Test Squad for South African Tour - predictions & discussion

[bennymacca]

Think its 3 tests in 3 weeks with only a couple of days between first and second so Harris may not get through series

yeah guessing thats why they are taking both bird and pattinson as backups

Some more stats:

Marsh since Test axing in Jan 2012: 675 first-class runs at 25.
Hughes since Test axing in Jul 2013: 671 first-class runs at 61.

also agree that hughes and north should have been given a chance, especially hughes. give him 1 more season at his current form and he will be back in for sure.

its possible that they are waiting for rogers to retire to bring back hughes at the top of the order. that wouldnt be a bad move.

[Squids]

As a Redbacks fan I am very happy that Hughes has not been selected


Still seems however one day form is being used to pick the test team ffs. Bailey averaged something like 20 last season and failed dismally, the same thing will happen with Marsh. Oh I didn't see Doolan there, I think they might give him a go first, he seemed to be next in line in the recent Ashes. Would be great to have some 4 day form to judge people on........CA got very lucky Australia did well in the Ashes, if they didn't we could be in rabble mode at the moment.

[heater31]

As a Redbacks fan I am very happy that Hughes has not been selected


Still seems however one day form is being used to pick the test team ffs. Bailey averaged something like 20 last season and failed dismally, the same thing will happen with Marsh. Oh I didn't see Doolan there, I think they might give him a go first, he seemed to be next in line in the recent Ashes. Would be great to have some 4 day form to judge people on........CA got very lucky Australia did well in the Ashes, if they didn't we could be in rabble mode at the moment.

Redbacks chances of a shield final dramatically increase (home or away) with Phil left at home now....

[bennymacca]

yep, i think we have a team that can win the shield with him in it. for the first time in years our batting lineup looks good all the way down. if ludeman could become more consistent it would be even better (we have seen how cleanly he strikes it in the T20)

[Footy Smart]

yep, i think we have a team that can win the shield with him in it. for the first time in years our batting lineup looks good all the way down. if ludeman could become more consistent it would be even better (we have seen how cleanly he strikes it in the T20)

Lets not forget McDonald hasnt played, not sure when he is back?

[Booney]

yep, i think we have a team that can win the shield with him in it. for the first time in years our batting lineup looks good all the way down. if ludeman could become more consistent it would be even better (we have seen how cleanly he strikes it in the T20)

Lets not forget McDonald hasnt played, not sure when he is back?

I doubt McDonald will play at all. His hamstring was very bad and the last I heard he was hoping to be running at full pace by the end of January. So, if lucky, he might get a few district / Second X1 games before the final Shield round. Hardly time to impress with form....

[drifter]

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

[bennymacca]

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

I like Watson in the side providing he can bowl. Puts way less pressure on Harris and Johnson

[the joker]

Marsh is extremely lucky that the selectors love him. 12 months ago he couldn't get a game for WA. He has scored one century since September 2011 and only averaging 31 this year.
Hughes almost beat Shaun's season tally in one innings.

[Squids]

Here are some players averaging more than Marsh in the shield this season

North, Pomersbach, Ferguson, Voges, Carters, Hughes, Lynn, Forrest, Whiteman, Cooper, Burns, White, Hartley, Neville, Quiney, Head, Cowan, Dunk

[the joker]

I know it wouldn't have happened but I would've loved to seen head in the squad. Just as a back up. But if he has a good finish to the season and backs it up next year. He will be on the plane for the 2015 ashes

[rod_rooster]

Here are some players averaging more than Marsh in the shield this season

North, Pomersbach, Ferguson, Voges, Carters, Hughes, Lynn, Forrest, Whiteman, Cooper, Burns, White, Hartley, Neville, Quiney, Head, Cowan, Dunk

Interesting that one of those in that list is a guy who despite being possibly the best pure keeper in the country, isn't considered to be good enough with the bat to be a chance of the keepers spot in the Test side (albeit Haddin has it stitched up for the time being). All whilst racking up better numbers than a bloke who just fails year after year to translate the hype into runs against the red ball.

I'd really like to hear the reasoning behind the Marsh selection. In the past when players were dropped they had to go back to first class cricket and make a mountain of runs to even get spoken of again. Seems that no longer applies.

[rod_rooster]

Here's some more numbers to sum up how farcical this selection is from this article:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2013-14/content/story/711411.html

"Apart from those players in the Test team this summer, 11 other Australian batsmen have made more first-class runs in 2013-14 than Marsh has compiled in the past two seasons combined. In ascending order, they are Adam Voges, Rob Quiney, Ben Dunk, Travis Head, Ed Cowan, Tom Cooper, Phillip Hughes, Cameron White, Ryan Carters, Chris Lynn and Marcus North."

[Squids]

BRING IN VOGES FFS

[Jim05]

BRING IN VOGES FFS

Whoever goes will only be chief cordial mixer by the sounds of it.
The more I hear the selectors talk I get the feeling Doolan will play at 3 with Watto at 6 and Marsh an emergency

[Squids]

Doolans last 8 shield innings


9, 75, 30, 17, 0, 19, 41, 12

YUCK

[Squids]

Voges last 7 innings


59, 11, 12, 235*, 69, 38, 9

[mal]

Here are some players averaging more than Marsh in the shield this season

North, Pomersbach, Ferguson, Voges, Carters, Hughes, Lynn, Forrest, Whiteman, Cooper, Burns, White, Hartley, Neville, Quiney, Head, Cowan, Dunk

Interesting that one of those in that list is a guy who despite being possibly the best pure keeper in the country, isn't considered to be good enough with the bat to be a chance of the keepers spot in the Test side (albeit Haddin has it stitched up for the time being). All whilst racking up better numbers than a bloke who just fails year after year to translate the hype into runs against the red ball.

I'd really like to hear the reasoning behind the Marsh selection. In the past when players were dropped they had to go back to first class cricket and make a mountain of runs to even get spoken of again. Seems that no longer applies.

You have rightly been telling us for years that Marsh is not up to it at Test level
You have convinced enough of us over the years, but not the selectors mate

Yes he is batting well currently in the ODIs v England
The reason why he succeeds in ODIs is the friendly bowlers he faces from about the 15-20 over mark
He faces guys like Bopara , Root, Tredwell
Facing those yummy bowlers is not a recommendation
Marsh is a lovely player of friendly bowlers
He faces them with no slips most of the time , and picks them off scoring easy runs via singles

Imagine Marsh batting 3 again in South Africa
3 -4 slips,1-2 gullys and facing Steyn Philander and Morkel
Those guys wont give him too many cheap runs , and on what I've seen all 3 will dismiss him for too many low scores

[whufc]

I view Marsh how alot of people view Ferguson i think.

Everytime i see him bat i think geez this guy has the perfect technique and range of shots to make it a test level, when day he will be a quality test bat.

BUT

He just hasnt put the runs on the board to warrant selection. As others have sad nothing has been learnt from the Bailey experience which is my biggest critism of this decision.

While we have the ultimate success there have been a couple of baffling decisions since Boof took over, the Agar selction and now this one.

[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.