Australia tour of New Zealand 2010

[aussie1st]

Smith just picked up his first 5 fer! 5 fer and a 100 coupled with North's golden duck. I think its time selectors!

 

[TumTum]

Smith just picked up his first 5 fer! 5 fer and a 100 coupled with North's golden duck. I think its time selectors!

Good on him. North you have to go

 

[Robelinda]

Pick him for god's sake!!!!!!!! You just cant look past these performances, North has been in nothing short of disastrous form, it cannot be doubted. Man, I'm a North fan but if someone is bulldozing down the selector's door then more power to him.

 

[TumTum]

7-fer!

 

[aussie1st]

OMG 7-64, really selectors how can you not pick him now.

 

[n3wu$3r]

Smith just owned SA....a ton and 7 wickets..thats incredible..you dont see that much often...perfect repalcement for north...khawaja was terrific aswell in the first inings.....

 

[Robelinda]

My god. There isnt a country that exists that wouldnt pick someone after that performance, his batting is 100% top 6 material, and 7 fer speaks for itself. We could have a future LEGEND in the making here folks.

 

[pcfan123]

RIP Marcus North's Test Career

 

[drainpipe32]

Pick him, or people will revolt. Hauritz will have to be at his best now.

 

[aussie1st]

Smith will have to kill it in Test to get Hauritz out and even then I'll be looking at bringing a 4th paceman in than using Smith at 8. Has too much of a Cameron White feel for my liking.

 

[Iridium]

Smith has done more than enough to earn a place in the starting XI. The selectors will have to mad and blind to pick North now. If he does play, I certainly hope he isn't the type of player to absolutely dominate in domestic games and blow in Tests.

 

[aussie1st]

The North stats:

- Averaged 23 in six Tests this summer, and 14.6 in seven subsequent Sheffield Shield innings since then.

- Since Headingley Test in nine innings scored 225 runs at 20.5. Caught behind in four of 11 innings (36.4 per cent).

- In Tests scored 10 or fewer in 11 of 21 innings (52.4 per cent) and in Shield 53 of 145 innings (36.6 per cent).

- While brought in as all-rounder in Tests bowled only 126.3 overs in 13 Tests and has 6 wickets at 60.7 (wicketless in 21 overs this summer).

And for those interested

AUSTRALIANS DISMISSED FOR 10 RUNS OR FEWER (TESTS)

- Ricky Ponting 53 of 240 inns (22.1 per cent).

- Brad Haddin 10 of 42 inns (23.8 per cent).

- Simon Katich 20 of 83 inns (24.1 per cent).

- Mike Hussey 21 of 83 inns (25.3 per cent).

- Michael Clarke 26 of 94 inns (27.7 per cent).

- Shane Watson 9 of 29 inns (31 per cent).

- Marcus North 11 of 21 innings (52.4 per cent).

- Brad Hodge 2 of 11 innings (18.2 per cent).

North desperate for runs

Very hit and miss at all levels, you don't see that when you look at his overall stats but that is the last thing you want from your number 6.

 

[drainpipe32]

Noticed this right from the start, he either tonned or failed.

Unreliable in collapses, he dug us out of a few, but didn't help at Lords or the Oval.

 

[War]

I dunno i have mixed feelings about Smith's bowling still. That South Australian team is pretty weak this season. Lehmann, Blewett, Elliot, Manou, Ferguson, Tait, Rofe either retired or unavailable for obvious & various reason.

So althought its good to see Smith take 7 wickets. Inversely based on what i've seen of him still in international cricket, his bowling clearly is nothing more than part-time. Thus i think the standard of batting by SA needs to questioned here.

War added 8 Minutes and 59 Seconds later...

Unless Martin Guptill improves on rotating the strike early on there's noway he can bat any lower then three.

Yeah, Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder have a fantastic record when opening together, but with guys like Williamson and Watling most likely pushing for spots in the near future we'll have to re jigg the order a little bit. AFAIC McCullum would win a lot more games for New Zealand going in down the order and being able to play all his paddles and flicks and not having to worry about batting for a certain amount of overs.

Fair point, i think he certainly could. I remembering him doing it before to Australia in a ODI in the 2003 TVS Cup in India batting @ 7/8.

 

[Chewie]

There was an article in the paper this morning about McCullum considering becoming a pure batsman in the shorter forms of the game, with Hopkins keeping. Bad idea?