1st Test: Australia v South Africa at Perth on Nov 3-7, 2016

[Meth]

With the 4 best quicks they have, RSA have IMO the best pace attack around, but Starc and Hazelwood are excellent, and home advantage is huge for Australia - I think Australians miss that a bit - for everyone else playing in Australia is tougher (or as tough) than it is for Australia playing on the sub-continent

Add Morkel and this is their best 4, isn't it? Steyn, Philander, Morkel and Rabada

 

[JJ]

Add Morkel and this is their best 4, isn't it? Steyn, Philander, Morkel and Rabada

Yep - I think Morkel's not 100% at the moment, shame as he's a handful

 

[Meth]

I know that we have definitely traditionally struggled especially on Day 1 of the first Test in Australia.

 

[Meth]

Yep - I think Morkel's not 100% at the moment, shame as he's a handful

And complements Steyn and Philander well. I don't know what his record in Perth is like, but it seems like his kind of pitch

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

I know Khawaja has gone through a little bit of patch and Sri Lanka wasn't his best series, as was the case for Burns...but aide from that, why the lack of confidence around the Aussie batting at the moment?

For me its the amount of times we completely drop our bundle and go from being 0 or 1 for 70+ and being all out for less than 200. That and we seem determined to persists with a bowling all rounder at 6 even though the bowling is not where we need the assistance....

On that point if we can get Pattinson or Cummings back to anywhere near what they are capable of and combine that with Starc and Haze we will have a hell of a bowling attack..

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Australia, like all teams at the moment are fantastic on home pitches but go missing away. That said only the truly great teams of the past won consistently away from home. Likewise only the greatest players do as well away as they do at home.

Warner is the best example in the current side. He averages 60+ at home with 12 centuries.
Away? Average is barely 40 with two centuries. This Perth pitch is almost perfect for his game and why he scores buckets here - if you get a bit of bat on it it will fly away. Good luck to him.

No doubt we will do very well in the Australian summer and every man and his dog will yahoo how great the whole 11 is when really only 3 or 4 (smith, starc, hazelgood, maybe Warner) will replicate their performances overseas.

But as I said that is world cricket at the moment.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

If someone told you yesterday morning that SA would be all out for 240-ish and Aust 0/105 at stumps, you'd take that? Wouldn't you?

 

[Incorrect]

And compliments Steyn and Philander well.

Does he? What does he say to them?

"Hey Dale, those tattoo's of yours are awesome bru!! Yo Vernon, You rock man!"

 

[Meth]

For me its the amount of times we completely drop our bundle and go from being 0 or 1 for 70+ and being all out for less than 200. That and we seem determined to persists with a bowling all rounder at 6 even though the bowling is not where we need the assistance....

On that point if we can get Pattinson or Cummings back to anywhere near what they are capable of and combine that with Starc and Haze we will have a hell of a bowling attack..

So, 3, 4, 5 then....or is that too much of an oversimplification? I read a stat on cricinfo that Australia (at home) have the highest average of any other team over the past year (at home) for the first wicket. 73 odd. About 40 odd ahead of the next team (us)....a bit of a meaningless stat on account of all of the qualifications, but does that transfer the blame onto your 3, 4 and 5 and, in particular, Khawaja and Voges?

 

[Meth]

Does he? What does he say to them?

"Hey Dale, those tattoo's of yours are awesome bru!! Yo Vernon, You rock man!"

brilliant stuff

 

[Meth]

For what its worth, I feel like I still don't know whether Mitchell Marsh is supposed to be a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder, but he has the potential to be a decent #6. Nevill has had a lean year, but has shown a lot of potential and obviously Starc is a decent #8- one of the better ones on the world stage currently.

 

[hineyrulz]

Can't believe how short they bowled last night, when they did pitch it up they looked far more threatening.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

So, 3, 4, 5 then....or is that too much of an oversimplification? I read a stat on cricinfo that Australia (at home) have the highest average of any other team over the past year (at home) for the first wicket. 73 odd. About 40 odd ahead of the next team (us)....a bit of a meaningless stat on account of all of the qualifications, but does that transfer the blame onto your 3, 4 and 5 and, in particular, Khawaja and Voges?

Id say its more that once we are 3/4 down MMash isn't a number 6 which just adds extra pressure on Neville who while serviceable is there to take catches, Basically we are a batter short!. Sure our tendency to play stupid shots at the worst possible time and losing wickets in bunches doesn't help but I think with our 3-5 it seems more of a temperament and patience issue than a skill problem.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

For what its worth, I feel like I still don't know whether Mitchell Marsh is supposed to be a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder, but he has the potential to be a decent #6. Nevill has had a lean year, but has shown a lot of potential and obviously Starc is a decent #8- one of the better ones on the world stage currently.

He could be a decent 6 at home however to me he's a bowling all rounder... I guess the question is if you play him in Siddle's spot who bowls his overs? or if your playing your best 6 bats and best 4 bowlers do you need a 5th option? personally with the strength of our bowling at the moment I would say no

 

[hineyrulz]

Marsh isn't good enough to bat in the top 6 or good enough to play as a bowler. He shouldn't be in the side if we had a keeper that could bat like Gilly we could carry him but we don't. He shouldn't be there its as simple as that. This obsession with an All rounder since Flintoff owned us in 05 is laughable. In our long test history only Miller was good enough to do what they are trying to do with Marsh.

 

[Meth]

He could be a decent 6 at home however to me he's a bowling all rounder... I guess the question is if you play him in Siddle's spot who bowls his overs? or if your playing your best 6 bats and best 4 bowlers do you need a 5th option? personally with the strength of our bowling at the moment I would say no

Marsh is easily a good enough 5th bowler. Is Smith? For the sake of 15 overs or so...and if so, who is at 6?

 

[Meth]

Marsh isn't good enough to bat in the top 6 or good enough to play as a bowler. He shouldn't be in the side if we had a keeper that could bat like Gilly we could carry him but we don't. He shouldn't be there its as simple as that. This obsession with an All rounder since Flintoff owned us in 05 is laughable. In our long test history only Miller was good enough to do what they are trying to do with Marsh.

Yeah, I have always had an issue with the allrounder that can kind of bowl and kind of bat. We have a fascination with those too.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

Marsh is easily a good enough 5th bowler. Is Smith? For the sake of 15 overs or so...and if so, who is at 6?

Like I said I agree with Hiney f**k the 5th bowler/all rounder and play a proper batsmen at 6.. preferably one who can play spin... who that is I'm not sure.

 

[Meth]

I should qualify what I said. He's easily a good enough 5th bowler if you are looking for someone who can bowl a few overs for not all that many and maybe snag a wicket. He doesn't tend to bowl any more than 10 and when he does he can get a bit more expensive.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

yeah exactly, which to me just confirms what Hiney said which is he's not good enough for 6 or the 8 spot.