Heads nicked behind off Steyn. Really don’t rate him as an opener

Short edges too and Faf with a super catch. 2/4.

Love O'keefe's commentary!

Yes until he laughs.

I enjoy his laugh!

Madness from Finch to not review that

Looking forward to seeing NCN bowl here.

This team is a disaster

Absolute shocker. Carey’s gone alright

NCN good chance to be top scorer for the 3rd time this season.

Get Cummins on already. Starc and Haze are sucking.

Cummins looks sharp but Starc looks a bit off. 

Bunch of no hopers. Four of our bats threw away their wickets.

What would CA have given to have George Bailey partnering Alex Carey.

When is CA going to pick specialist limited overs bowlers.. blokes that can actually bowl dot balls and build some pressure.. not serve up pies to feast on.

Agree. I also dont like to see Lynn striking at 50 per cent. He should open and be given a free licence. 

Our CAX1 kids batted better than this rabble.

I wanna see some blokes in our top six that actually have a technique

Oh man. Look at those cover drives. Aidan Markram is going to be an all time great, what a talent. 

Such a shame we can't find batsmen like him in our system. 

Glorious!

Stoinis bowling over 130's now. 

Haze and Starc have offered nothing threatening on a grassy pitch. This could be a very long summer.

I think Baggers said it before but I agree that Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins  need to get match fit for bowling in a Test series by playing FC cricket - not bowling in a Mickey Mouse money making ODI series, with no context, other than increasing the coffers of CA.

The likes of Stanlake and possibly Coulter- Nile, both good bowlers, barely even play FC cricket. Can't they, and others, do the ODI bowling - which can essentially be defensive, not bowl batters out?

Nobody  is going to remember who wins this SA ODI series in a few months, but they will certainly remember the results of the Test series this summer.

CA get a lot wrong these days.

I think we'll end up disagreeing on this one. I understand and respect your point, I just do not share it myself. 

CA can rotate teams and they often have in past seasons. But Australia's ODI failings predate Warner and Smith's bans. I understand the point of view of the Jamodi (Just-Another-Meaningless-ODI) argument , but more importantly the World Cup is just around the corner, and if Australia want to defend it successfully, winning just 2 of its last 21 ODI games is not the best preparation for it. This losing run goes back to 2016/17. The Champions Trophy was a failure for Australia as was the last tour of England. CA need to use what games that they have between now and then (there's less than you think) to work out its best bowling unit at the very least given the bans are disrupting working out the best batting unit. The team needs some confidence and some wins. The Aussie cricket fans need some wins because they are not all as passionate about cricket as Baggers and yourself. And I have read a lot of gloating from Aussie fans that they're glad they did not buy Fox.

This pitch was grassy - with both teams having slips in all day, and there was no way Australia was going to Run Rate defend 152. So it was a perfect chance for some bowl the batsman out cricket. As the commentators said, Australia needs its best team out on the park right now to retain fan interest, also for World Cup preparation, and to really understand what level the guys are playing at. There is also an argument that trying to dismiss QDK, Markram, and Faf in ODI is better preparation for Indian test batsmen than bowling in FC. 

I understand that you and Baggers have a counter view which has merit of course. But Starc needs to get his pace back up - because if he sends down 138-142 in an ODI - I don't see how he is ready to bowl 150 in a 20 over a day test spell effort. It isn't like he did not just play 2 test matches in the UAE. Most bowlers bowl faster in ODI than they do in test due to the lighter workloads.

Whether CA got it wrong putting the ODI's behind a paywall and lining its coffers as you suggest, the fact is that they have. If they expect people to pay to watch these games, they actually need to offer a good entertainment package, and they have a contractual obligation with Fox to do so. That is not the likes of Scot Boland. Also the players do take a percentage of the CA coffers revenue and CA has a responsibility to its broadcaster to play cricketers that fans want to watch to justify that 1 billion dollar contract.

Australia is even hosting the World T20 in 2020, it may be the most despised format, but the Australian fan expects Australian success on Australian soil for all formats of the game. 

They do.

However, I'm one of the 10 -15percent who have pay TV and see how poor we are overseas, because we play in conditions in this country that suit Aussie players and visitors find then tough to play in.

This creates a false perception for the public about how good we are, because they see us play little Test cricket overseas.

I've noticed this reduction in speed too.

I also think it better for the likes of Tremain, et al, bowlers who are unlikely to be ever be successful on a range of Test pitches around the world to do the ODI bowling.

It isn't just the bowling. 3 times in the last month - NCN has been the top scorer for Australia.
People are now betting on him to do this regularly like people bet on Jason Holder (with Pay TV you know how dire the West Indian top order is).
Even when Finch and Warner return, there is the need for 4 more batsmen.

Further, this may seem outrageous to many, but I think that there is every possibility that Starc gets dropped during the test series this year. I am calling it now. I never thought he'd have a long test career anyway. He may actually need Shane Warne to give him a serve from the commentary box again.

He needs to get his pace back up, or he is limited overs death bowler only with his yorkers in a Malinga gen 2 model.

I like the candour of your posting Decentric. You seem like a good bloke. I disagree with you on importance of the World Cups, but I do so respectfully.

The Aussie team needs to get back to winning, whatever the format, especially at home. They've won nothing since the Ashes last year. They were pampered and praised for a 4-0 win at home over England - who then promptly spanked them in the ODI stuff.

Thanks.

I try to disagree  respectfully too.

Since we've picked up you, Baggygreenmania, and Mike R, all knowledgeable posters about cricket, to add to Grazorblade's performance  knowledge ( a former high level player), and a few others who chip in, this has become the best sports forum I've seen in 13 years of participation.

You are good for the ego DC. I do not profess to be an encyclopedia of cricket. I am tho a cricket tragic who thinks he has a fair knowledge of the game having garnered it over 35 years of watching our wonderful sport. I coached juniors but never played at any senior level. I love this game.. and hurt when our Baggy Greens lose. I am confident that Oz cricket will once again rise to the top of the pile given the talent we have coming thru our system.

It was either you or Baggers, but one of you suggested how effective Starc's yorker was.

It was potent  last night. 

It was both Baggers and I. With all respect - I thought his yorker was impotent yesterday due to a lack of swing, lack of pace, and lack scoreboard pressure. 

 Starc's yorker is deadly at the death of limited overs games where scoreboard pressure rules. With the batsmen needing to find boundaries, it is a very hard ball to get away. It is a difficult ball for tail enders in any format also due to the pace if it.

The problem with the yorker is this, in test matches against good batsmen, there is no need to hit boundaries. So unless it shapes in like a Waqar or Bond special - it is not an effective test wicket taking ball where there is no pressure to score runs. The batsman may just block and dig it out. The ball has to swing so much that the batsman gets off balance and misses it. Starc often gets it to reverse swing in at the death overs of limited overs - making it deadly like Waqar and Bond - but in tests - this requires the ball reversing for Starc because he does not seem to always do it with orthodox swing. 

I watched all his balls yesterday - not a single ball swung and he was pitching it up and he bowled his yorkers.

Right now, in the world, Bumrah and Starc are the two deadliest exponents of the yorker. Many fans tell me Rabada is as well. But I think Bumrah and Starc are still better at it (even if Rabada is clearly the better test bowler all-round). But Starc needs more to his arsenal. What that more has been in the past - is bowling at over 150 clicks in tests (easier to do in ODI - damn impressive in tests). 

For mine, Starc is an express bowler with a great reverse swinging yorker. But I would take Steyn's lesser pace and outswinger any day of the week to win test matches with. (And yet yesterday - they were more or less the same pace except Steyn got his outswinger going regularly). I would however take Starc and Bumrah to close out any limited overs game as the two best yorker bowlers in the world. Steyn, as great as he is as a test bowler, is useless at closing the death of a limited overs game.

We keep saying it DC but they just wont listen. 

Are you a Stanlake devotee. I was when he was 19 I saw him swing the ball both ways in a CAX1 match from memory. He is and probably never will be that talented again having had  back stress fracture problems. On his day he can be devastating with the bounce and pace he generates.. but when cold he bowls pies for good players to feast on. We want limited overs bowlers who know how to tie down a batsman and build pressure. In short, we need specialist opening and death bowlers . Other than perhaps Starc we do not have one in our Test attack. which CA is doubling up as our ODI attack. 

They are there. Josh Philippe for one. 

Don't mind the commentary on Fox.

what a disaster a 220 pitch at least

I'm arguing from the premise that Test cricket supersedes the World Cup, Paddles.

I'm sure most reading this disagree with me!

I do not DC.. but Paddles does have a point. We do want our best players on the paddock to build back spectator confidence. The way I see it is that our best players.. our Test attack is not the best attack for ODI cricket. The object of defending our World championship is after all to put a winning side on the paddock. We do not presently have a side capable of winning it..with bat or ball. 

I just do not remember the Australian cricket team for limited overs being in such a slump. And it has been going for some years now. I know the Windies used to turn up all the time in the 1980's and win the WSC (but Aus took some wins in the process) - and that was the Windies! Australia still managed to jag the 87/88 World Cup. 

Kerry Packer effectively gave the world this format with the pyjamas and the lights, Australia kicked butt at it. Still the current world champs, but what is going on? The IPL has definitely helped Indian ODI cricket. The BBL rates highly, gets crowds, maybe increase the number of imported players to raise the standards?

It is noticeable and refreshing, that people are able to disagree here politely, without a resort of name calling and insults.

Too many forums are just reassertion of popular opinion, and any deviation from that becomes an ad hominem-fest.

I like it here so far :-)

I agree with this comment. In football, Decentric and I  are highly trained coaches and know a fair bit about performance.  I do it for a job, being  Tech Dir of a Victorian NPL club. In cricket though we know comparatively little, but like reading posts  from those  who know more about the technical aspects of cricket than we do.
 
I've stopped posting in 442 football sections because I get trolled about being Decentric.

It would certainly help young players coming through getting to share a dressing room with AB/Gayle etc

It is not rocket science CA.. pick the best performed in the JLT Cup for the WC.

CA Lynn	7	7	1	452	135	75.33	384	117.70	2	3	1	40	27
(Queensland)
BR McDermott	7	7	1	427	117	71.16	473	90.27	2	2	0	36	8
(Tasmania)
DJM Short	5	5	0	404	257	80.80	292	138.35	1	1	0	34	27
(Western Australia)
SD Heazlett	7	7	0	380	107	54.28	352	107.95	1	2	0	42	16
(Queensland)
PSP Handscomb	8	7	0	361	89	51.57	381	94.75	0	4	1	35	4
(Victoria)
CL White     332 332

Short has not sold me as yet. Mitch Marsh for him. Add Aaron Finch and George Bailey to the mix.

I agree (with your rule and your exceptions over a period of time). It is not rocket science.

I've just realised we have a ODI in Hobart this Sunday.

I relinquished my Tas Cricket Association Associate Membership, because it just wasn't being used.  i could take along anyone to FC games and Tests for free with it.

My wife hates cricket, and the few supposed cricket lovers who are friends (outside other TCA members) never seem to get themselves organised to attend!

Wish I lived in Tassie and was your mate DC. I am in same boat.

Had a chuckle over new cricket guru Kerry O'Keefe calling for Warner to bat in the middle order in the World Cup.. as he has.. wait for it.. several gears should we lose early wickets. George Bailey has several gears .. Bear White has several gears, Cal Ferguson has several gears.. Warner has one gear and one gear only Skull. Go back to the ABC.

This was on the week before last on the Backpage.

I actually think it is a good idea. And its time to stop shunting Finch around which CA has been doing for the past 4 or 5 years. And I think it would be a good role for Warner. Means Lynn and Finch are able to open. (Lynn is useless in the middle - Short has been inept so far against spinners be it IPL, Eng, UAE). 

Then the middle is controlled by Warner and Smith (the two guys best equipped to deal with spinners as well as seamers). It also gets them partnered up more often, which I think is a good thing for both of them.

The rest of the team can then work itself from there (Maxi, Stoinis or MMarsh etc).

Warner was the batting backbone of SRH in the IPL. He does have more gears. Losing Lynn to the 4 overs of new ball swing (I am being generous here) is not that great a loss. But Australia need big scores from Finch, Smith and Warner regularly to win.

By way of example, Boult took a hattrick yesterday in the 3rd over in the UAE with the ball swinging. That was game over. There was no swing after that. It was a spinner's pitch. 

England always open up with David Willey in England - just to extract what swing is on offer with the new ball. Sometimes Woakes as well. Plunkett does not take the new ball.

If the first ball pitched up to Lynn sails over long off for 6, the bowler will start thinking twice about pitching up to Lynn. After the first few overs - any swing threat will likely be gone.

1 Lynn
2 Finch (c)
3 Smith
4 Warner
5 Maxwell
6 Stoinis/MMarsh
7 Carey
8 Agar
9 Starc
10 Cummins
11 Hazelwood

8 appears to be a problem. Be better if there was a good allrounder spinner in Australia. Doesn't have to be a superstar of the next Shane Warne with Punter batting levels. Just a regular Richie Beanaud type will do. 

Time to bring back James Faulkner . Marsh in for Maxwell. I would like to have Agar but we need a wristie .. Zampa gets my vote.

I prefer Lynn to open and make an early statement. But today he showed he is more than just a  power hitter... and Paddles it was in the middle order. I liked the way he  got himself in and then when he stepped on the accelerator no bowler was safe. His timing too was impeccable and he even has a defence.  He impressed me. Had he got some bat on that one he gloved that ball probably would have sailed over the boundary and he would have had a 50 .. with momentum. His dismissal started the collapse.. brick bats to Maxwell and Stoinis for getting themselves out when we needed the momentum to continue. 

Carey goes.. mature knock by this man.

The tail is getting us late runs.. 240 would be competitive at least.

I'll give you a bit digest, no offence :

1 If Zampa and Faulkner (with  no form at all) return, you need to drop one of Haze, Starc and Cummins.
2 Lynn is not a middle order batsman's pimple (he made 18 runs in the 4 balls preceding his dismissal off a fast seamer's bouncer?!) When did Clarke ever get out that way?! Lynn is solely a fast bowling slugger. His averages vs spin are woeful. Purely woeful!
3 Lynn is quality. I believe in him. He is an opening slugger of epic talent. I would select him. But he is not middle order material. He is 'stand and deliver'. He is an opener just as Jayasuriya, Kalu, Greatbatch, McCullum, Roy, Hales, Bairstow  et al all or are were.  He will slog 100's but not build innings like a middle order bat.
4 Aus middle order is softer than jelly. And all nations are aware of it.
5 There is only one world class attack playing today - it is Safrica's.
6 Aus may win this still, because the SA batting is almost as bad as Australia's if not worse with no Duminy, Amla let alone ABdV. This match is batting "cripple fight" of two teams lacking the current batting resources to win the world cup next year. That may change when senior players return.
7 Pretorious not being a regular selection makes me loathe the quota selection of Safrica. Phelukwayo is nowhere near him in talent. At all. It actually makes me angry. Pretorious is like a modern day Ian Harvey - but he's not missing out to Andrew Symonds - he is missing out to Mick Lewis with a tan. :-)

Like I said, no offence - I look forward to your reply. I am just speaking frankly and with forthrightness. This is what I believe. Zampa?! What has he ever done? He may bowl Australia to victory today, and if he does, - it will be his first that I am aware of :-)

Statc MUCH quicker tonight 

He is bowling balls over 150kph!

Not Starc’s best ball but De Kock played a bad shot for Zampa to shakily catch in the deep.

Then bat Faulkner in Maxwell's position. Has a superior ODI  batting record in any case. 

If our belly is soft then pick our best performed ODI player George Bailey. He proved in that tour match he still has the magic.

Were you watching with your eyes closed. Lynny actually consolidated when those early wickets fell. Surprised me. 

Zampa has been our most successful limited overs bowler. Dont say a whole lot for the others I suppose. If there is a better wristie out there then please put him in  Zampa's place.

What offence? You are expressing your opinion. 

Lynn didn't consolidate. He block bashed. There's a massive difference.



He's a natural and talented basher. Let him bash to win.

And thanks for not being offended. You have my respect baggers. Top man.

But Faulkner at his best is too high at 7. He's an 8.

Why when he has a superior average to Maxwell who bats in the 6. Plus his clever bowling usually yields vital wickets.. We have seen how Faulkner has finished games in the past. Some of the cleanest hitting you will ever see..  Why this love affair with Maxwell when he lets us down more often than not. Oh no we cant drop Maxwell he is a game winner. How often has he actually won Australia matches? Think about it Paddles.

Faulkner's been found out internationally, at ipl and county. Noone's hiring him now for a reason. He has nothing up his sleeve for a slower ball or a leg side swat for 6 right now. He was great - but his tricks are known globally now.

He needs a new deck of cards - or Aus need to find a  new Faulkner 2014 and 2015 type. He was FANTASTIC but he is now a HUGE LIABILITY.

If you don't want Maxwell- find someone better.That is the challenge for Aus cricket. We all know hus faults - there are many, we all know his talent - its plenty - FIND SOMEONE BETTER.

Sorry I can not agree with that. Put the man in Oz colors and we will see if he is finished or not. These meaningless games would have been a good audition. 

Fair enough - you'll see him in BBL - But not IPL, County or Intls any time soon ;-)

 Consolidate may not be the proper word. He trod water to avoid losing another wicket. I know several players in this team that would have tried to hit themselves out of trouble in that situation.
You have my respect in turn Paddles.

Pretorious finally back in the team. 

Hope to see him show his skills today.