi-final and a 2-2 Ashes series, you'd take it 10 times out of 10.

Remember how shithouse we've been in the last 12 months? Just losing series for fun, at home and away. So to come out and retain the Ashes away from home is a pretty good turnaround.

I grant you it's not an all-time triumph, but it's still pretty bloody good.
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True enough. It was a great series with a lot of twists and turns and a draw was probably about right.

It's also a blessing to be able to see Smith do what he does. He may well turn out to be the best Australian batsman in our lifetimes.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
The issue with Warner is that it's not like the opener at the other end did anything. Bancroft played 2 tests and then got dropped averaging 11. Marcus Harris came in for the last three tests and was even worse.

Clearly Joe Burns should have been in the squad. They opted not to select a player who scored 180 in his last test opening the batting and then we went through a series without having an opening partnership over 20.

I fully expect Warner to keep his place next Summer. His career record has earned him time that the other people competing with him and failing aren't owed.

I definitely think Australia made poor selections and then a poor decision to bowl first in the final test. It was certainly a disappointing way to finish a great series.

I think Warner still needs to get some runs domestically to demonstrate some form because he was plain bloody awful.
I agree that the other options at opener were poor also.
 
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