Tuesday, 11 November 2008
Crazy performance
It's definitely cricket season - I've got more to say about Jason Krejza. He more than proved he is ready for Test cricket. But hasn't his performance been hyped up a bit? Taking 12 wickets is great, but at the cost of 358 runs, we see that he bowled a lot of overs, with some good spells. What it should also tell us is that noone else was taking the wickets they needed to - an issue more important than whether Krejza has done enough to keep Casson out of the team.
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6 comments:
Krejza now hyped - yes :). But then, it is ok for his moment of glory because it was an exceptional story... like one of those rags to riches ones overnight. Up to him now to raise the bar.
Even if a Hussey had taken eight or Warne... it is exceptional and rare in cricket. So it's a good moment.
On the selection no, why was he selected in the first place ahead of Casson. Something was indeed wrong here.
Somehow the dubious part of this whole tour was the selections including the ones in the matches.
The CA selectors escaped... and by sheer luck, may I say! Only Ponting remains in the soup for now.
I'm usually more interested in strike rate than number of wickets, but yes, it was a rare performance that he should be ready to tell his grandkids about one day.
I don't understand the selections at all. Some have said that the panel needs someone from NSW, but surely it's not as petty as state rivalry?
Jonathan, what I liked about him were the qualities he showed on the field - patience, persistence, not being fazed by the previous hit, frlight, change of length and pace, and of course the turn. And he is a dynamic and quick learner.
With those he cannot go far wrong - a spinner is most likely to succeed with those qualities than fail.
I have urged in my articles to disregard the runs for 1) he was bowling to batsmen who can play spin a bit and in their home conditions, 2) with little support from the other side - Watson was the only other bowler who kept a semblance of pressure from the other side while he was on - Lee may have had the odd patch of dominance in the series and so with Stuart Clark when he played. 3) if you consider he took more than half the opposition wickets for less that half the runs they scored, then it doesn't look that bad.
I'd like to leave space for the likelihood of him using this experience to greater benefit - maybe not in terms of a tranche of wickets in an innings but in the terms you suggest.
I thank the Australian selector/s who did not go by the same logic with Shane Warne after his first test match..and Hollywood took just the wicket for godzillion runs.
Looking at the overall picture, you can predict that he'll pick many more wickets at lesser cost over time in International cricket.
I'm ambivalent of the doosra...I do not think a good off spinner needs it and will never insist upon it...the clever use of the traditional straighter one is as damaging.
For me, the overall picture looks promising even though he has a ghastly record domestically I'm told. I'd give him a run and watch before judging him as overhyped.
Thanks for the stimulating article/s. Nice blog you have. Hopefully, I shall read more often here.
Thanks for the detailed comment, Soulberry. Your three reasons to disregard the runs are on the money, and the second one is a big factor. (I would like to see him play with Clark!)
I still think there were a few pieces on him with too much hype, but I have to agree with your description of his qualities. I was unsure of him before the test, but now am quite happy to have him as an Australian test player (unlike White). However, I would also be happy with Casson, and one of them is not going to be given the run that they deserve.
Is he going to start tomorrow?
I'm going to be up before the sun in winters to watch the can opener!
What's your take on the opposition - Tim Southee in particular?
The word is that Symonds is in, so that leaves Watson as his competition. At the Gabba, it wouldn't be the first time they've gone for a local seamer over other options.
I would have liked to see NZ in action first hand on the weekend, but there was too much else to do. Southee didn't stand out in that match, but it looks like he has potential.
Neither team is as strong as they have been in the past few years, but NZ always turn a Trans-Tasman game into a contest!
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