Tagged with andrew mcdonald …

Feb 23 2009
aussies

Australia go North

Andrew McDonald may have come on this tour with a test cap under his belt.

He probably was the front runner.

Especially with the fact that the South African pitches aren’t raging turners.

Marcus North clearly had other ideas.

He has lit South Africa up so far.

Back to back 50 not outs (one declared one retired).

That is pretty good work in a bat off, McDonald made 20 odd in the first innings, and is about the same not out in the second.

His bowling was solid and dogmatic, but North took a steaming dump on his mojo by ripping out a 6 for.

It wasn’t the world’s prettiest 6 for, it went at over 6 an over.

And McGain and Siddle were obviously not bowled.

But a 6 for pretty much means Nathan hauritz is now a tourist.

North should have played ahead of McDonald at Sydney, for a bucnh of reasons, the two most important are that Sydney is a wicket for spinners, and that McDonald is not a test number 6.

It seems that North shared these thoughts, and in his once chance, he made sure everyone else who had a vote thought the same.

Only a crazy man with chickens as advisors would not pick him now.

Ofcourse with McGain’s dodgy ass, and form, Marcus North might have created a bigger monster.

If McGain doesn’t play a good first test, don’t be surprised if for the second test Ricky makes a snap judgment, and North bats at 6, Haddin at 7 and McDonald at 8.

Because we all remember how well that went in India.

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Jan 03 2009
Uncategorized

round and round

How confused is Australia?

Andrew McDonald has 2 first class hundreds in 44 matches.

Brad Haddin has 11, with a test hundred, from 100 odd first class matches.

Cameron White has 13 from 90odd matches.

They all average pretty much 40, McDonald 38, Haddin 41 and White 40.

This is where it gets interesting.

In India Haddin batted at 7, and White at 8.

In Sydney Haddin is still at 7, and McDonald at 6.

For Victoria, White bats at 5 and McDonald at 6.

You see what I am saying.

Hopefully.

White bats before McDonald, who bats before Haddin, who bats before White.

That is the Australian middle order circle of doom.

Lucky they all aren’t playing at the same time, Ponting’s head may have exploded putting the team in.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Dec 30 2008
Uncategorized

Australia hit the red panic button

Andrew McDonald comes in, and logic takes a holiday

If you want a Victorian perspective on what this means, go here.

For Ausralia it means the panic button has been pressed.

It’s not that Andrew McDonald isn’t a good cricketer, he is.

Just that his selection has a mad sense of panic all over it, the selectors no longer believe 4 bowlers are enough for Australia.

They probably don’t believe 5 is enough, but that is as far as they are going to stretch it.

Ashley Noffke must be confused, again, first he missed out to Siddle in India, Geeves in Darwin and now to McDonald in Sydney.

It’s probably payback for all the damage he has caused to people down south over the years.

I would have picked him, because he is a bowling all rounder, and he is going to be more useful than McDonald where Australia really need him.

But they haven’t, which means they don’t think the batting is any better.

McDonald is a handy batsman, not as good as Haddin though, in general he gets starts and then gives them away.

In 44 first class matches he has only 2 hundreds, which sounds shithouse, but throw in a playful 15 half centuries.

It shows he can bat, but he has trouble committing to the relationship.

His bowling is slightly better than Roy’s medium pace.

His first class bowling record is pretty good, an average of 30, and he does pick up wickets fairly easily, but he is just a medium pacer who swings it, and his record is improved by playing at the swing friendly MCG with a good bowling attack around him.

The big problem with his selection is it breaks the unofficial Australian rule. McDonald is not good enough to play as a batsmen or a bowler.

He is what I like to call a South African all rounder.

South Africa played heaps of them in the 90’s.

Guys who could bat a bit, bowl a bit, but had no place in test cricket.

McDonald probably has the talent to make it as a batsmen, but 44 matches for 2 hundreds is not a test batsmen, it’s not even close.

Noffke is a proper bowler, he could easily play as a bowler only, even without his batting, but he has been overlooked by someone with a lot of ability, but no real performances on the board.

Although i still say that there is a chance that the wrong player could have been selected.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Jul 10 2008
general balls

select this

The Australian 30 man squad for the ICC show me the money Knockout cup is out.

30 man squads are a waste of column inches.

So let me waste a few inches.

After years of producing less Australian cricketers the certain grade clubs in Sydney and Melbourne, suddenly Tasmania is a force.

The smiling George Bailey, Brett Geeves and his terrific hair cut, the stutter stepping Xavier Doherty, and the entomologist Tim Paine.

If you count Ricky Ponting (which I don’t) that means 5 of the top 30 one day cricketers in the country are from Tasmania.

Quite an effort.

None of these 4 newcomers are anywhere near playing for Australia, but are all very good cricketers.

Even if they are Tasmanians.

So it got me thinking, if the squad for Pakistan (assuming Australia go) will end up being this, give or take.

Ponting, Clarke, Marsh, Watson, Hussey, Hayden, Symonds, Haddin, Hopes, Lee, Bracken, Clark, Johnson, White, Hussey.

So I thought I would pick a second 15 from those who will probably miss out.

Luke Ronchi, wicket keeper and gun opener. Ask the Windies and the Mumbai Indian net bowlers.

Tim Paine, back up wicket keeper, and excellent opening batsman. Ronchi brings the fire works and he brings the class.

Brad Hodge, occasionally I bag Brad Hodge, but he is the second best number batsman in Australia, which makes him one of the best batsmen in the world.

Adam Voges, Vice Captain, has played for Australia before and in England would be a very fine middle order batsman.

George Bailey, smiles a lot, probably because he knows he can bat well, had an ordinary year, but I predict big things from his selection in my second XI.

Dan Marsh, best Tasmanian captain in Australia, still makes runs, still takes wickets, and still is a fat fucker.

Ashley Noffke, his one day form is generally ordinary, but if he can average 50 with the bat in shield cricket I am happy with him at 7, bowling first change, or whenever wickets are needed.

Ryan Harris, the big fella with shoulders made of granite, needed big shoulders from all his carrying of South Australia,

Brett Geeves, the quickie from Tasmania, not a bad guy to have coming in at 9 either.

Xavier Doherty, I would pick stutter step over Cullen, and Hauritz, a wicket taker who can bowl left arm orthodox at the death, handy to have.

Shaun Tait, from memory, before his “exhaustion” took a few wickets in a world cup.

Brendan Drew, 12th dude, bowls quick, and doesn’t mind the odd long hard hit.

Squad members.

Bryce McGain, leading ford ranger wicket taker, and also another old head around the change room.

Dan Christian, project player, averaged 44 with the bat this year and bowls quicker than Stuart Clark, and about one millionth as straight or well.

Andrew McDonald, quiet year this year, but was in the 30 man squad for the world cup, and is one of those rare all rounders that takes wickets and makes runs regularly.

Would be interesting to see where it would come in the ICC knock out.

This team would never be picked though, way too many guys under 30 in it, and only two NSWelshman, who now play for other states.

Apologies to Dirty Dirk, Theo Doropolous, Mark Cosgrove, Aaron Heal and Douggie Bollinger.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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Mar 11 2008
Uncategorized

more less exciting auctions

The IPL has had a second auction.

Now each team has 48 international players, but only a maximum of 4 can play at any one time.

I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I did notice that a couple of Australian domestic cricketers got scooped up.

Luke Pomersbach, the man who played for Australia when Brad Hogde couldn’t put his pants on, got selected for 50,000 cheesels.

That is a bargain buy.

This boy hits the ball like its some punk who stole his girl.

Ofcourse he will need to be kept away from the bar.

Brett Geeves from Tasmania was also selected. He is one of my favourite cricketers at the moment. Can bowl mid to high 140’s, swings from the hip with the bat and also quite god with a quip when miked up.

Although does have a very odd hair cut.

He also was a great price at 50,000 as well.

Shane Watson went for 125,000 clams, which I assume is to be a team mascot, he will be shown naked and lubed up for the ladies of India (and some men) to admire.

If the IPL are still looking for players I think there are a couple that could be worth the 50,000 pesos they are throwing around.

Dan Christian from South Australia. Bowls at about 140, but is a batsmen. Can hit a long ball, and generally bats like his house is burning down.

Adam Crosthwaite/Andrew McDonald from Victoria, both big hitters, who can keep and bowl at a high respectively. Plus Adam is willing to claim anything that may look like a catch. Downside, Andrew has red hair.

Brendan Drew from Tasmania is one hell of a quick bowler, who if i remember correctly had Sri Lanka in all sorts of trouble. Bowls quick and straight, and whilst not a batsmen, can hit long and hard.

Luke Ronchi and Theo Doropolous are both big hitting young dudes from Wa. Ronchi has the added advantage of being a pretty good keep, Theo has the added advantage of a cool greek name.

Welcome to Australia where every cricketer is a bargain.

www.cricketwithballs.com… We constantly get sodomized down the legside
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