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Australia's fourth bowler?

Aussie 4th Bowler?

  • Total voters
    51
  • Poll closed .
chaminda_00

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
FFS I'm not a massive Johnson fan, but seriously Tait line and length is extremely poor compared to Johnson. Neither are great, but Tait's line is a fair bit worse then Johnson. If you want to pick a bowler who has better line and length then Johnson then you go with Bracken, Noffke or Hilf. The last bowler you would pick is Tait to get a better line and length.
 
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Matt79

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
I think Johnson has the quality to succeed at this level, but he's not bowled particularly well so far this series, even allowing for the 3 wickets, IIRC, he's taken off no-balls. He's rarely produced a spell that makes you feel that the batsman's wicket is in danger. With Tait, his line and length are probably no better, but he also has the habit of regularly producing brutes of deliveries that will produce a wicket. I think he's more likely to take a wicket than Johnson at the moment, unless Johnson corrects his line and finds some more consistent movement through the air.

I think Lee's control has improved enough this year that the issue of having him and Tait in the team together, which was always overstated for mine anyway, is not such a problem now - especially if MacGill is not also in the attack.
 
chaminda_00

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Having watched Johnson bowl live three times this season at Hobart, where he bowled an exceptionally spell with no luck, again at the G with little luck and then SCG where he was poor. Its seems to me as if the Australians have got him to bowl as just a containing bowler and more of stock bowler then strike bowler. When he has bowled his best of Australia in ODIs and for Queensland it was as strike bowler. I think the role that his been asked to play, has more to do with his line, then his actually ability at Test level. He hasn't look out of place yet, but has struggled in the role as stock bowler, when he has played his whole career as strike bowler. I reckon the Australian should just let him off his leash and see what happens. He bowled his best at the Gabba when he was allowed to let rip.
 
P

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
Problem is even though Lee's accuracy has definetely looked great in recent times he's still a strike bowler, this will mean that Stuart Clark will have to do alot of bowling especially if there is no spinner or the spinner isn't bowling well.
 
Matt79

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Pup Clarke said:
Problem is even though Lee's accuracy has definetely looked great in recent times he's still a strike bowler, this will mean that Stuart Clark will have to do alot of bowling especially if there is no spinner or the spinner isn't bowling well.
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Not really. There will be four specialist bowlers, plus Symonds to bowl some overs as well. Plus the team will have to bowl fewer overs if Johnson finishes the day with 12-0-50-3than 20-0-50-0.

Plus - from Cricinfo:
Cameron Sutherland, the WACA curator, said spinners had not been used much at the ground this season.

"They have only been bowling five to ten overs in the second innings of Pura Cup matches," Sutherland said. "The pace and bounce for the quicks is a real factor here at the moment. You would get more value out of playing an extra quick rather than playing a spinner."
 
chaminda_00

chaminda_00

Hall of Fame Member
Apart from the last game at WACA, the spinners have bowled quite a few overs at the ground and have been fairly successful with Hogg taking a 5-fer in the 2nd match there this season. Also it not as if any side this season has dropped their spinner for WACA match and no team has done in with 4 quicks. Every side has pretty much played 3 quicks and 1 spinner. Does seem it getting closer to WACA pitch in 80s and 90s, but it seems to offer a fair bit spinners. Atleast on the last two days.
 
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Captain Cricket

Captain Cricket

State Vice-Captain
I would love to see Tait play..Australia have retained the B-G Trophy so there's nothing to lose. And I don't think playing Tait would be a risk to our chances of winning anyway.
 
Mister Wright

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Even though Johonson's pace is up there with Lee and Tait, you often seem surprised when you see how fast he bowls the ball. He doesn't appear to bowl as fast as Lee and Tait, maybe that's because of his line where he doens't have them playing and missing frequently, I don't know.

For me, it has to be Hogg to go, he's useless imo. Let Tait loose.
 
Captain Cricket

Captain Cricket

State Vice-Captain
Mister Wright said:
Even though Johonson's pace is up there with Lee and Tait, you often seem surprised when you see how fast he bowls the ball. He doesn't appear to bowl as fast as Lee and Tait, maybe that's because of his line where he doens't have them playing and missing frequently, I don't know.

For me, it has to be Hogg to go, he's useless imo. Let Tait loose.
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That would be because we see the ball moving 'across' the batsman rather than straight on which is a result of his wide outside-off deliveries.
 
Burgey

Burgey

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Tait, given the way the WACA is playing atm.

I'm hoping Johnson will get some movement back in with the assistance of the breeze in Perth. Seems like he's been bowling to a fairly specific plan so far re. his line. I mean, if he's accurate enough to consistently put it on/ outside off, then he's consistent enought to bowl it on middle as well. Having 7-2 fields for him doesn't exactly encourage him to attack the stumps.
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

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Mister Wright said:
Even though Johonson's pace is up there with Lee and Tait, you often seem surprised when you see how fast he bowls the ball. He doesn't appear to bowl as fast as Lee and Tait, maybe that's because of his line where he doens't have them playing and missing frequently, I don't know.
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I think he just hits the seam more consistently than someone like Lee. It's a very talented bowler who can bowl both seam and swing the ball and I reckon his wide bowling in the last couple of Tests has been him experimenting in trying to swing the ball in matches. He'll be a very dangerous bowler if he gets it right.

I don't think the Aussie selectors will play four pacers, though. The Test spot is down to either Johnson or Tait, I reckon. Unfair on Johnson because I reckon he's bowled as well as could be expected from a new Test bowler but I just can't see our rather conservative selectors not playing a spinner.
 
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Burgey said:
Having 7-2 fields for him doesn't exactly encourage him to attack the stumps.
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This is true but that's the point of a 7-2 field. Bowling over the wicket, hitting the seam and mixing it up with angle across would have been the action plan for that field. If he was swinging it back in, I'm certain Ponting would have given him more leg-side protection but as he wasn't, may as well have the extra catcher.
 
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