Especially when it would be more lucrative for CA to let them go over to the BBL and let them use that star power to give the competition a much needed boost.
Test matches aren’t the spot for someone needing to find form, certainly not tests against the top nations.
Australia had a double win against India today, with the women’s team winning by 122 runs in the second ODI in Brisbane, claiming an unbeatable 2-0 in the three-match series. The home side made 8/371, its highest ODI score against India. Player of the match Ellyse Perry belted 105 from 75 balls, becoming the fourth Australian to pass 4000 ODI runs, while opener Georgia Voll scored 101 from 87, her maiden ODI century in her second match.
Just watching the cricket from Durban… and wondering why are the South Africans wearing black? I mean black arm bands are one thing, but a black kit?
Meantime here’s someone like McSweeney making his test debut this series and the commentators are referring to him as ‘the little youngster’, ‘fresh-faced’, ‘youthful’… and he’s 25! That’s a full decade older than Caoimhe Bray…
I would still be taking Smith over a young Shield player any day of the week. Smith might be in a form slump, but I’m not seeing alarm bells yet. He has the potential to make big scores and there are not many people knocking down the door at Shield level to take his number 4 spot.
Smith’s scores at no. 4 last summer against Pakistan:
31, 45, 26, 50, 38, 4*
Not to mention the on-field leadership and seniority he can provide in the field, I’d be backing Smith in for the time being.
Thank you for posting those scores, because they do back up what you’re saying. And you do make a good argument about keeping him in the side. Rationally, it makes sense to keep him there.
But I watched Sam Konstas in the PM XI game and talk about an excitement machine! And so good to watch technically. Cool Konstas compared to the constant itching, scratching and fidgeting of Smith. I know who I’d take.
Great idea actually. It’s a great time of the evening in Sydney during the peak of daylight saving in Sydney. And now that SACA have pulled the pin on D/N tests, the Pink Test seems perfect for pink balls.
They have?
Nope they have not, however, there will be a mix of day tests and day-night tests:
The agreement means that the next seven years will be a mixture of day and day/night fixtures.
Brisbane will host the day/night ashes test next year.
Relevance?
‘Let’s be honest’: English great’s push for major change
Ian Chappell has been banging on about this for years.
Great idea. Bring it on.
I’m not sure why you would shorten games if they are already playing shorter and remove any potential buffer in place of weather etc.
Probably also means they can schedule things a bit more tightly, fit more games or tours in.
I imagine they’ll also increase the extra hours that can be played to make up for lost time, say up to 8 hours per day in total light permitting.
For the first time since its inception in 2000, the Australian Cricket Awards night, where the Allan Border Medal and the Belinda Clark award are presented in a black-tie function at Crown’s Palladium room in Melbourne, will take place on February 3 with the men’s team on the road to Sri Lanka.
Cricket Australia has discussed the schedule clash with the Australian Cricketers Association and broadcasters Seven and Foxtel, with a decision taken to hold the awards after the conclusion of the women’s Ashes Test in Melbourne.
Two industry sources with knowledge of plans, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations are confidential, stated the broadcasters had pitched up multiple alternatives to staging the event with the Test team absent.
These included the idea of a pre-recorded show that could run parallel to the awards night itself. As it is, segments from the Test team in Sri Lanka, including the potential awarding of the Allan Border Medal itself, will have to be pre-recorded anyway. The team will meet to watch a replay of the broadcast, but tuxedos will not be required.
With Katey in Aotearoa doing the Tests on Duke, it’s good to see Sophie filling in for her on 7+
She’s looking pretty happy about it too.
Australia had a clean sweep of the three-match women’s ODI series against India, winning game 3 by 83 runs at WACA Ground on a 40C day.
Sent in to bat, Australia put on an opening stand of 58 before Arundati Reddy triggered a top order collapse of 4/20 (she finished with 4/26 from 10 overs). Player of the match and series Annabel Sutherland rescued her team’s innings with 110 from 95 balls, her second ODI century. She and stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath put on 122, Australia’s highest sixth wicket partnership in women’s ODIs, breaking the previous record of 97 between Nicola Carey and Beth Mooney. Ash Gardiner also chipped in with 50 from 64 balls as the home side finished on 6/298 from 50 overs.
In reply, Smriti Mandhana (105 runs from 109 balls) and Harleen Deol (39 from 64 balls) led India’s run chase, before the team suffered a batting collapse of 6/14, with Gardner taking five of the six wickets (5/30 from 10 overs) including the key wicket of Mandhana. Eventually India was bowled out for 215 at the start of 46th over. Georgia Voll suffered a knee strain while fielding during India’s innings, but should be OK for Australia’s short tour of New Zealand next week.
Gardner became the second Australian player after Mark Waugh to score a 50 and take five wickets in the same ODI match.
New Zealand
Let’s hope so. This is the same team that absolutely thrashed India in India three-zip… so at least winning the Hamilton test will be a fitting consolation prize.
Black Caps - captain and coach both mainlanders. England - captain and coach both mainlanders.
