Over the first three Ashes Tests, Australia regularly made good use of the short ball, pushing back the England batsmen to set them up for fuller deliveries.
When they used the bouncer as a shock tactic, rather than a stock ball, it proved effective. The opposite was true on the rare occasions they deployed bouncers with monotony.
Which is why it made little sense last night as Australia’s quicks used the short ball as their first line of attack. From the moment Australia overlooked more reliable and accurate seamers Peter Siddle and James Pattinson in favour of strike weapon Mitchell Starc, it appeared clear the tourists were going to change tack.
Their success with the ball in the first three Tests, during which England exceeded 260 only twice in six innings, was built on precision over pace. Australia’s quicks did not try to bulldoze the opposition. Rather they sought to asphyxiate them. Dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, loose shot. It was a wise approach against an England line-up brimming with batsmen who enjoy playing in one day mode. It was also the result of belatedly paying heed to how the England seamers had flourished in previous Ashes in the UK.
The pursuit of this strategy saw Starc left on the sidelines as Australia favoured quicks who could build sustained pressure. Pattinson (2.56 runs per over) and Siddle (2.71) both managed to do just that. While neither of them had a major impact in terms of wickets Australia was more concerned with bowling as a unit.
With Cummins and Hazlewood proving so potent, Australia seemed content for their third seamer to choke the run rate and, in doing so, make their bowling partners more dangerous.
The downside of Starc as a Test bowler is how often he releases pressure with wayward overs, spells, innings or even Tests. A dozen overs of tight bowling, slowly building towards a wicket, can be undone in the space of a loose burst from Starc. It was the same story for many years with fellow left arm strike bowler Mitchell Johnson.
When that pair played together in the last Ashes, England never needed to worry about the run rate, it would look after itself. That’s not to suggest Starc is not a valuable Test cricketer, nor that he was an awful selection in this Test. While, as I argued last week, I would have left him out in favour of Siddle or Pattinson here at Manchester, he may have a major impact on this match.
This pitch is flat and Starc has always been at his most valuable on such surfaces. It is on more helpful decks that he has tended to labour because of his inability to make the most of those friendly conditions. Last night we saw the typical mixed bag from the beanpole quick. Wonderful deliveries were interspersed with dross. His pitch map looked like scattered sesame seeds.
Starc also bowled too short, but was not alone in that regard. Particularly in the session before tea, when Joe Denly and Joe Root batted with admirable patience, Australia’s quicks greatly overdid the short stuff. Very, very few of their deliveries in that session would have struck the stumps.
By comparison, England’s Stuart Broad has bowled extremely full throughout this series and has reaped the rewards, with 17 wickets. While Australia’s pacemen did not adopt quite the same lengths as Broad in the first three Tests, they threatened the top of off stump far more regularly than they did last night.
Just what prompted this change of course by Australia is difficult to say. Perhaps they were rattled by England chasing down a big total at Leeds. Perhaps they were conned by reports Old Trafford would be the quickest pitch of the series, perfect for pace and intimidation. Perhaps they fell back into old habits.
Whatever the case, Australia’s lengths were patently wrong last night. It’s time to revert back to the steadier approach which served them so well in the first three Tests.
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Roar Rookie
Oh ok it’s different then.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Uglybetty Revenge...... No - what I referenced was a serious trend across a number of players. In this case - yesterday - especially off Root - was more a trend of a team that had secured the Ashes and was just a smidge 'off'. It's that being a smidge 'off' that see catches dropped. So - - why were so many players a smidge 'off' when Sidds was bowling???
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Roar Rookie
Are you also suggesting Siddle tanked a catch at fine leg because a NSW bowler was a chance of getting a wicket?
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
It should be.....shouldn't it.
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Roar Rookie
Plonkers rarely get handed a baggy green cap and in Siddle's case he's been one of our best.
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Roar Rookie
I'd suggest the NSW bowling cartel are very tight. I'd be concerned if they weren't. Although to suggest are professional sportsman clocks off because a team mate is not from his home state is laughable though.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
I didn’t disagree with the selection of Starc for two reasons. During the English fight back in the third test in the fourth innings, as good as he was bowling, Lyon was bowling into a flat undisturbed pitch with no foot marks. Root and Denly had no trouble dealing with Lyon soaking up 360 balls between them. Lyon bowled 39 overs in that innings @2.92RPO. I kept thinking if Starc’s footmarks were there to the right handers it would be far more difficult for the right handers to handle. Secondly a huge fight back from the tail and Starc’s reputation for cleaning up the tail made him an easy pick. 3 fairly tough tests it made sense to bring him in. But it was always a gamble. Over the past few years he’s often started test series slowly then come good. Hadn’t played a test in a long time so it was always possible he would take a while to get his rhythm. He still managed 3 in the first. His second innings was poor especially with the new ball. I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t more Yorkers bowled to test out how much the ball was swinging and short balls above stump height let them get off the hook. I’d retain him for the last. But I’d fly in Joe Burns and Kurtis Patterson for Warner and Wade for the fifth. We’ve retained the ashes so why not give the two that were most hard done by in the selections a shot in the last?
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Do you know what - - seeing the way Warner has gone about it - it looks suspicious from his perspective. Even the commentators were talking in Leeds about how having scored some runs that he was better in the field. I'd like to think that wouldn't be the case. But - perhaps Warner has heavy duty doubts weighing him down. I did suggest at the time he was a 'virus' in the team. We've retaining the Ashes despite him. I do ponder too - - did some players 'relax' a fraction thinking Siddle was just the stock bowler? Why were they mentally not switched on? Why were so many catches missed off one bowler in particular?? And we do know how tight the NSW bowling cartel is. (well, a fair bit has been made of that.)
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Pierro, Your predictions were pretty well spot on. Hopefully we can knock them over within the day. Cummins terrific late. Hope Lyon can regain a bit of his mojo.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Good point on starc but either way the extra bowler would help also preserves cummins and hazel wood for the oval, a few things to consider . the continual scores under 20 from harris, warner and wade do nothing for us , we can lose one of them but the historical australian and english stats in last ten years at manchester and the oval back up theory no end
Pierro
Roar Rookie
General I think they bat again as well, Australia will want a 360 to 370 lead with a day to go. Completely different pitch to headingly . If we can get 15 overs at them tonight with that sort of lead and the good weather tomorrow with 90 to 98 overs at them tomorrow then you'd have to think 105 overs is enough at them on this pitch if its detioriating more. Hopefully Pierro was one of my favorite race horses as well, you gut feel was a good one, just did it on a whim one race day although its close to my name as well . super horse wasn't he
AREH
Roar Guru
Knew there was one more I'd forgotten!
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Rowdy, Your opinion. I do not agree so I do not take that position.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I like Paine as a wicky. He's clueless as a captain. Not a real hard position to take!
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Rowdy, My next post was a bit harsh, and I agree he probably would be better without the captaincy. I am sure they will find someone in the near future but what was he to do, tell the selectors to take a running jump. And who else was there at the time. I do not think Head was in the side when he first took over, Cummins had no experience. Any other suggestions?.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Rowdy, You stated in one comment you like Paine. Hard to believe when you call him CLUELESS. And by the way Warne was a freak, no need to do much just let him bowl.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Good points about it possibly coming from Langer. If so it appears that safety first is the mantra. As evidenced by our bowlers appearing to be too afraid to be hit. Paine has been timid for sure. (Perhaps this is Warne's chagrin with Paine.) ---- I hope I'm surprised over the next few overs. I wanna see 7 players around the bat with Lyon using air. I wanna see full deliveries with catchers snaffling the ball. I want us to LOOK like winners; not dilettantes! ---- We lost the last test primarily through poor captaincy or, at least, compromised captaincy --- Personally? I think Paine would shine as a handy run-making wicky without the burden.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
People really are. Amazing isn’t it?
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
Rowdy. I tend to agree with you, it is extremely hard to captain, keep and score runs. I agree that a batsmen would be preferable, but he was thrown into the job in difficult circumstances and selectors must have thought he was the man. I think up to this series he has not done a bad job, losing 1-0 to Pakistan in the UAE, 2-1 to India (THE best team in the world) , and beating Sri Lanka 2-0, all without arguably our two best players (see Smith's form now). We are also well in with a chance to retain the ashes. And he may make most of the on field decisions, but if you think this has not been discussed with Langer and company as to what tactics to use, I think you would be mistaken.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Aber! I have been a supporter of Paine. I was so disappointed over his wilderness years. I don’t care much about his runs or not especially as that is the prime responsibility of the top 6. Scoring runs when you are batting is different to marshalling your team thru the bowling / fielding. Yes runs us impirtant but wicketkeeping is his prime responsibility and the need to captain is also a prime responsibility. This is a clash, a compromise the team doesn’t need but is saddled with. —- My issue is abstract. I’ve said it before, to the boredom of many here, that captains who are bowlers or wickys are compromised. He doesn’t marshall his attack, he sets n forgets fields and forgets to dive for catches. This is because he has too much on his plate. Batsmen-only types should be captains. Not because of some intrinsic quality but because they have less to worry about.