Spot on mate.
Renshaw is actually a specialist first slip fieldsman as well so he not only replaces the wannabe golfer as a more in form opener but also at first slip.
Lyon looks cooked in the field as well, just gingerly chases after the ball in the outfield.
Old age catches up with everyone at some point and more than a few of the current cricketers are at that time!
A couple of observations from me. Firstly, the critics will give it to the Poms for the way they batted and bowled particularly in the second innings, but the question remains how would have the Aussies fared if Head got out cheaply in the second dig? Could they have got the 200 required given how they collapsed dismally through the middle order in the first innings? I guess weāll never know but the innings from Head won us the game as I think the other Aussie batters may have struggled.
Secondly, a test match should go for more than two days. The track was spicy but for a five day game, should have settled down after day 1 but it didnāt. Given the corresponding Test against the Indians only lasted into day 3 last year, I think a forensic look at the wicket preparation needs to happen to ensure the game isnāt over after 6 or 7 sessions. Yes, I know the way the Poms batted contributed greatly to the quick result, but I also think the wicket should be toned down a bit to ensure a more even contest between bat and ball given only 2 players scored over 50 for the entire 4 innings.
A good result but I donāt think itās game over just yet.
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Is that the same bloke that allowed a 39yo crock to play 18 holes of golf the day before the Test started thus rendering him useless to either bat or field for the majority of its 2 day duration due to his back? 
Also one of the 3 blokes that picked the said 39yo out of form, injured, wannabe golfer!!!
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that same bloke asked for Josh Inglis to open up for the CAXI side in the tour match against England Lions
expect Inglis to be opening instead of Renshaw
growing news that Hazelwood is gone for the series entirely
Cummins back either 2nd or 3rd test for sure
Only players in shield who could come in form-wise are:
Renshaw
Owen
Patterson
Handscomb
OāNeill
the only serious quick we have available is:
Meredith
shocking part is that there is no-one else just nobody
Hazelwood should never have played in that last shield match. With his history it was a no brainer. Didnāt have anything to prove. One of the media said after the match Cummins will play in Brisbane.
@BC We can only wonder about āwhat mightā have happened.What you are asking about, didnāt happen. What would have happened had Stokes not pulled that inning back home outta his clacker!!
All mere conjecture.What happened happened. No need to wonder.
I think to blame the pitch is ordinary. Yes the game should have gone longer than two days. But that was caused mostly by incompetent batting from both teams. That is until Head smashed a tired and insipid Pommy bowling attack.
They were tired after bowling less than 50 over and virtually no heat or humidity.
Seemed that Head,Weatherald and Labuschagne had no worries with the pitch.
BC, hear what you are sayingā¦but every sporting result is littered with a plethora of what ifāsā¦What if Green, Head and Carey hadnāt of had brain fades v Stokeās pies in the first inningsā¦Aust could of been batting on day 2(when the pitch looked easier & the Eng bowlers were fatiguing) and built up a 200 + first innings leadā¦or what if Root hadnāt of played on or Brook nicked offā¦all we know is Aust 2nd string attack bowled out Eng twice for less then 350 runsā¦and Eng much vaunted bowling attack looked pedestrian when challenged by Head and Labuschagne in the 2nd innings.
The naysayers can keep on naying I guessā¦yeah Aust didnāt dominate this testā¦but they responded when challenged and won the gameā¦thatās all you can ask forā¦yeah Eng are good enough to fight backā¦but for now that is just a āwhat ifāā¦
Out of interest BH, which of those UK flags were you sitting behind at the game?..The Aldershot or Stoke City one maybe?..pretty sure you and Southy are closet Eng fansā¦lol
@Freezin , but are they good enough to come back?
Time will tell, but the what ifs will never tell us anything. 
BH wasnāt Starc, Uzzieās golfing buddy that day? But agree, would of thought a net session would of been more of a priority then 18 holes of golfā¦but hey perhaps the only way Uzzie canāt get picked, is if he is injuredā¦so cunning plan by Ronald to give Uzzie the thumbs up for golfā¦if Uzzie is injured, then centurion Renshaw might get a GABBA gigā¦and that first slip gig you speak ofā¦though TBH I would rather Headās run rate over Renshawāsā¦but Renshaw is under 30 years of ageā¦just.
Geeā¦Iāve never seen so many Captainās Obvious in one thread. Of course thereās what ifās around everything we do in life but you lot missed my point. I donāt think the situation for England is as dire as some make out as it took an innings of the ages by Head to put the result beyond doubt.
I wouldnāt expect the Poms to change their game plan too much as theyāve been locked into the Bazball way of playing the game for a few years now, but if they do tone it down a bit and be a bit more selective in their shot playing Australia may just have a game on their hands as they have some quality batters who play instinctively.
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As I said previously @Freezin , I donāt see Head as opening in the next or any other test.
But to take Renshaw and Weatherald in is courting danger.One inexperienced and one with just a few game to open!!!Not sure that would work.
But it really was a debacle in regards to his missing the time he needed on ground.Ronnie and George!!!
@BC That is what the forum is all about, being skippers, selectors, etc.Just blokes loving their sport and letting other know what we know for sure.
A place to show our frustrations.
Mate I agree with you on ypur point that Eng can easily come back into this seriesā¦itās over 5 tests, not 1, and plenty still can happen. The interesting bit is centered around Engās ability to 'tone" it downā¦Root, Stokes and Pope no doubt canā¦time will tell IF Brook, Crawley and Duckett can.
How much of that is owned by an expat,turned American or rather,his Son?
I was there yesterday and I am still processing what I saw. It was crazy cricket. After a relatively sober first session where 2 wickets fell for 68, things just went out of control after lunch. England at that stage were one decent session away from batting Australia out of the match.
Starc Boland and Doggett were very good but lets have a think about the dismissals
Duckett - could have left the ball, caught in slips
Pope- ditto caught by keeper
Brook - ditto caught in the slips
Root - pinned on the back foot, played on
Stokes - ditto caught in the slips
Smith - was unlucky, shocking decision
So there you have it 5 of those 6 dismissals wouldnt have happened with a bit of patience and the ability to bat long and ground the opposition into the dirt. I thought the pitch was quite a bit easier to bat on than day 1 but it needed some grit for England to build the lead up towards 250 which would have been a vastly different proposition to chase
Even then England got a lifeline via Australias dumb tactics of trying to bounce Carse and Atkinson out when line and length bowling had accounted for the top 7, which basically handed them another 60 runs on a platter
Then of course Head played one of the greatest counter attacking test innings ever and destroyed England in 2 hours of mayhem
It was a pleasure to be there to witness that
I have no doubt that England are the better team on paper but I now wonder about their capacity to read match situations and be able to respond accordingly. They dont seem to have learnt from the 2023 series where their recklessness and hubris cost them the first 2 tests and ultimately the ashes
They pissed a potential test victory against the wall in a couple of crazy hours yesterday and they must bounce back strongly in Brisbane otherwise there will be no way back IMO
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About those latter tactics regarding Englandās Tail,ā¦No way any directive came from Certain Quarters to elongate the Test to a 3rd Day,was thereā¦?
Naaaaaaahhh!
Lucky you, what a day all n sundty had on Day 2ā¦ Great write up mateā¦I guess it could be said, the likes of Head, Green and Carey pissed away a golden opportunity in Aust first inningsā¦by getting starts, and then having brain fades getting out to Stokeās pies, with poor shot selectionā¦imagine if only all 3 had had their tiime again, Aust could of built a decent 1st innings leadā¦not to beā¦
Interesting to hear McCullum say Eng has been here before, but will remain true to their mantra of positive intentā¦it got them back to nearly win the previous UK Ashes seriesā¦so I reckon they will remain true to their mantra and come out swinging in Brisbane. I guess if it comes off, and Eng win, Perth will be quickly forgottenā¦and all focus will be on how old Aust bowling attack is, and changes need to be made.
The gameās result and Headās innings is a smoke screen to the problems Australia still have. Green was solid with the bat but average with the ball, Lyon did little due to form or injury, and the same applied to Khawaja. As we know, Englandās biggest enemy is England - some of the dumbest cricket ever seen occurred on Saturday - but the final session on Friday night showed what they are capable of. If England plug in their brains, the series is still on.
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Bit harsh on Green. Hardly bowled. First inning picked up a wicket then taken off. Replaced by Starc I think.
I donāt think Head is the answer either but then again I didnāt think Warner would have been the success he was.
I think Renshaw should be given a chance.
On Lyon, got what he asked for facing the likes of Archer and Wood with no left side padding under the shirt.