SA Footy

I think the big difference to the McGrath years is the spin bowling. IMHO the current seamers are the equal of McGrath/Gillespie in their peak and I reckon blokes missing are better than Brett Lee. The thing with McGrath as an individual was the longevity. He produced what Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood have in short periods over the course of more than a decade.

Johnson always had ability. Even the times he seemed to bowl badly he was picking up wickets. He was strong, robust, could bat and field. Just a shame nobody managed to unlock his full potential much sooner.

Grahaml wrote:I think the big difference to the McGrath years is the spin bowling. IMHO the current seamers are the equal of McGrath/Gillespie in their peak and I reckon blokes missing are better than Brett Lee. The thing with McGrath as an individual was the longevity. He produced what Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood have in short periods over the course of more than a decade.

Johnson always had ability. Even the times he seemed to bowl badly he was picking up wickets. He was strong, robust, could bat and field. Just a shame nobody managed to unlock his full potential much sooner.

Johnson's a strange one. At his best he had that ability to swing the ball back in. I think he's gone back to scaring batsmen out and that is where he will stay. Regardless of his eventual wicket tally he'll behind plenty of Australian bowlers even thos who have taken much fewer wickets. When Johnson 'went off the rails' Australia's best ever scare bowler Jeff Thomson had his shoulder wrecked when he crashed into Allan Turner in 1976.

Dennis Lillee was at his peak when the WSC years were happening and the orignal Demon Frank Spofforth just didn't get to play that many tests. Loved Johnson's work in the 5-0 series against England but his best was when he swung that ball back in. Imagine facing that...ball swings away at 145 but every now and then one swings back CRASH. See ya.

regards,

REB

If Johnson cant swing the duke then he wont play all 5 tests. Picking Harris is a big call. I hope he gets enough lead up cricket to be certain he's fit and bowling well.

tigerpie wrote:If Johnson cant swing the duke then he wont play all 5 tests. Picking Harris is a big call. I hope he gets enough lead up cricket to be certain he's fit and bowling well.

Possible that they rest Harris during the series, particularly if they have back to back tests?

Johnson's a strange one. At his best he had that ability to swing the ball back in. I think he's gone back to scaring batsmen out and that is where he will stay. Regardless of his eventual wicket tally he'll behind plenty of Australian bowlers even thos who have taken much fewer wickets. When Johnson 'went off the rails' Australia's best ever scare bowler Jeff Thomson had his shoulder wrecked when he crashed into Allan Turner in 1976.

Johnson's ability to scare batsmen while it may not add to his wicket tally. How many blokes would have survived his over and thought 'few ive survived that'. they then relax a bit and schnick off to ryno, hazelwood, siddle or even watson with his militaries

Harris won't need that much lead in cricket. His class and experience will see him through. Just a question of his body holding up.

Frightening to think that as good as Johnson is at his best Starc should be better and more consistent. Bowls with better height at the crease and seems to bowl faster with less effort while he seems the ball around more naturally than Johnson. Starc has the weapons to be our greatest quick ever. Just how much he cashes in remains to be seen.

Footy Smart wrote:

Johnson's a strange one. At his best he had that ability to swing the ball back in. I think he's gone back to scaring batsmen out and that is where he will stay. Regardless of his eventual wicket tally he'll behind plenty of Australian bowlers even thos who have taken much fewer wickets. When Johnson 'went off the rails' Australia's best ever scare bowler Jeff Thomson had his shoulder wrecked when he crashed into Allan Turner in 1976.

Johnson's ability to scare batsmen while it may not add to his wicket tally. How many blokes would have survived his over and thought 'few ive survived that'. they then relax a bit and schnick off to ryno, hazelwood, siddle or even watson with his militaries

This is a good point. I've opened the batting many times and despite playing in the lower grades you would still come up against a nippy one every now and then. My nemesis was Culpitt of United Districts. Man he used to hit me all the time...but it was mate Lombardi who used to get me out.

A blast from the past for mal...he might remember those blokes.

regards,

REB

Rik E Boy wrote:

Footy Smart wrote:

Johnson's a strange one. At his best he had that ability to swing the ball back in. I think he's gone back to scaring batsmen out and that is where he will stay. Regardless of his eventual wicket tally he'll behind plenty of Australian bowlers even thos who have taken much fewer wickets. When Johnson 'went off the rails' Australia's best ever scare bowler Jeff Thomson had his shoulder wrecked when he crashed into Allan Turner in 1976.

Johnson's ability to scare batsmen while it may not add to his wicket tally. How many blokes would have survived his over and thought 'few ive survived that'. they then relax a bit and schnick off to ryno, hazelwood, siddle or even watson with his militaries

This is a good point. I've opened the batting many times and despite playing in the lower grades you would still come up against a nippy one every now and then. My nemesis was Culpitt of United Districts. Man he used to hit me all the time...but it was mate Lombardi who used to get me out.

A blast from the past for mal...he might remember those blokes.

regards,

REB

mal's nemesis was Victor Trumper.

Starc needs to grow a pair and start rattling helmets, has some real potential but seems not to have real fire in his belly. He could be anything when he gets some mongrel in him

Jim05 wrote:Starc needs to grow a pair and start rattling helmets, has some real potential but seems not to have real fire in his belly. He could be anything when he gets some mongrel in him

reckon we saw that in the world cup. Looks like he is translating that into the red ball version too

bennymacca wrote:

Jim05 wrote:Starc needs to grow a pair and start rattling helmets, has some real potential but seems not to have real fire in his belly. He could be anything when he gets some mongrel in him

reckon we saw that in the world cup. Looks like he is translating that into the red ball version too

Yeah the signs are there he's definitely got more mongrel in him so hopefully he can take it into the Ashes

Australia has devasTAITing left arm fast bowlers , Mitchell Johnson, Lightning Mcqueen and Mitchell Starc
England might be unleashing a great white hope , their left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt, who might make his Test debut in 2015

FOOTITT FIRST CLASS BOWLING
230 wickets
26.16 average
44.83 strike rate
3.50 economy

Mark Footitt has an excellent strike rate of 44.83
50 is a decent strike rate , 44 is exceptional , that strike rate is very Lightning Mcqueenesque

mal wrote:Australia has devasTAITing left arm fast bowlers , Mitchell Johnson, Lightning Mcqueen and Mitchell Starc
England might be unleashing a great white hope , their left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt, who might make his Test debut in 2015

FOOTITT FIRST CLASS BOWLING
230 wickets
26.16 average
44.83 strike rate
3.50 economy

Mark Footitt has an excellent strike rate of 44.83
50 is a decent strike rate , 44 is exceptional , that strike rate is very Lightning Mcqueenesque

I've retired mate.

mal wrote:Australia has devasTAITing left arm fast bowlers , Mitchell Johnson, Lightning Mcqueen and Mitchell Starc
England might be unleashing a great white hope , their left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt, who might make his Test debut in 2015

FOOTITT FIRST CLASS BOWLING
230 wickets
26.16 average
44.83 strike rate
3.50 economy

Mark Footitt has an excellent strike rate of 44.83
50 is a decent strike rate , 44 is exceptional , that strike rate is very Lightning Mcqueenesque

Lighting was a very handy left arm quick in his day. The prick terrorized me as a young opening batsman.

mal wrote:Australia has devasTAITing left arm fast bowlers , Mitchell Johnson, Lightning Mcqueen and Mitchell Starc
England might be unleashing a great white hope , their left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt, who might make his Test debut in 2015

FOOTITT FIRST CLASS BOWLING
230 wickets
26.16 average
44.83 strike rate
3.50 economy

Mark Footitt has an excellent strike rate of 44.83
50 is a decent strike rate , 44 is exceptional , that strike rate is very Lightning Mcqueenesque

My Stats are better...... 161 @ 13.57 Strike 33.73 Econ 2.41

carey wrote:

mal wrote:Australia has devasTAITing left arm fast bowlers , Mitchell Johnson, Lightning Mcqueen and Mitchell Starc
England might be unleashing a great white hope , their left arm fast bowler Mark Footitt, who might make his Test debut in 2015

FOOTITT FIRST CLASS BOWLING
230 wickets
26.16 average
44.83 strike rate
3.50 economy

Mark Footitt has an excellent strike rate of 44.83
50 is a decent strike rate , 44 is exceptional , that strike rate is very Lightning Mcqueenesque

Lighting was a very handy left arm quick in his day. The prick terrorized me as a young opening batsman.

Terrorised me as a young team-mate. Although, his mates James Morris and Paul Cox probably had me more worried in the nets, at times

Australia started a tour match against Kent last night, at stumps Australia were 3 for 348.

Rogers 84
S. Marsh 114
Smith 71 not out
Clarke 56
Watson 8 not out

So a decent hit out for the top 4.

The rest of the team for this match is
M.Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Ahmed

still reckon the most interesting thing will be what our pace attack ends up looking like. Hazelwood got man of the series, and Starc is bowling super well too, so who do you drop for harris? Surely you cant drop Johnson, so i honestly dont know who they will go with.

bennymacca wrote:still reckon the most interesting thing will be what our pace attack ends up looking like. Hazelwood got man of the series, and Starc is bowling super well too, so who do you drop for harris? Surely you cant drop Johnson, so i honestly dont know who they will go with.

I'd go with Johnson, Harris and Hazlewood. Starc unlucky but I'm not quite convinced he's good enough at test match level just yet to knock one of them 3 out of the side. Although he will play at least one test IMO as they will rest Harris.

Siddle's chances of playing test cricket are becoming thinner.

Yeah I can easily see Harris only playing 3 tests.