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***Official*** 3rd Test at the WACA

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Matt79 said:
I think Vaughan needs to bat for more than 7 balls and prove he can still move the next day before you rush back into the side - the last thing England needs is being a man down for four days of the test.
I'm sure he's been hitting plenty of balls in the nets and running heaps and testing out the knee. If they consider him fit enough for a tour game, than IMO he is fit enough for a test. The only thing he would be lacking is match fitness which they are trying to develop in the academy games. As far as the knee and its recovery is concerned they wouldn't be risking it in an academy game if they weren't sure it would pull up ok.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
If they're confident in his fitness and he's doing alright in the nets and practice games, then he'd be a good addition to the team for the reasons you mentioned, but at this stage they seem like some rather big "ifs".
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Matt79 said:
If they're confident in his fitness and he's doing alright in the nets and practice games, then he'd be a good addition to the team for the reasons you mentioned, but at this stage they seem like some rather big "ifs".
At 1-0 they may have left it until Boxing Day, however 2-0 it is a different story. There is still 2 weeks to go until the next test and one practice game. Would make much more sense for him to be playing a tour game against W.A. than sticking around at the academy.
 

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
Would go

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Collingwood
Pietersen
Flintoff
Jones
Giles
Mahmood
Hoggard
Panesar

Giles hasn`t been fantastic, but Harmison has been disgraceful. Not to mention the WACA will probably take some turn.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
But Lee bowled very well today. The guy has carried the pace attack with Clark for the last year, and after 1 and a half bad matches, the half being on an extremely flat track, you want to drop him?
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Lee's reverse-swing bowling was tremendously impressive today. Not quite in the Simon Jones league obviously, but not many bowlers can reverse it both ways, and if he can do that consistently it'll really add another dimension to his bowling.

Anyway, he really added something to the attack that would be missed if he got dropped. If he has another poor game at Perth then perhaps they'll drop him, but realistically I think he's safe until the SCG test now. They'll never drop a bowler like Lee immediately after a quality spell in a winning side.
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yeah, you're right. Brett Lee has an amazing ability of avoiding the selection axe like no other player. Even when he was averaging 50 against England in 2001 he still managed to stay in the side for the 5th test. Even after averaging 31 against Bangladesh and 37 against Zimbabwe he still manages to hold his spot without question.
 

Dravid

International Captain
Matt79 said:
But Lee bowled very well today. The guy has carried the pace attack with Clark for the last year, and after 1 and a half bad matches, the half being on an extremely flat track, you want to drop him?
No, I just want to try McGill and Johnson.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Mister Wright said:
Yeah, you're right. Brett Lee has an amazing ability of avoiding the selection axe like no other player. Even when he was averaging 50 against England in 2001 he still managed to stay in the side for the 5th test. Even after averaging 31 against Bangladesh and 37 against Zimbabwe he still manages to hold his spot without question.
Nice effort in missing the point to have a random dig at Lee.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
FaaipDeOiad said:
I actually agree with aussie about having Hussey at 5. I'm pretty sure they'll stick him at 4, but I like him at 5 or 6 for a few reasons. It really adds a lot of stability to our middle order, and batting at 5 and 6 isn't any easier than batting at 3 or 4, it just tests different skills. Hussey's ability to bat with the lower order and the high price he puts on his wicket makes him perfect at 5 or 6, and I'd be quite happy seeing Clarke or Watson at 4. Clarke is obviously the more realistic option at this point. It's also worth remembering the way Clarke and Watson have pissed it away at times in the lower middle order, trying to increase the scoring rate when it wasn't really necessary and struggling to properly build an innings. That's not going to be a problem for Hussey, but I can see it being a real issue for Watson in particular. If he comes in at 4 down and a couple of quick wickets go down, suddenly he's batting with the tail, where I think he'll struggle.

People will talk about having your best batsmen up the order, like they have been with Pietersen, but Australia batted Border and Waugh at 5 and 6 through their entire careers with great success, when they were clearly among the top batsmen in the world. Ponting at 3 and Hussey a bit further down gives great balance.
well yea, thats pretty much the idea here. But it all could go to waste if Watson isn't fit by next week.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Mister Wright said:
IMO Flintoff isn't a good enough batsman to bat at 6, especially not in Australia. If Vaughan is walking he should be playing IMO. He is a batsman who the Australian's fear and he can pile on big runs and he could take a massive load of Flintoff's shoulders. Flintoff looked great for the first 4 days of the test match, but you could see how much he was hurt today, almost carrying the loss himself.

Mister Wright said:
Doesn't really matter IMO. I get the feeling Vaughan prefers to open and only dropped down for team balance so Strauss could open. If Vaughan is playing IMO it has to be at the top of the order and as captain. He needs to lead from the front..
Solid points here dawg, Vaughan definately should play now, a big score in these little warm-up games will help his push for sure. Its up to Fletcher to come out of his comfort zone & pick him.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Mister Wright said:
Yeah, you're right. Brett Lee has an amazing ability of avoiding the selection axe like no other player. Even when he was averaging 50 against England in 2001 he still managed to stay in the side for the 5th test. Even after averaging 31 against Bangladesh and 37 against Zimbabwe he still manages to hold his spot without question.
ha, come on mayn. How can be so rough towards Bing, he's had a rough start to the series yea, but between the last Ashes up to the 1st test here even you can't deny how well he has bowled, then in this test the first time he has ever bowled consistent reverse swing. Cut the bloke some slack will ya...
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
When it comes down to it, Vaughan is a good player but I'd be very happy with him in the side right now, as an Australian fan. He'd either replace a quality batsman who is just as likely to make runs, or he'd replace a bowler and put extra pressure on the likes of Harmison and Giles.

The best team in Perth for England would be with Panesar in for Anderson and Mahmood on standby for Giles depending on the surface.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
If Fred can handle the workload (a family-sized if, admittedly, but desperate times/desperate measures & all that) I think I'm sold on the 4-bowler attack now. There seems little point in persisting with Giles, Anderson & even Harmison on the grounds that they're nominally bowlers.

Personally I'm still a little uncertain about Read, but Jones played a desperately ordinary shot today, so I guess he can come in too. Jones's keeping has certainly been at least as good as Read's was v Pakistan tho.

Strauss
Cook
Bell
Collingwood
Pietersen
Joyce
Flintoff*
Read+
Mahmood
Hoggard
Panesar

Arguably strengthens the batting & the bowling! I imagine Saj, Monty, Joyce & Read will all get a go in the two-day thrash v WA so hope all do well.
 

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