**Official** Australia in West Indies

[age_master]

For the next game, ideally:

Hayden
Jaques (on notice)
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Haddin
Noffke
Lee
Clark
Bollinger

I like it. Bollinger has been in absolutely lethal form this year.

 

[Manee]

And now he can.....bend the ball away and that's about it.

Being serious though, bending the ball into the right hander from left arm over is a difficult thing to do. I have, to date, had just one net session where I could do it (without completely closing off my action, a quick fix as dispicable as Johnson going round arm), and it was due to massive concentration to keep the body shape correct throughout the action (as well as some gale force winds).

 

[Manee]

I like it. Bollinger has been in absolutely lethal form this year.

His shocking form in CC last year could indicate a weakness outside of Australia though.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

But i have a feeling he ..will struggle at the highest level..didnt see the confidence..aussie test players seems to have

But he's not an Aussie Test player....yet, at least.

 

[sideshowtim]

how good are they....Noffke didn't impress much.in the t20's i saw him...was wayward...this test match was a good example of the fact that Australia will struggle with bowlers particularly oversea and in particular sub continent and WI....they surelly will need a FIT lee and Clark for at least some time now

Lol, he didn't impress you in the T20s...OK, now what does that have to do with Test cricket exactly? Noffke has always been and always will be a bowler for the longer format, and his results this year, and even over the course of his career show this.

 

[TT Boy]

That was bull**** batting from the West Indies. Fair play to the likes of Clark and Lee but the wicket if anything after day two got better to bat on and to roll over so timidly was extremely poor considering they had a great chance, for as Ramdin and Sammy showed the Australians only had a two man attack out there.

Can only see this series now playing out like the recent South African one, Australia will just get better and if Haydos does comeback, the Windies are going to get steamrolled even with passengers such as MacGill around.

 

[biased indian]

Lol, he didn't impress you in the T20s...OK, now what does that have to do with Test cricket exactly? Noffke has always been and always will be a bowler for the longer format, and his results this year, and even over the course of his career show this.

Any chance of him making test debut soon????...next match ????

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Sincerely doubt it, though I'd drop Johnson for him in a heartbeat.

Midge shaping up to be the Bracken of tomorrow, if you ask me.

 

[NZTailender]

Sincerely doubt it, though I'd drop Johnson for him in a heartbeat.

Midge shaping up to be the Bracken of tomorrow, if you ask me.

I think Johnson has the potential to become a fine test bowler - but right now he isn't up to much, and I don't think continued selection will help him too much.
He's now had match experience, and he perhaps needs to go back to First Class (in Aus and hopefully have a stint in County) for a couple of years to tighten up and come back a much more accomplished bowler.

He has speed and age on his side to do this.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Agreed. Noffke has been chomping at the bit too long for Johnson to set out his stall in Tests, regardless. Hoping the selectors have some mongrel left after the WACA experiment blew up in their faces.

 

[pasag]

I think Johnson has the potential to become a fine test bowler - but right now he isn't up to much, and I don't think continued selection will help him too much.
He's now had match experience, and he perhaps needs to go back to First Class (in Aus and hopefully have a stint in County) for a couple of years to tighten up and come back a much more accomplished bowler.

He has speed and age on his side to do this.

Agreed, and hopefully it doesn't have to be a few years either. Continued ODI matches, (which he deserves on merit) plus this experience will hopefully see him come back a much better bowler. That said, if he does get another chance in the next Test, hopefully he'll prove all of us wrong and maybe we can put it down to being poorly prepared and not having enough practice games. I could live with him getting another game, but if MacGill gets one I'll go nuts.

 

[NZTailender]

Agreed, and hopefully it doesn't have to be a few years either. Continued ODI matches, (which he deserves on merit) plus this experience will hopefully see him come back a much better bowler. That said, if he does get another chance in the next Test, hopefully he'll prove all of us wrong and maybe we can put it down to being poorly prepared and not having enough practice games. I could live with him getting another game, but if MacGill gets one I'll go nuts.

I could live with Johnson finishing the series off, even if he does bowl poorly in the next test. Then you can drop him completely before the next series and bring someone new in who will hopefully be better prepared. Then you have a chance that for the rest of the series he improves and does something that will earn him the right to a test spot.

 

[James90]

I'm happy to give Johnson the rest of the series. Personally I don't think he's done THAT bad. I'd like to see Noffke play the next test though instead of MacGill.

 

[sideshowtim]

Agreed, and hopefully it doesn't have to be a few years either. Continued ODI matches, (which he deserves on merit) plus this experience will hopefully see him come back a much better bowler. That said, if he does get another chance in the next Test, hopefully he'll prove all of us wrong and maybe we can put it down to being poorly prepared and not having enough practice games. I could live with him getting another game, but if MacGill gets one I'll go nuts.

I agree. I'll go crazy if MacGill gets picked. He is utterly, utterly awful.

 

[MrHat]

I agree. I'll go crazy if MacGill gets picked. He is utterly, utterly awful.

I'd give Mcgill another go, not saying he bowled well but as he is coming back from injury in foreign conditions gives him a pass IMO. There might be some more conjucive tracks coming up hopefully. Plus I don't trust Clarke or Symo with the spinning duties

 

[howardj]

Yeah you can't, in Tests, have Clarke and Symonds discharging the spinning duties. That's OK in ODIs when the focus is on containment, but in Tests ideally you want spinners who can take second innings wickets.

 

[Burgey]

There's also the risk an increased emphasis on bowling will lead to their bating tailing off.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yeah you can't, in Tests, have Clarke and Symonds discharging the spinning duties. That's OK in ODIs when the focus is on containment, but in Tests ideally you want spinners who can take second innings wickets.

Is MacGill really more likely to take second innings wickets than Clarke/Symonds though? Or Clarke at least, who I rate.

 

[Burgey]

Is MacGill really more likely to take second innings wickets than Clarke/Symonds though? Or Clarke at least, who I rate.

Maybe not, though there are are dimensions to Clarke's game which may suffer if he's expected to bowl regularly rather than being a partnership breaker.

It all really comes down to this - Lee and Clark were superb. Clark always has been a very fine bowler and Lee has turned himself into one.

But here's the thing. Up until 18 months ago, these fellas were the support bowlers. That says a hell of a lot about the quality of the two, if not all-timers then close to it, bowlers who have retired.

You just can't replace those guys with players of the same standard straight away. I think, however, we are entitled to expect a fair bit more than either MacGill or Johnson offered in Jamaica.

That said, neither of them had bowled since February or March, so they're probable entitled to a little bit of slack. To me, their performances in this test will be vital to Johnson's short term future and MacGill's career.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

But here's the thing. Up until 18 months ago, these fellas were the support bowlers. That says a hell of a lot about the quality of the two, if not all-timers then close to it, bowlers who have retired.

Wait. Who are you referring to here? Lee and Clark? Because Lee hasn't been a support bowler for more than 18 months.

And it's one thing to say that Stuart MacGill is lacking match practice and likely to come good, but he hasn't looked anywhere near the quality he used to be in any form of cricket for a very long time. It's a situation like Gillespie in 2005, I think. It's not very often that I recall seeing a bowler who looked quite so shockingly ineffective.