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Around the Wicket - Some Random Thoughts
Well, 2-0. Did anybody think anything different would happen? I have had a good think about the test series, and have come to the conclusion that the only Black Cap who would get a game for Australia right now would be Daniel Vettori. Further to that – they have 4 or 5 players who wouldn’t even get a game at state level over here. New Zealand cricket is a rabble.Shining lights for the Kiwis? Well, Vettori, Brendan McCullum, and Ross Taylor can be proud of their efforts. Taylor’s 70-odd at the Gabba was top quality batting which was cut short by batting with the tail (which began at 6 in Brisbane), and had he not been stitched up by the umpires in Adelaide, he could well have made a big hundred. However, he also could have thrown it away an over later, just like he’s done on numerous occasions before that.
Andrew Symonds would be a nervous man at the moment. I’m tipping runs for big Roy in Perth, as Roy always seems to produce the big innings when it’s needed. Just think back to the World Cup against Pakistan in 03, his form after the Cardiff incident, and the Boxing Day test vs England in 07. Roy is due, and expect fireworks! I’m also tipping Shane Watson will be back in the test side. It was a great effort for Queensland last week, and making runs and taking wickets in the same game screams “Pick me!” I doubt the selectors can ignore his form.
Peter Siddle should be released from the squad to go and get some cricket under his belt before too much longer. Time on the pine does nothing for your career. Hopefully he is sponging at the moment – and soaking in as much of the experience of being in the Australian cricket team environment as possible. Big things await Big Sid, and I hope it’s sooner rather than later.
It was good to see Brett Lee find some wickets again. A fast bowler taking 9 wickets in an Adelaide test match is a far more impressive feat to me than a batsman making a hundred. Granted, it was Brad Haddin’s maiden test hundred, and he would have been stiff not to be named man of the match, but it was a flat Adelaide track, against a very ordinary bowling attack, and most batsmen got decent runs.
Prediction for the South Africa series? Australia 2, South Africa 0. I know they’ve got a good pace attack, but their figures are inflated by some very ordinary opposition in the last 12 months, and they’re not playing on the best wickets for pace in Australia. If Australia can blunt the early attack in Perth, I reckon you’ll see us win in Melbourne on a slow wicket (we don’t lose many Boxing Day tests either), and in Sydney on a turner, where the South African’s spin bowling weakness (batting and bowling) will be very evident.
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symonds was given out to a bad call in adelaide too
so who goes for watson ay?
and who goes for krejza?
Brem, your uncle Barry is predicting Australia win in Australia & a drawn series in Hairyback land.
i predict 2-0 in australia and 1-0 in south africa
well, I think that Watson will come in for Hauritz. I'm not convinced Krezja will play in Perth. I know there's a thing about team balance, but you pick your best XI, IMO - and Watson is better than Krezja and Hauritz at the moment.
Dave – Agree that NZ cricket is in a parlous state. My view is that none of them would make the Australian side. I think Vettori is over-rated. He is a fine cricketer no doubt, but more of a steady cricketer than a match-winner. I do not think he would suit the Australia way of playing at all. His fielding is pedestrian, I am not that impressed with his batting, and his bowling is more defensive and holding rather than attacking and match-winning.
brem - you're not a supporter of playing a spinner no matter what and backing him to improve his skills for all pitches so that he actually does improve?
valerio - vettori would definitely make the aussie lineup. That's a no-brainer. Better than any spinner in australia as he is now, and a pretty good batsman comparable at least to brett lee.
The reason his bowling is like it is is becauase nz's attack is shit. Remember how warne had to go defensive at adelaide against england when the batting was on top and the other bowlers were not making an impact?
if vettori played for australia he'd bowl like an attacking bowler and his career stats would be much more impressive
I think it's important that a team has a good spinner. I think it's more important that a team picks its best XI. If the spinner is not in the best 6 bowlers in the country (which Krezja is not) then he shouldn't be picked. Test cricket is not the arena to be learning your craft. Only a select few have managed to do that, and they are the elite level. I highly doubt that Krezja will ever enter that category. We should pick our 4 best bowlers - and stick to it. If they're all quicks, so be it.
Udara – I disagree with you. I think if Australia showed the same faith in a spinner as NZ did in Vettori then we could develop either Hauritz, Krejza, Casson, Cullen or someone else into a better bowler than Vettori. Vettori is highly valued by NZ and has no fear of losing his spot, which obviously enhances his performance.
Dave – It is an interesting discussion. I disagree with you however. My view is that Australian cricket should always play a spinner unless the pitch does not require one. There are not many pitches like this in world cricket any more? Are we saying that Australian cricket is so bereft of spin and ideas that we cannot find a spinner from the strongest First class competition in the world that can play Test cricket? Why are we not developing Test spinners?
May I remind both yourself and Udara that Mr Krejza had a steady Test debut as well, 12 wickets. Not too bad really. The golden boy Vettori has only taken 12 wickets in a match twice in an 87 test career, despite being one of his countries main strike bowlers. Let’s give our spinners a chance.
Vettori’s test career by opponent – Australia 57 wickets at 35 (not bad), Bangladesh 46 wickets at 14 (interesting), England 45 wickets at 37 (not bad, not great either), India 19 wickets at 56 (poor), Pakistan 4 wickets at 100, South Africa 18 wickets at 70 (poor), Sri Lanka 41 wickets at 21 (outstanding), West Indies 23 wickets at 28 (not bad), and Zimbabwe 23 wickets at 31 (not bad). Total career record 276 wickets at 33.50. It speaks for itself. Pretty good, far from an automatic Aussie
Valerio - I agree that a good attack should consist of a good spin bowler. However, a test match is not a good place for a spinner to be learning his craft.
The question I think we should be asking is why our academy and state competition (which we boast are the strongest in the world) have failed to produce a decent spinning option after the successes of Warne and MacGill.
Are we marking our young spinners too hard? Are they being discouraged from bowling spin? Are state pitches to blame?
And if Cricket Australia gave the Kiwi's the three test matches it would have been three nil. In short I do not like the concept of two test series. Call me old school. Maybe Cricket Australia should have considered a five test series with South Africa and demoted the Kiwi's to a Top End series if they are to persist with the two test series.
In terms of Vetori he is a class bowler and would make any test team in the world. In terms of finding a spinner it is either Kretja or Hauritz.
Further it should be noted that in terms of finding spinner to replace Warney it seems that all levels of cricket consider a spinner to be a luxory. Of the candidiates that the scribes mentioned on the great mans retirement. Magill has retired himself, Cullen, Bayley and Hauritz have had problems making respective state teams. I can see why the Guru Jenner is disillutioned with the events. So it is a catch 22. The candiates cannot make first class cricket to qualify.