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Road to the 2019 Ashes

GoodAreasShane

Cricketer Of The Year

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
IIRC when Stone made his debut in SL he was bowling 82-86 mph sort of pace, much to everyone's surprise. Will be interesting to see what happens if he gets a go against Ireland.
 

Jarquis

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Good year last year, was well aware of that, but he got injured and hasn't showed the same sort of form since his return.

Then again, you were a Marnus Labuschagne fan long before anyone else here, with how well he's been going recently I probably shouldn't question your judgement.
Aha! I'm actually still on the fence on Stone - I'm not convinced I would have picked him myself but he seems to have a knack for taking his wickets quickly and I believe a lot of them are 'good' wickets i.e. bowled, lbw, caught behind.

How well this translates to higher levels is anyone's guess but they obviously see something.
 

wrongun

Banned
Only if you want to lose 4-0
You're thinking of losing while Im thinking of ways for Australia to win. You went in with 6 batsmen...7 if you include Haddin in 2013 and still lost 3-0. Aus as well as go for the jugular by exploiting England's weakness.

Australia's weakness is its batting and you don't double down on your weakness. Skittle England out for low/lower totals and stay in the game.
 

wrongun

Banned
not really yapping up Harris, just yapping down Burns. I've seen multiple people saying something along the lines of "Surely Burns should be the obvious choice, look at his average, hundred in his last game etc." which is pure ignorance regarding the circumstances of his runs.

I watched the whole innings of his 180 against SL last Test, it was not inspiring. Very friendly batting track, he gave plenty of chances and the bowling attack was easily worse than any Shield attack that would have ben trotted out that summer.

I'm just trying to urge people think a bit more about what they're looking at, especially when it comes to stats. And yes I do think Harris should be given a bit more of a run before he's discarded entirely, he was one of our best players last summer against a very strong Indian bowling line up and has utterly dominated the Shield for the last few years.



Also not sure what you mean by this
This is a very good post and proves some of my ideas regarding Burns wrong. As I previously mentioned, I'd rather go with Bancroft too...I like his abilities to see off the new ball and offers something different to Warner. My concern with Harris is more his mental make up where I noticed him throwing away his wickets during the India series than his technique. I don't mind his technique, its his ability to focus for long innings after his initial graft that is the concern. With Burns, the 100 vs SL was on a road in Hobart vs Medium pacers...agreed there. Either way, this will be an interesting conundrum. Who would you slot in at 3 if Uzi isnt fit?
 

wrongun

Banned
It's just absurd, isn't it?

Burns averages in the 40s in Tests, and is the Test incumbent who peeled off 180 in his most recent innings.

Harris averages in the low 30s, and got out the same way regularly during the Summer.
Yea Harris scored some tough runs against Bumrah and Co. Cannot be discounted. The value of runs isn't in its sheer numbers. You are dumbing it down. Circumstances, conditions and bowlers faced have to be taken into account. Your arguments would be massacred in baseball where advanced metrics are used.
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
To all the people dismissing Burns 180 vs Sri Lanka because it was on a road, please remember Australia were reduced to 3-28 in that innings and Harris was his opening partner scoring 11 (with Khawaja 0 and Labuschagne 6).
 
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wrongun

Banned
To all the people dismissing Burns 180 vs Sri Lanka because it was on a road, please remember Australia were reduced to 3-28 in that innings and Harris was his opening partner scoring 11 (with Khawaja 0 and Labuschagne 6).
AHH YES! do you think his mental make up has improved and was reflected in that innings....or was it just him surviving that earlier period?
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Considering Burns had undiagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome for the entire 2018/19 season, maybe he just got 10 hours sleep the night before :)
 

wrongun

Banned
So Archer and Wood are out of the first Ashes test as mentioned elsewhere. Good opportunity for Australia to capitalise. If they win the toss and bat first, grind it out a bit and get a decent Toal on board.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
To all the people dismissing Burns 180 vs Sri Lanka because it was on a road, please remember Australia were reduced to 3-28 in that innings and Harris was his opening partner scoring 11 (with Khawaja 0 and Labuschagne 6).
The gist of the argument I'm thinking of is reflected in that innings, where Harris cut the ball straight to point. The fact is Burns may be technically weak but he can go on and get a big innings. Harris can be relied on to throw it away (by being loose outside off) practically every single time.
 

TheJediBrah

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This is a very good post
agreed

The gist of the argument I'm thinking of is reflected in that innings, where Harris cut the ball straight to point. The fact is Burns may be technically weak but he can go on and get a big innings. Harris can be relied on to throw it away (by being loose outside off) practically every single time.
Harris definitely has his issues, but he's shown in the Shield that he can really buckle down and bat for long periods. His immense 250* last season was against a much better attack than Burns' 180 against SL. Neither are perfect options but Harris has a higher ceiling and more likely to do well in the Ashes IMO.
 

wrongun

Banned
agreed



Harris definitely has his issues, but he's shown in the Shield that he can really buckle down and bat for long periods. His immense 250* last season was against a much better attack than Burns' 180 against SL. Neither are perfect options but Harris has a higher ceiling and more likely to do well in the Ashes IMO.
I know you're not associating the two together necessarily, but having a higher ceiling and being more likely to perform well in the ashes are two seperate things. I wouldn't select someone based on a higher ceiling but simply on their ability to tackle a bowling attack in those conditions. I'm sure selectors also look at consistent patterns or lack thereof in mindset. Anyways time will tell.
 

TheJediBrah

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I know you're not associating the two together necessarily, but having a higher ceiling and being more likely to perform well in the ashes are two seperate things. I wouldn't select someone based on a higher ceiling but simply on their ability to tackle a bowling attack in those conditions. I'm sure selectors also look at consistent patterns or lack thereof in mindset. Anyways time will tell.
Yeah I'm aware of that I think Harris has both a higher ceiling, and is (slightly) more likely to do well in the Ashes. More than anything though I was just pointing out why looking at "Burns Average 40" and "Harris Average 30" is not a valid comparison.

I don't expect either of them to set the world alight though. Would prefer Bancroft if I had my way.
 

BSM

U19 Cricketer
So Archer and Wood are out of the first Ashes test as mentioned elsewhere. Good opportunity for Australia to capitalise. If they win the toss and bat first, grind it out a bit and get a decent Toal on board.
Wait, is that confirmed? Was never confident that Wood would make it tbh, nor was he really close to being in the starting XI, but Archer out could be significant
 

Test_Fan_Only

First Class Debutant
Wait, is that confirmed? Was never confident that Wood would make it tbh, nor was he really close to being in the starting XI, but Archer out could be significant
I do not think it has been totally confirmed but Wood is supposedly out for 6 weeks so has no chance of playing the first test. Archer is less certain but seeing he went home to Barbados(?) and is not due back until right before the first test it seems like he will miss it as well. Still Anderson, Broad, Woakes and Stokes is a fine bowling attack.
 

FBU

International Debutant
I do not think it has been totally confirmed but Wood is supposedly out for 6 weeks so has no chance of playing the first test. Archer is less certain but seeing he went home to Barbados(?) and is not due back until right before the first test it seems like he will miss it as well. Still Anderson, Broad, Woakes and Stokes is a fine bowling attack.
Wood would be ready for the 4th Test.
Archer's cousin, Ashantio Blackman, 24, was shot dead outside his home in St Philip the day after England's World Cup campaign started. Archer is still getting over a side injury as well.
 

Test_Fan_Only

First Class Debutant
Wood would be ready for the 4th Test.
Archer's cousin, Ashantio Blackman, 24, was shot dead outside his home in St Philip the day after England's World Cup campaign started. Archer is still getting over a side injury as well.
The 4th test is not the 1st test.
 

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