Phil Hughes treated like Bradman by the English
Roar Pro
By Benjamin Conkey, 4 Jul 2009 Benjamin Conkey is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, english cricket, Phil Hughes, The Ashes
NSW opening batsman Phillip Hughes speaks at a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009. Hughes is in line to make his Test debut for Australia later this month after being named in a 14-man squad for the tour of South Africa. AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy
Seventy-odd years ago, former Surrey and England captain Percy Fender noticed Don Bradman step away from a short pitched ball on a news reel. It was footage from Australia’s 1930 tour of England. Word got around to Douglas Jardine, that this Bradman may not be perfect afterall.
And so Bodyline was born.
Today, that ‘news reel’ footage has been replaced by High Definition, world-wide, live coverage of a Tour match between Australia and the British Lions.
And Bradman has been replaced by this young up and coming star called Hughes, a man who has plundered English county attacks for two months and who has overcome a firesome South African bowling line-up.
The Poms are quite rightly scared of being humbled by this run-making machine.
But Steve Harmison reckons he’s uncovered a major weakness in Phil Hughes. While I didn’t get to watch the innings live, I saw the highlights, and Harmy did appear to have Hughes in all sorts.
His wicket ball was superb. Straight at Hughes’ throat, with the young Australian having no choice but to fend it away to slip.
Harmison is an unusual bowler, an individual, freely admitting to having homesickness – to the point where he’s a completely different bowler away from the comfort of a warm English lager.
Even if he doesn’t play in the Ashes series, Harmison might have done his job by showing the bowlers how to take on Hughes.
The question is, does Hughes really have a short-ball weakness?
I don’t remember the South Africans bowling too many genuine bouncers to him. If they did bowl short, it was usually wide of middle stump, and Hughes played those customary cuts over cover.
Steve Harmison bowled straight and had the ball lift with that tennis ball bounce.
Now, you can guarantee that Hughes will be working overtime in the nets before the Ashes. Regardless of whether he has a problem or not, it could get to him mentally.
And he knows that the English bowlers will give it to him.
The best response will be to diffuse those first short-balls – either by handling them defensively or by dispatching a couple to the boundary.
It’s tough being a batsman today. When you have any sort of weakness, everyone can see it, and review it, time and again.
Coaches can get DVDs made up, watching each dismissal a batsman has had in his career. They can get those hawk-eye pitch maps and see which length deliveries are being hit for runs.
There is nowhere to hide, which makes it all the more worthwhile if you succeed.
The English think they have found the answer to unnerving Australia’s talented opener. My guess is that Phillip Hughes will respond and kindly tell the Poms to go back to the drawing board.
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Cricket articles
- What we do and don’t know about our Baggy Greens (112)
- Success of Twenty20 spells trouble for ODI cricket (106)
- Channel 9 commentators an annoyance this summer (102)
- One Day Cricket is suffering from Middle Child Syndrome (89)
- Cricket Australia must take a stand against racist spectators (89)
- Dave’s Warner-ful switch-hit panned by precious critics (84)
- Khawaja shouldn’t have been Shaun from the Test side (71)
- Clarke stars as Australia beat Sri Lanka
- Australia vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (197)
- Hall of Fame for Indian legend Gavaskar
- Sri Lanka to target ‘weak’ Aussie bowlers
- India backing Rohit Sharma to find form
- Game-by-game preview of round 19
- Twenty20 cricket not up to the test (6)
- Australia vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (197)
- Twenty20 cricket not up to the test (6)
- Pakistan’s win over England a triumph of character (21)
- Steve Waugh is right about cricket’s succession plan (5)
- India vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (180)
- Let’s talk about selection, Test fans (28)
- Pakistan win shows what’s beautiful about the game (13)
- Explore:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, english cricket, Phil Hughes, The Ashes
Spiro Zavos said | July 4th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
I watched Phillip Hughes in both innings against Steve Harmison and it looked, for now at least, as if he’s worked out a way to get the prodigy out early on in his innings. Harmison directed his short ball directly at Hughes’ body, ‘at his right chest’ as Nasser Hussain described it. The younger ducked and weaved. Belted a couple of loose balls for four and then was dismissed twice with lifting balls coming into his body which he couldn’t get away from.
Is this the weakness that could stop his progress?
Interestingly the South Africans tried to bounce him but directed their bouncers wide of the stumps. Harmison bowled straight at Hughes. The batsman could not pull away easily as his style is, from an open stance, to already allow himself room on the offside. But when the ball keeps coming into his body he really has nowhere to go.
In the next couple of days Hughes has to work out a method of playing this type of bodyline bowling. It would help, too, if Harmison is not selected in the England side.
vinay verma said | July 4th 2009 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Spiro- Hughes can make the sighttechnical ajustment by taking a leaf out of Katich’s book, Hughes first movement is sightly back to leg and with Hamison coming around the wicket and spearing into him he has nowere to go. If he stayed still or even moved a little to the off ( not as much as Katich) the ball will either pass his shoulder or he can play it down.
Also the bowler has tobe precise and tall like Harmson. Hughes isgood enough to make this correction and it is better it happened now than during the TEST> If Harmson does play than Katich has to nurse Hughes through the first few overs.
FIsher Price said | July 4th 2009 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Hughes has a dose of the Michael Bevan’s…
Brett McKay said | July 4th 2009 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Vinay, you’re suggesting a fairly major change in Hughes’ batting technique, and I’d counter that four or five days before the opening salvos of an Ashes series is not the time to be tinkering with techniques, especially those that take considerable time to become comfortable with, such as suffling back-and-across rather than slightly to leg as he does. Hughes obviously needs to find a way of combatting this tactic, that’s not in doubt, but just as much, England’s bowlers have to be able to get the same bounce. Will Cardiff bounce as much at Worcester?? Hard to say.
Either way, it’s fair to say young Phillip won’t be getting many in his half in the nets this week…
vinay verma said | July 4th 2009 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
Bret,with all respect,it is not such a major change for an International batsman of Hughe’s pedigree.
You may recall Ganguly,who was weak against the ball coming in to him chest and hip high? This was the best coaching Greg C happell did for an Indian Batsman. Greg corrrected this in two sesso before he Gabba Test and the reusut was…..Do you remember ??
YES< GANGULY scored a magnifient 150 0dd. And Hughes has more talent than Ganguly.
vinay verma said | July 4th 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Sorry,Brett on whether Cardiff will bounce as much wont be worrying Australia. Hussain suggested the curator may actually leave some grass on it. Its not the bounce that worries good batsmen. It is the predicability of the bounce.
As a matter of interest,Brett,have you decided to boycott my articles? Have not seen a comment on either of the last two ?
Fred Magee said | July 4th 2009 @ 3:35pm | Report comment
This is the beauty of not only test cricket but the Ashes especially. The South Africans thought that they had sussed out Hughes but he managed to come back and score after the first innings duck. I am willing to put money on him to come back in the Test series. Despite the cries from Willis, Hussain and co from Sky Sports, I think then reports of Hughes demise is a tad premature.
I have submitted an article this afternoon with a few more questions to ponder after Worcester…Phillip Hughes is just one of them.
Brett McKay said | July 4th 2009 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
Minor tweaks can certainly be remedies in a couple of sessions Vinay, but changes to the initial movement involves change of instinct, and that’s why I say now’s not the time to be tinkering. It will be interesting to see if Harmison forces his way into the England team too.
And fear not Vinay, I haven’t been able to comment much at all across the board this week not just you..
vinay verma said | July 4th 2009 @ 4:08pm | Report comment
Brett,I have no reservations about Hughes’ abiity to rectify the problem. There ar not too any bowlers with Harmisn’s height and pace going around. This is about the courage and daring of youth. Hughes is special. I have not seen a young opener of his class since Gavaskar on the 1970 tour of the West Indies.
Severian said | July 4th 2009 @ 5:45pm | Report comment
The headline is a bit dramatic, isn’t it? They’re treating him like any young batsman, especially openers.