Michael Clarke

[Donny]

If Clarkey gets a duck, tonight, he'll have the best ODI batting average on the planet. 114!!

If gets out for 36, his average will be 150. If he gets another 'red ink', he'll have no average at all!! Lol.

[HAL]

I don't follow your reasoning.

[gobbles21]

Still no average!

Clarke is yet to be dismissed in international cricket!

He must think this is so easy, how can the selecters leave him out of the team now when he has not done anything wrong and is performing better than Martyn had been when fit (other than the World Cup final).

[Donny]

Yep. 169 without being dismissed.

His form may even prompt a retirement from ODIs by Darren Lehmann. He may well want to play out his international career in Tests because it will take Clarke a little longer to graduate to that level.

[gobbles21]

39 last night takes it to 208!

22 years old and an average of more than double that of Sir Donald Bradman aready!!!

This kid is a gun!!!!!!

[Donny]

Clarke batting way to recognition
By Jon Pierik in Calcutta
November 20, 2003

MICHAEL Clarke continues to show why he deserves a regular spot in Australia's best one-day XI after claiming man-of-the-match honours in a 37-run win over India in the tri-series final.

Clarke's smooth transformation into a highly respected international cricketer gained pace during his dashing 44 from 28 balls in what proved to be a match-winning and unbroken 65-run stand with Michael Bevan (40 not out).

Bevan strained his right hamstring early in his knock and required Andy Symonds to act as his runner but still managed to stump the Indians.

Like he did in his four-wicket haul in Bombay, Clarke also responded with the ball, taking 2-37 with his left-arm finger spinners on the dusty Eden Gardens deck.

The 22-year-old had Hemang Badini (30 off 36 balls) caught at backward square leg just as he and Rahul Dravid threatened to take the game away from Australia with a 49-run union.

In his following over, Clarke followed up with the scalp of Dravid after the stand-in Indian skipper played on. The New South Welshman finished with 118 runs at 39.33 and seven wickets at 21.42 in five games here, adding more pressure on the national selectors to pick him ahead of Darren Lehmann in the VB Series when the veteran returns from injury.

"It's going to be difficult, we have Lehmann coming back at some stage," skipper Ricky Ponting said of the selection poser.

"For him to have another man of the match next to his name, and finishing the innings the way he did, I thought it was excellent."

The hosts managed to remain on target runs-wise but lost wickets too regularly, with Ian Harvey closing the match with a superb 4-0 burst in eight balls. As soon as Harvey ended Avishkar Salvi's brief stay, the Australians embraced on the pitch and beckoned team management to come across and share in a boisterous rendition of Beneath the Southern Cross.

"We were under a bit of pressure, we dug deep, we fought really hard which is what you've come to expect from this team," Ponting said.

"Although we were slightly behind at one stage, it only takes that one wicket to change things around."

[piedys]

[commonwombat]

Dyso,

Perhaps yr call for patience should be more targetted to the media cheerleaders that have been behing the Clarke push. He is undoubtedly the most promising young talent in many years but lets see him cop a few knocks (which are part of life) and hold off alittle longer for Test promotion. It's not as if there is a need to rush him in anyway.

Agree with yr call on our very own one day legend Mr Bevan. But you forget that nuclear powered left shoulder of his; don't we all marvel at the amazing velocity with which he hurls them in from the boundary!!!!

[BJ]

Had to dig this topic back up!!!!!!!


BJ

[gobbles21]

How does he fit into the test side now when Punter comes back?

[Donny]

I have written plenty about the hype surrounding Clarke but simply that he was attracting undue attention from the media ahead of better credentialled batsmen.

With a first class average under 40, he was quite a bit behind behind half a dozen other candidates - Martin Love, Brad Hodge, Mike Hussey, Matt Elliott etc. - as first reserve batsman for the Test team.

During the most recent English County season, he struggled against the same bowlers Hodge, Elliott and Dave Hussey dominated.

Hussey averaged 63, Hodge 62, Phil Jaques 59 and Elliott 54 against Clarke's 36, a big difference.

Having said that, part of the selectors' job is to assess potential. Andy Symonds was a prime example of this when he was selected for the last World Cup (just ask JLC ). He didn't really have the form to get a cap and yet rose to the occasion and was a star for Australia, playing every match in their undefeated defence of the coveted prize.

Then there's the interesting phenomenon of certain sportsmen who seem to thrive at the top level but don't dominate the stats tables in the minor comps.

Hodge (and his supporters) had every right to feel miffed at Clarke's selection ahead of him in the touring squad but not so much for this Test. Because Clarke WAS selected ahead of him originally, it was fair enough he got the nod.

He has seized the day and good luck to him.

[Johnson#26]

He did a great job on debut. Good luck to him, as he has a big and bright future.

[Johnson#26]

Who gets dropped for Punter?

[BJ]

What a talent. He is Bradmanesque in the last calender year. I called it way back then, but I know most other cricket pundits did as well. Clarkey has taken to the captain role like no other before him. Well done Pup!

[piedys]

BJ, since he gave the strumpet the arse, and then married and settled down, he looks a lot more at ease in the chair. Hoping Clarke maintains this vein of form into the 2013 Ashes. Minus Ponting.
I'm a BIG Clarke critic, it *might* be time for me to shut up.