Australian 1st innings: 7/494 from 127.4 overs
Michael Clarke 161*, David Warner 135, Steven Smith 84, Shane Watson 40
Yesterday evening Michael Clarke would have wanted to have had a bowl at the Proteas. Instead the rain came down with us just short of 500 runs and play was called off for the day. The result is that while we find ourselves in a fantastic position to win this Test, three days remain and with no great idea as to how the pitch will play from here it may be a tough ask to get 20 South African wickets, bearing in mind we may need to have a second bat, depending on their output. With some high quality bowling we may not need to.
The Proteas still have to bat so I will spare the analysis on how we can roll them. With the covers on, there may be a spongy dynamic to the wicket which, while flat, has had great carry to the keeper and variable bounce. With Dale Steyn out injured, Morne Morkel was able to showcase this area of life in the track. Unfortunately, for the Proteas, he doesn't strike me as an intelligent enough bowler to really unleash his true credentials when the track really suits him, as seen with his hostile performances but poor returns to show for it. For a player who has been at it a while now, it just feels Morkel has never lived up to his ultimate abilities as a tall, fast bowler. I am okay if we keep him at bay for much longer.
Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson will be eager to see how they go after assessing Morkel in particular, while Ryan Harris knows that knee operations isn't far away so he can go all out for this Test, and give us a special performance seeing that there is realistic risk that his playing future could be in doubt post-operations. Wish him all the best for the challenge that should come tomorrow. What a champ, Ryano!
Michael Clarke's innings was his defining one to back the "get ready for a broken f***in' arm" comment he made to James Anderson during the Ashes.
This innings showed us he is also a mentally tough player, who can take the physical blows to the body, the psychological battle to combat fear and pressure, while also believing in ones technique to still find your shots, watch the ball, and play hard to get the runs. Clarkey has 161 of these, topping his 2011 effort by 10 runs. It has been a gritty, true Test innings.
Starting the day in the 90s he was kept under pressure on 99 with some tight bowling from Kyle Abbott, but he found a way to make his way through the 21 deliveries he had to measure up against. From there, it was a fluent innings with lovely stroke play and some intensity stepped up to a level of urgency with the rain lurking about.
He was well supported by Steven Smith who continued to run between the wickets, smack the rubbish to the boundary, and just play another brilliant innings as he shapes himself as an Australian middle order batsman. He has come of age over the last 5 months and has been a joy to watch. He deserved a century but some low bounce found the bottom edge of his bat as he tried to cut Dean Elgar. It was a soft way to end a hard fought innings, a real anti-climax. Playing the number one team in the world, the dubbed best bowling attack in the world, Smithy has returned great batting figures to show the world he is a Test cricketer.
Shane Watson (who took a 5-fer at the ground in 2011) made his return and was under LBW pressure from the word "go", but he managed to get through a shaky start and then let his natural game flow in the number 6 position. He scored 40 runs with three sixes and, like Smith, deserved a milestone of sorts for a very positive innings showing intent and no doubt following team orders to get on with it and find a way to get the boundaries with the rain creeping over Table Mountain.
We lost a number of wickets passing the 400 run mark but we find ourselves 6 runs short of 500 runs, which would have been the ideal landmark to reach. However, I sense an overnight declaration. Time was lost with the rain, we have a strong grip on this match and need time to get into the batsmen. Our bowlers have had two days to stay fresh and relaxed and no doubt the game plans can be well strategised and executed with the game map well presented based on our innings.
Newland's always has an opportunity on offer for a really big team score. That is why I don't want to think too far ahead, but we've certainly done the job having won the toss and posted a big total on the scoreboard. Whether or not Clarke advances it, time will soon tell us but my gut feeling is he will look to bowl as soon as possible. I wonder how the moisture will work the Newland's track?
All in all, it's now about focusing on how to get those wickets while I personally find it exciting to see how/if this track will change character. I really don't have much more to add other than lets see how day 3 of the final Test between these two fine teams plays out.
Verdict: Having not had a bowl at the Proteas it was a lost opportunity to further drive a stake into their match claim, but with nearly 500 runs on the board and our team leader unbeaten on a monumental performance of 161 runs and the bowlers fresh and ready to go, it was our day. Up the Baggy Greens!
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Showing posts with label Steven Smith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steven Smith. Show all posts
02 March 2014
13 February 2014
South Africa versus Australia, 1st Test, day 2
Australian 1st innings: 397 all out
Shaun Marsh 148, Steven Smith 100Dale Steyn 4-78
South African 1st innings: 6/140 from 43.3 overs
AB de Villiers 52*
Mitchell Johnson 4-51
After our innings was brought to an end, there would have been a good sense of achievement for the Proteas after our day began at 4/297. Only 100 runs were added to our overnight score for the loss of our final 6 wickets. Their momentum was quickly crushed as the day progressed.
Despite the minimal addition of runs given the context of our innings, Steven Smith brought up his fourth Test century in his first Test match against South Africa. A remarkable achievement against such a good bowling attack, especially given the situation when he initially came to the crease.
His patience was notable, his straight bat shots really impressed me. It would seem he lost his concentration upon reaching the milestone, but judging by his annoyance as he walked off the Centurion turf, he knew it all too well and this is an area of improvement Smithy can address. Well done youngster!
Shaun Marsh would have had a great nights sleep after day 1, with a century in the bag and plenty of pressure easing off him, given the circumstances for his selection and what he was up against in the quick build up to this fixture. He departed for 148 runs, but left the middle with his highest Test score and one of monumental importance for us starting this series. Now for consistency to be sought after, a word that doesn't really fit into Shaun's rather all over the show career. I hope this series he finds it.
Despite the batting, our lower order were able to push things a fair bit, with Mitchell Johnson finding some early confidence against a team he loves to bat against. He scored 33 runs and having looked into some stats, I found it interesting to observe that Mitchell's most prolific series with the ball have usually started off with some confidence with the bat in hand. Judging by his bowling performance, it seems to have that logic behind the saying that cricket is predominantly a psychological game.
It didn't take Mitch long to give the South African audience an idea just how fast he is bowling and how confidently he is delivering right now. Watching him live at the Adelaide Oval during the Ashes, I was fascinated how much pace he drawing off a very sluggish drop in wicket. He was brutal then.
Centurion offers more for a bowler and his delivery to remove Faf du Plessis was just over 150 km/h. It was a thrill to watch and to hear Michael Holding declare that it was true fast bowling, frightening pace at that, was enough encouragement.
Things started off with Mitch getting the wicket of Graeme Smith with just his fourth delivery. A sharp bouncer that had Smith tangled. The ball smashed into his glove and Shaun Marsh took a beauty of a catch running back from his slip position to dive and grasp the catch. Smith gone, a hand nearly broken.
I was interested to see Smith's preparation before Mitch bowled too him. He took his time, getting down on his haunches and staring down the pitch. Definitely some fear in his mind - and I can't fault him for that. When Mitch was ready, Smith wasn't. He was greeted with a ball just back of a length that darted on him as he tried to glance it down leg side. It didn't take long for the pace to see the end of him. Big wicket!
With that confidence, Alviro Petersen was caught behind just flashing at one wide of his body, getting a clean edge to end his innings. The pace once again played a role, as it did so with the dismissal of Faf du Plessis who seemed to only spot the ball as it rocketed into his gloves. The catch to Michael Clarke was too simple, taken, and the ball hauled into the air as our Adelaide nemesis was gone.
With three wickets down, The Proteas two best batsmen found some ground. Hashim Amla is always the danger man in my eyes, with AB de Villiers able to play a lonesome role amidst chaos. That was definitely the case for AB. His only blunder was a short ball from Mitch which he mistimed and experienced the pain of the ball thumping into his right forearm. No doubt there will be a bruise when he wakes up. Hasn't taken Mitch long to bring about some bruises.
While AB went about his job in stylish composure, no one really offered him substantial support.
Hashim Amla was plumb LBW to Peter Siddle, with Aleem dar only rejecting the decision possibly due to the double sound of both pads being hit, and not bat/ pad as he likely initially thought. Well reviewed by Clarkey and we had the danger man, and Pedro was on the wicket taking list. He has a big role of importance this series come pressure bowling. He needs to be on the money to tie down the batsmen.
Mitchell's last wicket of the day was that of Ryan McClaren. He was the last victim of the day outdone by blistering pace. The gap between bat and pad was ridiculous and an indicator how fast that delivery was. He couldn't handle it and was on his way, off stump uprooted.
JP Duminy offered some support but took on Nathan Lyon, mishit the shot and Mighty Mitch took a screamer at mid off. He's taken some highly athletic catches in that position, as well as mid on. Elite fielding standards have been on display again, and as we saw against England, it can seriously be the difference between the winner and the loser. The Proteas have high standards, so don't dismiss high quality fielding this series.
Ryan Harris wasn't as effective as I thought he would be on this track, but with just four wickets to go, I believe he will be extremely important to try knock over the Proteas tail.
With AB still out there, we still have a lot of work to do, but with 4 wickets in our way before we bat again and a lead 257 runs in the bag with three days of play remaining, I hope to see our guys find the opportunities to get the job done swiftly and effectively.
Day 2 was brought to stumps due to rain, the last ball a short delivery at Robin Peterson. He would have been relieved to trot back to the Pavilion.
Verdict: Up the Baggy Greens! Day one and day two secured as ours. Still three of the Test remaining, but the boys have given themselves the best opportunity to stay on top of this Test. Well done Mitch!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
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Shaun Marsh 148, Steven Smith 100Dale Steyn 4-78
South African 1st innings: 6/140 from 43.3 overs
AB de Villiers 52*
Mitchell Johnson 4-51
After our innings was brought to an end, there would have been a good sense of achievement for the Proteas after our day began at 4/297. Only 100 runs were added to our overnight score for the loss of our final 6 wickets. Their momentum was quickly crushed as the day progressed.
Despite the minimal addition of runs given the context of our innings, Steven Smith brought up his fourth Test century in his first Test match against South Africa. A remarkable achievement against such a good bowling attack, especially given the situation when he initially came to the crease.
His patience was notable, his straight bat shots really impressed me. It would seem he lost his concentration upon reaching the milestone, but judging by his annoyance as he walked off the Centurion turf, he knew it all too well and this is an area of improvement Smithy can address. Well done youngster!
Shaun Marsh would have had a great nights sleep after day 1, with a century in the bag and plenty of pressure easing off him, given the circumstances for his selection and what he was up against in the quick build up to this fixture. He departed for 148 runs, but left the middle with his highest Test score and one of monumental importance for us starting this series. Now for consistency to be sought after, a word that doesn't really fit into Shaun's rather all over the show career. I hope this series he finds it.
Despite the batting, our lower order were able to push things a fair bit, with Mitchell Johnson finding some early confidence against a team he loves to bat against. He scored 33 runs and having looked into some stats, I found it interesting to observe that Mitchell's most prolific series with the ball have usually started off with some confidence with the bat in hand. Judging by his bowling performance, it seems to have that logic behind the saying that cricket is predominantly a psychological game.
It didn't take Mitch long to give the South African audience an idea just how fast he is bowling and how confidently he is delivering right now. Watching him live at the Adelaide Oval during the Ashes, I was fascinated how much pace he drawing off a very sluggish drop in wicket. He was brutal then.
Centurion offers more for a bowler and his delivery to remove Faf du Plessis was just over 150 km/h. It was a thrill to watch and to hear Michael Holding declare that it was true fast bowling, frightening pace at that, was enough encouragement.
Things started off with Mitch getting the wicket of Graeme Smith with just his fourth delivery. A sharp bouncer that had Smith tangled. The ball smashed into his glove and Shaun Marsh took a beauty of a catch running back from his slip position to dive and grasp the catch. Smith gone, a hand nearly broken.
I was interested to see Smith's preparation before Mitch bowled too him. He took his time, getting down on his haunches and staring down the pitch. Definitely some fear in his mind - and I can't fault him for that. When Mitch was ready, Smith wasn't. He was greeted with a ball just back of a length that darted on him as he tried to glance it down leg side. It didn't take long for the pace to see the end of him. Big wicket!
With that confidence, Alviro Petersen was caught behind just flashing at one wide of his body, getting a clean edge to end his innings. The pace once again played a role, as it did so with the dismissal of Faf du Plessis who seemed to only spot the ball as it rocketed into his gloves. The catch to Michael Clarke was too simple, taken, and the ball hauled into the air as our Adelaide nemesis was gone.
With three wickets down, The Proteas two best batsmen found some ground. Hashim Amla is always the danger man in my eyes, with AB de Villiers able to play a lonesome role amidst chaos. That was definitely the case for AB. His only blunder was a short ball from Mitch which he mistimed and experienced the pain of the ball thumping into his right forearm. No doubt there will be a bruise when he wakes up. Hasn't taken Mitch long to bring about some bruises.
While AB went about his job in stylish composure, no one really offered him substantial support.
Hashim Amla was plumb LBW to Peter Siddle, with Aleem dar only rejecting the decision possibly due to the double sound of both pads being hit, and not bat/ pad as he likely initially thought. Well reviewed by Clarkey and we had the danger man, and Pedro was on the wicket taking list. He has a big role of importance this series come pressure bowling. He needs to be on the money to tie down the batsmen.
Mitchell's last wicket of the day was that of Ryan McClaren. He was the last victim of the day outdone by blistering pace. The gap between bat and pad was ridiculous and an indicator how fast that delivery was. He couldn't handle it and was on his way, off stump uprooted.
JP Duminy offered some support but took on Nathan Lyon, mishit the shot and Mighty Mitch took a screamer at mid off. He's taken some highly athletic catches in that position, as well as mid on. Elite fielding standards have been on display again, and as we saw against England, it can seriously be the difference between the winner and the loser. The Proteas have high standards, so don't dismiss high quality fielding this series.
Ryan Harris wasn't as effective as I thought he would be on this track, but with just four wickets to go, I believe he will be extremely important to try knock over the Proteas tail.
With AB still out there, we still have a lot of work to do, but with 4 wickets in our way before we bat again and a lead 257 runs in the bag with three days of play remaining, I hope to see our guys find the opportunities to get the job done swiftly and effectively.
Day 2 was brought to stumps due to rain, the last ball a short delivery at Robin Peterson. He would have been relieved to trot back to the Pavilion.
Verdict: Up the Baggy Greens! Day one and day two secured as ours. Still three of the Test remaining, but the boys have given themselves the best opportunity to stay on top of this Test. Well done Mitch!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
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12 February 2014
South Africa versus Australia, 1st Test, day 1:
Australian 1st innings: 4/297 from 90.0 overs
Shaun Marsh 122*, Steven Smith 91*Dale Steyn 2-54
Toss: South Africa won the toss and Graeme Smith elected to bowl first.
When Shaun Marsh was dropped on 12 by Hashim Amla, diving to his left at gully, our selectors were probably the most relieved men in the cricket world. As he changed gears he showcased the class we all know he is capable of displaying, and repaid the faith from the selectors to score his second Test century, his first since his debut two and a half years ago in Sri Lanka.
Based on selection for Test cricket, Shaun hadn't ticked all the boxes, which I was skeptical about and it takes a bit for me to think otherwise of any player, especially one who has a Test century and bats with real class when in form.
However, even though a player needs luck, he now has 122 runs under his belt and stepped up immensely when we so badly needed it. At 2-24 when he came out, it could have been a collapse orchestrated for Brad Haddin to save. Instead we're 4/297.
The Proteas would have been on their toes to take all 10 wickets of ours on day 1, usually the objective when you decide to bowl first. Instead they only managed four, which just backed Michael Clarke's intentions to have had a bat either way.
Well done Shaun!
Prior to this game, he was cast out with a calf muscle injury having been named in the original squad. Shane Watson was then ruled out with injury, and following the Big Bash final (won by the Perth Scorchers who Marsh represents) he was recalled to the side. He arrived in South Africa on Sunday and, according to Steven Smith, may still very well be working through a last bit of jetlag. This little back story is a list of reasons as to why this century is so important to our team, but to Shaun as well.
Phillip Hughes will now feel the decision was well justified at present to go with Shaun. He seemed genuinely chuffed clapping on the sidelines as Shaun brought up his century.
Steven Smith came of age during the 3rd Test at the WACA against England, but this was another sign of the mans game maturing to an elite level. Reminding me a fair bit of Steve Waugh's career trends.
He has 91* and the way himself and Shaun handled the second new ball (from what I managed to see) was outstanding. They have a partnership of 199 runs with plenty of classy straight bat shots executed during this stand.
Smithy's running between the wickets was the highlight of the partnership for me. He pushed Shaun a fair bit but they worked hard and the energy in this respect was definitely noted. They were able to run hard and fatigue the South African fielders a fair bit as a result.
Alex Doolan (Baggy Green #437) made his debut and managed 27 runs before pulling late on a delivery off the bowling of Ryan McClaren. If you've followed a fair bit of Alex's First class career, you will know this is a trend for him. Strong starts that don't convert. Having written this, the nerves must have been intense for him and I feel he handled it very well. Only his first chance, so we'll see how he handles it second time around.
David Warner was aggressive and didn't take long to take a liking to Dale Steyn, who had a bit of a stomach issue. Davey's aggression was his downfall though as he chopped one on.
Chris Rogers, playing for the first time in South Africa (as well as visiting), never looked comfortable, especially against Vernon Philander's medium pacers. Morne Morkel removed him quickly. Hard to write this but Chris seemed to be a bit of a walking wicket out there. I know he will bounce back but it seemed as if the occasion got to him a bit.
Chris will probably find his stride soon enough. Takes a while to get going. He has the experience to know where to improve.
Graeme Smith seemed to make a tactical decision at the toss, a decision which seemed justified when he had us at 3-72, knowing their batting depth isn't as deep as ours and our first innings inconsistencies seen in the Ashes were there to be exploited by his pack of bowlers, but Marsh and Smith had other plans. Our batting is the perceived weakness and I feel Smith wanted to expose this through his bowlers.
Having also seen Robin Peterson and JP Duminy attempting to spin and get something from the track, there were a few moments where they actually found something there. Given Nathan Lyon is a far better bowler than either of them, I am eager to see if he can find something out there and tie down his end. I know the fast bowlers have had a lot of emphasis coming into this series, but I am eager to see how Gaz goes.
My final note of the day is how much I enjoyed Mitchell Johnson sitting with his feet up, just relaxing. The camera zoomed in on him, he realised it and he left the chair. He's been very quietly spoken this series, keeping to himself, which I really like. Mitch knows the game too well now, so it's all about action for him above words and reasoning.
Verdict: Day 1 goes to us, but there's still four days to go against an opponent who enjoys a good fight.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
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Shaun Marsh 122*, Steven Smith 91*Dale Steyn 2-54
Toss: South Africa won the toss and Graeme Smith elected to bowl first.
When Shaun Marsh was dropped on 12 by Hashim Amla, diving to his left at gully, our selectors were probably the most relieved men in the cricket world. As he changed gears he showcased the class we all know he is capable of displaying, and repaid the faith from the selectors to score his second Test century, his first since his debut two and a half years ago in Sri Lanka.
Based on selection for Test cricket, Shaun hadn't ticked all the boxes, which I was skeptical about and it takes a bit for me to think otherwise of any player, especially one who has a Test century and bats with real class when in form.
However, even though a player needs luck, he now has 122 runs under his belt and stepped up immensely when we so badly needed it. At 2-24 when he came out, it could have been a collapse orchestrated for Brad Haddin to save. Instead we're 4/297.
The Proteas would have been on their toes to take all 10 wickets of ours on day 1, usually the objective when you decide to bowl first. Instead they only managed four, which just backed Michael Clarke's intentions to have had a bat either way.
Well done Shaun!
Prior to this game, he was cast out with a calf muscle injury having been named in the original squad. Shane Watson was then ruled out with injury, and following the Big Bash final (won by the Perth Scorchers who Marsh represents) he was recalled to the side. He arrived in South Africa on Sunday and, according to Steven Smith, may still very well be working through a last bit of jetlag. This little back story is a list of reasons as to why this century is so important to our team, but to Shaun as well.
Phillip Hughes will now feel the decision was well justified at present to go with Shaun. He seemed genuinely chuffed clapping on the sidelines as Shaun brought up his century.
Steven Smith came of age during the 3rd Test at the WACA against England, but this was another sign of the mans game maturing to an elite level. Reminding me a fair bit of Steve Waugh's career trends.
He has 91* and the way himself and Shaun handled the second new ball (from what I managed to see) was outstanding. They have a partnership of 199 runs with plenty of classy straight bat shots executed during this stand.
Smithy's running between the wickets was the highlight of the partnership for me. He pushed Shaun a fair bit but they worked hard and the energy in this respect was definitely noted. They were able to run hard and fatigue the South African fielders a fair bit as a result.
Alex Doolan (Baggy Green #437) made his debut and managed 27 runs before pulling late on a delivery off the bowling of Ryan McClaren. If you've followed a fair bit of Alex's First class career, you will know this is a trend for him. Strong starts that don't convert. Having written this, the nerves must have been intense for him and I feel he handled it very well. Only his first chance, so we'll see how he handles it second time around.
David Warner was aggressive and didn't take long to take a liking to Dale Steyn, who had a bit of a stomach issue. Davey's aggression was his downfall though as he chopped one on.
Chris Rogers, playing for the first time in South Africa (as well as visiting), never looked comfortable, especially against Vernon Philander's medium pacers. Morne Morkel removed him quickly. Hard to write this but Chris seemed to be a bit of a walking wicket out there. I know he will bounce back but it seemed as if the occasion got to him a bit.
Chris will probably find his stride soon enough. Takes a while to get going. He has the experience to know where to improve.
Graeme Smith seemed to make a tactical decision at the toss, a decision which seemed justified when he had us at 3-72, knowing their batting depth isn't as deep as ours and our first innings inconsistencies seen in the Ashes were there to be exploited by his pack of bowlers, but Marsh and Smith had other plans. Our batting is the perceived weakness and I feel Smith wanted to expose this through his bowlers.
Having also seen Robin Peterson and JP Duminy attempting to spin and get something from the track, there were a few moments where they actually found something there. Given Nathan Lyon is a far better bowler than either of them, I am eager to see if he can find something out there and tie down his end. I know the fast bowlers have had a lot of emphasis coming into this series, but I am eager to see how Gaz goes.
My final note of the day is how much I enjoyed Mitchell Johnson sitting with his feet up, just relaxing. The camera zoomed in on him, he realised it and he left the chair. He's been very quietly spoken this series, keeping to himself, which I really like. Mitch knows the game too well now, so it's all about action for him above words and reasoning.
Verdict: Day 1 goes to us, but there's still four days to go against an opponent who enjoys a good fight.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
03 January 2014
The Ashes: 5th Test, day 1
The McGrath Foundation Pink Test.
England won the toss and elected to field first. They trail us by 318 runs with 9 wickets in tact.
Australia 1st innings: 326 all out from 76 overs
Steven Smith 115, Brad Haddin 75, Shane Watson 43
Ben Stoked 6-99
England 1st innings: 1/8 from 6.0 overs
Mitchell Johnson 1-3
Plays: The best pattern followed heading into this Test was an unchanged starting XI. That is real unity for you and uplifting to see some tired bodies just keep fighting for the team to be out there.
A pattern was identified this Ashes series and this slightly different pattern continues. This pattern, or trend, sees our top order struggle for runs in the 1st innings, with our middle order (notably Brad Haddin) bailing us out.
Our bowlers then stand up and deliver aggressive spurts of bowling to rattle England. Our batsmen then come in with a strong standing and manage to see our top order put big runs on the board - taking the pressure off the middle order. The lead ends up being relatively secure in place, or the game turns to our favour after this occurs.
As written in an article covering day 3 of the 4th Test, "Brad's fight to keep our 1st innings a float is a trend that has been apparent this series, a reason he is my Man of the Series right now, despite Mitchell Johnson's unreal performances.
However, as outstandingly pointed out by Brydon Coverdale (ESPN Cricinfo) if we look back to Newland's 2011, we didn't have the saving graces of Hads that day as we were rolled for 47. He can't do it all the time but thank our lucky Southern Cross he was able to bail us out again."
Thanking our lucky Southern Stars, Hads brought the goods to his home ground and entertained. So did Steven Smith though!
There has been a rumor surfacing that Hads will retire after this Test. Perhaps, it is a great time for him to bow out on an almighty high. We've won the Ashes, he's been sensational, and he can leave the game with little scrutiny from the media. However, with a tough tour to South Africa, he may be eager to help this team fight to number one. He may hang on, along with Ryan Harris and skipper Michael Clarke.
Before a quick look into the outstanding input from the two New South Wales representatives, David Warner brought up his 500th run for the series. He was hitting the ball crisply and confidently before Stuart Broad rattled his stumps. With one innings left in this Ashes series, he has a tally of 507 runs at 63.37.
Brad Haddin finds himself with a mighty fine collection of runs for a man coming in at number 7.
465 runs at 66.42 with 5 half-centuries and a century. This has come from just 6 innings and when you consider the manner and pressure with which he's earned this return it's not only outstanding but also very inspiring. On top of this his wicket keeping has been world class and he's been the real difference between the sides. He just stands out as my Player of the Series right now. We may not have the urn if it weren't for his rescue missions. He deserved a century today but fell 25 runs short with a soft dismissal.
Steven Smith was able to carry on though. After the WACA innings, I wrote that was Smithy's coming of age, the defining innings of his career. He delivered today with his second century of this Ashes campaign, and don't forget his maiden century in England at The Oval.
Today at the SCG though it was 115 runs, invaluable runs. He moves to 320 runs for the series and, as a result, he went ahead of Kevin Pietersen which means the top six run scorers this series have been our Australian boys. Domination!
The freedom which he played with is what really struck me today, especially after Hads departed.
We were 5/97 and somehow these two guys were able to put us into a mighty strong position by stumps with fearless cricket - a brand of cricket we lost until the return of Darren Lehman. Both played their aggressive strokes, Hads preffering the leg side, while Smithy put away some glorious cover drives with a tighter technique than his slightly "floppy" technique of the past. This was just a sign of confidence and self-belief. Just terrific, boys.
Smithy's century came with a six on 93, followed by another to go beyond 100. An example of good footwork and a thriving challenge against spin bowlers, which we got to see glimpses of in India. Nearly a year later we see the progress. Just after, instead of ducking into his shell he took full advantage of a full toss and dispatched it for six with a powerful pull stroke. A century for Steven Smith when the team needed it, as he did so at the WACA with Brad Haddin.
Ryan Harris played a good knock to score 22 runs, which helped Smithy keep our fight going. Ryano got some big shots of his own in there.
Earlier in the day though Shane Watson made another start but got out before the lunch break. Concentration? Who knows but the frustration of Watson continues, a man with immense talent but just unable to keep in the game when the opportunity of definition presents. The likelihood of him bringing some big runs in the 2nd innings is high.
George Bailey will feel not pressure but probably a bit of sadness with his own performances, not the teams of course.
He knew this was an opportunity to hang onto making his debut at a later stage of his career. It was through limited overs cricket he earned it (why many said he was lucky), but he hasn't been able to deliver enough for the team with the blade in hand. This shouldn't take away the fact he has been a member of a winning team and played a role for us in the field. Just sad he wasn't able to give much more earlier on. It's okay, he still has another innings to try and enjoy and just live for moment. Keep going Georgey!
With our last wicket falling, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris kept the English openers on their toes and we got the breakthrough. Great tactics implemented from Michael Clarke, but Mitch bowled to the plan and it came off with Nathan Lyon taking a wonderful catch at leg slip. The crowd went mad!
Mark Taylor nearly lost his mind in the commentary box when the catch was snatched, waxing lyrical about Nathan Lyon summer.
That wicket of Michael Carberry gives Mitch 32 wickets for the series. Unreal stuff, but very real he could break some more records.
He needs just 3 wickets to claim the most wickets for an Australian fast bowler in a 5-match Ashes series.
He needs 6 wickets to break the record for the most wickets by an Australian bowler in any 5 match Test series. Record was set in 1910-11. Back our left-arm fast bowling bringer of destruction tomorrow.
Verdict: At 5/97 is wasn't looking like our opening day but going over 300 runs and an English wicket in the bag, it would have to be our day given their struggles this tour. Oddly enough I didn't worry, which I something I do a fair bit of, despite the optimism you read right here at the Baggy Green Supporters Blog.
It's been a remarkable turnaround for our boys looking back 10 months ago.
5-0 is now a very possible outcome after the performances from Hads and Smithy. However, as written here many, many times, cricket is a game that presents many sudden and dramatic twists and turns. Given England's confidence, or lack thereof (throw in three debutants) if we have a cracking opening session tomorrow (any by Mitchell's watch) it will be bloody hard for them to comeback at all. That is quite obvious, as is the possibility of the trend to emerge which, if it does, will be the end of England to see us go 5-0 up.
Still plenty of cricket to soak up. Come on Australia!
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England won the toss and elected to field first. They trail us by 318 runs with 9 wickets in tact.
Australia 1st innings: 326 all out from 76 overs
Steven Smith 115, Brad Haddin 75, Shane Watson 43
Ben Stoked 6-99
England 1st innings: 1/8 from 6.0 overs
Mitchell Johnson 1-3
Plays: The best pattern followed heading into this Test was an unchanged starting XI. That is real unity for you and uplifting to see some tired bodies just keep fighting for the team to be out there.
A pattern was identified this Ashes series and this slightly different pattern continues. This pattern, or trend, sees our top order struggle for runs in the 1st innings, with our middle order (notably Brad Haddin) bailing us out.
Our bowlers then stand up and deliver aggressive spurts of bowling to rattle England. Our batsmen then come in with a strong standing and manage to see our top order put big runs on the board - taking the pressure off the middle order. The lead ends up being relatively secure in place, or the game turns to our favour after this occurs.
As written in an article covering day 3 of the 4th Test, "Brad's fight to keep our 1st innings a float is a trend that has been apparent this series, a reason he is my Man of the Series right now, despite Mitchell Johnson's unreal performances.
However, as outstandingly pointed out by Brydon Coverdale (ESPN Cricinfo) if we look back to Newland's 2011, we didn't have the saving graces of Hads that day as we were rolled for 47. He can't do it all the time but thank our lucky Southern Cross he was able to bail us out again."
Thanking our lucky Southern Stars, Hads brought the goods to his home ground and entertained. So did Steven Smith though!
There has been a rumor surfacing that Hads will retire after this Test. Perhaps, it is a great time for him to bow out on an almighty high. We've won the Ashes, he's been sensational, and he can leave the game with little scrutiny from the media. However, with a tough tour to South Africa, he may be eager to help this team fight to number one. He may hang on, along with Ryan Harris and skipper Michael Clarke.
Before a quick look into the outstanding input from the two New South Wales representatives, David Warner brought up his 500th run for the series. He was hitting the ball crisply and confidently before Stuart Broad rattled his stumps. With one innings left in this Ashes series, he has a tally of 507 runs at 63.37.
Brad Haddin finds himself with a mighty fine collection of runs for a man coming in at number 7.
465 runs at 66.42 with 5 half-centuries and a century. This has come from just 6 innings and when you consider the manner and pressure with which he's earned this return it's not only outstanding but also very inspiring. On top of this his wicket keeping has been world class and he's been the real difference between the sides. He just stands out as my Player of the Series right now. We may not have the urn if it weren't for his rescue missions. He deserved a century today but fell 25 runs short with a soft dismissal.
Steven Smith was able to carry on though. After the WACA innings, I wrote that was Smithy's coming of age, the defining innings of his career. He delivered today with his second century of this Ashes campaign, and don't forget his maiden century in England at The Oval.
Today at the SCG though it was 115 runs, invaluable runs. He moves to 320 runs for the series and, as a result, he went ahead of Kevin Pietersen which means the top six run scorers this series have been our Australian boys. Domination!
The freedom which he played with is what really struck me today, especially after Hads departed.
We were 5/97 and somehow these two guys were able to put us into a mighty strong position by stumps with fearless cricket - a brand of cricket we lost until the return of Darren Lehman. Both played their aggressive strokes, Hads preffering the leg side, while Smithy put away some glorious cover drives with a tighter technique than his slightly "floppy" technique of the past. This was just a sign of confidence and self-belief. Just terrific, boys.
Smithy's century came with a six on 93, followed by another to go beyond 100. An example of good footwork and a thriving challenge against spin bowlers, which we got to see glimpses of in India. Nearly a year later we see the progress. Just after, instead of ducking into his shell he took full advantage of a full toss and dispatched it for six with a powerful pull stroke. A century for Steven Smith when the team needed it, as he did so at the WACA with Brad Haddin.
Ryan Harris played a good knock to score 22 runs, which helped Smithy keep our fight going. Ryano got some big shots of his own in there.
Earlier in the day though Shane Watson made another start but got out before the lunch break. Concentration? Who knows but the frustration of Watson continues, a man with immense talent but just unable to keep in the game when the opportunity of definition presents. The likelihood of him bringing some big runs in the 2nd innings is high.
George Bailey will feel not pressure but probably a bit of sadness with his own performances, not the teams of course.
He knew this was an opportunity to hang onto making his debut at a later stage of his career. It was through limited overs cricket he earned it (why many said he was lucky), but he hasn't been able to deliver enough for the team with the blade in hand. This shouldn't take away the fact he has been a member of a winning team and played a role for us in the field. Just sad he wasn't able to give much more earlier on. It's okay, he still has another innings to try and enjoy and just live for moment. Keep going Georgey!
With our last wicket falling, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris kept the English openers on their toes and we got the breakthrough. Great tactics implemented from Michael Clarke, but Mitch bowled to the plan and it came off with Nathan Lyon taking a wonderful catch at leg slip. The crowd went mad!
Mark Taylor nearly lost his mind in the commentary box when the catch was snatched, waxing lyrical about Nathan Lyon summer.
That wicket of Michael Carberry gives Mitch 32 wickets for the series. Unreal stuff, but very real he could break some more records.
He needs just 3 wickets to claim the most wickets for an Australian fast bowler in a 5-match Ashes series.
He needs 6 wickets to break the record for the most wickets by an Australian bowler in any 5 match Test series. Record was set in 1910-11. Back our left-arm fast bowling bringer of destruction tomorrow.
Verdict: At 5/97 is wasn't looking like our opening day but going over 300 runs and an English wicket in the bag, it would have to be our day given their struggles this tour. Oddly enough I didn't worry, which I something I do a fair bit of, despite the optimism you read right here at the Baggy Green Supporters Blog.
It's been a remarkable turnaround for our boys looking back 10 months ago.
5-0 is now a very possible outcome after the performances from Hads and Smithy. However, as written here many, many times, cricket is a game that presents many sudden and dramatic twists and turns. Given England's confidence, or lack thereof (throw in three debutants) if we have a cracking opening session tomorrow (any by Mitchell's watch) it will be bloody hard for them to comeback at all. That is quite obvious, as is the possibility of the trend to emerge which, if it does, will be the end of England to see us go 5-0 up.
Still plenty of cricket to soak up. Come on Australia!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
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18 December 2013
The Baggy Green team that regained the urn
I wrote many times that we would win the Ashes. I noted that if our batting clicked into place we would win as it would give our bowlers consistent opportunities to defend totals of competitive substance, rather than defend totals in desperate attempts to stay in the game. Consistency was a key, as was self-belief, balancing experience and upcoming players. Fortunately, this time around it occurred and it proved the theory, finally. However, having stated this I will also be honest that I did go into this Ashes series with few expectations, reserving this execution of a winning recipe to be handled by our team day by day. No expectations creates a better platform for a team with a new coach reigniting the concept of pride and fun for the players and supporters. I kept this in mind and now in hindsight I am glad I took this approach with my writing in the build up to this series.
Here is my article looking at the team that has led us to an Ashes victory in 2013. More discussion via the Facebook page.
I had zero objections with this side heading into the Ashes. I wanted an unchanged unit because, as the word "unit" intends, unity comes from consistent selection policies. This was followed and as a result this team is the most united Australian team in many years. Even before we took that final wicket to bring the urn back (although not officially form Lord's) there was a strong sense of unity amongst the team. It's so uplifting.
Mitchell Johnson (23 wickets at 15.47, BBI 7-40, BBM 9-103/ 147 runs at 49.00, HS 64) has been praised for his performances. It seems as if he is the only man in this team though. I think this is both unfair and hypocritical on the media's behalf. Mitch has been treated like trash from the media in particular in the past. The way it's being portrayed by them (the media) one would think his efforts, while absolutely remarkable and rare to witness (Brisbane & Adelaide), were the only occurrence of excellence this Ashes series.
I am so proud of Mitch. I cannot emphasise this enough. There is no shame on my part that a few years back I wrote an article that the gap between his best (match winning) and worst was too great for the harsh nature of Test cricket. He is a confidence player and in a team environment with constant change and high expectation on him to show up like the star player, game in game out, was unfair and harsh upon his character. It was not enough to develop him. Limited overs cricket was a much better platform for him to rebuild his confidence for two reasons.
Firstly, it is a form of the game that is not as harsh a reality as Test cricket, allowing shorter bursts and erratic bowling spells to still produce erratic results. This came to light during Mitchell's IPL stints then his tour to India a few months ago.
Secondly, it would give him chance to still be a member of the Australian Cricket team and also allow him time to balance limited overs duty with State duty to rebuild his confidence across a variety of formats and realign both his focus and objectives. This was to return as a Test cricketer with performances to back his return and of course win an Ashes series to put away all that criticism and degrading he had to endure.
The time away from the game at the elite level was the best thing for him and now we see Mitchell Johnson, confident, refreshed, focused, settled, but most importantly backed by both a united team and bowling attack. The leadership is strong and Mitch is thriving. The environment is better able to accommodate his bowling nature. The results say it all. Welcome back mighty Mitch!
Despite this return, Mitch was backed by a consistent bowling unit consisting of Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon. Their input made Mitchell's performances possible and they all played a massive role in the result that sees us 3-0 up. That is why I find it unfair to put it all on Mitch, which also creates unfair expectation on him - a reason that led to his initial fall from great (media) heights. Time for people to get some perspective on what is a team sport and what was a bloody special team effort it has been!
Ryan Harris (12 wickets at 23.58/ 76 runs at 38.00, HS 55*) suffers through grueling body aches and the fear he could break down at any point. He still continues to take his catches, dive in the field, save boundaries, train hard, and above all do his primary job which is to charge in and bowl a ball around 140 - 145 km/h with swing. He hasn't been red hot but he's contributed, notably removing Alastair Cook for a golden duck at the WACA in England's 2nd innings. Cook was coming off a well fought half-century in the 1st innings and Ryano ensured the most beautiful delivery ended his contribution for the Test. It was massive.
Peter Siddle (11 wickets at 22.09) gets criticised, at times justifiably, for his lack of variation. Where he makes up for the tricks of the trade, is a burning ambition to succeed and unrivaled passion to play for the Baggy Greens.
When a track is dead, he finds something out of nothing on many decks and is able to bowl a line that probes and attacks a batsman whether they decide to defend or attack. He keeps coming at you and in times when the opportunities look slim he can pull out enough energy to pick the troops back up.
There is evidence that in times when desperately needed he hasn't been able to put in significant performances, but for Siddle to succeed you need bowlers around him with good pace, natural variation and a strong understanding of their duties. This is why he may appear the leader of the pack with a younger bowling unit, but they lack the experience and understanding Mitchell and Ryano have. With these factors he can play with greater significance. A few years back the combination with Ryano and Ben Hilfenhaus against India further proved this theory of mine.
He is a work horse and teams need those men. We have Siddle and this man was able to work over Kevin Pietersen - England's danger man - to the point where we have contained KP and the English critics want him gone. He has also rattled Matt Prior and these bunnies essentially add to the psychological demolition of the opposition. Personal battles but successful to come back to the concept of synergy. Sids is a big player and it's hard to not select him on this basis.
Nathan Lyon (10 wickets at 31.40) was only ever going to succeed through consistent selection. The more he bowls the better he gets, the more pitches he plays on, the more it forces him to look at his abilities (or enhance them). He initiated the collapse of England's batsmen yesterday and as a result we won the Ashes quicker than anticipated heading into the lunch break. It was a passage of play that may have defined him, just as Steve Smith's century in the 1st innings was a coming of age, the innings that has ultimately become his career defining moment.
Nathan took a 5fer on debut. He has struggled too, don't get me wrong. Many felt he didn't deliver when needed, but he has always been the right man for the job and until you've played as a spinner in multiple conditions against the best of the best, along with a winning team, it is a bloody tough initiation. He has come out on top and John Inverarity and his panel deserve the respect for this. We lacked consistency from the awful Hilditch regime and we have had this with the one position we were lost on. The spin bowler.
To add to Nathan's success as a spinner, a solid wicket keeper is needed. Enter Brad Haddin (15 catches, 325 runs at 65.00, HS 118, x1 century & x3 fifties from 5 innings) who, like Mitchell, was facing a high hill to return.
Matt Wade deserved his opportunities for us, I have no doubt about it. He had ticked all the boxes to make the Australian side and entered the mix at a time when Brad was going through a horrible time off the field which brought his game into a state of demise. His standards were low and it was not his time. Every player has a period of pain and this was his - sadly with personal matters as well which he fought through strongly for his family. That was the ultimate victory for Brad. Forget cricket.
Yet, when Matt Wade started to show chinks in his armor and Tim Paine still on the mend after his finger injury, Brad reawakened and raised the benchmark higher than his standards have been in years. The result was a keeper/batsman of an elite standards. Forget Adam Gilchrist, what you have seen here is a performance that most teams would give anything for from their keeper. Brad has delivered and he saw the opportunity for a return and made it count big time.
His keeping to Nathan Lyon's bowling was brilliant, with a technique Ian Healy waxed lyrical about from the outset. This has aided Nathan's output immensely and for this Hads must be added to the reward we have seen from our spinner. It is also a reason why Hads is, at present, my stand out player of the series.
His batting has been Michael Hussey like. He has stepped up when the team was in desperate need of a big innings and he's crushed England's winning edge, which in previous years would have not materialised. He's executed rescue missions and shown belief in our lower order.
A century at the Adelaide Oval, a near miss in Brisbane, performances in every other innings and then his partnership with Steven Smith in the 1st innings of the WACA Test. It all points to invaluable input with the bat from our keeper. England have not had this and it's been another huge difference between the teams.
Brad Haddin has been sensational and enhanced other players performances. Synergy once again.
Our batting has been hit and miss at times (a few small collapses requiring some remedy) but consistent in the fact that every single batsman, including newbie George Bailey, has stepped up as opposed to just Michael Clarke, which has been the case for too long.
David Warner (457 runs at 91.40, x2 centuries, HS 124) has become the top order destroyer we have missed since Matthew Hayden. He will have his blue patches but his cockiness has been most appreciated and his self-belief nothing but extraordinary when consider what this man went through off the field in recent months. It's been a personal relationship off the field that has helped him through this dark passage in his career and now look. It's a great sporting story.
He's been brutal with the bat and has now bagged two centuries, along with some high class fielding standards - another major difference between the two sides. Catches win matches but they also separate teams in terms of standards. Mike Young is back in the mix and his impact has been noticed.
Chris Rogers (156 runs at 26.00, 4 catches) hasn't scored a century but I don't care. I called for his selection in 2009, as I did now in 2013 before the English Ashes series. We needed to stick with him and once again the selectors have done so. He is the ideal partner for David Warner at the crease. He has experience, a well grounded game, and is able to quite likely put the right advice and encouragement into David Warner's mind in the battle zone.
I said I had few expectations heading into this series but right now I do have expectations of Chris to deliver big time in the final two Tests. I see a place for him in this team while Phillip Hughes continues to dominate the State field, and young batsmen like Nic Maddinson, Joe Burns, and Jordan Silk fine tune their craft for a while longer.
Chris, like Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin, realised that this was his final chance to quite likely be a member of a winning Ashes series. Ryano and Hads have endured one too many and now they have it. This was evident in the emotion Ryano displayed during the post-match celebration as his voice cracked and he held back the tears of relief. A raw moment in this harsh but great game.
Michael Clarke (331 runs at 55.16, x2 centuries), well, not much to write on this front as I have blurted it all before. He is our best batsman, recently winning the 2013 ICC Cricketer and Test Player of the Year awards.
He has executed his tactics well, rotated his bowlers on song, and he's used his referrals far better than the previous series with the DRS. Up until the match was won, Clarkey was the only player to have experienced a winning Ashes series. Now he is the leader of a winning Ashes campaign and he can be mighty proud of that coming in his 100th Test match.
Steven Smith (186 runs at 37.20, HS 111, 5 catches) had his coming of age with his century in the 3rd Test. He turned his public profile around in England, improving his reputation as a middle order batsman, specialist fielder and part-time spin bowler, as opposed to the variety of tags given to him upon his early Test appearances which did him more damage than good. He was all over the place as to what role he should play but once again, thanks to the selection panel and some brilliant performances from Steven for New South Wales, his position has been clarified.
He put in the performances at State level, which followed an Ashes campaign where we saw his drastic turnaround in his indentity as an Australian cricketer. It is still a very long road ahead for him and time is well on his side to become a solid Australian batsman. Below is what I had to write regarding his century of 111 runs.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
Then there is George Bailey (136 runs at 34.00, HS 53, 6 catches). Put into the team on the basis of limited overs form in India where he lead the side and dominated with the bat. It was a strange selection basis given his first class stats didn't quite stack up but he does have experience, and a good characteristic is he always has a smile on his face, loves his cricket and tries his best.
He took his catches for us, tried to play aggressive cricket - the brand the team is publicly promoting - and even found himself smashing James Anderson around the WACA to level with Brian Lara's most runs scored off an over in Test cricket - 28 runs.
Then finally there's Shane Watson (200 runs at 33.33, x1 100, x1 50, HS 103, 3 wickets) who found himself under fire for once again making starts and not converting or finding ways to gift away his wicket. Fortunately for Watto's confidence he was delivering maiden overs for us (35% of his overs have been maidens with an economy rate of 2.73) and has found ways to build pressure from his end just taking pace of the ball to keep the batsmen in no mans land, while also scrapping 3 wickets.
His batting came out with the desired result. A century with some big powerful shots. Although we were well ahead of England we still needed something else on the back of David Warner's ton, an innings that would crush England's presence on the field. Watto's innings did so and it was a spectacle to behold.
Shane Watson does have a poor conversion rate, he's never lived up to the potential that he definitely possesses and he knows it. Unfortunately, he has endured injury issues since his teenage years which has affected him but, as Brett Lee did so, he has found ways to reinvent himself and come back time and time again. That takes serious mental toughness. He finally has experienced winning as Ashes series and delivered when the team needed him too. Some may say one occasion too few, but I also say better late than never on the cricket field.
Watto is also one of the most respectful players come the supporters. Always taking time to talk to them, greet them, listen to them and play his role off the field with those who show up to back the team. This has always made me wish him all the success possible for our team. He's shown up in the Ashes and that is what has counted most.
After all I have written above, essential the differences between the sides is easily noticed in short:
- we had a bowling unit with more pace,
- we had a strike bowler high on confidence,
- a bowling unit with enough variation (well mentored by Craig McDermott),
- a wicket keeper showcasing elite standards who helped enhance our spin bowlers output
- our top order found centurions (7 versus England's 1 - Ben Stokes)
- we held our catches and had unbelievable intensity in the field versus England
- and of course this aggressive brand of cricket was backed by home support on home turf.
We still have two Tests to play, followed by a series against South Africa, in South Africa. This means that even though this is a special feeling to have regained the urn and one to embrace, there is a hell of a lot of hard work ahead for the players and the supporters and we shouldn't get too far ahead. This game can change very quickly.
They (the team) need our support to continue through the highs and the lows. They know the battle goes on and that for now the focus is 5-0 and a continual push for consistency as come the series against South Africa, we may have the urn but they have the number one Test ranking, something we dearly want. More about this come the eve of that series, but for now it is just wonderful to see my team united and playing positive cricket.
When one man has a tough day, another man is fighting his hardest to have a beauty of a day. And best of all is that man who has the tough day is getting the support from his team mates and the coach, Darren Lehman. We, as the supporters, need to back them all and let's just hope that concept of unity continues to grow. It's great to have the winning edge again, embrace it and enjoy it.
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14 December 2013
The Ashes, 3rd Test, day 2
The Ashes, 3rd Test, day 2, Perth
Australia won the toss and elected to bat and lead by 205 runs.
AUS 1st innings: 385 all out from 103.3 overs.
Steven Smith 111*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39.
Stuart Broad 3-100, James Anderson 2-60ENG 1st innings: 4/180 after 68.0 overs
Alastair Cook 72, Michael Carberry 43
Ryan Harris 1-26
Verdict: Despite England's reasonably quick fire effort this morning to see us add just 59 runs for the loss of our final four wickets, they went from an aggressive approach with their top order to a complete turnaround in approach. They went into a defensive mode which our bowlers orchestrated perfectly with solid discipline and first class fielding, once again.
With England losing the big wickets of skipper Alastair Cook (in his 100th Test like Clarke) and Kevin Pietersen (for the 10th time to Peter Siddle), the day has probably edged in our favour, as has the Test. We also followed a good over rate, unlike England.
Play: We had some luck for the day. The first involving the dismissal of Michael Carberry, who edged an attempted leave against the bowling of Ryan Harris onto his stumps. It was a case of poor judgement from a batsman who has looked one of the best for the English thus far in the series, as Ryano came from around the stumps to the left handed batsman.
Ryano's discipline and constant probing outside of off proved to be a key strategy in our execution today. He didn't get enough reward for his efforts, in my opinion. I hope to see him really show up tomorrow as I did tip him a vital player in this Test with all the focus heavily on Mitchell Johnson. All the bowlers are working together superbly.
The second incident of possible "luck" was a more controversial moment, seeing Joe Root make use of the DRS after being given out by Marais Erasmus off the bowling of Shane Watson. Our boys went up for the appeal as a caught behind, which Root immediately reviewed. Below is my view on the matter as posted to the Baggy Green Blog Facebook page. I don't feel like repeating it all.
OPINION: Just got home in time to see Joe Roots dismissal.
A part of me had a laugh as it is payback for the shockers we had to endure in England (Khawaja, Rogers), but essentially there is a logical reason as to why Root was given out and it's only fair to give a reasonable outlook on the matter.
1) Marais Erasmus gave him out. Umpires decision initially.
2) Hotspot is not the only means on inspecting an edge. Snicko is there too and indicated a faint edge with the bat away from the bat. Given the faint edge, hot spot could not have picked up enough friction between leather and willow, plus snicko thrown in could go against Root with that tool to search for evidence of an edge.
3) Finally, take Erasmus giving it out and the snicko edge, it gives the umpire reason to say, "on your way son".
Had Erasmus given it not out, then it would have been in Root's favour, possibly. The third umpire has his in ear mic to hear the sound and they called it out.
Following Roots dismissal, Kevin Pietersen looked like a walking wicket, despite a camouflaged attempt at an unusual, seriously defensive approach. His natural instinct could not be contained and he eventually, after 59 deliveries to score just 19 runs, attempted to play a front foot pull shot (or a lunge of sorts) against the bowling of a possessed-like Peter Siddle.
The ball sailed high, as he mishit and misjudged the shot, and Mitchell Johnson took one hell of a beauty of a catch at mid-on. It was just a spectacular piece of fielding, with a fine technique coming down from quite a height to grab the ball as it was seeming destined to fly beyond his reach. It was a huge moment as Peter Siddle had his bunny for the 10th time, now level with his 10 dismissals of Matt Prior - England's wicket keeper.
His antics and sheer madness to get KP's wicket was a crazy scene and both my energy and victory rage went to the next level with that moment. Siddle at his best!
Alastair Cook flashed a delivery wide of off stump against the bowling of Nathan Lyon and somewhat wrecked what had been an innings full of fight. He managed 72 runs before falling victim to a diving effort from David Warner at backward point. A little dance took place, while Cook would have wrestled with himself in his mind at his downfall.
Ian Bell and Ben Stokes continued this defensive mode with a few risks here and there, but they survived to stumps and will see a massive task come their way tomorrow. Our bowlers will be refreshed. I just hope more people show up at the WACA after a pretty bleak attendance for day two, on a Saturday at that as well.
Earlier in the day Steven Smith, who scored a possible career defining century on day 1, was dismissed for 111, with Mitchell Johnson falling on his overnight score of 39. There was some resistance from our tail, consisting of Peter Siddle (21), Ryan Harris (12), and Nathan Lyon (17*) as they added 47 runs to just make sure England didn't leave the field with too much of a hop in their stride.
We still have a lead of 205 runs, with 6 English wickets to make our own, three days play remaining with good, hot weather ahead.
I am quite content with the way we wrapped up the day. Tomorrow's first session is a big one to keep an eye on, and I am confident with our boys refreshed and a clear game plan laid out, we can roll England. Discipline needs to resume and our fielding standards, if unchanged, will set some high intensity.
Roll in the big guns tomorrow, we got an urn to try and win back here. And we are in a bloody good position to go for it. Come on Australia!
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Australia won the toss and elected to bat and lead by 205 runs.
AUS 1st innings: 385 all out from 103.3 overs.
Steven Smith 111*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39.
Stuart Broad 3-100, James Anderson 2-60ENG 1st innings: 4/180 after 68.0 overs
Alastair Cook 72, Michael Carberry 43
Ryan Harris 1-26
Verdict: Despite England's reasonably quick fire effort this morning to see us add just 59 runs for the loss of our final four wickets, they went from an aggressive approach with their top order to a complete turnaround in approach. They went into a defensive mode which our bowlers orchestrated perfectly with solid discipline and first class fielding, once again.
With England losing the big wickets of skipper Alastair Cook (in his 100th Test like Clarke) and Kevin Pietersen (for the 10th time to Peter Siddle), the day has probably edged in our favour, as has the Test. We also followed a good over rate, unlike England.
Play: We had some luck for the day. The first involving the dismissal of Michael Carberry, who edged an attempted leave against the bowling of Ryan Harris onto his stumps. It was a case of poor judgement from a batsman who has looked one of the best for the English thus far in the series, as Ryano came from around the stumps to the left handed batsman.
Ryano's discipline and constant probing outside of off proved to be a key strategy in our execution today. He didn't get enough reward for his efforts, in my opinion. I hope to see him really show up tomorrow as I did tip him a vital player in this Test with all the focus heavily on Mitchell Johnson. All the bowlers are working together superbly.
The second incident of possible "luck" was a more controversial moment, seeing Joe Root make use of the DRS after being given out by Marais Erasmus off the bowling of Shane Watson. Our boys went up for the appeal as a caught behind, which Root immediately reviewed. Below is my view on the matter as posted to the Baggy Green Blog Facebook page. I don't feel like repeating it all.
OPINION: Just got home in time to see Joe Roots dismissal.
A part of me had a laugh as it is payback for the shockers we had to endure in England (Khawaja, Rogers), but essentially there is a logical reason as to why Root was given out and it's only fair to give a reasonable outlook on the matter.
1) Marais Erasmus gave him out. Umpires decision initially.
2) Hotspot is not the only means on inspecting an edge. Snicko is there too and indicated a faint edge with the bat away from the bat. Given the faint edge, hot spot could not have picked up enough friction between leather and willow, plus snicko thrown in could go against Root with that tool to search for evidence of an edge.
3) Finally, take Erasmus giving it out and the snicko edge, it gives the umpire reason to say, "on your way son".
Had Erasmus given it not out, then it would have been in Root's favour, possibly. The third umpire has his in ear mic to hear the sound and they called it out.
Following Roots dismissal, Kevin Pietersen looked like a walking wicket, despite a camouflaged attempt at an unusual, seriously defensive approach. His natural instinct could not be contained and he eventually, after 59 deliveries to score just 19 runs, attempted to play a front foot pull shot (or a lunge of sorts) against the bowling of a possessed-like Peter Siddle.
The ball sailed high, as he mishit and misjudged the shot, and Mitchell Johnson took one hell of a beauty of a catch at mid-on. It was just a spectacular piece of fielding, with a fine technique coming down from quite a height to grab the ball as it was seeming destined to fly beyond his reach. It was a huge moment as Peter Siddle had his bunny for the 10th time, now level with his 10 dismissals of Matt Prior - England's wicket keeper.
His antics and sheer madness to get KP's wicket was a crazy scene and both my energy and victory rage went to the next level with that moment. Siddle at his best!
Alastair Cook flashed a delivery wide of off stump against the bowling of Nathan Lyon and somewhat wrecked what had been an innings full of fight. He managed 72 runs before falling victim to a diving effort from David Warner at backward point. A little dance took place, while Cook would have wrestled with himself in his mind at his downfall.
Ian Bell and Ben Stokes continued this defensive mode with a few risks here and there, but they survived to stumps and will see a massive task come their way tomorrow. Our bowlers will be refreshed. I just hope more people show up at the WACA after a pretty bleak attendance for day two, on a Saturday at that as well.
Earlier in the day Steven Smith, who scored a possible career defining century on day 1, was dismissed for 111, with Mitchell Johnson falling on his overnight score of 39. There was some resistance from our tail, consisting of Peter Siddle (21), Ryan Harris (12), and Nathan Lyon (17*) as they added 47 runs to just make sure England didn't leave the field with too much of a hop in their stride.
We still have a lead of 205 runs, with 6 English wickets to make our own, three days play remaining with good, hot weather ahead.
I am quite content with the way we wrapped up the day. Tomorrow's first session is a big one to keep an eye on, and I am confident with our boys refreshed and a clear game plan laid out, we can roll England. Discipline needs to resume and our fielding standards, if unchanged, will set some high intensity.
Roll in the big guns tomorrow, we got an urn to try and win back here. And we are in a bloody good position to go for it. Come on Australia!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
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13 December 2013
The Ashes: 3rd Test, day 1
The Ashes, 3rd Test, day 1, Perth
Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
AUS 1st innings: 6/326 from 87 overs.
Steven Smith 103*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39*.
Graeme Swann 2-71
Verdict: I had a work function to attend this evening and fortunately there was TV showing the game, so I was able to watch Steven Smith lead one hell of a solid fightback as he brought up a century, which will define his career and ultimately his coming of age.
It was hard to contain myself as not only was it a defining moment in his career, but it gave us the momentum coming to the close of play and essentially the day was taken from England on the back of Stevo's Test century, and the invaluable support offered by both Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. Partnerships!
Play: Firstly congrats to Michael Clarke on reaching his 100th Test for Australia. Despite the outstanding achievement, this Test is about trying to win it to secure the urn and go 3-0 up. He only managed 24 runs in the first innings, but his middle order men stepped up and may have delivered something massive in the context of this game, which just happens to be his 100th Test.
We were in a bit of trouble after gifting away some of our wickets (Chris Rogers being run-out, a waste of a solid batsman in Test cricket) and then to lose Shane Watson (dashing at one he could have left by WACA standards), Michael Clarke for 24 (attacking Swann) and then David Warner (60) - who managed to bag another half-century continuing his good run as a Test batsman - was just tragic.
The score was 4-129 after Warner departed and George Bailey didn't last too long but Brad Haddin and Smithy had plans of a rescue mission, quite possibly an epic one depending how the rest of the play pans out.
The two put on a 124 run-partnership and Brad Haddin has continued his sublime run this Ashes series as "the go to guy". He's delivered and has looked so unbelievably eager this Ashes series. He's scored 320 runs at 80.00 with three half-centuries and his Adelaide century of 118. He wants to experience a victory and he's doing his utmost best to help! Proud of him and to top it off his shot selection and execution was mesmerising to watch. Always written that I view him as one of the best stroke makers in the business. It was on show again today.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
We managed to put ourselves on top for the day with that stand between Smith and Haddin, and then mighty Mitchell Johnson coming on out to deliver something with the bat in hand. Mitch has 39*. Confidence is everything.
The fact we got to 300 after that slightly worrying position was massive, but 400 is definitely on the cards.
England will feel they let it slip a bit today, just another dent to the self belief one would hope from an Aussie perspective.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
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Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
AUS 1st innings: 6/326 from 87 overs.
Steven Smith 103*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39*.
Graeme Swann 2-71
Verdict: I had a work function to attend this evening and fortunately there was TV showing the game, so I was able to watch Steven Smith lead one hell of a solid fightback as he brought up a century, which will define his career and ultimately his coming of age.
It was hard to contain myself as not only was it a defining moment in his career, but it gave us the momentum coming to the close of play and essentially the day was taken from England on the back of Stevo's Test century, and the invaluable support offered by both Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. Partnerships!
Play: Firstly congrats to Michael Clarke on reaching his 100th Test for Australia. Despite the outstanding achievement, this Test is about trying to win it to secure the urn and go 3-0 up. He only managed 24 runs in the first innings, but his middle order men stepped up and may have delivered something massive in the context of this game, which just happens to be his 100th Test.
We were in a bit of trouble after gifting away some of our wickets (Chris Rogers being run-out, a waste of a solid batsman in Test cricket) and then to lose Shane Watson (dashing at one he could have left by WACA standards), Michael Clarke for 24 (attacking Swann) and then David Warner (60) - who managed to bag another half-century continuing his good run as a Test batsman - was just tragic.
The score was 4-129 after Warner departed and George Bailey didn't last too long but Brad Haddin and Smithy had plans of a rescue mission, quite possibly an epic one depending how the rest of the play pans out.
The two put on a 124 run-partnership and Brad Haddin has continued his sublime run this Ashes series as "the go to guy". He's delivered and has looked so unbelievably eager this Ashes series. He's scored 320 runs at 80.00 with three half-centuries and his Adelaide century of 118. He wants to experience a victory and he's doing his utmost best to help! Proud of him and to top it off his shot selection and execution was mesmerising to watch. Always written that I view him as one of the best stroke makers in the business. It was on show again today.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
We managed to put ourselves on top for the day with that stand between Smith and Haddin, and then mighty Mitchell Johnson coming on out to deliver something with the bat in hand. Mitch has 39*. Confidence is everything.
The fact we got to 300 after that slightly worrying position was massive, but 400 is definitely on the cards.
England will feel they let it slip a bit today, just another dent to the self belief one would hope from an Aussie perspective.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
12 November 2013
The Ashes: Australian 1st Test squad announced
The 1st Test to be played at the Gabba is just 9 days away and I cannot wait for the battle to commence. The hype here hasn't been too immense and perhaps the low key approach - given we have lost the last three battles - may be the exact approach to just get on with the job.
In any case, below is the side that will head up to Brisbane to try go 1-0 up in this series as we aim to get back the urn and hope that life will once again make sense for Australian supporters.
This series has similarities to 2006/07 as a number of these players have experienced the pain in losing the Ashes - too many for some - while also accepting the fact they will unlikely be around come the next series. These players include; Chris Rogers, Michael Clarke, Ryan Harris, and possibly Shane Watson depending how long he fights injury off. Many of the greats of the Golden Era were shrugging off the 2005 loss and knew there time was running out. That desperation may play in our favour.
The side was pretty much to be expected, however there were two inclusions I am sure not everyone anticipated.
Chris "Stalwart" Rogers
David "Pitbull" Warner
Shane "Watto" Watson
Michael "Clarkey" Clarke
George "Blazing" Bailey
"Young" Steven Smith
Brad "Hads" Haddin
Mitchell "Mighty Mitch" Johnson
James "JF" Faulkner
Peter "Sid Vicious" Siddle
Ryan "Ryano" Harris
Nathan "Gaz" Lyon
Chris Rogers and David Warner will open at the top of the order. Shane Watson is not expected to face the new ball with Rogers, despite the two of them finding some sort of connection I had not sensed in Watson since his time opening with Simon Katich, but number three is likely his place after his 176 at The Oval.
Rogers has already put together one century for Victoria against New South Wales (117) and before this he just missed out, scoring 88. He's ready to have another go, this time in his home territory! I am also defensive regarding his age. This is Test cricket people. It's not about age, it's about bringing the skills, stamina, and a solid defensive game to the arena with a personal game plan. He has this so stop nagging about age. That stupidity brought the end of Simon Katich.
David Warner found some fine form for New South Wales, as he did so too in the Ryobi Cup. His approach is simple. Go big or go home. It will be no half measures. This will be Warner's most prolific series or his most forgettable. I am backing our strong left hander to give it to the Poms far more effectively than a swift upper cut.
Shane Watson could, in a way, count himself fortunate to be in our side. James Faulkner has been the only all-rounder with deadly intent to find his way into our side - which he has. However, Watson remains a guy who struggles to go on and fulfill his true potential so many of us see, but his moments during the final stages of this years Ashes series showcased he is perhaps ironing some technical dilemmas just in time for this massive series. His batting is essential for him to remain in our campaign as injury may rule out his very effective bowling duties - a big loss for us if he cannot perform all-rounder duties.
Michael Clarke hasn't kicked off his summer for New South Wales in big style, but he's been putting runs on the board, his body has been holding up, and he's just gearing up for what may very well be his final Ashes series for The Baggy Greens. A victory - in my opinion - may very well see him calling it a day if he experiences further back issues. He's worked bloody hard to stay in the zone.
Steven Smith has just stepped up in a way we've all been eagerly awaiting. As mentioned many times, I was hard on the youngster and I will never back down from my opinion he was put in the team too soon with an unclear role which ultimately destroyed the belief many supporters were expected to develop for him. However, with the right mindset, time, opportunities to rebuild his skill set and choose his own path in the game, we have a talented middle order batsman who has also been holding it together for New South Wales in pressure situations. This bloke is ready for it. It will be tough for him, but this is now Steven Smith's time.
George Bailey is not too old, he's just a happy-go-lucky guy who has stepped up when representing Australia. In India he was explosive and even with the high scoring run fests which saw us lose the series, he smiled away and went about his business in record breaking style. His selection was speculated but not a given. This has led to a Test debut and a fresh Baggy Green cap awaiting him.
This alone is a sign that he steps up at the elite level when the expectation on him is at a high price. Furthermore he is an experienced campaigner, while not statistically a recognised Baggy Green candidate, he has a wonderful attitude that we need. He's in Australia, he'll have our support, and this is his moment, his chance and he must own it!
Brad Haddin is also in his final Ashes series as realistically he will not be able to keep Tim Paine, Matthew Wade and Chris Hartley out for much longer. The keeper quality is steadily on the rise again and two of these keepers have played at Test level for Australia with relative success. Hads will be under pressure, but perhaps with the knowledge this is his last crack at the Poms he will play with a cool head, high standards, and help our team regain the urn.
Mitchell Johnson is, like Bailey, a selection not many saw as a definite but it was speculated. With James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc and Patty Cummins out of the mix it was a call that needed to be made. Do we bring in an experienced campaigner who can keep it stable, like Ben Hilfenhaus, or do we substitute these youngsters with an experienced spearhead? Mitchell Johnson is the answer and even though I have always felt Test cricket exposes his inconsistencies and is far harsher on his natural game, he has performed for us before and is a brutal, terrifying bowler to face on his day. He's been in good rhythm as of late, but let's all shout loudly for Mitch as we hope those inconsistencies will be shoved aside and that this will be his golden summer.
Ryan Harris, well, not much needs to be said. He has the skills, the drive, the focus, but injury will be the worry. This is also his last Ashes series most likely, so he will also be looking to bow out victoriously and taste an Ashes victory. He's our best bowler and I seriously hope he owns the English batsmen. I want to see shattered wickets!
Peter Siddle has been fairly modest in his takings for Victoria but he'll rise to the occasion. This is his third Ashes series and even though he will probably be around for the next series, three will be too many for Sids and I think this will be the most ferocious we have ever seen him this summer. Alongside Ryano and Mitch I think we will see a very aggressive bowling line up, physically and mentally.
Nathan Lyon remains our spinner of choice. No doubt Gaz is facing competition from a number of guys, but he improves with each series he plays in and must now step up and believe he is the spinner of choice. He must just believe in his skills. With the right captaincy from Clarkey and the understanding from the supporters that spinners role in Australian cricket has changed since the Warnie days he may have a fantastic output for us.
Just 9 days to go to see how it starts to play out!
Next article will be some photos of the soon to be completed Adelaide Oval. I will be heading to the ground tomorrow to watch the historic opening match on the new pitch and surface between South Australia and Western Australia.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
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