TOPIC:

Have you got the heart to break it to the Victorians about Agar being a local?

This MCG wicket is a shocker....the Curator should be roundly condemned for producing a road.

Well done Mitch....more than happy to eat humble pie.....as for Smith... certainly is in ripe old form....

Can anyone see Agar even getting a game?...pretty sure Holland took more wickets last year than Agar has taken in his whole life..... though Agar does offer more in the batting and fielding deptthan Holland

Anch: good one, dont forget, that in relation to Warner, he also got out in a ridiculous fashion in the first innings. His dismissal, in fact, promptted a batting collapse which was the reason Australia came under pressure in the test match in the first place.

Cook was on the field for the complete match.Aparantly the 3rd time he's done it in his career.I can't even think of another player that has done that.

gtrxuone wrote: Cook was on the field for the complete match.Aparantly the 3rd time he's done it in his career.I can't even think of another player that has done that.

I don't know about Tests, but, I recall Bobby Simpson, playing Sheffield Shield for WA in late 50s, did this on more than one occasion.
It is an interesting question. Surely in the history of first class history it has been done many times. Would take a fair bit of research to confirm.

smokey wrote:

gtrxuone wrote: Cook was on the field for the complete match.Aparantly the 3rd time he's done it in his career.I can't even think of another player that has done that.

I don't know about Tests, but, I recall Bobby Simpson, playing Sheffield Shield for WA in late 50s, did this on more than one occasion.
It is an interesting question. Surely in the history of first class history it has been done many times. Would take a fair bit of research to confirm.

Its a rarity in tests, according to my research there are only 5 other players apart from Cook who have achieved this in the entire history of test cricket, the most recent one before Cook being Kraig Brathwaite from the West Indies against Pakistan in 2016. He carried his bat in the first innings and was not out in the second. As Smokey has said I'm sure it has been done a lot more times in first class cricket

So some questions to ponder for the Australian selectors
1. Do they give Usman Khwaja another go at 3 or do they shuffle the batting order and bring Handscomb back in? This would probably mean that S. Marsh would be moved to 3.
2. Will Agar be in the eleven and where will he bat?
3. Will Bird get another chance on a more conducive wicket?
4. Does Pat Cummins need a rest? He looked a bit sore in Melbourne
5. Will Mitch Marsh play in Sydney or will they go with 5 specialist bowlers and bat Agar at 7?
6. Is Starc worth risking in a dead rubber even if he is fit?
A lot will depend on the pitch of course, particularly the composition of the bowling attack. If the wicket is the usual Sydney one, I would bring in Agar for Bird and Starc (if fit) for Cummins and go with the same batting line up. Bancroft and Khwaja need runs in this test though to keep ahead of other challengers.
For England, Mooen Ali really is not benefiting by continuing to play while his confidence is so low. Better to bring in someone like Crane who the Aussies are relatively unfamilar with.
England have a great chance to snatch a consolation victory in this game as the pitch generally will suit their style of bowling.

Anch: I agree with you about the pitches and the need for curators to take a lot of responsibility. Whilst it is true that, in general, that conditions have favourred the batsmen over the years, it is more noticeable recently particularly in Brisbane and Melbourne. Having written all that, I think the ACB should take some responsibility, because, in short, the local cricket associations have lost control of their grounds. Cricket should be the priority at each ground, bugger football; especially when, as is becomming increasingly obvious with these drop-in pitches, test cricket does need specialised techniques and pitches to survive.

Do you think that the ACB has noticced any of the above?

Interesting England are looking for a 150km bowler.Its right under our nose bowling atm on Channel 10.Playing for the Hobart Hurricanes. Archer ..
Lived in England last 10 years and plays for Middlesex in County Cricket.His parents are of West Indies decent.BBL+BBC and winning Ashes captain Michael Vaugn has spoken to the English selectors about Archer.Who can handle a bat also.Allmost a given for England's ODI squad.