Jules Winfield was a cold-blooded tactician when it came to executing a plan.
In his opinion, “blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children”.
Steve Smith tried to shepherd the tail-enders through the closing stages of Sunday’s Test loss to West Indies but the lower-order batters were no match for the great vengeance striking down upon thee from Shamar Joseph’s furious spell.
It is pure fiction, pulp or otherwise, for anyone to claim definitively that they know which method of batting with the tailenders is the better option.
Smith put his faith in Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood when the heat was on at the Gabba, following the example set by Steve Waugh a generation ago when he would trust his lower order to be able to negotiate their fair share of deliveries regardless of the situation of a Test.
It blew up in his face in the Boxing Day Ashes Test in 1998 when the last three wickets fell in the space of an over when he was at the non-striker’s end when England famously won their only match of that series in a 12-run thriller at the MCG.
But often Waugh’s ploy worked with brittle batters like Glenn McGrath, Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller riding sidesaddle in stubborn late partnerships.
The modern tactic, used probably most effectively in recent times by Ben Stokes in his memorable Ashes innings of defiance, is to try to put any delivery to or over the boundary from the first four balls of an over, steal a single from the fifth and hope the tailender can survive.
Infuriatingly, Tim Paine in 2019 and Pat Cummins last year, seemed content enough to have just one delivery per over at the batting bunny during these partnerships.
The tactic backfired badly in the Miracle of Headingley the first time around and nearly ended in an inglorious defeat again during last year’s Lord’s Test when Stokes whacked 155 in concert with Stuart Broad in a 108-run partnership in 20 overs of clinical mayhem.
When the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey, the last of his fellow recognised batters fell on Sunday, the Aussies were in strife at 6-136 still 80 runs shy of their target.
Smith was happy for Starc to go on the attack and the left-hander belted 21 from 14 to dominate their 35-run stand before a wild swing went skyward to the cover fielder.
Cummins didn’t last long, which was not what Smith was expecting after the skipper’s career-high 64 not out in the first innings.
Eight down and another 38 runs still needed, this is where Smith took the wrong option.
He allowed Lyon to shoulder the strike while the veteran spinner played his natural game of defending by attacking.
Lyon faced 20 of the next 34 deliveries, scoring nine of the 16 runs in the brief partnership either side of the delayed dinner break.
It was a massive gamble to let him face Shamar and Alzarri Joseph, who are not related by blood but share the common trait of bowling fast, hostile deliveries at tailenders.
Lyon compulsively plays shots to bouncers because he does not trust his defence to the short ball and so it was that he was out that way when he snicked Alzarri while trying to pull him to the deep.
It was only when Hazlewood arrived at the wicket did Smith start farming the strike.
And even then it was only for the first four deliveries each over. Surprisingly, even though he was lucky to survive a Shamar short ball that ballooned to the vacant gully with the field spread, Smith gave the Windies two shots at Hazlewood.
Shamar was on target with the first but wasted his next delivery by bowling well wide of the stumps, allowing Hazlewood to shoulder arms, the dream scenario for a No.11 in this situation.
After his ramped six the next over off Alzarri, the vice-captain again took a single on the fourth delivery and Hazlewood ended up facing three balls after the Windies quick overstepped on the first one. The umpire signalling no-ball, meaning you’ve still got two more to face is the nightmare scenario for a No.11 in this situation.
In what would be the final over of the extraordinary match, Smith again took a single as the runs required tally entered single digits.
Shamar has shown in just two Tests that he’s a quick learner and he reverted to what he later described as his philosophy of trying to hit the top of off stump and did just that with a delivery that most top-order batters would struggle to keep out, let alone a genuine rabbit like Hazlewood.
Steve Smith and Josh Hazlewood talk tactics during day four in Brisbane. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“It’s like any game of sport, you probably focus on the back end of the game, that’s your focus point but throughout the whole game, could we have found nine more runs here or there? There’s no doubt about it,” coach Andrew McDonald said.
It’s hard to be too harsh on Smith given he was the only Australian batter who stood up to the test as the pressure of a tricky run-chase intensified.
Coincidentally, the last time an Australian opener carried the bat was in 2011 when David Warner did so in just his second Test, which also ended in heartbreak when they lost by seven runs to New Zealand.
That defiant 123 not out from Warner proved he was not just a limited-overs whirlwind and could become a serious Test opener.
Whether Sunday’s knock from Smith is the precursor to a long stay in his new role remains to be seen but if he gets more help from his top-order colleagues, upset losses like this one will remain a rarity.
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
Reiffel was an excellent bowler. It was only injuries that held him back. With his record he would be a walk up starter for any test team presently. A sub 30's bowler with a mid-20's batting average is dynamite. Gosh Australia had it good in the 90's in terms of talent depth. We could have fielded seriously competitive 2nd and 3rd XI's
Tufanooo
Roar Rookie
His record in ODI's are perfectly fine for the era he played in. His ODI batting record is better than Cummins or Starc. They were not expected to be batting long at all back then. Just meant to try and biff some runs between overs 44-50 and hopefully last a bit longer than 2 overs.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I went to a swinger's party once but there was only see-saws
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
We have to get a bigger cow
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
His blase confidence was strangely empowering
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
His last two years have been ‘lean’ only averaging 14 and 13 (and only 11 so far this year). He's been worked out..... Don't feed him a diet of spinners and meds. Put your quick on and bowl Nose & Toes.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the requote, but what’s your point exactly Qwertle? "Explaining a joke is like dissecting a frog. Nobody enjoys it, and the frog dies" Jimmy Carr.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Reifell had a good batting technique did well in tests but a dud in one day cricket.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Can we start blaming Border for what happened in 82. He declined 29 singles farming the strike but Thomson faced 62 balls anyway. Not sure how many Border faced compared to Thomson, Thomson also scored 21. Stokes Leach , they faced just over 10 overs and Leach faced 17, thats just under a third of the balls but scored only 1. Stokes didnt farm the strike that effectively. Border has to be held responsible for 82 surely . Smith his face 4 and leave 2 worked as well as Stokes, and I doubt Border faced 120 balls in 1982.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
GIlchrist scored a lot of runs coming in at 7 , but he scored so quickly , the 204 not out he had a huge partnership with Martyn over 300 not with the tail. He had a couple of other 200 partnerships for the sixth wicket. Generally Gilchrist scored his runs with the last batsman then Warne,Lee etc, not so much the final two. Not that he had a problem with everyone on the boundary he could hit the ball very hard. The interesting thing is Gilchrist and Gillespie both faced about the same number of balls between dismissals around 60 but Gilchrist scored at 2 and half times the rate of Gillespie with Gillespie one of the slowest of all time.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
“Usually Steve Waugh” is yet another halo impression at the expense of Mark stereotypes. Mark was not out at the end of the completely bowled out team innings on four (4) occasions for scores of 20, 139, 153 and 72 in team totals of 134, 403, 400 and 214 respectively. He was also 7th, 8th or 9th out for scores of 140, 88, 116, 117, 121 & 119 and was also unbeaten with his team 7 wickets down, having personally burnt up 305 opposition wicket taking deliveries on the final day of a series deciding test against a major opposition.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
I thought Streaky batted mostly 6 or 7 but he only batted 10 innings at 6 for 59 runs. He scored most of his runs (700 +) at 7 and 8. I refuse to quote his stats at 9 or lower because Heath Streak batting at 9?!?!? Or lower?! For Zimbabwe!?!?!? No I won't have it.
The Knightwatchmen who say Nii
Roar Rookie
I kinda forgot about Reiffel. Like Warne he got lower order runs when they mattered, though his career was nowhere near as long. Having said that, if Reiffel had been as good a bowler as Warne, he would have got more opportunities to do good deeds when needed with the bat.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Streak was more than handy with the bat, but again he is really more of a bowling all-rounder, at least by the standards of the time; Streak batted at 6 or 7 in a third of all the tests he played. Admittedly he played in a weak team, so that carries less weight, but I still don't think most would call Streak a 'tail-ender' and so we're still not comparing 'apples' and 'apples'.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Cam, I think you need to look at the number’s in Shield cricket. You could not come to that conclusion if you did follow the sport. Green’s record is superior to anyone else’s in the frame for a middle order birth. Just because he hasn’t performed for Australia (yet) does not mean he got in the team on potential. Who do you think has earned a position at four more than him? For me there’s very few, none more deserving. I think Hardie is pressing, and Maxy could easily do a role despite no long form cricket. Then who? Handscomb’s done ok, but not great. I like Short but once again hasn’t earned it. The cupboards bare, which is another reason players stay in longer. Warner would’ve been dropped a while ago if for instance Mathew Hayden was plying his trade for QLD.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Definitely in Paul’s headlights that’s for sure and Green. They’ve had precisely three innings in their new roles and have already felt the wrath. You’d expect a glowing piece on Smith after that master class.
Steele
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the requote, but what’s your point exactly Qwertle? My point for what it’s worth:) We just lost a test match and for the last two days Paul’s written negative pieces on Green and Smith, our top run scorers in the second innings. If I was to critique someone over the loss, it wouldn’t have been those two I chose. The Windie’s bowled out bowled the Aussie attack and Marnus and Head were putrid.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
The hell with that. There is one batsman to blame for this loss: Damien Martyn
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Heath Streak (RIP) was a really good lower order bat for Zimbabwe. Really gave it all everyone he played.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Now Pollock is on that list. And I'm here saying that any South African named Pollock is a gun bat. Every and all these Pollock's were a better bat than ol Warney I think Warne also got a record for ducks and getting caught off non-called no balls when on 99.