dee-luded

Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight. he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.

IMO his problem is exactly as he's complained of, lack on continuity with test cricket. His batting was just brilliant a couple of years ago & from that was started being talked up as a future captain. His frame, IMO, is too tight/musclebound to bowl long stints without physical stress. and he gets injured.

Watto could be back as opener? Ed Cowan's position in the Australian Test team is on shaky ground after the selectors revealed they'll consider moving Shane Watson back to opener. Injury-prone vice-captain Watson has given up his allrounder status, declaring he wants to be considered as a batsman only. Watson was only moved down from the top of the order to help manage his workload, but now he won't bowl there's nothing stopping him from slotting back into his best position at opener against India next month and England in July. Australian coach Mickey Arthur acknowledged that was a genuine possibility while also revealing in the aftermath of the series win over Sri Lanka that Brad Haddin would definitely go on the Ashes tour as a back-up wicketkeeper. "If he (Watson) is not bowling it's worth the consideration," said Arthur. "It will certainly be worth the chat. "I still maintain that I felt No.4 was a really good fit but that was (with) Shane Watson bowling some overs as well. "Watto wants to come back as a batsman. He feels every time he bats and then gets injured bowling, he loses a bit of momentum with his batting. "Maybe he does (open again), maybe he doesn't, but it's probably too early to even discuss it." Despite a century to begin the summer against South Africa in Brisbane, Cowan is now on thin ice, averaging just 32.81 from 13 Tests. The Tasmanian looked out of sorts in his two innings against Sri Lanka in Sydney and has missed too many opportunities to cash in on good pitches. On the other hand, Watson averages 43.67 as an opener, far better than he fares elsewhere in the order. http://news.theage.c...0107-2ccm4.html

Keep the bowlers fresh & uninjured. Pups goin' well.

No it wasn't one day Inter, I saw the Perth test. It was I thought a NSW bowler.. I thought the performance was lacklustre. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/hi/english/static/cricket/statistics/scorecards/2012/11/87822/html/scorecard.stm I think it was Hastings. #edit incorrect phrasing gave the wrong impression.

No, I think it was Harris I saw in Perth. he didn't look much but that was the first time I've seen him. he looked 1 dimensional without much penetration. I'd expect fire & brimstone from a bowler like that. Siddle has that position. Cummins Pattinson & Starc have height & bounce. Cummins can't get onto the field. Johnson also gets bounce. He's got to get his Rhythm going.

LoL.... who bro? I wish I was still in touch with my old kiwi mates. seeennnsational.

Yes, but the worst thing to do is to reduce our bowling pool. If we keep all bowlers in to the pool of potentials, we keep a healthier & more respectful pool. this is the culture to keep healthy, that if someone gets ahead of themselves, they will be replaced. experience is a must keep, as long as its the healthy variety. Not like the MFC senior experience on the past 10 yrs, excepting Jnr. once the culture has gone rotten, & the carts driving from the front, there's a lot of work to undo it.

Hmmn,,,, if you had heard the commentators last week when they were talking about starc dropping, especially 'Benauld',,, they were alluding to the fact there was more to it than rotations. they were trying to be as obvious as they could without blatantly saying it. hilfy go figer, sorry,,, again the commentators suggested his defensive bowling in the short form of the game has caused him to lower his arm action. he has fixed it before,,, to only lose the high action again in the short form. don't right him off....

evidence, what are you talking about? my quote was (IMO)... I have heard him speak to the media many times & contradict the selectors etc. He is just trying to become a test player. he needs to stay back away from the cameras & learn the trade. I wasn't talking about your ashes radar rhino. I was stating my impressions. & to not rightoff the Hilf. Hilfenhaus's action has got too low & roundarm according to the commentators. due to the 20/20 games. I wonder if he was sent back specifically to remedy that with a possible view to the ashes.

I agree rhino, that he's a must for the future, but looking after his attitude is part of the development of his cricket representing Australia. His dropping for Melbourne IMO was as much about his 'mouth' than anything else. Hilfy is on the edge imo, but his swing & seam could be handy in England. time will tell. experience & maturity is also important.

Starc, that throw at the keepers wicket that went for 4. He looks very immature & ahead of himself in attitude. not sure I would take him to England.

I didn't see much of it. But I was listening over my shoulder. when I did stop to have a look, I thought the bowling was pedestrian, impotent, & it looked like they were trying to hard, & because of that, I think they were all over the place without rhythm or good form. totally unmenacing. got better in the afternoon but well short of our best, IMO. Not enough bouncers mixed in with good line & length. we need more Venom. even Siddle seemed on best behaviour.

I thought our bowling today was very poor by all concerned. Bird however slotted into his rhythm earlier then the others, but that is birds go. Starc & Johnson I thought really over-tried, & only served to not find their rhythm or menacing aggression.

totally understand, & I've always pushed for Siddle to be an automatic selection as bowlers with heart & grit are required & necessary. Johnson is a real handful, but he's not got the EGO/self belief to be put on the frontline pedestal. Not initially at least. It's become too late to move him back to the 3rd bowler in a test series when he's already lost his mojo. You have to start him in that position from the start of the series with his mojo recovered from the previous season. He now looks to be growing emotionally with age & domestic circumstances. This may also help. He may grow into a frontliner but I doubt it. * 3rd seamer, yes Siddle, but today Siddle is more like the 2nd... with Bird more the 3rd because he's green.... enter Johnson as I suggested as an allrounder, & this helps with the teams stability & cohesion. Maybe not a permanent thing, & maybe it'll work. I'd like to see Watson come back & just bat. # some people understand some things but fail to understand other things that differ to their ways & cultures. Others may understand whats considered more difficult, yet may struggle understanding the simple.

I don't agree. not an enigma, thats just a term conventional people use when they throw they're hands up over someone who they've given up on. they don't understand them & so they don't understand how to get the best from them. I don't think Johnson has the Black & white self belief to be a huge Ego like Warne or a Botham. but very talented. inconsistent of course. To me that Is why he has failed as THE Australian strike bowler. because,,,,, well at least he wasn't in the past; a type to be the immediate frontline bowler, shyness give it whatever type description you wish, lack of total self belief undermines the talent one has. He is a 3rd bowler, or alrounder. help take the pressure off these types & watch them go.

Did Johnson miss his targeted spots in Tasmania & in Perth tests? He seemed to be very effective, but I admit to not watching it as closely as did years ago. In fact I listen with my back to the TV whilst on the computer. Ponting, maybe we should have retired him 12 months ago to reshape the team, in hindsight. Timing, when rebuilding for a targeted test series has its problems. 12 - 18 months ago I wanted Ponting to retire with Hussey this year. Maybe that would have been a better transition? Or one or the other first.

Never a good time, but they may have juggled the lineup to bolster the middle order, or maybe Ponting would have held off for 8 months. Sorry to see Hussey go so suddenly. So what bats have we got, Clarke, Warner, Watson, & plenty out of form. other than Johnson? Who's out there ready to come into the test cricket middle order?

Geez, I wish he told the selectors at the start of our summer campaign. This is bad for our ashes tilt. It may have made different decisions. all of a sudden we are bare in the batting experience dept.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-paceman-mitchell-johnson-back-to-his-brutal-best/story-e6frey50-1226544749653

Like kicking, I think hitting the spot is the same as poor kicking or good kicking. apart from technique, it mostly confidence. We know Johnson has Had issues with this, compounded by the fact they wanted him to be a The Strike bowler, & IMO he choked in that role. But that doesn't mean he can't flourish as a 3rd seamer. those without the world beater attitudes of Lillee or Warne, can suffer in the heat of the expectation spotlight. see Stuart McGill Top 20 Bowling Performances > http://www.cricket.com.au/stats

I see Siddle as our fist seamer picked, as a 2nd or 3rd seam menacing bowler, with great ticker. Pattinson & Cummins in an Ideal world would be our 2, first strike bowlers. Then theres Johnson, Bird, Starc, Hilfenhaus. And IMO, Johnson can also be included as a quick Lefty swing/seamer alrounder. We'll need 'Seamers' over in the 'Old Dart'. Pattinson, Siddle, Bird, Johnson,,, Hilfenhaus?? are they getting Hilf' to fix his action for the Ashes? I don't keep tabs on the stats in cricket. How does Johnson go bowling on soft English tracks of the past??? They're weather is warming, & seemingly getting wetter, so are the wickets firming up?

Knee, dicky, heart, I can't wait til he gets a dose of vinearrhea.

Well written RL, spoken like a moderator!