Australia v Pakistan, 3rd Test, Sydney, 3-7 January, 2024

So series won but some good cricket in the offing (weather permitting ). Onto the New Year's Pink Test.

And that's 2,000 topics started

given the unreliability of the BOM, how much rain are we expecting?

The win doesn't remove the fact that Australia's batting is feeble and has no middle gears.

Fred Nerk wrote:The win doesn't remove the fact that Australia's batting is feeble and has no middle gears.

Yeah, our middle order really needs some work atm. Marnus is out of form, as is Smudge, and Head needs to move his feet more. Smudge really needs to be looking to turn the strike over more. He is too easily becalmed these days.

Smith is reminding me of Roger Federer in the five years between majors - raging against the dying of the light and racking his brains out working out where the hell the magic's gone

Smudge's big problem is that he's a tinkerer - always looking for the magic grip and stance. Just leave it alone, man, and play some tip and run.

Anywho, the forecast for Sydney 3-7 Jan is...

Wed - t-storms - 9mm
Thurs - t-storms - 18mm
Fri - t-storms - 19mm
Sat - drizzle - 1mm
Sun - drizzle - 2mm

That should give my interstate buddies something to bitch about.

I spent Christmas in Sydney with rellos, like most years. I arrived Friday, spent Saturday on the harbour, ate and drank myself silly on Sunday and Monday, and drove back to Melbourne on Tuesday. There was up to 40 mills forecast each day. There was one burst on Sunday morning which may have been worth 10 or 15 in a couple of hours, and diddly-squat else. The weather forecasters are nearly as full of crap as sports writers.

I hope you're right, Nerkles.

It'd be nice to get a Sydney Test uninterrupted by mizzle and pre-sippy-tation.

At least the T-storm predictions (if accurate) should allow 2 sessions of Test Cricket before the thunderheads threaten.

Test forecast has improved to only light late showers (1 to 2mm) for Days 1 & 2.

Good news. I see more floods have developed up around your Mum's territory, and thought you might also be up there. All safe and dry?

Yeah, in Port atm. Plenty of old fashioned late arvo T-storms (lots of sun and humidity) but no flooding.

SE Qld copped it bad with a tornado.

That’s the tornado I was caught in …

skully wrote:Smudge's big problem is that he's a tinkerer - always looking for the magic grip and stance. Just leave it alone, man, and play some tip and run.

Anywho, the forecast for Sydney 3-7 Jan is...

Wed - t-storms - 9mm
Thurs - t-storms - 18mm
Fri - t-storms - 19mm
Sat - drizzle - 1mm
Sun - drizzle - 2mm

That should give my interstate buddies something to bitch about.

Sydney really needs to fekk the SCG off and get a covered stadium in the middle of Randwick racetrack … Swans and Giants would use in footy season.

Not thinking of this Test so much, but for the Adelaide shindig v the Ganjas, when Warner is Gonski … might they bring Green in, but open with Carey? It would spare the selectors the Bancroft / Harris / Renshaw dilemma, Carey generally scores quickly if he scores at all (so like for like, which is a problem with the other three), and Carey does have opening experience, not to mention Adelaide experience.

Not as crazy as expecting Green or Marsh to open. I’d submit.

lardbucket wrote:Not thinking of this Test so much, but for the Adelaide shindig v the Ganjas, when Warner is Gonski … might they bring Green in, but open with Carey? It would spare the selectors the Bancroft / Harris / Renshaw dilemma, Carey generally scores quickly if he scores at all (so like for like, which is a problem with the other three), and Carey does have opening experience, not to mention Adelaide experience.

Not as crazy as expecting Green or Marsh to open. I’d submit.

Can’t see that working. Tough to ask a keeper to open in Tests after a long stint behind the stumps. Agree it would be ludicrous to get Mere or Green to open. Marsh certainly does not have the technique for the job.

Think we should go with Renshaw or failing that Bancroft. Imo Renshaw has the better technique inc for different overseas conditions.

I didn't say that I thought it a great idea ... but I do wonder whether our selectors might contemplate it, especially v the West Indies in Adelaide. It would spare them a decision they clearly don't want to make.

The chance of batting first, and possibly only batting once, weakens the "too tired after keeping to open" argument, too.

Warner retiring from ODIs effective immediately

First 'DLTDHYOTAOYWO'; one to come after Sydney.

lardbucket wrote:First 'DLTDHYOTAOYWO'; one to come after Sydney.

don’t let the door etc

Head to Open 

Marsh 5 
Green 6 


They made Harris the camp follower for the last couple of seasons so he should get first crack if they dont go with Green

There is a Karticle by Alex Malcolm on cricinfo looking at the stats of Bangers Wrench and Harry 

He seems to favour Bangers 

but that is probably wozzie bias from Alex ( a very good Premier cricket opener for Subi Floreat who was pushing for state selection before taking up full time sports writing )

embee wrote:Head to Open 

Marsh 5 
Green 6 

I agree with this but Head has said he doesn't want to.

embee wrote:There is a Karticle by Alex Malcolm on cricinfo looking at the stats of Bangers Wrench and Harry 

He seems to favour Bangers 

but that is probably wozzie bias from Alex ( a very good Premier cricket opener for Subi Floreat who was pushing for state selection before taking up full time sports writing )

There is absolutely no doubt that Bangers' stats indicate he's the man for Warner's spot. But is it the right move?

I would be delighted if he was chosen and succeeds but I have my doubts.

Pakistan has dropped Imam and 'rested' Naseem.

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/pakistan-eye-spinner-scg-test-045758368.html