I suppose the time has come to kick this around again.

A few of the guy's who I think will get through to the final team

Luke Pomersbach (WA) batting
Luke Ronchi (WA) keeping/batting
Peter Siddle (Vic) bowling

Well, before people start throwing around the absolute bankers- the Noffkes, Bollingers and so forth, here are a couple who haven't been talked about much, but who've both had outstanding seasons:
Shaun Marsh (WA) averages over 60 in the Pura Cup this season at no. 3
George Bailey (Tas) averages 47-48 at no. 4- very consistent.

I'm not sure where the like of Haddin and David Hussey fit in, both of them being 30. But if David Hussey isn't eligible, then I'd say Bailey should get the no. 4 slot, and Marsh should get the no. 3 position anyway.

Openers will be a big problem. Rogers would obviously be one of them, but I can't think who the other could be. Nick Jewell, perhaps?

It is customary to launch these threads with a list of those bowlers and batsmen who are eligible for selection with this season's stats. It will certainly make the selection process easier if you can find that list.

Pura Cup most runs batting so far Season 07/08 I have taken out players over 30 yrs old


Most runs
Pura Cup, 2007/08
Player...............Mat..Inns..NO..Runs..HS..Ave..
GJ Bailey............10*.17.....2.....690..104..46.00(Tasmania)
SE Marsh...........8*...14.....5.....630..166*70.00(Western Australia)
LA Pomersbach...8*...12.....2.....617..176..61.70(Western Australia)
CL White...........8*...13.....1.....571..149*47.58(Victoria)
AC Voges..........9*...14.....1.....545..180..41.92(Western Australia)
GA Manou.........10*..18.....3.....542..190..36.13(South Australia)
TR Birt.............10*..18.....2.....532....77..33.25(Tasmania)
CP Simpson.......10*..16.....2.....493...120.35.21(Queensland)
CJ Ferguson.......8*...15.....1....473.....83..33.78(South Australia)
AB McDonald......9*...12.....2....446...139..44.60(Victoria)
PJ Forrest..........8....15.....1....430....177..30.71(New South Wales)
PJ Hughes.........6*.....9....3.....402.....73..67.00(New South Wales)
SR Watson........7*...12.....1....394....190..35.81(Queensland)
RA Broad..........9*...15.....1.....387.....94..27.64(Queensland)
DJ Thornely......10*..15.....5....352......80*35.20(New South Wales)
RJ Harris..........10*..17.....3....345......60..24.64(South Australia)
MJ Cosgrove......7....13.....0....340......76..26.15(South Australia)
TD Paine...........6*....9.....1....335......72..41.87(Tasmania)
MS Wade..........9....14.....2....335......95..27.91(Victoria)
CD Hartley.........9*.15.....4.....315......95..28.63(Queensland)
LR Butterworth...9*.13.....1.....298.....116..24.83(Tasmania)
L Ronchi............8*.11.....1.....290.....105*29.00(Western Australia)
GJ Mail..............4....8.....0.....283......125.35.37(New South Wales)
B Casson...........8*..9.....4.....280.......72*56.00(New South Wales)
RJ Quiney..........9*.13.....1.....271.......55.22.58(Victoria)
JJ Krejza...........7*.11.....5.....265.......65.44.16(Tasmania)

Pura Cup bowlers most wickets 07/08 again I have screened out those over 30 yrs


Player........Matches....O...........W......B/B..........AVE
DE Bollinger........7....233.4......45......6/63.......15.44(New South Wales)
RJ Harris...........10*..343.2......37.....7/108......27.70(South Australia)
SJ Magoffin.......10*..326.2......35.....5/53........22.62(Western Australia)
B Geeves..........10*..363.5......34.....5/49........34.64(Tasmania)
BW Hilfenhaus.....9*..344.4......26.....4/80........43.26(Tasmania)
PM Siddle...........4....119.2......24.....6/57........14.70(Victoria)
MA Cameron.......4*..142.1.......23.....6/101.....19.08(New South Wales)
BM Edmondson....7*..157.1......21......7/95.......28.42(Western Australia)
B Casson............8*..268.4......21......5/97.......40.23(New South Wales)
JJ Krejza............7*...204.3.....16......4/91........45.25(Tasmania)
DJ Cullen............8*...253.0.....14......3/75.......59.42(South Australia)
SW Tait.............2......74.1......11......7/29.......25.72(South Australia)
DJ Thornely........10*..107.5.....11......2/35.......26.18(New South Wales)

Last Year's Team:

Jaques (no longer eligible - too many tests)
Rogers
North (c)
Voges
Watson
MacDonald
Ronchi (+)
Johnson (no longer eligible - too many tests)
Heal
Tait (no longer eligible)
Hilfenhaus

So is Chris Rogers eligible? Or David Hussey?

And another question- is there a minimum number of matches in the season for eligibility? Because if so, then I can't see Peter Siddle getting in with only 4.

Also, this year in a change to the process, we'll be looking for an A Team Squad:

As such, a selected squad would need 2 Openers, 4 Middle Order Bats, 2 Keepers, 2 Spinners, 4 Seamers. Any of the bowlers can be all rounders to add to the batting depth of the side.

Neither Hussey nor Rogers is eligible (over 30 at the start of the Australian season)

In terms of games played, as I recall, to be eligible, a player should have played at least half of the games in the season. There can be mitigating factors if a player has been involved in the national team and/or A Team games during the season; taking him away from first class duties.

So no Noffke either...darn.

To start with, I propose that we count Cameron White as a batsman. He's averaging in the high forties, and he's taken less than one wicket per match this season, so I don't think he can be classifeid as a spinner. Plus, I think he's a better batsman than he is a bowler. So the four middle-order batsmen could be Shaun Marsh, Bailey, Pomersbach and White.

It strikes me from that batting list that its been a surprisingly poor batting season for most of the names I've heard of in there - Travis Birt, Mark Cosgrove, Dominic Thornley and even Adam Voges.

Are there any batsmen in that list who are out-and-out openers?

And I agree with you on White. He also had an excellent 2007 English summer, scoring plenty of runs over there so has turned himself into a pretty decent middle-order bat.