Ashes - First Test

[mighty_west]

Re: Ashes - First Test

How has Johnson lost the ability to bowl at 150km/H?

It seems as though someone has told him to change his style down the track sometime, and totally disrupted his whole technique, the way he has been bowling over the past 2 years has been way below par, he used to be a real top class all round cricketer, even his batting has turned to mud.

He most definatly needs a spell, and perhaps a lengthy one at that, to just get back to playing cricket with that less pressure & responsability, because he just doesn't seem to step up to that plate, he has even struggled being top banana, feeling more comfortable coming into the attack at first change.

[Greystache]

Re: Ashes - First Test

^^^

If you look at a breakdown of England's scoring yesterday you can see that their post-tea run/rate did drop below what was reached in the previous 2 sessions:

pre-lunch - 116 runs, 31 overs = 3.7
lunch-tea - 113 runs, 32 overs = 3.5
post-tea - 71 runs, 23 overs = 3.1

I guess the point 'anfo' was making was that if they lifted this scoring rate to over 4 in the last session they might have been able to set the Aussies a run chase at some point today, but going off for bad light and missing out on another 30min of play probably put pay to this anyway.

Agree that it's been a very good fight-back by the Poms and leaves the Aussies with some decisions to make.

That's what I thought, and to a degree I agree with them. The English mentality of sport, and cricket in particular, is try not to lose first and then worry about winning second. I've played a couple of years in England and even when in a position to launch an attack to win a match their primary thought is make sure we don't lose.

That's even reflected in the rules in grade cricket over there, premiership points are awarded for performances during a match, not just for winning, captains actually start a match thinking about trying to get the winning side of a draw, and that filters all the way through the ranks.

[Sedat]

Re: Ashes - First Test

That drop wasn't shocking, it was disgusting, total lack of concentration.

Even Lara Bingle would have swallowed it (sorry, had to be said)

[chef]

Re: Ashes - First Test

It seems as though someone has told him to change his style down the track sometime, and totally disrupted his whole technique, the way he has been bowling over the past 2 years has been way below par, he used to be a real top class all round cricketer, even his batting has turned to mud.

He most definatly needs a spell, and perhaps a lengthy one at that, to just get back to playing cricket with that less pressure & responsability, because he just doesn't seem to step up to that plate, he has even struggled being top banana, feeling more comfortable coming into the attack at first change.

There have been reports that Cooley is responsible for him changing is action to avoid back injuries(he did the same thing with Anderson in England, but he still got injuries and reverted back to his old action as he wasn't bowling as well with the new action).

He hasn't been the same bowler since he came back from South Africa. He's not as quick and has lost the ability to move the ball back into R/H's.

[Mantis]

Re: Ashes - First Test

Surely that drop in run rate had more to do with the fact that a wicket fell? Trott came out and still had a lot of work to do and decided to protect his wicket rather than counter-attack too much (although he was still scoring regularly). The chance of winning is so slim anyway, why would he risk exposing the middle order so soon after the fall of a wicket and risk handing the momentum back to us? The Poms are the holders of the Ashes -- they only need to level the series to retain it. The prerogative to win is on us, so to lambast a team for batting 'slowly' on hostile territory at a ground no one has beaten the Aussies at for over 20 years is ridiculous.

It would be like us criticising Steve Waugh for playing a captain's knock and surviving an onslaught from India's quicks in Mumbai on day 4 when he came on with Australia down 200 runs on Day 4 and in danger of an innings defeat and all momentum going India's way -- they should be praised for steadying the ship, not blasted for not scoring quickly enough (especially when they did!)

Not every opener is Matthew Hayden. (And even Haydos had to change his style and become more defensive to survive over in England towards the end of his career.)

I agree with your notion that England did everything they needed to do yesterday and don't have to force a result, but I guess the younger generation (and assuming anfo belongs in this group) have been brought up on 'result cricket' and as such want to see a team hammer home any advantage in the pursuit of a result... and yes I know that a draw is a result and England will happily take a draw after being 200+ runs on the 1st innings, but many don't see it this way.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Ashes - First Test

That's even reflected in the rules in grade cricket over there, premiership points are awarded for performances during a match, not just for winning, captains actually start a match thinking about trying to get the winning side of a draw, and that filters all the way through the ranks.

They would be well placed to win this series then, since all they need are five draws.

[Mantis]

Re: Ashes - First Test

He most definatly needs a spell, and perhaps a lengthy one at that, to just get back to playing cricket with that less pressure & responsability, because he just doesn't seem to step up to that plate, he has even struggled being top banana, feeling more comfortable coming into the attack at first change.

So he can make some runs and get some wickets?

In his last shield game he scored a quick-fire 100 and took 5 for 30 odd.... I would have thought that this type of performance would give him a confidence boost before this test match, but perhaps he is just mentally weak.

[mighty_west]

Re: Ashes - First Test

Even Lara Bingle would have swallowed it (sorry, had to be said)

I wasn't game to....

[mighty_west]

Re: Ashes - First Test

So he can make some runs and get some wickets?

In his last shield game he scored a quick-fire 100 and took 5 for 30 odd.... I would have thought that this type of performance would give him a confidence boost before this test match, but perhaps he is just mentally weak.

He hasn't really been dropped has he? i believe an extended spell is what he really needs, to more importantly consistantly take wickets and making runs should come when his confidence gets back to where it has to be, a one off great game is good, but i think he needs to just get back and start enjoying the game again, he has been a mess for the past few seasons.

I actually believe he is a little mentally weak, and when his confidence is down, he is just all over the shop, maybe even Harmison-like.

[chef]

Re: Ashes - First Test

He hasn't really been dropped has he? i believe an extended spell is what he really needs, to more importantly consistantly take wickets and making runs should come when his confidence gets back to where it has to be, a one off great game is good, but i think he needs to just get back and start enjoying the game again, he has been a mess for the past few seasons.

I actually believe he is a little mentally weak, and when his confidence is down, he is just all over the shop, maybe even Harmison-like.

I'm not sure about mentally weak, I just don't believe he's the same bowler he once was. He doesn't bowl as fast and he doesn't move the bowl back into right handers which was in greatest weapon. Cooley has a lot to answer for IMO.

[lemmon]

Re: Ashes - First Test

There have been reports that Cooley is responsible for him changing is action to avoid back injuries(he did the same thing with Anderson in England, but he still got injuries and reverted back to his old action as he wasn't bowling as well with the new action).

He hasn't been the same bowler since he came back from South Africa. He's not as quick and has lost the ability to move the ball back into R/H's.

Did Johnson ever really have the consistent ability to bowl the inswinger though? He definitley swung the ball away from the right hander with the change up holding its line and going straight on. He did posses a great bouncer, a good slower ball and an array of cutters but he never consistently swung the ball into the right hander, instead his away swinger proved to be an important weapon against the top order who were in all sorts as to play at it or leave. Just watching his 7 wicket haul in Perth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUtdZ-vd6Q) he gets his wickets through an array of aggression, away swing, a full line and a length that attacks the stumps, a top bumper and his change ups of slower balls and cutters. Hes gone away from these weapons and instead tried to develop and use something that he doesnt have, its stupidity on his own part and that of the coaching staff.

[Greystache]

Re: Ashes - First Test

I'm not sure the issue with Johnson is he's mentally weak, I think it's a part, but I think his main problem is he's just not very bright. I think he's the sort of bowler who runs in a lets it go, I don't think he really knows what he's doing. When it's working well it's brilliant, when it's not he doesn't really have any idea why. He's the sort of player you pick when he's hot, and when he's not you don't try and turn his form around during a match.

[chef]

Re: Ashes - First Test

Did Johnson ever really have the consistent ability to bowl the inswinger though? He definitley swung the ball away from the right hander with the change up holding its line and going straight on. He did posses a great bouncer, a good slower ball and an array of cutters but he never consistently swung the ball into the right hander, instead his away swinger proved to be an important weapon against the top order who were in all sorts as to play at it or leave. Just watching his 7 wicket haul in Perth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUtdZ-vd6Q) he gets his wickets through an array of aggression, away swing, a full line and a length that attacks the stumps, a top bumper and his change ups of slower balls and cutters. Hes gone away from these weapons and instead tried to develop and use something that he doesnt have, its stupidity on his own part and that of the coaching staff.

He didn't do it consistently, but he did do it(even if it was only for a couple of series). This made the R/H batsmen second guess his sliding deliveries and play at them when they didn't need to, but now without this movement they don't play at them anymore. It's as if batmen have worked him out.

And watching that video he's seemed to have lost a yard of pace which is hard to believe as he should be in his prime now not slowing down.

[mighty_west]

Re: Ashes - First Test

I'm not sure the issue with Johnson is he's mentally weak, I think it's a part, but I think his main problem is he's just not very bright. I think he's the sort of bowler who runs in a lets it go, I don't think he really knows what he's doing. When it's working well it's brilliant, when it's not he doesn't really have any idea why. He's the sort of player you pick when he's hot, and when he's not you don't try and turn his form around during a match.

I also don't think the mentally weak thing is the only issue, it has to be a combination of alot of things, the changing his action has to be one of them, not being able to take on the responsability of being our number one strike bowler[maybe being seen as more a bowling all rounder plays a part in that], all i know is that imo he needs a decent spell, become feared again.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Ashes - First Test

England's batting in the last couple of days has shown just how bad Australia's was in our first innings bar Haddin and Hussey. The pitch after day 1 had very few demons in it, yet every top order batsman contrived to get themselves out for not very many at all, especially messrs Clarke and North.

People have blasted Clarke for being selfish, but the selectors choose who is in the team -- playing cricket is Clarke's job, and he's not going to put his hand up to get fired, but the selectors should do it for him, and until they do, he has every right to believe he is doing the right thing by playing. It's Hilditch and Co that have to make the difficult calls, but they will never stand up to Ponting.