2024 - 2025 Summer of Cricket

I stopped going to SCG tests because the pitches were dead and the test matches were boring bat-athons.

This test match was brilliant to watch. The Indians were happy that the wicket would produce a result and gave them the possibility of drawing the series.

The SCG groundstaff will learn from this and future wickets will produce a fairer contest between bat and ball.
 
Konstas reminds me alot of Warner when he first started. Raw, powerful and needing to balance out scoring with staying @ the crease.

Webster looks even better than green ( in 1 match of course) good spot to have.

I think Khwaja and Labu are on borrowed time.
 
EASBay17 said:
He will probably hang on until the wtc final mid year, we really need him for the sri lanka tour at the end of the month though, very tough conditions in Galle.
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We drew the last series against Sri Lanka over there, so it will be a challenging series.
 
Cooper Connolly, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann added to the squad for the 2 tests against Sri Lanka. Steve Smith named as captain.

Connolly is a good prospect, he is a left handed batsman who bowls left arm orthodox, but I think he has been added to the squad to gain experience.

I am happy with this squad, things look to be falling into place for the visit of the old enemy next summer.


www.cricket.com.au

WA youngster Connolly bolts into Test squad for Sri Lanka tour | cricket.com.au

McSweeney and Kuhnemann also recalled in 16-man squad to be led by Steve Smith
www.cricket.com.au www.cricket.com.au
 
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Lefty said:
Cooper Connolly, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy and Matt Kuhnemann added to the squad for the 2 tests against Sri Lanka. Steve Smith named as captain.

Connolly is a good prospect, he is a left handed batsman who bowls left arm orthodox, but I think he has been added to the squad to gain experience.

I am happy with this squad, things look to be falling into place for the visit of the old enemy next summer.


www.cricket.com.au

WA youngster Connolly bolts into Test squad for Sri Lanka tour | cricket.com.au

McSweeney and Kuhnemann also recalled in 16-man squad to be led by Steve Smith
www.cricket.com.au www.cricket.com.au
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I think connoly may be picked for the first test, left arm orthodox adds a real point of difference to the attack especially in asia, from his small sample size in shield i think he is averaging around 60 with the bat aswell. Wouldnt shock me at all to see him get a start.
 
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Id go
-Uzman
-Mcsweeney/head (konstas imo isnt mentally ready for sri lanka)
-Marnus
-smith
- head/mcsweeney
-webster
- connolly
- carey
-Starc
- lyon
- kuhnaman


Id carry 2 seamers one full time one part time. 3 spinners who all bowl different (left arm orth, leg spin, off spin) plus you have head who took 4/10 in his last outing in sri lanka.
I would also be tempted to switch mcsweeney and head in that lineup and have head open as he did in the last series in india.
 
Sri Lanka can definitely take swing and seam these days, depending on the pitch (I assume both tests are at Galle? It seems to be the only place they can afford to play test cricket these days).

When NZ were there late last year Will O’Rourke took 8/104 in the first test. But then in the second test virtually every wicket was taken with spin. So it’s important to go into the matches with an open mind, based on the look of the pitch.
 
EASBay17 said:
Id go
-Uzman
-Mcsweeney/head (konstas imo isnt mentally ready for sri lanka)
-Marnus
-smith
- head/mcsweeney
-webster
- connolly
- carey
-Starc
- lyon
- kuhnaman


Id carry 2 seamers one full time one part time. 3 spinners who all bowl different (left arm orth, leg spin, off spin) plus you have head who took 4/10 in his last outing in sri lanka.
I would also be tempted to switch mcsweeney and head in that lineup and have head open as he did in the last series in india.
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It will be very interesting to see the team named to play in the first test, there are many options available to the selectors

Left arm orth bowlers are very successful in Sri Lanka. It’s a good opportunity for Kuhnemann.

There are only 3 days between the 2 tests, if they use the same wicket, the spinners will dominate the game.

Australia will also play a 3 tests in the West Indies after the World Test Campionship in June, so we have plenty of opportunities to resolve our team selection before next summer.
 
Lefty said:
It will be very interesting to see the team named to play in the first test, there are many options available to the selectors

Left arm orth bowlers are very successful in Sri Lanka. It’s a good opportunity for Kuhnemann.

There are only 3 days between the 2 tests, if they use the same wicket, the spinners will dominate the game.

Australia will also play a 3 tests in the West Indies after the World Test Campionship in June, so we have plenty of opportunities to resolve our team selection before next summer.
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I’m pretty sure they used different pitches for the NZ games … not sure they’d even be allowed to re-use the same pitch. But obviously either way the pitch for the second test will have just spent five days baking in the sun, so it will definitely be a spinning wicket.
 
I'm most excited about the new faces around the team. Our best are ageing and alot that have been used in the last 5 or so years haven't forced their way to be main stays.

I looks like the middle order and hopefully the opening bats are covered with youth. Do we have anyone that looks like they can step into the 3&4 spots in the next few years? (Especially the 3).
 
jamesgould said:
I’m pretty sure they used different pitches for the NZ games … not sure they’d even be allowed to re-use the same pitch. But obviously either way the pitch for the second test will have just spent five days baking in the sun, so it will definitely be a spinning wicket.
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You can reuse, pakistan did it v england a few months back.
 
Treadly said:
I'm most excited about the new faces around the team. Our best are ageing and alot that have been used in the last 5 or so years haven't forced their way to be main stays.

I looks like the middle order and hopefully the opening bats are covered with youth. Do we have anyone that looks like they can step into the 3&4 spots in the next few years? (Especially the 3).
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Green’s best spot is a 4. McSweeney bats at 4 or 3, but I’m concerned about his strike rate. There is no obvious candidate for the 3 spot at present.
 
EASBay17 said:
You can reuse, pakistan did it v england a few months back.
Click to expand...
Forgot about that. Madness!

This two tests in a row at the same ground thing is really sad to see, but I guess if it’s the only way countries can afford to play them, then what choice is there.

See it looks like there will be even more test series between Aus, England and India with this new two tier proposal. Not great for other countries for whom those tours are one of their few big financial paydays … both ticket sales and tv rights to the away side.

Also ridiculous if we are leaving Bangladesh out of the top tier, they are a legitimate quality side in all formats. And a huge market! And didn’t West Indies just win in Australia?
 
They should ban reusing a wicket where two successive tests are being played at the same venue.

A 2 tier system for test cricket with six teams in the top tier with promotion and relegation from the top tier and top tier countries being required to play the tier 2 sides in their home countries every 4 years sounds good to me. It means the top counties will play each other more often and the tier 2 sides can gain promotion to tier 1 if they are good enough.
 
Lefty said:
They should ban reusing a wicket where two successive tests are being played at the same venue.

A 2 tier system for test cricket with six teams in the top tier with promotion and relegation from the top tier and top tier countries being required to play the tier 2 sides in their home countries every 4 years sounds good to me. It means the top counties will play each other more often and the tier 2 sides can gain promotion to tier 1 if they are good enough.
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Only six teams? So that would be Aus, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, NZ ... even Pakistan wouldn't make the cut if it was top six? Or possibly NZ or Sri Lanka?

Teams in that second tier will die even faster than they are at the moment. I could see the game falling apart here if NZ were left out, who would bother going to or watching games if we were never testing ourselves against the top tier? How sad would that be for test cricket. Wouldn't take long before it's just the much hoped for top three who play endlessly, I'm sure!
 
jamesgould said:
Only six teams? So that would be Aus, England, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, NZ ... even Pakistan wouldn't make the cut if it was top six? Or possibly NZ or Sri Lanka?

Teams in that second tier will die even faster than they are at the moment. I could see the game falling apart here if NZ were left out, who would bother going to or watching games if we were never testing ourselves against the top tier? How sad would that be for test cricket. Wouldn't take long before it's just the much hoped for top three who play endlessly, I'm sure!
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The tier 2 sides would play each of the tier 1 sides at home each 4 years and they would play each of the tier 2 sides home and away.

Funding the tier 2 sides is an issue now, which needs to be properly addressed whatever is done.
 
An interesting article where Steve Smith talks about the Sri Lankan tests.

The article contains a graph showing that left arm spinners have taken wickets in Sri Lanka at an average of 27.86 and at a strike rate of 56.3 since 2010 compared to all other bowlers averaging 35.44 at a strike rate of 66.3 over the same period. Us lefties can be very useful!

www.smh.com.au

‘They can say what they want’: Smith excited with Test captaincy return

Steve Smith is ready to again take on the second most important job in Australia.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au
 
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