Australia's Nathan Hauritz appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of England's Paul Collingwood during the final day of the first cricket test match between England and Australia in Cardiff, Wales, Sunday, July 12, 2009. AP Photo/Tom Hevezi
Do you get the impression that Marcus North doesn’t play off spin very well? A week ago in Wales, England were very lucky to survive a thorough whipping. Australia lost 6 wickets, England 19.
Only the strength of the final wicket partnership and some Captain Ponting dithering with Marcus North instead of his strike bowler (no matter how poor his previous spell was) saved the Pommie bacon.
The English celebrated a draw with champagne.
They looked ordinary in all facets, including dress sense. Their bowling was wide and short and lack spin and seam, apart from that they were a good match for the visitors.
Graeme Swann couldn’t drift it or spin it, and very often couldn’t land it, he looked a shadow of the bowler who bamboozled the West Indies home and away.
I was impressed with Swann during those series and thought he would be a handful for the Australians, a definite ‘not’ at Sophia Gardens flipped quickly to a definite ‘yes’ at St Johns Wood, when he finally got a bowl.
How nice is it for the finger spinner to come on when serious holes have been made in the top order and the rest of the batsmen are facing another 400 runs or 140 overs occupation to save the game.
I’m not sure if Mike Hussey actually hit his but it was a delivery worthy of a wicket.
Marcus North reminded me of Damian Martyn and Justin Langer when they came to play New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground, after gorging themselves on the WACA. They were walking-wickets for Greg Matthews, he always put them down for single figures as they came through the gate.
This series was seen as being a close one. The teams evenly matched in most departments.
What we have seen is successive Test matches of dominance by each team, and I cannot remember last time a side has turned around such a depressing performance within a week.
England’s bowlers have been very good at Lords. They have conveyed control, movement and discipline which put pressure on the Australia batting all down the order.
In contrast Australia had a strike bowler who could find none of the above mentioned characteristics. Mitchell Johnson is the nominal leader of the attack but from the time the first delivery he bowled disappeared for four behind square leg, as most half volleys on leg stump do at any level, he was a stretcher case and the bearers were Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.
Johnson was not up to standard at Cardiff either and now finds himself very likely to be dropped from the third Test XI.
Australia cannot afford to carry a player in such abysmal form. Johnson did not get the seam upright for a single delivery in either innings. While we see constant shots on TV of the English bowling coach, his Australia counterpart is tucked away into the deepest recess of the rooms.
Which brings us to the next question. What is a number 8 batsmen who bowls 115 kph with red hair doing on this tour when an extra seam bowler was required?
Doug Bollinger has been in better form than even the golden haired chosen one Mitchell J.
Stuart Clark must be biting his lip in the dressing rooms watching the tripe being sent down by his compatriots. Brett Lee is injured (selected even though he was untested over a number of first class games for endurance and resilience) and Shane Watson isn’t bowling until further notice.
The prodigy Phillip Hughes has now failed 4 times in a row, he looks uncomfortable and unsettled but his position is not in jeopardy for the entire series because the selectors, for the first time in Ashes history, elected not to take an extra opening batsmen on tour.
Perhaps the notion of selection pressure from other member of the squad is a dated one.
Mr Hilditch and co. were obviously not expecting injuries or form lapses. Thank heavens for Michael Clarke’s batting (and Brad Haddin’s, although his wicketkeeping is a bit dusty at the moment).
When South Africa lost yet another semi-final, their 9th in ICC events (this time the Twenty20 World Cup to Pakistan) they were criticised for having a wonderful Plan ‘A’ , but no Plan ‘B’ when things went off the rails or your opposition actually played well.
The Australian selectors must have done a case study of the Proteas’ inflexible alternatives, and then tried to improve on it.
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July 20th 2009 @ 9:13am
Spiro Zavos said | July 20th 2009 @ 9:13am | Report comment
Geoff has been pressing for Doug Bollinger for some time, and his point becomes more valid as the series progresses.
Australia definitely got the wrong end of the umpiring decisions, as well as the weather for this Test.
When the replay was shown of Simon Katich’s dismissal it was immediately obvious to me that Andrew Flintoff had bowled a no-ball. The replay was shown several times. But not one of the commentators, all former England players and Michael Holding picked up the no-ball. It was only when emails came from Australia complaining about the no-ball that the commentary team mentioned it.
Did the commentators not see what all of us back in Australia? I doubt it.
The same sort of not-seeing applied in the case of Philip Hughes dismissal ‘caught’ by Andrew Strauss. In my view the doubts about this dismissal were much stronger than those which allowed Hauritz’s catch to be over-ruled. It seemed to me that the ball clearly bounced before Strauss caught it. But we had Michael Atherton going on about fingers under the ball and all this nonsense when the fingers were under a ball that had already hit the ground.
The least the umpires could have done was to go to the video umpire who would surely have given the same ruling as the Hauritz catch. Hughes might well be batting. As it happens, these two umpiring decisions (the failure to spot an obvious no-ball and giving a batsman out off a dump-ball) have made it very, very difficult for Australia to do the seemingly impossible and win the match.
July 20th 2009 @ 9:46am
True Tah said | July 20th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Spiro
this test is England’s to lose.
If they cant win this test match, then they will be shattered and lose the series.
July 20th 2009 @ 9:59am
vinay verma said | July 20th 2009 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Spiro,Justice sometimes comes long after the event. Apart from the no-ball and Hughes non catch Michael Hussey did not touch the ball when given out off Swann. The objectivity of Mike Atherton and also the Radio commentary of Aggers was questionable. When broadcasters and commentatators show obvious bias it makes a mockery of a Journalist’s charter of objectivity.
It was commendable that Michael Hussey walked off without any dissent. This is why he is known as Mr. Cricket.
The temptation of winning at Lord’s, I Suggest,overuled Strauss’s sense of sportsmanship. The least he could have done is say he was not sure.
Could it be that Ponting’s past questioning of Umpires,like Gregan’s remonstrations with Kaplan, have something to do with Koerttzen not referring the catch upstairs?
Unless Johnson scores a blazing seventy or eighty and Australia win I feel he should be dropped for his won and the team’s well being.
July 20th 2009 @ 10:08am
sheek said | July 20th 2009 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Well, when Johnson gets dropped from the third test team, he’ll be able to spend more time with his Jessica, which is probably where his mind is.
Kind of a nice dilemma to have….. urr hum!
July 20th 2009 @ 10:12am
Jameswm said | July 20th 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
Johnson needs more bowling. I’d work with him in the nets, build up his confidence, and leave him in. If he gets it right, he can be unplayable. Let Hilfy and Siddle open the bowling to take the pressure off.
And I agree Spiro – how are you supposed to chase 520 when three of the first four decisions are stinkers? How absurd for the useless Doctrove not to go upstairs.
Strauss has made his bed now and will have to lie in it. The best I can say for him is he wasn’t sure and got caught up in the moment, but I personally think, having played a lot, you know when you’ve got your fingers under it and he appealed despite thinking it probably (or definitely) wasn’t out. And the Aussies are fighting back despite this and the umpiring shockers.
The Aussie cricketers and rugby players sure had a rotten time with the officials over the weekend.
July 20th 2009 @ 11:06am
Colin N said | July 20th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
“The temptation of winning at Lord’s, I Suggest,overuled Strauss’s sense of sportsmanship”
Then the same should be applied to Hauritz’s apparent catch, when he seemed to be convinced he got it. You say there’s a lack of objectivity in the English media, yet fail to show it yourself.
However, I can tell you now that the likes of Stewart, Murphy etc, said it wasn’t out on the radio.
“When broadcasters and commentatators show obvious bias it makes a mockery of a Journalist’s charter of objectivity”
I didn’t particularly think there was obvious bias.
“The Aussie cricketers and rugby players sure had a rotten time with the officials over the weekend.”
And they say the English moan.
July 20th 2009 @ 11:11am
SouthernWaratah said | July 20th 2009 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Does the integrity of Andrew Strauss get seriously questioned now? He was adamant he caught it, any of us who’ve half caught a catch will know the feeling of catching grass with the ball, and Strauss should suggested otherwise.
Geoff Lawson for Australian Cricket Selector!
July 20th 2009 @ 11:54am
FIsher Price said | July 20th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
What should be seriously questioned is the shot selection of Katich, Hughes and Hussey.
July 20th 2009 @ 12:08pm
vinay verma said | July 20th 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Colin N- It was not until the emails started flowing to Sky from australia did they even show the no ball. I am all for objectivity but if you feel that objectivity means turning a blind eye to an obvious error than I am not objective.
Australia have bowled badly and batted abjectly in the first innings. England deserve to be ahead at this juncture,the howlers notwith standing.
Nasser Hussain’s gloating at the start of the day’s play was in contrast to Shane Warne’s comments. Warne was positively circumspect compared to Hussain.
What goes round comes around and I am comfortable that these umpiring decisions will even out in the end. Surely you could not fail to be impressed by Hussey walking off without any dissent. ?
July 20th 2009 @ 12:26pm
SouthernWaratah said | July 20th 2009 @ 12:26pm | Report comment
I’ve just seen the highlights on Fox, Swann was celebrating those wickets like he just taken a hat trick, and I’d hate to see him in a deservedly celebratory mood. The guy has just been smashed all over the park for 3 innings then carry’s on like he’s taken 6-20.