*Official* Tour Matches

[Xuhaib]

haha...my comment on Usman was a just light hearted joke as he got a first baller to Bresnan i have not even seen him bat and I am quite certain he is very different to a typical Pakistani product.Reckon Pakistani batsman are better front foot players then back foot unless we are talking about batsman like Farhat or Faisal Iqbal who are just generally bad batsman.

 

[pup11]

He's young, he's blond and he bowls leg-spin. Imagine that Smith's another Cameron White, except he'll end up with the better career.

Smith's bowling is nothing like White' so would be gutted if he follows a similar route to White.
Also unlike White, Smith isn't exactly competing for a spot with the likes of MacGill or Warne, so he would be stupid to ignore his bowling for his batting like what White did.
There are some technical issues with Smith's action atm and once he sorts them out, he would be a more than handy leggie.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Another excellent day for England but it is a shame that the opposition are playing at Minor Couny standard and not really giving us a challenge.So much for all the hype about Khawaja over the last few weeks,i would imagine his failure and Hussey getting a ton means the Aussie batting order for Brisbane will be the same old same old.

Good to see Bresnan bowling well and getting wickets,he was the weak link on day 1 and has stepped up now.All of our pace bowlers have outperformed the Aussie attack comfortably,then again they are bowling to lesser batsmen.

Be a shambles if we don't win by an innings from here despite the good batting pitch but all inall whatever happens tomorrow this has been a perfect workout for our guys.

 

[91Jmay]

Quite honestly this is the big difference in Australia. There 1st team are still world class and should win the series but there A team is barely a shadow of there former selves. Ferguson, George, Smith (as a bowler), White and Cowen are in no way international standard.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Another excellent day for England but it is a shame that the opposition are playing at Minor Couny standard and not really giving us a challenge.So much for all the hype about Khawaja over the last few weeks,i would imagine his failure and Hussey getting a ton means the Aussie batting order for Brisbane will be the same old same old.

Good to see Bresnan bowling well and getting wickets,he was the weak link on day 1 and has stepped up now.All of our pace bowlers have outperformed the Aussie attack comfortably,then again they are bowling to lesser batsmen.

Be a shambles if we don't win by an innings from here despite the good batting pitch but all inall whatever happens tomorrow this has been a perfect workout for our guys.

 

[social]

Another excellent day for England but it is a shame that the opposition are playing at Minor Couny standard and not really giving us a challenge.So much for all the hype about Khawaja over the last few weeks,i would imagine his failure and Hussey getting a ton means the Aussie batting order for Brisbane will be the same old same old.

Good to see Bresnan bowling well and getting wickets,he was the weak link on day 1 and has stepped up now.All of our pace bowlers have outperformed the Aussie attack comfortably,then again they are bowling to lesser batsmen.

Be a shambles if we don't win by an innings from here despite the good batting pitch but all inall whatever happens tomorrow this has been a perfect workout for our guys.

You obviously underestimate the skill required to make Bresnan look good whilst simultaneously making Shazad and Tremlett innocuous

Unfortunately, not even our talented youngsters have the ability to make Monty look anything other than what he is

 

[Sylvester]

George has been disappointing, his pace has been way below what it was it India. I did fear his lack of that extra yard of pace would hold him back and it looks to be the case. Similar to McKay.

Hughes again standing up to be counted, you gotta like his fight, even when the selectors keep stuffing him around and not picking him in squads he just keeps producing the runs and at the right moments. Khawaja and Ferguson both missed that chance to produce runs at the right moment.

 

[91Jmay]

You obviously underestimate the skill required to make Bresnan look good whilst simultaneously making Shazad and Tremlett innocuous

Unfortunately, not even our talented youngsters have the ability to make Monty look anything other than what he is

Which talented youngsters (aside from Hughes)? Unless its different in Australia, youngsterS denoutes more than one. I haven't seen any others.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yeah i like his batting but I was merely focusing on his bowling don't think its remotely test standard and does not look like it will ever be unless he improves out of sight.

He's 21...

 

[91Jmay]

He's 21...

He still bowled like dross, unless he improves 100% he will never be a test bowler.

 

[social]

Quite honestly this is the big difference in Australia. There 1st team are still world class and should win the series but there A team is barely a shadow of there former selves. Ferguson, George, Smith (as a bowler), White and Cowen are in no way international standard.

Now let's look at the "real" 2nd x1 because it's not what is playing in Hobart

George and McKay would be replaced by Siddle and Harris

Ferguson would be replaced by D Hussey (10,000 fc runs at 55)

Cowan (a conveniently located replacement himself) would be replaced by Rogers (see Hussey's stats)

Smith, if people insist on having an all-rounder with top class performances in both disciplines rather than promise, would be replaced by MacDonald (batting average of 40, bowling average of 29)

This team is no more than part 2nd x1, part development and part what was convenient

 

[robelinda]

Now let's look at the "real" 2nd x1 because it's not what is playing in Hobart

George and McKay would be replaced by Siddle and Harris

Ferguson would be replaced by D Hussey (10,000 fc runs at 55)

Cowan (a conveniently located replacement himself) would be replaced by Rogers (see Hussey's stats)

Smith, if people insist on having an all-rounder with top class performances in both disciplines rather than promise, would be replaced by MacDonald (batting average of 40, bowling average of 29)

This team is no more than part 2nd x1, part development and part what was convenient

Yeah this is good posting. The actual best 2nd team would be much better, rather than the best youngest players XI. Chris Swan would romp into that team too, and Copeland probably. Dussey for sure, Rogers has great FC stats too, total shoo in.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

That is your view social,do the selectors think the same as they picked this side and have already picked Ferguson in the 17 man test sqaud ahead of D.Hussey.George played in the last test Australia played so he is highly rated despite not being that good.

 

[iamdavid]

AWTA-

1.Hughes
2.Rogers
3.Khawaja
4.D Hussey*
5.Smith
6.Wade/Paine+
7.McDonald
8.O'Keefe
9.Harris
10.Siddle
11.Cameron

Phil Jaques doesn't even make the team. It may not be as strong as some of the A sides from around 2000, when you had a batting lineup including Bevan, Blewett, Love, Law, Lehmann, Maher, Gilchrist, and bowlers like Kasprowicz, Bichel, etc.....but still a reasonably strong second string side.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah this is good posting. The actual best 2nd team would be much better, rather than the best youngest players XI. Chris Swan would romp into that team too, and Copeland probably. Dussey for sure, Rogers has great FC stats too, total shoo in.

Yeah, a team completely independant of the Australia and Australia A teams could would beat Australia A relatively convincingly IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

That is your view social,do the selectors think the same as they picked this side and have already picked Ferguson in the 17 man test sqaud ahead of D.Hussey.

That's age-based as well though. If Dave Hussey was 29 he'd be in the team.

George played in the last test Australia played so he is highly rated despite not being that good.

Yeah, he played because Bollinger, Siddle, Harris and Cameron were all injured/just returning from injury. He also did okay. Bowled crap against England but he's a better bowler than what he showed, even if I don't think he should be in our top ten.

 

[robelinda]

Maybe even Klinger would get a look in, not great form this season but stacks of runs in the last couple. I guess the selectors have finally let go of the idea of bringing in a 30+ year old batsman for his debut now, and about time, provided there are youngsters knocking down the door, which of course there wasnt when Hussey and North debuted.

 

[four_or_six]

Now let's look at the "real" 2nd x1 because it's not what is playing in Hobart...

I hope this isn't going to be the excuse when Australia lose the Ashes, that it's not the 'real 1st XI' because otherwise Hussey, North, Hauritz wouldn't be playing.

 

[GIMH]

Course it will. If we win this time I expect the excuseometer to exceed 2009, and that was already at record levels (only from some, it must be said, a lot of them were fairly graceful, don't care if Gelman was though because he's a ****)

 

[Howe_zat]

"excusometer."

It reached breaking point in 2009, even top writers like Roebuck were moaning about the Oval pitch and other fallacies. Even if we win this time the best we can hope for is them decrying their own side, there's no way the Aussie press will give England any credit.