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Tait or Johnson?

Who should replace McGrath?

  • S.Tait

    Votes: 7 15.2%
  • M.Johnson

    Votes: 39 84.8%

  • Total voters
    46
  • Poll closed .

Legga

Banned
With McGrath retiring from tests after Sydney(sob,cry),the great man will need to be replaced.
Shuan Tait and Mitchell Johnson are the two most likely.
With Stuart Clark and Brett Lee(protected species)as our opening bowlers I would bring in Johnson.

Tait is too similar to Lee for my liking.
With Lee's bad economy rate and inconsistency,if they both played we could have problems.

Johnson is a lefty,which would give us more variety.
He is a better fieldsman.
He is a much better batsman.

With the retirement of Warne we will have to take a good look at our lower order.
Johnson would slot in at #9 if picked.
A lower order comprising Lee,S.Clark,MacGill and Tait has an English look to it.

What is your opinion on this matter?


P.S. I added a poll after I posted this thread.
........I should have put it on at the start,cut me some slack please,it is my first thread here.:unsure:
 
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Prince EWS

Global Moderator
As was said, Tait is too similar to Lee. Gets into "bouncer/yorker mode" very easily and can often be erratic.

Johnson bowls proper lines and lengths and gets good swing occassionally. He can also be erratic but he can at least get good batsmen out. As has also been mentioned, his batting is much better than Tait's too.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
I dont care less about right or left armed seam bowlers. To me it makes no difference.

However, I would go for Johnson. He just looks a little more rounded and polished.
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
I don't think you should pick a leftie just for the sake of having one. Johnson's the obvious choice though. He's got real class, and IMO has a lot more options than Tait for when plan A doesn't work, at least at this stage of their respective careers. Even leaving variety aside, Johnson should be the one picked.

Hilfenhaus can't be too far off either. Any of those three could play next summer if things fall right for them, but with a place in the WC squad guaranteed Johnson definitely has the inside running to cement a spot.
 

Matteh

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Picked Johnson for an obvious reason...

(plus he adds something different to the Aus attack and clearly has more control than Tait)
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Johnson - looks to be a more consistent bowler than Tait.

Lee (protected species) ended up with, what, six wickets at the MCG? He's not having his best series and should be behind Clark going forward, but to say that he doesn't merit a spot over either Johnson or Tait, at the moment, is a bit silly. The guy has 200 test wickets at a reasonable average and s/r.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
Don't forget Dizzy, a solid season here & an equally good summer over here for Yorkshire could see him get back into contention again, regardless of the fact that he'll be 32 & it may be a kind of backward step..

But to answer the thread question Johnson for now, but Tait or Hilefenhaus depending on form over the next year have a fair shout as well.
 

adharcric

International Coach
Johnson at the moment. He's more polished and refined than Tait. IMO he deserved an Ashes test, but that's just me.
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
At the moment it is Mitchell Johnson but if Lee improves rapidly over the next few summers it would be very close.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
adharcric said:
Is 32 a reasonable average by Australian standards? :huh:
It's not fantastic, but its not disasterous either. Particularly if the strike rate is ok (notice that with him bowling, England have still only passed 400 once this series IIRC).

He's an expensive bowler, we all know that. But so long as the wickets come regularly, its not a hanging offense IMO.

It looks bad compared to McGrath, and Gillespie, but one of those is an all-time great, and the other was for the significant bulk of his career a top-drawer bowler who'd have been close to being in a World XI...
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Johnson for the reasons mentioned above. More control, has more than just plan A, adds variety (left arm), better bat & better fielder.

TBH i'd have Hilfenhaus on par, if not just ahead of Tait atm. He's been on fire this season, and has improved a helluva lot over the last year. He to has more control than Tait, and has shown that he has the ability to swing the ball in all conditions.
 

howardj

International Coach
Johnson is genuinely classy and his whole career has been on an incline. He really clicked in the Pura Cup Final in March by taking a six-for on an absolute road; he looked better in every appearance for Australia in ODI's; and he's continued his development by averaging in the low 20's in the Pura Cup this season. He definitely has the inside running at this stage, and deservedly so.

Tait I think cops much unfair criticism. Granted, he can be expensive, but his overall economy rate in FC cricket is just 3.67. People talk as though he absolutely bleeds runs, and it's not the case. Furthermore, he has a strike rate of 42 - that's a wicket every seven overs! He's continued his development this season by taking 20 wickets @ 23. He's a gun - get off his back about his economy rate! Please. :)
 

Great Birtannia

U19 Captain
adharcric said:
Is 32 a reasonable average by Australian standards? :huh:
As Matt has pointed out above it is reasonable enough when McGrath is left out of the reckoning (also taking into account the more batsman friendly tracks).

Bowling averages for the medium to long term Australian quicks from the last decade or so.

McGrath (21.68), Fleming (25.89), Gillespie (26.13), Reiffel (26.96), Hughes (28.38), McDermott (28.63), Lee (31.93), Bichel (32.24), Kasprowicz (32.88).

Ideally you would want Lee to get the average down under 30 but if he is taking wickets it is acceptable.
 
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Johnson just offers a much more safe style of bowling that will improve with experience playing against International Batsmen he has to be the logical choice.
 

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