TOPIC:

Could Will Sutherland finally be that all-rounder we have been crying out for since the days of Keith Miller?! (I wont put any pressure on our own boy Cam Green)

Folk tend to forget Usman is pretty good on Aust pitches...been top 3 for Aust run wise for last few years....Warner Renshaw Khawaja Smith Handscombe Head/Lynn should keep Eng at bay....Anderson and Broad are getting on.....cant see any of the Eng bowler newbies having sustained success in an Aust summer on their debut down under tour.....touch wood Stokes catches whatever batting disease Mitch Marsh has....Bairstow is my biggest worry...seems to make runs most innings

freezin: good judgment on Bairstow, he has been making a lot of runs lately. The Australian pace attack may try and bounce him out if there is any pace in the pitiches here this summer. These days though, as you know, having pace in pitches is a big 'if' for Australian cricket.

I must admit to moderately enjoying the WI strugglling on the cricket field given what we had to endure in the past. In particular, I don't remember losing twenty wickets in a day to the WI fast bowlers.

There is no doubt about the greatness of jimmy in his old conditions. Perhaps England could consider playing him in home tests alone to ensure his longevity as he gets older?

That Test just completed was nothing short of inept by the West Indies. I cannot believe how far they have fallen in first class cricket from those frightening sides of the late 70s-80s-early 90s!

Yes the WI have strugglled for years. Mind you, with Lehmann around I don't hold out much hope for Australia to be honest. Did you see he has written an open letter to the cricket fraternity asking for 'help'?

I have actually got some advice for him in realtion to the tour of East Pakistan. When bowlling a spinner in practic replace the white plastic chair in the short square leg position with a proper fieldsman.

ArkRoyal wrote: gtr: we would of strugglled. The only one with a hope would of been the captain, Smith, whom plays off the back foot and does not reach for the ball. He played very well in very dodgy conditions in Hobart against some good bowllers. Cook and Stokes played very well, Root was got out by a good ball. Where have they been hiding Westley?

All-rounders are a funny thing, as you know gtr, it depends how you define the term. If it is defined as someone whom would make the side as a batsman or a bowller, as I would define it, it narrows the field; Stokes, for example, would not get in England's side as a bowller. This is why you are right to always remind me of the true greatness of Sir Ian Botham and Jaques Kallis.

Kallis was a great player Ark but not sure he would have made the SA side as a bowler alone. True great all rounders could play as a batsman or bowler. Botham, Sobers, Kapil Dev (maybe), Keith Miller.