gbatman
Member
Bowling
In 2005 Australia made a decision that hurt Australian cricket for many years and that was poaching Troy Cooley from England and appointing him as Bowling coach after we lost the ashes. For some reason we though it was his coaching that lost us that series when all it was was poor selection decisions and carrying out of form players like Martin, Katich, kasprowicz, Gillespie and Tait while guys like Brad Hodge, Stewart Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Stuart McGill and Michael Hussey were carving it up in state cricket. McGrath's injury didn't help either. Some how we thought it was Cooley who was responsible for the win when it wasn't. He wasn't responsible for the reverse swing and it only had a small part to do with it as it was conventional swing that got out our top order. They presented us with abrasive wickets and as English bowlers have always done they bowled full which helped for reverse swing and helped Shane Warne.
Any way It took another loss to the English in 2010/2011 to realise that Cooley was not what he was all cracked up to be. It's crazy it wasn't realised by those that count earlier. This should have been realised earlier but with guys like McGrath and Clarke leading the attack who were self coached it was relatively hidden. It was driving me crazy watching our bowlers bowl short of a length every ball, waste all the movement of the ball, waste the new ball, making the bouncer ineffective and getting carved up off the back foot by the batsmen.
This year we have taken a guy with 291 test wickets (Compared to 0 Test wickets) in Craig McDermott. He has finally got our bowlers bowling full and bowling to a field. No more short of a length and bowling all over the place and fields set for bad bowling.
We have already seen the benefit of McDermott's coaching and the time he has spent working on our guys has been so valuable. Now we are bowling full we can set attacking fields, limit the batsmen's shot range, actually take wickets when the ball moves and actually get the ball to move in the air. Peter Siddle is twice the bowler he was. Hilfenhaus is not a rubbish swing bowler who bowls the wrong length and bowls just one type of delivery, James Pattinson is the perfect mould for McDermott's coaching style. Cummings and Harris will be far better off with McDermott behind them.
I'm not sure why Cooley had us bowling back of a length. I've heard people say that that was McGrath's length which is completely crap. McGrath bowled full but on that length of uncertainty. McGrath got a lot of wickets bowling the back of a length ball but he used it as a surprise once he got the batsman on the back foot. He had the illusion he was bowling back of a length due to his bounce.
Well done Craig McDermott for making Australia a better bowling side and making our bowling interesting, entertaining, attacking and to a field/plan.
What worries me is Cooley is in the center of excellency, probably teaching our up and coming quicks wrong and destroying a generation of young bowlers much like he destroyed Bollinger and Johnson and nearly destroyed Siddle and Hilfenhaus.
Batting
Justin Langer must be starting to feel the heat. Why are our batsmen so tempted to flash at balls outside the off stump when they aren't in? Why are they trying to drive through covers when they have just got out to the middle, Phill hughes was shocking at this. Cowan left the wide ones and made them bowl at him. It was a breath of fresh air to see a batsman not playing into the bowlers hand and valuing his wicket.
Ponting's problem is that he's stopped playing straight. He is hitting balls that are on the stumps through mid wicket and square leg or even behind square which is poor technique. Why does he keep playing accross the line to balls on the stumps and in test matches! In Melbourne he was playing straight and he was hitting balls on middle and leg towards mid on and looked a lot better. All he needs to do is go back to the basics and fundamentals of batting and the runs will come again. I think he had got a bit of a big head and believed he could play the ball to any part of the ground regardless of where it pitched instead of playing it on its merits.
Our batsmen try to play all around the wicket when they aren't in and just aren't hitting straight enough. They are too busy trying to find gaps rather than play the ball on its merit. We are not running enough singles, we are trying to get our runs with full blooded shots rather than waiting for the ball and nudging singles and twos.
I really don't think Langer is doing all that well. When we stop playing risky shots early in our innings, start playing straighter, start leaving more balls outside off, improve the footwork and head position, start playing the ball on it's merit and not trying to find gaps and start running more singles from nudges rather than only playing a block or full blooded shot then we will be getting somewhere. Our batsmen don't know how to get in and build an innings.
Shane Watson loves playing straight and loves playing the ball on it's merit, well at least until he gets to 50. Needs to go on with it more and not watch his score. His success is he plays straight and has a strong forward defence. Often goes out trying to play it late behind point after he makes a 50.
Brad Haddin hasn't got a brain for batting. Thinks he is Don Bradman. Just goes out there playing all the shots in the book. Has only one shot range, full blooded drives. You will never see him take a quick single or put the risky shot away or hang around with an in form batsman like he had to do to take the win in Tasmania against NZ. He can't leave too many balls, has no patience. Has to be the easiest wicket going around as he "makes himself play". Doesn't have to nouse to work the ball around for ones and twos. Can't bat in tough conditions. Should not be in the team, is not a very good keeper.
Michael Clarke has no idea how to make the bowlers bowl at him. Still hasn't figured out he can't it balls outside the off stump, has terrible footwork and his head position is poor, needs to limit his shots to playing straight balls and defending around the off stump. His wicket is too easy to get, bowl at and outside off until he pokes at one and edges it. Needs to work on getting hims feet and head moving at the outside off deliveries.
Hussy is a smart batsmen who waits until he is in to play through covers and around the wicket, sometimes gets away from just playing straight and goes out but the guy values his wicket and is always willing to dig in and limit his shots. Works hard on getting his feet moving early before playing balls outside off stump.
Phil Hughes is no good at this stage. If you bowl at him he will edge it if it moves away or you will bowl dot balls because he can't play off his stumps. He doesn't like to get in behind the ball. He doesn't play with soft hands, doesn't play it late and doesn't let it come to him. Pokes at it rather than leaving it late. Can not make bowlers bowl at him by leaving the ball outside off. Doesn't have any straight shots, will never play an on-drive, never looks to play in the V. Doesn't get accross to balls bowled outside off well enough.
Marsh is alright, he just needs to be more patient getting himself in and feel a few more come off the middle before he starts trying to go through covers. Could be a good player. Needs to give away T20 cricket.
Warner is a big talent, will be interesting to see how he goes with the short ball on quick wickets as he's been done by them a bit. Seems to pick it up early and play it late which is a good sign. Just needs to be patient in getting himself in and work hard by playing straight and limiting his shots to get a start.
In 2005 Australia made a decision that hurt Australian cricket for many years and that was poaching Troy Cooley from England and appointing him as Bowling coach after we lost the ashes. For some reason we though it was his coaching that lost us that series when all it was was poor selection decisions and carrying out of form players like Martin, Katich, kasprowicz, Gillespie and Tait while guys like Brad Hodge, Stewart Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Stuart McGill and Michael Hussey were carving it up in state cricket. McGrath's injury didn't help either. Some how we thought it was Cooley who was responsible for the win when it wasn't. He wasn't responsible for the reverse swing and it only had a small part to do with it as it was conventional swing that got out our top order. They presented us with abrasive wickets and as English bowlers have always done they bowled full which helped for reverse swing and helped Shane Warne.
Any way It took another loss to the English in 2010/2011 to realise that Cooley was not what he was all cracked up to be. It's crazy it wasn't realised by those that count earlier. This should have been realised earlier but with guys like McGrath and Clarke leading the attack who were self coached it was relatively hidden. It was driving me crazy watching our bowlers bowl short of a length every ball, waste all the movement of the ball, waste the new ball, making the bouncer ineffective and getting carved up off the back foot by the batsmen.
This year we have taken a guy with 291 test wickets (Compared to 0 Test wickets) in Craig McDermott. He has finally got our bowlers bowling full and bowling to a field. No more short of a length and bowling all over the place and fields set for bad bowling.
We have already seen the benefit of McDermott's coaching and the time he has spent working on our guys has been so valuable. Now we are bowling full we can set attacking fields, limit the batsmen's shot range, actually take wickets when the ball moves and actually get the ball to move in the air. Peter Siddle is twice the bowler he was. Hilfenhaus is not a rubbish swing bowler who bowls the wrong length and bowls just one type of delivery, James Pattinson is the perfect mould for McDermott's coaching style. Cummings and Harris will be far better off with McDermott behind them.
I'm not sure why Cooley had us bowling back of a length. I've heard people say that that was McGrath's length which is completely crap. McGrath bowled full but on that length of uncertainty. McGrath got a lot of wickets bowling the back of a length ball but he used it as a surprise once he got the batsman on the back foot. He had the illusion he was bowling back of a length due to his bounce.
Well done Craig McDermott for making Australia a better bowling side and making our bowling interesting, entertaining, attacking and to a field/plan.
What worries me is Cooley is in the center of excellency, probably teaching our up and coming quicks wrong and destroying a generation of young bowlers much like he destroyed Bollinger and Johnson and nearly destroyed Siddle and Hilfenhaus.
Batting
Justin Langer must be starting to feel the heat. Why are our batsmen so tempted to flash at balls outside the off stump when they aren't in? Why are they trying to drive through covers when they have just got out to the middle, Phill hughes was shocking at this. Cowan left the wide ones and made them bowl at him. It was a breath of fresh air to see a batsman not playing into the bowlers hand and valuing his wicket.
Ponting's problem is that he's stopped playing straight. He is hitting balls that are on the stumps through mid wicket and square leg or even behind square which is poor technique. Why does he keep playing accross the line to balls on the stumps and in test matches! In Melbourne he was playing straight and he was hitting balls on middle and leg towards mid on and looked a lot better. All he needs to do is go back to the basics and fundamentals of batting and the runs will come again. I think he had got a bit of a big head and believed he could play the ball to any part of the ground regardless of where it pitched instead of playing it on its merits.
Our batsmen try to play all around the wicket when they aren't in and just aren't hitting straight enough. They are too busy trying to find gaps rather than play the ball on its merit. We are not running enough singles, we are trying to get our runs with full blooded shots rather than waiting for the ball and nudging singles and twos.
I really don't think Langer is doing all that well. When we stop playing risky shots early in our innings, start playing straighter, start leaving more balls outside off, improve the footwork and head position, start playing the ball on it's merit and not trying to find gaps and start running more singles from nudges rather than only playing a block or full blooded shot then we will be getting somewhere. Our batsmen don't know how to get in and build an innings.
Shane Watson loves playing straight and loves playing the ball on it's merit, well at least until he gets to 50. Needs to go on with it more and not watch his score. His success is he plays straight and has a strong forward defence. Often goes out trying to play it late behind point after he makes a 50.
Brad Haddin hasn't got a brain for batting. Thinks he is Don Bradman. Just goes out there playing all the shots in the book. Has only one shot range, full blooded drives. You will never see him take a quick single or put the risky shot away or hang around with an in form batsman like he had to do to take the win in Tasmania against NZ. He can't leave too many balls, has no patience. Has to be the easiest wicket going around as he "makes himself play". Doesn't have to nouse to work the ball around for ones and twos. Can't bat in tough conditions. Should not be in the team, is not a very good keeper.
Michael Clarke has no idea how to make the bowlers bowl at him. Still hasn't figured out he can't it balls outside the off stump, has terrible footwork and his head position is poor, needs to limit his shots to playing straight balls and defending around the off stump. His wicket is too easy to get, bowl at and outside off until he pokes at one and edges it. Needs to work on getting hims feet and head moving at the outside off deliveries.
Hussy is a smart batsmen who waits until he is in to play through covers and around the wicket, sometimes gets away from just playing straight and goes out but the guy values his wicket and is always willing to dig in and limit his shots. Works hard on getting his feet moving early before playing balls outside off stump.
Phil Hughes is no good at this stage. If you bowl at him he will edge it if it moves away or you will bowl dot balls because he can't play off his stumps. He doesn't like to get in behind the ball. He doesn't play with soft hands, doesn't play it late and doesn't let it come to him. Pokes at it rather than leaving it late. Can not make bowlers bowl at him by leaving the ball outside off. Doesn't have any straight shots, will never play an on-drive, never looks to play in the V. Doesn't get accross to balls bowled outside off well enough.
Marsh is alright, he just needs to be more patient getting himself in and feel a few more come off the middle before he starts trying to go through covers. Could be a good player. Needs to give away T20 cricket.
Warner is a big talent, will be interesting to see how he goes with the short ball on quick wickets as he's been done by them a bit. Seems to pick it up early and play it late which is a good sign. Just needs to be patient in getting himself in and work hard by playing straight and limiting his shots to get a start.
