Marcus North

[Gaijin-san]

The kid is good. He's hit 258 runs in the ING cup at an average of 258 this season. He savaged Zimbabwe earlier this month with 115 off 109 balls, and against the Indians today he's smacked a classy half-century (which isn't over yet ). I had intended to go today solely to watch him play, and now I'm really ****ed off. If it wasn't for stupid Steve Waugh playing his last match here I would have been able to go. :!(

Well I knew he was good, but he's getting a little too good. The guy oozes class. Give him a few seasons, he's gotta be playing for Australia.

 

[Jono]

I heard Badani played well in that game as well. I'm only looking up the scores at cricinfo, but North does seem to be playing well. Any chance of them chasing the total?

Edit: North is out, Waugh is in. Run rate required over 6 now.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Well North has primed them for the chase, but now it's up to Waugh and Brown to do much of the heavy lifting. The following three batsmen are allrounders I believe.

The run rate may be over 6 (almost 7 now) but thats only for the next 12 overs with 7 in hand. Manuka is a good batting strip, and the PM's XI look like making it from here.

Edit: Steve Waugh is out.

 

[Adamc]

Uh-oh, Waugh's out... Now it's up to Canberra's Cade Brown and w/k Hartley, who scored a century on his FC debut. Incidentally, the tv umpire (Andrew Shelley) is my Chemistry teacher :P .

 

[Gaijin-san]

David ought to be happy with Mr. Brown's innings.

 

[viewnut]

i first saw marcus north play in the AUS A v Eng tour match in Bellrieve last year. came in when martin love was smacking those pommie trundlers around n played wat i thought was an excellent cameo innings till they declared, but what got me was his technique and look at the crease. very solid player, great driver and good player of short ball. hes also very confident player aswell, he played a stunning reverse sweep off richard dawson in that innings aswell, i dont even think dawson could beleive it when it hit the ropes.

he is one of new brigade coming through atm from WA, along with Ronchini, Marsh and Rodgers. those 4 have talent to burn.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Ronchi, I think you'll find his name is. But you're right, those 4 are super talented. However, let me throw in one name who belongs with those guys (if not higher); Beau Casson. The kid's a whiz at 21. He's much better than Hoggy, and the WA selectors realize that. Some games Casson plays over Hogg.

I'm just amazed by North's technique and class. The guy is very very good. Having a spectacular season too (finished up on 74 today).

 

[viewnut]

interesting you mention casson, i have only seen him bowl once, in an ing cup game, and having herd rave reviews about the kid, to say the least i wasnt impressed that much by him. from the reviews after that game against NSW were he knocked over the waugh boys i have been keeping a close eye on his progress, but from that one game i saw i didnt think he was a better bowler than hogg, but as i said i cant compare having only witnessed one game. wat will keep him in the side over hogg is his batting. very handy batter, and from memory opened or batted 1st drop in the u19 world cup and scored a hundred on a dicey pitch against South Africa, rated by many as finest innings of the tournament.

 

[The Argonaut]

A tight finish in that one. 2 runs.

Hartley impresses again though didn't make it at the end. North looks to be class. He lost his way a bit after that Aus A game last year but is back in form.

Casson will be really good but needs a couple more seasons. he is already better than Hogg I think.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Casson tends to misfire in the odd game, which is probably what you saw viewnut. But developmentally speaking, his talent belies his age.

I have no idea what's happened to North. He really wasn't in form coming into the season, then one good knock and he's off and running.

 

[iamdavid]

North's superb ING form & the way he's followed it up at Manuka today & at Adelaide for the A team puts him firmly in the hunt for a ODI cap over the next 12 months.

He is good in the feild & can fill in some overs , his technique is superb on the front foot & against the spinners , but in my eyes there is still a question mark over his ability to play the quick bowlers off the back foot , he has just always looked a bit streaky in that area to me & today was no different , certainly nothing major just he seems to get alot of runs through unintentional edges to the third man area , where he isnt quite on top of the ball & slashes at it.
But certainly his ability driving on the up & his play of the spinners is great.
However despite his ING form , his Pura Cup results for the greater part of his carear have been to inconsistent , some wonderful innings , but also plenty of ducks & low scores.

Can & should play ODI's for Australia in the not to distant future (10-24 months) , but IMO Dave Hussey is a better bet ATM.
He just looks the real deal , although he didnt do an awful lot today I must admit , but those were 9 classy runs he made , a wonderful drive through cover for 3 to get off the mark & a nice cut for 4.
record to date is exceptional.

As for Casson he has the talent to go a long way , he can turn the ball as much as anyone (MacGill included) , only his variations are more subtle & effective & he gets some great drift on the ball.
But his accuracy just aint up to scrath ATM , he is even more inconsistent than MacGill , if he improved that bit of his game then Id have him in the Australian squad as Warne's long term succesor immediately , but until then we can only watch frustrated at his inaccuracy.

Today was definately a carear highlight for Cade Brown aswell , took a screamer & was the standout with the bat , a little streaky early on but he hit some superb shots , particularly through point , you dont bowl wide to him , very happy to see him doing well , best performance by an ACT player in the PM's XI since Michael Bevan.

 

[Linda]

When WA were playing the Vics a few weeks ago, Marcus North blew everyone away. He was hitting boundry after boundry, and he was GORGEOUS to watch. Meanwhile, my dad had rung me during his slaughter and I'm going 'Ive got too GOOOOO, I cant miss this!!'. Absolutely friggen supurb.

 

[PY]

What about this Hartley (45*) guy? Never heard anyone mention him.

Know he's only played one game but he's sure got the pedigree:
Queensland Under-19s,
Australia Under-19s,
Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy.

Can't find his record for these sides though. Anyone point me in right direction?

 

[mavric41]

How old is this Cade Brown? Is it too late for him to go to one of the state sides. (NSW will need a couple of batsmen next year)

And Hartley is all class. Next longterm Australian test keeper - You heard it here first.

 

[PY]

And Hartley is all class. Next longterm Australian test keeper - You heard it hear first.

You gotta love the unbiased nature of that comment. .

Thought he looked quite good so was wondering about whether he might be in Aus frame in the future.........then I noticed where you were from. :P

 

[iamdavid]

Cade turned 27 a few weeks back , he certainly has the talent to make it , but its taken him a few years to mature & although he's nearing his peak now I dont know how many state sides would be willing to take a gamble on someone his age.
This game certainly wont hurt his chances.

Hartley is one of 4 very promising young keepers in Australia ATM , Adam Crosswaithe from Victoria , David Dawson from the ACT & Luke Ronchi from WA being the others.
He's got the goods as a batsman , although a couple of times today he looked unconvincing against the shorter balls.
His keeping is solid but not in the same class as Seccombe , Manou or Crosswaithe.
All I know is one of those 5 (Hartley , Dawson , Ronchi , Manou , Crosswaithe) will be Gilly's succesor long term , not exactly sure which at this stage.

 

[viewnut]

crosswaithe is a definate talent. played in last u19 world cup and atm is in the current squad for this yrs tournament in bangladesh. its intersting though that they have chosen tim paine from tassie as the captain for that squad, and he is also a keeper. will they fight it out for who gets the keeping spot(my guess is crosswaithe will keep seeing he has represented VIC in ING and paine will captain and bat 3) is yet to be determined.

i do rate paine as a batsman having watched him in a state trial match last season against nsw, but how he develops as a player will largely depend on how much tassie push him. atm he hasnt made his state debut (largely due to clingleffer's success), but is in their 2ndxi side and is a current CBCA scholar from memory. i cant see him getting a gig in top team as a keeper/bat for along time, unless cling gets injured or has a severe drop in form, and his batting doesnt have that maturity in it to play soely atm, but nonetheless a definate talent.

IMO, successor to gilly will b out of crosswaithe and ronchi, as both will have good experience by the time gilly pulls the pin. both r understudys atm to their respective state keepers, both of whom r getting on in their careers, and thier skills with the bat have more potential than the other contenders

 

[age_master]

interesting how everyone is so keen on David Hussey all of a sudden, hes good sure, but some are saying hes a chance of touring Sri Lanka, you lot cant be serious, hes played 10 FC games and 13 OD games and hes 26. surely North would be ahead of him - might not have the averages but has at least played more than 30 games in each form, and hes played for Aust A more than once.

 

[Gaijin-san]

You're right. North might not have the averages but he's really coming good lately.

 

[Craig]

No Age, but if he was from NSW you would be saying get him in there as quick as possible.