brickwaller99
Member
Re: Australia in New Zealand
dougie is all acting. johnson actually does stuff. siddle is neither.
dougie is all acting. johnson actually does stuff. siddle is neither.
Test XI Selection Thread
- Thread starter Boris
- Start date
LIONS then DAYLIGHT
Banned
Re: Australia in New Zealand
Watson is currently our most important player, I have no doubt about that at all.
Watson is currently our most important player, I have no doubt about that at all.
LIONS then DAYLIGHT
Banned
Re: Australia in New Zealand
Watson had a heap of stress fractures - those were always the main source of his injuries.
He missed the 2003 World Cup because of stress fractures; he dislocated his shoulder fielding at the Gabba in 2005; he did his hammy close just before the 2006 Ashes; and he had another round of stress fractures after India in 2008.
He has also had the odd muscle strain, but those can, and do, happen to a lot of players. His popped shoulder was just bad luck, went to field the ball with a dive and it popped out - similar to how Warnie did his in the 02/03 season at the MCG in an ODI game against England.
Watson's bowling action is a lot more relaxed these days, even when compared to the action he had in 2008. He was really powering in and bowling upwards of 145 km/hr consistently on that tour.
He now has a more gentle action, with his pace now hovering between 130 - 140. While his pace has dropped a bit, there is no doubt he is moving the ball more these days. He used to be a straight up and down bowler; however, these days he is reversing the ball as well as anyone in our side.
For me, Watson is our most important player. Since returning during the Ashes this is the list of wickets Watson has collected.
Yousuf (top order)
Akmal (top order)
Gul (lower order)
Sami (lower order)
Butt (top order)
Gayle (top order)
Deonarine (top order)
Nash (top order)
Barath (top order)
Taylor (lower order)
Ramdin (top order)
Chanderpaul (top order)
Nash (top order)
13 wickets, out of those 10 were recognized batsmen. That is a impressful statistic, it really is. It's not like Watson has been picking up cheap wickets, these are great poles.
Watson had a heap of stress fractures - those were always the main source of his injuries.
He missed the 2003 World Cup because of stress fractures; he dislocated his shoulder fielding at the Gabba in 2005; he did his hammy close just before the 2006 Ashes; and he had another round of stress fractures after India in 2008.
He has also had the odd muscle strain, but those can, and do, happen to a lot of players. His popped shoulder was just bad luck, went to field the ball with a dive and it popped out - similar to how Warnie did his in the 02/03 season at the MCG in an ODI game against England.
Watson's bowling action is a lot more relaxed these days, even when compared to the action he had in 2008. He was really powering in and bowling upwards of 145 km/hr consistently on that tour.
He now has a more gentle action, with his pace now hovering between 130 - 140. While his pace has dropped a bit, there is no doubt he is moving the ball more these days. He used to be a straight up and down bowler; however, these days he is reversing the ball as well as anyone in our side.
For me, Watson is our most important player. Since returning during the Ashes this is the list of wickets Watson has collected.
Yousuf (top order)
Akmal (top order)
Gul (lower order)
Sami (lower order)
Butt (top order)
Gayle (top order)
Deonarine (top order)
Nash (top order)
Barath (top order)
Taylor (lower order)
Ramdin (top order)
Chanderpaul (top order)
Nash (top order)
13 wickets, out of those 10 were recognized batsmen. That is a impressful statistic, it really is. It's not like Watson has been picking up cheap wickets, these are great poles.
Re: Australia in New Zealand
I didn't know what injury he had, just made the presumption that one of his old niggles was coming back again.
He really had done well with his body to get back to this level, so much time and effort getting everything right.
Perhaps if he had hired Liz back in 2005 he would have been playing this whole time
BabyBlues;394977 said:
I didn't know what injury he had, just made the presumption that one of his old niggles was coming back again.
He really had done well with his body to get back to this level, so much time and effort getting everything right.
Perhaps if he had hired Liz back in 2005 he would have been playing this whole time
OhMyGodTheChips
Member
Re: Australia in New Zealand
If you consider WI and Pakistan to be great test nations, you might have a point, but they're two sides down and out. It was a win for them getting half their desired side here. Watson bowling has improved but it isn't any greater than the Waugh brothers.
LIONS then DAYLIGHT;394980 said:
If you consider WI and Pakistan to be great test nations, you might have a point, but they're two sides down and out. It was a win for them getting half their desired side here. Watson bowling has improved but it isn't any greater than the Waugh brothers.
LIONS then DAYLIGHT
Banned
Re: Australia in New Zealand
Yousuf, Chanderpaul bunnies are they?
OhMyGodTheChips;395133 said:
Yousuf, Chanderpaul bunnies are they?
eddiesmith
Active Member
Re: Australia in New Zealand
Well Yousuf has been sacked by the PCB so yeah, not such a big wicket these days
Well Yousuf has been sacked by the PCB so yeah, not such a big wicket these days
LIONS then DAYLIGHT
Banned
Re: Australia in New Zealand
I have added a new Vbookie thread for the highest run scorer in Australia's first innings for the 2nd test.
Get in there and bet.
I have added a new Vbookie thread for the highest run scorer in Australia's first innings for the 2nd test.
Get in there and bet.
OhMyGodTheChips
Member
Re: Australia in New Zealand
They're not bunnies, but they hadn't been playing international cricket. WI got criticised heavily, along with Chris Gayle or their first test performance. No one actual gave them any credit for making it to Australia in the first place.
LIONS then DAYLIGHT;395147 said:Yousuf, Chanderpaul bunnies are they?
They're not bunnies, but they hadn't been playing international cricket. WI got criticised heavily, along with Chris Gayle or their first test performance. No one actual gave them any credit for making it to Australia in the first place.
LIONS then DAYLIGHT
Banned
Re: Australia in New Zealand
What a load of crap.
People gave the Windies a heap of credit when they performed above expectations, especially after the first test at a the Gabba, during the 2nd and 3rd test matchs at Adelaide and Perth respectively.
What a load of crap.
People gave the Windies a heap of credit when they performed above expectations, especially after the first test at a the Gabba, during the 2nd and 3rd test matchs at Adelaide and Perth respectively.
OhMyGodTheChips
Member
Re: Test XI Selection Thread - NZ Tour
Especially after the first test? You must have been reading the Barbados Special.
Especially after the first test? You must have been reading the Barbados Special.
Re: Test XI Selection Thread - NZ Tour
July 13th sees the first of two Tests played against Pakistan in neutral territory of England for the corresponding away series. This is the last chance before the Ashes to get things right, and have seen a couple of things around that might be changes.
Firstly, it has been said the Clarke is set to move to the number 4 spot, Hussey down to 5. This is to give Clarke a sniff of years to come at presumably the number 3 spot, and I suspect also to give Hussey a breather and chance to catch up on some Test form and continue with it. Is this the right thing to do? I think it is.
Secondly, Hilfenhaus should be fit to play again. Considering his form in England and then at the Gabba since last he played, logically he should be a walk into the side, but will he? At the moment the bowlers are Johnson, Hauritz, Harris, Bollinger as of the last Test in NZ, with Harris being the only one movable there. Problems arise, though, as his only two Tests have been good ones and his ODI form not half bad either. Will he step aside for Hilfy? Once again I think he should.
Something I'm not sure on is Siddle. When is he set to return from injury? He's lucked out of a spot now though, he's got Bollinger, Hilfenhaus and Harris ahead of him now for only two spots. I finally have my revenge for him getting into the side in the first place
And thirdly, will this be Ponting's last games in England? He won't make the next English Ashes and there aren't any ODIs planned there for quite a while after, and I don't think he will make it there. I personally think he should retire at the end of the Ashes, and then the World Cup for ODIs after that.
July 13th sees the first of two Tests played against Pakistan in neutral territory of England for the corresponding away series. This is the last chance before the Ashes to get things right, and have seen a couple of things around that might be changes.
Firstly, it has been said the Clarke is set to move to the number 4 spot, Hussey down to 5. This is to give Clarke a sniff of years to come at presumably the number 3 spot, and I suspect also to give Hussey a breather and chance to catch up on some Test form and continue with it. Is this the right thing to do? I think it is.
Secondly, Hilfenhaus should be fit to play again. Considering his form in England and then at the Gabba since last he played, logically he should be a walk into the side, but will he? At the moment the bowlers are Johnson, Hauritz, Harris, Bollinger as of the last Test in NZ, with Harris being the only one movable there. Problems arise, though, as his only two Tests have been good ones and his ODI form not half bad either. Will he step aside for Hilfy? Once again I think he should.
Something I'm not sure on is Siddle. When is he set to return from injury? He's lucked out of a spot now though, he's got Bollinger, Hilfenhaus and Harris ahead of him now for only two spots. I finally have my revenge for him getting into the side in the first place
And thirdly, will this be Ponting's last games in England? He won't make the next English Ashes and there aren't any ODIs planned there for quite a while after, and I don't think he will make it there. I personally think he should retire at the end of the Ashes, and then the World Cup for ODIs after that.
eddiesmith
Active Member
Re: Test XI Selection Thread - NZ Tour
I dont think there is any way they could possibly play Hilfenhaus, too much of a risk after a long layoff, so the squad should remain the same, only spot up for grabs is the reserve batsman with Phil Hughes taking himself out in a boxing match
I dont think there is any way they could possibly play Hilfenhaus, too much of a risk after a long layoff, so the squad should remain the same, only spot up for grabs is the reserve batsman with Phil Hughes taking himself out in a boxing match