Tag Archives: Ashes

The Ashes: First Test Player Ratings

November 26, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

Australia dominated England in the First Test match completed at the Gabba on Sunday. Here are my ratings of the performances of the players from the Australian side:

David Warner: 9 out of 10

This was the performance Australia cricket fans, particularly those who have doubted Warner’s position in the team, have been waiting for.  His first innings 49 had the feel of “same old same old” about when a bad shot induced his down fall after he had scored quickly.  His second innings hundred was akin to watching him mature in front of our eyes.  His hundred was nothing short of excellent: he did not attack as a means of defence as has previously been his method.  Frankly though his performance has been sullied by his comment in the media but this rating is not a rating of that.

Chris Rogers: 4.5 out of 10

It was far from Rogers best game.  He never looked comfortable on the bouncing Gabba surface and succumbed, frankly, to two ordinary shots.  Will return to conditions more to his liking for the second test.

Shane Watson: 4.5 out of 10

It was also far from Watson’s best game.  After doing the hard yards in the first innings, and looking very good, he sparred at the widest ball he received and was caught in the slips.  Pumped up in the second innings after an excellent pull shot he had a brain melt and skied one to mid on.  Must stop being so impetuous if he is to be a long term option at number 3.

Michael Clarke: 9 out of 10

After his first innings score was probably the most under pressure bloke in Brisbane.  He did not put a step wrong thereafter: his captaincy was brilliant and his batting in the second innings took the game away from the English when Australia was in trouble.  The plans he has developed with the coach and his willingness to go for the metaphorical throat of the English played a significant part in Australia’s dominant win.

Steve Smith: 5 out of 10

Another player who was looking solid in the first innings before playing a bad shot.  A duck in the second innings came after a long partnership when a lengthy spell in the middle from him was required.  Was a livewire in the field and his catching was of the highest standard.

George Bailey: 5 out of 10

On debut looked very nervous in the first innings before getting a good ball from Jimmy Anderson.  In the second innings, when the pressure was off really, he looked more assured and kept Australia’s run rate up as they chased a lead in advance of a declaration.  Missed a run out of Cook late on day 3 which could have played a big part in England pushing for a draw (if they were able to do so).

Brad Haddin: 9.5 out of 10

Australia’s best player for mine.  Was called on to rebuild Australia’s first innings and was easily Australia’s most comfortable batsman on the first day Gabba wicket.  Through away a hundred in the first innings chasing quick runs and got fast runs again in the second innings as the declaration approached.  Haddin was excellent with the gloves this game to boot.  His best game for Australia for some time.

Mitchell Johnson: 9 out of 10

In his first game back in the baggy green in 14 months Johnson’s work with the willow accompanied by his bowling saw him tapped on the shoulder by the Channel 9 commentators for man of the match honours.  He bowled with pace and hostility and set the Englishmen on the back foot right from his first over.  In the middle session of day 2 he lifted his fellow players and the crowd with one of the swiftest spells witnessed at the Gabba in recent times.  A “Michelle” in the second innings was a just reward.  Now he needs to replicate it.

Peter Siddle: 6.5 out of 10

Relegated to Australia’s 3rd choice seamer, Siddle did a workmanlike job without setting the world on fire.  His ball to dismiss Bell in the second innings was an absolute “jaffa” but that aside all that could be said about Siddle’s work was that he did the job his captain asked of him.

Ryan Harris: 7.5 out of 10

Much has been made of Johnson’s bowling but Australia’s best bowler, Harris, bowled an unbelievably good first spell against the English to remove Cook and Pietersen.  He looked like taking wickets every time he took the ball and had his status as Australia’s best bowler confirmed by the obvious relief in the body language of the English when he was spelled.

Nathan Lyon: 8 out of 10

Was this performance enough for the selectors to take the foot of Lyon’s throat and give him time in the team? If it was not then he will never convince them of his bona fides.  His first spell contributed as much to the downfall of Carberry as Johnson’s bowling and he took big wickets in both innings.

 

The Ashes: First Test Recap

November 24, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 3 Comments

Australia has just wrapped up a massive first test victory at the Gabba in a final (fourth) day that had it all: wickets, rain and angst between the players. This was a result that no one expected: as Australian fans we hoped for it, indeed the religious among us prayed for it, but we never expected it would happend. This was not just a win: this was a destruction of an opponent who had rejoiced in holding the upper hand. England did not win a session of the game from the final session of day one until the close of play today.

For Australia, much credit must go to the captain and coach: every plan they put in place worked and players who had been under pressure, real or imagined in the press, like Warner, Johnson and Lyon all played a massive part in what was the most quintessential of team victories.

For England, there is a real sense from having watched this game closely that under pressure they unravelled. I mentioned the infighting seen yesterday and again and again we have seen in this test match wickets of English batters fall to injudicious shot selection to balls they did not need to play or did not need to play in the air. This is a team that bested Australia 3-0 only months ago and yet today, and the last 3 days, they have looked out matched and out of sorts.

Absent injuries (or some Howard / Invers inspired stupidity) the Australian team will be the same for the Adelaide test match as it was for this one and rightly so. The English have some obvious question marks in their team at the moment: Jonathan Trott is out of form and out of sorts, Graeme Swann has lost his edge and was out bowled by Nathan Lyon in this game and the third fast bowler position is a massive worry for them. That last issue is one likely to see a change but the others will stay the same.

It has been mentioned to me by many this week that Australia looked united and came into this game with an intent to make a statement. The outmuscled and out manned a much more fancied line up and with that they won over a subdued crowd that became a roaring mass on Friday afternoon. I have been a monumental critic of Cricket Australia in advance of this series and that criticism remains but boy did the team get the job done on the field.

Aside from today’s crowd which was disappointing to say the least the crowd numbers for the first three days were outstanding and those numbers were without the phalanx of Barmy Army members who will arrive for the Adelaide test match. The Gabba Test as the first test of the summer is a tradition worth keeping, not only because Australia is unbeatable there, but because traditions continue to matter whether Cricket Australia believes so or not.

Next up for the English is a trial game in Alice Springs: personally I hope that the weather is around 40 degrees for the whole time the game is underway. The Australian’s will enjoy a day off tomorrow and then start planning for Adelaide. One thing is certain: we have only seen four days out of a, now, potential 24 days of cricket in this series so there is a long way to go before the Urn is returned to Australian hands. So for now, lets bask in this win, but from tomorrow lets, players, fans and pundits, all get back to the task of winning back the biggest prize in cricket: now is not a time for complacency and ego but a time to keep the eyes of the main prize.

Bring on Adelaide!

The Ashes: First Test Day Four Preview

November 24, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

If you had have told me at the start of this test that by Day 4 of this first test Australia would be in an impregnable position and the knifes would already be out for the English in their press and on social media I would have told you to go and have a long hard think about it. The fact is that no one expected either the Australians to play so well or England to allow them to play do well with their lack of form.

The equation is simple now: England has to bat for 2 days (noting that there is some inclement weather on the horizon) whilst Australia needs to take 8 wickets.

For England much rests on the shoulders of the men at the crease, Cook and Pietersen, and Bell who present as the only batters left for England who can bat for two days. The question will be whether, mentally, the batters who will be at the other end of Cook have the patience to stay with him.

For Australia today is all about executing on the plans they have for each batter just like they did on day 2. Complacency and cockiness are not traits that one associates with Darren Lehmann teams but this is a young team in some respects so there is a danger of some in the team (Warner I am looking at you) getting too far ahead of themselves. The pundits and selectors continue to have a question mark over N Lyon, bizarrely in my view, and today presents another opportunity for him to bowl Australia to victory.

Having had a bone rattling storm last night in Brisbane, players fans and pundits alike will have one eye on the radar today to track incoming inclemency which one expects is the only thing that can save the English.

It will be another fascinating day of cricket at the Gabba!

The Ashes: First Test, Day Three Talking Points

November 23, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

It was another brilliant day of cricket at the Gabba today, particularly if you are a fan of the men in the baggy green. Australia have, since the final session of day 1, won every session of this test match and today was another clean sweep. With two days to go, there can only be one result in this game save that the rain bucketing down on my roof may still play a role on the ultimate outcome.

Having watched, again, every minute of day 3 live (but for 15 minutes after lunch) here are my talking points arising from the day:

The English are rattled: and it is showing!

A funny thing happened midway through this day of cricket: the Poms started barking at each other. First it was Prior at the Captain. Then it was Swann at Prior (after an errant throw). Then it was Broad at Prior (after he did not move quickly to intercept a 4). From a unit united only 36 hours before hand all of a sudden the wheels were falling off. Things did not improve after Australia declared: J Trott’s display with the willow was indicative of a muddled outlook and a rattled psyche.

D Warner: I salute you!

I have been a staunch critic of the selection of David Warner and that was before he tried to deck Joe Root and all of the other off field palaver that he went through this year. I was concerned about his temperament and about his technique standing up to the rigours of test match cricket. Today he proved me wrong. His innings today was one of both sound temperament and technique: it was almost like we were watching Warner mature on the spot. No longer was he wafting at balls outside off stump, no longer was he, from I was sitting, picking fights with the opposition. His driving was sublime, his defence solid and he set a solid, if not spectacular tempo. It might have been his 4th hundred but this one will be remembered as the one that won the diehards.

Cook v Clarke: stop the fight now!

I commented earlier in this test match that Michael Clarke has had an excellent tactical match. I will go further now, having seen Captain Cook seek to marshall his troops today, and say that Michael Clarke has metaphorically played Alastair Cook off the break in this game. Cook, again, today seemed bereft of ideas and was simply reactionary. I lost count of the number of times a ball was struck in the air to a particular part of the field that was unmanned only to see a fielder move there the very next ball. There seemed today to be no plans in the English arsenal to get the Australian batters out, other than the idiotic plan to milk the strike to Michael Clarke upon his arrival.

Absent a day of batting of Laxman / Dravid proportions from Cook and Pietersen tomorrow, I would not be blocking out my diary on Monday to watch to Day 5: Australia should finish of the English on Day 4 and post its most important victory of the Michael Clarke era.

The Ashes: First Test Day Three Preview

November 23, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

After yesterday’s unbelievable scenes at the Gabba, Australian fans have woken to realize that yesterday did actually happen and it was not a dream. The sky’s are overcast in Brisbane and the forecast is for shower which present as an opportunity for the English to push for a draw.

Today is a big day for:

Alastair Cook

Michael Clarke has captained his side brilliantly so far, almost in spite of his bad back, whereas Cook seemed to let the game meander away from the English both on day 1 when Australia was 6/135 and even yesterday when he turned to Swann and Root in the shadows of stumps. The captain must find a way to extract 10 Australian wickets today for no more than 150 runs today to have a chance and can only do so with all out attack backed by quality plans.

Graeme Swann

While Nathan Lyon played a strangling role whilst Mitchell Johnson ran amok, Graeme Swann has thus far looked bereft of answers to the Australian’s attacking him. Wicketless to date and leaking runs like a sieve but now bowling on a wearing wicket today is the day that Swann must either return to his wicket taking ways or at least hold up an end whilst the Anderson and Broad attack.

David Warner

I have been one of the most negative about Warner’s place in the team and his need to score runs in first class cricket. I have also stated that Australia needs a long innings from him spread out over a day but not at a run a ball so that he can show his mettle under tough conditions. Today is the day for Warner: the conditions will be difficult today with much humidity in the air. If he is still in at tea he will be 150 and Australia will be in the box seat. Most importantly for Warner he will have gone a long way to gain the respect of those who historically have not rated him.

Brisbane fans

Thursday and Friday saw crowds at headquarters of 34,000 and 33,000. Today’s crowd needs to replicate those numbers to keep the naysayers, who posit that Brisbane did not deserve to keep the first test next year because of waning crowd numbers, quiet.

Day 3 is moving day in golf parlance but today at the Gabba it could either be the day England rest back the advantage from Australia or Australia makes its knockout blow. Either way it will be another fascinating day of cricket. Play commences at 10am.

The Ashes: First Test, Day Two Talking Points

November 22, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 4 Comments

What an amazing day of cricket at the Gabba! I have seen a lot of cricket in my time but today’s will be hard to top. Of course I say this as an Australian fan: if you are a fan of the English team it was a day to forget.

Australia are well and truly on top in this game now with a lead of over 200 runs and 10 wickets still in hand. For that position of health, the Australians must thank their bowlers profusely who have dominated the game so far.

Here are my talking points arising from day two:

The Maligned Rises Part 2: Johnson the dominant

Mitchell Johnson broke the game open with a scintillating spell of express bowling from the city end of the ground that left the English bereft and the crowd roaring. The dismissal of Carberry was the starting point to England’s collapse and was brilliantly thought out and executed. Johnson has gone a long way to prove a lot of doubters this game and for that he is to be lauded.

The Maligned Rises Part 3: Lyon Hearted

Many Australian fans have a soft spot for Nathan Lyon and his performances to date in the baggy green have been solid if not spectacular. His first spell today was a marvel of off spin bowling. 3 strangling maidens that contributed to Carberry’s wicket was the start of the spell and then he conjured two classic off spinning wickets to extract Bell and Prior.

The Brain’s Trust: I love it when a plan comes together

It was blindingly obvious that the Australians came into this innings with plans for all of the English batters and those plans came off. The brain’s trust from Australia of Lehmann, Clarke, Haddin and Watson (I include Watson because it was clear that Watson was part of the discussions on the field) have done their homework and done it very well.

It was a brilliant day: Australia now have England on the ropes and must tomorrow keep them there by batting for the whole day. If they do a lead of 220 will be transformed into a lead of 500 and the game will be theirs for the taking.