Dec 16-20: 3rd Test - Australia v England at Perth

[mattfb]

Nathan Hauritz walks on water tra lalalala la la la

 

[sifter132]

I think Marcus North is already gone for mine. Hes had enough chances.

Well if he made a hundred for WA this weekend then you can't drop him - that's what I'm getting at. That's what Hussey did. I mean how can you drop a Test incumbent that the selectors have had faith in for ages for someone in WORSE form. I don't care who it is, you don't drop incumbents unless the challenger is in much better nick. And that's been the problem with this Shield season. No one is pounding down the door. Usman made a double century early, but hasn't done much since and failed in his big chance for Aus A. Ferguson the same, failed for Aus A and in the current SCG game where a big innings would have really helped him. Ditto for Hughes. Ditto for Smith.

The forgotten option here is Cameron White. I'm not a huge White fan generally mainly due to his loose technique, but he did do well v Eng at Hobart and he is a good slipper and he has done well the last couple of seasons with bat. Plus I think he's the kind of guy Australia would want to have given his leadership ability and his international success in the ODIs. He's a bit more of a long term player than a Dave Hussey might be as well. I'd say the selectors would be thinking hard about him.

Based on how Smith bowled in the game @ Hobart, if ENG bat well he will be useless. Plus his batting isn't better than D Hussey currently for test level. So for me D Hussey has to play as i mentioned before especially if he scores runs in game vs ENG coming up.

Well the way England is batting right now the pace bowlers are useless too People aren't giving the Poms enough credit. I think they've been fantastic.

Its still early days in Haddin's new found solidity as a batsman also. So its a bit too soon to start thinking about him batting @ # 6 to be honest. Maybe a year from now if the solidity continues, but not at this crucial stage of the Ashes..

Generally I'd agree, but Australia have to win TWICE to get the Ashes back here. It's not the time to be conservative, take the risk and use Haddin at #6 would be my call. And Hauritz for the #7 all-rounder spot

 

[angryangy]

He just needs Katich's hair.

angryangy added 10 Minutes and 56 Seconds later...

The forgotten option here is Cameron White. I'm not a huge White fan generally mainly due to his loose technique, but he did do well v Eng at Hobart and he is a good slipper and he has done well the last couple of seasons with bat. Plus I think he's the kind of guy Australia would want to have given his leadership ability and his international success in the ODIs. He's a bit more of a long term player than a Dave Hussey might be as well. I'd say the selectors would be thinking hard about him.

He just needs to show that he's better than the rest. I think there's a lot of Steve Waugh to his batting. It's not pretty, but he's made of strong stuff and when it's in his zone, there is no compromise. Maybe he just needs to be more cavalier about what he can wallop, back himself to smack more deliveries back over the bowler's head. That could keep them from bowling the ball that actually attacks the gap between bat and pad. In other words, if he's batting well enough, that technique won't hold him back.

 

[ajdude]

Warne's suggesting Michael Beer.

Australian cricket team needs Beer - Shane Warne | Herald Sun

Eh, it'd be a bit of a risky selection, averaging 39 but taking 16 wickets including 5 against England, I doubt they'd go with it, but then again, Doherty was selected...

 

[TumTum]

As I posted in the Australian Domestic thread, I can see this happening...

Cricinfo: Hauritz called in to replace injured Simon Katich, fans, Hughes shocked

Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch released this statement today;
"Nathan Hauritz is in fine form, making 103* in the ongoing Shield match against South Australia, and we feel that his batting prowess and part time off-spin will put our team back on track in this series."

Dumped opener Phillip Hughes was unavailable for comment, but a source close to him stated that he was in shock and disbelief.

 

[War]

Well if he made a hundred for WA this weekend then you can't drop him - that's what I'm getting at. That's what Hussey did. I mean how can you drop a Test incumbent that the selectors have had faith in for ages for someone in WORSE form. I don't care who it is, you don't drop incumbents unless the challenger is in much better nick. And that's been the problem with this Shield season. No one is pounding down the door. Usman made a double century early, but hasn't done much since and failed in his big chance for Aus A. Ferguson the same, failed for Aus A and in the current SCG game where a big innings would have really helped him. Ditto for Hughes. Ditto for Smith.

Even if North scores another hundred this week for WA, he still has to go now now now now.

As i said before Marcus North is poster child for the "collapses cancer" that has being the unfortunate hallmark of this post McGrath/Warne era in the middle-order.

Retaining him would mean AUS support inconsistently which has not just been the hallmark of this test career but his FC career & at this stage that is unacceptable. AUS cannot sustain a batsman in the middle-order who between hundreds has so many low scores, it makes the middle-order too vulnerable.

Yes its doesn't help that FC bats this season suprisingly seem to be chocking when they should smoking runs in the middle-order (plus Katich being injured now doesn't help things since you could have called up Hughes & dropepd Katman down to # 5). But he has to go D Hussey is the man for me.

Once North plays again AUS will lose the Ashes. Swann will eat him alive again.

The forgotten option here is Cameron White. I'm not a huge White fan generally mainly due to his loose technique, but he did do well v Eng at Hobart and he is a good slipper and he has done well the last couple of seasons with bat. Plus I think he's the kind of guy Australia would want to have given his leadership ability and his international success in the ODIs. He's a bit more of a long term player than a Dave Hussey might be as well. I'd say the selectors would be thinking hard about him.

I still think & fear he is another Symonds type player for tests. But then again i guess i wont mind him playing really. Once North is bloody gone.

Well the way England is batting right now the pace bowlers are useless too People aren't giving the Poms enough credit. I think they've been fantastic.

Well i sort take heart in the fact that i'm fairly confident what happened in the 2nd innings @ Brisbane & 1st innings @ Adelaide wont happen to the pace attack again this summer or much of their careers again (if ever again)

The AUS pace stocks are much better than that & regardless of how excellent ENG have batted in the last two innings. I dont think believe they are that good to continuosly do that AUS pace attack for the rest of the Ashes.

Lets not forget the quicks did bowl out ENG for 260 on day 1 @ Brisbane & couple test ago againts a stronger Indian batting lineup on equally/if not flatter pitches keopt that batting lineup in check & almost won the 1st test @ Nagpur.

So basically now its a situation of backing your bowling strenght which is in the fast-bowling stocks - not the spinners in anyway. If AUS lose the Ashes playing 4 quicks for the reaminder of the series, i will accept that farrrrr more than seeing another useless tweaker than gets called spinners in AUS these days. Playing in a 5-man attack & AUS losing the Ashes.

Generally I'd agree, but Australia have to win TWICE to get the Ashes back here. It's not the time to be conservative, take the risk and use Haddin at #6 would be my call. And Hauritz for the #7 all-rounder spot

Risk should only be taken if your that you are 100% confident in your risk replacement or risk tactic that it will pay off. If not no way.

Its the same thing in the 2005 Ashes, when the selectors didn't go for experience of MacGill to back up Warne in those last couple tests - but went for the young Tait.

So this time conservatism with experienced domestic players such as D Hussey (maybeeeee Cam White although i prefer Dussey) & test experienced players like Hughes is the selections that have to be made.

 

[ferg512]

Even more of an incentive to chuck Hauritz back in with that 100.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Risk should only be taken if your that you are 100% confident in your risk replacement or risk tactic that it will pay off. If not no way.

stunning definition of the word "risk" there.

 

[used2bcool]

My team would be:
1. Hughes
2. Watson
3. Ponting : I see some validity in taking the captaincy away from him to have him focus more on batting, but who would replace him as skipper? Clarke? I think not.
4. M Hussey
5. Clarke: Move him down one spot, he's been statistically better there, maybe it's a mental thing.
6. Cam White: He gives you the part-time spin option should you choose to go with 4 pacers, and should be a decent defensive bowler, if not a wicket-taker.
7. Haddin: You can swap him with White if you think he's a good enough batter to take the six spot.
8. Johnson
9. Siddle: Last chance salon for him. Or you can replace him with Krejza/Hauritz/whoever is the spinner of the week.
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

 

[Biggy]

They can't drop North, he's due to make his ton this Test.

 

[Covvy]

Brad Hodge can bowl off-spin......

 

[aussie1st]

Warne's suggesting Michael Beer.

Australian cricket team needs Beer - Shane Warne | Herald Sun

Eh, it'd be a bit of a risky selection, averaging 39 but taking 16 wickets including 5 against England, I doubt they'd go with it, but then again, Doherty was selected...

Must be doing a satire on the crazy selectors. He backed Hauritz and was annoyed he was dropped.

6. Cam White: He gives you the part-time spin option should you choose to go with 4 pacers, and should be a decent defensive bowler, if not a wicket-taker.

He hardly bowls so his wronguns will be as part time as Ricky Ponting atm. But you missed the main reason to have White in the side and that is for leadership.

 

[formula1man]

how about instead of jumping to Hughes we actually pick players who are in form for once.
So here are our best batsman on home soil this year.
UT Khawaja 477 runs @ 53.00 (63.45 last season) (1 100, 3 50's)
AC Blizzard 424 @ 53.00 (2-1)
DJ Hussey 393 @ 43.66 (57.05) (1-1)
WM Robinson 390 @ 48.75 (32.33) (0-5)
AB McDonald 372 @ 93.00 (33.30) (3-0)
SE Marsh 339 @ 84.75 (59.62) (1-2)

Hughes is averaging 25 last season 52.10

Our Current Batsman
SR Watson 241 @ 34.42 (60.90) (0-2)
(Katich not on the list)
RT Ponting 141 @ 20.14 (51.40) (0-1)
MJ Clarke 243 @ 60.75 (58.80) (1-1)
MEK Hussey 461 @ 63.85 (55.77) (2,2)
MJ North 220 @ 27.50 (23.85) (1-0)
BJ Haddin 348 @ 58.00 (37.10) (1-3)

So going on form I'd choose
S. Watson
S. Marsh
M. Clarke
M. Hussey
U. Khawaja
D. Hussey
B. Haddin
R. Harris
N. Hauritz
M. Cameron
D. Bollinger

However I wouldnt go as far as dropping Ponting, so DHussey would not be chosen, so Marsh in for Katich, Khawaja in for North, Cameron for Siddle, Hauritz for Doherty but if Bollinger is injured Hilfy is like for like replacement.

 

[Owzat]

6. Cam White: He gives you the part-time spin option should you choose to go with 4 pacers, and should be a decent defensive bowler, if not a wicket-taker.

That's not a stupid a suggestion as some might think, he lays into the England bowlers and they most certainly can go to pieces - a la Klusener, Gilchrist, Jayasuriya, Sehwag and anyone who attacks them.

Not sure I'd play him as a pure all-rounder, I don't know why so many aussies are against Hauritz who is solid if unspectacular. Of course England might be even better as a bowling attack with Broad's enforced absence.

 

[ajdude]

Looks like we won't have Harris.

Ryan Harris injured as Mitchell Johnson build-up branded insane | Herald Sun

Possibly from when Kontouris was rubbing ████ on his chest (not literally ████ obviously) on the boundary, thought it was his shoulder at first.