Australian 1st innings: 4/297 from 90.0 overs
Shaun Marsh 122*, Steven Smith 91*Dale Steyn 2-54
Toss: South Africa won the toss and Graeme Smith elected to bowl first.
When Shaun Marsh was dropped on 12 by Hashim Amla, diving to his left at gully, our selectors were probably the most relieved men in the cricket world. As he changed gears he showcased the class we all know he is capable of displaying, and repaid the faith from the selectors to score his second Test century, his first since his debut two and a half years ago in Sri Lanka.
Based on selection for Test cricket, Shaun hadn't ticked all the boxes, which I was skeptical about and it takes a bit for me to think otherwise of any player, especially one who has a Test century and bats with real class when in form.
However, even though a player needs luck, he now has 122 runs under his belt and stepped up immensely when we so badly needed it. At 2-24 when he came out, it could have been a collapse orchestrated for Brad Haddin to save. Instead we're 4/297.
The Proteas would have been on their toes to take all 10 wickets of ours on day 1, usually the objective when you decide to bowl first. Instead they only managed four, which just backed Michael Clarke's intentions to have had a bat either way.
Well done Shaun!
Prior to this game, he was cast out with a calf muscle injury having been named in the original squad. Shane Watson was then ruled out with injury, and following the Big Bash final (won by the Perth Scorchers who Marsh represents) he was recalled to the side. He arrived in South Africa on Sunday and, according to Steven Smith, may still very well be working through a last bit of jetlag. This little back story is a list of reasons as to why this century is so important to our team, but to Shaun as well.
Phillip Hughes will now feel the decision was well justified at present to go with Shaun. He seemed genuinely chuffed clapping on the sidelines as Shaun brought up his century.
Steven Smith came of age during the 3rd Test at the WACA against England, but this was another sign of the mans game maturing to an elite level. Reminding me a fair bit of Steve Waugh's career trends.
He has 91* and the way himself and Shaun handled the second new ball (from what I managed to see) was outstanding. They have a partnership of 199 runs with plenty of classy straight bat shots executed during this stand.
Smithy's running between the wickets was the highlight of the partnership for me. He pushed Shaun a fair bit but they worked hard and the energy in this respect was definitely noted. They were able to run hard and fatigue the South African fielders a fair bit as a result.
Alex Doolan (Baggy Green #437) made his debut and managed 27 runs before pulling late on a delivery off the bowling of Ryan McClaren. If you've followed a fair bit of Alex's First class career, you will know this is a trend for him. Strong starts that don't convert. Having written this, the nerves must have been intense for him and I feel he handled it very well. Only his first chance, so we'll see how he handles it second time around.
David Warner was aggressive and didn't take long to take a liking to Dale Steyn, who had a bit of a stomach issue. Davey's aggression was his downfall though as he chopped one on.
Chris Rogers, playing for the first time in South Africa (as well as visiting), never looked comfortable, especially against Vernon Philander's medium pacers. Morne Morkel removed him quickly. Hard to write this but Chris seemed to be a bit of a walking wicket out there. I know he will bounce back but it seemed as if the occasion got to him a bit.
Chris will probably find his stride soon enough. Takes a while to get going. He has the experience to know where to improve.
Graeme Smith seemed to make a tactical decision at the toss, a decision which seemed justified when he had us at 3-72, knowing their batting depth isn't as deep as ours and our first innings inconsistencies seen in the Ashes were there to be exploited by his pack of bowlers, but Marsh and Smith had other plans. Our batting is the perceived weakness and I feel Smith wanted to expose this through his bowlers.
Having also seen Robin Peterson and JP Duminy attempting to spin and get something from the track, there were a few moments where they actually found something there. Given Nathan Lyon is a far better bowler than either of them, I am eager to see if he can find something out there and tie down his end. I know the fast bowlers have had a lot of emphasis coming into this series, but I am eager to see how Gaz goes.
My final note of the day is how much I enjoyed Mitchell Johnson sitting with his feet up, just relaxing. The camera zoomed in on him, he realised it and he left the chair. He's been very quietly spoken this series, keeping to himself, which I really like. Mitch knows the game too well now, so it's all about action for him above words and reasoning.
Verdict: Day 1 goes to us, but there's still four days to go against an opponent who enjoys a good fight.
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.
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Showing posts with label Shaun Marsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shaun Marsh. Show all posts
12 February 2014
20 January 2014
2014 AB Medal & Australia Test Squad analysis
Having recently purchased my copy of the 2013/14 Ashes 5-0 victory on DVD, I can now relive the moments that saw our boys return the urn. I am now on another high as we have won the limited overs series, currently leading 3-0 with 2 matches remaining. It's been a splendid summer.
Some disturbing news has hit the cricket world, with a proposal from the super powers of cricket (in terms of the financial players) which may see a revamp of the ICC and the gradual destruction of competitive cricket of varied nature. The current model serving cricket is not the best solution, along with fixtures that do little to assist organisations to build demand and hype with supporters, but this recent one could dent the game beyond measure. I am very much about getting all the facts before having a thorough opinion, but here's a link to an article which should explain this recent burst of news.
Jarrod Kimber (Cricket with Balls) has summed up the issue by answering some FAQs. If I find the article, I will add it here.
Massive congrats to mighty Mitchell Johnson on winning the Allan Border Medal for 2014. Sensational achievement in such a short space of time. Well done champ!
Mitchell's Ashes stats:
Batting: 165 runs @ 27.50. HS 64, x1 50
Bowling: 37 wickets @ 13.97. BBI 7/40, BBM 9/103
Michael Clarke seemed set to win it for a record fifth time, but Mitchell's heroic summer earned him the prize. His efforts with ball in hand for all 5 Tests, as well as a defining Ashes innings with the bat in hand at the Gabba with Brad Haddin - who was breathtaking to watch - was enough for him to win the prize. Usually the player who wins the medal does so for all round excellence across formats, but Mitchell's efforts were vital in us winning back the Ashes, and Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game.
Michael Clarke (Test award), George Bailey (ODI award), Aaron Finch (T20 award), Meg Lanning (Women's award), Cam White (State Player award), and Jordan Silk (Young Bradman award) all walked away with recognition for their elite efforts for Australian Cricket.
Well done to them all, but cannot forget their team mates.
Now, the big news is the Test squad announced for the South African tour. With out further to do, below is the squad, fixtures, and some squad analysis.
Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, James Faulkner, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Wed Feb 5 - Sat Feb 8
South African Invitation XI v Australians
Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Wed Feb 12 - Sun Feb 16
1st Test - South Africa v Australia
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu Feb 20 - Mon Feb 24
2nd Test - South Africa v Australia
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat Mar 1 - Wed Mar 5
3rd Test - South Africa v Australia
Newlands, Cape Town
The only exclusion for our victorious Ashes side is that of George Bailey. I anticipated this and think it was a wise call by John Inverarity's selection panel.
Here's what I wrote about George, shortly before the Ashes was concluded: "George Bailey, possibly playing his last Test innings, evidently enjoying himself just found the gaps, worked the ball away, lived on the edge but survived to stumps. He has 20* runs and tomorrow could be a memorable one for him if he just gives hit his best. He has little to lose. He is in our ODI team as a regular member, has now been a member of a winning Ashes campaign, and did manage a half-century in Adelaide."
A weakness outside of off stump was exposed by James Anderson, and this would have been far too easy for the South African pace attack to both target and further expose. The wickets in South Africa and Australia draw many similarities, so this weakness would have been a concern heading to their turf. He will always have the memory of being a member of a winning side, along with that record of 28 runs off one over against James Anderson (level with the record).
The head scratch comes with the inclusion of Shaun Marsh at Bailey's expense.
I have always viewed Shaun Marsh as a player of high class and a technique tailored to Test cricket. However, this selection was based on limited overs form and, once again, his potential which often doesn't reflect at the elite level. We saw what this did to George Bailey. Test players must be selected on the basis of the form for Test cricket, being the Sheffield Shield contest.
Shaun scored a Test century on debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, and has shown numerous moments of elite composure and ability but, like Mitchell Johnson, he is a confidence player and seems to be his own worst enemy. His Shield form has been poor to say the least and doesn't warrant selection.
He currently sits in position 34 for most runs scored this Shield campaign, with one century from 9 innings, averaging 31.
In contrast, Phillip Hughes was expected to make the tour based on his return to Shield cricket to score runs and earn his place. He currently has 549 runs at 61.00, and this includes his maiden double century of 204. Go figure and never mind this is a man who has somehow found a way to handle the South African attack time and time again.
Even Marcus North may have seemed a brighter option, while not long term he leads the Shield run scorers list. Don't forget this man scored a century against South Africa on debut at the Wanderers on the same tour where Hughesy scored back to back centuries at Kingsmead, Durban.
All in all, Marsh is the type of player that if he gets into his stride he can genuinely control any bowling attack, but his current form does not suggest this is a likely mindset he has right now. ODI form cannot justify this. Having written this, I know what he is capable of, most of us do and he is now in the side so we just have to hope that should he get a game (probably at number 3, moving Watson down to 6) he will put invaluable runs on the board for us to better our chances of winning this series.
Alex Doolan has been on the radar for some time. This is a long term look from the selectors and previous Shield seasons have showcased the man is a fine batsman. This campaign he has been well below his best but it hasn't affected the confidence in his skills from the selectors. At present he is the 17th highest run scorer in the campaign with 391 runs at 39.10.
These two players will have a chance to showcase against the South African Invitational, before the three match series gets underway.
Chris Rogers will partner David Warner at the top of the order. This is Davey's first Test tour to South Africa, while Chris Rogers has never even been to the country before so it is a first for him.
Michael Clarke was in the early stages of his sublime run of form when we last toured South Africa in 2011. I was at that weird match at Newland's where he scored 151 runs in our 1st innings, only to see us bowled out for 47 runs in the 2nd innings, as well as South Africa been bounced for 98 runs in their 1st innings. It was the best I'd seen Clarkey bat, but it was in vain. He changes Ashes fortune, time to do it again this time.
Steven Smith is on this tour to assist Clarkey in the middle order. Stevo came of age at the WACA and he's become a fine young cricketer, courtesy of the current selection panel giving him time away from international duty to define his role. Similar to Steve Waugh's story in some ways.
Our bowlers from the Ashes will all make the tour.
Mitchell Johnson may very well be the danger man for this tour, with Graeme Smith having the ambulance on standby, but Ryan Harris is the bowler I tip to be our key player tactically. His menacing swing and precision is perfect for South Africa conditions. He can best mirror Dale Steyn, so this series is definitely one where people will salivate come the contest of the fast bowlers. This is the contest that world cricket should care about!
Ryano also cast aside IPL duties to get his knee operation complete, which he's delayed so he can make this tour. Sacrifice at it's best. What a true champion.
Mitchell was so low on confidence on his last tour to South Africa, quite a contrast to his brutal tour there is 2009 where he took 16 wickets at 25.00, including the destruction of Graeme Smith's hand (round 2) and Jacques Kallis' jaw. In 2011 his run up was weak, and he was just not in it. Another reason to be so proud of his return to our side thinking back to those dark days.
Peter Siddle will be greeted by the chants of "Siddle is a wanker". The Newland's crowd in 2011 did substitute the word "wanker" with the word "anchor" in 2011 as they'd grown fond of Sids attitude. That is what Sids need to be though, the anchor of this bowling attack. He needs to play the anchor role, but no doubt the chants will return with the word "wanker" if he bowls well.
James Pattinson returns to the team. He looks very inspired at the moment and quite aggressive. The South African's don't like an aggressive Australian cricketer and there's a few of them in our team. JP is one of the main guns in this regard, so he will be eager to get out there. I hope he stirs with them.
I am also excited about Jackson Bird's inclusion. His Big Bash stint for the Stars has been brilliant, but what's most notable is his consistency come line and length, ability to bang in a short ball with a troublesome angle for the batsmen to stand up to, but best of all is he looks fit and ready to play. I think an attack of Johnson, Harris and Bird is very exciting.
Nathan Lyon remains the spinner of choice and rightly so. South Africa is the not the desired place for a spin bowler to perform, but it serves a purpose. Lyon is now a spin bowler rising to a higher quality of standard than when he first toured there with the 2011 squad. The South African attack is not one usually tipped to be the best against spin - with the exception of AB de Villiers. Lyon may have a decent role to play.
James Faulkner and Shane Watson stack up as our all-rounders and unless Watto is injured, James will likely be the drinks man for the 1st Test. Watto still needs to showcase better consistency to cement his spot for a while longer and we desperately need him to do so this tour. He was hit and miss in the Ashes, but we need the best of Watto this tour. It will make a massive impact on the series.
Brad Haddin gets the nod as keeper of choice. Two years ago I would not have imagined this to be the case, so that is just terrific for Hads that he still has so much to offer us. His ability to initiate rescue missions of late to our 1st innings inconsistencies was urn saving, but he can't do it all the time. In 2011 at Newland's he charged down the track when our team was in trouble. We were bowled out for 47 runs and it's a dismissal many of us just haven't been able to forget.
This is a firm reminder our batsmen need to find ways to believe in themselves to handle the 1st innings pressures in the top of the order. They can.
Other than that, it's now just a case of counting down the days. More build up analysis and opinions to follow. For now, enjoy the final two ODIs. I will be at the Australia Day ODI. Still quite surreal.
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
Some disturbing news has hit the cricket world, with a proposal from the super powers of cricket (in terms of the financial players) which may see a revamp of the ICC and the gradual destruction of competitive cricket of varied nature. The current model serving cricket is not the best solution, along with fixtures that do little to assist organisations to build demand and hype with supporters, but this recent one could dent the game beyond measure. I am very much about getting all the facts before having a thorough opinion, but here's a link to an article which should explain this recent burst of news.
Jarrod Kimber (Cricket with Balls) has summed up the issue by answering some FAQs. If I find the article, I will add it here.
Massive congrats to mighty Mitchell Johnson on winning the Allan Border Medal for 2014. Sensational achievement in such a short space of time. Well done champ!
Mitchell's Ashes stats:
Batting: 165 runs @ 27.50. HS 64, x1 50
Bowling: 37 wickets @ 13.97. BBI 7/40, BBM 9/103
Michael Clarke seemed set to win it for a record fifth time, but Mitchell's heroic summer earned him the prize. His efforts with ball in hand for all 5 Tests, as well as a defining Ashes innings with the bat in hand at the Gabba with Brad Haddin - who was breathtaking to watch - was enough for him to win the prize. Usually the player who wins the medal does so for all round excellence across formats, but Mitchell's efforts were vital in us winning back the Ashes, and Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game.
Michael Clarke (Test award), George Bailey (ODI award), Aaron Finch (T20 award), Meg Lanning (Women's award), Cam White (State Player award), and Jordan Silk (Young Bradman award) all walked away with recognition for their elite efforts for Australian Cricket.
Well done to them all, but cannot forget their team mates.
Now, the big news is the Test squad announced for the South African tour. With out further to do, below is the squad, fixtures, and some squad analysis.
Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Jackson Bird, Alex Doolan, James Faulkner, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Chris Rogers, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Wed Feb 5 - Sat Feb 8
South African Invitation XI v Australians
Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Wed Feb 12 - Sun Feb 16
1st Test - South Africa v Australia
SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu Feb 20 - Mon Feb 24
2nd Test - South Africa v Australia
St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat Mar 1 - Wed Mar 5
3rd Test - South Africa v Australia
Newlands, Cape Town
The only exclusion for our victorious Ashes side is that of George Bailey. I anticipated this and think it was a wise call by John Inverarity's selection panel.
Here's what I wrote about George, shortly before the Ashes was concluded: "George Bailey, possibly playing his last Test innings, evidently enjoying himself just found the gaps, worked the ball away, lived on the edge but survived to stumps. He has 20* runs and tomorrow could be a memorable one for him if he just gives hit his best. He has little to lose. He is in our ODI team as a regular member, has now been a member of a winning Ashes campaign, and did manage a half-century in Adelaide."
A weakness outside of off stump was exposed by James Anderson, and this would have been far too easy for the South African pace attack to both target and further expose. The wickets in South Africa and Australia draw many similarities, so this weakness would have been a concern heading to their turf. He will always have the memory of being a member of a winning side, along with that record of 28 runs off one over against James Anderson (level with the record).
The head scratch comes with the inclusion of Shaun Marsh at Bailey's expense.
I have always viewed Shaun Marsh as a player of high class and a technique tailored to Test cricket. However, this selection was based on limited overs form and, once again, his potential which often doesn't reflect at the elite level. We saw what this did to George Bailey. Test players must be selected on the basis of the form for Test cricket, being the Sheffield Shield contest.
Shaun scored a Test century on debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, and has shown numerous moments of elite composure and ability but, like Mitchell Johnson, he is a confidence player and seems to be his own worst enemy. His Shield form has been poor to say the least and doesn't warrant selection.
He currently sits in position 34 for most runs scored this Shield campaign, with one century from 9 innings, averaging 31.
In contrast, Phillip Hughes was expected to make the tour based on his return to Shield cricket to score runs and earn his place. He currently has 549 runs at 61.00, and this includes his maiden double century of 204. Go figure and never mind this is a man who has somehow found a way to handle the South African attack time and time again.
Even Marcus North may have seemed a brighter option, while not long term he leads the Shield run scorers list. Don't forget this man scored a century against South Africa on debut at the Wanderers on the same tour where Hughesy scored back to back centuries at Kingsmead, Durban.
All in all, Marsh is the type of player that if he gets into his stride he can genuinely control any bowling attack, but his current form does not suggest this is a likely mindset he has right now. ODI form cannot justify this. Having written this, I know what he is capable of, most of us do and he is now in the side so we just have to hope that should he get a game (probably at number 3, moving Watson down to 6) he will put invaluable runs on the board for us to better our chances of winning this series.
Alex Doolan has been on the radar for some time. This is a long term look from the selectors and previous Shield seasons have showcased the man is a fine batsman. This campaign he has been well below his best but it hasn't affected the confidence in his skills from the selectors. At present he is the 17th highest run scorer in the campaign with 391 runs at 39.10.
These two players will have a chance to showcase against the South African Invitational, before the three match series gets underway.
Chris Rogers will partner David Warner at the top of the order. This is Davey's first Test tour to South Africa, while Chris Rogers has never even been to the country before so it is a first for him.
Michael Clarke was in the early stages of his sublime run of form when we last toured South Africa in 2011. I was at that weird match at Newland's where he scored 151 runs in our 1st innings, only to see us bowled out for 47 runs in the 2nd innings, as well as South Africa been bounced for 98 runs in their 1st innings. It was the best I'd seen Clarkey bat, but it was in vain. He changes Ashes fortune, time to do it again this time.
Steven Smith is on this tour to assist Clarkey in the middle order. Stevo came of age at the WACA and he's become a fine young cricketer, courtesy of the current selection panel giving him time away from international duty to define his role. Similar to Steve Waugh's story in some ways.
Our bowlers from the Ashes will all make the tour.
Mitchell Johnson may very well be the danger man for this tour, with Graeme Smith having the ambulance on standby, but Ryan Harris is the bowler I tip to be our key player tactically. His menacing swing and precision is perfect for South Africa conditions. He can best mirror Dale Steyn, so this series is definitely one where people will salivate come the contest of the fast bowlers. This is the contest that world cricket should care about!
Ryano also cast aside IPL duties to get his knee operation complete, which he's delayed so he can make this tour. Sacrifice at it's best. What a true champion.
Mitchell was so low on confidence on his last tour to South Africa, quite a contrast to his brutal tour there is 2009 where he took 16 wickets at 25.00, including the destruction of Graeme Smith's hand (round 2) and Jacques Kallis' jaw. In 2011 his run up was weak, and he was just not in it. Another reason to be so proud of his return to our side thinking back to those dark days.
Peter Siddle will be greeted by the chants of "Siddle is a wanker". The Newland's crowd in 2011 did substitute the word "wanker" with the word "anchor" in 2011 as they'd grown fond of Sids attitude. That is what Sids need to be though, the anchor of this bowling attack. He needs to play the anchor role, but no doubt the chants will return with the word "wanker" if he bowls well.
James Pattinson returns to the team. He looks very inspired at the moment and quite aggressive. The South African's don't like an aggressive Australian cricketer and there's a few of them in our team. JP is one of the main guns in this regard, so he will be eager to get out there. I hope he stirs with them.
I am also excited about Jackson Bird's inclusion. His Big Bash stint for the Stars has been brilliant, but what's most notable is his consistency come line and length, ability to bang in a short ball with a troublesome angle for the batsmen to stand up to, but best of all is he looks fit and ready to play. I think an attack of Johnson, Harris and Bird is very exciting.
Nathan Lyon remains the spinner of choice and rightly so. South Africa is the not the desired place for a spin bowler to perform, but it serves a purpose. Lyon is now a spin bowler rising to a higher quality of standard than when he first toured there with the 2011 squad. The South African attack is not one usually tipped to be the best against spin - with the exception of AB de Villiers. Lyon may have a decent role to play.
James Faulkner and Shane Watson stack up as our all-rounders and unless Watto is injured, James will likely be the drinks man for the 1st Test. Watto still needs to showcase better consistency to cement his spot for a while longer and we desperately need him to do so this tour. He was hit and miss in the Ashes, but we need the best of Watto this tour. It will make a massive impact on the series.
Brad Haddin gets the nod as keeper of choice. Two years ago I would not have imagined this to be the case, so that is just terrific for Hads that he still has so much to offer us. His ability to initiate rescue missions of late to our 1st innings inconsistencies was urn saving, but he can't do it all the time. In 2011 at Newland's he charged down the track when our team was in trouble. We were bowled out for 47 runs and it's a dismissal many of us just haven't been able to forget.
This is a firm reminder our batsmen need to find ways to believe in themselves to handle the 1st innings pressures in the top of the order. They can.
Other than that, it's now just a case of counting down the days. More build up analysis and opinions to follow. For now, enjoy the final two ODIs. I will be at the Australia Day ODI. Still quite surreal.
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.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
03 September 2013
Limited overs discussions via Facebook
All the limited overs matches against England and future games can be discussed via The Baggy Green Blog's Facebook page. Only feature and analytical articles will be posted here as we build up to the 2013/14 home Ashes series.
Well done to Aaron Finch on scoring his maiden ODI century, which shortly follows his record-breaking maiden Twenty20 century - the first for an Australian at international level. Shaun Marsh partnered him yesterday who went on to top score with 151 runs, giving Marsh his third ODI century. The pair broke the record opening partnership in ODIs, which was 212 runs set by David Boon and Geoff Marsh (Shaun's father) in 1986. Their overall stand came in at 246 runs, just behind Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson's 252* run-partnership versus England in 2009.
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
Well done to Aaron Finch on scoring his maiden ODI century, which shortly follows his record-breaking maiden Twenty20 century - the first for an Australian at international level. Shaun Marsh partnered him yesterday who went on to top score with 151 runs, giving Marsh his third ODI century. The pair broke the record opening partnership in ODIs, which was 212 runs set by David Boon and Geoff Marsh (Shaun's father) in 1986. Their overall stand came in at 246 runs, just behind Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson's 252* run-partnership versus England in 2009.
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.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
28 May 2013
Australian stats for the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL)
Here's a statistics wrap up for Australia's leading IPL contestants. This has been posted to The Baggy Green Blog Facebook page. County updates and general chirps regarding all the news is posted daily too.
The Mumbai Indians (initially lead by Ricky Ponting - The Maestro) took the title for the sixth event, while Chennai Super Kings were unable to secure the title for what would have been their third victory. They have however done well to be regular finalists in the event season in, season out.
Most of our Aussie boys did well in the IPL this time around.
Michael Hussey was the leading run-scorer in the tournament so he took the Orange Cap. He just won the battle against Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) who also scored that unreal century, breaking all kinds of records.
Huss entered the top 20 run-scorers in IPL history. He has scored 1,691 runs at 44.50 (2008-2013). From 45 innings he has scored one century (117*) and 12 half-centuries.
Only Chris Gayle has a better average than him. The Gayle-Force has 2,512 runs at 52.33.
Shaun Marsh has 1,903 runs at 44.25 and had a decent time this IPL scoring 300 runs from 8 innings. These statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.com.
Huss certainly has the goods to keep going for WA with a performance like this but I wonder if he will return to the tournament in the future?
James Faulkner did an outstanding job and is really paving his way now. Dwayne Bravo, of the West Indies, took the most wickets but James was just behind him with 28 wickets, including two five wicket hauls.
Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson also walked away with really strong performances, which will give both of them a hop in their step come the ICC Champions Trophy.
For the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, please check out the previous article posted regarding a SWOT analysis of our squad, or click the link right here.
Batting:
- Michael Hussey (Chennai): 17 innings, 733 runs at 52.35, HS 95, 6 (50s)
- Shane Watson (Rajasthan): 16 innings, 543 runs at 38.78, HS 101, 1 (100) 2 (50s)
- Aaron Finch (Pune): 14 innings, 456 runs at 32.57, HS 67, 4 (50s)
- David Warner (Delhi): 16 innings, 410 runs at 31.53, HS 77, 4 (50s)
- Shaun Marsh (Punjab): 8 innings, 300 runs at 37.50, HS 77, 3 (50s)
- Adam Gilchrist (Punjab): 13 innings, 294 runs at 24.50, HS 85*, 1 (50)
- Brad Hodge (Rajasthan): 14 innings, 293 runs at 41.85, HS 54*, 1 (50)
- David Hussey (Punjab): 11 innings, 235 runs at 23.50, HS 41
- Cameron White (Hyderabad): 13 innings, 209 runs at 17.41, HS 52, 1 (50)
- Ben Rohrer (Delhi): 8 innings, 193 runs at 32.16, HS 64*, 1 (50)
- Moises Henriques (Bangalore): 9 innings, 165 runs at 41.25, HS 44
- Steve Smith (Pune): 7 innings, 159 runs at 39.75, HS 41
Bowling:
- James Faulkner (Rajasthan): 16 matches, 28 wickets at 15.25, BBI 5/16, 63.1 overs
- Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai): 17 matches, 24 wickets at 19.12, BBI 3/27, 64 overs
- Shane Watson (Rajasthan): 16 matches, 13 wickets at 22.92, BBI 3/22, 41.4 overs
- Mitchell Marsh (Pune) 9 matches, 7 wickets at 26.00, BBI 2/7, 19.2 overs
- Moises Henriques (Bangalore): 10 matches, 7 wickets at 26.41, BBI 2/14, 21.1 overs
Fielding and Wicketkeeping:
Cameron White (Hyderabad) took 10 catches.
Michael Hussey (Chennai) took 10 catches.
Adam Gilchrist (Punjab) took 12 catches operating behind the stumps.
Gilly also took a wicket with his one and only delivery in Twenty20 cricket. It was also his final match for the IPL.
Here's the video to see Gilly take a wicket, followed by a dance...of sorts.
Definitely going to be some questions raised regarding the IPL after all the controversy with spot-fixing, along with the recent departures of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist and also Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Shane Warne in previous seasons.
There's certainly enough viewers in India to keep the hype due to the obsession for their cricket stars, but the international viewership is most likely to be seriously affected by the off-field drama and loss of opportunity to see the greats who have retired from the international games playing yet again. Tough times ahead for the IPL.
What do you think?
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.
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The Mumbai Indians (initially lead by Ricky Ponting - The Maestro) took the title for the sixth event, while Chennai Super Kings were unable to secure the title for what would have been their third victory. They have however done well to be regular finalists in the event season in, season out.
Most of our Aussie boys did well in the IPL this time around.
Michael Hussey was the leading run-scorer in the tournament so he took the Orange Cap. He just won the battle against Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) who also scored that unreal century, breaking all kinds of records.
Huss entered the top 20 run-scorers in IPL history. He has scored 1,691 runs at 44.50 (2008-2013). From 45 innings he has scored one century (117*) and 12 half-centuries.
Only Chris Gayle has a better average than him. The Gayle-Force has 2,512 runs at 52.33.
Shaun Marsh has 1,903 runs at 44.25 and had a decent time this IPL scoring 300 runs from 8 innings. These statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.com.
Huss certainly has the goods to keep going for WA with a performance like this but I wonder if he will return to the tournament in the future?
James Faulkner did an outstanding job and is really paving his way now. Dwayne Bravo, of the West Indies, took the most wickets but James was just behind him with 28 wickets, including two five wicket hauls.
Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson also walked away with really strong performances, which will give both of them a hop in their step come the ICC Champions Trophy.
For the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, please check out the previous article posted regarding a SWOT analysis of our squad, or click the link right here.
Batting:
- Michael Hussey (Chennai): 17 innings, 733 runs at 52.35, HS 95, 6 (50s)
- Shane Watson (Rajasthan): 16 innings, 543 runs at 38.78, HS 101, 1 (100) 2 (50s)
- Aaron Finch (Pune): 14 innings, 456 runs at 32.57, HS 67, 4 (50s)
- David Warner (Delhi): 16 innings, 410 runs at 31.53, HS 77, 4 (50s)
- Shaun Marsh (Punjab): 8 innings, 300 runs at 37.50, HS 77, 3 (50s)
- Adam Gilchrist (Punjab): 13 innings, 294 runs at 24.50, HS 85*, 1 (50)
- Brad Hodge (Rajasthan): 14 innings, 293 runs at 41.85, HS 54*, 1 (50)
- David Hussey (Punjab): 11 innings, 235 runs at 23.50, HS 41
- Cameron White (Hyderabad): 13 innings, 209 runs at 17.41, HS 52, 1 (50)
- Ben Rohrer (Delhi): 8 innings, 193 runs at 32.16, HS 64*, 1 (50)
- Moises Henriques (Bangalore): 9 innings, 165 runs at 41.25, HS 44
- Steve Smith (Pune): 7 innings, 159 runs at 39.75, HS 41
Bowling:
- James Faulkner (Rajasthan): 16 matches, 28 wickets at 15.25, BBI 5/16, 63.1 overs
- Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai): 17 matches, 24 wickets at 19.12, BBI 3/27, 64 overs
- Shane Watson (Rajasthan): 16 matches, 13 wickets at 22.92, BBI 3/22, 41.4 overs
- Mitchell Marsh (Pune) 9 matches, 7 wickets at 26.00, BBI 2/7, 19.2 overs
- Moises Henriques (Bangalore): 10 matches, 7 wickets at 26.41, BBI 2/14, 21.1 overs
Fielding and Wicketkeeping:
Cameron White (Hyderabad) took 10 catches.
Michael Hussey (Chennai) took 10 catches.
Adam Gilchrist (Punjab) took 12 catches operating behind the stumps.
Gilly also took a wicket with his one and only delivery in Twenty20 cricket. It was also his final match for the IPL.
Here's the video to see Gilly take a wicket, followed by a dance...of sorts.
Definitely going to be some questions raised regarding the IPL after all the controversy with spot-fixing, along with the recent departures of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Adam Gilchrist and also Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds and Shane Warne in previous seasons.
There's certainly enough viewers in India to keep the hype due to the obsession for their cricket stars, but the international viewership is most likely to be seriously affected by the off-field drama and loss of opportunity to see the greats who have retired from the international games playing yet again. Tough times ahead for the IPL.
What do you think?
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.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
05 May 2012
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.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
28 April 2012
The Technical Failings of the Younger Generation
There have been a number of young Australian batsmen that have come and gone from the Test scene well before their test tally hits double digits. Chris Rogers wrote an interesting piece regarding the technique of these batsmen.
Here is quick summary of the technical flaws he noted in some of the recently dropped batsmen.
Usman Khawaja - Points his back foot to the bowler rather than to point causing him to be squared up and prone to the away-swinging ball.
Phil Hughes - Swivelling into a front-on position which led him being b. Martin c. Guptil.
Shaun Marsh - Lack of trigger movements hence the reason why he has been labeled a confidence player. When he is down on confidence like he was against the Indians, the lack of footwork meant he was a walking wicket.
Callum Ferguson - Backswing heads towards gully meaning he struggles to play in the 'V' especially when forced to defend.
This is one of the better articles you will find floating around and very rarely do you find an article written by a current player regarding the flaws of their opposition. It does bring about one interesting question of whether opposition states should be sharing these flaws they have found to help the national team.
It is hard to comment on who is at fault for these flaws not being fixed, Khawaja for instance had this flaw during his County stint in 2011 which was carried on to his second tasting of Test cricket. If an opposition can spot these weaknesses, you would hope your batting coach could do likewise.
The final part of Chris Rogers' article talks about how difficult it is for batsmen to adapt between T20 and Test Cricket. This isn't a problem which only plagues the younger batsmen, the older batsmen have also shown a more aggressive streak. Jacques Kallis not known for his quick scoring, blitzed 54 runs from just 41 balls in the 2nd Test against Australia last year. As mentioned by Rogers, it certainly is worth considering finding a batting coach who can convert a batsmen technique from T20 back to Test cricket.
I did find it interesting that the guy whose technique is most like a T20 technique in Steven Smith was given glowing praise by Rogers. With 492 runs at 41 for the season including 86 of NSW total score of 208 against Chris' team, I can see why he gave him a good review. Smith also seems to be adapting well, he had a solid Big Bash series including leading his side to the title and currently is in career best form in the IPL with 220 runs at 37 with a strike rate of 157.
One worrying thing he mentioned was teams splashed out on bowling coaches but not so for batting coaches. I don't know what teams he is referring to but if he is talking about the State teams then that is a worrying sign.
Going by his article, Rogers may well have a future in coaching. I do hope our current coaches have already picked up on these flaws and are looking at rectifying them.
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.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
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