Albion Park JCC Under 13’s: Match 3 vs Lake Illawarra at Morley Park

Another terrific performance from this young team was not quite enough to bring home the victory for the Albion Park Under 13’s team in their match against Lake Illawarra.

The Lake team batted first, and with importance of dropped catches from last week still in their minds the young Eagles had to ensure that they held every opportunity. Unfortunately it was not to be, and although they weren’t all easy they gave each of the better batsmen the opportunity to continue when they should have been back on the sidelines. Along with some misfields it gave the Lake team more runs than they should have, and is something to be worked on over the coming weeks if this team wants to improve and compete with the better teams.
As it stood, Lake Illawarra got away to a final total of 4/140 from their 30 overs. Two early wickets had the Park boys in a good position. Kane Rex opened up and bowled an excellent, keeping the ball full and straight and making the batsmen play every ball. He bowled a maiden to start with, and though he went fro a boundary with the first ball of his second over he then drew a top edge which was taken well by wicket-keeper Owen Pickering for the first wicket. Kane finished with 1/11 from 3 overs. Kasey Barton was firing the ball in at the batsmen, and drew their respect in looking to see him off. Neither batsmen looked comfortable. He finished with 0/14 from his 3 overs. Tom Denyer again bowled well and at good pace as well, and he forced a false shot from the other opening batsmen to be well caught by Jack Couley to have Lake at 2/30. Tom finished with figures of 1/14 from 3 overs. Rob Denny bowled well again without hitting the heights of the first round, his little shuffle in his run up perhaps hindering him. The batsmen still found him difficult to get away ad were beaten well on a couple of occasions. Rob took 0/10 from his three overs, a good economical return.
The tough Lake middle order did their best work here, with some help from a couple of chances going down. Once they had retired the Park kids were able to tighten the screws so that the score didn’t blow out to something extravagant.
I know I’m biased about Josh’s cricket, so if I just say he bowled the greatest spell of leg spin bowling ever by a ten year old that should suffice. He troubled all the batsmen and picked up a wicket which was well caught by Tom Denyer at mid wicket, and finished with 1/11 from 4 overs. Lucas Brown tried hard again, and just needs to be hypnotised into believing he is bowling in the nets, where he is unplayable. He finished with 0/23 from 4 overs. Jack Couley bowled two good overs for just three runs before taking the keeping gloves for the second half of the innings where he did a good job once again. Liam Cergovski was not well and in fact had to come off for the remainder of the game due to illness having bowled one over. Owen Pickering ripped in for three overs following his excellent keeping session, and was unfortunate to go for a couple of boundaries, but bowled a killer bouncer in Brett Lee fashion to the amusement of all but the batsman. He finished with 0/22 from his three overs. Kynan Barton bowled the second excellent spell of spin bowling for the day, keeping the batsmen tied down and eventually drawing the false shot which was taken by Owen at mid on. Kynan finished with excellent figures of 1/13 from four overs.

After some stirring words from coach Anthony Pickering, the Eagles bats headed out to try and chase down the formidable total. The Lake bowling was immediately excellent, everything that could be asked of young kids. They bowled full and straight, and asked questions of all of the batsmen. It paid dividends early, as first Kynan Barton received and excellent delivery to be bowled for 2, and then Jack Couley was also upended for 4. Rob Denny was also unfortunate to be caught out for a duck. It was a tough start with the Eagles at 3/16.
A great partnership then took place between Owen Pickering and Kasey Barton. Owen was just terrific. He hit the ball hard and generally along the ground, with the strong wrists and forearms bred from his hockey background. But he also showed poise and a good defence when needed, and chose his run-making deliveries wisely. He entertained the spectators and kept his team in the match. Alongside him Kasey played his usual determined innings, happy to work the ball through both sides of the wickets into the gaps and running hard between the wickets. He is a good model for these kids in he keeps the ball on the ground and doesn’t have to slog to make his runs. Both batsmen retired not out having faced their 35 balls and had made good roads into the recovery.
After the drinks break two quick wickets put that in jeopardy. The Peters/Brown running between the wickets chaos from last season continued, this time Josh leaving Lucas stone dead in calling him through for a run and then both almost standing beside each other in the middle of the wicket when the stumps were thrown down, this time Lucas being the unlucky one to be called out for just 2. Kane Rex then showed good purpose in getting bat to ball in defence, before unfortunately popping a catch up in close to be dismissed for a duck. This left the score at 5/72 and final batsman Tom Denyer joined Josh at the crease. From here another good partnership brought the Eagles crowd alive and left the Lake crowd in stunned silence. While Josh nicked and nudged the ball around, Tom looked to destroy from the outset. The pressure on the fielders meant there were some misfields that the batsmen took advantage of. Tom’s only problem came from swinging too hard sometimes and missing some opportunities for runs, while Josh occasionally forgot to call when he was running.
Still, it was an exciting finish. When Josh retired for 15 not out and the star Owen returned to the crease, the Eagles needed 19 from two overs and was a real chance. Owen sacrificed his wicket in the team cause running for a suicidal second and was dismissed for 35, a fantastic innings. Kasey returned for the final throes, but against Lake’s best bowlers could quite cut down the deficit. Kasey remined 12 not out and Tom and excellent 21 not out, and Park finished their 30 overs at 6/131, nine runs short.

The boys should be proud of their effort, and both sides got a great round of applause for a terrific game of cricket. With improvement in catching and fielding, the result could certainly have been different. With a big clash against Oak Flats next weekend, the boys will need to be at their best to help keep their improvement moving towards results on the field

The Case for Marnus Labuschagne

Of all the left field selections in recent times in the various Australian cricket teams, that of Marnus Labuschagne in the Test team in the recent Pakistan series is one of the most curious. By leaving out Matt Renshaw again based on ‘lack of time in the middle’, the selectors chose a youngster who had a growing yet not outstanding reputation and record, seemingly purely for the fact that he was a good field and could bowl some handy leg spin. The big question the selectors now face is what do they do with him now? Especially since he has shown signs that he could be a player Australia has been searching for, if he is given the time and space to develop.

I don’t think I was alone in being nonplussed when Labuschagne was selected instead of Renshaw in that 1st Test, but he has slowly won me over. Good short legs are in short supply (no pun intended) and he even appears enthusiastic about the task. He has already nabbed a couple of good catches there which is a helpful task. His legspin, which looks to be a tad better than part time but no more, has already snared seven Test wickets, and as a partnership breaker he could prove to be the perfect foil for Nathan Lyon. And although he made a nervous start with the bat in his first Test, he appeared calm under pressure in both innings of the 2nd Test and probably should have made more runs in both innings. Number six should be able to alternate between solidity and someone who will look to take the game on when it needs to, and Labuschagne looks like that’s the way he likes to bat. He played Yasir with confidence, which not many not many do. 

It hasn’t all been roses for Marnus, and perhaps that is what makes him so appealing. The dropped catch off Fakar in the first innings of the 2nd Test, when he was only on 30 and went on to make made 96 not only went some way towards costing Australia the game, but it killed off any confidence Jon Holland may have had and it did appear to hamper him from that point on. Also, his run out in bizarre circumstances in the first innings was supremely disappointing after he had made such a solid start to his innings and was only saved by a more idiotic run out by Pakistan in the following innings from being a more major talking point after the game. There have been flaws but he hasn’t let it affect him after the event which is a good sign, and at just 24 years old, has got a foot in the door and doesn’t appear overawed at what he is facing. 

Labuschagne is probably fighting for one place in the team with current vice-captain Mitch Marsh. There is no reason why Marsh should have the inside lane to the number six spot in the order, simply because he bowls seam up. The Test team only needs someone who can provide a few overs to give the four specialists a rest on tough days. That bowler certainly doesn’t have to be a medium pacer. Surely someone with a bit of variety would be more than handy than just another right arm seamer coming on that the batsmen have already seen. A wrist spinner provides so much more and is a perfect complement to a left arm speed bowler, two right arm pace bowlers and a right arm off spinner. 

More than anything else, Labuschagne has to make runs. Australia has spent too long picking a player in our top six who has averaged less than 30 with the bat, only because they can bowl some overs when needed. First it was Shane Watson, who for the second half of his career was persisted with despite averaging only 30.50 in his last 33 Tests between 2011 and 2015, and now it is Mitch Marsh who has received that benefit on potential, who currently has a Test batting average of just 26.08 after 30 Test matches. That’s over 60 Tests where the “all-rounder” averaged a touch under 27 with the bat. You can’t win Test matches with stats like that. 

If Labuschagne is to demand selection and hold his place in the team, he needs to average 40 in Tests as a minimum. If he can do this, then his other assets will prove to be extremely useful for the Australian cricket team. But without that kind of output with the bat his other assets cannot – or at least SHOULD not - sustain his place in the team. 

In today’s Sheffield Shield match against South Australia, he was dismissed for just 3 batting at first drop for Queensland. Not an ideal score in which to push his cause. But he has several matches ahead of him to do so, and he will know just how important it is for him to make good runs and at least one big score to try and shore up his place in the Test team for the upcoming series against India. I for one hope he succeeds.

Do the Marsh Brothers fit in?

Preliminary discussion about Australia’s XII for the upcoming Test tour by India will centre around the fitness of Australia’s pace bowlers and the ability of the top order to score runs. While the bowling attack of Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon should only be altered if injury precludes one of the four from playing, it is the batting that most of the debate rages around, and mostly from the general public. What the selectors have in mind is likely just the status quo.

Whether Khawaja is fit to play or not may well play a part in the overall selection process, but it seems extremely unlikely that either Marsh brother will miss out on Adelaide on December 6th despite the usual outcry over their average form. The selectors are missing three batsmen they no doubt believe are in their best top six, and if Khawaja is also laid low that would make four of their ideal top six are not available. Shaun Marsh has been given innumerable opportunities to make a spot his own in the Test team, and at the end of last summer it looked as though he may actually have done so. Unfortunately the same scenario worked its way out again as it has throughout Marsh’s career, when a couple of good scores are followed by a plethora of failures, and mostly single figure failures. To be fair, he has once again been thrown around the batting order to fill any gap that appears. He batted in the middle order with success last summer, but again found himself as the fill-in number three against Pakistan. It is the unrelenting series of low scores that tends to get the eastern states public offside with his selection, and the fact that he appears to get more chances than most. Brother Mitch was only recently chosen as one of two vice-captains of the Test team which suggested that the selectors were confident of him holding his place in the team for the foreseeable future. He too managed to enjoy a good summer at home, but despite scoring 96 in the 1st Test in Durban in March he has managed just 109 runs from his next eleven innings. In the last two years Australia has relied on Smith and Warner to find a way to score runs to cover over the cracks elsewhere. With these two not around Australia needed the Marsh brothers in particular to score good runs to cover their absence, and they have not. The fact that they haven’t is more pronounced because of the absence of those two batsmen, and the pressure on them to do more is heightened. 

While many around the country will be throwing any number of names out as solutions to Australia’s Marsh batting problems and suggesting they are the answer, there seems little chance the selectors will feel the same way. In their corner is coach and selector Justin Langer, who championed their selection last season in the media as Western Australian coach and now has the ultimate power in his hands. It seems unlikely he will turn on them at this stage having backed them so vociferously last season. 

Whatever the reasons for leaving out Glen Maxwell, Joe Burns and others from the Pakistan squad, the selectors decided that the players that were sent were the best we had for the conditions at hand. Little has changed in the Australian cricket landscape since then that promotes anyone above those selected. The Shield matches coming up will provide some cause for players to offer themselves up as candidates if they can score enough runs, but if recent history is any guide then it will take an enormous amount of runs to budge the selectors thinking. The tour by India for four Tests is an important one especially as India has never won a Test series in Australia. They will never have a better chance, and it will be up to the batsmen to put competitive totals on the board to allow the bowlers to have something to bowl at. It would be a tough ask to throw more debutants into the mix, and the suspicion is that the selectors will stick with a similar batting line up for Adelaide and Perth at the very least. The selectors will be in a holding pattern, knowing that after the six home Tests this summer they will have Smith, Warner and Bancroft all available again for the Ashes tour to England following the World Cup. It seems unlikely that they will try and burn through too many selections given they know those three will be able to come back into the squad if they so desire after this summer. 

If Khawaja is unfit then Matt Renshaw looks to be the ready-made replacement at the top of the order. If Khawaja does come up then the Renshaw question can be asked seriously, allowing him to come in to partner Aaron Finch and perhaps Khawaja to return to number three. This means one of the other four would miss out, which would pose a series of interesting questions. Would it be a straight swap for Shaun Marsh? Or is there really a need for two all-rounders in the team, meaning the choice of who to miss out would come between Marnus Labuschagne and Mitch Marsh? Is Travis Head’s position as secure as it may appear? 

It is a long time since Australia has entered a home Test series as the serious underdog, but surely that is the case this summer. The next month of cricket, both in the Sheffield Shield and the one day series against South Africa, should be fascinating, mostly to see what we as the cricket watching public see as important compared to what the selectors decide is the best way to go.

Albion Park JCC Under 13’s: Match 2 vs Shellharbour Blue at Des King Oval

While the result on paper may look like a pummelling – and to be fair it was – there were a lot of positives to take out of today’s game for the Albion Park Under 13 team, and an eye-opening look at where the differences may lie between the up and coming teams and the teams somewhere near the top. This Shellharbour team fell two runs short of making the final of the Under 12’s competition last season, and with all but one of those players in this team it was going to be a tough ask for the young Eagles to match it with them.

The Park batted first and lost three wickets in a clump. Josh Peters batted well for 20 deliveries, playing forward and taking on the best that their opening bowlers had to offer. He made 4 runs before a well-pitched delivery snuck under his defence to bowl him. Kasey Barton wanted to attack from the outset and top edged his second delivery to the keeper, while Kane Rex was unfortunate to pop up a ball to short cover early in his innings. At 3/9 the Shellharbour team appeared confident that victory was around the corner.
What followed was an exhibition of batting and partnerships from the young Eagles team. Blaike Ison and Will Schofield were the first two to combine. Both ran well and looked for singles, as well as dispatching any loose balls that came their way. Will was exceptional. He has a great technique and plays the ball early and is always in position to play the right shot. His leg glancing and strokes off his pads were a joy to watch. He retired after facing his 35 deliveries and was followed soon after by Blaike who had opened the innings and not been phased by the early wickets, or the fact he was dropped once and also caught off a no ball. He looked to play straight and though he was given very little loose to attack he still played the ball well around the field and picked up runs at ease. His was a good first innings for the season.
Next came Kynan Barton and Aiden Campion who also acquitted themselves superbly. Kynan was beaten by a couple of terrific deliveries and then decided to take things into his own hands by hitting over the top. He eventually retired for 18 runs. Aiden was excellent at picking the right ball to hit, keeping out the straight deliveries and whipping away those that strayed onto his pads. When he retired he had top scored with 20 and again his defensive technique was terrific.
With overs running out the last batsmen did the team thing and looked for quick runs. Lucas Brown played a great first innings for the season, not only making 7 runs himself but running hard for his partners and ensuring all byes were taken. His pull/sweep for four and then cover drive out of the middle for two were both exquisite. Tom Denyer threw his wicket away in the team cause in being caught in the last over, but his 12 runs again showed a cross between great timing and hard swinging of the bat. Both Will and Blaike returned to finish the innings, with Blaike on 14 and Will on 15 at the end of the innings.

From their 30 overs the Eagles had scored 5/137 with 47 of those extras.

There was a feeling of quiet confidence in the Eagles camp as the Shellharbour innings began, which was all but swiped away in the first couple of overs as the two opening batsmen played cracking innings. Young Lucas Kay in particular couldn’t seem to miss the middle of the bat, with a number of huge hits to and over the boundary. The Eagles opening bowlers copped the first serve of the onslaught, and perhaps suffered from just being a bit short. Lucas Thompson can at least take heart that he won’t bowl to a better opening pair this summer, and he will learn from this experience. He finished with 0/30 from his two overs. Opening partner Tom Denyer perhaps tried too hard and also dropped too short but did bowl some good deliveries in his 0/17. Kasey Barton and Lucas Brown came on to find two batsmen on absolute fire, and though both tried to do the right thing by getting the ball full and straight neither could get it quite right, with Kasey overcorrecting with full tosses and Lucas just short the ideal length, and as such both were dealt by some lovely strokes both straight and over the leg side. Kasey finished with 0/32 and Lucas 0/30.
Through all of this, four chances went up, but all four went down, one however by Lucas Brown is one only he could have gotten hands on. He saved four rather than a dropped catch. We’ll never know what may have happened if one or both batsmen had been dismissed, but one suspects it would have been a much closer match.
When young Kay had retired for 79 (yep – 79 off 35 balls), a good spell from Aiden brought about the first wicket, when he brought about a top edge that was taken by Tom at square leg. He finished with 1/7 from his two overs which was a good reward for his efforts on the day. Kynan Barton bowled some good spin alongside him and was a bit unfortunate when a couple of unruly hoicks managed to fall safely into gaps rather than to fieldsmen. He finished with 0/18 off his two overs.
The game was almost over when Josh came on, bowled a lovely first ball, then a wide second ball, and then produced the Peters Full Bunger which was top edged to Will at fine leg for the team’s second wicket. It’s great to see that ball still taking wickets in cricket. The winning runs came two balls later, with Josh finishing with 1/2.

Shellharbour Blue finished on 2/138 off just 12.3 overs with 19 extras.

Though it looks like a belting, the positives possibly outweigh the result. The excellent batting from Blaike, Will, Kynan and Aiden in particular, and the fact that the kids didn’t drop their heads in the field and fought it out until the end. Next time they meet, it they can pry out those openers, who knows what may happen.
More than anything, lets hope the weather improves and we can get to training this week, and be ready for next week’s big match against Lake Illawarra at Morley Park.

#PAKvAUS. 2018/19. 2nd Test. Day 2.

Come the end of Day 2 of this Test match, and as feared the game is as good as over as a contest. Australia’s batting capitulation and much more resolved effort by the Pakistan team in their second innings has already put so much ground between the two teams that only a second miracle in as many Test matches could possibly save the Australian team – and one suspects that Sarfraz will not allow that to occur on this occasion.

While Pakistan’s bowling was good and varied, it was the exposure of the cracks in the batting that was the most disappointing aspect of the Australian batting. While Aaron Finch looked composed again and was undone by a good delivery, all of Shaun Marsh, Travis Head and Mitch Marsh fell by pushing too hard at the ball, something that all reports told us that had been worked on before the series started. Tim Paine was unfortunate but was undone by a viciously spinning ball last ball before lunch, and yet it was Marnus Labuschagne who topped it all off. Having done all of the hard work in getting to 25 runs, he lazily left his bat in the air as a returning Mitch Starc straight drive flicked Yasir Khan’s fingers and crashed into the stumps to find him out of his ground. This kind of brain fade speaks volumes for the Aussies mind set on the second day. They just didn’t appear to be up for the day, while the Pakistan bowlers came to play hard.

The Marsh brothers are again posing serious problems for Australian supporters if not the selectors themselves. Shaun managed three before nicking off Abbas to first slip, while Mitch got to 13 before doing the same off Yasir. Their combined tally over six innings is a paltry 35 runs, and in a team where they now command senior status in the batting line up they just have to do better. No doubt the easy targets are the new boys, and with the heavy support of the Australian coach it seems unlikely the Marsh brothers will be under any selectorial pressure anytime soon. However, Australia cannot start to challenge in Test matches if they are not contributing, and this will be all the more problematic against India this home summer.

Having been given a wake up call in the first innings, the Pakistan batting looked much more secure in the second, and little opportunity was afforded to the Australian bowlers. At 2/144 at stumps, and a lead of 281 already, they could bat all day on Day Three and get to a lead of 600 and still have two days to bowl Australia out. Unlike the 1st Test that would be far too much time to have to survive on a much tougher surface for the Australians to combat. While the 1st Test draw was seen as a wonderful achievement under the circumstances – which it was – there appears little hope for a second act.

#PAKvAUS. 2018/19. 2nd Test. Day 1.

We won’t know for a few days just how much Australia will rue its missed opportunity in putting Pakistan to the sword in the 2nd Test when it had the perfect opportunity. Having lost the toss again, most Aussies would have happily taken the stumps scenario of Australia 2/20 (one of those wickets being the nightwatchman) chasing a Pakistan total of 282 all out. In fact, would have taken it when Pakistan was 1/57 in the first session. But having taken four wickets in six deliveries and also with a bombed easy chance off debutante Fakhar Zaman in the previous over, Pakistan’s final total was a disappointment and crucial, given the way this pitch was turning already in comparison to the 1st Test. 

Pakistan won’t be happy with the way the day progressed but given the last five wickets put on 225 runs and they were able to prise out the hero of the 1st Test Usman Khawaja before stumps to a strangle down the leg side, they have finished in the better position. Despite being dropped by Marnus Labuschagne off Jon Holland before the carnage began, debutant Zaman acquitted himself well, showing that he is not a one trick pony in regard to short form cricket. He showed a lot of promise and played a great hand before stumbling on 94. The skipper too was excellent. Sarfraz Ahmed came in at 5/57 and immediately took control, aggressively taking away the spell that Nathan Lyon had created, and brought the cricket back to a normal setting. His innings saved Pakistan when the innings could have capitulated, and he has now given his bowlers an opportunity to pull their team back into it on the second day. 

Nathan Lyon’s amazing period where he took four wickets in six deliveries to carve away the top and middle order was amazing bravado and came as he outwitted the Pakistan batsmen who were looking to be aggressive against him. The extra bounce and turn in the first day wicket allowed him to get through the defences of batsmen who are comfortable playing against spin bowling. It was probably surprising then when he allowed himself to become flustered when Sarfraz came in and took to him, to hit him off his line and length. And he succeeded, so well that Lyon failed to take another wicket for the innings. Bowling figures of 4/4 became 4/75, and while he could be pleased with his initial strikes he will be contemplating just how good it could, or should, have been. 

Apart from Starc’s opening three overs both he and Siddle looked tired, perhaps a reaction to the great amount of bowling they had to do in the heat of the 1st Test. Before play there had been rumours floating that Starc would be rested, but that would have exposed the lack of depth currently in the bowling attack. The Pakistan batsmen also looked to impose themselves early against Siddle, and not let him tie up an end like he did last week. It worked. Starc picked up the first and last wicket of the innings but did little else in between. He will be hoping his batsmen can give him at least a full day of rest before he must go out and do it all again. 

Jon Holland will wonder just when the luck is going to start running his way. He forced the false shot from Zaman in the first session, but the popped ball was out of Labuschagne’s hands at short cover as quickly as it went in. From that point he didn’t look like making a breakthrough, while both Lyon and then Labuschagne himself found the way to dismiss the batsmen. Not much has gone for him, but he has also been much less dangerous than both other two spinners. He will be hoping to do some major damage in the second innings to keep his name prominent in the future when Australia is looking for a second spinner. 

Apart from the spilled chance which may (or may not) have made a difference to the day’s end result, Labuschagne had a day out. Two catches, and three wickets with his leg spin, has him being spoken of as a Test all-rounder for years to come. Of course, he must make runs in order to fulfil this prophecy… though Mitch Marsh and Shane Watson have been exceptions to this rule at various times. His fielding is good, and his bowling shows promise. Hopefully on day two he will make a big score to help Australia do well, and in the process nail down his spot for the coming home series against India. He and Mitch Marsh look to be fighting for the one spot, so runs will count. 

Australia performed above par on Day One, and now must back in up with the bat on Day Two. With Khawaja already gone, the pressure lies with the Marsh brothers in particular to improve on their 1st Test efforts. It is quite possible the result of the Test will be known by the end of the day. If Australia can bat well they will have gone a long way towards being the team on top.

Albion Park Under 13's: Round 1 vs Kookas at King Memorial Oval

There’s a positive and hopeful feeling around the Albion Park Under 13 cricket team this season, perhaps more so from the parents and supporters on the sideline after a good opening match for the 2018/19 season. With a 14 player squad available, with only nine able to bat each match but 11 being able to bowl, it means that three kids will miss out each week on a rotational basis. What is already obvious is that a good bunch of kids under a good coach in Anthony Pickering are set for an excellent season.

The Kookas batted first with the Eagles flocking into the field. A delayed start due to a wet pitch and outfield meant a reduced match to 22 overs a side, with each of the Eagles kids getting a two over spell to showcase their wares. Blake Ison had the honour of opening the season up and while a bit scratchy in his first over bowled a particularly good second over and finished with 0/5. His partner Rob Denny was excellent, his left arm mediums looked good and he took out the off stump of the left-handed opener in the process of finishing with 1/9. The first change attack of Aiden Campion and Tom Denyer also impressed. Aiden was straight and miserly, finishing with 0/3, while Tom bowled with good pace and also managed to snare a wicket bowled, finishing with 1/10.
Josh Peters and Jack Couley followed and were the only two bowlers not to concede an extra. Josh’s leg spin was well flighted, and narrowly missed a wicket stumped as the batsman just got back before keeper Owen Pickering could remove the bails and all three stumps. He finished with 0/2. Jack bowled straight and full and reaped the reward for this, taking three wickets for just two runs. Two wickets were bowled while his third was a caught and bowled. Kane Rex bowled a good first spell for the season, and will improve from here with his 0/10, as will Will Schofield who was a little unfortunate with a couple of deliveries but snared a wicket when a top edge flew to Blake Ison at square leg for a comfortable catch. Will finished with 1/10.
Lucas Thompson started off his season well, and despite some waywardness finished with 0/6 from his two overs today. Liam Cergovski began his year on a good note, picking up the last wicket to fall for the day bowled, and should be happy with his figures of 1/5, while Owen Pickering bowled particularly well with a couple of deliveries unfortunate not to have picked up wickets, and he finished with 0/4.

At the end of their 22 overs, the Kookas had scored 7/72, 36 of those runs coming from extras. Something for the boys to work on next week.

Chasing the smallish total, the most accomplished batsmen headed to the crease and took care of business within 9 overs. Aiden Campion and Tom Denyer both finished retired not out when their allotted number of deliveries had expired. Aiden suffered a little from trying to hit the ball too hard but still made an excellent 4 runs, while Tom blazed away in the second half of his innings, and despite the square leg umpire saying to him “don’t get out!” as his last ball came up, he finished it with a massive six over mid-wicket to complete his innings on 27. Number three Owen Pickering and number four Will Schofield completed the routing, with Owen playing some heavy shots in his 20 not out, while Will showed an excellent technique and temperament in his 8 not out.

The Albion Park team finished on 0/78 in just the ninth over, to win the game handsomely in a match played in good spirit by both teams.

The result was comprehensive, and a good way to start the season. There were a lot of promising signs from everyone, and with three good players coming in next week after their week off the mood on the sideline was of a positive season coming up.
Today’s photo is the final wicket taken in the Kookas innings, with Liam celebrating having bowled the Kookas batsman.

The Maxwell and Tremain Equation

Just something a little further to the non-selection of Glenn Maxwell and Chris Tremain in yesterday’s Test squad, mainly because it has wonderful to hear people like Ricky Ponting and Allan Border also coming out and publicly wondering just what the selectors are doing in this situation.

There are mixed opinions on Maxwell’s ability and whether or not he deserves to be selected. My opinion tends to change from week to week depending on what he has done, but he has always shown that he does have some ability with bat and ball and in the field, and I wonder whether that has been utilised properly at any time. Whether he deserves preferential treatment in this isn’t what is being discussed. What he does deserve is a level playing field, and I’m not sure he has been getting that.
When he came back from Bangladesh last year, having played in the final two Tests against India and both Tests against Bangladesh, he was dropped from the First Test against England in Brisbane in favour of Shaun Marsh. I ranted in another blog post at the time that it seemed a bit harsh, and that the selection criteria that was being used to select the Test team seemed to be weighed against different players in different ways. I felt the same when Peter Handscomb was then summarily dumped after the Second Test to allow the younger Marsh to be reinstated. Both Maxwell and Handscomb seemed to get little favour despite their efforts on the subcontinent, and although both Marsh brothers went on to score two centuries apiece in the Ashes series it didn’t feel as though that was reason enough for how they had been shoehorned back into the team
Last season Maxwell was told to go away and score more runs to force his way back. Well, as that Test match unfolded he slaughtered the New South Wales team for 278 at North Sydney Oval. Pretty emphatic. While it was his only first-class century for the summer, he also made a handy 91 in a tough match at the MCG to further showcase his virtue. He was ignored for the South African tour, but was flown across with both Joe Burns and Matt Renshaw after the ball tampering debacle left three players being flown home in disgrace. He missed out on a place in the 4th Test, but had surely better claims to come.
With the ‘New Australia’ beginning under Langer and Paine, Maxwell was hoping to show what he could do on the A tour to India in the hope of forcing his way into the squad for the upcoming Pakistan tour. He was not chosen for A tour though, which he took as a positive that he had nothing to prove and would instead be an automatic selection. On Tuesday that proved not to be the case.

What players and armchair critics alike want to see is accountability, and clear reasons why players have or have not been selected. By using lines like ‘we want to see more runs’ as the reason one player is not selected, and yet have others in the squad whose raw figures are less impressive than those of the player left out, leaves one to opine that there is more to the non-selection that what is being said.
There is an obvious necessity to rebuild the image of Australian cricket, and no doubt that will mean looking past a player if they do not believe he is a ‘team’ player, or is a person who doesn’t tow the line in the way the current leadership group believes they should. It is not unknown in the general public that Maxwell has rubbed some people the wrong way in the way he does some things, and that some of these (formerly) influential people had marked his card against him playing again.

In last season’s Sheffield Shield season, Joe Burns scored 725 runs at 55.76 with two centuries, Travis Head 738 runs at 46.12 with two centuries, and Glenn Maxwell 707 runs at 50.50 with 1 double century. Compared to the figures of Marnus Labuschagne with 795 runs at 39.75 and two centuries, and Aaron Finch with 494 runs at 35.28 with one century, and you seem to have an anomaly stacking up. Of course, selection isn’t just about numbers, but when the coach and Chairman of Selectors use this as their argument, it becomes an argument that has to be investigated.
If he is seen as someone who has issues around the team, then he needs to be told this so that it can be rectified. If indeed it is just that they want more runs from him, then the selectors need to be able to account for that in all of their selections and non-selections, not just on certain individuals.

The bowling selections offer just as much confusion, especially in the case where one obvious outstanding candidate for selection has been bypassed by three others with less credentials in almost every category. Chris Tremain is an extremely unfortunate young man given his form over a long period of time, and in conditions that the team is expected to encounter in the UAE.
I sat with my son Josh at the SCG almost two years ago for the fourth day of the Shield match between NSW and Victoria, and as Jon Holland tried to dismiss the strong Blues batting Chris Tremain was at the other end frightening them out. On an up and down crumbling track Tremain’s pace and bounce was exactly what you wanted to see from your fast bowler in those conditions.

His figures speak for themselves. Last season he took 51 wickets at 21.07. The previous season he took 42 wickets at 18.97. On the recent A tour in India in the two games he took 6 wickets at 22.00. If the selectors had the hide to tell him he wasn’t selected because they wanted to see him do more in first class cricket, Tremain had every right to ping a cricket ball right at them. With two of the ‘big three’ not going on this tour, surely, he was the perfect player to fill one of those positions. Instead, the experienced Peter Siddle is touring, while uncapped and for the most part untested Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett get themselves a trip. Last season in the Shield Neser took 39 wickets at 21.84, and Doggett 28 wickets at 27.71. Both good, but not as good as Tremain.
It’s quite possible that in the long run, missing out bowling on the dead tracks of the UAE may be the best career move Tremain will meet. Certainly, he’d be much more likely to enjoy a shot at the Gabba or perhaps the new stadium in Perth. However, that doesn’t make up for the fact that he deserved to be chosen for this tour, and that is what is most troubling.

I mentioned this a year ago. If teams are no longer going to be chosen on current form, but instead are chosen on gut feel or because certain people have a liking for certain players, the the whole system is going to come crashing down.
It really is a new era in Australian cricket, and while the result of the Tests against Pakistan will be the real acid test for how the team is traveling, any failure with bat or ball will be monitored and will have the follow up line…”If only they had chosen Maxwell and Tremain”.

Australian Squad to tour Pakistan

Look, I know I tend to get on here and rant and rave about the cricket as though I know everything about the game and everyone else is subservient to my own immense knowledge on the subject. And yes I do realise that I am probably only correct about 17% of the time with what I write about. But it is officially the start of the cricket season today with the announcement of the Test team to tour UAE against Pakistan, and already the selectors have pissed me off. Wouldn’t have thought that was possible, would you? Well it is, and here is why.

1. The selectors have named a fifteen man squad, but the media have come out saying “Justin Langer has named his first Test squad”. Now I know the coach is one of the selectors, and that is still wrong, but that argument is for another day. But come on media, there is more than one selector, and Langer isn’t even the Chairman! Please get this right in the future.

2. The batsmen pretty much selected themselves, especially with the advance notice (ie. Leaks) that Aaron Finch and Marnus Labuschagne were more or less locks at the selection table. Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja and the Marsh brothers were always going, and it is good to see Travis Head get his chance. But there has to be some questions asked about overlooking the three batsmen who were sent to South Africa that are now superfluous to the squad. Peter Handscomb perhaps just doesn’t have the form on the board, while surely Glen Maxwell has just pissed too many people off to be given another chance. He’s done nothing wrong last year in India and Bangladesh, and hasn’t been sighted since. There’s more to this than is being said publicly. Why haven’t the media with their sources been able to give us this story? Labuschagne is man preferred for his spot, and he does have the kind of temperament that the ‘New Australia’ is probably looking for. And Joe Burns has again been treated like dogshit, given one Test after flying in just two days before the match after a stellar Shield season, but not required for the next tour. It’s pretty ordinary stuff if you ask me.

3. Aaron Finch is going to be the main beneficiary of David Warner’s exile from national colours. He must be odds on to become ODI captain and lead Australia to next years World Cup, and now on white ball form almost alone he has found his way into the Test squad. Everyone will hope that he succeeds, but we all see the same deficiencies in his defensive technique that are likely to be exposed at the highest level in Test cricket. The interesting thing to see is will he open alongside Renshaw, or will he slot into the middle order, with Khawaja opening and Shaun Marsh at three perhaps? Whatever happens, he has the opportunity now to lock down his place for years to come with a big 12 months in all forms of the game.

4. I haven’t seen enough of Brendan Doggett or Michael Neser, but if either is more deserving of a place in this squad than Chris Tremain then I am an extremely bad judge. And that is quite possible. I saw bits and pieces of both in last seasons BBL and the last Shield games streamed on CA app, and while they look handy they didn’t seem to be anywhere near ready for this step. Tremain on the other hand has topped the Shield aggregates for the past two seasons, and when I’ve seen him up close at the SCG he is frightening. Along with pretty good returns in the recent A tour in India, I cannot believe he is not in the team to open the bowling with Starc given the absence of Hazelwood and Cummins. It is a staggering decision, given they have also recalled Peter Siddle. Which brings me to this…

5. Peter Siddle, the ‘People’s Champ’, has had a great season In English County cricket, taking plenty of wickets and doing a great job for his county. But that has been on seaming wickets in helpful conditions with a Duke ball. Australia is going to the UAE on dead wickets in 40+ degree heat. No help there. Is Siddle the best option for those conditions? Is he just going because the team needs and experienced campaigner? I don’t know, and while I am not completely against his selection in the squad, I wonder if he is going to be just carrying baggage.

6. Three spinners have been chosen, and don’t think for a moment that the selectors aren’t think about playing all three of them, and relying on Agar’s improving batting to act as an all round option. The wickets will dictate what the balance is, but given Australia has struggled to score runs from anyone whose names isn’t Smith or Warner they will be look to get runs from wherever they can. Nathan Lyon will be the fulcrum of the attack, but as to whether Holland or Agar or both play will be another selection crucial to the outcome of the series.

7. Tim Paine retains the keepers role and the captaincy, though his holding of either role in 6 months time still seems to be being debated. The advancement of Carey as keeper and Mitch Marsh as captain is being kept warm through innuendo of those that have an ear close to the selectors, so Paine will be looking to not only continue his clean keeping, but also keep adding to his run tally – and better yet, win the series!

What does this squad say about the direction the leaders of the team are heading? It opens a lot of questions that are yet to be answered definitively, and it looks as though there is a lot left to faith in regards to some selections. It does at least bring a lot to look forward to when the series starts on October 7.

Can Australian Cricket recover from this?

Yes. I have spent a great proportion of the past 40 years of my life watching the game of cricket, idolising the great players it has been my pleasure to watch, and living on the edge of ecstasy and despair, depending on the outcome of those matches played by our national team.

For the most part of that time I have felt pride in the Australian team. They didn't always win, they didn't always play well, but they held the values of the game at their hearts. If they lost they accepted it and hoped to do better. If they won they celebrated and looked to do even better in the next game.
Not always, but mostly.

Something has changed in the current Australian team, and there needs to be some serious conversations and changes made at the highest level if the actions of the past few weeks are to be rectified.

After the actions of yesterday's play in South Africa, does anyone believe there are any redeemable qualities remaining in the Australian cricket team? There is simply no excuse or explanation for what happened except that at the very least the leadership group of the team are cheats. By having a player use a piece of tape with granules of the pitch on it to try and rough up the ball in order to change its condition, this was a deliberate and knowing flaunting of the laws of the game. Don't believe any kind of watering down of language that may be brought forth in the coming days. It was no mistake, or an error of judgement. It was blatant cheating. And the penalties for this must be severe. And not just from the ICC.

What has happened to the Australian team? We sledge mercilessly and without favour constantly, but suddenly carry on like school kids as soon as someone dares to do the same thing back at us. We ignore how poorly our home crowds treat opposition players and teams in Australia, but complain to the referee and the media the second it happens to us in overseas conditions. We dare to call others cheats when they appear to contravene the rules, but somehow expect that when we try to do the same thing we won't get caught, and when we do we expect that an apology and saying we'll never do it again should be enough to end the matter. The question has been asked for some time but never really answered, as to why it appears that the only series that seem to have bad relations between the teams playing are the ones that Australia play in.

Steve Smith is embarrassed by this? AUSTRALIAN CRICKET SUPPORTERS ARE EMBARRASSED BY THIS!!! These last few weeks have made ALL Australians feel awkward and nauseous about our own team. Their conduct overall has been appalling, and so far it appears nothing has been done to rectify it and pull these players back into line and reminded of the privilege they have of representing our country and the way they should behave to uphold it. It has been bad enough recently, but this is the final straw. South Africa - and the world - are now laughing at Australian cricket and its followers. Our team and its leaders have made a mockery of the game of cricket and how it should be played.

Whoever is a part of this so-called 'leadership group' that decided this tactic should be used, should be immediately suspended by Cricket Australia for the 4th Test. Steve Smith must immediately fall on his sword, or if he won't, then Cricket Australia must sack him as captain, and also ensure anyone who was a part of this decision never captains Australia again.The board also needs to come in and set the terms to what is acceptable behaviour on the cricket field and what is not, starting from now. The players may well have thought that they were in charge of the show after their victory in regards to the Memorandum of Understanding back in August, but they have forfeited any of that with their deplorable actions in recent times. This is the board's chance to show why it exists. This cannot be tolerated any longer, and if CA doesn't show strength in this then we forfeit any right to consider ourselves as leaders in the cricket world again.

I feel sick this morning, and it has nothing to do with what I drank last night. This is a line in the sand moment. Let's see if cricket in Australia has the leadership and moral conscience to fix this properly immediately.