***Official*** Australian Domestic Thread 2012/13

[Pup Clarke]

Does seem rather foolish of SA that they have three very inexperienced guys coming after one another. Couldn't Cooper or Ferguson have moved at least one place down?

[Top_Cat]

Shoring up a weaknesses by shifting blokes around almost never works. The line-up the way it is, if one of the openers goes early, you at least have a chance of stopping the momentum of the bowling team with your experienced blokes. Ferguson coming in at 2/****-all >>>> Ferguson coming in at 4/****-all.

Anyway, SA pissing their pants at dat swang in Brisbane and getting shredded first-up is nothing new. Even when they last won the Shield they got smashed there. Amazing (read: sobering) to think that hasn't changed even with only two home-grown bats in the top-7.

[Dan]

Queensland has been at an advantage for the past couple of years (along with Tasmania) in that they play on swing- and seam-friendly surfaces, and none of our batsmen can do anything but clear the front leg and hit half the time. The top 2-3 bats in each state typically can, but past that you get blokes who've never really come up against quality swing bowling. It is a sobering thought.

[uvelocity]

it's wierd. I've never played state cricket, but all through junior and lower grades swing bowling is very common. surely getting to state level would involve being exposed to swing??? yet even the national team is routinely taken apart by it.

[Monk]

It's just that good swing bowling in good swing conditions is harder to play than good straight bowling.

[Noble One]

Decent morning session with the ball for South Australia. Putland, Sayers and Mennie doesn't read as a potent pace attack, however in good bowling conditions they are a likely combination.

[Noble One]

Chris Hartley! Not an innings I would ever associate with Hartley.

[uvelocity]

saussie team score has hardly managed to pass hartley & cutting for the match

[brockley]

WACA | Home of Cricket in Western Australia
West Aussies 2nd team to play NSW 2nd xl,gull of Warriors in the team,as well as Burt Cockley.

[Top_Cat]

Seriously lol-worthy collapse going on at the Gabbatoir right now - SA have lost 5/20 in 5 overs. Interesting to note Hughes out nicking to slip in both digs too.

Will maintain it was a terrible Test career move for him to go to SA. Aside from the usual organisational problems inherent with being around SACA at all, that he scored some tough runs for NSW is probably what got him opportunities for the Test side. If he gets infected with SACA cultural malaise, he'll have a mediocre season and won't get picked for the Test side. If he scores 1000+, "Of course, he's playing half his games in Adelaide." and won't get picked in the Test side. If he also keeps nicking out, "See, nothing's changed." and he won't get picked in the Test side. He's ****ed no matter what he does, I reckon.

The only way he'll score 'credible' runs is if he dominates away from home and he'll always be doing that in the face of a bunch of bats without the ability to go with him and a bowling attack without the teeth to defend whatever they score. Big ask mentally.

[Mister Wright]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Seriously lol-worthy collapse going on at the Gabbatoir right now - SA have lost 5/20 in 5 overs. Interesting to note Hughes out nicking to slip in both digs too.

Will maintain it was a terrible Test career move for him to go to SA. Aside from the usual organisational problems inherent with being around SACA at all, that he scored some tough runs for NSW is probably what got him opportunities for the Test side. If he gets infected with SACA cultural malaise, he'll have a mediocre season and won't get picked for the Test side. If he scores 1000+, "Of course, he's playing half his games in Adelaide." and won't get picked in the Test side. If he also keeps nicking out, "See, nothing's changed." and he won't get picked in the Test side. He's ****ed no matter what he does, I reckon.

The only way he'll score 'credible' runs is if he dominates away from home and he'll always be doing that in the face of a bunch of bats without the ability to go with him and a bowling attack without the teeth to defend whatever they score. Big ask mentally.

Quite the opposite for Khawaja isn't it. Has already impressed in the first dig, and unlike Test pitches at the Gabba there's always something early, but you're blessed if you can get through the first 2 1/2 sessions on day 1.

Not a great start to Lyon's captaincy. Won the toss and team looks to be losing by a big margin and hasn't bowled well.

[chaminda_00]

The worse bit for SA is they don't have many more options in their squad. Smith and Ross are the only other spare batsmen. Once Botha and Christian come in, their side doesn't look at bad.

Also if George and Richardson aren't injured, it was a poor call to drop them.

[Top_Cat]

The big problem this year isn't SA's batting it's the bowling. None of the bowlers really have the game to take regular poles at home, George and Richardson included.

On Adelaide Oval there are probably two essential planks to a successful attack. One of them is an attack leader who can change gears really quickly. The other is a spinner prepared to bowl big overs to lay pressure on and give the quicks a breather. The rest bowl interchangeably support to those guys and the current lot reek 'support'. And not very good support, either; forget getting it down to one 4-ball every two overs, need whole spells without 4-balls on AO and I reckon the all of SA's roster lack the patience.

It's why Gillespie was so good at home (averaged mid-20's on Adelaide, from memory); could zip the ball around or bring his pace back and bowl time at a moment's notice and the guys who've taken regular Shield wickets on Adelaide have all developed into that sort of bowler. Having a wildcard helps although they still need to be able to bowl big overs; for all the hype around Tait's pace, he only bowled a few overs less per inning than Gillespie did in Shield cricket and has a really good record at Adelaide. But without the two planks, the rest becomes pretty irrelevant and your strategy is really just trying to out-bat the opposition for first-innings points.

[brockley]

Lot of tabs on worrall, surprisd no George there. Ross excelled for the MCC in the county cricket 2nds.

[Dan]

T_C, based on that what would you suggest SA do? Try and convert say, Richardson, into that leader and have George/Mennie bowl around him, with Botha getting through a mountain of overs? Or do you think some interstate raiding is their best bet?