Oz Watch 2016/17

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Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby from_the_stands » Mon Jul 25, 2016 2:45 am

With the tour away in Sri Lanka currently under way, and a home summer with three Tests each against South Africa and Pakistan, the Aussies have a very crowded schedule ahead of them. With a reasonably settled Test squad at present, injuries are always lurking, although since Twatto’s international retirement, that seems less of a problem. A few blokes are knocking on the door, with a few more maybe another 12 months away. Here are the candidates;

The A list – players who are ready and banging on the door.

Chris Lynn (Qld) 26, 2708 fc runs @ 44.39 (368 fc runs @ 36.80 in 15/16) Ok, it would be fair to say that I’ve had a boner for this bloke for some time. He’s the dog’s nuts and would surely come straight in if Voges retired, or any of the middle order sustained an injury. Lynn has been very unlucky with a couple of injuries.

Cameron Bancroft (WA) 23, 2494 fc runs @ 37.22 (732 fc runs @ 45.75 in 15/16) Cameron Bancroft would appear to be an opener in waiting. He was unlucky that the Bangladesh tour last year was called off. This kid has a big future.

Jason Behrendorff (WA) 26, 86 fc wkts @ 25.22 (9 fc wkts @ 22.22 in 15/16) Behrendorff’s season was once again ruined by injury. When fully fit, he is sensational. He’s going to be a star across a number of formats, I’m guessing.

Scott Boland (Vic) 27, 92 fc wkts @ 29.13 (33 fc wkts @ 23.93 in 15/16) Boland’s stocks rose rather sharply last season, culminating in a berth in the ODI squad. He plays district cricket for Frankston, so hopefully he doesn’t get car-jacked, or worse by living down that way.

Joe Mennie (SA) 27, 143 fc wkts @ 27.89 (51 fc wkts @ 21.21 in 15/16) Mennie is a transplanted New South Welshman who has been a revelation for SA. His call-up to the Aust A squad is well deserved. The leading wicket taker last season.

Sam Whiteman (WA) 24, 2058 fc runs @ runs @ 37.41 (377 fc runs @ 37.77 in 15/16) The only Pom on this list, Whiteman is the gloveman in waiting. He might have to wait a while, as pretty much most of his predecessors had to do. I’m a bit surprised that England didn’t come sniffing around.


The B list – players who are 12 months away or more.

Peter Handscomb (Vic) 25, 3225 fc runs @ 37.50 (784 fc runs @ 43.55 in 15/16) Handscomb seems to be the golden boy at the moment, especially now he has the armband for Oz A. David Saker raves about him, and I like him too. I just can’t see him getting a baggygreen until his fc averages rises above 40. A repeat of last years’ stellar season could see that happen.

Travis Head (SA) 22, 26.07 @ 33.00 (721 fc runs @ 36.05 in 15/16) Travis Head is a bit of a shooting star, but would seem to be out of the picture with a low career average. Still, he’s young and has years ahead of him, and bats at the Adelaide Oval for much of the season.

Jake Lehmann (SA) 24, 768 fc runs @ 42.66 (623 fc runs @ 44.50 in 15/16) The son of Boof actually looks very good. Keep an eye on this fella.

Kurtis Patterson (NSW) 23, 1702 fc runs @ 39.58 (737 fc runs @ 52.64 in 15/16) Absolutely carved it up for the Blues last season, this kid is another to keep an eye on.

Joel Paris (WA) 23, 35 wkts @ 19.57 This fella looks very promising.

Jordan Silk (Tas) 24, 1455 fc runs @ 30.95 I haven’t given up on Silk just yet. He was dropped by Tassie last season, and really needs to forget about opening. Has played for Aust A previously and is absolutely sublime in the field.


Oz team in 5 years;

Cameron Bancroft
Usman Khawaja (v/c)
Chris Lynn
Steve Smith ©
Peter Handscomb
Mitchell Marsh
Sam Whiteman
Mitchell Starc
James Pattinson
Josh Hazlewood
Nathan Lyon

Kurtis Patterson
Travis Dean
Scott Boland
A quickie from NSW (sigh)
A spinner from NSW (sigh)

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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby Arthur Crabtree » Wed Jul 27, 2016 12:40 am

Is Pat Cummins out of the picture?
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby sussexpob » Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:33 am

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Is Pat Cummins out of the picture?


There were mumblings in the last Ashes tour that he couldnt get fit, and either sometime at the end of the tour or not long after he was diagnosed with another stress fracture to the same area of his back that had gone in 2012. I dont think he has played since the tour matches in 2015, and isnt expected to be fit still for a while.

For a lower 20's fast bowler to have had two lengthy spells with injuries to the back, you have to assume his career is all but over? Which is very sad, but one has to be brutal and say he has very little chance of ever maintaining a career at the top level.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby sussexpob » Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:39 am

As for the team FTS that you suggest.

Is Pattinson fully fit again? I know he came back to the end of the Aussie summer, but isnt he another one that has played hardly any cricket in the last 2-3 years? He looked the real deal against a NZ team that were blown away (in SA too at around the same time), but I am doubtful since that he has ever looked that good after. That might be fitness, but to be he looks like another Brett Lee type of bowler that will get pounded around for runs on those days he is erratic.

Mitchell Starc is another that I am interested in, because in Starc Australia have one of the few pace bowlers in the world that justifies selection in all three formats. Having been a young un with probably already 100 internationals to his name and IPL experience, the question is how long can he last aswell? He has potential to be a world beater, but Australia really need to manage his load well if they want him there in 5 years (unbelieveably, he is now 26, I still thought he was 22-23!!).
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby sussexpob » Wed Jul 27, 2016 8:52 am

As for the others, I believe Peter Handscomb had a large part of 2015 in Bristol and didnt register a county 100 in a fairly indicative sample of games playing in Division 2. While that isnt indicative in itself, I believe the problem that Australia will have in the coming years is when they go away to teams with decent bowling attacks, on pitches that do something.

Australian pitches have turned into roads in recent years, so while these guys might stand up to scoring mega runs at home, we have seen how those players stood up to even marginally swing balls and seam in England last time. If Australia want to beat England at home in the next decade, they really need to be sending more of these guys to the counties to get experience of playing the moving ball more.

Khawaja is a perfect example. Averages over 70 at home, but away he has looked terrible. In fact I remember that Lords test in 2013 where the commentators were talking like they felt sorry for him. His technique wasnt good enough, and he ended up after three matches trying to slog his way to starts and getting out. If you had told me at that point in 2016 he would be averaging 50 in tests, Id laugh at you, but the fact is even the apparent better players in the world like Steve Smith look technically rubbish when confronted by a pitch that isnt totally flat and a bowler is half decent.

Not that Australia are an isolated case here, and England's batting line up are experiencing the same problems. Australia always have the natural advantage that more of their players can move to domestic cricket in England and India, and Cricket Australia should be encouraging these guys outside the national setup to be playing abroad much more.

Final point.... will Mitch Marsh really be in the test team in 5 years time. I really dont see the appeal, not a great bowler, not a great batsman

Thanks for the article btw.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby Making_Splinters » Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:53 pm

sussexpob wrote:As for the others, I believe Peter Handscomb had a large part of 2015 in Bristol and didnt register a county 100 in a fairly indicative sample of games playing in Division 2. While that isnt indicative in itself, I believe the problem that Australia will have in the coming years is when they go away to teams with decent bowling attacks, on pitches that do something.

Australian pitches have turned into roads in recent years, so while these guys might stand up to scoring mega runs at home, we have seen how those players stood up to even marginally swing balls and seam in England last time. If Australia want to beat England at home in the next decade, they really need to be sending more of these guys to the counties to get experience of playing the moving ball more.

Khawaja is a perfect example. Averages over 70 at home, but away he has looked terrible. In fact I remember that Lords test in 2013 where the commentators were talking like they felt sorry for him. His technique wasnt good enough, and he ended up after three matches trying to slog his way to starts and getting out. If you had told me at that point in 2016 he would be averaging 50 in tests, Id laugh at you, but the fact is even the apparent better players in the world like Steve Smith look technically rubbish when confronted by a pitch that isnt totally flat and a bowler is half decent.

Not that Australia are an isolated case here, and England's batting line up are experiencing the same problems. Australia always have the natural advantage that more of their players can move to domestic cricket in England and India, and Cricket Australia should be encouraging these guys outside the national setup to be playing abroad much more.

Final point.... will Mitch Marsh really be in the test team in 5 years time. I really dont see the appeal, not a great bowler, not a great batsman

Thanks for the article btw.


Khawaja played half a season for us a few years back and hardly set the world on fire in the LVCC, averaged low 30s I think.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby from_the_stands » Wed Aug 17, 2016 12:22 am

The situation with Cummins is grim. I'd say that his red ball career is over, which is a real shame. With Pattinson, he'll have to be managed carefully because he can't seem to perform in back-to-back Tests. I can see Australia adopting a rotation just for him. On Mitch Marsh, honestly, I'd drop him from the Test team for now, let him work on his game for a couple of years and bring him back in when he's ready. And with Peter Handscomb, I wouldn't be surprised to see him as part of next years' tour to India.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby yuppie » Tue Sep 13, 2016 8:02 am

Who would you bring in the replace Mitch though? His brother who's last test would suggest that he will go to India next year. Bailey, again with India in mind, or a long shot in Faulkner, though 6 would be to high for him.

FTS have you had a look at Swepson? Another Mitchell so that has to be a good thing.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby Making_Splinters » Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:53 pm

What ever happened to Nic Maddinson? He was viewed as an almost certainty to open for Australia a few years ago but rarely gets mentioned by fans these days. Didn't he play for Australia A fairly recently?
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby Alviro Patterson » Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:44 am

from_the_stands wrote:
Jake Lehmann (SA) 24, 768 fc runs @ 42.66 (623 fc runs @ 44.50 in 15/16) The son of Boof actually looks very good. Keep an eye on this fella.



He is the real deal, though does get out by chasing an attacking stroke when the situation isn't warranted. Would love to see Lehmann have another stint at Yorkshire next year (probably 1st half of season in case if he does get a baggy green in the Bangladesh home series).
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby sussexpob » Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:19 pm

Alviro Patterson wrote:
from_the_stands wrote:
Jake Lehmann (SA) 24, 768 fc runs @ 42.66 (623 fc runs @ 44.50 in 15/16) The son of Boof actually looks very good. Keep an eye on this fella.



He is the real deal, though does get out by chasing an attacking stroke when the situation isn't warranted. Would love to see Lehmann have another stint at Yorkshire next year (probably 1st half of season in case if he does get a baggy green in the Bangladesh home series).


I think we had him for a bit in the Second team, and he did terribly.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby sussexpob » Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:27 pm

Making_Splinters wrote:What ever happened to Nic Maddinson? He was viewed as an almost certainty to open for Australia a few years ago but rarely gets mentioned by fans these days. Didn't he play for Australia A fairly recently?


Yeah, and I think he scored very well against India A. I think he hit a couple of 100's....

As for reasons why he isnt there..... averaged in the twenties in 2 of the last 3 Aussie summers..... and people failing to score runs on those pitches in recent years are not very good.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby shankycricket » Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:17 pm

I hope Bancroft and Handscomb will be in the party to India next year. Also need a new spinner in Asia. Lyon is pretty useless in these conditions.
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby from_the_stands » Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:18 pm

A few thoughts on the newbies coming in for the Adelaide Test;

Peter Handscomb - well deserved. He's been carving it up for a couple of years now, and is ready. He'll bat at 5 and should do really well there.
Matt Renshaw - TBH, a bit lucky. He does have a good fc average, but it seems he's only been on the scene for 5 minutes. I'd have moved Khawaja up to open, and similarly moved Smith up to 3.
Nic Maddinson - another one who's a bit lucky, IMHO. I do like him as a batsman, but there were better candidates at this time.
Chadd Sayers - Fully deserves his chance and should do well on his home ground.

The XI I'd like to have seen for the Adelaide Test;

Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Kurtis Patterson/Jake Lehmann
Cameron White
Sam Whiteman
Mitchell Starc
Josh Hazlewood
Chadd Sayers
Jon Holland
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Re: Oz Watch 2016/17

Postby The Professor » Fri Nov 25, 2016 9:15 pm

In my opinion Australia have three solid batsmen: Smith, Warner and Khawaja (in order of dependability) and two solid bowlers in Starc and Hazlewood.

Handscomb is in the maybe pile for me as is Nevill.

All the rest are very dubious.
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