Bowling Strategy

[Caesar]

Bowling Strategy

Anyone else think we've been spoilt by having too many good bowlers in recent years, which has ruined our strategy?

Plenty of other teams have shown us that you can rip through batting lineups if you have one bowler who's on song, and using your other bowlers judiciously to support him. Look at South Africa in Australia - Steyn was the linchpin, he bowled excellently. Sure, the other bowlers did well - but not consistently, and Harris was rubbish most of the time. Smith used his 'average' bowlers effectively, ensured that they supported Steyn and kept pressure on, removed them when they weren't contributing. Not only did this help Steyn take wickets, it optimised the chances of the less dangerous bowlers to take them as well - by creating an environment that generated chances, and giving them the exposure to the batsmen when it best suited how they were bowling at the time.

Ponting doesn't know how to bowl tactically when he doesn't have two bowlers who are on song that he can put at each end. He needs to learn how to leverage off one strike bowler, if that's what he has - needs to know how to use bowlers who aren't looking like taking wickets to still keep the pressure on. There's a skill to using bowlers that goes beyond throwing a quick on at each end, hoping that they're both firing, and fiddling with it if they're not.

 

[Boris]

Re: Bowling Strategy

i am a fan of pontings captaincy, but he has been quite a long way off for the first two ashes tests.

the problem is currently australia doesnt really have a strike bowler anyway. mitch was that but has been a little off song of late, hilfy is bowling very well but not really what i call a strike bowler, kinda like gillespie was, brilliant bowler but more of a support bowler (but nowhere near gillespie in quality yet), hauritz is a defensive bowler and siddle IMO is just crap and doesnt know what hes doing himself, he cant land two balls in a row on the same spot let alone get regular wickets and trouble batsman. lee and johnson (and IMO clark but apparently he is being ignored for no apparent reason) are the only two strike bowlers, and with johnson down on form and lee injured and not a certain quantity form-wise im not sure that tactic would work as yet with the line up as it is. with lee firing in the third test it would be perfect to have hilfy or hauritz at the other end doing just as you said.

 

[bren122]

Re: Bowling Strategy

somebody here made the comment that they liked ponting as a captain but not as a person. it made me think that my dislike of captain ponting may be motivated by his personality. but then his display in the second test reminds me that he is not a good captain.
Australian cricket is still superior at the moment; we have a lot of good players but now they need a captain who is a good onfield tactician. how do you get a batsman out once he is set? you cut off his runs and make him play a bad shot by varying the bowling and having an attacking fielder. Ponting does not do this. he keeps bowlers going for long spells and has nobody close enough to take advantage of a mistimed shot. how many of the English players popped up catchable balls that fell safely?
once he loses control he has no way back and it means not simply the game but the series.

 

[Boris]

Re: Bowling Strategy

the thing is that you could say the same thing about strauss. he captained pretty poorly, its just he had his players doing well instead of australias failing ones.