Nathan Lyon: Nightwatchman

The concept of the nightwatchman is something peculiar to cricket. Fancy sending in a player that is not that good at batting, ahead of a player who is quite good at batting. In the case of Nathan Lyon, he was elevated above a man who has made 13,336 Test runs. Nathan Lyon has a grand total of 124 Test runs to his credit. The logic doesn’t quite add up to a sensible decision.

 

However, cricket is not always sensible and logical. Why do players stay seated in the same positions in the dressing room, when a game is going down to the wire. When Australia resumed at the MCG in 1982, requiring 25 runs to win against England, who only needed to knock over Jeff Thompson, Rod Marsh ordered the Australian players to resume the same activities that they were involved towards the end of the previous days play. For Marsh and a few others, this involved sitting at the back of the dressing room knocking back a few cans. This could be the first instance where drinking at 11am by a sportsman was viewed as being a positive contribution towards a team victory.

 

Cricket is very much a mental game. Why Ricky Ponting, or any top order batsman for that matter, would prefer to face Dale Steyn at 11am, rather than 5:50pm seems strange, however for anyone who has played cricket, it makes perfect sense. At 5:50pm, all that can happen is that you can either get out, or survive. Not much to be gained. At 11am, the day is young. Survive until 6pm that day, and you will have three figures to your name.

 

Enter Nathan Lyon. For the top order batsman, the nightwatchman who can succeed at their task is invaluable. Unfortunately for Lyon, has capacity to blunt the South African attack late on day one will ensure that this remains his role for the remainder of his career. Some players thrive on this. Most notably, Jason Gillespie made 201 in the nightwatchman role.

 

Well done Nathan Lyon, may your forward defence save many top order players for years to come.

Hastings debuts for Australia in the Third Test

In the final of three Tests to be played at the WACA, John Hastings has made his Test debut for Australia. The forgotten man of Australian cricket, Mitchell Johnson, has also been recalled. This has ensured that Australia enter the game after making 4 changes, with Mitchell Starc and Shane Watson coming into the team, in place of Pattinson, Siddle and Hilfenhaus.

 

This represents a shift towards the modern era of Australian cricket, with first choice players rotated out of the team based on sports science and medical opinion. That the winner of this Test will be the number one ranked team in the world, indicates the faith placed in this method by the Australian hierarchy. Not sure if this could possibly have happened back in the 1970s, but then again, playing cricket for Australia was not the all round assignment that it is now.

 

Mitchell Johnson is an interesting character. The 2009 ICC player of the year, which now seems remarkable, is back in the team after a 12 month stint in the wilderness. He has a good record – 190 Test wickets in 47 matches at 30. He can handle the bat as well, notching up an unbeaten Test ton against South Africa in 2009. He can bowl the unplayable ball, however he can be maddeningly wayward as well. More than any other player in recent years, Johnson has driven the Australian cricket fan to extremes, with frustration being the end result, more often than not. However, he has another chance. A rapid opening over to Smith in this Test is testament to Johnson’s ability to unsettle the opposition.

 

The Test has much riding on it. Certainly, Australia will want to win for Ricky Ponting. However, with the number 1 ranking on the line, expect this to be a savagely contested encounter.

Australia v South Africa: First Test, Day One

Well, South Africa made a lot of runs (255). Australia didn’t take a lot of wickets (2). Over the winter of 2012, the man credited with single handedly reviving Australia’s deflated bowling attack, Craig McDermott, resigned from his post as bowling coach. At the time, I wondered what the impact might be. What is now referred to as the McDermott Mantra – pitch the ball up, you big quicks – seemed simple. So simple in fact, that I think I could tell Siddle, Pattinson and Hilfenhaus to do that. However, whatever McDermott did was bloody effective. It worked. The bowling line up looked like world beaters last summer.

 

The first Test since McDermott’s departure has seen a return to bowlers putting the ball in short, or just short of a good length, and the results are there for all to see. Australia barely looked like taking a wicket and the ball did not deviate at all. Either through the air or off the pitch. Prior to the match, the talk out of the Australian camp was that a pace barrage was going to unsettle the likes of Amla and Kallis. This means bouncers. Problem is, that Australia looked dangerous last year pitching the ball up, not short. Not rocket science.

 

The new bowling coach, Alistair De Winter, is well credentialled. He remade Ben Hilfenhaus as a Test bowler, yet inexplicably, Ben Hilfenhaus looked again like the bowler that Cook et al. made look second rate in the last Ashes series. Nevertheless, credit must go to South Africa. Amla, Kallis and Petersen batted with patience and authority. As in their last Australian tour, South African batsmen looked very hard to dismiss. Tremors will be going through the Australian camp. Let’s hope the bowlers get on the phone with Craig over the next few days.

The Problem With Watto

This one is pretty easy to answer – He gets injured too much. With his latest injury setback, Watson will now have missed the last 7 Test matches on Australian soil. This is something of a problem for Australia, which is trying to establish a solid top three, however the most consistent player likely to hold on of these important batting positions is too frequently unavailable. Watson’s injuries have, more often than not, been as a result of his bowling. He did hurt his shoulder once in the field, and probably pulled a hamstring combing his hair on one or two occasions, however bowling and Watson don’t quite seem to be a marriage made in heaven.

This issue for Australia is that Watson is a very good bowler. He takes wickets, he moves the ball and he bowls with good pace. The temptation is to throw the ball to Watson when a partnership needs breaking, or the frontline quicks are leaking runs. The importance of Watson’s bowling has been underscored by the Australian cricket brains trust of Arthur and Clarke, who state that Watson must be bowling to ensure his spot in the team. For a cricket team that is set to present a top 6 consisting of two 37 year olds, two rookie openers, a good first class cricketer who is yet to play a test and Clarke, it would appear that experienced, consistent batsmen are worth their weight in gold. Sure, Watson’s Test average is only 37. However he barely scored a run in his first 15 Tests, and he has been a very solid contributor with the bat since his elevation to opener in the 2009 Ashes series. Australia need him at the top of the order, more than they need his bowling. Clarke and Arthur certainly don’t need him in the change rooms, or filming deodorant commercials. 

With the emergence of Pattinson, plus the re-emergence of Siddle and Hilfenhaus, Australia now has a potent bowling attack that can take 20 wickets. However, Australia do not have a batting line up that is more than likely going to make 400 plus in the first innings, or chase down 300 in the fourth. Australia needs good batsmen, and so they need Watson’s batting more than they need his bowling.

Summer of Test Match Cricket Begins

It has been a long time between drinks, but after 5000 Twenty20 games, Australia is set to play some Test match cricket. The summer looks very promising. South Africa has played a solid warm up game and have largely showed that they are ready. Steyn is bowling with pace and fire, while the likes of Smith made runs. Australia appears less than settled at this stage. Ponting has a hamstring concern, Shane Watson is likely to miss the first Test with a calf injury, while Cowan and Warner are coming into the game without the luxury of having runs behind them.

For Australia, the bowling is the clear strength. Siddle and Pattinson have bowled convincingly in recent Sheffield Shield matches, as has Ben Hilfenhaus. Mitchell Starc has improved immensely, and could nudge out Nathan Lyon, who is having to battle a few demons of his own. This is unlikely however. Lyon will play, but his bowling has noticeably gone off the boil in the past few months. He will come under pressure if he is not able to take wickets, or at least tie up an end, while the quicks go to work.

South Africa defeated Australia in the previous series that these two fought out on Australian shores. Australia were better in that series than many remember. The Perth match featured a spectacular last innings chase by De Villiers, Duminy and company, while the Melbourne Test was won, following a lengthy stand where Daly Steyn made 76 runs, which turned the match in South Africa’s favour.

The memory of this defeat is tending to convince many that South Africa start this series as rampaging favourites, however the series will be very tight. Provided, of course, that Australia’s batting can stand up under pressure. That is the key to deciding this series. The best bowling attack in the world, up against an ageing batting line up that has shown a certain degree of fragility. Cowan, Warner, and now Quiney are likely to make up the top three. Neither is experienced, and with the exception of Quiney, neither is in great form. Ponting, Clarke and Hussey follow. Clarke was supreme last summer, as was Ponting. Ponting has made runs at shield level, though has an injury concern, while the ageless Hussey is facing his least favourite opposition, having a very poor record against Steyn, Morkel and Philander.

Partnerships are the key for Australia. Their collapses have been marked by an inability of any player to stem the flow of wickets. Granted, they were dominant with the bat last summer, however they will have to go up a gear this time around.