Can we add Hick, Ramprakash, Lamb and Gatting to this list. All averaged on or around 50 at FC level. Fact reamins that until we actually see these players step up to the test arean, we will be unaware of how they play.

The major difference I see is that Langer, Martyn, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Lee, Slater and Hayden (amongst others) all entered test level and were dropped for a period of time. Will Australia have the luxury of being able to drop the new players and allow them to come back as better players (the pool was certainly bigger ten years ago) or will they have to givethem a long run in the side and possibly ruin them if they do not step up immediately. Remember that NOT every Australian makes a test player once given the chance - regardless of what some might tell us.

First of all, you're talking about English county cricket there, where our guys go for target practice between seasons (Cameron White hit a 200? ).

As for the Elliot, Bevan and Kaspa comments. Kaspa was undroppable for quite a while and there was a stage there when he was taking 7 wicket hauls. Bevan got dropped because he coul'nt deal with the bouncer as a youngster but alot of people thought he should have gotten a recall when he got older, and Elliot was'nt that crash hot but he was still a decent international batsmen.

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It's hard enough to remember my opinions, without remembering my reasons for them!
Nietzsche

As you pointed out most of the Aussies mentioned would have played County Cricket, and so their First Class averages would include long seasons in County Cricket (lots of games compared with playing at home). They interesting thing would be to see what their First Class Averages were like playing County Cricket, and just Aussie State Cricket???

Let's be more robust in the defense of domestic cricket: SOME county cricket sucks... just as SOME Test cricket sucks... but within the County Championship, several teams are stronger than the average Test side.... so SOME domestic performances reflect genuine international capability.

I don't buy this notion that a great deal seperates Test and county cricketers: sure, a lot seperates an ordinary county batsman like Maddy from a top Test batsman like Ponting, or an ordinary county bowler like Batty from a top Test bowler like Muralitharan... but the likes of Maddy and Batty would actually be welcome additions to this current WI side... and many of the better county cricketers strike me as better than the weakest links in sides like South Africa, New Zealand, INdia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

I'm pretty sure an England 'B' team would do OK against most Test sides... but that an Aussie 'B' side of the last 10 years would have been the 3rd / 4th strongest side in Test cricket: might not be the case now that so many have retired.... but when Hodge, the two Husseys, Bevan, Haddin, MacGill and Hogg couldn't get into the 1st team... the reserve bench was awesome!

I was never writing those players off but you mean to tell me you have bowlers coming through as good as Warne and McGrath? And a batter to replace Ponting? And a W/K batsman to replace Gilchrist.....

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Mark.

I think Australia will still dominate for two or three years, but no matter good their young players are it will be difficult to replace once in a life-time players like Warne, McGrath, Ponting and Gilchrist.

It will be very interesting to see how they fare in their next Test series now they have lost two of those players plus Langer.

Exactly, plus you add in a seasoned pro like Langer and a solid opener in Hayden and you are asking a lot of the young players. You are also losing about 750+ test caps which is a heck of a lot of experience to lose quickly.

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Mark.

I am sorry but how brett lee does not deserve to wear that baggy green cap in test cricket is beyond me his average yes is only 31.60 compared to McGrath (21) and warne (25) yet you must understand that he has lived in the shadow of these legends for his whole carrer, now he must be judged after these greats of the game are not around to clean up his sloppy preformances, but he has the spirit and credentials to become a leading fast bowler already with 231 wickets at 30 years old he has a good five years left him to blow away formidable batting attacks with ultimate pace control and fighting sprit, this spirt showen in his batting average of 21 the possension of his wicket is a representation of his pride for the game even with the formidable batting attack that is australia. This is brett lee's chance the question is: Is he going to take it ?

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Finally England have risen from the ashes.

If Brett Lee is still playing (and bowling at 90 mph plus) in five years time I will eat my hat, cloak and shoes. Even McGrath lost a fair amount of his pace, he made up for it with his unerring accuracy. While I expect Lee will gain some control over the next year or two, I doubt he'll ever be anywhere near as good as McGrath was/is.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

Lee and Tait will be the "shock" bowlers for the aussies with the likes of Clark providing the stability of steady line and length and where required Hilfenhaus will provide the genuine swing