the final countdown do do do dum dum dum

The Sheffield pura Shield cup final is fast approaching.

Well not fast, its approaching about a day at a time.

I will need to find myself a couch that sits in front of a foxtel TV in order to see any of it.

The thought that Victoria, a proud and beautiful state, could lose to NSWales, a vicious pack of heathens, sickens me.

Victoria, gentleman that they are, have decided to use the players that have been available all year.

NSWales, vile scum that they are, have selected a bunch of ring ins.

I suggest they leave them out, last time I saw Lee And Clark bowl for their state they looked ordinary.

But they have nothing on our Bryce.

There is some contention over whom shall be picked, out of Quiney and Mash.

Even though I think Quiney is the better batsmen, Mash can dig himself into the crease and hold on, where Quiney is more likely to play the flashy innings.

But we have a middle order full of people who can play the flashy innings. Also the few times I have seen Quiney play spinners, it has never been that impressive to me.

With the bowlers according to the dailies the last place is out of Dirty Dirk and Clinton Mckay.

Sure I am biased by the fact Dirty Dirk is involved, but he is the logical choice out of these two.

Clinton has a very good recent record, looks in decent form, and is taking wickets.

Dirty Dirk is an angry growling warrior who would stab you in the eye with a pen to get your wicket.

For a Final I know who’d I prefer.

I’ve looked over NSWales side quickly and I have seen some problems for them.

Their bowlers have not taken a lot of wickets for them this year, and a few of their batsmen haven’t made many runs for them either.

There are some new names in there, Clark, Clarke, Bracken and Lee to name a few, but they only sound impressive if you say them out loud.

I suggest you don’t do that.

Instead I suggest you artificially find some reason to think we can win, like Bryce is a better bloke than Stuey, or Brett Lee will disrupt the team with his constant singing in Hindi.

a dead rubber

The game against Queensland ended in a Victorian victory.

It was not a momentum building win, but Hussey, White and McKay all had good games.

Crosthwaite is back, which now means Victoria ticks my entire Sheffield shield winning boxes.

I have missed X, Wade never really made an impression on me, I felt we

Dirty Dirk came through well, and with Siddle and Harwood to come back we have a wide variety to choose from.

Pattinson will probably be the one to miss out. And then its out of McKay, Siddle and Harwood for the two remaining spots.

Dirty Dirk is the only obvious selection, which says a lot in his first full year in the team.

The Big Bear did make some odd decisions, such as opening the batting with a night watchman.

My thoughts on night watchman are well known but opening with one is njust a new breed of stupidity.

Now we go to Sydney and take on the Australian A eleven.

The good news is the most on form bowler will not be playing, the bad news is Lee, Clark and Bracken are replacing him.

If Hussey makes a double tonne on the first day, or Dirty Dirk takes 8 for, we can probably win.

That seems quite likely.

operation cotton wool

I’m willing to admit that the Victorian selectors know more than I do about who should be selected.

Even Ray Bright.

I am willing to admit that, but I still must say that when one is trying to win a home final and all but ensure a Sheffield pura Shield cup victory, one must take its best bowlers.

According to media scuttlebutt (always wanted to use that word), Dirty Dirk Nannes and Gerard Denton are fit.

Yet, they are not playing Western Australia.

I understand this is some sort of operation cotton wool, keep the boys fit for the final.

But if they final is played in Sydney, reanimating the corpses of Ponsford & Miller may not help against a test strength NSWales.

In Melbourne I think we can win, even against Lee, Clarke, Clark, Jacques and Bracken.

In Sydney, not so much.

Today’s fast bowling line up is still pretty strong, Harwood, the Mule Wise and Lucky McKay.

It’s not a bad line up, but Dirty Dirk and Denton stroll into that line up, and Dirty Dirk likes the Waca.

Just a little odd is all.

Oh and I don’t really think the selectors are cleverer than me.

New Texas defeated

Ashley Noffke turned out to be more benign than I thought, and therefore the Vics won easy.

The Mc's all took wickets, the pressure they put on the Bulls was quite good, the perssure the bulls put on themselves was unbelievable. They scraped to 200odd.

Then after a small yet slightly scary collapse (3/50), Brad Hodge and Cameron white saved our @sses.

Hodge made a pretty cruisey hundred, and while he did most of the damage, White kept his huge county bat sheathed until he deemed it necessary to slog some quick runs.

And did he slog, he hit some balls that are so scra4ed the ball's children will grow up petrified.

It was a welcome return to form for both men, who while they haven't been out of form, they haven't been their usual belligerent selves.

Also good to see the Vics win easily with Future Pm David Hussey pretty much a spectator.

Clinton McKay still worries me. He just seems loose, and not the in the bimbo sense of the word, but in a fast bowling I think he can get hit for a big shot at any time.

He is getting wickets so I am happy to say this is more my issue than anyone elses, but when he takes the new ball I feel a little nervy.