*Official* Fifth Test at The Oval

[Pothas]

Not just injuries (which is common with him), he's not performed when he has played.

Yeah he has taken very few wickets in the last couple of years but the two are very closely related, I am sure that if he could put a proper run of games together then he would find some form.

 

[tooextracool]

Yeah. Taller than both as well, he just doesn't have the pace as yet.

Can he get the ball to swing a la Tremlett?

 

[TT Boy]

Can he get the ball to swing a la Tremlett?

Natural length is short, when he pitches it up, usually is a nothing half volley. Bit like Andy Caddick.

 

[tooextracool]

Natural length is short, when he pitches it up, usually is a nothing half volley. Bit like Andy Caddick.

Thanks for the info. Although, I should point out that Caddick was a prodigious outswing bowler, on the occasions when he chose to pitch the ball up.

 

[TT Boy]

Caddick did get the ball to move but he did also have a tendency to lose the plot when pitching it up. Far more at ease bowling back of a length.

 

[tooextracool]

Think that was his achilles' heel for most of his career though, often bowled far too short and it was really the case of pitching the ball up a bit further up without getting to half volley length. When he got his length right and his outswinger going he was as good as unplayable.

 

[Son Of Coco]

On SSN this morning, Harmison thinks he won't be fit enough to play in the Ashes in 18 months time.

Which interpretation of the word 'fit' is he using?

 

[Manee]

Kirby, Finn, Shreck perhaps Fletcher if he could get a game.

I've seen Kirby a few times on SkySports in OD and T20 games and although they cannot 100% depict a bowlers prowess in Test cricket, he does look a pretty handy bowler, got pace and hits the deck hard (but I am aware those are dangerous buzzwords that one could apply to Mahmood or an out of form Harmison). Moreover, he has had a tremendously successful FC season, albeit in Division 2, second on top wicket takers (behind Tredwell) with 51 wickets at 20.39. Down at four is Jon Lewis with 45 wickets at 20.40, quite similar statistics but with Lewis having the better economy rate and consequently worse strike rate translating to six less wickets. I did think Lewis was hard done by as a Test bowler, he got 1 Test cap and took 3 wickets, hardly terrible.

 

[Manee]

He's had injuries for the past few years. It's unfortunate because he was pretty impressive in his debut series against India, but England haven't really been in a position where they can pick him since.

Kept it really tight against India in the home Test series, it is a shame how badly he has been treated. He hasn't taken many FC wickets recently so I'd guess that it'll be a while before he is back in contention.

 

[Manee]

Except he'd have had 3-fer (all batsmen) in the 4th Test if the umpiring was competent (I've no doubt the brains trust in the dressing room to bang in everything short just as they did with Broad) and bowled well in the last Test - as accepted by pretty much everyone.

People like yourself can't wait to jump on him despite having no justification whatsoever based on that series. Meanwhile guys like Anderson continue to be ineffective and nobody tears into him.

It has just dawned on me that you are contractually obliged to support Harmison. Bloody hell, there isn't a poster here who'd doubt that you'd rip into him as much you do to Monty, were he from London.

Yeah. Taller than both as well, he just doesn't have the pace as yet.

He's not slow though, just a bit raw, imo.

 

[PhoenixFire]

It has just dawned on me that you are contractually obliged to support Harmison. Bloody hell, there isn't a poster here who'd doubt that you'd rip into him as much you do to Monty, were he from London.

Yeah well I think that's pretty much taken for granted.

 

[grecian]

It has just dawned on me that you are contractually obliged to support Harmison. Bloody hell, there isn't a poster here who'd doubt that you'd rip into him as much you do to Monty, were he from London.

Yeah well I think that's pretty much taken for granted.

Yeah, I shouldn't of posted what I did really, it was on the trolling side

The thing is I've, in the past, been one of the defenders of Steve, I do think at best he's a frigtening prospect for batsmen. Yet those bests are coming fewer and far between, and I just wish they'd give someone else a go, other then Mahmood obviously. If they end up rubbish, then so what, how different is that from what we've got already. If we keep on giving Harmison the gig when there's any juice and pace in the pitch, then no-one else is going to end up with decent figures and become a viable prospect.

 

[Uppercut]

Yet those bests are coming fewer and far between

Damn right they're becoming fewer and far between. There haven't been any for England in three years.

 

[Furball]

This kind of thing annoys me about Harmison. I bet Graham Onions would absolutely love to go on tour with the England team for an extra summer in South Africa, spend the whole time playing cricket in the sunshine and represent his country at a sport he loves. I'd be wetting myself with excitement if I was given the opportunity.

But Harmison gets asked and grumbles, "I suppose I probably would go.. I'd have to ask my family about it first." Apart from him being crap at cricket, I can never understand why England's selectors even want a character like this in the team.

He should never have been considered again for selection after his ODI retirement in 2007, it just smacked of someone who couldn't be bothered being in Australia anymore.

 

[Pizzorno]

I think it's worth mentioning that roughly this time last week (give or take a few hours) Stuart Broad won us the Ashes.

 

[GIMH]

Always worth remembering. We should mark it weekly for the next 15 months, until we'll have a new date to celebrate when the great guy retained them for us.