lloyd pope with 7 in the shield

looks like he got quite a few from poor short deliveries

I don't know if Tremain is just right yet. For me there may be a slight problem with consistency as a genuine wicket taker. When you look at genuine wicket takers they generally will take 4 or more wickets per innings at least 20% of the time at First class level. Currently Cummins is 24% and that is showing at test level, he's taking wickets in all the tests he plays. Mitchell Starc runs at 21% at FC level. James Pattinson runs at 23%, Behrendorff at 29%, Jackson Bird at 21% so it is showing that you want to see that 20% to have faith in them being able to take wickets, which is what wins matches, bowl the side out twice.

With Tremain he is running at 18% at FC level so say Cummins is out, it may be a wrong selection. We will lose something. As a replacement for Siddle who is at 14% at FC level he is a better option. To replace Hazlewood, (Baggers this is fact) who runs at 12% (yes that is right twelve, not a mistake) he brings more to the side. The selection of Neser recently was odd he runs at 8% what are they thinking there, Tremain needed to play in Pakistan as he is a better option then Siddle or Neser. But Trent Copeland does push that 20% at first class level, so he to me would be a better option for the replacement of Hazlewood and only Hazlewood, as they aren't at Cummins or Starc's level and we will lose something.

I would probably lean towards Nick Winter, Gabe Bell, Cameron Green with a chance of something developing but they haven't played much FC matches to get an accurate assessment or Chad Sayers (21%). But when you look at this particular statistic it probably does indicate that the injuries to Pattinson and Behrendorff were a real blow to the Australian bowling attack and that is one area that does need improvement. But I agree forget the ODI bowlers Tye (0%) Kane Richardson (14%) Jhye Richardson (not enough games to know but at 18%).

You and your stats Mike. Tremain not ready? Look at his past three Shield seasons. A steady improvement every year. Nailed it as the leading wicket taker last season. I know why you dont want him..he was born in Dubbo, Gods Country. 
 Nick Winter's figures were incredible and has to be the next leftie cab off the rank. I am excited by Green. But his giant body is still growing and we know all about growing bowlers in Australia and associated back problems. David Grant needs to leave Sth Oz as he is stuck in traffic behind the strong Redback attack. I saw him give Hashim Amla a royal going over in a CAX1 match coupla years back. If Tremain fails to make the Test squad I want Jhye Richardson. In form Jackson Bird is not be overlooked.

Qlders are poor players of spin..everybody knows that.

 Take a look at his 8fer against England in U19 WC last year.(CricInfo) That is what the 'ginger ninja' is capable of.
Adil Rashid says not to rush Pope into the big time. I agree.. he needs time to polish his game. He bowled far too many full tosses and long hops yesterday to be anywhere near the finished product. Look out world in five  ears time tho.

Have our cricketers forgotten the main principles of batting..application and determination? Too many of our so called specialist batsmen are in too much of a hurry. They dont want to bat time.. the cornerstone of Test batsmen. I blame an over supply of limited overs cricket at youth level for this. Prime example is Jack Edwards..a dodgy technique and he scores at almost a run a ball. 
I also blame junior coaches who are lost in the modern cricket maze of T20 cricket and the 50 over game. If CA wants its much vaunted Pathways Program to really pay off..it must introduce a red ball component at the age nationals sooner rather than later. It must also ensure that all juniors play at least a year of Premier Cricket before being selected.
The Tele ran a similar article today about this very subject.

Reckon we all saw yesterday why Australian batting is in such a parlous state. All three pitches had a good covering of grass that gave our bowlers some assistance. The low scores proved that our best batsmen are still suspect against the moving ball. I say these types of decks should be replicated  for the remainder of the Shield season..or at least until the English Duke ball is introduced. Those that prosper on these types of decks should be at the head of the list for the England Ashes.

Blues need to produce something special today with the ball.

No luck for Sams.

David Grant, is he still playing? You're going back to 2016 when SA last toured. Been a while for him Baggers. Personally I think Bell, got Philippe yesterday. Not much going on at the moment, I'm waiting for WA game to start. S Marsh will probably score a century thus keeping his place in the test side. The openers are having a good showing presently, Burns yesterday, Harris and Weatherald today. Still should be dropping M Marsh and get one of these openers in maybe even batting No3 and move Khawaja down to 4

 Sams the best of the attack. 

There he is Mike. Part of the SACA Redback squad.

The Redbacks attack has been strong in recent years partly due to Sth Oz importing bowlers. Time SACA gave a couple of home grown boys in Grant and Spencer Johnson more than just a sniff of Shield cricket.

Weatherald the classiest of that trio. Honestly CA needs to draw a line thru SOS' name now.
Mitch is still good. Has posted four centuries since his return to the Test side. 

It is never good when this happens and it inflates a bowler's figures.

Many of our pace bowlers aren't that good either when it comes to international cricket.

Hilton Cartwright is another who needs to get back on the radar. Had a moderate last season.

Then these tracks could well be the answer to improve them. 

Jason Sangha surprises everyone with two quickies to put the Blues back into the contest.

Harris starts another season well. Has a composed ton on a not all that easy deck.

Sangha is quick thru the air.. much like the great Tiger O'Reilly. And no Mike I am not comparing his bowling to Tiger.. only the pace he bowls the ball. Having said that.. CA must find him a leggie prospect as he was part of the recent NCC Spin Camp.

they are actually fantastic with little difference between home and away averages. Our top lines are all under 30 away from home which is absolutely outstanding

Our current attack is equal or better than our golden generation which had warne and mcgrath because it has better support from the lesser bowlers

Our problems are pretty much limited to batting (although fielding used to be better as well)

yeah though hopefully helps the confidence

what makes leg spin tricky is your arm motion and release point is forcing the ball to go pretty much vertically up in the air which is compensated by the fingers and wrist ripping down on the ball. To bowl a good length you have to balance that and its super easy to bowl a full toss or a long hop if you get it wrong

I used to bowl at least 1 beam ball every 2 overs :D

Pope, Fallins and Swepson all bowling fullies. I guess what you are saying is leg spin bowling is a real craft and can take years to refine.

Did not take long for this MCG drop-in to flatten out. Even Copeland can not get the ball to deviate.
Blues now looking down the barrel of a sizeable deficit.

Take a squizz at Copeland's figures.
Bowling Trent Copeland 30 (O) 12 (M)  46 2  1.54 (EC)

Yes they are, brilliant averages all over the world.

Tom Cooper another of our batting enigmas. He has the natural ability to take apart any attack. But ask him to string together two good innings and he can not. In same mould as Maxwell and Maddinson.

One of the true all-rounders in Australian cricket Simon Milenko takes a wicket in his first over.

Holding out to see if Harris can score more runs than the entire NSW combined 12 more runs to go.

Marnus Labuschagne showing what I've always known, he is NOT an all-rounder, Pakistan tour was more how poorly Australia bowled more-so then that Australia has unearthed a new all-rounder. Marnus Labuschagne- his results prior to the tour was something like 12 wickets @ 50. 

Baggers where do you get you scores? M Marsh has scored 2 centuries not 4 since his "return" if you can call it that. They were against England along with  12 innings with scores under double figures in his last 20 innings at an average of 28 (2 points higher than his overall average). If that is a massive improvement then Baggers please look up the word gullible. 30 matches 51 innings is sufficient time to prove oneself, IMO

Jake Weatherald picked a pretty good time to score a hundred opening the batting. 

Jake Lehmann also scored 87. Callum Ferguson another failure. 

There really has been some dire batting in the Shield so far.

Out of 11 completed innings in the first round of matches, only two innings produced a score above 300. One was Victoria's 504 (thanks largely to that big 243 by Pukowski - although only one other person got past 50). The other was Tasmania's 355, mainly on the back of Alex Doolan's hundred, with Wade an unbeaten 72.  

Out of the three completed innings in round two, NSW, Tasmania and QLD have all been bowled out for less than 250. WA look like they are headed the same way, on 4-140 (Shaun Marsh on 55no).

Victoria are currently 7/290 - Marcus Harris has come good with a big 170no, but nobody else has done much. 

Only South Australia look like they could make a big score, currently 3/230. 

I'm sympathizing with the selectors predicament. I'm sure they'd like to drop some players but nobody is banging the door down. 

If the selectors want to take a risk someone like Matt Short could be a good choice, averages 50 and is only 22. Maybe give him a chance to prove himself at some point