Ashes 2019
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@MN5 said in Ashes 2019:
Mark Richardson did that albeit on a "kiwi" scale.
Plenty of guys switch disciplines and become pretty useful at the other but yeah, I can't think of anyone doing it anywhere near as well as Smith has.
To actually play first class cricket as an outright bowler Kevin Pietersen, Shoiab Malik and Sanath Jayasuriya all became top flight test batsmen. Sehwag might have but was more of a tweener when he made first class as was Astle for NZ.
All including Smith have fairly unique techniques.
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@nzzp said in Ashes 2019:
@antipodean said in Ashes 2019:
It has to be said that it's simply not possible to heap enough superlatives on Steve Smith.
and also shows how bloody impossible it is to predict success at Test level. Who would have picked that a dirty leggie would go on to be the finest Aussie batsman of the generation? Just bizarre, even with a body of work at Test level when he started.
While not quite to the extent of picking him as finest bat of generation, Kerry o'keeffe almost did.
In his daily wrap ups on ABC grandstand podcast, in Smith's debut test (and also last of the ashes series that he was wrapping up), I recall Kerry saying that Smith may have a test future as a batsman , but not as a spinner. Smith scored a 60 odd if I recall correctly in a forlorn 4th innings.
Tbh, what I have subsequently read, Smith was always rated as a promising batsman in NSW cricket circles, so Kerry probably already new a bit. That he was playing as a number 7 all rounder was really just evidence of how mangled selection thought processes can get at the tail end of a 5 test series thrashing. Selectors looking for miracles or hedging bets, maybe both in this case. Debuting a promising player before his core skill is test-ready
Smith more in the Nathan Astle bowler myth territory rather than the genuine transformation a.k.a Mark Richardson, Dipal Patel, Moeen Ali , ,Pietersen etc
That he averages 60, is still the amazing part of his story, though
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@barbarian said in Ashes 2019:
@Rapido said in Ashes 2019:
But McGrath's solution is just plain stupid. The answer is for each side to have 2 reviews each, or unlimited revues if they dont waste them. As is the actual status quo.
The umpires mistakes only become costly after one of the teams has already made 2 mistakes .
I can't see how it's stupid. The idea is you have the best umpires out there, regardless of where they are from.
The DRS provides a safeguard against any allegations of bias.
You get better umpires making more correct decisions, rather than what we saw at Edgbaston where we had clanger after clanger, ruining the flow of the game and undermining all confidence in the officials.
I'll disagree. And I'll upgrade it to really, really stupid.
1 umpire having a shocking test is all that has happened. Not a failure of the neutral umpire policy. -
@Rapido they stuck with him for a long time with negligible test returns, not common for Aus. For a wee while he looked like a specialist fielder.
Time to invest in a bowling machine company as the message about all the balls he faces in practice filters through the next generation 😉
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@KiwiPie said in Ashes 2019:
He looked to be not good enough at either batting or bowling to deserve a spot early on despite a few 50s.
After 14 tests he had 1 hundred and averaged 33.
After 28 tests he had 9 hundreds and averaged 56. It was a pretty sharp improvement!I have a hunch that in his first 14 tests, averaging 33 was ok compared to his peers. But he was ugly, so stood out as probably not being good enough.
I will look at stats guru.
Never would have thought that early, middling version would average 60 though.
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@Rapido said in Ashes 2019:
@KiwiPie said in Ashes 2019:
He looked to be not good enough at either batting or bowling to deserve a spot early on despite a few 50s.
After 14 tests he had 1 hundred and averaged 33.
After 28 tests he had 9 hundreds and averaged 56. It was a pretty sharp improvement!I have a hunch that in his first 14 tests, averaging 33 was ok compared to his peers. But he was ugly, so stood out as probably not being good enough.
I will look at stats guru.
Never would have thought that early, middling version would average 60 though.
In that period. Aus had 3 perfromers (Clarke, Hussey and Warner) and then 8 guys being mediocre averaging between 31 and 35, including Smith.
That list of 8 includes:
- 2 guys on the decline (Ponting, Katich).
- 1 guy jettisoned as judged being in this performance range not good enough (Cowan).
- 2 guys given more rope and later cashed in (Rogers and Smith)
- 1 guy called Shane Watson ..... (who could bowl)
- 1 guy dropped for being crap with the gloves (Wade)
Could have gone the other way, the Cowan way, I suppose.
But note 4 specialist bats averaging the the 20s; Marsh, Khawaja, North, Hughes
Query Result: Smith's first 14 tests
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@nzzp said in Ashes 2019:
I do not want to go to home umpires again; it's not that they are biased, it's that people think they are biased.
Fair point
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@Rapido said in Ashes 2019:
But McGrath's solution is just plain stupid.
Well, maybe, but I can't recall issues with quality home umpires like Dickie Bird etc.
And the unstupid, current system of neutral umpires produced the debacle that was the umpiring at Edgebaston
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Preview: Will Jofra Archer prove to be England's Ashes X-factor against Australia at Lord's?
WTC 2019-2021 England vs Australia Match Preview: From the match Australia weren't expected to win to one they're not expected to lose, how quickly things can change during the Ashes
Pattinson won't play at Lords.
It looks like the Aussies are rotating the bowlers knowing there isn't much gap between the 2nd & 3rd Tests.
I'd be tempted to leave out Siddle too and play Hazlewood and StarcMeanwhile the English media are building Archer up. They are asking a lot of a guy on debut
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@barbarian said in Ashes 2019:
Looks to be a bit of rain around, the draw is a strong favourite.
Am taking off with a few mates on holiday with the sole purpose of watching every ball of this test. Rain would annoy me immensely.
Hopefully the weather plays ball!
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@canefan said in Ashes 2019:
@TeWaio said in Ashes 2019:
Raining in London, likely to rain all 5 days.
Gotta love the English Summer
Imagine being the idiot getting married outside this Saturday
