**Official** Australian Domestic Season 2013/14

[NUFAN]

Good banter today. I give it an 84/100 #banterbetterthanNev

 

[Dan]

2013/14 will be Tim Ludeman's last Sheffield Shield season. Calling it now.

And no, it won't be because he's too busy playing internationals...

TBF, I think the SA team balance would be improved by having Hughes keep wickets, at least in the short term. With McDonald not bowling, Botha's had to become an all-rounder batting at 6 to still provide 5 bowling options, and with the bat he isn't good enough to be there.

 

[Dan]

I definitely don't think Haddin is a better wicket keeper than Ludeman. Not anymore anyway.

Thinking more as a potential international keeper-batsman package deal, not exclusively with the gloves.

 

[Prince EWS]

TBF, I think the SA team balance would be improved by having Hughes keep wickets, at least in the short term. With McDonald not bowling, Botha's had to become an all-rounder batting at 6 to still provide 5 bowling options, and with the bat he isn't good enough to be there.

Raphael keeps wicket in club cricket; I'd be looking at that before Hughes.

I think they'll just stick with Ludeman for the season and then make an offseason signing if he tanks it with the bat again (which he will) though.

 

[Prince EWS]

Thinking more as a potential international keeper-batsman package deal, not exclusively with the gloves.

Yeah, that wasn't the point of NUFAN's post though; he was specifically talking about keeping I think.

Along your line of thinking I'd probably list another seven or so players, honestly.

 

[Dan]

Raphael keeps wicket in club cricket; I'd be looking at that before Hughes.

I think they'll just stick with Ludeman for the season and then make an offseason signing if he tanks it with the bat again (which he will) though.

But Hughes should be a PONI with the gloves, for the ODI team. Haddin isn't going to be around forever and the rest of the country's glovemen are shunts in List A cricket.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah, can't see anyone challenging Ludeman. He has Berry good support within the SACA setup.

 

[Prince EWS]

But Hughes should be a PONI with the gloves, for the ODI team. Haddin isn't going to be around forever and the rest of the country's glovemen are shunts in List A cricket.

Haha, I made a few jokes about how the management should consider Watlinging him but I don't think he's in any way keen on it. He did keep a bit in junior cricket but I don't think he's ever been a full-time wicket keeper for any serious cricket side before.

 

[NUFAN]

Ofcourse Nevill is a better keeper than Haddin, not understanding your argument here.

The latter.

Just checkin'

Thinking more as a potential international keeper-batsman package deal, not exclusively with the gloves.

This is what causes confusion. I'm not suggesting Ludeman as a package is a better option because I admit his batting isn't up to it. I was encouraged last season when he did produce a string of decent scores and when he started opening in the big bash I felt he had a bit to work with, you know develop some more but unfortunately runs seem hard to come by for Ludes. As a keeper whenever I see him, I think he looks very tidy and component. I do like Hartley but he seems to for whatever reason drop a simple catch (not that regularly) but a little too often.

 

[benchmark00]

Yeah, can't see anyone challenging Ludeman. He has Berry good support within the SACA setup.

Ryan Carters.

 

[Prince EWS]

I was encouraged last season when he did produce a string of decent scores and when he started opening in the big bash I felt he had a bit to work with, you know develop some more

Didn't that basically just happen because all the bowlers in their infinite wisdom decided to repeatedly bowl short to him despite his whole setup being based around that?

I'd be highly surprised if that ever happened again.

 

[Dan]

Haha, I made a few jokes about how the management should consider Watlinging him but I don't think he's in any way keen on it. He did keep a bit in junior cricket but I don't think he's ever been a full-time wicket keeper for any serious cricket side before.

Yeah, I understand it wasn't fully serious, but tbh he's a gun ODI top-order bat, none of our 'keepers do anything unless they open (and we've got way too many opening options as it is), and it lets us play a better batsman than the 'keeper would be. If he were keen for it, I reckon it would genuinely improve the ODI side.

 

[adub]

for any serious cricket side before.

He plays for South Australia now so no change there

 

[Top_Cat]

Ryan Carters.

I know he's better with the bat but is he any better with the mitts?

 

[Spikey]

remember Tom Triffitt

Yeah, can't see anyone challenging Ludeman. He has Berry good support within the SACA setup.

i cant believe you decided to go ahead with that

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, I understand it wasn't fully serious, but tbh he's a gun ODI top-order bat, none of our 'keepers do anything unless they open (and we've got way too many opening options as it is), and it lets us play a better batsman than the 'keeper would be. If he were keen for it, I reckon it would genuinely improve the ODI side.

Funnily enough, I kind of think the exact opposite about the ODI side. With Watson and Faulkner in the side it pretty much automatically gives you batting down to eight with still maintaining five frontline ODI bowlers. I think it affords the side the luxury of picking the best gloveman in the country without worrying too much about the batting, as he could bat eight without any dramas to the balance of the side.

Where it gets confusing from that point is that the wicket keepers in the "best glovemen in the country but poor OD batsmen" category - Paine, Nevill, Hartley - all have very correct techniques and find it hard to improvise at times. At eight they'd be really out of place. It'd be fine if they were just hacks with the bat, but they're not.

Which leaves me basically just picking Haddin and hoping things get simpler by the time he's done.

 

[Spikey]

guys just pick a specialist keeper for the T20 and ODI team

 

[Top_Cat]

remember Tom Triffitt



i cant believe you decided to go ahead with that

Chuck would love it because someone said his name.

 

[Dan]

Funnily enough, I kind of think the exact opposite about the ODI side. With Watson and Faulkner in the side it pretty much automatically gives you batting down to eight with still maintaining five frontline ODI bowlers. I think it affords the side the luxury of picking the best gloveman in the country without worrying too much about the batting, as he could bat eight without any dramas to the balance of the side.

Where it gets confusing from that point is that the wicket keepers in the "best glovemen in the country but poor OD batsmen" category - Paine, Nevill, Hartley - all have very correct techniques and find it hard to improvise at times. At eight they'd be really out of place. It'd be fine if they were just hacks with the bat, but they're not.

Which leaves me basically just picking Haddin and hoping things get simpler by the time he's done.

Yeah, my original argument was going to be an all-rounder at 7, in case one of the frontliners shunts it (let's face it, one of them usually does). Then I realised that, when Clarke isn't playing and Smitteh takes his rightful place in the ODI side, I'd be NSW-ing the team:

Finch/Warner, Watson, Hughes +, Bailey*, Smith, Voges, Maxwell, Faulkner, Johnson, McKay, Doherty

Honestly, if Hughes works at it I can't see him being significantly inferior with the gloves to whoever is picked to replace Haddin (since it won't be one of the good-gloveman-but-poor-OD-batsman group; they'll probably go for Wade again), and it lets you keep Voges in the side for a bit longer. Arguably you could bring in Paine for Finch/Warner and keep the rest of the XI I've suggested there as-is, but apart from doing that I think Hughes with the gloves keeps the overall side stronger.

With your 'bat them at 8' suggestion, does NUFAN's boi Ludeman qualify as enough of a hack with the bat to find a way to improvise? What's Carters' glovework like?

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah, I understand it wasn't fully serious, but tbh he's a gun ODI top-order bat, none of our 'keepers do anything unless they open (and we've got way too many opening options as it is), and it lets us play a better batsman than the 'keeper would be. If he were keen for it, I reckon it would genuinely improve the ODI side.

I made the same revelation during the ODI series and believe it is worth a shot.

Funnily enough, I kind of think the exact opposite about the ODI side. With Watson and Faulkner in the side it pretty much automatically gives you batting down to eight with still maintaining five frontline ODI bowlers. I think it affords the side the luxury of picking the best gloveman in the country without worrying too much about the batting, as he could bat eight without any dramas to the balance of the side.

Where it gets confusing from that point is that the wicket keepers in the "best glovemen in the country but poor OD batsmen" category - Paine, Nevill, Hartley - all have very correct techniques and find it hard to improvise at times. At eight they'd be really out of place. It'd be fine if they were just hacks with the bat, but they're not.

Which leaves me basically just picking Haddin and hoping things get simpler by the time he's done.

Beefy Boi wants Ludeman in the ODI team!