**Official** Tour Matches

[superkingdave]

Fancy North will bag a few this series. Wouldn't be too worried going in to next week if I was Australian, reckon they will put on 400+ regularly, even if 7,8,9 end up being big contributers.

 

[Uppercut]

I can't fathom not picking a fit Clark, he is our most consistent and important bowler.

Disagree with that, has failed a fair bit in the past year. Johnson's far more important. Put it this way- you'd rather Clark was injured than Johnson was.

 

[Uppercut]

Lolllllllllll statistics = real life?

If they're not real life then what the hell else are they? They don't concoct the statistics on ****ing Battrick.

What are the holes in it, by the way? Am yet to see anything at all to suggest Hauritz is a better test bowler than North. Decent ODI tweaker though.

 

[tooextracool]

Disagree with that, has failed a fair bit in the past year. Johnson's far more important. Put it this way- you'd rather Clark was injured than Johnson was.

Doubt it. As an English supporter, Id be more wary of Clark than Johnson. Johnson has really only looked the part for 1 series, before which he was a very very mediocre bowler, looked sort of like what hes looked like in this game.

 

[Nate]

If they're not real life then what the hell else are they? They don't concoct the statistics on ****ing Battrick.

What are the holes in it, by the way? Am yet to see anything at all to suggest Hauritz is a better test bowler than North. Decent ODI tweaker though.

North comes on and bowls 4-5 over spells as the 5th or even 6th choice bowler for WA. You're comparing that to being the frontline spinner for a side?

This is why I don't usually post in CC, people have no idea how cricket works.

Everyone knows I rate Norfy more than Hauritz, but the point is using those statistics makes little sense.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Don't want to rush to any conclusions from one day's play on a featherbed, but without any swing Johnson did look rather neutered. Clark, on the other hand, nipped it off the seam and was the hardest bowler to get away. Got quicker as his spells went on, which suggests he's got something in reserve as well.

Plus, obviously, he's got a heck of a lot of experince of English conditions from the years at Middlesex.

 

[Uppercut]

Doubt it. As an English supporter, Id be more wary of Clark than Johnson. Johnson has really only looked the part for 1 series, before which he was a very very mediocre bowler, looked sort of like what hes looked like in this game.

Clark's looked pretty mediocre today too tbf. Struggling to break 80mph.

I personally think going for runs more slowly when you're bowling badly is a bit of an overrated attribute to a test bowler. Although it does make you more fond of bowlers since they don't invoke swearing at your TV. Johnson's much more dangerous.

By the way, factual error on Johnson's form- he's had three good series in a row now, not one.

 

[King Pietersen]

Ravi's either finally played a chanceless innings, or got away with having one dropped. He's 88* at the end of the day, good effort. KP's had a poor game though, making 1 and 6 in the game, could really have done with him getting a few and feeling in real nick, although I'm sure he'll step his game up come next Wednesday.

 

[Uppercut]

Everyone knows I rate Norfy more than Hauritz, but the point is using those statistics makes little sense.

I don't entirely agree with Smitteh's point, because part-timers generally bowl at the worst possible times because they're used as partnership breakers. Their relative stats hardly prove anything, but when North looks the better bowler from what I've seen anyway they don't exactly damage the case in his favour.

I suspect we may just be agreeing again .

 

[BoyBrumby]

Clark's looked pretty mediocre today too tbf. Struggling to break 80mph.

I personally think going for runs more slowly when you're bowling badly is a bit of an overrated attribute to a test bowler. Although it does make you more fond of bowlers since they don't invoke swearing at your TV. Johnson's much more dangerous.

By the way, factual error on Johnson's form- he's had three good series in a row now, not one.

Disagree there. Not pulled up any trees, but should've had at least one wicket from Haddin's shell and did get quicker as the day wore on. Was up around 82-85mph later on in afternoon session.

Comfortably the second best Oz bowler on display IMHO.

 

[Uppercut]

Disagree there. Not pulled up any trees, but should've had at least one wicket from Haddin's shell and did get quicker as the day wore on. Was up around 82-85mph later on in afternoon session.

Comfortably the second best Oz bowler on display IMHO.

Certainly their second best bowler but I don't think being better than Hauritz or Johnson have been today qualifies him for anything more than mediocre.

In any case, I'd certainly play him on Wednesday.

 

[tooextracool]

Clark's looked pretty mediocre today too tbf. Struggling to break 80mph.

Clark looked ok when i watched him later in the day. Certainly has more experience in England, and hes done well against England in the past. Hes never been someone who bowls in the high 80s so his low to mid 80s pace is not something to laugh at.

By the way, factual error on Johnson's form- he's had three good series in a row now, not one.

Not a factual error, actually. Johnson was routinely poor against SA at home, other than the first test when he was gifted many many wickets by extremely poor SA batting that involved nicking wide ones because of his angle. I posted on here how I though Johnson was a shockingly ordinary and overrated bowler at the time and that without an inswinger he'd struggle to be successful. Sure enough, somewhere along that time he discovered an inswinger and surprised everyone including Mickey Arthur and the South Africans and became lethal with it in the very first over of the following series.

Didnt watch the series against NZ, but by all counts he didn't swing the ball and I don't really think Johnson is much of a bowler when his inswinger isn't working. Johnson is one of the most overrated bowlers on here. Yes he was very very good against SA but his bowling, from watching, is hardly threatening unless the ball is swinging (FFS he doesn't bowl on the stumps! just let everything go or get across your stumps and spank him) and that was on evidence today. Which is why I said that it would be very very interesting to see if he can get the ball to swing in England, and so far its looking pretty good from an English point of view. Honestly, Siddle is the one I think English supporters should be most afraid for, because from what I have seen from him he has quite some potential. If Johnson gets the ball to swing this summer he will be dangerous though, I dont doubt that much.

 

[Uppercut]

Clark looked ok when i watched him later in the day. Certainly has more experience in England, and hes done well against England in the past. Hes never been someone who bowls in the high 80s so his low to mid 80s pace is not something to laugh at.




Not a factual error, actually. Johnson was routinely poor against SA at home, other than the first test when he was gifted many many wickets by extremely poor SA batting that involved nicking wide ones because of his angle. I posted on here how I though Johnson was a shockingly ordinary and overrated bowler at the time and that without an inswinger he'd struggle to be successful. Sure enough, somewhere along that time he discovered an inswinger and surprised everyone including Mickey Arthur and the South Africans and became lethal with it in the very first over of the following series.

Didnt watch the series against NZ, but by all counts he didn't swing the ball and I don't really think Johnson is much of a bowler when his inswinger isn't working. Johnson is one of the most overrated bowlers on here. Yes he was very very good against SA but his bowling, from watching, is hardly threatening unless the ball is swinging (FFS he doesn't bowl on the stumps! just let everything go or get across your stumps and spank him) and that was on evidence today. Which is why I said that it would be very very interesting to see if he can get the ball to swing in England, and so far its looking pretty good from an English point of view. Honestly, Siddle is the one I think English supporters should be most afraid for, because from what I have seen from him he has quite some potential.

He took 14 wickets in two games at an average of 11.

Personally I think he's awesome. Left-armers angle, plenty of control, swings it both ways, can touch express pace and has a very real mean streak. Will be very surprised if he doesn't do well this summer.

 

[tooextracool]

He doesnt swing it both ways. We've only known he could swing it one way, and that was very recently in SA. Hes quick yes, his angle combined with his slingy action makes it difficult for people to play his deliveries that are going away from their body. But the bottom line is that his angle and delivery style hurts him when the ball is not swinging as he cant threaten the stumps (when bowling to a right hander) and no matter how fast hes bowling that renders him irrelevant if the batters bat with common sense.

As far as the NZ series is concerned, i couldnt care less how many wickets he took, because as in Sidebottom's case, that NZ batting is very very poor. If the ball isnt swinging this summer he will struggle providing that the English batters bat with any common sense whatsoever.

 

[Manee]

Watching the highlights atm and it is evident that it was a superb job by Brett Lee, It is the quickest spell I have seen Lee bowl in an unlimited overs game. He got up to 95.5mph and was consistently over 90mph. Moreover, this shows that the talk of Lee's virus being picked up in India which hindered his performance appears more likely as recovery has brought increase in speed. This could mean that he can resume this golden period, now fully fit. Of course, it is likely he'll be down at 87mph and all over the place come Cardiff, but I think this is a most promising sign.

I think it is a no brainer for the Australians to go in with four specialist seam bowlers and look to bowl Clarke, North and Katich when necessary. Siddle is in magnificant form and I think Lee and Johnson can give Cook and Strauss many problems. Indeed, it is about keeping fit for those four as I don't see Hilfy as a currently Test quality seamer, as much as I do rate his potential, nor do I think Hauritz can be successful in this series.

 

[Langeveldt]

lol at Bell 0 (1)

Today should be Ian Bell day

 

[GIMH]

Looks like Lee bowled very well. Good job, was beginning to worry that this series would be too easy

 

[FBU]

Lee and Harmison wearing back braces when bowling.

 

[inbox24]

Clark looked ok when i watched him later in the day. Certainly has more experience in England, and hes done well against England in the past. Hes never been someone who bowls in the high 80s so his low to mid 80s pace is not something to laugh at.




Not a factual error, actually. Johnson was routinely poor against SA at home, other than the first test when he was gifted many many wickets by extremely poor SA batting that involved nicking wide ones because of his angle. I posted on here how I though Johnson was a shockingly ordinary and overrated bowler at the time and that without an inswinger he'd struggle to be successful. Sure enough, somewhere along that time he discovered an inswinger and surprised everyone including Mickey Arthur and the South Africans and became lethal with it in the very first over of the following series.

Didnt watch the series against NZ, but by all counts he didn't swing the ball and I don't really think Johnson is much of a bowler when his inswinger isn't working. Johnson is one of the most overrated bowlers on here. Yes he was very very good against SA but his bowling, from watching, is hardly threatening unless the ball is swinging (FFS he doesn't bowl on the stumps! just let everything go or get across your stumps and spank him) and that was on evidence today. Which is why I said that it would be very very interesting to see if he can get the ball to swing in England, and so far its looking pretty good from an English point of view. Honestly, Siddle is the one I think English supporters should be most afraid for, because from what I have seen from him he has quite some potential. If Johnson gets the ball to swing this summer he will be dangerous though, I dont doubt that much.

This totally sums up Johnson's career.

 

[Matt79]

Tec's insistance that regularly bending the ball both ways is the sole mark of a good bowler gets tired.