***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[benchmark00]

gaggin.

[Spikey]

oh no wait i misread Starcy. sorry.

[Arachnodouche]

SA are so so heavily dependent on the two quickies. an injury to either rules out any chance of them bowling out a decent opposition for an acceptable score. Australia have a more balanced attack in terms of pace at least + Lyon/Hauritz are bit more of a proven quantity than Tahir though his subcontinental skills could play a role.

[Quaggas]

Originally Posted by Arachnodouche

SA are so so heavily dependent on the two quickies. an injury to either rules out any chance of them bowling out a decent opposition for an acceptable score. Australia have a more balanced attack in terms of pace at least + Lyon/Hauritz are bit more of a proven quantity than Tahir though his subcontinental skills could play a role.

Buahwahahah!

[stephen]

Beer must not tour ahead of Hauritz. To do so would be clinging to the mistakes of the past and not learning from them.

Bollinger is a better bowler than Siddle and should be higher in the pecking order than he is. In fact the only quick who should get a guaranteed spot is Harris at the moment.

[stephen]

Before Copeland was picked people would be saying that he could never run through test sides because he's too slow. Truth be told he never did run through Sri Lanka but instead had quite a number of edges run through the slips for four. Which means that the real difference between first class and test matches is that in tests, they nick 'em harder.

[uvelocity]

Originally Posted by stephen

Which means that the real difference between first class and test matches is that in tests,

the slip fielders suck

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Cabinet96

Tim Bresnan's Test carrer stats are just as good as that.

Tim Bresnan has played a handful of tests though.

Be like saying Lyon's career average is better than Warne's after the first innings of the first test against SL.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by centurymaker

you think South African batsmen will have trouble facing Copeland given that they face Morkel and Steyn in the nets all the time?

Spurious reasoning mate. Different players have different weaknesses. Andrew McDonald did fine aginst SL when he played against them, as an example.

You pick your best bowlers. Siddle has had a lot of chances to be consistent, and he hasn't done so. It's not he can't bowl well, it's that he doesn't do it often enough (like Johnson).

Copeland played his opening series in fairly unresponsive conditions (first test aside) and not only bowled relatively well, he kept things tight, which is important too. He derserves to keep his place imho.

If Siddle, or even better Dougeh, was to come in for anyone, it ought to be Johnson, who has frankly bowled like a busted arse, Perth aside, for bloody ages. Again, it isn't that Johnson can't bowl - fmd, when he gets it right he's a force of nature.

It's just that he gets it right about once a year these days. Sad, but true. He's averaging mid-50s with the ball, I think, in his last half dozen tests or so.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Australia will go ahead of South Africa in the rankings if they beat them 2-0, ftr.

Would that make us number three, and SA four, with India moving up to number two?

[Valer]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Spurious reasoning mate. Different players have different weaknesses. Andrew McDonald did fine aginst SL when he played against them, as an example.

You pick your best bowlers. Siddle has had a lot of chances to be consistent, and he hasn't done so. It's not he can't bowl well, it's that he doesn't do it often enough (like Johnson).

Copeland played his opening series in fairly unresponsive conditions (first test aside) and not only bowled relatively well, he kept things tight, which is important too. He derserves to keep his place imho.

If Siddle, or even better Dougeh, was to come in for anyone, it ought to be Johnson, who has frankly bowled like a busted arse, Perth aside, for bloody ages. Again, it isn't that Johnson can't bowl - fmd, when he gets it right he's a force of nature.

It's just that he gets it right about once a year these days. Sad, but true. He's averaging mid-50s with the ball, I think, in his last half dozen tests or so.

My problem for MJ vs Siddle, is the former is a much better bowler when on song. Hence if I was going to persist with one of them in the hope they would fire it would be MJ. I agree that Bollinger is better bet however if your attack is Harris/Copeland/[Johnson, Siddle, Hilf, Bollinger]/[SOK/Lyon/Hauritz]. It also avoids the Siddle+ Johnson combo if Copes/ Harris gets injured.

Originally Posted by Burgey

Would that make us number three, and SA four, with India moving up to number two?

Yes

Eng 125
Ind 117
Aus 112
SA 112

[centurymaker]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Spurious reasoning mate. Different players have different weaknesses. Andrew McDonald did fine aginst SL when he played against them, as an example.

You pick your best bowlers. Siddle has had a lot of chances to be consistent, and he hasn't done so. It's not he can't bowl well, it's that he doesn't do it often enough (like Johnson).

Copeland played his opening series in fairly unresponsive conditions (first test aside) and not only bowled relatively well, he kept things tight, which is important too. He derserves to keep his place imho.

If Siddle, or even better Dougeh, was to come in for anyone, it ought to be Johnson, who has frankly bowled like a busted arse, Perth aside, for bloody ages. Again, it isn't that Johnson can't bowl - fmd, when he gets it right he's a force of nature.

It's just that he gets it right about once a year these days. Sad, but true. He's averaging mid-50s with the ball, I think, in his last half dozen tests or so.

If this series were to be played against some other country, I wouldn't pick johnson tbh.

What's happened to Bollinger? Is he no longer fit enough for tests? He was superb back in 2010.

[centurymaker]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Would that make us number three, and SA four, with India moving up to number two?

Yeah presumably.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by centurymaker

If this series were to be played against some other country, I wouldn't pick johnson tbh.

What's happened to Bollinger? Is he no longer fit enough for tests? He was superb back in 2010.

That's the rationale, but I don't fully buy it. Now now, anyway.

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Tim Bresnan has played a handful of tests though.

Be like saying Lyon's career average is better than Warne's after the first innings of the first test against SL.

Bresnan is a class act though, others mentioned apart from Warne aren't.

Obviously Warne is a world beater.