Test Squad for South African Tour - predictions & discussion

[rod_rooster]

Doolan at 3 for me , Watson at 6 or not at all.

Doolan at 3 in his first test on South African Soil with Steyn, Morkel and Philander........?

What do you not like the bloke or something?

This is a time for the experienced guys to get out there and face some music and there will be music it will be loud and tough out there. If Doolan plays over marsh then in at 6.

Well it's Marsh or Doolan. I'd back any one of the Poms who embarrassed themselves on their tour of Aus to make a better fist of things than Marsh so Doolan it is. Is he a better option than several other blokes who should have been picked? No, but he sure as hell is a better option than Marsh. FFS, there will be blokes in the commentary box retired for 20 years who would be a better option than Marsh.

[tigerpie]

A few posters bagged the crap out of Steve Smith, and look how that turned out.
Marsh has a good technique against the quicks. Growing up on the bouncy decks has helped.
Not saying he deserves his spot but the guy can bat and at his best will score big runs. Another bloody left hander though!

[whufc]

A few posters bagged the crap out of Steve Smith, and look how that turned out.
Marsh has a good technique against the quicks. Growing up on the bouncy decks has helped.
Not saying he deserves his spot but the guy can bat and at his best will score big runs. Another bloody left hander though!

Difference there was while Smith was failing a test level he was going back to the shield and consistently averaging between 40-50 year after year

[stan]

Doolan at 3 for me , Watson at 6 or not at all.

Doolan at 3 in his first test on South African Soil with Steyn, Morkel and Philander........?

What do you not like the bloke or something?

This is a time for the experienced guys to get out there and face some music and there will be music it will be loud and tough out there. If Doolan plays over marsh then in at 6.

Well it's Marsh or Doolan. I'd back any one of the Poms who embarrassed themselves on their tour of Aus to make a better fist of things than Marsh so Doolan it is. Is he a better option than several other blokes who should have been picked? No, but he sure as hell is a better option than Marsh. FFS, there will be blokes in the commentary box retired for 20 years who would be a better option than Marsh.

Thats fine buy would you bat him at 3 against the Seth Efricans?

[shoe boy]

Great to see S Marsh is still in the selectors and Boofs plans.

[rod_rooster]

A few posters bagged the crap out of Steve Smith, and look how that turned out.
Marsh has a good technique against the quicks. Growing up on the bouncy decks has helped.
Not saying he deserves his spot but the guy can bat and at his best will score big runs. Another bloody left hander though!

Difference there was while Smith was failing a test level he was going back to the shield and consistently averaging between 40-50 year after year

And therein lies the difference. Also worth pointing out that Smith has been gradually improving and is still just 25 whilst if anything Marsh has been getting worse and is now 30. You would think that after over a decade of first class cricket failures that people might actually realise that Marsh is all style and no substance. Looking good doesn't put runs in the scorebook.

[rod_rooster]

Doolan at 3 for me , Watson at 6 or not at all.

Doolan at 3 in his first test on South African Soil with Steyn, Morkel and Philander........?

What do you not like the bloke or something?

This is a time for the experienced guys to get out there and face some music and there will be music it will be loud and tough out there. If Doolan plays over marsh then in at 6.

Well it's Marsh or Doolan. I'd back any one of the Poms who embarrassed themselves on their tour of Aus to make a better fist of things than Marsh so Doolan it is. Is he a better option than several other blokes who should have been picked? No, but he sure as hell is a better option than Marsh. FFS, there will be blokes in the commentary box retired for 20 years who would be a better option than Marsh.

Thats fine buy would you bat him at 3 against the Seth Efricans?

No i wouldn't but i also wouldn't pick either of them on the tour in the first place. I wouldn't pick Marsh for WA let alone Australia.

[rod_rooster]

Not saying he deserves his spot but the guy can bat and at his best will score big runs.

If this is true then why has he not ever done so in over a decade of first class cricket? He's not a young bloke they are picking on a hunch (Michael Clarke springs to mind), this is a guy who has had chance after chance after chance and failed every single time. When he's gone back to domestic cricket he has failed over and over again.

[shoe boy]

Not realy chance after chance after chance?? 7 test matches at av 27 almost as good as Watson?

[heater31]

Not realy chance after chance after chance?? 7 test matches at av 27 almost as good as Watson?

Ave of 25 at First Class level since his last test match is hardly a case for a recall either.....

Sam Raphael can't get a gig for the Redbacks with an average of 20 but by the looks of it he is not far off a gig with the national team

[Panther Pack]

Based on the squad announced for the tour I think we can expect to see Watson bat at 6 and increase his bowling overs, I prefer him at 6.

Be interesting to see who they pick to bat at 3 my thoughts were Doolan was next in line but the surprise selection of Marsh might have him batting there.

Our bowling stocks are world class.

[bennymacca]

Based on the squad announced for the tour I think we can expect to see Watson bat at 6 and increase his bowling overs, I prefer him at 6.

Be interesting to see who they pick to bat at 3 my thoughts were Doolan was next in line but the surprise selection of Marsh might have him batting there.

Our bowling stocks are world class.

watson is clearly better at number 6 - his clean ball striking means his 80s at a run a ball become match winning, rather than being something that is seen as a failure because he didnt go on with it.

his problem is with world class spin bowling, especially at the start of his innings, he seems to have fixed his lbw problems at least to a point where it is not a glaring issue.

so coming in at 6 vs india in india he was struggling. but in south africa where there is no swing anymore and he can just hit through the line, he will be fine, especially if he comes in at 4/250 and has a platform to just go bang

[rod_rooster]

Not realy chance after chance after chance?? 7 test matches at av 27 almost as good as Watson?

If averaging 27 is almost as good as averaging 36 then sure. Watson also bowls and on top of this he has succeeded at first class level to earn his chance at Test cricket. Much like Smith, Watson might not be the most popular of selections at times but at least they have a record in first class cricket to give some sort of indication as to why they get picked. Marsh simply does not.

[tigerpie]

Not saying he deserves his spot but the guy can bat and at his best will score big runs.

If this is true then why has he not ever done so in over a decade of first class cricket? He's not a young bloke they are picking on a hunch (Michael Clarke springs to mind), this is a guy who has had chance after chance after chance and failed every single time. When he's gone back to domestic cricket he has failed over and over again.

I think the selectors believe he has the technique to bat well against quick hostile bowling?

[Squids]

[mal]

Everyone can say what they like about guys like:
DOOLAN
BAILEY
S MARSH
Truth of the matter is they are being picked because there is no one else
The depth of class batsman at present is perhaps the worst I've ever seen

This is the decade of batsmen who have been selected

2010
SMITH

2011
KHAWAJA
MARSH
WARNER
COWAN

2012
HENRIQUES
MAXWELL
BAILEY
QUINEY

None of them have consistently excelled as YET
Warner and Smith have nailed their spots at present, but for how long ?
Would any of them have made the teams in Steve Waugh's reign ?

Just b4 this crop in 2008/2009 was
ROGERS
WHITE
MCDONALD
HUGHES
NORTH

So Australia is having recent recurring problems regenerating Test standard batsmen
That's why so many guys like Bailey and Marsh are getting selected
Will any of the above players from 2008-2013 end up with a Test average of 40 +

Would you pick this 22 year old batsman ?
11 matches
22 innings
844 runs
38.36 average

Has made 4 tons , including one in a SS final facing Ryan Harris
The 38.46 may not impress enough people
But 4 tons in 22 dogs should
Mr Jordan Silk

[westcoastpanther]

Ferguson, CJ West End Redbacks 3 289 110 56.78 72.25 1 1

Been in magnificent touch since coming back from India and missed the first few games. His cover driving under pressure to guide us home in the last game when we lost early wickets a pleasure to watch. Perfect number 6.

[whufc]

Ferguson, CJ West End Redbacks 3 289 110 56.78 72.25 1 1

Been in magnificent touch since coming back from India and missed the first few games. His cover driving under pressure to guide us home in the last game when we lost early wickets a pleasure to watch. Perfect number 6.

Agree he is finally starting to put the runs on the board, while I would like to see him string a few good season together before being selected the facts are there are hardly any batsmen stringing consecutive seasons together.

Would have been a better choice then marsh

[tigerpie]

Could it be that our fast bowling stocks are at an alltime high?

[whufc]

Could it be that our fast bowling stocks are at an alltime high?

I don't think the top end talent is at an all time high, the combination of McGrath, Gillespie, Lee and Thommo/Lillee is stronger than what we have currently but I reckon one could argue depth wise we are.

It's hard to know though as we never really know how good the likes of Kasporwichz, Bichel etc could have been because they couldn't stay in the side long enough.