I have a confession to make  . . . My Girlfriend Loves Mitchell Johnson. There, I said it!

Having broken Graeme Smith’s hand at the SCG in January 2009, Mitchell Johnson then knocked the stuffing out of the South Africans in their own back yard during the return leg, in particular during his Durban Demolition where figures of 3-37 didn’t tell the full story. He had taken 8 wickets in the first match and at Durban took two in his first over and then had Smith retired hurt with a broken hand again and split Jacques Kallis’s chin before getting him out. He had announced himself as Australia’s “enforcer” with 33 South African wickets over 6 Tests home and away.

Two Tests into the Ashes Series though and he was hopeless. Couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo. Geoffrey Boycott’s moom could bowl better. He was lost and lonely, mind elsewhere because mummy wasn’t talking to him and wasn’t worth a pinch of all the pre series hype. That was the end of him, never mind what he had done against the second best team in the World in Australia and in South Africa, he hadn’t bowled well in two Tests against England so get him out. Figures of 8-331 didn’t help disprove that argument to be fair. Back home people were calling for his head. In March Peter Roebuck called him the best bowler in the game, in July Allan Border and many others wanted him out. But Ricky Ponting stuck with his young quick.

Continue Reading

England Player Ratings

X- Rated stuff from the majority of the team in this Test Match. Apart from the morning session of day 3 England were totally, utterly, comprehensively outgunned and humiliated by a rampant Australian side.

Andrew Strauss – had a terrible start to the match through no fault of his own and all the pre match goings on must have been playing on his mind when he went out to bat. You’d expect them to. Should have been out first ball and didn’t last much longer. 32 in the second innings saved face for him personally but would have wanted and need a big score to settle his side. he was the one man you felt could do it but he didn’t deliver. Did he call right after winning the toss? 102 all out having chosen to bat would suggest not but hindsight is a wonderful thing. 5 out of 10.

Continue Reading

After a hapless display yesterday which saw England slump from 58-0 to 82-5 at close and brought English supporters crashing back to the bad old days, England resumed this morning 261 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat and 36 runs away from avoiding the heaviest home defeat in English cricket history.

James Anderson, who was needlessly sent in as nightwatchman yesterday evening, lasted all of 3 balls. His first scoring shot was a four from the 2nd ball to take his run of innings without a duck to 54, but was gone next ball edging Hilfenhaus to Ponting at 2nd slip. Six overs later, shortly after 11.30am, the last of the recognised batsmen was out with Matt Prior falling victim to a stunning one handed diving catch from the keeper Haddin. Four wickets in the innings for Hilfenhaus.

Stuart Broad, England’s leading bowler in the match having taken 6 wickets in the Australia soon became England’s leading batsman in the match, or at least in the innings, scoring a hugely entertaining 50 from just 43 balls. Swann was doing his bit at the other end passing 30 to get England, against all odds, up to 200 and beyond. Stuart Clark in particular took a fearful hammering from the pair, conceding 16 from 2 consecutive overs sandwiching a 17 run over from Siddle.

Continue Reading

Fourth Test, Headingly 7th August – 11th August 2009

Day One.

Phew, here we go again it feels like there’s been no respite this summer. No wonder Freddie is knackered and the early breaking news today was that he would be ruled out and indeed that was confirmed at around 9.30am.

There was another injury scare during the warm up when Matt Prior was thought to have done himself a mischief playing football, but after panic and chaos and requests to delay the toss and wicketkeepers up and down the country frantically checking their phones, Prior was passed fit to play. It was some morning for England which had been going on for some time after being evacuated from their team hotel due to a fire alarm at 5am. News at the toss was that Harmison was in for Flintoff, for Australia Stuart Clark replaced Nathan Hauritz, Strauss won and chose to bat.

And what a mistake that was! Were it not for Billy Bowden, Strauss would have been out first ball to an inswinger which was cleaning out middle stump but not out was the reply.  The Australians weren’t made to pay for the let off though as Strauss walking back to changing room in the 4th over, Marcus North holding onto a screamer in the slips one handed high above his head. England 11-1 and the skipper gone for 3 with Bopara in next and in desperate need of a score.

Continue Reading