A few thoughts on England

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Glamorgan Wanderer

He was also dropped on the basis that his test match performances (other than a 5-for in his first match against Zim) weren't all that special - it never seemed to me to be for any personal reason.

Well there was one thing about james Andersons bowling, even not at it's best, he was always likely to take a wicket, out of the blue, like Caddick.
Talking of form, ok he had a bad trot, just like Harmison is now, and his form has never sunk to the lows of Michael Vaughan.

The fact is, he has only bowled 220 overs for England in 2004, and that counts ODIs as well, so when they give him the odd one dayer, how can he be ready?.

Some faces just don't fit, what happened to Hampshires John Crawley, he was OK, got an injury, and has never been seen since, the only difference with Anderson, we see him regular pushing the drinks trolly.

Why don't they tell him to go play some cricket with Lanc's, he is not ready to play in the England team at the moment, and never will be, just being the perienial tea boy.

His action is just a side issue really, he came into the side young as ff says, but his action did not stop him getting Aussie wickets, so why has Troy C. tried to change the action that has served him well, but more so, why try and change an action, of a bowler who does not bowl.

[Beny]

I would regard McGrath's run up as almost perfect, possibly the only person in the world better is Brett Lee. When he (McGrath) hits the crease he is comfortable, rhythmic and at about 70% pace. Thats all it needs to be. Most cricketers these days have good run-ups.

When I refer to the 'Modern cricket action' I'm basicly talking about somebody who's action has been coached hevily.

I have problems with Harmisons non-bowling arm and where it is before he realeases the bowl.His arm should really be closer to his face to give him more control. When I see him bowl he is ussualy bowling In-swingers (or not really swinging the ball at all thanks to his seam movement) but his action is really that of an Outswinger.possibly I'm inccorect however I would still regard Harmsion's action as being un-orthadox.

[Glamorgan Wanderer]

Ern, as you know I agree wholeheartedly with you that Anderson should be given more cricket with Lancs if he is not going to be playing for England. I am not sure that your argument about his face not fitting holds water though - if that was the case surely he would not even be in the squad in the first place.

You should perhaps also consider that when he first came into the side it was in the ODIs in Australia and not the test matches. His performances in ODIs have been creditable and he is accordingly pretty much a regular in the ODI side. However, his performances in the test match arena have not been so special. He made his test debut in the subsequent English summer against Zim (at Durham?) and took a 5-for but his performances thereafter did not merit his continued selection.

[Glamorgan Wanderer]

Harmison does have something of a ********** spider look about his bowling action (arms and legs everywhere). Of the Aussie bowlers, I've always thought that Gillespie has a very smooth run up and action.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Beny

I would regard McGrath's run up as almost perfect, possibly the only person in the world better is Brett Lee. When he (McGrath) hits the crease he is comfortable, rhythmic and at about 70% pace. Thats all it needs to be. Most cricketers these days have good run-ups.

Hey I was saying it was wrong, just that he could do more with it. I think his approach to the wicket is superb and his action does what all actions should do and that is repeat. As long as your action repeats and your head remains still, then you should be OK.

[10dulker]

was at gabba right where jones did his knee very sickly accident he was englands best bowler until then too.

[Goatman]

Originally Posted by Beny

I have problems with Harmisons non-bowling arm and where it is before he realeases the bowl.His arm should really be closer to his face to give him more control. When I see him bowl he is ussualy bowling In-swingers (or not really swinging the ball at all thanks to his seam movement) but his action is really that of an Outswinger.possibly I'm inccorect however I would still regard Harmsion's action as being un-orthadox.

If Harmison was black and West Indian he'd be highly orthodox. His action is very comparable to the three Tall Guys Garner, Ambrose and Walsh. Walsh's left arm was often all over the place! I fully see the place of coaching, but a good number of highly successful bowlers were also rather unorthodox so its not everything.

I suspect where he is getting it wrong (and lets face it, he is!) is in his shoulders. I saw him a bit on Sky Sport over Christmas, and he looked awfully tight. He's running in with his shoulders sort of hunched, leaning forward. His jaw muscles are standing out like fins! He's tight, so his arms not coming over smoothly and his delivery is impaired.

Think of Curleys approach and delivery - pure rhythm, pure balance and utterly at ease. He looked like he enjoyed it. Or Walsh, whose neck, shoulders and back were so relaxed he looked like he might slump to the ground at any minute. And his face - not an ounce of tension in any muscle. Utterly blank. Eyes half closed. When Harmison picked up his leg injury against SA last time round and for the first time we saw when he could do he looked like that. Loose and smooth. And again when he battered WI in WI. And again when he did for WI and NZ in ENG.......

He needs to relax. He might actually need to stop trying so hard! Ironic in a team that collectively must try harder......

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Goatman

He needs to relax. He might actually need to stop trying so hard! Ironic in a team that collectively must try harder......

All you say sounds entirely credible.. and puts me in mind of top 100m sprinters... whose are so relaxed during the sprint that their face wobbles around like nothing right.

One wonders how much of Harmison's problem has actually been down to the freak co-incidence of blustery conditions for the first SA innings of the tour. He's a classic "rhythm" bowler who needs to flow effortlessly through the action.. and completely unlike Freddie (for instance) who (as Pringle noted, quite acutely, after the first day of bowling) relies on pure muscle power.

Pringle's point was that where difficult blustery conditions make very, very little difference to a muscular action like Flintoff's.. they can play hell with a bowler's rhythm: the natural reaction to that is to tighten up and that leads toa very "forced" action that lacks both the pace AND the accuracy.

Had the conditions been fine from the start then who knows.. the ball might have come out beautifully and we'd not be having this discussion.

[Goatman]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Had the conditions been fine from the start then who knows.. the ball might have come out beautifully and we'd not be having this discussion.

Sounds like special pleading to me!

Its just as likely that he got himself worked up the night before the first test, didn't sleep, sat in the dressing room going "oh crap, they all expect me to knock them over for 6 - what happens if I **** it up?", bowled a short, ****e one first up and totally lost it. Yet another reason for that useless tosser Michael Quorn to get his calling sorted.......

His first over in First Class cricket included 20 balls, and the umpire told him after that he'd stopped calling wides to get it over and done with! The bloke can work himself up pretty badly. To a certain extent, playing like a great lemon in this series may be a good thing - IF HE CAN GET IT BACK AGAIN! Then he'll know a bad spell can be reversed.

He doesn't seem to be a bloke that repsonds well to pressure from his own team-mates. He copes with verbals and aggressive batting from the opposition well enough though. God, I enjoyed that tussle with Chris Gayle.......... Cricket at its most spectacular I thought!

[flanflinger]

Goaty,

I think you are right. Rachael is correct that in the 1st Test and the 1st Innings there was a huge amount of wind (it ws PE the windy city) but that was not the case in Durban or Cape Town.

I think he needs to take a chill pill to relax (not one of his mum's that could get him banned - how did he get away with only a one year ban!!). I think he has has these big expectations thrust on him, and he is struggling a little. But I feel if he gets an early session right in the next one, and relaxes into the game, picks up a few (in between some ordinary bowling he did bowl some vicious balls) early wickets, he may just find himself back on top again.