tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post6388985228073345267..comments2024-03-28T03:56:27.275-07:00Comments on The Old Batsman: Should Shane Watson still be opening for Australia: a nation wondersThe Old Batsmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14376172807195747856noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-30427246194984543302013-01-10T10:40:53.979-08:002013-01-10T10:40:53.979-08:00well I have to be honest, I was one of those who w...well I have to be honest, I was one of those who wondered if Shane Watson should still be opening for Australia, and I got to the conclusion that why not!Pay per headhttp://www.hostpph.com/pay-per-head/index.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-90694214135032134252011-09-29T13:23:59.173-07:002011-09-29T13:23:59.173-07:00My dislike of Watson is emotional. He's not a ...My dislike of Watson is emotional. He's not a real opener, not earned his stripes. He reminds me of the sporty lads at school and college who tried their hand at cricket and bashed some boundaries, while the committed cricketers slowly accumulated, if they (I) was lucky.<br /><br />Personal insecurities aside, it is a really weak Test team that has its followers longing for Simon Katich.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-40607243983477663872011-09-29T13:22:36.288-07:002011-09-29T13:22:36.288-07:00My dislike of Watson is emotional. He's not a ...My dislike of Watson is emotional. He's not a real opener, not earned his stripes. He reminds me of the sporty lads at school and college who tried their hand at cricket and bashed some boundaries, while the committed cricketers slowly accumulated, if they (I) was lucky.<br /><br />Personal insecurities aside, it is a really weak Test team that has its followers longing for Simon Katich.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-47769909949871421112011-09-29T10:46:18.537-07:002011-09-29T10:46:18.537-07:00David Barry -
You are making some good points, ho...David Barry -<br /><br />You are making some good points, however another function of an opener is to take the game away from the opposition by making a huge score and holding the innings together - as demonstrated by Cook many times this calendar year, and by folks such as Amiss, Gooch, Haynes, Greenidge, Fredericks, Hayden, Langer...The fact that Watson gets to 50 and then gets out places a strain on the other batters. When ponting was at his best, this was not so important becauswe he would pullout a big score. the question that Australia have to answer is who compiles the game-changing score now. Even if the whole top order cpould be relied upon to get to 50, there is still a gap between that and a game-changing innings.diogenesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-91336221839365463232011-09-28T06:25:01.318-07:002011-09-28T06:25:01.318-07:00If that's the case, why not open with a fairly...<i>If that's the case, why not open with a fairly competent tail-ender?</i><br />To answer this literally, a "fairly competent tail-ender" would get out early much more often than a regular opener. Furthermore, you don't want one of your proper batsmen coming in as low as number 8 or 9, since they'd be more likely to be stranded not out instead of completing their innings.<br /><br />Of course you want openers to score runs as well as take the shine off the new ball. Watson is doing that with an average of 45. I don't believe that 0 and 90 is a better output from an opener than 45 and 45. Fans might find consistency frustrating. But if you end up with the same amount of runs, and your number 3 is facing the new ball less often, then that is a good thing.<br /><br />Now, maybe Watson's been lucky in the last couple of years, and his true talent is an average of only 35. That is a reasonable position to hold, though I disagree with it. It is basically saying, "I think he won't score that many runs as an opener in the future." Saying instead, "He scores a good number of runs, but he's too consistent" makes no sense to me.David Barryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08378763233797445502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-84152371806599209672011-09-27T06:47:53.136-07:002011-09-27T06:47:53.136-07:00David Barry, is that all the opener's job is? ...David Barry, is that all the opener's job is? To take the shine off the ball? If that's the case, why not open with a fairly competent tail-ender?<br /><br />An opener should not only be able to take the shine off the ball but once in, take toll of the bowlers. How little Watson does that is obvious. If Marsh proves to be competent at 3 - no sure thing, I realise that - Watson's inability to go on with it is going to be shown up more and more.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6193495965695124697.post-6564608193103631282011-09-26T19:42:50.612-07:002011-09-26T19:42:50.612-07:00Watson as an opener is still averaging over 45 - h...Watson as an opener is still averaging over 45 - he's had one bad series. Insofar as the opener's job is to get the shine off the new ball, an average of 45 with few hundreds is probably better than an average of 45 with more hundreds, since in the latter case the opener is exposing the number 3 to the new ball more often.<br /><br />Hughes' average has been "climbing" for all of one innings.David Barryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08378763233797445502noreply@blogger.com