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Aussie Death Bowling Problems.

pup11

International Coach
Stuart clark, Nathan bracken, and Brett lee all have their economy rates around 7.5 rpo since 2006 bowling in the death overs. The most successfull bowler at the death in world cricket since 2006 are Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh with economy rates of around 4.5 rpo.

So would it be a good idea if aussies too use spin options right at the death in combination with McGrath and Tait.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Harbhajan Singh????????????????

How on Earth often has he bowled at the death?
Better than bowling Sree and AA who generally always ruin their early good figures at the death. Zaheer has a habit of doing that as well.
 

howardj

International Coach
Stuart clark, Nathan bracken, and Brett lee all have their economy rates around 7.5 rpo since 2006 bowling in the death overs. .
I think the Aussies would give anything to have the death bowlers concede 'just' 7.5 runs per death over in this World Cup. Anyway, for mine, I'd give the job to Bracken and McGrath and stop horsing around by giving all the bowlers a turn (like in kiddies cricket). hehe
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Better than bowling Sree and AA who generally always ruin their early good figures at the death. Zaheer has a habit of doing that as well.
Harbhajan in my experience has more likelihood than all 3 of having good figures to ruin at the death...

And added to that, he strikes me (unlike the man he emulated, Saqlain) as being someone who will have his figures badly ruined at the death, and I'm amazed if he's actually been effective bowling there.
 

Steulen

International Regular
I think most spinners tend to operate no later than over 43-44, which does not have the all or nothing death belting yet. That might explain their relatively good figures in cases where the last 10 overs are considered death bowling.

There is some merit in the idea of playing spinners right through until the end of the innings. Their lack of pace on the ball means batsmen will have to force the ball more, which imo should lead to more outfield catching chances. Of course you'd need spinners with lots of control to avoid giving up easy 4-balls.
Contrast this with someone like Shaun Tait, who might produce a few lethal yorkers, but is equally or even more likely of seeing a bouncer top-edged 10 rows back due to the ferocious pace he puts on the ball.

Another issue is the variations a bowler is capable of. Stuart Clark and his McGrath-line of consistently hitting top of off may take a number of wickets of the you miss I hit variety, but will also be belted for 6 by batsmen prepared to take a few risks late on. A high-class spinner who mixes his deliveries well should definitely be more successful, imo.

Who knows, maybe death spin bowling is the innovation of this year's WC, just like the Sri Lankan attack from the start batting in '96 and the NZ spin bowler opening in '92.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Spinners who can fire the ball in the blockhole (eg Jayasuriya, Gayle, who I'm astounded aren't used more often) are generally as successful as anyone. TBH I'd much prefer have them bowling in the last 10 than line-and-length merchants.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
I cost myself a one-day match on ICC by bowling a spinner at the death tbh. Mind you, he was a wicketkeeper.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
I cost myself a one-day match on ICC by bowling a spinner at the death tbh. Mind you, he was a wicketkeeper.
I do that so often. I get carried away with the dominance of my main fast bowlers, and before I know it I've miscalculated the overs and the last 2-4 overs have to be bowled by a spinner, or even worse a part timer. Lost count of the amount of times I've let a 39 from 22 balls equation result in a loss for my team.

That being said, I do get the odd Katich 4-fer or Pietersen 3/5 off 2 which is always hilarious.
 

pup11

International Coach
I think Tait, McGrath, and bracken should be used in the death over by the aussies.
 

pup11

International Coach
howardj, "7.5 rpo" are the average economy rates of clark,lee and bracken that they have been giving through all odi games bowling at the death in 06-07. Here you got to take into account that in a lot of games in 06-07 aussies bowled out the batting side pretty cheaply, hence they didn't have to bowl any death overs in those games otherwise their economy rates at the death would have been a lot worse.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Spinners who can fire the ball in the blockhole (eg Jayasuriya, Gayle, who I'm astounded aren't used more often) are generally as successful as anyone. TBH I'd much prefer have them bowling in the last 10 than line-and-length merchants.
...?

Chris Gayle is used at the death very often.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Using spinners at the death can allow you to control where the batsman is hitting the ball, and put men out where they're most likely to hit, as it's harder generate pace to hit the ball over fieldsmen's heads. However, the one shot that is very difficult to cover is the reverse sweep / anything backward of point on the off-side. Although you often have two men behind point in that position, if it gets past them it will usually be 4.

Also, you can control where they hit the ball, but you can't always control whether it will land inside the rope.

For Australia, Clarke or Symonds would be much better suited to the death than Hogg.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
For Australia, Clarke or Symonds would be much better suited to the death than Hogg.
And most other people, frankly, IMO.

I can't see either being any more expensive at the death than they would be in the middle, but that's certainly not true of the Brackens and McGraths of this World.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I think Symonds would be a very good death bowler actually - so I'm surprised he doesn't do it more often. His injury may prevent him from bowling at the WC though so it's not really an immediate option.

McGrath is an obvious choice.. not sure who else I would go with though. Tait is an attacking option there... could take 4/10 off 3 overs at the death or could take 0/40 in them.. but he wouldn't be in the first choice team anyway. Lee could go to all parts and Bracken simply can't bowl yorkers so that leaves.. Watson I guess. Hmm... interesting.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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... but not invariably.

And such a thing astounds me.
Because he's not the only decent death bowler in the team. Samuels has been relatively effective there too. And despite Bravo's RPO, he's taken crucial wickets at the death. Then there's Taylor, who has been quite impressive at the death. And Edwards was excellent at the death in New Zealand.
 

pup11

International Coach
Watson hasn't been effective while bowling at the death (1st CB series final and last 2 games in C-H Trophy), so he is not a really good option.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
Watson's bowled well at the death before (ie. spell to Hussain at Hobart in the VB Series years ago), but is generally pretty hittable so I don't think he's the best option.
 

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