Team for Perth

[tnt]

Ed Cowan needs to be considered for the openers job. Technically good. Averaged 50 as an opener the last two Shield seasons. Second most shield runs last year. Has a century for Australia A. Also a lefty.

[Lightning McQueen]

Ed Cowan needs to be considered for the openers job. Technically good. Averaged 50 as an opener the last two Shield seasons. Second most shield runs last year. Has a century for Australia A. Also a lefty.

Can we afford to have a player called "Ed" in our national team, then again it looks like we're going to have an Usman and we've put up with a Marcus for a bit too long.

[Footy Smart]

Ed Cowan needs to be considered for the openers job. Technically good. Averaged 50 as an opener the last two Shield seasons. Second most shield runs last year. Has a century for Australia A. Also a lefty.

He def gets forgotten and the over rated Marsh gets mentioned before him. Id give Ed a crack above Marsh and i think he has scored more SS runs this year than Hughes.... He'd be in my calculations for sure

[Baron Greenback]

This is what I'd go with.

Watson (needs to start converting 50s into 100s)
Cowan (one of the top run scorers in SS cricket of late)
Haddin (handles the new ball pretty well if the top two fail)
Clarke (time to step up Pup)
Ponting (time to drop down the order)
Hussey (best bat so far this season, could bat at 4 or 5 too)
Ferguson (give him a nice easy entry into the side at 7)
Johnson (last chance. If he can't perform at Perth then he should never return to the side)
Harris (only decent bowler last test)
Hauritz (can't be any worse than Doherty)
Cameron (give the young fella a chance, once again can't be any worse than Bollinger)

[Lightning McQueen]

I think Haddin handles the new ball when he's already been in for a while, I watched him struggle big time against Flintoff last time the poms were here. Flintoff took the new ball in the morning when Haddin was already in and on a decent score from the previous day, he was all at sea.
He's a pretty handy number 7 so I'd be leaving him somewhere around there.
As for Mitch, it wouldn't be beneficial to anyone to drop him for one game.

[wycbloods]

Watson
Hughes
Ponting(He has to the end of the series regardless of what he makes or doesn't make and then off to the commentary box or something similar. When he leaves Khawaja moves into 3 and Ferg comes into the side)
Clarke
Hussey
Khawaja
Haddin
Smith( pick him and let him get spanked for the next 18 months but i believe he will develop quicket playing at this level)Johnson
Harris
Siddle.

And what happens when he has played 4 or 5 tests and averages over 80 with the ball and is not makin runs?? He will be replaced. Will do him more harm than good to put him in now. If he cant get wickets in Shield cricket how is he going to manage in Test cricket?

No thanks for me.

Shane Warne says hello.

Exactly! He will develop the quickest at the highest level. It has to be a long term thing and assure him selection for more than 4 or 5 tests. I do believe though his batting at 6,7 or 8 would be good enough to hold a spot for a while, based on what North has had to do to hold his spot.

[Hondo]

Yes but Smith is not Shane Warne and never will be. You'd be "persisting" with a batsman who bowls a bit as a specialist bowler. Smith needs to force his way into the number 6 spot as the batting allrounder. That's his game. He can then bowl his leggies part time as required behind the specialist spinner. The same role North plays now. In fact, I think they may bring him in to number 6 in Perth so they can play 4 quicks and have him as part time back up spinner and hopefully he can score some runs which is his best skill.

Michael Bevan probably still has nightmares about being forced into a specialist spinner's spot in the test team just because he could bowl some leg spin.

[mal]

Why is BOLLINGER recieving the thumbs down ?
One bad test when resuming form a long spell
B4 the summers out he will have Cooky Straussy and Trotty knowING they have faced a bowler

Todays press quote, Bollinger looks like a pie chucker now

Cricketers perform below par at any stage of there careers

Bollinger is the man that had superstar West Indian Chris Gayle baffled , ruffled, and battered by seasons end last summer

Give the great man another half a dozen Tests b4 casting irrelavent assertions please

He is still the most lethal new ball bowler AU has
Ask Strauss, and ask Trott [but dont remind Hussey]
He should have had 2/10ish early last test ....

[Lightning McQueen]

Comparing Gayle to Strauss, Cook or Trott is like comparing apples to oranges. One belts the ball from the outset and relies on exceptional hand-eye co-ordination, the other three are watchful and build their innings and are traditional test batsmen.

[Gingernuts]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

[Footy Smart]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

Exactly the players are the ones with ball and bat in hand.... Im not one for massive changes, but IMO North has had his chances and we loose little from giving someone else a chance! it may pay off it may not

Im still not sold on their replacements either! Usman, Ferg, Hughes have all been less than impressive of late. Usman has a chance today however.

Lesser names such as Cowan and Lynn etc have made some scores, Smith not ready to bat at 6 or 7 and White has done sweet FA.

interesting selction coming up for sure.

[Lightning McQueen]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

Exactly the players are the ones with ball and bat in hand.... Im not one for massive changes, but IMO North has had his chances and we loose little from giving someone else a chance! it may pay off it may not

Im still not sold on their replacements either! Usman, Ferg, Hughes have all been less than impressive of late. Usman has a chance today however.

Lesser names such as Cowan and Lynn etc have made some scores, Smith not ready to bat at 6 or 7 and White has done sweet FA.

interesting selction coming up for sure.

I don't think that we strike while the iron's hot, last year Usman and Klinger were on fire, they could be semi-established test players by now, you see it year in year out, players and selectors miss too many windows of opportunity and then the form is lost by the time they act upon it.

[Footy Smart]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

Exactly the players are the ones with ball and bat in hand.... Im not one for massive changes, but IMO North has had his chances and we loose little from giving someone else a chance! it may pay off it may not

Im still not sold on their replacements either! Usman, Ferg, Hughes have all been less than impressive of late. Usman has a chance today however.

Lesser names such as Cowan and Lynn etc have made some scores, Smith not ready to bat at 6 or 7 and White has done sweet FA.

interesting selction coming up for sure.

I don't think that we strike while the iron's hot, last year Usman and Klinger were on fire, they could be semi-established test players by now, you see it year in year out, players and selectors miss too many windows of opportunity and then the form is lost by the time they act upon it.

There is def something in that. We had decades of success and stability! Now we are reluctant to change due to the fact we know the player/s 'can' perform.

[JK]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

Good post mate .. Some things like personnel are relatively beyond our control, either you have a deep bank of well performing players or you don't and sadly it appears as though it's the latter scenario for us.

The fielding though, is one thing that should be within out control to address .. I appreciate we've not been creating enough chances in the series anyway, but holding catches put's far less of a burden on the bowlers.

[bulldogproud2]

THE TEAM for Perth:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bell
Prior
Swann
Bresnan
Anderson
Finn
Morgan (12th)

Now, that is A TEAM



The other side:

Watson
Smith
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
White
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

[Gingernuts]

There is nothing the selectors can do to stop Australia from losing the Ashes. I mean the makeover of the bowling attack made absolutely no difference.

The players are the only ones that can stop the slide. Ponting & Clarke need to show some leadership with the bat (Clarke made a good start on this with his second innings dig), and they need to take every opportunity in the field.

Make the forced change for Katich. Take the same lineup into Perth and tell them all the pull their ******* fingers out.

Good post mate .. Some things like personnel are relatively beyond our control, either you have a deep bank of well performing players or you don't and sadly it appears as though it's the latter scenario for us.

The fielding though, is one thing that should be within out control to address .. I appreciate we've not been creating enough chances in the series anyway, but holding catches put's far less of a burden on the bowlers.

The morning of the second day. Going to be belting hot, crucial that wickets had to be taken that morning or it was going to be hard work for the bowlers. Dougie bowls Strauss in a perfect start - then a missed run out and a couple of dropped catches and it's all over, England 1-0.

[CoverKing]

This is what I'd go with.

Watson (needs to start converting 50s into 100s)
Cowan (one of the top run scorers in SS cricket of late)
Haddin (handles the new ball pretty well if the top two fail)
Clarke (time to step up Pup)
Ponting (time to drop down the order)
Hussey (best bat so far this season, could bat at 4 or 5 too)
Ferguson (give him a nice easy entry into the side at 7)
Johnson (last chance. If he can't perform at Perth then he should never return to the side)
Harris (only decent bowler last test)
Hauritz (can't be any worse than Doherty)
Cameron (give the young fella a chance, once again can't be any worse than Bollinger)

And how olds Cameron BG??

[wycbloods]

Yes but Smith is not Shane Warne and never will be. You'd be "persisting" with a batsman who bowls a bit as a specialist bowler. Smith needs to force his way into the number 6 spot as the batting allrounder. That's his game. He can then bowl his leggies part time as required behind the specialist spinner. The same role North plays now. In fact, I think they may bring him in to number 6 in Perth so they can play 4 quicks and have him as part time back up spinner and hopefully he can score some runs which is his best skill.

Michael Bevan probably still has nightmares about being forced into a specialist spinner's spot in the test team just because he could bowl some leg spin.

Shane Warne wasn't Shane Warne when he started out either but he grew with experience in playing against the best in the world.

[Hondo]

Shane Warne wasn't Shane Warne when he started out either but he grew with experience in playing against the best in the world.

yes but he started out as a specialist leg-spinner, not a batsman who can bowl leg-spin (ie, not a batting allrounder). I am not seeing anything to suggest Smith will ever be a test standard leg-spinner and if he bats 4 for NSW I think he's a batsman first. I don't think we can compare Smith's potential to Warne. If we are going to try on a project leg-spinner why not O'Keefe if he is a bowler first?

[Jim05]

Shane Warne wasn't Shane Warne when he started out either but he grew with experience in playing against the best in the world.

yes but he started out as a specialist leg-spinner, not a batsman who can bowl leg-spin (ie, not a batting allrounder). I am not seeing anything to suggest Smith will ever be a test standard leg-spinner and if he bats 4 for NSW I think he's a batsman first. I don't think we can compare Smith's potential to Warne. If we are going to try on a project leg-spinner why not O'Keefe if he is a bowler first?

Finally someone listens to me. Okeefe is miles ahead of smith in bowling IMHO