*Official* 1st Test at the SWALEC Stadium

[Lillian Thomson]

You're helping in a big way, so congrats for that.

He's completely right in this case. You were wrong about the idea that dropping Watson and Haddin is a kneejerk reaction - people wanted them dropped before the test. Anyone who's been reading the forum would know that. When he called you out you decided to **** fight instead of admit it, because you're just too damn superior yet again.

Now you've decide it's the entire forum's fault that you're wrong and can't admit it for what seems like the hundredth time, maybe you should act on that opinion and **** off for a bit. You won't be missed.

Thanks for your carefully worded concern. Unfortunately he was completely wrong and his reply didn't even make sense. My original post "Looking around the net I love the way Australian fans are for ditching almost half the team after one below par performance. It's almost as if their English heritage is coming to the fore." was the result of reading mainly Twitter where people were calling for Clarke to be sacked for poor tactics, Rogers and Voges to be dropped (even though Rogers had just made 95) as well as Hazelwood and Lyon for being too expensive. That along side Watson and Haddin is "half the team" I referred to - not 2/11th of it. It was all completely "kneejerk" to the one defeat.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I didn't see the whole match as bedtime and my snuggle blanket interrupted around midnight each day, however I didn't think Johnson bowled that badly after the first day when almost everyone was ****house. He tightened it up a bit in the second innings in the parts of the match I saw. The interesting part was that he was getting some swing on occasions, which usually means he takes a few wickets, but didn't break through until late in the match. Compared to Broad, Anderson and Wood though, the whole Australian attack looked fairly average for large parts of the game.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Aw shucks the poor little defeated Lilian Thomson can't take a little bit of ribbing.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Aw shucks the poor little defeated Lilian Thomson can't take a little bit of ribbing.

Someone with a sense of humour. It's not that hard after all is it.

 

[Midwinter]

I didn't see the whole match as bedtime and my snuggle blanket interrupted around midnight each day, however I didn't think Johnson bowled that badly after the first day when almost everyone was ****house. He tightened it up a bit in the second innings in the parts of the match I saw. The interesting part was that he was getting some swing on occasions, which usually means he takes a few wickets, but didn't break through until late in the match. Compared to Broad, Anderson and Wood though, the whole Australian attack looked fairly average for large parts of the game.

Johnson's second wicket in the second innings was from a ball 2 foot outside off stump.

 

[Flem274*]

i don't see why voges is in danger when shaun marsh is next cab off the rank

that's a pretty good incentive to give voges a long run.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Johnson's second wicket in the second innings was from a ball 2 foot outside off stump.

I did see that. His ball to Bell was decent though. He kept it reasonably tight in patches, but was equally all over the shop in the early part of the match from what I saw.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Johnson will be fine. He just started off thinking he could continue to blast them out on a wicket with no bounce.

 

[Gob]

Well tony that didn't go well did it?

Shane you are out,gone,fired

Aaaaw no

Rad you can stay for another game

I cant stand this niceness that's why i'm not making runs

And Micheal start making some runs

 

[Gob]

Mitch was unlucky tbh. Think he'll do well

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I think Johnson bowled well in the second innings but he probably won't have a great series if all the pitches are like that. He's basically just an incredibly good bowler when there's pace and bounce and only an okay one when there's not, even when he's in form. Nothing wrong with that really, no different from say Anderson being very dangerous when the ball swings and pretty innocuous when it doesn't. The key is being able to make a contribution in unfavourable conditions.

If he can bowl like he did in the second innings throughout the series he'll be worth his place in the team though. Was much more disciplined, actually helped build pressure etc.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yeah I think so too. If he takes from this match the fact he didn't bowl as badly as his figures suggest, and just continues on with it at Lords in the same vein as he finished this match, I'd expect better results.

 

[SteveNZ]

I think Johnson bowled well in the second innings but he probably won't have a great series if all the pitches are like that. He's basically just an incredibly good bowler when there's pace and bounce and only an okay one when there's not, even when he's in form. Nothing wrong with that really, no different from say Anderson being very dangerous when the ball swings and pretty innocuous when it doesn't. The key is being able to make a contribution in unfavourable conditions.

If he can bowl like he did in the second innings throughout the series he'll be worth his place in the team though. Was much more disciplined, actually helped build pressure etc.

You strike me as far too level-headed to remain sane over a long period of time on CW.

Sentiment is exactly right though, there seems to be no middle ground when it comes to Johnson - he's either a scary brute who bowls 160km thunderbolts that cause involuntary bowel movements, or he should be dropped for bowling turgid pies. And given the substitute is Siddle who doesn't move it off the straight, I doubt he would've been any more effective.

Watson has to go, we all know that. Haddin, probably has some credit in the bank from previous Ashes series but it will be interesting to see if Lehmann and co have the stones to not allow him to go out on his own terms if he continues to stink it up and play god awful shots. Unless I'm underestimating how much he contributes to the side by being a complete ****.

 

[SteveNZ]

I'm against the filtering of the c word when it comes to Brad Haddin, can I put in a request to the moderators please.

 

[LegionOfBrad]

As an FYI its pouring with rain in Cardiff.

 

[Gob]

Dunno how many people noticed this that the seam presentation of Johnson these days is easily the best i've seen of him. The small amount of swing that he gets these days is due to that and not the conditions and that is also probably why he is not as dangerous with it. For most part of his career, he could not produce an upright seam (sounds weird i know cos that is one of the basics in fast bowling) and when he swung the ball it was entirely down to conditions in places like WACA,Durban and it happened very late as well but now it occurs more from the hand so its not that hard to play

Regardless he was unlucky in this test and with his pace up, he should do ok specially on a pitch with a bit more bounce in it

 

[Son Of Coco]

As an FYI its pouring with rain in Cardiff.

I hope Boof took note of my suggestion here earlier and has Clarke, Haddin, Voges and Watson standing out in for the duration of the day's play. Harsh on Watson, but he won't be out there for long before he'll get himself in a tangle and be given out LBW.

 

[NZTailender]

You strike me as far too level-headed to remain sane over a long period of time on CW.

He calms his nerves by collecting thumbs iirc

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If he was gonna go insane from CW it probably would've already happened sometime in the 11 years he's been posting here tbf

 

[Redbacks]

Yeah I think so too. If he takes from this match the fact he didn't bowl as badly as his figures suggest, and just continues on with it at Lords in the same vein as he finished this match, I'd expect better results.

Plus he made runs in the 2nd innings which is when C9 commentators usually predict he will take a bag of wickets.