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CA's top 20 batting performances in Australia since 2000

Spikey

Well-known member
Wasn't really a keen follower of Australia domestic cricket but Stuart Clark pretty much became an automatic selection as soon as he got in around 2006, so he should have probably played in Ashes 2005. Him and Hussey might well have got Australia over the line. All these things are really only hindsight wisdom, though.
he got called in for cover halfway though the series, I think because he was playing County. I suspect if we looked for posts in that era they'd be cries of NSW bias

From memory Clark didn't have a brilliant domestic season in 2004/05, so he wasn't really on the selectors radar so much at the time.

Sloon on the other hand had a damn amazing season, blasting quality batsman out left right and centre even while playing half his games on Les Burdett highways. That was probably the best he ever bowled, had an indifferent Ashes, then was pretty much never the same thereafter. The pace was still there, but only for a few overs until he was completely gassed
Well it wasn't brilliant in that he had the lowest average of the 4 NSW bowlers...but he still took 40 wickets at 24. 6 other seamers took 40 wickets though and the bulk of outrage, as I recall, was on Bracken missing selection. Clark's 03/04 I think was below 30 though.
 

stephen

Well-known member
Not sure Bichel was that great around 2005

Should have just gone with Stuart Clark

they even gave Shaun Tait a game
Just an update on this. Bichel took 60 wickets at an average of 22 in the 04/05 season. Behind only Tait, who took 65 at 20.
 

Nintendo

Well-known member
That was the year Bevan had his Bradmanesque year averaging 97 with 8 tons in 9 matches.
Bevan at test level always perplexed me, people claimed it was an issie with the bouncer but I can't picture how you can average near 60 in the 200's shield/county circuit and not have said short ball issue exploited.
 

TheJediBrah

Well-known member
Bevan at test level always perplexed me, people claimed it was an issie with the bouncer but I can't picture how you can average near 60 in the 200's shield/county circuit and not have said short ball issue exploited.
The short-ball thing was always bollocks. I think he got out a couple times that way during his short Test career and that's all it takes to earn a reputation sometimes.
 

stephen

Well-known member
Bevan at test level always perplexed me, people claimed it was an issie with the bouncer but I can't picture how you can average near 60 in the 200's shield/county circuit and not have said short ball issue exploited.
He didn't. His issues at test level were all mental. Any other era he's getting 70+ tests and averaging 45+ in tests. He had one bad Ashes series and one good series versus the West Indies.
 

TheJediBrah

Well-known member
He didn't. His issues at test level were all mental. Any other era he's getting 70+ tests and averaging 45+ in tests. He had one bad Ashes series and one good series versus the West Indies.
Didn't even have to be a different era. Something as simple as him getting the nod in 2000 over Martyn when Ponting was injured and Bevan more or less has the career that Martyn had. Possibly even better.
 

stephen

Well-known member
Bevan's 87* at Perth against Ambrose and Walsh doesn't get enough credit. Top scored for Australia on a terrible pitch where Ambrose got man of the match. You'd think if he did have a problem vs the short ball they would have sorted him out.

Similarly he got out mostly to part timers when facing Donald and Pollock. Cronje, McMillan, Symcox et al... You'd think Donald would have sorted him if he genuinely was weak against the short stuff.
 
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