Not great when White is a spinner. Though this method could solve the spinner problem:

Openers: Broad + Hughes
Middle Order: Marsh, Bailey, Pomersbach, Voges
Keeper: Ronchi + Hartley
Spinners: Casson + White
Seamers: Bollinger, Magoffin, Siddle, Harris

How are people with that line-up? We may wish Watson to replace Harris??

I don't know if Ronchi has ever played County cricket, but you shouldn't let his reputation with the bat blind you to his 'keeping. On his CricInfo profile, it calls him "an accomplished gloveman." And that's all that needs to be said. He may not be unobtrusive in the classical style, but he has great reflexes behind the stumps, and he is as far as I know a natural gloveman- not a manufactured one in the manner of Stewart or Dhoni. Saying that, Dhoni lately has been looking very good behind the stumps, and I'd say that Ronchi is about the same standard.

Not Watson, no. And I'm not convinced Harris should be the fourth seamer, either. If you want the fourth seamer to be an allrounder, then Andrew MacDonald knocks Watson's socks off, and I think Ben Edmonson would be a better specialist than Harris. He's more expensive, but he has the happy knack of regularly being able to take wickets in a heap, and that's reflected in his SR of 45.

Yes Andy your right, I was writing White but meaning Watson.

I like White as the second spinner though so I guess my original idea does still work albeit in the correct category. Gives some flexibility to the squad.

The only reason to select an allrounder for the fourth seamer (as far as I can see) is that he provides a better batting option than a specialist. Given that, then IMO there's no way MacDonald can be left out for Watson. MacDonald averaged almost 50 with the bat, Watson averaged an undramatic 33. And while it's true that Watson's bowling figures were better, he's not that good a bowler because he doesn't know what his limitations are. You can tell because he's always trying to bowl fast and sacrificing accuracy, and trying to bowl scorching bouncers which just go to the boundary. So someone like Watson will never IMO be as good an allrounder as someone who does bowl within his limitations- the Moodys, Ervines, Hopes' and, yes, the MacDonalds.

I think 9-167 out of 18-844 against the NSW batting lineup including top order test caps Jaques, Katich & Clarke + the soon to be test cap Haddin may hold Siddle in better stead than Hilfenhaus.

As might his average of 17.06 which is a fair bit better than Hilfenhaus's 25.38 last season
Cricinfo - Records - Season 2006/07 in Australia - First-class matches - Bowling averages

I'm not impressed with Broad averaging 31.5 being there.

You prove to me where your choice Rachael, in this case "Hartley" is offering the Australia A team consistantly more than 17 runs per innings (and I am being more than fair with him considering he bats further down the order and has twice as many not outs as Ronchi) then I might give your argument some credence.

Until then IMHO it seems way off the boil.

Bloody good point

After the P'cup final I would have ditched Thornley and McDonald for Watson in a devil you know type of response. But in Watsons case this year he is a guy with an interupted season due to injury and the other two McDonald & Thornley have kept on keeping on like they did last season. So Watson's figures look shoddy and we select our A-team on current form, so he currently looks like an unlikely inclusion.

Lets just remember in saying that, Cameron White is still in the selection frame and he broke his ankle during the season. So there is no reason that if Watson's performances were better why he shouldn't be in the selection process.

But I will add to that comment Shane Watson has opened the batting for Australia in ODI's before

And Shane Watson's(439 runs 7 matches) average 33.76 with no not outs is ahead of his Queensland team-mates Ryan Broad(566 runs 10 matches) 31.44 also no not outs.

Watson also took 9 wickets at 30.33 in those 7 matches.

I'm not disputing that he had a very good season. But that's really not the point, and it's also irrelevant that his figures are better than Hilfenhaus' were last year. He's only played 9 matches. And although he displayed very good form in the five he played this year, form can desert you. That's why I mentioned Hilfenhaus- not to say that he was necessarily better, but that he was in very good form one year, and distinctly ordinary form the next. Siddle will have to perform to something very close to his stnadards this year for the next couple of seasons to prove to me that he should be the next pace bowler.

He averaged 33. It's still not particularly impressive, but I hate the idea of putting in a makeshift opener instead of a proper one, even if the makeshift had a better season. Besides, Broad and Hughes has balance IMO- the defensive right-hander who can take the shine off the ball, rotating the strike to the more aggressive lefty who can dominate the bowling.

Well, the fact that he's constantly injured doesn't really help his case.

I hate to say it on the batting side of things I think this years candidates are no where near as strong as last years.

Anyone else got a team they want to post up for a look ?

Hello all long time no speak. This is what my side looks like & all the stats are career stats because you cant go off one season.

1. Phillip Hughes (19 yrs old) - 7 mat, 559 runs at 62.11, hs 116, 1x100, 6x50
2. Ed Cowan (25 yrs old) - 22 mat, 1251 runs at 32.92, hs 137*, 3x100, 4x50
3. George Bailey (25 yrs old) - 36 mat, 2323 runs at 38.71, hs 155, 5x100, 14x50
4. Adam Voges (28 yrs old) - 40 mat, 2339 runs at 40.32,hs 180, 7x100, 8x50
5. Luke Pomersbach (23 yrs old) - 12 mat, 949 runs at 52.72, hs 176, 2x100, 7x50
6. Cameron White (C) (24 yrs old) - 92 mat, 5557 runs at 41.47, hs 206*, 13x100, 24x50 + 161 wickets at 38.24, bb 6/66
7. Luke Ronchi (26 yrs old) - 28 mat, 1480 runs at 37.94, hs 107, 3x100, 9x50
8. Steve Magoffin (28 yrs old) - 40 mat, 130 wickets at 28.50, bb 8/47
9. Peter Siddle (23 yrs old) - 9 mat, 40 wickers at 21.52, bb 6/57
10. Ben Hilfenhaus (25 yrs old) 30 mat, 127 wickets at 31.11, bb 7/58
11. Doug Bollinger (26 yrs old) - 43 mat, 133 wickets at 31.76, bb 6/63

I think that alot of people would not agree with Hilfenhaus because he had a bad season but he is still in the best 11 players under the age of 30 in the country. Cameron White is a obvious choice as captain of the side, I didnt chose a spinner because I dont think that anyone is really deserving I think the part time spin of White & Voges plus an extra quick would be as valuble if not more that a bowler like Dan Cullen, Cullen Bailey, Beau Casson or any other young spinner at the moment.

__________________
Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Welcome back "Quaggy"

from your post
[QUOTE]"like Dan Cullen, Cullen Bailey, Beau Casson or any other young spinner at the moment."[/quote]

This was the same big issue we had last year.