Beau Casson - Your first reaction/thought/impression???

[King Tendulkar]

Bowling cr#p again. Gets hit for 4 and generally folows it with a long hop or full toss. He is a token gesture to be in side as aussies feel they have to play spinner. M Clarke and symonds are frankly better spinners. Shame as he seems a nice bloke as he smiles and does not play with a snarl like most of the aussie tesam. But bottoim line is he is pants. The aussie empire is piece by piece crumbling

[CC1981]

The aussie empire is piece by piece crumbling

That maybe so, but they are still doing better than we are doing. I'd like you to notice that we fought tooth-n-nail for a 1-0 test victory in West Indies in 4 tests, while Australia is cruising to a 2-0 victory in 3.... Needless to say, as long as Aussies continue to sport a near 20-point lead on the ICC test rankings and continue to win more than any other team (including our mediocre test team) home AND away, your prayers for Aussie decline will remain just that: prayers.

[chanakya]

Michael clarke is a better spinner

[diegovegaz]

after stuart macgill, australia doesn't hav a good option in this spin crisis but with those 3 wickets, he is doing a fine job 4 his country, n beau casson will only improve from here

[Feed]

Beau Casson is an ordinary bowler Indeed much about Australia's latest debutant is extraordinary - the fact that he is that rarest of bowling species, an exponent of left-arm chinamen, as well as the fact that he has coped sufficiently with a heart defect to become an international cricketer. But much about Casson is ordinary. More... Australia's Beau Casson is an ordinary bowler By Steve James Last Updated: 3:09am BST 22/06/2008 Beau Casson. What a delightfully extraordinary name. Indeed much about Australia's latest debutant is extraordinary - the fact that he is that rarest of bowling species, an exponent of left-arm chinamen, as well as the fact that he has coped sufficiently with a heart defect to become an international cricketer. For Casson was born with a condition called Fallot's syndrome and had major surgery as an infant. He requires regular observation and his physical fitness training differs from his colleagues so that he can have more recovery time. But much about Casson is ordinary. Take his character. He might appear to possess potential for the mad professor look when older, but he is certainly no eccentric like so many others to have plied his trade. Think of the dark, reclusive Michael Bevan, whom England coach Peter Moores struggled to deal with in his early years at Sussex, or the hyperactive Brad Hogg. Or even, from a bygone era, 'Chuck' Fleetwood-Smith, who ended up living under a bridge. By contrast Casson is what the Australians call 'a good kid'. All smiles: Beau Casson Sadly his bowling is also ordinary. As Australia's newest wrist spin bowler, the designated successor of recent retiree Stuart MacGill, Casson made his debut in the recently concluded final Test against the West Indies in Barbados. He was not particularly impressive. Dwayne Bravo took a particular fancy to him and match figures of 32-4-129-3 tell a humdrum story. That can only be good news for England ahead of next year's Ashes. The Australians will doubtless caution against such rash judgments about Casson. After all, a certain chap called Warne made a rather inauspicious debut many moons ago. And the Kensington Oval pitch was not suited to spin. But history is against Casson. If leg-spinning is difficult, delivering chinamen is considered doubly so. Fields are not easily set; both sides of the wicket easily attacked by the batsmen. Casson's slow, calculated approach to the crease actually calls Shane Warne to mind, but there the similarity ends abruptly. And we are not just talking about the obvious dextral/sinistral difference. There are no glares and no theatrics, and only occasionally sharp spin. Casson is indicative of Australia's change. This is a very different Australia. They no longer blow opponents away. It is unsurprising given that in Warne and Glenn McGrath they have lost two of the greatest bowlers ever, but it is fact. Scheduled fifth, often fourth, days of a Test used to mean golf; now they mean graft. The deaths are still coming - since the 2006-07 Ashes Australia have won six Tests, lost just one and drawn two - but they come more slowly. Even captain Ricky Ponting admits his bowling attack have "come back to the pack a little bit in Test cricket". An Australian admitting weakness - there's a thing. Still, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark are not too shabby. But a look at left-armer Mitchell Johnson confirms Ponting's fears. His radar often behaved like a wonky sprinkler in the West Indies, and he was denied the new ball in the final Test. He has much work to do. So too, in a very different sense, does opening batsman Simon Katich. He might have made centuries in the Tests at Antigua and Barbados, but will probably be dropped when the injured Matthew Hayden returns. That is a sign of depth not replicated elsewhere; certainly not by Brad Haddin as wicketkeeping replacement for Adam Gilchrist. He dropped catches in his first series, as did other Australians. What's more, Michael Hussey is in decline. He made just one half-century in the West Indies; now averages just 68 in Test cricket. Can't call him Bradman any longer. They've gone, have these Australians. They're there for the taking. If only.