< 1 minute readOne, befriend Troy Cooley. Two, hang out with him for a week. Last week, we said that Cooley didn’t seem to have done a lot for Australia’s bowlers. We partly retract that. Overall, they’ve had a pretty woeful series, but to teach Mitchell Johnson how to swing a cricket ball
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Australia’s implosion – it’s not the players, it’s the situation
< 1 minute readAustralia have brought in four players and nothing has changed. This series could serve as a case study for sporting depression and panic. Rational decision-making has gone out the window at every level, from selectors down to players and it’s formed a vicious circle. Players aren’t sure of their places
Continue readingPhillip Hughes and the short ball
< 1 minute readAn opening batsman who averages over 50 in Test and first-class cricket has not been ‘found out’ if he makes a right royal hash of a couple of short balls. Phillip Hughes had three Test innings in England in 2009 and got dropped. Had Don Bradman been found out in
Continue readingWhat is Troy Cooley doing?
< 1 minute readWhen England were given a comprehensive shoeing in 2006-07, everyone in England was up in arms that they’d let their bowling coach, Troy Cooley, leave for a post with Australia. Now that Australia’s fast bowlers have turned into long hop machines set at 80mph, we’ve all forgotten about him, but
Continue readingShane Warne and Liz Hurley in the News of the World
< 1 minute readWe had rather foolishly assumed that the ‘Shane Warne might make a comeback’ story would be the stupidest Shane Warne story of the week. But no. Apparently, model and actress-who-gets-by-pretty-much-solely-on-her-looks, Liz Hurley, has been having ‘an affair’ with our favourite swollen-looking Antipodean cartoon character. What constitutes an affair? If people
Continue readingWho is Michael Beer?
< 1 minute readWho is Jason Krejza? Who is Xavier Doherty? Who is Michael Beer? Those post titles sum up Australia’s spin selection policy pretty well. Michael Beer is a blah-de-blah-de-blah. Who even cares? What’s the point? Shane Warne said he thought he might be okay last week and that seems to be
Continue readingAustralia’s Ashes team can sort themselves out
2 minute readWe’ve spent the morning reading obituaries of Australian cricket. An England innings victory in Australia is a monumental thing, but it’s not suddenly become the norm. Australia do tend to pick themselves back up again. It’s generally just a matter of how soon. One of the wisest things Special Correspondent
Continue readingWho are Australia’s best bowlers?
< 1 minute readProbably Shaun Tait, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark – but being as they’re all out of the reckoning one way or another, which bowlers will Australia pick for Perth? Having made a point of undermining Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Hauritz by dropping them, these players are sure to
Continue readingMarcus North has plenty to think about
2 minute readWatching England bowl on a wearing Adelaide pitch, it was apparent that while batting might not be treacherous, there is plenty for the batsmen to think about. The ball turns from certain spots, tempting gaps are left and when even Paul Collingwood can prove dangerous, you know you’ve got to
Continue readingAustralian bowlers under threat
< 1 minute readThe Test before last, Australia fielded a bowling attack of Hilfenhaus, Johnson, Hauritz and George. In this Test, they have Harris, Bollinger, Siddle and Doherty, who have barely taken a wicket between them. What happens now? Go back to the first lot? The players can’t enjoy this selection drama. They’re
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