How bloody good are the Aussies?

[Captain BJ]

Cricket team that is...

We thrash them even with only half our batting lineup (the Waughs and Ponting were at best ordinary)... The bowling was consistent although far from spectacular.

Hmmm, I wonder what a (pardon the pun) post-Waugh team would look like?

Langer
Hayden
Elliott (I've always thought he'd make a good 1st drop)
Ponting
Martyn
Slater
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Gillespie
McGrath

We're fine till after Warne and McGrath go, but hopefully it'll be time for someone new to have developed.

[Friendly]

I reckon stewy macgill will be almost as good as Warne, he just doesnt get much notice due to warne taking all the attention, plus Nathan bracken will be a good replacement for mcgrath, did you see his hat trick yesterday... NSW still couldnt win, i couldnt believe it!!

[Captain BJ]

Vics baby.

Yeah Bracken will be good... Our fast bowling is quite good, although I don't know if how many McGraths we have in reserve, someone so consistent who you'd put your life on him bowling a maiden over...

As for MacGill, he is almost as old as Warne, so I doubt he'll take Warney's place after he retires... maybe...

The selectors seem to covet some young spinner called Nathan Hauritz (I think that's his name), he'll probably get the spinner's job after Warney's gone.

[Dazza]

Elliot at number 3.......no way!!!

Id open with elliot.......move langer to 3.......though it does seem sacrelig to break up the langer hayden combo!

Nicholson(spelling) is a pretty good choice for a bowler when MgGrath is gone.


One dayers who do you think will win!?.......Australia favorites......but I think NZ are a good chance. And if Kluesner finds form SA should go well.

It think this summer is going to be the Bevan and Cairns show!

[Captain BJ]

Maybe down the track the Langer/Hayden combo won't be as successful as it has been, but I think Langer's been really good as an opener. Elliott also could be an example of openers who can also bat well at 1st drop. Boonie was an opener before Tubby came into the team. Elliott has shown himself to be consistent (at least for Victoria) and might be better suited to a position requiring consistency... 2nd drop is the flair position. At least that's the way I've always looked at it.

I think this is going to be one of the best one-day series in a long time. Of course we'd be favourites, but I'd say New Zealand and South Africa are probably the second and third best one day sides in the world. Sri Lanka maybe, but they're a bit inconsistent. India don't have a good bowling lineup although their batting is probably better than ours. Pakistan can blow up at any time (although that could be more to do with bookies than form)... I'm looking forward to these one dayers and might go to both Friday and Sunday.

[spongeboy]

did you go friday and sunday? weren't thrown out of the ground?

spewing that the aussies arn't so bloody good?

[Captain BJ]

I went Friday and wasn't thrown out, although I did get hit on the jaw by a bottle during a wave. Still bloody hurts too.

Well we are playing like shit at the moment, can't deny it... Still I don't think we have our best side in all the time... Rotation etc is fine, but some sensibility is involved. Unbelievable that Harvey didn't play Sunday.

Here's my best side considering Williams and Gilchrist are now out.

Hayden
Campbell
Ponting
S. Waugh
Bevan
Martyn
Symonds
Harvey
Warne
Lee
McGrath

I think we need both all-rounders in... Gillespie is a good bowler and maybe we can rotate him with Lee. Mark Waugh is out of form and should be dropped, and Bevan is a better 5 or 6 cause he can push the singles in the last 20 overs... He hasn't handled #4 at all well.

[spongeboy]

i wouldn't include Symonds in our best 11 - his bowling is a bit suspect. And the way Lee and Warne are batting, with a small amount of improvement, they could almost be considered all rounders....

Harvey is pretty brilliant, and i would definitely have Martyn up the order, he's been in fine form and could be just what we need in the middle overs.

Bevan definitly needs to be sent in later in the innings....i'd be tempted to bring him in at whatever drop as soon as we get into the final 20 overs....

Campbell would be under a lot of pressure - espc. opening the batting.

So here is my provisional team...

Hayden
M.Waugh
Campbell
Martyn
S. Waugh
Bevan
Harvey
Lee
Warne
Gillespie
McGrath

[Captain BJ]

I can see the argument for leaving Symonds out, but your side not only leaves Symonds out but also leaves Ponting out. They are our two best fielders and anyone who watches one day cricket knows how important run outs are. Ponts has also been our best batsman in the first two matches.

I definitely agree with you re Bevan. But no lower than #6 should we crash to 4/20 or something.

I also really like Andy Bichel. I'd always try and find a spot if I could for him. Very consistent.

[larry emdur is my hero!]

nah, you guys have it all wrong...this is the side we need

Swampy Marsh
Junior Waugh
Boooooonieeeee
Deano
Tugga
Warrick Todd
Heals
Paul Rieffel (he was a gun!) if the SCG - Peter Taylor (cause his run up was cool)
Warney
Big Merv
Craig McDermott

sure a few of these players might be "retired" (and warrick todd is a fictional character) but i'm sure the we could coax them back onto the playing arena.

[spongeboy]

You've forgotten Peter "Sounda" Sleep, he was heaps better than Peter Taylor....

My long held belief is the only thing holding Booooonie from making a comeback is the fact hes waiting for the right moment to select himself.....i mean, if you were a selector, of course you would select yourself as captain.

So i think, for the 3rd final, with Australia in a must win situation, David Boon and Trevor Hohn and Alan Border all select themselves, and go on to a huuuge win.

[Dazza]

I think for one dayers Martyn should open and have Mark Waugh at number 4. Drop Bevan I say......he cares too much about protecting his batting average then he does about chasing runs to win!

How good was Cairns!!!....The Kiwis are on fire......now all they need now is Vincent to live up to his potential and they will be unstopable!!

[Dazza]

anyone on here play fantasy cricket on cricinfo/baggy green??
My team is currently coming 12th out of 19000! ;D

[Captain BJ]

No but I wish I had known about it because I would have been in it...

I don't see why we would drop Bevan. I also can't see the logic in the argument about him caring about his batting average. That's bullshit. He doesn't want to get out, (what batsman does?) but it's not like he bats slow. He bats sensibly, and I think you'll find that if he dropped back to six where he plays best, he'll be scoring at a strike rate of 70-80 again.

Interesting article by Peter Roebuck in yesterday's Melbourne Age. Basically said with the new bouncer rule, the one-day game is closer to the tests than it used to be, and you need to play more back-foot shots, and that Langer and Hayden are two excellent back-foot players and should open like they do in tests, take Gilly back down to seven and Bevan to six (like I said). After thinking about it, I think it's definitely worth looking at considering they're both in form, and they score at 4/over in tests. They could top that easily in the first 15 overs.

Here's my revised one-day side:

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
S. Waugh
Bevan
Gilchrist
Harvey
Warne
Lee/Gillespie
McGrath
Symonds (12th man - for his fielding)

Batting goes down to 9 or 10 (in terms of threatening to make a good score quick, Warney could make a steady 40, or 30 off 20 balls if he played well)

[Dazza]

I wouldnt drop mark waugh.......Id say he will do some damage before this series is over.....heres my team

Gilchrist
Martyn
Ponting
M.Waugh
S.Waugh
Harvey
Symonds
Warne
Lee
Dale
McGrath

oh and Miller at 12th man......I think he devserves another go in the Aussie team