The Ashes 2017/2018

[whufc]

Anyone else got Optus Sport pack?

I've got it with our Fetch box, currently looping highlights of Ashes series through the late 80's at the moment.

Excellent viewing. Junior Boon is infatuated with Gladstone Small.

Thanks Boon

Onto it now

If only for the tones of Maxy Walker

[whufc]

Lol a one dayers in the 80's Botham hits a 6 straight down the ground

Channel 9 camera man takes the catch............... caught in the mouth, throws the ball back, sits down and blows the smoke out his nose lol

[stan]

Back to the Ashes and England had there first hit out against a WA XI and at times may have been a bit scrappy but thats what the warm up games are for.

There bowling will be led by Anderson and Broad as per normal viewing but the makeup of the rest looks interesting. I reckon Woakes will be included in the first test side with Woakes being ruled out. Maybe even Jake Ball.

Hard to tell at the moment.

[The Bedge]

I reckon Woakes will be included in the first test side with Woakes being ruled out..

Say what?

[stan]

I reckon Woakes will be included in the first test side with Woakes being ruled out..

Say what?

Sorry about that with Finn being rules out.

[The Dark Knight]

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/josh-haz ... 2017-11-09

[The Bedge]

Test Bowlers in SS this season:

Starc - 17/216
Bird - 10/228
Hazlewood - 6/73
Cummins 6/176
Lyon - 5/121

Others:

Neser - 12/162
Boland - 12/213
Tremain - 12/245
Sayers - 10/205

[Bandit]

If Jake Lehmann made the Aus side on the back of a couple of good innings (even if he hits 2 more centuries next shield game) then Boof mayaswell leave the game all together knowing how far it has fallen since he had to score 1000's of runs over so many years to get his chance. What a media beat-off.

Last years Nick Maddinson experiment was a farce, Shaun Marsh has had his chances and not suited to No6 role. Im sure they will pick Maxwell and he will have one or two good innings against poms here in Aus, never to be seen when it counts. For me, it should be Ferg at No6 - shouldn't have been dropped after his 1 test and deserves another shot - even though he went to shit in the shield after being dropped last year. Who knows what the criteria for getting into the team is after last year but if he bats well against WA next week I'd pick him.

[The Bedge]

Test "probable" bats in SS:

Khawaja - 217 @ 72.33, 1x 100 (2nd leading RS so far)
Smith - 215 @ 53.75, 1x 50, 1x 100 (3rd leading RS so far)
Maxwell - 151 @ 37.75, 2x 50
Handscomb - 144 @ 36.00, 1x 50
Warner - 125 @ 31.25, 1x 50
Renshaw - 53 @ 13.25

Others:

Ferguson - 222 @ 74, 1x 100 (182 in one knock)
Lehmann - 212 @ 53.00, 1x 50x 1x 100
Bancroft - 197 @ 65.66, 2x 50

[The Bedge]

If Jake Lehmann made the Aus side on the back of a couple of good innings (even if he hits 2 more centuries next shield game).

Sorry, not sure I agree with that statement (completely).. Lehmann has hit over 2000 first class runs already at an average of 44 and has 5x 100's and 7x 50's - he's hardly only had a couple of good innings.

Sheffield Shield Record:
2017/18 - 212 runs @ 53.00, 1x 50, 1x 100
2016/17 - 692 runs @ 40.71, 4x 50, 1x 100
2015/16 - 623 runs @ 44.50, 0x 50, 3x 100
2014/15 - 145 runs @ 36.25, 2x 50, 0x 100

He's been one of our more consistent middle order bats since coming into the side.

I do agree it's horrible to see players of yester-year spend year after year churning out thousands in Shield cricket before getting a crack - if at all - but the times have changed, and Lehmann has as much claim as anyone.

[The Bedge]

Wicket Keeper battle

Bancroft - 197 runs @ 65.66, 3x catches
Carey - 72 runs @ 18.00, 5x catches
Neville - 63 runs @ 31.50, 7x catches
Wade - 33 runs @ 8.25, 5x catches
Harper - 28 runs @ 7.00, 10x catches, 1x stumping
Inglis - 5x catches

Not sure they can have Bancroft in as a top order batsman AND keeper though, too much workload.

Carey hasn't converted starts this season so far, and Neville appears to be on the outer slightly. Harper is a clean gloveman but very young and has work to do, few years off - same with Inglis.

Gut feel is they may go for Wade once more, despite being the poorer option around.

[bennymacca]

Junior boof is a better bat than ferg imo. Would much rather they give him a go.

Having said that Ed Cowan has every right to be pissed. Especially after the successful Voges experiment a few years ago proving an old guy can come in and still contribute. And Cowan already had test experience too.

Cowan at 3 and khawaja at 6 suddenly looks very solid. Won’t happen though

[The Bedge]

Cowan's days are over unfortunately.

Half the side picks itself, the rest is picking gaps..

1. Matt Renshaw - he's on the outer at the moment given his slow scoring nature and temperament but with no other stand out openers around at the moment, he'll get first crack at the Ashes
2. David Warner
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith (C)
5. Peter Handscomb - hasn't set the world alight so far in the SS, but he's already in the system, already produced results and averages 53.07
6. Glen Maxwell
7. Matthew Wade - worst keeper in the land, but always comes back to "can be destructive with bat" and can sledge, will probably get another free ride.
8. Mitch Starc
9. Pat Cummins
10. Josh Hazlewood
11. Nathan Lyon

[bennymacca]

Can’t understand what renshaw has done wrong. 21 years old and his average of 36 in tests is pretty respectable.

Who cares if he doesn’t score quickly. He is exactly what we need at the top of the order. I think we actually need 1 more of him to bat at 3

[The Bedge]

Can’t understand what renshaw has done wrong. 21 years old and his average of 36 in tests is pretty respectable.

Who cares if he doesn’t score quickly. He is exactly what we need at the top of the order. I think we actually need 1 more of him to bat at 3

To me, you and other cricket lovers he's done nothing wrong - he bats time which is valuable.

To CA he lacks the "excitement factor", he's not a draw card, he isn't gonna sell tickets, he doesn't put bums on seats.

CA / AFL = same / same = just care more about $$

CA: "Pick Renshaw who will bat the hour for a scratchy 20-30, or pick some exciting young swashbuckling hack who will score a rapid 20-30 in half an hour? Fans love seeing aggressive batting and boundaries, lets pick the young hack"

[bennymacca]

He puts bums on seats if it means the test goes into a 5th day instead of us being rolled in 4!!!

[bennymacca]

To quote the grade cricketer, he doesn’t have good levers, probably had shit chat and isn’t a rig based selection

[Tony Clifton]

Can’t understand what renshaw has done wrong. 21 years old and his average of 36 in tests is pretty respectable.

Who cares if he doesn’t score quickly. He is exactly what we need at the top of the order. I think we actually need 1 more of him to bat at 3

To me, you and other cricket lovers he's done nothing wrong - he bats time which is valuable.

To CA he lacks the "excitement factor", he's not a draw card, he isn't gonna sell tickets, he doesn't put bums on seats.

CA / AFL = same / same = just care more about $$

CA: "Pick Renshaw who will bat the hour for a scratchy 20-30, or pick some exciting young swashbuckling hack who will score a rapid 20-30 in half an hour? Fans love seeing aggressive batting and boundaries, lets pick the young hack"

Who picked him in the first place?

[Tony Clifton]

If Jake Lehmann made the Aus side on the back of a couple of good innings (even if he hits 2 more centuries next shield game) then Boof mayaswell leave the game all together knowing how far it has fallen since he had to score 1000's of runs over so many years to get his chance. What a media beat-off.

Last years Nick Maddinson experiment was a farce, Shaun Marsh has had his chances and not suited to No6 role. Im sure they will pick Maxwell and he will have one or two good innings against poms here in Aus, never to be seen when it counts. For me, it should be Ferg at No6 - shouldn't have been dropped after his 1 test and deserves another shot - even though he went to shit in the shield after being dropped last year. Who knows what the criteria for getting into the team is after last year but if he bats well against WA next week I'd pick him.

We're not going to play with 10 in a test match just because no one averages 50 in Shield cricket

[The Bedge]

Who picked him in the first place?

They couldn't "not" pick him.. from memory he had reeled off a couple of big centuries the season before against NSW and SA then started the SS season where CA openly said best performers will be in the frame, with a hundred and a 50 against SA.

CA had stated spots were open for the taking heading into that first round, and him and Handscomb were the clear standouts..

Should add he hit 94 for Aus A vs South Africa before the start of the season, so he was well and truly at the forefront of selectors minds.

*Note* - not saying I agree that Renshaw should be out either, I like him, just how I reckon CA view him.