*Official* Tour Matches

[Marcuss]

How about for the rest of the series? Is it likely to be a factor?

[social]

Originally Posted by Marcuss

Wonder if Australia are leaning away from picking Bollinger due to the extra rough he and Johsnon would generate for Swann?
I'm not saying they're scared of Swann, or that is the reason behind the decision, but is it ridiculous to suggest the thought might have flicked through their mind?

Jimmy's taken 84 @ 28 since Siddle's debut ftr.

Meh!

Same ole, same ole when the sun is out - guy is style over substance

Anyway, he was pummeled by Tamim last summer in favourable conditions and is the only batter remotely comparable to the Aussies

[Marcuss]

Originally Posted by social

Meh!

Same ole, same ole when the sun is out - guy is style over substance

Anyway, he was pummeled by Tamim last summer in favourable conditions and is the only batter remotely comparable to the Aussies

Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm not championing Jimmeh for the upcoming series.

He only got tapped by Tamim when the sun come out funnily enough

Could've been worse, could've gone for 70+ against West Indies/Pakistan like 2 of your bowlers

[social]

Originally Posted by Marcuss

How about for the rest of the series? Is it likely to be a factor?

Rough is generally not much of a factor in Oz

Adelaide , MCG and Sydney (but not of late) "may" have something in it for the spinner but it's not a great hunting ground

[Marcuss]

Originally Posted by social

Rough is generally not much of a factor in Oz

Adelaide , MCG and Sydney (but not of late) "may" have something in it for the spinner but it's not a great hunting ground

Yeah, I understand it won't really be a decisive thing in the series. So won't have been the decisive in the selector's decision.
I just can't see them wanting to help Swann at all.
Thus why I brought it up as an idea, nothing more.

[Prince EWS]

It's definitely the sort of crap the Australian selectors would come up with. Picking the best bowlers is never that simple for them - they'll invent all sorts of fancy reasons to pick their favourites when they're inferior, and that Swann/rough stuff sounds very much like a Hilditchism.

[social]

Tbh, if Oz bat like they have in the last 18 months, they'll lose

If Katich, Watson or Ponting start converting starts, they'll win

IMO, it's that simple as 3-250 is a very different platform to 3-120 with Hussey, North, etc to follow

[tooextracool]

Originally Posted by social

TBF to Siddle, his average has blown out to "Anderson" proportions by virtue of a bad injury-hampered summer

Guy has been rated as a future great by no less a judge than Mark Boucher and he still has huge potential

Siddle has potential to be a very good bowler, but I don't honestly see him being any better than Ntini. The good but not great category is the most I think he'll achieve given the tools that he has to work with.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by social

Rough is not a huge factor at Brisbane - the pitch is like concrete and it has really only suited a couple of spinners in history anyway

Think it comes down to match fitness and the fear of the unknown (3 left armers in a 4 man attack)

Why is the fact that Doug Bollinger is left handed an issue?

Australia didn't have a problem playing an all right handed attack of McGrath, Lee, Clark and Warne last time out. You pick your best bowlers regardless, I don't see how 3 of Johnson, Bollinger, Hilfenhaus and Doherty being lefties is remotely an issue.

[Marcuss]

Nor does social tbf

[stephen]

Originally Posted by Pothas

Yeah and he is a decent bowler but he is not going to intimidate anyone, physically or mentally.

The Australian attack is decent but unless Johnson pulls something special out the bag I am confident England can make competitive totals on a regular basis, just not sure they will be able to make the really imposing ones, we very rarely do.

Tell that to Graeme Smith and Jaques Kallis.

[GIMH]

When did Hilfenahuas intimidate those two?

[Pothas]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

Hopefully Siddle gets picked then.

Originally Posted by Pothas

Please stop calling Siddle crap it is making me nervous. If he plays and does well it is entirely your fault.

Bloody Furball.

[GingerFurball]

[GingerFurball]

Your team for the 3 dayer vs Victoria next week?

I'd go:

Strauss - needs to learn to score runs in the first innings
Pietersen - opens based on who I'm putting in the rest of the lineup. Plus, he moaned about the nets at Adelaide, this gives him a chance for instant middle time without sitting around waiting on the rest of the top order getting bored and throwing their wicket away.
Collingwood - could do with time in the middle
Bell - ditto
Morgan - chance for some game time
Prior - see Collingwood
Broad - could do with some wickets and batting practice
Shazad - another opportunity to shine
Tremlett - chance to put pressure on Finn
Finn - straight shootout with Tremlett for Perth
Panesar - keeps up his match sharpness should England want to play 2 spinners in Sydney

Cook and Trott get the chance to put their feet up, Jimmy's back in the UK for the birth of his kid (and I'd have given him a rest anyway), Swann gets a rest as well.