*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Mike5181]

ouch

 

[Ruckus]

Tbh I wish we could just send in NSW to face England...so much better than our current team.

 

[Joao]

Look mate, I agree with most of that. But the fact is, we need to take 20 wickets in Perth and Johnson, for all his faults, is one of the few heavy duty wicket takers that we have. Furthermore, he is somebody who can come back into form quickly.

At the moment he is certainly bowling no worse than his nadir at Lords in 2009. After that Lords Test he turned this around and averaged a fantastic 25 (with the ball) for the remainder of the series. As I say, he can turn it around quickly. And, guess what, we don't have a lot of other heavy duty alternatives.

Now, I agree, he should be playing some FC cricket this weekend and last week, however to not pick him for Perth when we must take 20 wickets and he is one of our only strike bowlers, and has the capacity to turn things around quickly, would in my view be a mistake.

I don't buy into all this "he's out of form and can come back into it at anytime" stuff. I personally subscribe to the idea that he is not bowling that much different than when he was getting boatloads of wickets. It's not like the majority of his dismissals are batsman squared up edging behind or taking the top of off. He beats a few batsman for pace occasionally (which any 145+ bowler will do) but the majority to me always seem to be strangled down the legside, caught off wide half volleys etc. That's all fine when you are new on the scene and it netted him a few Saffies wickets and Dravid 30 times but against this English batting line up who leave the **** alone and wait for the plethora or bad balls to come, he is fodder.

His action is such that it's a miracle that he ever landed 2 balls in a row on the same spot and his wrist position is crap. Just because he gets a few wickets in clumps occasionally everyone thinks he is some godlike penetrating bowler.

What we need is a bowling group working together to get wickets. Building pressure, hitting lines and lengths all the simple stuff. We don't need some joker getting 5fer every 10th innings to remind us how devastating he can be if the batting side all play at **** deliveries who otherwise can only build pressure on his own team. There is nothing special about England's attack. Quality swing bowler and spinner who comes into his own days 4 and 5 and then line and length when the pitch is flat. Exactly what we need to be doing. Obviously we have no quality spinner, but we sure as hell have more consistantly penetrating bowlers that Johnson and they should at least be given a chance before he is given his 20th. I mean, Stuart Clark got dropped with a test average of 23 because of one poor porformance on a road and then players like Cameron, Copeland et al with excellent records and form don't even get a look in. Johnson seems to be able to do sweet **** all for test after test because *good form is just around the corner* and he can win a match at any time. Never mind that he contributes heavily to 4 losses for each win. BOLLOCKS.

He is terrible and if he plays 50+ tests without modifiying his action to gain some control and swing, I suspect his bowling average might hit mid 30s. If we still had Pidge and Warne he would be ideal, because those two could carry him for a whole career easily - we don't. Even losing Bing and Stu has shown him up.

I do like watching him bat however.

 

[Bun]

Ha ha. You drop a guy because he's ****. Now after just one test, you pick him despite he having done nothing but resting his arse. Brilliant stuff emulating pakistan, Australia.

 

[Joao]

Why does everyone keep going on about moving Watson down to the middle order? People are like he needs to convert 50s and save energy for bowling etc etc but you are forgetting about the rest of the batsmen that would be affected by this. Ponting is struggling and putting a rookie as an opener ahead of him would likely expose him early on. Yeah GOOD IDEA lol. The same goes for Clarke as well and Hussey only just regained form.

Your best bet is to bring in Hughes for Katich and Khuwaja for North. This is the only way really, so you can't add more new guys into the frame after this especially for a guy that is a proven opener.

I think Watto should keep opening during the ashes but I think he is better suited to 3 or 4 in the long term (be it next series or next year) - both so that bowling doesn't affect him as much and so he can take over from Ponting when he goes as he is IMO, the only one with the game for no 3. Agree that he doesn't start very well at all against spin but he needs to (and I am sure is) working very hard on that anyway, as ball 1 or ball 100, he looks like he is about to get out every ball against a quality spinner.

 

[howardj]

I certainly don't think he's a joker, or that he's as bad as made out. After 40 odd matches, you can't fluke an average of 29 or whatever it is (with the ball) and internaational cricketer of the year. In six of his last nine series, he has averaged under 30. Again, as with 2009 Ashes, he's shown a capacity to turn things around and I would back him to do so again (not with my house however).

 

[Burgey]

I'm hoping they're considering Clark and I reckon Hilfenhaus is a must at Perth. Thought his Brisbane performance was nowhere near as bad as it was made out.

He would bowl well into the breeze there you'd think. Like a slightly quicker and pudgier, though less effective and more hittable Terry Alderman (after Clem's shoulder injury).

 

[age_master]

This is what I think the selectors will chose for the next test:

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Siddle

I think Hilfenhaus will only be brought back if Harris is unfit. I can't see Bollinger getting another game over Johnson. Picking North again would be just stupid enough for the selectors to continue with.

I am torn between two teams. I like both:

Jaques
Hughes
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Bollinger


and

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Khawaja
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Bollinger

If Johnson is going to perform anywhere it's at the WACA.

The advantage of the first batting lineup is that it provides a very strong middle order at the possible expense of less form at the top, while the second batting lineup is really looking to the future. The first batting lineup also helps relieve pressure on Watson's injury-prone body.

I agree that the first one probably will be the team, though i wouldn't completely rule Doherty out.

I also like the looks of that second team. Im not sure Jaques has done enough to earn a recall yet.

 

[Burgey]

I certainly don't think he's a joker, or that he's as bad as made out. After 40 odd matches, you can't fluke an average of 29 or whatever it is (with the ball) and internaational cricketer of the year. In six of his last nine series, he has averaged under 30. Again, as with 2009 Ashes, he's shown a capacity to turn things around and I would back him to do so again (not with my house however).

But mate, bringing him back now would be like recalling Phil Hughes for the 4th Test of the 09 series after no match in between. it's crazy. I don't see how you can drop a bloke on the basis his form is mud, as opposed to it being a horses for ourses decision, then bring him back after one match when he's played no cricket.

Even by Andrew Hilditch standards, that would be appalling stuff.

 

[stephen]

But mate, bringing him back now would be like recalling Phil Hughes for the 4th Test of the 09 series after no match in between. it's crazy. I don't see how you can drop a bloke on the basis his form is mud, as opposed to it being a horses for ourses decision, then bring him back after one match when he's played no cricket.

Even by Andrew Hilditch standards, that would be appalling stuff.

That's why it's insane he's not playing for WA. Easy wickets vs QLD might do his confidence a world of good. Still, it means that QLD is more likely to win, which is the silver lining .

 

[howardj]

But mate, bringing him back now would be like recalling Phil Hughes for the 4th Test of the 09 series after no match in between. it's crazy. I don't see how you can drop a bloke on the basis his form is mud, as opposed to it being a horses for ourses decision, then bring him back after one match when he's played no cricket.

Even by Andrew Hilditch standards, that would be appalling stuff.

As per earlier, I certainly can't defend resting the bloke. It's madness.

I mean, pick any Aussie bowling lineup at the moment and it's got more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.

Is he more likely to take wickets than Doherty, Siddle, George, Doug etc?

I think he is.

 

[Mike5181]

I agree that the first one probably will be the team, though i wouldn't completely rule Doherty out.

I also like the looks of that second team. Im not sure Jaques has done enough to earn a recall yet.

Jacques was a pretty unlucky guy. He should be in the selectors minds but i doubt it.

 

[Mike5181]

As per earlier, I certainly can't defend resting the bloke. It's madness.

I mean, pick any Aussie bowling lineup at the moment and it's got more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.

Is he more likely to take wickets than Doherty, Siddle, George, Doug etc?

I think he is.

Stuart Clark is better than all those fools.

 

[morgieb]

Would favor this side to take on the Poms...

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Haddin
Hauritz
Cameron
Copeland
Bollinger

 

[stephen]

Would favor this side to take on the Poms...

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Haddin
Hauritz
Cameron
Copeland
Bollinger

Dropping our one in-form batsman

 

[Joao]

I certainly don't think he's a joker, or that he's as bad as made out. After 40 odd matches, you can't fluke an average of 29 or whatever it is (with the ball) and internaational cricketer of the year. In six of his last nine series, he has averaged under 30. Again, as with 2009 Ashes, he's shown a capacity to turn things around and I would back him to do so again (not with my house however).

Hussey averaged 80 after 20 matches or whatever it was. I'll stick to my earlier post, if Johnson plays 50+ tests without some serious alterations I'm backing a very mediocre 32-35 average for him. Happy to be wrong but I just can't see how he is going to continuously get quality batsman out.

 

[morgieb]

Dropping our one in-form batsman

As if you couldn't tell the pattern there.

 

[stephen]

As if you couldn't tell the pattern there.

Of course, but really you'd have to pick NSW + Ponting + Hussey at the moment.

 

[howardj]

FMD -

Copeland's record is nothing to be sneezed at.

Bit worried about Cameron though, where's he been all these years?

 

[Mike5181]

FMD -

Copeland's record is nothing to be sneezed at.

Bit worried about Cameron though, where's he been all these years?

Copeland's record is pretty amazing in first class. What is wrong with him though? There must be something wrong with him if he hasn't been in the eye sight of the selectors.