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.
Ian Noble
Guest
Spiro What whinging Aussies? England had the rub of the green, but as Ponting said in a post match interview. England were better particularly in the first two days when they took full advantage of the conditions, rather similar to Aus in Cardiff, but with a difference in that England were able to win. The major problem for the Aussies is bowling, particularly as Johnson is off colour. They now have a few days to regroup and I am sure that they will be fired up for the 3rd Test. I can't wait as the series is turning out to be as keenly contested as we all hoped By the way, if you l;istened to the radio, Aggers immediately said that Flintoff had bowled a "no ball" and throughout the commentary there was continual reference to the rub of the green going England's way. I thought the programme was balanced with excellent summaries from Ian Chappel and Tuffers. Come on grow up, it might be very different next time around and that is the beauty of the series.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
not just touring party and team selections but shot selections also have been poor.
jonno
Guest
The whole od England's ethics need to be questioned. At the very least they are hypocritical.
Tony Tannous
Expert
Super Fred, if it's to be his last, what a way to bow out...one of the great spells, and on one leg.
Colin N
Guest
"If it becomes 1-0 to England after tonight, then the axe must fall." Why? The same was said about England after Cardiff this year and after Lords in 2005, and they didn't change that much, and thus went onto produce a much improved performance. Who would you suggest be replaced? Johnson probably and possibly Hughes, but I can't think of many others.
sheek
Guest
Fred Magee, The Aussies won't be batting to save the test. Firstly, that's generally not the Aussie style, & secondly, there's too much time for England to dismiss the Aussies. One of 3 things will happen tonight - Either England will win, most likely, or Australia will win, least likely. There is also a chance the weather might help the Aussies, which would only be fair, considering it helped save England in the first test also. With International 5 day test cricket dying a slow death, a dramatic Aussies win might be a timely shot in the arm for the longer form of the game.
Fred Magee
Roar Pro
The likelihood is that Australia will be battling uphill to draw let alone win this Test match. It all comes down to the fact that Australia needs to take 20 wickets to win test matches and the top 6 need to do their job. Australia should have won in Cardiff and the fact that they couldnt take the three wickets in the last session probably flagged what challenges Australia have at the moment in the bowling department. The big bet was placed on Johnson to lead the attack as he did in South Africa but he has failed. It is essential that Australia do not fall into the same trap as they did four years ago with Jason Gillespie. If it becomes 1-0 to England after tonight, then the axe must fall. All that said...great effort by Clarke and Haddin during the post-tea session last night. The glimmer of hope is there and we didnt expect to win Adelaide in 06/07 so anything can happen. Long odds I know but where there is life... Fingers crossed for a big night.
AndyS
Guest
What I would love to see is an interrupted day culminating in one wicket left, fading light and a couple of overs left. Then the physio can run out there, trip over something, sprain his ankle and need to be carried off, before someone has to run out a new box to one of the players, and oh dear, out of time...
FIsher Price
Guest
One-eyed fans never lose: if it's a win it's "Oi Oi Oi"; if it's a loss then the umpires and/or rain and/or bad luck are to blame.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Jameswm - The rain in Cardiff saved England, a whole session was lost. Is there not luck involved there ?
Dave
Guest
Worlds Biggest Stuey Clark being left out. Isn’t the Poms having the rub of the green. It’s a decision the Australians made
Brian
Guest
Not that I agree with the selection but I think technically Watson is considered the reserve opener on tour. Regarding North he did score a hundred in Cardiff and can hardly be blamed for having a trundle when called on by Ponting. Similarly Bollinger did not set the world on fire in his one test and certainly didn't do enough to demand selection. McDonald is on tour in case we lose tonight. Being down I assume he or Watson would replace North or Hussey to allow 5 bowlers. Actually I think for once the selectors have done quite well recently. No one will give them credit but the choice of Hauritz has proved correct, Krejza does not have the control to keep good batsman in check. The main disappointment has been Johnson and to a lesser extent Hughes. After South Africa these two had to be given chances.
Jameswm
Guest
World's Biggest Playing the better cricket for 3 innings doesn't count. You don't deserve to win until you've taken all 20 wickets. Ask the Aussies in cardiff, or in Perth (I think it was) last year against SA. Remember Kasper and Lee in 2005 - they fought back and nearly won it and, ironically given the events of yesterday, lost the test on a wrong umpiring decision, which cost Australia the series. It was 2-0 without that decision (by Billy Bowden), and there's no way the Poms would have come back from that.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
No doubt the Poms have had the rub of the green so far in this series, 1. Brett Lee getting injured and Stuey Clark being left out 2. Getting out of jail in Cardiff thanks to rain 3. Winning the toss at Lords 4. Lords Pitch conditions have favoured them with bat and ball 5. A couple of dodgy Aussie dismissals in 2nd innings I agree with Vinay, Mitchell Johnson needs a big score with the bat to help us save / win the game to stay in the team. If we somehow pull off a win it will be all the more sweeter as we haven't had any luck so far. In saying that the Poms have played much better Cricket in this Test and should win.
Jameswm
Guest
Stuey Clark isn't fit? I hadn't heard that one.
Lewie
Guest
Colin N yes you are right, they DO say the English moan.
JohnB
Guest
Fisher Price gets it in one I'm afraid. Katich was undoubtedly unlucky, but I suspect there are lots of uncalled no-balls. Having the third umpire routinely check whether wicket taking balls were in fact no-balls seems an obvious use of technology that would consume minuscule time. Didn't see Hussey. Hughes played a real get-out shot - have to say that watching live, I thought it was out. Watching replays it looked like very much like it hit the ground as Strauss caught it, making it hard to believe an umpire could think it wasn't worth referring. Picking Bollinger (or Nannes) looks in retrospect like what they should have done - not because of what has subsequently happened with Lee and Johnson, but because Clark wasn't fit then and apparently still isn't. Is Chris Rogers playing county cricket somewhere?
SouthernWaratah
Guest
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.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
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. ?
FIsher Price
Guest
What should be seriously questioned is the shot selection of Katich, Hughes and Hussey.