Australia in South Africa Oct-Nov 2011/12

[sifter132]

johnson getting a bit of shape

Johnson's single-handedly taking the game away from the Aussies.

Surely Johnson won't be sighted again for Australia. Good thing I didn't stay up past tea as looked like I would be blowing up deluxe over him.

I only watched up til lunch (thank goodness ), but Mitch bowled a lovely inswinging ball back into Amla in his 6th(?) over, Amla came down awkwardly and late on it and then next over Clarke took him off just as he seemed to be getting into rhythm off that short run...GRRRR. He'd only bowled a 3 or 4 over spell up to that point and it had been split by drinks. Anyway, I liked the potential of the short run up, but it does look kinda desperate when you try it in the 2nd innings of a 2nd Test. Shame Mitch also felt like sending down a few pies late in the day, his last 6 overs went for 39...

Let him try it a bit more in the nets and in some less important games and he might get some good results. Mitch should really play the Shield game next weekend vs NSW to use the new run and try to get some confidence. I'm guessing he'd be told not to (unless he's dropped), but I think he should be allowed.

He's also lost that fear factor. I looked at his pitch map vs Cummins this morning, and Mitch's looks much tighter grouping wise, but the SA batsmen in particular Amla have much less fear of Mitch than they do of Cummins.

And thanks Pup for putting Lyon on fairly early against Smith - paid off

Also, had to laugh this morning at the 2 cricinfo articles talking about how Cummins had worked over Kallis like Ishant vs Ponting a couple of years back. I don't remember Ponting being able to leave 75% of the balls he faced. Cummins bowled 2 or 3 good bouncers at Kallis, but the rest were wide outside off and if Kallis had gone on to made a good score I would have been pointing to that time as where he'd got himself in without much trouble. Siddle did it to Amla before lunch as well, need to make the guys play early in their innings Pete...

 

[aussie1st]

Also, had to laugh this morning at the 2 cricinfo articles talking about how Cummins had worked over Kallis like Ishant vs Ponting a couple of years back. I don't remember Ponting being able to leave 75% of the balls he faced. Cummins bowled 2 or 3 good bouncers at Kallis, but the rest were wide outside off and if Kallis had gone on to made a good score I would have been pointing to that time as where he'd got himself in without much trouble. Siddle did it to Amla before lunch as well, need to make the guys play early in their innings Pete...

They mentioned it in commentary and I remember some other members saying similar. The shot Kallis played to get out was a result of those bouncers, he looked to be caught not knowing what to do with the ball. Also that spell was about the time he started to get some outswing so that would explain some of the wide stuff. He eventually changed his radar in particular his spell after lunch which almost had AB and Amla out.

When I was watching Johnson's pace dropped considerably from the short run up. I did see he got it back up to the 140s but that was when he also took more stick. If the short run up cost him his pace then Johnson no longer has any value over some of the other bowlers in the system.

 

[VC the slogger]

Going into day 4 in the 2nd test,South Africa are on top leading by 199 runs with 7 wickets in hand. Hashim Amla batting on 89(196) and AB de Villiers 70(122) look in great touch.Australian bowling attack looks quite weak as they had to give a bowl to Mike Hussey(4-0-9-0) and Ricky Ponting(1-0-8-0) who scored his second duck this series in the 1st innings for Australia.

 

[shravi]

Captain Obvious strikes again. Varun978, are you ZexyZahid in disguise?

 

[angryangy]

The bowlers looked tired. Cummins obviously; in the shield final he also dropped a lot of pace in the last innings and that was with Copeland bowling about 50 overs. It was less of a concern with Watson able to bowl, but they got into a position where they really needed Cummins to bowl a good spell and he was spent.

I don't know what exactly the motivation was for Johnson's run up, but I think he was getting through his overs quicker and that might have made it more difficult to bowl fast all day.

Lyon seemed to get managed a lot. There was turn and bounce for him but he wasn't bowling big spells like a seasoned spinner might. They went after him a little, but with an abundance of unorthodoxy. They felt obliged to produce premeditated taps to third man and play lofted release shots; it's a tick in his box as much as theirs. Perhaps Clarke was employing a Graeme Swann ruse, attempting to give Lyon as many first overs as possible with which to get a wicket.

On the other hand Siddle looks super fit. He spent his off season with the AFL and really should have as much endurance as anyone in world cricket. He mostly bowled high 130s, but his last couple of overs were spitefully quick and one could have claimed it unsporting if he'd taken a wicket in the failing light. He bowled a pretty decent day and it seems that he could be doing more of the work.

 

[sifter132]

Yeah Siddle's a bit of a machine, just a shame he isn't a bit more incisive. But he's an honest toiler, the new Andy Bichel if you like. But at the moment I like Copeland to do that job I think.

The other thing I forgot to mention about Johnson before, is that Mitch doesn't thrive when he has been 'the spearhead'. He's talked about stepping up and leading the attack in interviews in the past, but that seems like hot air to me, trying to reassure himself as much as anyone else. And so I went and looked it up this morning and the facts and performances speak for themselves. Australia's best 4 bowlers since 2007 have been Lee, Clark, Harris and Johnson, with Lee in particular happy to take the 'spearhead' responsibility. In 26 Tests where Brett Lee, Stuart Clark or Ryan Harris have played with Johnson his average is 27.80 (Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo). In the 21 Tests where none of those 3 have played alongside him, Mitch's average goes up by almost 10 to 36.46 (Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo). He really is better as a support bowler, rather than 'the man'. So in that sense, it actually helps Mitch if Cummins starts taking some spotlight and pressure off, rather than meaning his career is dead.

As for short run vs long run pace, according to the cricinfo hawkeye stats his average speed in the 2nd innings has been 85.7mph with a top of 88.4. First innings his average was 87.6mph with a top of 90.6. So he's only losing 2mph/3kph. Is that too much?? His main problem is bowling a throwing one wide or onto the pads every over, not so much the pace. Extra pace helps of course, but if the short run helps him swing it and improves his accuracy, I think I'd rather have that.

 

[aussie1st]

Siddle is also a support bowler so it's between him and Johnson and right now Siddle knows his game a lot better than Johnson. Johnson can work on his technique in Shield cricket and until he churns out the numbers that Copeland, Cutting and co have done, he shouldn't be back into the Test side.

 

[swacker]

Johnson needs to take wickets this innings or he needs to go because he'll probably tear through NZ only so he can stay around to get smashed by India.

 

[Hooper]

Ponting, its time to go old balls. Siddle is poo. A lot of this team could be changed for better, holding onto crumbs for too long!

 

[aussie1st]

Cummins is starting to get a rep for having batsmen in two minds. First Kallis and now AB.

 

[swacker]

Cummins does look very good, and a good start from the Aussies. AB was looking dangerous.

 

[aussie1st]

Finally we have a bowler that can get late swing and boy it looks good to the lefties.

 

[angryangy]

What I liked about that run out is how Amla was all "you can stand still on the pitch if you want, I'm outta here"

----------

Now Boucher is all "no no, I hit the ground and he bowled a leg break"

 

[swacker]

Wow what a turn around. Look there goes another one. Yay.

 

[VC the slogger]

Captain Obvious strikes again. Varun978, are you ZexyZahid in disguise?

Who is ZexyZahid???