*Official* WTC FINAL Australia vs South Africa 2025

[cascade]

What I'm saying is that Inglis and Konstas would not have made those contributions. Marnus averages what? 30 for the last 18 months? Had Inglish batted at 3 and faced the same conditions, he would have averaged 20. Konstas not much better

26.39. Almost identical to Kohli (26.38). I don't think he's made a century in any form of cricket during that time either.

 

[social]

I watched Marnus have a net in Brisbane recently

The guy is a walking wicket atm

 

[cascade]

It would be so much easier and nicer if Marnus could just be good again but there really hasn't been much evidence of that happening. His numbers have been steadily getting worse, he seems to always come into a new season or series looking dreadful, and then when he actually looks like he's batting well again, he gives it away after passing 50. I'm surprised how insistent people are about him keeping his spot tbh.

 

[SeamUp]

Stuart Broad has joined the proteas as consultant for the wtc. Team is certainly doing everything they can to prepare for this game.

Can see headlines of 'Broad has another crack at the Aussies'

 

[TheJediBrah]

I watched Marnus have a net in Brisbane recently

The guy is a walking wicket atm

The adults have entered the room

 

[Molehill]

Can see headlines of 'Broad has another crack at the Aussies'

One day of consultancy apparently.......

2 hours on how to swap the bails around
2 hours on how to win lbw decisions with the celebrappeal
2 hours on how to look innocent when you've nicked it to slip
2 hours on taking the piss out of David Warner

 

[Chin Music]

Martyn wasn't a flat-track bully at all

Ironic bringing him up here because Marnus is one (or was). Built his record on those insanely flat home tracks in the early 2020s (not to mention getting dropped a miraculous amount of times). If this was 2005 Marnus wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the Test side with a sub-40 Shield average. One of the luckiest batsmen ever to be handed a career. His peak was the 2019 Ashes where he actually made some hard runs in important situations but since then his whole career has been a downhill ski

Isn't it more instructive to look at Marnus's FC record which has stayed in the mid 40s no matter what he's done? That suggests that he wasn't all that in the shield or in the County Championship and that's before the last year or so. That stands at 44.5 at the moment. He looked a good player at his peak a few years ago, but then became a downhill skier/FTB with those 3 tons v WI's injury hit side helping boost his stats around not very much else.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Isn't it more instructive to look at Marnus's FC record which has stayed in the mid 40s no matter what he's done? That suggests that he wasn't all that in the shield or in the County Championship and that's before the last year or so. That stands at 44.5 at the moment. He looked a good player at his peak a few years ago, but then became a downhill skier/FTB with those 3 tons v WI's injury hit side helping boost his stats around not very much else.

He was actually averaging less than 35 when he first played a Test

 

[Gob]

We are all missing the bigger picture here. The rest suck

 

[GoodAreasShane]

It would be so much easier and nicer if Marnus could just be good again but there really hasn't been much evidence of that happening. His numbers have been steadily getting worse, he seems to always come into a new season or series looking dreadful, and then when he actually looks like he's batting well again, he gives it away after passing 50. I'm surprised how insistent people are about him keeping his spot tbh.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I wasn't trying to argue Marnus needs to stay no matter what, more that I would vastly prefer him over the alternatives in the squad. Neither someone who has played absolutely no professional games in England in Konstas nor someone who has but has batted almost exclusively at 5 or 6 over the last few years in Inglis are players I would have any faith in to do the job at all.

Isn't it more instructive to look at Marnus's FC record which has stayed in the mid 40s no matter what he's done? That suggests that he wasn't all that in the shield or in the County Championship and that's before the last year or so. That stands at 44.5 at the moment. He looked a good player at his peak a few years ago, but then became a downhill skier/FTB with those 3 tons v WI's injury hit side helping boost his stats around not very much else.

Mid 40s is an excellent average by the standards of Australian FC cricketers of the current era. Players who average 40+ are far from abundant here, it isn't even close to the mid 90s through to mid 00s golden era. Part of that is down to some livelier pitches, but more than anything there is simply just less batting talent in Australia around at the time of writing

 

[TheJediBrah]

Mid 40s is an excellent average by the standards of Australian FC cricketers of the current era. Players who average 40+ are far from abundant here, it isn't even close to the mid 90s through to mid 00s golden era. Part of that is down to some livelier pitches, but more than anything there is simply just less batting talent in Australia around at the time of writing

Marnus' mid 40s average is largely due to his home Test average built upon those years on roads against (usually against sub par attacks). I'm guessing his shield average would still be sub 40, could be wrong though

But yes his overall record still holds up relatively well for sure. That's not the issue though, it's current form

 

[Starfighter]

I'm guessing his shield average would still be sub 40, could be wrong though

39.08 according this Cricinfo page.

 

[social]

The adults have entered the room

The funny thing about it was that I had no idea who it was until after I saw him play & miss at his first ball & was “oh ****, that’s Marnus”

Guy was hurling sidearms at him at maybe 130 (I am old & fkd but even I know it wasn’t really quick)

It was no surprise to me that he went to Glamorgan shortly afterwards and failed

 

[Gob]

Steve Smith turned 36 yesterday. He also has 36 test hundreds. What does that mean?

 

[SeamUp]

Unfortunately, yes

Billy Stanlake?!

I know loads of lads are in England but it's an odd squad.

Much like ours in the Windies now, the bowling is layers and layers deep.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The funny thing about it was that I had no idea who it was until after I saw him play & miss at his first ball & was “oh ****, that’s Marnus”

Guy was hurling sidearms at him at maybe 130 (I am old & fkd but even I know it wasn’t really quick)

It was no surprise to me that he went to Glamorgan shortly afterwards and failed

Unfortunately some posters here don't actually watch cricket and judge purely on stats

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Unfortunately some posters here don't actually watch cricket and judge purely on stats

Now you are just being wilfully dishonest here. Haven't seen those county games (that makes two of us) but I did watch a lot of him both for Australia against India and for Queensland in the Shield. While he didn't look at his best (which nobody is disputing) your repeated overstatement of the situation with absolutely zero evidence to back up your claims is simply objectively untrue by any tangible measure

But I guess making such broad sweeping statements and then burying your head in the sand when confronted with any evidence to the contrary is just your standard MO, hello there Travis Head, hello there Nathan Lyon

 

[Prince EWS]

Now you are just being wilfully dishonest here. Haven't seen those county games (that makes two of us) but I did watch a lot of him both for Australia against India and for Queensland in the Shield. While he didn't look at his best (which nobody is disputing) your repeated overstatement of the situation with absolutely zero evidence to back up your claims is simply objectively untrue by any tangible measure

But I guess making such broad sweeping statements and then burying your head in the sand when confronted with any evidence to the contrary is just your standard MO, hello there Travis Head, hello there Nathan Lyon

Daily reminder that Marnus > Wade.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Billy Stanlake?!

I know loads of lads are in England but it's an odd squad.

Much like ours in the Windies now, the bowling is layers and layers deep.

Yeah that one surprised me too, seemingly he isn't crocked for once apparently.

Still have no idea how anyone could have faith in him to get through a red ball game with all his injury history, although that being said it does seem like this squad is for both the FC games and the couple of 50 over games that come after

Definitely some left field choices, but you are right there are a few in England, and knowing fast bowling in this country probably a few quicks on the injury list too

 

[TheJediBrah]

Now you are just being wilfully dishonest here.

Nah just taking the piss using your own shtick against you