Australian International Summer 2024/25

[whufc]

Can we get some love for Kurtis Patterson though - feel like he's a hard luck story.. 527 @ 105 this year.. 2x innings at Test level for 144 runs - never seen again.

Feel like apart from last year, he's been making consistent runs for a long time.

I can't believe he's coming up 32, he's the 2nd unluckiest Australian cricketer of my time.

Who's top?

Brad Hodge would probably be mine.

Jamie Siddons IMO, Hodge warrants consideration though, was his axing attitudinal? He made way for Martyn for memory the first time he was dropped IIRC?

I remember Punter copping backlash for batting too long and allowing him to get a double hundred that probably cost us the win.

I work with Siddons wife

Met him on a few occasions. Great bloke! Never had the guts to ask him about how he feels never playing for Australia even when we’ve had a few beers

[The Bedge]

Never had the guts to ask him about how he feels never playing for Australia even when we’ve had a few beers

Soft cock

[whufc]

Bichel was 12th man all the time.

Bevan, like Symonds, awesome white ball but never turned them into true red ball numbers.

Dave Hussey was unlucky at the level down, he plundered runs in most comps but had trouble even holding his spot in Victoria, I think that was to do with being outspoken.

Bit harsh on Symonds. Did average 40 at test level.

[The Dark Knight]

I don’t understand the love for Kuhnemann

Not that I love him.. but Left arm OS as opposed to Lyon RAOS.

No real decent leg spinners getting around (Swepson maybe?)

Rocchiccioli and Murphy are both RAOS so are outsiders until Lyon steps aside.

It's because of what he did in India in 2023 @Brodlach and has been the best left arm spin option Australia has had of late. If selected Australia will probably want him to emulate what Prabath Jayasuria has done for Sri Lanka in Galle. He has the most wickets amongst spinners for the current Shield season followed by Swepson.

Swepson played in Sri Lanka in 2022 and played for Aus A against NZ A in 2023 but not recently against India A as Murphy and Rocchiccioli were preferred.

[Lightning McQueen]

There's a fair list, Hodge and Lehmann ( 27 Tests most ever Shield runs ) would be right at the top, but :

Di Venuto never played a Test, Cox averaged 50 in 8 consecutive Shield seasons ( over 1300 in one season! ) and never got a baggy green, Martin Love only played 5 Tests, Bichel played 19 Tests behind McGrath, Gillespie and Lee, he charged in all day with over 400 Shield wickets.

Siddons, Elliott, Maher...they deserve a mention.

Michael Bevan could never replicate ODI or SS form with his opportunities in tests.

Martin Love was terribly unlucky not to play more, same with Stuart Law.

Bichel was the perennial 12th man for Australia wasn't he? Or was that Kasprowicz? I can't remember haha! Both talented bowlers.

Ah cricket.. aint what it used to be

Bevan didn't like the short ball, he was safe from that in ODI's.

Kaspa was permanent 12th.

[The Dark Knight]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bgt- ... ng-1468231
The SCG pitch has been rated Satisfactory.

[jackpot jim]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bgt-aus-vs-ind-5th-test-scg-pitch-for-final-australia-vs-india-test-earns-satisfactory-rating-1468231
The SCG pitch has been rated Satisfactory.

Everyone will have a different view i know but for the 5 venues over the series to have 4 V Good ratings (The HIGHEST RATING POSSIBLE) and 1 Satisfactory rating (2nd HIGHEST Rating possible) is a JOKE imo and shows the Pitch rating system is pointless. 4 possible ratings is too few.
It's like giving 4 options to rate the weather Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold. So if you had a 25c Day how would you describe it given the options? Warm or Cool when its neither?
When assessing the SCG pitch they probably had 2 options, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory as you couldnt possibly say it was V Good or Unfit.
I cant see how a pitch can be rated satisfactory when the match was over in 2 1/2 days , spin bowlers were non existent for a reason and batters become target practice for the bowlers encouraged by the variable bounce and movement throughout the match.
They'd probably get as much criticism if they rated it Unsatisfactory. Why wouldn't they have at least 5 ratings that included Average or Fair that indicates its not that great but not that good . Whilst Cummins somewhat endorsed the pitch i wander what response if they asked a batting captain like Smith? Cant help to think the response would've been different.
I'm all for pitches not being roads but when you have 3 out of 5 Tests barely go 3 days i think the Curators are getting far too much credit.
We all have no problem in criticizing pitches overseas when Aust get beaten inside 3 days but seemingly when Aust win at Home inside 3 days theres nothing wrong with the pitch.
End of the day the pitch ratings are a waste of time because the ICC are too useless to make any decisions unless it's rubber stamped by India 1st

[spell_check]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bgt-aus-vs-ind-5th-test-scg-pitch-for-final-australia-vs-india-test-earns-satisfactory-rating-1468231
The SCG pitch has been rated Satisfactory.

I'm all for pitches not being roads but when you have 3 out of 5 Tests barely go 3 days i think the Curators are getting far too much credit.
We all have no problem in criticizing pitches overseas when Aust get beaten inside 3 days but seemingly when Aust win at Home inside 3 days theres nothing wrong with the pitch.
End of the day the pitch ratings are a waste of time because the ICC are too useless to make any decisions unless it's rubber stamped by India 1st

I've long asked why can't we get a pitch which has a nice balance? They are moreso remembered than games which finish in half the time. Just look at the MCG test - that will be remembered more than anything else this series gone. Also Tests like the NZ ones a couple of years ago when they won on the last ball against Sri Lanka and beat England by one run after following on.

[The Dark Knight]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bgt- ... ng-1468231
The SCG pitch has been rated Satisfactory.

Everyone will have a different view i know but for the 5 venues over the series to have 4 V Good ratings (The HIGHEST RATING POSSIBLE) and 1 Satisfactory rating (2nd HIGHEST Rating possible) is a JOKE imo and shows the Pitch rating system is pointless. 4 possible ratings is too few.
It's like giving 4 options to rate the weather Hot, Warm, Cool, Cold. So if you had a 25c Day how would you describe it given the options? Warm or Cool when its neither?
When assessing the SCG pitch they probably had 2 options, Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory as you couldnt possibly say it was V Good or Unfit.
I cant see how a pitch can be rated satisfactory when the match was over in 2 1/2 days , spin bowlers were non existent for a reason and batters become target practice for the bowlers encouraged by the variable bounce and movement throughout the match.
They'd probably get as much criticism if they rated it Unsatisfactory. Why wouldn't they have at least 5 ratings that included Average or Fair that indicates its not that great but not that good . Whilst Cummins somewhat endorsed the pitch i wander what response if they asked a batting captain like Smith? Cant help to think the response would've been different.
I'm all for pitches not being roads but when you have 3 out of 5 Tests barely go 3 days i think the Curators are getting far too much credit.
We all have no problem in criticizing pitches overseas when Aust get beaten inside 3 days but seemingly when Aust win at Home inside 3 days theres nothing wrong with the pitch.
End of the day the pitch ratings are a waste of time because the ICC are too useless to make any decisions unless it's rubber stamped by India 1st

Smith did comment briefly about it and Khawaja called it stinker.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/indianexpr ... 2809/lite/

[Trader]

It’s been discussed in a couple of spots, but no real one location, so I thought I’d chuck it in here, especially since it will still be Jan/Feb when the matches are play.
My thoughts for the squad to tour Sri Lanka:

Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

Murphy the spare spinner
JRichardson the spare quick
Connelly and Handscombe the spare bats for mine.

(Assume Green, Hazlewood and Inglis are still injured, and Cummins ua)

That’s 15, and I can’t see them taking a big squad for a two test series, so that’s might be the extent of it. However if they do go wider, then Rocchiccioli obviously gets a mention, but I’d like to think one of the two below might be an option.

I do wonder if Nesser will get a look in, considering they will want extra batting on the Sri Lankan decks. And with Head and Webster both options with the ball, you could go 3 bowlers plus 3 alrounders. Plus getting Nesser back into things before the WTC game in England might not be the worst idea. I doubt he plays in that, but could be reasonable back up if we loose a couple of quicks. (Mind you I think the selectors have Abbott ahead of him).

The other I’d like to see is McSweeney getting another crack, especially if talk of Head going to the top of the order is likely. I don’t mind the thought of McSweeney at 5, but I think Cooper Connelly might be the one if there is a spot there.

Final thought, I’d still like to have Maxwell batting at 7 and Carey 8. But I accept that that’s probably a bridge too far.

[Brodlach]

Confirmed that Cooper Connolly will be named today.

[The Dark Knight]

It's thought to be a 16 man squad @Trader
Squad to be named at 12pm AEDT according to an Advertiser article.

Confirmed that Cooper Connolly will be named today.

Along with McSweeney, Murphy and Kuhnemann. Smith to captain.

[mal]

Confirmed that Cooper Connolly will be named today.

Well done to the selectors who have been reading my posts on CC
He has the gift of natural talent
For a lad that hits the ball so well, he seems to know when to or when not to attack
Heez no Pollock, Sobers, Lara, Head but when he times the ball he looks a lot like them
There is no brighter batting talent in this country than CC , unless sum of the under 19 lads excel

Regards
CC Rider

[whufc]

Yeah CC has a very bright future.

If a middle order position was to come up i would like McSweeney to get first crack given his treatment this series. Albeit i can't say I've deliberately watched how he and CC go about playing spin.

Campbell Kellaway is the other one with some serious talent.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Konstas, Connelly, Kellaway all in Australias top 6 in 5 years time.

[Brodlach]

Wouldn’t be surprised?


I think McSweeney will open this series again and Konstas may miss out

[The Bedge]

I think McSweeney will open this series again and Konstas may miss out

Can't see that happening

[whufc]

Wouldn’t be surprised?


I think McSweeney will open this series again and Konstas may miss out

I reckon Konstas will get first crack but will see a bit more subdued version, reading media reports and listening to Ronald Mc and a few of the players conferences it seems Konstas was definitely under the instruction to go out and bat the way he did especially against Bumrah.

[helicopterking]

Yeah CC has a very bright future.

If a middle order position was to come up i would like McSweeney to get first crack given his treatment this series. Albeit i can't say I've deliberately watched how he and CC go about playing spin.

Campbell Kellaway is the other one with some serious talent.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Konstas, Connelly, Kellaway all in Australias top 6 in 5 years time.

A Very good Opening Bat/Keeper coming through the Under 19 Aust side in Simon Budge. One to look out for on the coming years.

[mal]

Thers a couple of potential fast bowling stars in the U19S as well

[helicopterking]

Thers a couple of potential fast bowling stars in the U19S as well

Oliver Patterson is one. Quick.