By Decentric - 30 Nov 2016 12:13 PM
I've just watched some of the Tassie/NSW Shield game.
There are implications for national team election.
Nevill scored a magnificent 179 not out for NSW. He looked like a quality, specialist batter - far better than anything Wade has played at Bellerive.
Unfortunately, it came too late. Given he is the best wicket keeper with the gloves in Australia and I'm told he has a better Shield average than Wade, there must be a strong argument his current keeping in the Oz team, his unrealised batting potential at test level, should keep him in the team over Wade.
It seems that the criterion to select Wade is he that he is more vocal in geeing up the team on the pitch. Surely, there must be other lively gee up players in other 10 current team members?
Also, for the James Faulkner fans, he has belatedly delivered with the bat with his first Shield century made under a lot of pressure when Tassie was on the ropes. He made an unbeaten ton.
Plus he took new ball wickets in both innings opening the Tassie bowling and moving the ball. The sports scientists told him not to bowl much in the second innings!
Given his combative nature, I'd rather see Faulkner in the Test team, as a feisty competitor, rather than Wade, whose skill set is less than Nevill's for the keeping position.
Faulkner has done more than Maddinson, a specialist batter averaging 37, to play number 6 as the team all rounder. Australia could definitely bat Faulkner at 6, instead of Maddinson. This could particularly be the case in India, when Australia needs to play two spinners and he can be the third seamer behind Starc and Hazlewood.
The worst thing is that Faulkner is now about to play limited over cricket for Australia, which has detracted from his long form performances in the past.
An impressive bowler for NSW was the improved Trent Copeland. In the past at Bellerive he has looked like an innocuous medium pacer, who has been naggingly accurate and economical .
In this game Copeland appears to have gained a metre or two of pace, and either seems to have conventional new ball swing, seam and/or reverse swing with the older ball. I was not quite enough behind the bowling arm.
Copeland was similarly effective as Philander and Abbott were for SA at Bellerive a few weeks ago in the Test. I think Lehman is stupid to say if one doesn't bowl at 140 kph forget it. Philander and Abbott are 125 - 135 kph and very effective on Aussie wickets.
Kurtis Patterson also looks good as a batter.
George Bailey just started to take the NSW attack apart but got out from a top edge sweep too the innocuous Somerville. NSW were right on top, but Faulkner finally delivered a match saving innings. So dod Beau Webster. Tassie made the mistake of not selecting leg spinner, Boyce. Webster did part time off spin instead.
The former Shield players and first grade cricketers in the members all say that Faulkner's greatest attribute is that he ha s a lot of time to play his shots, possibly compared to any other Tassie batter.
Jake Doran looked like a decent keeper, and batted very well.
Bollinger was used by NSW only as a support bowler to the impressive Copeland.
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By grazorblade - 2 Dec 2016 11:18 AM
nathan lyon has had one year where his average was below 30
steven okeefes average with the bat is 30 and his average with the ball is 23!
It would be mad not to pick him next time he is fit - he has the potential to be our key player over the next 5 years
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