The battle is hours away

© Getty Images

The first Test is not long away now, single digit hours now with the countdown for a Test series which will determine which team walks away as the number one ranked team as it was in 2008 but much has changed since then.

However, this is not the primary focus as history will remind us that each and every session between these two teams is a battle in itself which is as mentally draining for the players as it is for the supporters - especially when waking up at 1 or 2 am in the morning!

The fact remains that the objective since Michael Clarke took over the captaincy, with a more established side and support staff, was that the team wanted to regain the spot as the number 1 ranked Test side having fallen from such great heights. The fact the boys are so close to this is admirable and a series win will snatch the title away from the Proteas, a very well established side with comfortable balance. Maintaining that rank is another ball game.

The weather doesn't look great for the Test but it looks likely that we'll see four fast bowlers take to the field with the batsmen geared up and ready to go. I am content with this mix and I do think it will be a good move. We may say that it is always good to have a spinner in the side but we shouldn't kid ourselves. The role is nowhere near as vital as it once was and at the Gabba I wouldn't be losing sleep over it. The decision is a good one.

I also know Dr. Sherylle Calder has been with the side to assist with her experience and skills as a eye-hand specialist and world renowned Sports Scientist. I had the honor of meeting and interviewing her for educational purposes with her earlier this year and was able to recommend.

It's good that since the Argus Review new and bold steps have been taken to try and strengthen the transition period.
With Justin Langer looking like a the possible new coach for Western Australia there is no doubt in my mind that he will be giving it 100% in his final summer with the side and I hope all the different attitudes, ideas and experience will mold strongly.

There is some exciting news tomorrow.

Rob "Bobby" Quiney will be making his debut as Baggy Green #429.

It is an occasion that always gives me goosebumps when a player joins the great legacy of Australian cricket and is given a chance to create their own chapter in such a great book of legendary players and sides.

Rob has no record like that of many players who broke into the Australian team at his age during the teams peak, nor does he have the perceived experience as many players had then debuting at his age. The fact is the State landscape has changed for batting.

As it was with our bowling four years ago when taking on the Proteas, this time around we see it with our batting stocks. Fortunately though Bobby had an immaculate run last season and his call up is as a result of recognition for his input during that season which was one of consistency. He performances against The Proteas for Australia A justified his position having had an average start to the season, as it's been with the majority of the batsmen.

Only one batsman since the 2008 Allan Border Medal awards who won the State Cricketer of the Year award has represented Australia in Test cricket, and that is Usman Khawaja. It is a good call that the selectors have acknowledged this award the Bobby achieved last season.

With Shane Watson out of the side this is maybe the opening that was needed for a fresh guy to come in and try claim the number three role in an environment which will be as hostile as it can be. A true test.

My concern for many batsmen is that they don't have the temperament to maintain their game at the elite level and the averages and general team totals in the Sheffield Shield reflect this.
The unquestionable element is that the conditions have begun to favour bowlers along with "result tailored" wickets.

If anything it provides a more challenging environment for batsmen where they need to develop and enhance the true skill required to succeed in Test cricket. The conditions are not ideal but it has the chance to make our emerging batsmen tougher and batsmen like Alex Doolan, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Phil Hughes and Callum Ferguson have shown glimpses of this season but still require consistency.

Bobby has the chance to take on a role that is still covered by the shadow of Ricky Ponting who is now finding himself as a middle order batsman in his final years of playing alongside Michael Hussey.

David Warner and Ed Cowan have come out backing themselves to play their "natural games" and "attack" but bottom line is they also need to find compatibility in their partnership which will benefit Bobby should he find himself in a positive position come the end of this series.

With a total of 724 runs at 42.58 in 2010/11 and 938 runs at 49.36 last season he should have no reason to doubt himself and as supporters we should not be doubting him either. He deserves his call up and averaging close to 50 is what we need from State batsmen. I don't think he can afford to have doubt as a player about to debut against South Africa. Not exactly a mini challenge!

In 90 First-Class innings he has only scored 7 centuries and 16 half centuries but his recent form and self discovery as a cricketer is what counts and I will be rooting for him loudly and proudly.

I am wishing Baggy Green #429 the very best with his opportunity.

Overall a lot is at stake this series which includes pride!
The series loss in 2008/09 hurt and we will not want to see the boys drop their guard and let the Proteas into the fort too easily. The lack of match preparations as a side would be my number one concern but if all aspects of our game come together and the synergy ignites then I have little doubt in our side. If anything I don't there is too much separating the sides on their day.

Bottom line is our batsmen need to step up and this will be tough against a bowling unit that gets open eyes upon their performances. Yet our bowling unit is capable of serious destruction as well and with runs on the board it will give them more to work with (too often getting us out jail) but they still have stiff competition against The Proteas, far more than that of India last summer.

With hours to go all I can say is bring it on and may the battle be bloody intense!

My prediction? What do you expect me to say? Victory to the Baggy Greens. Come on boys!

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo

The missing class

Just a decade ago, many Australian fans and most importantly the selectors could name a handful of batting replacements to fill in or even take over the spots of the current batting lineup. How things have changed in the space of a decade with no player in their late 20′s knocking the door down for selection.

When talking about unlucky batsmen from the past decade in Australian cricket, names such as Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Phil Jaques, Michael Bevan, Chris Rogers, Martin Love and Michael Di Venuto were mentioned. A decade ago these were the players putting pressure on the incumbents with their First Class averages well above 45. The thing each of these guys have in common apart from missing the boat in regards to Test cricket is each of them were in their late 20s a decade ago.

Back then the selectors and fans were debating over whether to pick a young promising player such as Michael Clarke and Shane Watson or go with the guys mentioned above. Times have changed substantially since then with no such luxury for the current selectors. The batsmen in their late 20s have First Class averages between 35-40 and while there are some promising youngsters on the scene, they have not been able to established themselves at Test level yet.

If we go back to the 2005/06 season where the batsmen in their late 20s now would have been in their early 20s, Mark Cosgrove made 736 runs at 66.9, George Bailey 778 runs at 43.22, Shaun Marsh 676 runs at 37.55, Callum Ferguson 506 runs at  36.14 and Cameron White 482 runs at 30.12.

2006/07 was awful for the guys mentioned above with Cosgrove the best of the lot with 703 runs at 37. Andrew McDonald actually made a fair amount of runs this season which I did not pick up on previously with 750 runs at 57.69.

The 2007/08 season showed some promise with Luke Pomersbach putting his name on the radar with 743 runs at 61.91 and it was also Philip Hughes’ first season where he ended up with 559 runs at 62.11. Shaun Marsh and Cameron White also put in some solid numbers and interesting enough neither of them would play this amount of games again (7 and 9 respectively). McDonald backed up his previous season with a solid 545 at 49.54.

2008/09 saw the emergence of the other young leftie who is currently in the Australian setup in Usman Khawaja. Hughes had a massive second year to back up his first one while White had another solid season but like Khawaja and Hughes, he did not play enough games to push the 1000 run barrier. Pomersbach copped the second year syndrome, from which he would never recapture the heights of his 07/08 season. McDonald was not required as much this season but still produced 356 runs at 44.5. The thing to notice is his lack of 100s which was noticeable when he was picked for Australia.

The next season was our first sighting of Steven Smith who had a mammoth season with four hundreds for 772 runs at 77.2. Hughes also had a big year almost cracking the 1000 run barrier and Khawaja backed up his first season. This was also Peter Forrest’s first noticeable production.

The mark of the new decade also brought about a change in the run scorers. Gone were Martin Love and Brad Hodge and the veterans left struggled with age appearing to catch up with them. Two seasons have gone in this new decade with a lack of big runs and no batsmen has crossed the 1000 run barrier since the 2008/09 season. McDonald may well have cracked this mark if he did not get injured after he started the season with a bang with 458 runs from 8 innings including 3 hundreds at an average of 76.33.

Of the players I mentioned who are in their late 20s now, Mark Cosgrove is the only one that has a respectable First Class record. Shaun Marsh has been producing runs in the past few seasons but his lack of matches either through injury or national duty has meant he is still yet to play a full season and his First Class average is well below 40. Cameron White is in the same boat however his First Class average is acceptable at 40 but his recent demotion from the National setup coupled with a lackluster return in Shield cricket means White won’t be adding to his test tally anytime soon.

George Bailey has been consistent in producing season averages of 40 but this season is the first time he has cracked an average of 50 and this is reflected in his overall FC average which is almost dead on 40.

Callum Ferguson was one I thought could do a Michael Clarke and make up for his sub par First Class stats by stepping up at the next level. The signs were promising early with Ferguson averaging 41 in ODI cricket but the selectors never pulled the trigger in taking a punt on him in the Test arena and since then Ferguson has struggled to put any sort of numbers up. All things considered, his First Class stats are even poorer when you consider his home ground is the Adelaide Oval.

There are other names in their late 20s who have been producing recently such as Rob Quiney, Peter Forrest, Ed Cowan and Liam Davis but apart from Cowan none of them have a First Class average over 40. Andrew McDonald is another whose FC average has taken a battering due to his poor start to his career but from 06/07 onwards he has produced solid numbers in a strong Victorian batting lineup. It is a shame his 10/11 season got cut short else he might be in the frame right now.

It is clear players from the class of early 2000s have not lived up to the hype and failed to kick on like many would have hoped. George Bailey and Peter Forrest are next in line for the Australian batting lineup which shows how far the standards have dropped as apart from this season (2011/12) and 09/10 for Cowan neither has made an significant impression in the runs department during their First Class cricket span.

There is still hope that the current youngsters on the scene will bring Australia back to the glory days where batsmen like David Hussey, Martin Love and co could be left out and the side still remained strong.

In around 5 years Philip Hughes, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Joe Burns, Chris Lynn and Tom Cooper (Netherlands/ South Australia) will be in their late 20s and one can only hope they kick on and don’t follow their predecessors.

Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Sylvester.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.

TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo