Australian domestic season 2021/22

[Starfighter]

Is there any reason why they can't throw some water on a few of these decks? It's not like there's a massive gate on day four ffs.

If you can grow grass on the outfield, you can grow it on the pitch. Too few groundsmen understand this, or they do but make disingenuous excuses all the same.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Assumed your initial comment was about there pre-test callup form and not the previous shield season. My b if that wasn't what you where saying.

My only point is that we should keep in mind the direly flat pitches in play before leaping to conclusions about how great all Australia's young batting talent is

 

[morgieb]

I do agree with the point about recent Aussie decks being largely dead (and I'm certainly not picking Whiteman unless we're desperate) - so I'm certainly not guaranteeing that Ward and Street will be guns, but I still don't think that explains Pucovski averaging 50+ for example. Bancroft scored runs on dead wickets last year but had been pretty **** before that. Harris admittedly has had a pretty strong Shield record but as I said, mentally he doesn't seem capable for Test cricket.

Gabba has usually been pretty lively too?

 

[Nintendo]

I do agree with the point about recent Aussie decks being largely dead (and I'm certainly not picking Whiteman unless we're desperate) - so I'm certainly not guaranteeing that Ward and Street will be guns, but I still don't think that explains Pucovski averaging 50+ for example. Bancroft scored runs on dead wickets last year but had been pretty **** before that. Harris admittedly has had a pretty strong Shield record but as I said, mentally he doesn't seem capable for Test cricket.

Gabba has usually been pretty lively too?

Gabba has always been lively, just less cricket there last season due to covid and the Qld government.

 

[Midwinter]

Any thoughts on why Tas didnt want to make game of it ?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Any thoughts on why Tas didnt want to make game of it ?

Didn't want to risk losing I guess. There was nothing in it for them to declare. If they set something gettable Queensland might get it, but they were never going to bowl Qld out if they stopped going for it on that wicket.

Still think they should have given it a crack

 

[Nintendo]

Any thoughts on why Tas didnt want to make game of it ?

Why risk it this early in the season? They got more batting points out of the game then queensland did AFAIK and with the quality of queensland's lineup the only 2 likely result's where qld slogging, getting a few down quickly and eaking out a draw, or qld breasing to whatever total they set.

I'm playing devil's advocate here tbf, don't enjoy the way the game panned out from a fan perspective, but can acknowledge why tassy handelled it the way they did.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Queensland have every right to be a bit pissed off in general. Would wished they just kept batting. Now they spent nearly the whole game fielding and bowling (ie. doing all the work) with nothing to show for it while Tassie sat back in the rooms relaxing

 

[TheJediBrah]

batting first on roads is always a huge win

 

[Starfighter]

Four days and fourteen wickets. What a disgrace of a venue.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Was out at the ground most of the last two days (although admittedly I was probably paying more attention to the grade T20s out the back)

I have to say while the pitch was unboubtedly poor, just simply leaving more grass on would not solve the problem however. The main issue imo at least is more the lack of firmness in the pitch, very difficult to get any bounce and carry indeed, leaving extra grass on would help for a few overs with the new rock sure, but after that it would be just as slow and turgid if not more. Honestly I don't know what the solution is, answers on a postcard?

As for Bryce Street, I am definitely impressed, if there was to be some hypothetical Australia A FC cricket I would be certainly be selecting him for that. Certainly don't agree that opening depth is anything other than poor, if someone like Whiteman is being seriously suggested then we have seroius problems

I honestly don't think the pitch situation was too bad in the couple of seasons before covid dicked everything over, there were some flat decks around but also there were times (especially in TAS and QLD) where the seam bowlers had plenty to work with. It was really only last year where these sort of 18 lane highways became the usual standard

 

[Starfighter]

I have to say while the pitch was unboubtedly poor, just simply leaving more grass on would not solve the problem however. The main issue imo at least is more the lack of firmness in the pitch, very difficult to get any bounce and carry indeed, leaving extra grass on would help for a few overs with the new rock sure, but after that it would be just as slow and turgid if not more. Honestly I don't know what the solution is, answers on a postcard?

A thin clay top dressing, water it well before the match, a lot of heavy rolling as it dries, leave a bit of grass and for the love of God don't do a Les Burdett and roll grass clippings into the pitch - doing that was why Adelaide was so ****e for decades. I mean, I don't know that much about preparing pitches, but whatever they're doing, it's wrong.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Always a pleasure to read GAS's insights

 

[Prince EWS]

Always a pleasure to read GAS's insights

Head > Wade.

 

[Burgey]

GAS, it must have been a privilege for you to see the great Tim Ward in action live.

 

[TheJediBrah]

GAS, it must have been a privilege for you to see the great Tim Ward in action live.

Dw he'll be back down in NSW grade cricket soon enough and you watch him every saturday

 

[Burgey]

Unlikely given he made an unbeaten 180 in the Tassie FG final last year to win it for UTas.

Be nice to have him back though. Averaged 43, 70+ and 50+ his last three seasons opening in ones up here. Thank Dog we have Sangha and Edwards in the line up.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Always a pleasure to read GAS's insights

Thanks, genuinely appreciate it.

Hopefully I will be able to get out to a fair bit of cricket here this summer, not playing myself this season so that should make things easier

 

[TheJediBrah]

Not playing cricket makes everything easier. Horrible thing to do, but so hard to quit

 

[GoodAreasShane]

As much as I always had vauge hopes of being an Australian Pravin Tambe and plugging away for an eternity and then randomly getting good in 15 years or so, honestly that wasn't ever going to happen