Cricket in South Africa February-March 2014

[Shelf]

Of course he learnt his coaching skills in Queensland though!

Just like Ryano learnt to bowl in Adelaide

 

[Cossie]

I think the difference now is that we have a team.I think Darren Lehmann deserves a lot of credit for that.

I really do think that Darren Lehmann should have been captain of Australia before punter..........................

He proved to be a very good player for Yorkshire and coached them as well.

have a read of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Lehmann

 

[JohnK]

I think the difference now is that we have a team.I think Darren Lehmann deserves a lot of credit for that.

This is the same team before Lehmann. They were struggling to be recognised as test cricketers and now they are world beaters. Have we forgotten India and England so quickly?

 

[Shelf]

IIRC Boof was 12th man for Australia when he was 21.

From a personal front, he should have continued his journey to the Eastern states, he would have played alot more for the country. A light blue or dark blue cap seems to garner alot more interest from the selectors.

 

[Tooner]

IIRC Boof was 12th man for Australia when he was 21.

From a personal front, he should have continued his journey to the Eastern states, he would have played alot more for the country. A light blue or dark blue cap seems to garner alot more interest from the selectors.

Shelf, are you Brad Hogg

 

[Cossie]

This is the same team before Lehmann. They were struggling to be recognised as test cricketers and now they are world beaters. Have we forgotten India and England so quickly?

Hhmmm Lost a series on the sub continent, countries well known for doctoring pitches to suit their bowlers, accusations were also made against the ECB for doing the same thing in England last year to help Swann.

Rumours are rife that Cricket Australia acquiesced to requests from India that Perth not feature as one of the grounds for a test match.. ho hum level playing field!

 

[Cossie]

IIRC Boof was 12th man for Australia when he was 21.

From a personal front, he should have continued his journey to the Eastern states, he would have played alot more for the country. A light blue or dark blue cap seems to garner alot more interest from the selectors.

He did move to Victoria for a while, but I do agree with you that it seems to be an asset to be from nsw.

 

[JohnK]

Hhmmm Lost a series on the sub continent, countries well known for doctoring pitches to suit their bowlers, accusations were also made against the ECB for doing the same thing in England last year to help Swann.

Rumours are rife that Cricket Australia acquiesced to requests from India that Perth not feature as one of the grounds for a test match.. ho hum level playing field!

That's OK. We Australians have short memories. Didn't New Zealand also beat or test this team at home? Less than 12 months ago we had 1 player averaging over 50 in the team. Bowlers a little bit better. And now these guys are the best.

So my question is do Hughes, Kwawaja, Wade, Quinney etc now need to be regarded as test cricketers that Lehmann is in charge? If so then I think his miracles would be best saved for those who actually need them.

 

[Orca]

Moving forward... Who is next test opponent due to be? I tried looking (albeit briefly) at our schedule on the cricket Australia site but nothing is listed, aside from the upcoming T20's in SA and next years World Cup...?

 

[turtlemichael]

On the subject of an end to the era of SAF, I don't think so. Their bowling attack is in good shape and has a few years left in it. If ABDV gets the captaincy (I think it is him or Du Plessis) then Q. de Kock will get the wicketkeeper job. Despite his disappointing first match he is a very good attacking batsman and competent keeper to replace AB. A few years left in them at the top yet.

 

[JohnK]

There is the T20 World Cup later this month and April.

Then India will visit for 4 test matches later this year 2014/2015 in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Note that Perth has missed out.

This then leads into the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

After the 2015 World Cup the Australian cricket test team could look very different to the one playing now.

 

[Orca]

Cheers JohnK

 

[TheRealTMA]

Shelf, are you Brad Hogg

No! I'm Brad Hogg! ..., or Spartacus, or .... Well at this time of night after the release of the the new Penfold Reds it all gets a little confusing...

 

[Pushka]

Of course he learnt his coaching skills in Queensland though!

India got him first.

 

[Warks]

Aus play Pakistan in UAE in October three Tests I think if it hasn't been cut down again. They can be hard to beat there these days.

 

[docjames]

This is the same team before Lehmann. They were struggling to be recognised as test cricketers and now they are world beaters. Have we forgotten India and England so quickly?

Might be (mostly) the same players, but you wont accept they have improved? Players have to learn how to win, how to get the most out of themselves and their teammates.

If nothing else, the "tightness" of the bowling has been the biggest improvement. Less loose balls to release pressure on opposition batsman. Without going back and looking at runs conceded, looking is passing during the Australian Ashes series and SAf series, for long chunks of play the bowlers were giving 1-2rpo (vs 4+ in past series). The batting still looked a little brittle in the second test, but otherwise one or two players are getting a decent score in each innings. If you can score 300+ in your first innings of a match, you don't lose that many. If one guy can get 100, you're pretty close to a team score of 300.

India in India is the final big test of how far they've come. When is that next scheduled?

 

[RB]

This is a handy guide for future series
ftp_2011_2020.pdf

 

[QF WP]

Might be (mostly) the same players, but you wont accept they have improved? Players have to learn how to win, how to get the most out of themselves and their teammates.

I would suggest that Boof has been instilling more of a "team" culture than a "me" culture and it's been successful (unlike England and Kevin Pietersen). Perhaps he's read some good player management books

 

[JohnK]

Might be (mostly) the same players, but you wont accept they have improved? Players have to learn how to win, how to get the most out of themselves and their teammates.

If nothing else, the "tightness" of the bowling has been the biggest improvement. Less loose balls to release pressure on opposition batsman.

I have to agree. The bowling has been impeccable and that has filtered through to the fielding and the batting. Only 1 blemish and that was the 2nd test vs South Africa.

India in India is the final big test of how far they've come. When is that next scheduled?

It will be a while before that happens.

One thing they will need to manage is the number of players retiring in the next couple of years and who will replace them.

 

[turtlemichael]

Moving forward... Who is next test opponent due to be? I tried looking (albeit briefly) at our schedule on the cricket Australia site but nothing is listed, aside from the upcoming T20's in SA and next years World Cup...?

Although it is always subject to change, this schedule lists all tours until 2020. http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/DOWNLOAD/0000/0045/ftp_2011_2020.pdf

Edit: Oops. Should read to the end of the thread before posting.