Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 26 August 2009 /

Losing the Ashes to an ordinary English outfit suggests that Australia's surprise series win in South Africa may have represented a false dawn. So with the Australian team still clearly a work in progress, how many of this summer's tourists are likely to line up against the West Indies in November? Read on as we put the defeated Aussie squad under the Betfair microscope and ask: Back, Lay or only Okay?

Simon Katich
Back. Shuffling Simon was an altogether more impressive figure than he had been in 2005. One of six batsmen to average over forty, his reinvention as a gritty opener has given his Test career a new lease of life.

Philip Hughes
Lay. Touted as the new Aussie superstar, Hughes's awkward technique got a working over in the tour games and after some ungainly looking dismissals, the selectors lost their nerve. Talented, but likely to have to wait his turn for a while now.

Shane Watson
Back. Rescued the Aussie selectors by stepping up to open and restrained his natural instincts towards biffery. A highly respectable average of forty-eight means he is likely to retain his opening slot, ahead of Chris Rogers, Phil Jaques and Shaun Marsh.

Ricky Ponting
Back. Treated poorly by some sections of the English crowd, he emerged with his dignity intact. Though his form dipped a little as the series went on, he still finished third in the averages. The last of the greats, there is little appetite in Australia for his removal and he has more work to do before he can hang up his baggy green.

Michael Hussey
Okay. Rescued his series with a phenomenally gutsy century at the Oval. Until then, however, it had been painful to watch him struggle. Have his reflexes started to let him down? May struggle to retain his place if a serious contender emerges this winter.

Michael Clarke
Back. Topped the batting averages and delighted spectators with a couple of fine centuries. His star is in the ascendant and it is only a matter of time before he takes over the captaincy.

Marcus North
Back. Carried on in the same determined vein with which he had ground the South Africans down, notching two weighty centuries. Could find himself moved up the order if Hussey is dropped and a genuine all-rounder brought in at six.

Brad Haddin
Back. The world's finest Ian Healy impersonator had a solid tour, averaging forty-six and performing his gloveman duties with simple efficiency. Australia will depend on him for a long time to come.

Graham Manou
Okay. Got an unexpected debut at Edgbaston when Haddin fractured a finger and didn't let anybody down. But at thirty, he might not get too many more international chances and could find younger keepers passing him by.

Mitchell Johnson
Lay. Twenty wickets at thirty-two apiece doesn't sound bad, but as the leader of a four man attack, his failure to live up to his billing at Cardiff, Lord's and The Oval left Australia without a cutting edge. They will be loathe to drop him, but if Brett Lee is fit this winter, they will be sorely tempted.

Nathan Hauritz
Back. Ten wickets at an average of thirty-two is a reasonable return for the most derided spinner since Ashley Giles. Likely to remain the first choice Aussie spinner for a while, given the selectors' apparent mistrust of Jason Krejza.

Peter Siddle
Back. An honest fast-bowler in the Merv Hughes tradition, he ran in all summer long with aggression and determination, picking up twenty wickets at just over thirty each. Should be given a long run in the side, particularly if Johnson continues to misfire.

Ben Hilfenhaus
Back. Statistically the best bowler on either side and the only one to keep his average below thirty. With his accurate swing bowling, he delivered what Johnson was unable to do and like Siddle, deserves a decent stint in the Test team.

Stuart Clark
Lay. Came off the bench to demolish the English batting at Headingley, but was subsequently anonymous. Averaged an unfamiliar forty-four and was noticeably slower than he used to be. The end is probably nigh for this likeable seamer.

Brett Lee
Okay. Had a strange summer. He was fit but overlooked for Headingley and the Oval, where his pace and experience would have been invaluable. Surely has more to give to Australia before his injuries finally catch up with him.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: