Australian Tour to Sri Lanka - Jan 2025

[wenchbarwer]

I can't recall Hayden, Hussey or Clarke dropping many. Australia continue to be blessed with great fielders and we have been the benchmark since Bobby Simpson made it a focus.

I seem to recall that Simpson employed a baseball manager as the fielding coach at the time, I thought it was Mike Young but he came along later in the piece.

AB and the Chappells were all fantastic baseballers, I know this had an influence.

Mike Young. Was good to listen to.

John Buchanan era?

Yeah, he was the official fielding coach starting from 2000, but I swear it was either him or another baseball manager that helped with fielding under Simpson in the late 80's.

I just googled, he's nearly 70 so maybe he was there as a part timer, he was definitely in the country at that time, he managed the national team at the Seoul Olympics in 88.

[Brodlach]

He was definitely here late 80’s, a friend of mine played high level baseball and Mike gave him some tutoring. That’s how I got to meet him, very interesting bloke.

Tried to teach me to throw but I really had a custard arm, could bowl but had an ordinary throw.

[wenchbarwer]

He was definitely here late 80’s, a friend of mine played high level baseball and Mike gave him some tutoring. That’s how I got to meet him, very interesting bloke.

Tried to teach me to throw but I really had a custard arm, could bowl but had an ordinary throw.

That's the thing about throwing properly, you use more than your arm!

[Down the Hill]

SA baseball man Tony Harris definitely did some work with the SACA's and I'm pretty sure he also spent some time with the Australian team possibly during the Buchanan era.

But I do recall before Simmo came along that we were borderline putrid particularly in the slips. Boony eventually made a name for himself at short leg in red ball and boundary rider in white ball but he was a god awful slipper early in his career. I recall a period when we had Greg Ritchie and Boony in the slips and they grassed more than they caught.

Gully is a position we have made our own and a few names already mentioned but another who was a great catcher in the gully was Swampy Marsh. I recall a home test where Ijaz Ahmed was batting Pakistan to victory on the last day and Swampy's catch to remove him won us the match.

[whufc]

SA baseball man Tony Harris definitely did some work with the SACA's and I'm pretty sure he also spent some time with the Australian team possibly during the Buchanan era.

But I do recall before Simmo came along that we were borderline putrid particularly in the slips. Boony eventually made a name for himself at short leg in red ball and boundary rider in white ball but he was a god awful slipper early in his career. I recall a period when we had Greg Ritchie and Boony in the slips and they grassed more than they caught.

Gully is a position we have made our own and a few names already mentioned but another who was a great catcher in the gully was Swampy Marsh. I recall a home test where Ijaz Ahmed was batting Pakistan to victory on the last day and Swampy's catch to remove him won us the match.

The gully one is interesting and maybe due to the nature of our pitches.

Not getting many catches in gully in the subcontinent and even in England the seaming pitches I'm guessing mean a lot more goes to the slips. Australia with that extra bounce would see more balls either cut or hitting high on the bat resulting in gully / point catches.

[Lightning McQueen]

It's funny how we go through and put up best batting lists etc. but never really set a field of the fielders in their dominant spots.

It would be interesting to note who was the best long on or mid on fielder etc. Seeing someone mention Hussey was interesting, him and Punter would fight out the best cover fielder IMO.

[The Bedge]

It's funny how we go through and put up best batting lists etc. but never really set a field of the fielders in their dominant spots.

It would be interesting to note who was the best long on or mid on fielder etc. Seeing someone mention Hussey was interesting, him and Punter would fight out the best cover fielder IMO.

Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds were always very good I thought.

Glenn McGrath gets a run purely for his AO catch that time.

Maxwell does some freaky shit

[wenchbarwer]

It's funny how we go through and put up best batting lists etc. but never really set a field of the fielders in their dominant spots.

It would be interesting to note who was the best long on or mid on fielder etc. Seeing someone mention Hussey was interesting, him and Punter would fight out the best cover fielder IMO.

Dean Jones is the gold standard when it comes to outfielders, I think. Brilliant arm and super quick across the ground, too.

AB would be the best mid wicket fielder I've seen, just in front of Symmo.

[The Bedge]

Fielding team:

Wicket Keeper - Ian Healy? Adam Gilchrist?
1st Slip - Mark Taylor
2nd Slip - Mark Waugh
3rd Slip - Shane Warne
Gully - Cam Green
Point - Ricky Ponting
Cover - Michael Clarke
Mid off - Mike Hussey
Mid on - Glenn Maxwell (but would he ever qualify?) or Dean Jones
Square leg - Andrew Symonds

Reckon Nathan Lyon is an exceptionally good point fielder, and Cam Green is in his infancy, but just looks so good in gully.

AB probably gets a run, and Hayden stiff.

[am Bays]

SA baseball man Tony Harris definitely did some work with the SACA's and I'm pretty sure he also spent some time with the Australian team possibly during the Buchanan era.

But I do recall before Simmo came along that we were borderline putrid particularly in the slips. Boony eventually made a name for himself at short leg in red ball and boundary rider in white ball but he was a god awful slipper early in his career. I recall a period when we had Greg Ritchie and Boony in the slips and they grassed more than they caught.

Gully is a position we have made our own and a few names already mentioned but another who was a great catcher in the gully was Swampy Marsh. I recall a home test where Ijaz Ahmed was batting Pakistan to victory on the last day and Swampy's catch to remove him won us the match.

Yep Merv put one short and wide outside off and Ijaz creamed it Swamp took the one hander, Merv was giggling having got a wicket of a rank long hop outside off stump

Was great watching the Australin team on the day before a test match doing Simmos drills in the early 90s they worked so hard on it, We basically won the world cup in 87 on the basis of quality fielding and turning the strike over - aka the basics.

Good confident teams field well becasue they do the work. it's arguably the one thing you can control as a cricket team

[Lightning McQueen]

Fielding team:

Wicket Keeper - Ian Healy? Adam Gilchrist?
1st Slip - Mark Taylor
2nd Slip - Mark Waugh
3rd Slip - Shane Warne
Gully - Cam Green
Point - Ricky Ponting
Cover - Michael Clarke
Mid off - Mike Hussey
Mid on - Glenn Maxwell (but would he ever qualify?) or Dean Jones
Square leg - Andrew Symonds

Reckon Nathan Lyon is an exceptionally good point fielder, and Cam Green is in his infancy, but just looks so good in gully.

AB probably gets a run, and Hayden stiff.

He makes a good point.

[Lightning McQueen]

Fielding team:

Wicket Keeper - Ian Healy? Adam Gilchrist?
1st Slip - Mark Taylor
2nd Slip - Mark Waugh
3rd Slip - Shane Warne
Gully - Cam Green
Point - Ricky Ponting
Cover - Michael Clarke
Mid off - Mike Hussey
Mid on - Glenn Maxwell (but would he ever qualify?) or Dean Jones
Square leg - Andrew Symonds

Reckon Nathan Lyon is an exceptionally good point fielder, and Cam Green is in his infancy, but just looks so good in gully.

AB probably gets a run, and Hayden stiff.

I don't think Gilly was a great keeper, his batting made up for it though.

I'd take Rod Marsh as the best outright keeper I've seen under the baggy green.

[wenchbarwer]

Marsh, Healy and Gilchrist all had shaky starts to their careers but became fine glovemen. I'd probably rank them like this, with Heal's keeping to spin possibly putting him ahead.

[am Bays]

Marsh, Healy and Gilchrist all had shaky starts to their careers but became fine glovemen. I'd probably rank them like this, with Heal's keeping to spin possibly putting him ahead.

Agree but I rate Haddin better for glovework than Gilchrist

Healy Marsh Haddin Gilchrist for min with respect to glovework

Gilchrist worked bloody hard to make himself into a good gloveman, first on last off the track mentality.

[wenchbarwer]

Marsh, Healy and Gilchrist all had shaky starts to their careers but became fine glovemen. I'd probably rank them like this, with Heal's keeping to spin possibly putting him ahead.

Agree but I rate Haddin better for glovework than Gilchrist

Healy Marsh Haddin Gilchrist for min with respect to glovework

Gilchrist worked bloody hard to make himself into a good gloveman, first on last off the track mentality.

Good call, but Gilly's athleticism was always a strength, he got to balls the others wouldn't. You see it with Carey now, too.

[Trader]

Healy was a cheat too, happy for him to miss out.

[wenchbarwer]

Healy was a cheat too, happy for him to miss out.

Brian Lara says hello. Was karma we lost that series.

Was also a dirty Queenslander

[Corona Man]

[quote="The Bedge"]Fielding team:

Wicket Keeper - Ian Healy? Adam Gilchrist?
1st Slip - Mark Taylor
2nd Slip - Mark Waugh
3rd Slip - Shane Warne
Gully - Cam Green
Point - Ricky Ponting
Cover - Michael Clarke
Mid off - Mike Hussey
Mid on - Glenn Maxwell (but would he ever qualify?) or Dean Jones
Square leg - Andrew Symonds

Reckon Nathan Lyon is an exceptionally good point fielder, and Cam Green is in his infancy, but just looks so good in gully.

Rowdy Mallet was a pretty decent gully fielder to back in the day.

[am Bays]

Healy was a cheat too, happy for him to miss out.

How what are you referring to?

[whufc]

Healy was a cheat too, happy for him to miss out.

How what are you referring to?

Guessing the stumping at the waca????

Took the bails off why the ball no where close to his gloves. Appealed, claimed the stumping.