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Freezin wrote:

Hagley is a neat venue mikeh.....just took my dog for a walk across the ground the other day....not too many test match grounds where you can do that......Hagley is a bit of a road these days mate......great  place to watch the cricket....all grassy banks to watch  the game....only one seated area which is the members stand......

I was there in 2016, beautiful ground. Had the pleasure of witnessing Baz McCullums last ever 6 in test cricket, the ball actually whizzed between my wife and I on one of those grass banks. He got out next ball and the Aussies went on to win the test. Happy memories, would love to go back there one day, not this tour though

Probably was sitting right near you mate, old Baz whistled a few over my son and my heads from memory. Marsh took a screamer in the gully early on in Baz's innings....only for it to be a no ball. Always good to wind up the locals when your Aussie team beats them

Crikey is there a better fast bowler or bowler of any kind in the world right now than Postman Pat? He really delivers doesn’t he? Incredible delivery to dismiss Braithwaite after bowling a rare wide the ball before that went for 4 byes. Comes back next nut and takes the top of off stump.

Obviously in the eyes of some, these are meaningless easy wickets for the NSW cartel. Yeah maybe an opportunity missed to give a prospective fast bowler a taste of test cricket....but then again are the WI test quality these days?

Will never happen, perhaps this could of been a good opportunity to have Aust play a genuine Aust A team. Allow the likes of Bancroft, Harris, Renshaw etc to face the NSW cartel in a "test match" environment and for the likes of Neser, Morris, Johnson, Richardson(if fit) etc bowl against Aust top 6. Would definitely be one way to provide some answers to the ongoing debate about who should and shouldn't be playing for Australia. 

The genius move to play Smith as an opener was a raging success against a 3rd rate test team.
Total lost opportunity to get a younger specialist opener in and get some innings under their belts.

Senior Seagull wrote:

The genius move to play Smith as an opener was a raging success against a 3rd rate test team.
Total lost opportunity to get a younger specialist opener in and get some innings under their belts.

Yep the NSW cartel selection committee masterful call on Warner's replacement has been a raging success, not. Both Smith and Green out cheaply fending outside off stump. In fact if Smith had of stayed in his crease that ball was 12-18 inches outside off. 

Green got out to a good ball that nipped away after playing two beautiful shots prior for 4. But was Green in good batting form? Did his batting form warrant selection? No they just wanted him in there on his potential, 4th, 5th bowling option and great gully fielding. So far the young so called 3rd rate test team is outsmarting the world champs. 

They would be a mile in front if De Silva holds the catch he should have taken when Khawaja was on 3.

Sharma Joseph, what a debut and a breath of fresh air for cricket and more importantly West Indian cricket. Hopefully they find the coin to keep this kid playing test cricket. He could inspire a West Indies test cricket revival.

In footy parlance this reminds me of a premiership team with a hangover playing a young enthusiastic team of goers. You would think that the premiership team will eventually prevail but who knows? Australias batting has looked totally out of sorts on a pitch that is obviously not up to the usual Adelaide standard. If the West Indies can keep taking wickets and keep the Australian lead to less than 50, they will be well and truly in the game

Not sure if 1 innings is a true indicator for whether the Smith decision to open, is a bad one or not.....but I guess in the past with the likes of Ponting, Chappell etc, plenty of past champs were given plenty of opportunity to prolong their careers, due to their esteemed status. It seems that sentiment has been extended to Smith as well.

To me, Smith is cooked, but his ego amd arrogance has clouded his judgement some what and those around him. Good to see the WI young attack run in with zest and no fear, may it continue. 

SS, considering you say the WI are a 3rd rate test team, not sure what a Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris would gain from scoring against them.....but geez imagine if they had failed, where would it leave their self esteem then? 

DD, Green's last innings in red ball cricket was for WA this year,where he scored 96....so yes he was in form...then....sadly being 12th man throughout the Pak series meant no willow time in the middle since that innings. Green took 2 fantastic catches in the WI innings though, and whose to say those  2 WI batsmen, wouldn't of gone on to make a few more for the WI. All about contributing in some way I guess.

I think the NZ tour is going to be a lot closer then previous contests and a true indication to how close some in that Aust team are to falling off that geriatric cliff, some folk on here, seem to refer to quite a bit.

If Smith is still around when Gazza retires Smith will probably make a pitch that he can drop down to 6 or 7 and reincarnate his spinning career, no need to promote a promising young spinner from the Sheffield Shield. Will probably say I've been working on my googlies and my arm ball using a tennis ball at 3 am in the hotel room.

DD, I can't  think of too many  31 yr old young promising spinners banging down the Aust test team door mate. Murphy, Sangha and Rocchiccioli perhaps, but they are all in their early 20's. So fair play to Smudge if he can do it....maybe Bancroft should start using that tennis ball training at 3 am you speak highly of.