Australian bowler Nathan Lyon celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lanka’s batsman Kumar Sangakkara, during the second day of the first test cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Galle Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)
Having bagged the selectors for years, we should congratulate them on giving Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon a chance (Lyon particularly as he had taken only 14 first class wickets at quite a cost before the Test), and also making Michael Clarke captain.
Clarke’s captaincy was a throwback I thought to Ian Chappell in that it was invariably attacking and confrontational to the batsmen. Clarke set fields that put the batsmen under pressure.
He changed his bowlers around intelligently, and generally was determined to force the issue rather than let the game drift as Ricky Ponting generally did.
One comment in Kersi’s article referred to Michael Beer’s absence. My argument for some time has been that for an Australian side the spinner should be (preferably, too) a right-arm leg-spinner or a tallish off-spinner (think Ashley Mallett) who gets bounce more than turn.
My aversion to the left-arm finger spinner (and God help us in the dim, distant past I was one of these creatures myself) is that they are not prolific wicket-takers (except the Derek Underwood-type who was more a length bowler than spinner) in Tests.
Allan Border and Michael Clarke have, as part-time left arm finger spinners, won Tests for Australia, but no front line left-arm finger spinner has.
Lyon was impressive in that he had flight, dip, bounce and sometimes some sharp spin. My old coach used to tell me that “if they think you are spinning then you are spinning.”
Lyon gives the impression that he is spinning, unlike, say, Nathan Hauritz who is a roller rather than a spinner.
As for Copeland, I think Peter Roebuck, as usual (the best cricket writer going around) summed it well by saying that he was pre-eminently a ‘length’ bowler.
Roebuck quoted the great S.F. Barnes as saying that the three imperatives of good bowling are “length, length and length.”
I always think there is room in every attack for a length bowler, someone who can bowl for a long time and not give away many runs and nag away at the batsman’s concentration and allow the other end to be the attacking end.
This is rather like the tackling machine Ray Price-type player in a rugby league team. It’s a sort of attacking defensive play.
The fielding of the Australian side was markedly sharper than in the past few years. I heard Tony Greig mention that the fielding coach Steve Rixon would be happy with this.
If Rixon is on the coaching bench it may explain the better tactical decisions the Australians made throughout the day, too.
Bob Templeton
Guest
I first heard about Lyons whilst listening to Kerry O'keefe on ABC radio talking about the new Australian team after the current team had lost the ashes. He said that this bowler had "drop spin" like Indian bowler Badi. Kerry then went on to qualify his choice by saying that Lyons had onlty play T 20 so far but he repeqated that Lyons was a real prospect. It was no supriose to me when Lyons was selected for Australia. Well done selectors, you have finally gotten out of the straight jacket.
Stern Blend
Roar Rookie
I applaud the selectors for selecting Lyons. For those that watched him in the big bash last season would know that for a finger spinner he has something extra. He has an amazing ability to flight the ball and get the ball to dip not like any finger spinner i have seen. As for Copeland he has started well but will need to show what he can do in England where conditions are very different. I hope the selectors continue to give him opportunities because we need to find our next main strike bowler.
Jonathan Healy
Roar Rookie
Spiro, why should the selectors be applauded for finally picking these two? Firstly, if you put on a blindfold and throw enough darts at a board, you'll eventually get a bullseye. The selectors have essentially given every cricket player in Australia with fingers and a pulse a go. And secondly, we have no proof these two are our saviours. Remember a guy called Jason Krejza? If memory serves, he too dominated in his first test (much more than Lyon has) and then, a few months later *POOF* he's gone. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. These two look serviceable but we've seen it before, gotten overexcited and expected them to be Warney straight away. Let's see if and how they continue to perform and how the selectors react. Then we can more accurately judge the selectors.
Jason
Guest
I think the jury is well and truly still out on Lyon. He did get Sanga to a fantastic catch by Clarke but otherwise took a stack of tailend wickets on a track that was made to order for him. Clarke's captaincy was also very good.
Lolly
Guest
Weelz, he's 23, he's still learning his trade as a spin bowler. Even if he gets smacked around, dropped and goes back to Sheffield Shield cricket for a couple of seasons, I think he's got a lot of potential long-term based on how he tosses the ball up and the level of control he showed over length. At his age, that's no small thing.
Weelz
Guest
Copeland was impressive...I agree with that. On the other hand, I wouldnt get that carried away with Lyon. The dust bowl that was dished up helped the spinners. The real test for the man will be when he has to bowl on those hard bouncy tracks here in Aus and somewhere like South Africa.
vaguely
Roar Pro
Maybe it's too far the other way. Balance shouldn't be this hard.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I don't think the selectors should get any credit at all... They've spun the chocolate wheel time and time again and wow eventually a spinner has taken some wickets...they have far more misses than hits over the last couple of years. Krezja took 12 wickets on the subcontinent not that long ago and only played one more test. Let's not get carried away by Lyon just yet. As for Copeland...I think the Cricket Academy should have a specialist wing dedicated at identifying and nurturing bowlers 6'5" and taller. That added height makes a good bowler great because they operate in the 'length of uncertainty' where batsmen are playing forward because of the pitch of the ball but would normally be playing a back foot stroker to a ball of that height from a shorter bowler. Forget left or right armers we should always aim to have a 2 metre bowler in the attack.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Well done Mr Lyon and Mr Copeland , everyone can see that you two will do great deeds in the future of Aussie Cricket :-)
Johnno
Guest
Nathan "WHO", im sure Les Burdet would be very proud of Nathan who.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
The grounds keeper should also get some kudos. Finally a test wicket that isn't a flat track batsman's paradise.
sledgeross
Guest
Treu Spiro, I read Roebuck this morning and agreed 100%. Copeland is doing the same job Hilfenhaus has been striving to do for the past 2 years. The difference is that he is taller and gets more bounce ie asks more questions.