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Who would you rather play in the 1st Test against the Windies?

Who should start in the First Test?


  • Total voters
    27

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
Beau Casson or Stuart MacGill?

Beau's got age on his side, handy with the bat and can defo field. If we have to play one of them, pick Casson for mine.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
MacGill no question for me. There's Johnson and Lee who can also bat - and MacGill did once bowl really well in West Indies. Casson might possibly have bowled equally well in Australia in the copious number of chances he's had, but he also might not have.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Never seen Casson and have not seen MacGill bowl in a while so I have no legit opinion.

However, age is a non-issue for me. The most important game is always the next one (cliche alert) and you pick the guy that will increase the probability of winning the game the most.
 

Jungle Jumbo

International Vice-Captain
Yeah, I'd go MacGill. There's this constant obsession with bringing in young players for the future, when there's really nothing in the future (save the Ashes, perhaps) in Test cricket to aim for. You take each series as it comes. I haven't seen Casson bowl at all though.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Even The Ashes, the obsession some people (certainly in this country - haven't a clue whether it's the same in Australia) have with it is absurd. It's totally ridiculous that anyone will ever say "he's not going to be around for the next Ashes, needs to be dropped".

Fortunately I haven't heard it for a little while, but there was an utterly obscene amount of it around in 2002/03.
 

roseboy64

Cricket Web Content Updater
First Test is at Sabina so it'll have to be a good spinner. Usually offers more to the pacers and works for the spinner if he's good enough.
 

howardj

International Coach
Beau's control, from the little I've seen and from the lot I've heard, is even worse than MacGill's. Plus, as a general rule, I think guys that turn it away from the bat are more likely to do damage. That said, it would be foolish to discount Chee Quee out of hand.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Beau's control, from the little I've seen and from the lot I've heard, is even worse than MacGill's. Plus, as a general rule, I think guys that turn it away from the bat are more likely to do damage. That said, it would be foolish to discount Chee Quee out of hand.
:laugh:

I heard Chee Quee's having a top season for the Broken Hill ****carters...he's been turning the ball at right-angles off ant hills and cow poo. Best haul this season 9/12. Would have taken all 10 but Bluey had to leave early to open the Fish and Chip shop.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Beau's control, from the little I've seen and from the lot I've heard, is even worse than MacGill's. Plus, as a general rule, I think guys that turn it away from the bat are more likely to do damage. That said, it would be foolish to discount Chee Quee out of hand.
Yep Casson has worse control then MacGill. One of main reasons why he has played little OD cricket for NSW, even though he has a decent record. He has improved his control in the last two months of FC cricket ten fold. But still worse then MacGill's. I don't really get the spin the bowl away from bat theory though. West Indies have a few left handers and Casson spins the bowl away from them, as well as having a really good wrong un for right handers.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Casson. But only because I want to see him bowl.

Really tho, aside from the largely spurious idea of "selecting for the future" (which, to be fair, Casson probably owes his touring place to given McGain's figures were a lot better) & the extra runs he might score (probably not desperately required given the relative competance of even Clark with the bat) I can't see why he'd get the nod.
 

Laurrz

International Debutant
MacGill ..although i havent seen much of Casson...think he still needs to develop more?
 

Craig

World Traveller
Whatever happened to Richard Chee Quee? Heard that he was a quite a good batsman in Sydney grade level.
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
Beau Casson or Stuart MacGill?

Beau's got age on his side, handy with the bat and can defo field. If we have to play one of them, pick Casson for mine.
Stuart MacGill, obviously. Picking Casson would be similar to the insipid situation where Giles was picked over Panesar during the opening rounds of the 2006/07 Ashes (except that Casson isn't physically or mentally unfit).
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
Casson. But only because I want to see him bowl.

Really tho, aside from the largely spurious idea of "selecting for the future" (which, to be fair, Casson probably owes his touring place to given McGain's figures were a lot better) & the extra runs he might score (probably not desperately required given the relative competance of even Clark with the bat) I can't see why he'd get the nod.
They were better, but, suprisingly, not that much better. McGain took 38 wickets at an average of 34.15. Casson took 29 at an average of 35.13.
 

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
They were better, but, suprisingly, not that much better. McGain took 38 wickets at an average of 34.15. Casson took 29 at an average of 35.13.
You do have to take into account there were a lot of matches that Casson hardly bowled when he wasn't taking wickets. Whereas McGain was required to bowl long hauls even in tough conditions for spinners and he was struggling to dominate. There were matches that Thornley bowled more overs then Casson.
 

sideshowtim

Banned
You do have to take into account there were a lot of matches that Casson hardly bowled when he wasn't taking wickets. Whereas McGain was required to bowl long hauls even in tough conditions for spinners and he was struggling to dominate. There were matches that Thornley bowled more overs then Casson.
McGain also played 2 more matches than Casson, and Casson's batting defintiely helped him claim a spot.
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
You do have to take into account there were a lot of matches that Casson hardly bowled when he wasn't taking wickets. Whereas McGain was required to bowl long hauls even in tough conditions for spinners and he was struggling to dominate. There were matches that Thornley bowled more overs then Casson.
Really? :blink:

Yeah, you're right, although I did admit to McGain being the better performer, so the point is largely moot, anyway. I just didn't think he was as far ahead of Casson as everyone thought he was.
 

James_W

U19 Vice-Captain
Stuey Mac is the only option that makes any sense. Australia are too good a team to settle for a spinner who averages 35+ in Tests, which I think Casson would.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Casson selection is pretty similar to Hauritz & White's selection for the IND 2004 tour in that he's an unknown & inexperienced quantity preferred to the more experienced candidate.

I haven't seen Casson bowl so i can't judge him, but ATM i honestly don't have much fait in Australia's spin cupboard behind MacGill. I personally am just patiently for Tait to return so the 4-prong can be unleashed.
 

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