Bring on Josh, he needs game time

Updated December 5 2012 - 8:15pm, first published 8:00pm

IMAGINE the look on the faces of the Hamilton-Wickham players on Sunday if they arrived at their Newcastle ground to find a Tamworth side warming up with Josh Hazlewood. Josh, who played for Tamworth in an SCG Country Cup Final as a teenager a few years back would certainly create a stir with the locals who would protest how could the current Australian 12th man be able to play. A few years ago Stockton drafted English seamer Graeme Onions into their team to play Tamworth in the SCG Country Cup Final. It didn’t do them any good and the Tamworth supporters certainly gave Onions plenty to consider at that game and then again in Leeds when the Aussies beat Onions and his England side in three days at the infamous Dougie and the Penguins Test (see down lower). Now maybe Josh should be allowed to play as he hasn’t played since he played for NSW in Brisbane in a Shield match last month and was then asked to join the Aussie squad. He needs game time and overs under his belt. He should have played in Perth and what the Aussie selectors and Michael Clarke were thinking when they played John Hastings and his half rat power pie is beyond me. And what of Peter Siddle. Bowled his heart out in Adelaide on a flat track and they say he’s unfit to play in Perth on a track he’d die to play on. Obviously too scared of breaking them all down but that’s the problem, they need to bowl overs to get match fit. I know what former Tamworth quick John Sullivan, the former Country Cricket NSW executive officer would say about that. He was famous for his long spells on and off the field. And if he was still CCNSW CEO he would surely not let the current debacle of disallowing Tamworth’s young stars such as Nick Pearson, Angus McNeil and Hamish Batley play in the Country Cup. Silliest thing I’ve heard of and probably backfired on Wallsend when Tamworth had to send out an SOS to the likes of Mitch Holt, James Psarakis and Greg Kellett to fill in in their third round Country Cup clash. Can Tamworth pull off another stirring win on Sunday in Newcastle? Would be terrific if they could and even more delicious to see Josh turn up early in his whites just to give the Hamwicks a few heart palpitations. Now being the good Newcastle boys they are you would hope they would say bring him on, we want to bat against the best. Unfortunately they won’t get that from Josh or the young stars like Nick, Angus and Hamish. Country Cricket NSW should hang its head in shame and go and sit in the corner with the Aussie selectors and work out how not to be dopey dunces.

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