3 January. Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australia. v. New Zealand.
I see no change for the Aussie XI. Hazlewood will be short of a gallop and who would you drop, anyway ?
No second spinner needed, especially when it would mean dropping Head or Wade. Not going to happen. Labu provides any need for a leg spinner. Head can also bowl offies if Lyon needs a break.
SCG Test. Australia v. New Zealand.
Will Somerville has been drafted into the NZ squad.
(Off spinner, 35, played for NSW, Test debut against Pakistan last year.)
Pierik, The Age:
"The tourists have leg-spinner Todd Astle in their squad but Somerville is seen as being able to extract more bounce and provide better accuracy, thereby restricting the Australians' scoring rate."
(Todd Astle is not related to Nathan Astle.)
(Off spinner, 35, played for NSW, Test debut against Pakistan last year.)
Pierik, The Age:
"The tourists have leg-spinner Todd Astle in their squad but Somerville is seen as being able to extract more bounce and provide better accuracy, thereby restricting the Australians' scoring rate."
(Todd Astle is not related to Nathan Astle.)
Paine makes leadership ban end irrelevant
"The Sydney Test will be the last played under Steve Smith's leadership ban but that could be irrelevant with evergreen Tim Paine's form showing no sign of letting up.
...
Paine's Boxing Day Test in Melbourne against New Zealand was as good as any in his career.
And he's shown his desire to carry on, frequently talking about the World Test Championship final in June 2021.
His 79 on day two at the MCG was superb, upping the ante and ensuring Australia would have all the momentum from his highest Test score in nine years.
...
For all the criticism of his lack of centuries, Paine's batting average of 31.58 is the third highest of all Australian wicketkeeper-batsmen behind Brad Haddin and Adam Gilchrist.
...
The Tasmanian had eight dismissals and fluffed none in Melbourne, with his stumping of Henry Nicholls off Nathan Lyon particularly smart.
They helped take his tally of career catches to 131 - the most of any wicketkeeper in history after 30 Tests.
Meanwhile his tally of 58 dismissals in 2019 was the equal-sixth highest for any wicketkeeper in a calendar year in Test history."
(AAP)
"The Sydney Test will be the last played under Steve Smith's leadership ban but that could be irrelevant with evergreen Tim Paine's form showing no sign of letting up.
...
Paine's Boxing Day Test in Melbourne against New Zealand was as good as any in his career.
And he's shown his desire to carry on, frequently talking about the World Test Championship final in June 2021.
His 79 on day two at the MCG was superb, upping the ante and ensuring Australia would have all the momentum from his highest Test score in nine years.
...
For all the criticism of his lack of centuries, Paine's batting average of 31.58 is the third highest of all Australian wicketkeeper-batsmen behind Brad Haddin and Adam Gilchrist.
...
The Tasmanian had eight dismissals and fluffed none in Melbourne, with his stumping of Henry Nicholls off Nathan Lyon particularly smart.
They helped take his tally of career catches to 131 - the most of any wicketkeeper in history after 30 Tests.
Meanwhile his tally of 58 dismissals in 2019 was the equal-sixth highest for any wicketkeeper in a calendar year in Test history."
(AAP)
'In the 30 Sheffield Shield matches he played prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, Swepson claimed 83 wickets at an average of 38.24 each and an economy rate of around 3.9 runs per over.
So far this season, he's played four Shield matches for 12 wickets at 26.58 apiece and has seen his economy rate dwindle to a little more than 2.3 per over.
...
"I just changed a few little technical things that helped with that, done a lot of work with John Davison up in Queensland, he's been great for my bowling over my whole career.
"And more recently Craig Howard has been great to work with in the pre-season, so just a few little tweaks here and there have really helped this year."'
(A. Ramsey)
So far this season, he's played four Shield matches for 12 wickets at 26.58 apiece and has seen his economy rate dwindle to a little more than 2.3 per over.
...
"I just changed a few little technical things that helped with that, done a lot of work with John Davison up in Queensland, he's been great for my bowling over my whole career.
"And more recently Craig Howard has been great to work with in the pre-season, so just a few little tweaks here and there have really helped this year."'
(A. Ramsey)
"As cricket prepares to honour victims of the bushfires around the country, officials say play will be suspended during the Test should smoke significantly affect air quality or visibility.
...
Peter Siddle was treated for smoke inhalation after bowling just two overs in the Canberra BBL game, putting the issue of air quality firmly in the spotlight.
"If you sit next to a campfire, just imagine that, that's what it felt like out on the field," Siddle said.
The ACT Health's Air Quality Index (AQI) soared above 1300 during the abandoned BBL match, well above the average reading of 300 that is the International Cricket Council’s safe limit.
On Wednesday, as smoke from the tragic coastal fires reached the nation’s capital, the air quality soared to beyond 4700.
However, air quality in Sydney on Tuesday remained below the ICC’s limit."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/austral ... 2020-01-02
...
Peter Siddle was treated for smoke inhalation after bowling just two overs in the Canberra BBL game, putting the issue of air quality firmly in the spotlight.
"If you sit next to a campfire, just imagine that, that's what it felt like out on the field," Siddle said.
The ACT Health's Air Quality Index (AQI) soared above 1300 during the abandoned BBL match, well above the average reading of 300 that is the International Cricket Council’s safe limit.
On Wednesday, as smoke from the tragic coastal fires reached the nation’s capital, the air quality soared to beyond 4700.
However, air quality in Sydney on Tuesday remained below the ICC’s limit."
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/austral ... 2020-01-02
