Australian Domestic Cricket 2025-26 - 2 x titles to defend!

[Armchair expert]

7/265

Doggett with 4 and McSweeney with 3

[UK Fan]

WA 8/281

Doggett has 5

[Armchair expert]

Doggett with 6

WA 307
SA 215

WA lead by 92

Would need a miracle to avoid another defeat.

[am Bays]

Konstas’ brain isn’t fried or muddled he’s two years into a first class career and everyone has worked out that he is susceptible to the ball coming back of the seam or angled in at the stumps.

I mean FFS we think he’s the replacement for Warner. At this age Warner was getting kicked out of the cricket academy and was five years away from his test debut

He needs time to learn his game plan of how to be successful at 1st class level let alone at test cricket.

Boon and I were pointing this out last year while some posters on here were “pulling the ears of it” every time he did a ramp or charged Bumrah. Bumrah sorted him out in the 2nd innings of his debut test with a pitched up off cutter and everyone else has been using that tactic since then

Konstas will learn and develop into a good test cricketer but it will be in 3-4 years

You can maybe pick and stick with middle order batters but there’s no place to hide when your facing the first rock and your game isn’t fully developed.

[jackpot jim]

Konstas’ brain isn’t fried or muddled he’s two years into a first class career and everyone has worked out that he is susceptible to the ball coming back of the seam or angled in at the stumps.

I mean FFS we think he’s the replacement for Warner. At this age Warner was getting kicked out of the cricket academy and was five years away from his test debut

He needs time to learn his game plan of how to be successful at 1st class level let alone at test cricket.

Boon and I were pointing this out last year while some posters on here were “pulling the ears of it” every time he did a ramp or charged Bumrah. Bumrah sorted him out in the 2nd innings of his debut test with a pitched up off cutter and everyone else has been using that tactic since then

Konstas will learn and develop into a good test cricketer but it will be in 3-4 years

You can maybe pick and stick with middle order batters but there’s no place to hide when your facing the first rock and your game isn’t fully developed.

Fair points you make so why in the F**K did the selectors pick him ?
Just mystifying.
Cheapens the value of a Test Cap
Selectors should be sacked
Disgrace

BTW What makes you think he'll develop into a good Test cricketer? Like what signs is he showing that he will? You could basically say that about any young cricketer in Shield Cricket but many dont make it.

[jackpot jim]

Doggett with 6

WA 307
SA 215

WA lead by 92

Would need a miracle to avoid another defeat.

Fantastic fight back by the SACAs after being down and out after day 1.
Just need to back up todays effort with the ball tomorrow with the bat and they'll give themselves a chance.
WA still heavy faves but not as heavy as 24 hours ago.

[RB]

Fair points you make so why in the F**K did the selectors pick him ?
Just mystifying.
Cheapens the value of a Test Cap

Wait until you hear about Connolly...

[Brodlach]

Doggett with 6

WA 307
SA 215

WA lead by 92

Would need a miracle to avoid another defeat.

Fantastic fight back by the SACAs after being down and out after day 1.
Just need to back up todays effort with the ball tomorrow with the bat and they'll give themselves a chance.
WA still heavy faves but not as heavy as 24 hours ago.

OI, that’s way too positive for in here.

[am Bays]

Fair points you make so why in the F**K did the selectors pick him ?
Just mystifying.
Cheapens the value of a Test Cap
Selectors should be sacked
Disgrace

BTW What makes you think he'll develop into a good Test cricketer? Like what signs is he showing that he will? You could basically say that about any young cricketer in Shield Cricket but many dont make it.

To paraphrase John Couger Mellancamp, "Blind face in Jesus. you know that [he] just might..."

The reality was that he got picked because unlike 20-30 years ago there was noone outside the test side banging down the doors with runs to say pick me to open so when in doubt go with youth and talent and see how they go

TBH I dont really know other than he obviously has talent, the fact that other better judges than I have deemed that he does (like Greg Chappell), it's easier to learn to defend rather than attack and the fact theres others like Smith, S Marsh, Khawaja, Martyn, Langer and others who ahve been picked early gone away and learnt their games and then come pack to have good test careers.

In time his test cap wont be as cheap as Wayne Phillips's (the sh!t Victorian one), Simon Cook's and Matthew (get this F***ing C*** off) Nicholson's*

*Ian Healy in a tour game at Bulawayo - it could be heard in Harare (Salisbury for the old Rhodesians on here) according to those that were there.

[whufc]

Konstas’ brain isn’t fried or muddled he’s two years into a first class career and everyone has worked out that he is susceptible to the ball coming back of the seam or angled in at the stumps.

I mean FFS we think he’s the replacement for Warner. At this age Warner was getting kicked out of the cricket academy and was five years away from his test debut

He needs time to learn his game plan of how to be successful at 1st class level let alone at test cricket.

Boon and I were pointing this out last year while some posters on here were “pulling the ears of it” every time he did a ramp or charged Bumrah. Bumrah sorted him out in the 2nd innings of his debut test with a pitched up off cutter and everyone else has been using that tactic since then

Konstas will learn and develop into a good test cricketer but it will be in 3-4 years

You can maybe pick and stick with middle order batters but there’s no place to hide when your facing the first rock and your game isn’t fully developed.

Fair points you make so why in the F**K did the selectors pick him ?
Just mystifying.
Cheapens the value of a Test Cap
Selectors should be sacked
Disgrace

BTW What makes you think he'll develop into a good Test cricketer? Like what signs is he showing that he will? You could basically say that about any young cricketer in Shield Cricket but many dont make it.

Selectors were right in picking him and ultimately he was a success. They wanted someone who could come in and put Bumrah off his lines, someone who could play unorthodox and take the game on.

He did that and what was a low scoring series played a couple of real crucial innings, it was also no surprise thats Khawajas performance improved once he had someone attacking alongside him versus when he started the series with McSweeney.

Issue being its like he was almost told after that series that ramps are bad, no more throwing your wicket away, no more risk, play orthodox cricket shots.

No surprise his best innings this shield season was when he went back to playing unorthodox against Victoria and started ramping Boland.

Obviously, there is a balance there to be had, no one is denying that but at the moment he doesn't have a clue what that balance is. Ultimately his balance is always going to lean towards being more aggressive and taking the game on which will always see some awful dismissals. Opposite end to that is McSweeneys whose game is always going to be built around a solid foundation, he somehow needs to find and be confident enough to have/use some weapons to take the bowlers on at certain points in an innings but ultimately he will always be a defence first guy.

[am Bays]

If he was a success he wouldn't have been dropped.

In his "best game" He got a globe to a pitched up off cutter from Boland in the first dig (what Bumrah exposed in his first test), then got out playing a shite shot to the spinner like he did in his first innings.

He has the talent he needs to learn his game and develop his batting plan that get runs consistently

50s in 1st class cricket are like dogs that chase parked cars, they not long for this world (as Lee Trevino said about golfers who play for pars)

[Booney]

Selectors were right in picking him and ultimately he was a success.

Sorry mate, this is bollocks. He wasn't a success, he smacked that 60 in Melbourne then he's been dropped, twice.

He didn't get a look in in Sri Lanka, didn't get past 25 in the West Indies then was left out of the Test Championship final with the selectors going with Labuschagne to open ahead of him.

The selectors picked him because we've seen it time and time again where they've failed several players around the country by giving them a go then dropping them.

[Lightning McQueen]

Selectors were right in picking him and ultimately he was a success.

Sorry mate, this is bollocks. He wasn't a success, he smacked that 60 in Melbourne then he's been dropped, twice.

He didn't get a look in in Sri Lanka, didn't get past 25 in the West Indies then was left out of the Test Championship final with the selectors going with Labuschagne to open ahead of him.

The selectors picked him because we've seen it time and time again where they've failed several players around the country by giving them a go then dropping them.

Have to agree slightly with whuffer here, I think his innings was a large contributing factor to us winning that test.

He was a flash in the pan thing though, everyone at my Boxing day luncheon was talking about that innings, even those that don't generally watch or follow cricket. Overnight success but the style is/was unsustainable.

And FWIW, I don't think he'll play test cricket again.

[RB]

Selectors were right in picking him and ultimately he was a success.

Sorry mate, this is bollocks. He wasn't a success, he smacked that 60 in Melbourne then he's been dropped, twice.

I think he's at least a pass mark - in fact I'll say a success - for the India tests. The Melbourne knock, and then his two 20-odds in Sydney when others were failing were actually quite important in a low-scoring match, being only his second test.

Definitely failed since then though. Perhaps the Redbacks can play him into form...

[pmackk]

SA just need to in dig in here and bat all day.

[UK Fan]

SA 1/79 at lunch

13 behind

Hunt 37*
Mcsweeney 21*

[UK Fan]

Selectors were right in picking him and ultimately he was a success.

Sorry mate, this is bollocks. He wasn't a success, he smacked that 60 in Melbourne then he's been dropped, twice.

He didn't get a look in in Sri Lanka, didn't get past 25 in the West Indies then was left out of the Test Championship final with the selectors going with Labuschagne to open ahead of him.

The selectors picked him because we've seen it time and time again where they've failed several players around the country by giving them a go then dropping them.

Selectors got it right to replace MCsweeney with Konstas IMHO. THey needed someone who could take on Bumrah like Warner would.

He was dropped for Sri lanka the World cup final was after that

He was brought back in for West Indies series where he struggled but everyone struggled with the bat tbf.

The kid has just turned 20 this month.

[wenchbarwer]

Konstas averages 31.45 in FC cricket, and 16.30 in tests. Remove that streaky first innings and he's averaged 11.44 since. He's made 3 100's in 44 FC innings.

He shouldn't be anywhere near the test team until he's proven he can back up his ability with a decent technique.

[mal]

Fair points you make so why in the F**K did the selectors pick him ?
Just mystifying.
Cheapens the value of a Test Cap
Selectors should be sacked
Disgrace

BTW What makes you think he'll develop into a good Test cricketer? Like what signs is he showing that he will? You could basically say that about any young cricketer in Shield Cricket but many dont make it.

To paraphrase John Couger Mellancamp, "Blind face in Jesus. you know that [he] just might..."

The reality was that he got picked because unlike 20-30 years ago there was noone outside the test side banging down the doors with runs to say pick me to open so when in doubt go with youth and talent and see how they go

TBH I dont really know other than he obviously has talent, the fact that other better judges than I have deemed that he does (like Greg Chappell), it's easier to learn to defend rather than attack and the fact theres others like Smith, S Marsh, Khawaja, Martyn, Langer and others who ahve been picked early gone away and learnt their games and then come pack to have good test careers.

In time his test cap wont be as cheap as Wayne Phillips's (the sh!t Victorian one), Simon Cook's and Matthew (get this F***ing C*** off) Nicholson's*

*Ian Healy in a tour game at Bulawayo - it could be heard in Harare (Salisbury for the old Rhodesians on here) according to those that were there.

I do respect you knowledge for cricket, and actually a fan of your insights
But you have no right to belittle Phillips, Cook and Nicholson who didnt measure up but were selected based on SS form at the time
Your too good a poster to resort to insulting cricketers
All those 3 players were better cricketers than me or you, I at least respect anyone who has made it into Test cricket , I wish i was that good

[UK Fan]

SA 1/138

lead by 46

Hunt 60*
Mcsweeney 57*

100 run partnership

game was held up due to a swarm of bees