Mitchell Johnson

[The Passenger]

couldn't think but when i saw the name bill johnston i'm pretty sure that's correct too

agree with that post about 10 back, except me likewise would like to see cummins back down the list and earning his stripes a bit more. the most potential in a quick bowler we've had since i've started following cricket 20 years ago now... whether he lives up that potential or not (either through just not getting there or injuries) i guess we'll see but i'm not seeing the advantages of throwing him knee deep into back to back ashes after hardly playing first class cricket for nearly 2 years.

the jury is still out on starc imo - he still went for plenty of runs in the last two tests despite taking wickets. at one point he had 1/150 in hobart for the test and most people were shaking their heads... i would dare say he was on the verge of perhaps an extended period of being rotated out until that final spell.... and the south african 6 for was about the least deserved and least helpful 6-for you will see - in reality he only had johnson competing for wickets. watson could barely reach the crease, lyon will have a hard time at perth for mine and hastings will never cut the mustard at test cricket so picking up a bag of wickets was going to happen for one (or both) of starc and johnson. but we and he had already been belted from pillar to post although admittedly whilst only have one guy on your team up to scratch makes it easier to get a bag of wickets, it does make it harder to get those wickets without conceeding shitloads of runs as pressure is just getting released from everywhere.

but obviously talented to ****. huge left armers like that he can hit 140+ regularly and get to 145 on occasions should be given every chance to develop. my own personal opinion i rate faulkner above him as far as left armers go. doesn't have the killer ball starc (or johnson) has but much more reliable and still has a bit of toe about him. most people see him in the big bash where he bowls 2/3rds of his balls as slower balls but clearly that's not how he plays first class cricket... i reckon he's wondering what more he's gotta down tasmania way to get the same sort of run johnson and starc have been given with the national selectors considering he's killing those two for performances at shield level..

 

[sherb]

Yep, Davidson (186), Bill Johnston (160) and Reid (113).

It looks like the next ones after that are Saunders on 79 and Dymock on 78.

 

[pluga_4]

johnson was lucky to get another go at test cricket.

with injuries to harris, cummins, pattinson, hilfenhaus, hazlewood....johnson has now made every post a winner and it'll be interesting to see which 4 quicks go to india and even more interesting to see which 5 quicks go to england.

 

[Kyptastic]

They take 5 quicks on every tour, so 5 will go to India as well.

 

[pluga_4]

They take 5 quicks on every tour, so 5 will go to India as well.

not exactly right.

in saying that the first 2 tests are back to back then a week off followed by another 2 back to back tests (to be confirmed).
so it may be beneficial taking 5 quicks.

previous trips to india:
2010: johnson, hilfy, bollinger, george
2008: lee, johnson, s clark, bollinger, siddle
2004: mcgrath, lee, gillespie, kasper
2001: mcgrath, gillespie, kasper, fleming, *miller
1998: reiffel, kasper, dale, wilson

 

[The Passenger]

of the injured fast bowlers group the only one i'd consider taking to india is pattinson, and the only two i'd consider taking to england is patto and harris and maybe hilf.

cummins - too raw. enough have been said.
hazlewood - is he really deserved off his elevation above others even when fit? i don't think so. we've already got one guy (starc) picked pretty much purely on talent and we're getting erratic results for it.
hilfenhaus - he could be a real handful in england so will always be in content there but is bowling poorly. has continually shown to struggle against good (interested) batting...
harris - he'll always stay in the mix because his performances at test level have been so good but he's hardly played lately and you'd have question whether he could get through a full tour...

 

[Team DJ]

Generally agree with the majority of your post except for the bold.

1) pat cummins is ridiculously over-rated. Krazy krezja got 12 wickets or something in his 1st test. I would like to see some sustained form before I slot him into the best 3 steamers in the nation

2) hilfenhaus will be crucial to our chances in England, duke ball, higher seam, more humid overcast conditions. Must take with the squad

Thats fair. I think the Shane Bond comparison is a good one for Cummins. The best for him would be to stop T20s and just focus on the longer form. (Not likely to happen though).

I hope you are right about Hilfy. I like him. But like i said, i think hes lost a touch of pace, an doesnt seem to be swinging the Kookaburra as much as he was even last year.

 

[bird_man]

What date is the first test in India? I'm looking forward to seeing the squad for that tour. Will Pattinson and/or Cummins be fit for the tour?

 

[Slax]

Actually when you consider that Johnson has had to bat with the tail so has had a tendancy to throw the bat at anything that looks slightly enticing with only a little calming down he would be able to average just as much as Watson. So therefore I'm willing to start a push for Watson to be dumped and Johnson to bat at either 4 or push Clarke & Hussey up and move him to 6. might sound nuts but hey it's averaging more batting at #7 than Watson did at #6.

Watson = overrated.

 

[crows dude]

Johnson has to stay in. I dont agree that both Starc and he cant play in the same side. Id drop either hughes or cowan and bat Wade at 6.

Warner
Watson
Cowan/Hughes
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Johnson
Starc
Siddle
Lyon
Bird

 

[The Passenger]

Be a bit hard harsh to drop cowan and/or hughes but at the same time I don't mind a bit of change up like that for the Sydney test. series is won, and we could try a different to see how it goes and go with a short batting line up, extra bowler. Also it would force Clarke to have a go batting four, which normally I wouldn't mind him staying at five. I don't subscribe to the best batsmen always at 3 theory, and I was happy for S Waugh to stay at 5 and Tendulkar mainly bats 4, but look at the batting line-ups they've had around them. With this team crumbling regularly I think our best batsmen (regardless of whether he is captain or not) needs to take on extra responsibility and move up and try and stop the rot.

People have pointed to his poor record at 4, but he was in poor form when he moved there. I'm pretty confident with Clarke he just batting poorly at that stage (i.e. I don't think he would've scored many runs batting anywhere), rather than him playing poorly because he moved to 4... In any case we'll have definitive proof on that if he moved to 4 now... If he struggles again, well he'll have to move back to down and cut our losses. The obvious concern is will that form be lost for good??

Also Just remembered Watson will be out anyway, so he would be the one to make way if we went for a 5 man bowling attack.

 

[bird_man]

Johnson has to stay in. I dont agree that both Starc and he cant play in the same side. Id drop either hughes or cowan and bat Wade at 6.

Warner
Watson
Cowan/Hughes
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Johnson
Starc
Siddle
Lyon
Bird

Is there any need for 6 front line bowlers? I'd rather see a quality batsman.

What's the SCG pitch been doing this year? Will it fair well for the spinners?

 

[OzBomber]

People need to remember this IS Sri Lanka. They're on par with Bangladesh and New Zealand at the moment. Johnson has got wickets to some very ordinary shots in this match, and without swing will do nothing in the Ashes. There is no way the English batsmen will be popping up balls that are on the hips, last series they were dispatching them to the boundary.

 

[The Passenger]

Is there any need for 6 front line bowlers? I'd rather see a quality batsman.

What's the SCG pitch been doing this year? Will it fair well for the spinners?

watson won't play the next game anyway.

People need to remember this IS Sri Lanka. They're on par with Bangladesh and New Zealand at the moment. Johnson has got wickets to some very ordinary shots in this match, and without swing will do nothing in the Ashes. There is no way the English batsmen will be popping up balls that are on the hips, last series they were dispatching them to the boundary.

this is the big concern. the sort of erratic bowling we copped in the first innings won't have the same results it did with cook, pietersen, bell and facing up to it.

 

[Parquet Court]

Mitch gets poles against garbage opposition, makes a 90 on a flat deck with wellegedera out with eranga and prasad left to shoulder the load. Had little idea against herath but no lets bat him at 7 and call him an all rounder now.

People need to calm down

 

[The_Reaper]

No serious test team would have Johnson in the top 7.
England would be salivating at the prospect.

 

[i_hate_scams]

wel done mitch

 

[i_hate_scams]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-28/johnson-can-lead-our-bowlers-for-years-siddle/4446452

johnson can lead our bowlers for years: siddle

 

[Outshined]

For all the talk, there's very little that's new or improved about Johnson (aside from his awesome run-up). He's very capable of bowling the near unplayable delivery, but that's unfortunately still mixed with erratic bowling that good batsmen will punish, as Sangakarra did with ease in the first innings. Fair play, he utilized Sri Lanka's obvious weakness to well-directed short bowling, but better opposition will relish it. Look no further than Boxing day two years ago.

 

[1990crow]

I actually think going by this match his accuracy has improved and he is bowling better lines than he was two years ago. Our bowling attack actually suits having Johnson in it I think. Starc is far more erratic.

Bird, Johnson and Siddle is a pretty good bowling unit. I'm not sure about Lyon at the moment, his form hasn't been that promising to be honest. I'm interested in seeing how John Holland from Victoria goes when he finally returns to shield cricket whenever that is.

 

[Heisenberg_]

Johnson has to stay in. I dont agree that both Starc and he cant play in the same side. Id drop either hughes or cowan and bat Wade at 6.

Warner
Watson
Cowan/Hughes
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Johnson
Starc
Siddle
Lyon
Bird

Short memory much?

 

[Team DJ]

Johnson to bat 7 next test. With Starc in for Watson.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Starc to bat 4?? Gee, deep down, Clarke really is a soft****.

 

[Xtreme]

Much like when a bastman does well against a bowling attack, a bowler can only bowl at the batsman that is at the crease. Sri Lanka are a rabble of a side and hardly an indication that Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. Should he make the squad that contests the Ashes, he will leak runs and sink faster than the Titanic.

 

[Stig O'Hara]

Much like when a bastman does well against a bowling attack, a bowler can only bowl at the batsman that is at the crease. Sri Lanka are a rabble of a side and hardly an indication that Johnson is a force to be reckoned with. Should he make the squad that contests the Ashes, he will leak runs and sink faster than the Titanic.

He made runs, got wickets, and sent people to hospital today.

Is that ok???