God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[Professer E]

Vice versa.

Australian cricket is so much stronger when other states have players in the test side,  because you have to be an absolutely outstanding player to push a NSW incumbent out.  Leave NSW,  or grind away for years in minor leagues,  perfecting your game.  I reckon Neser will be the next one. 

[ElwoodBlues1]

Going to be interesting if they stick fat with Starc in the ashes.
Copped a real pounding vs the Indian second eleven out here with no name tailenders like Thakur and Sundar carting him around the park last time he was in action.
IMHO they will stick with him vs the Poms and go the full on pace assault.
If Pattinson is fit he might take his place but I don't see Neser getting a game. I think the tracks will be suited to tall quicks who bang it in and they won't be giving the English anything that seams/swings that will suit their attack. Maybe the Brisbane test would be some chance for Neser to play if he was really firing in Shield cricket..

[Professer E]

Starc is a real issue, and selectors need to man up and drop him until he starts taking wickets consistently again.  I'm not an insider but wondering if he's burnt out or something.

His pace is down,  he hasn't moved a ball since sandpapergate, the jaffas are increasingly infrequent and his batting has declined. His shield season - either side of the tests - was putrid.  Blind Freddy could see he shouldn't have played in Brisbane.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Watching England vs South Africa B.. I mean New Zealand. Ex saffie Devon Conway with an even 200 at Lords in his debut test.
Saffers really have provided NZ and England with some players over recent years.
Like to see the ICC set a few more rules regarding qualifying periods for these import players as I have mentioned before.
South Africa would have had some very decent teams over the years given all the players they provide and really lose so many given the quota system that limits opportunities and big money from other countries that buy them a new life elsewhere.

[Professer E]

Marnus is a saffie EB

[LP]

Marnus is a saffie EB

He was 10 when they moved, not because he was displaced by a quota!

What we see happening in Saffie cricket, is an accelerated form of what we are going to see across the board in society and industry.

Quotas are a form of standardisation, and standardisation leads to a new level of mediocrity, it is akin to making the fastest runners slower so the slower runners can compete / keep up! A gold star for everybody!

[ElwoodBlues1]

Marnus is a saffie EB

Prof, Marnus and Wessels are the ones I know of who played for Aus but NZ have four in the team at the minute and England have had a very decent return from their imports over the years. Do countries make up their own qualifying rules or is their a ICC rule to cover all... Conway was playing on a visa when he first represented NZ in short format stuff and didn't have citizenship is what I read some where.

[Professer E]

And Wessels spent years qualifying.

We're not exactly clean in this field,  but our neighbours across the ditch pimp themselves out in so many sports they'd struggle to field teams if the citizenship regs were actually enforced.  The poms are utterly shameless in this area,  FFS,  Stokes is a kiwi.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Spent the last few nights watching the test cricket final from England and it was worth staying up for. The little battlers from New Zealand vs the cricket powerhouse from Asia in India and the little battlers have stitched the Indians up very nicely.
Pitch was a swing bowlers paradise and nobody does swing better than the Kiwis, cloudy rainy conditions and the Kiwis led by the Giant all rounder Jamison bowled the cocky Kholi and his mates out cheaply twice and led by Williamson and Taylor strode to victory with the bat in the end quite comfortably.
Kholi was pissed to the max but had to contain himself and be humble in defeat which took a bit of doing but he does want the format changed to a best of three. Indians went with the two spinning allrounders which hindered them on the pace friendly wicket and he was forced to over bowl his three quicks unlike Williamson who judged the conditions better and went with 4 quicks and the medium paced allrounder DeGrandholme so he always had fresher pace bowlers.
Very entertaining game and I was glad the Kiwis won even with a bit of help from their South African/Zimbabwe imports, cant have India winning everything.

[LP]

It's great for cricket.