Is Steyn a one year wonder?

On the evidence of this test he hasn't improved from the pie chucker he looked the last time he visited these shores.

The stats say he's had a great year but maybe he's mainly effective against minnows. It could be one of those aberrations where he had a bit of luck, things fell into place for him etc. But he looks innocuous and unlike the great bowlers, doesn't swing it enough (in all conditions) to worry too many batsmen. Johnson is not known to swing it, yet was able to during the first innings.

In any case Australia has struck a huge psychological blow against him and he looks a bit mentally fragile. It will be hard for him to come back from here.

Maybe they have some other up and comers in their ranks.

I bet SA would swap him for Sharma any day of the week. He hasn't really bowled that quickly and has lacked variation and yorkers.

This is the only test I have seen him in and I must say I have been disappointed.

He was hyped up like no other int'l fast bowler that I can remember.

He looks no better than the first time I saw him play, against England when Strauss had a golden tour.

He certainly has all the physical tools to be very good. Then again, so did Brett Lee.

I wonder if he isn't actually a bit injured. All the commentators were talking about how he was bowling within himself.

No, i don't think that LATE out swing will magically disappear but yes he has been disappointing in the last 2 or 3 games

Nothing special on the England tour too. Massively over-hyped.

He's not a one-year wonder, he's a minnow-basher. He was never much cop and I think that yours truly was one of the few to question his credentials during the mega-bum Dale Steyn happy time that a few folk were having on here. I said I'd judge him after England and Australia. Well, KP had fun and got right under his skin, and now against good batsmen on good pitches he looks mediocre.

Great fast bowler my arse.

Having said that, wouldn't mind him in this England side...

We'd take anyone who can

a) bowl a decent line
b) not get injured 1 in 3 games
c) assure us he doesn't want to be a postman in the North East

Steyn's quality, easily one of the top pacers now.

Augustus wrote:He's not a one-year wonder, he's a minnow-basher. He was never much cop and I think that yours truly was one of the few to question his credentials during the mega-bum Dale Steyn happy time that a few folk were having on here. I said I'd judge him after England and Australia. Well, KP had fun and got right under his skin, and now against good batsmen on good pitches he looks mediocre.

Great fast bowler my arse.

I keep hearing this over and over again hence a question for people who agree with Gus.

If he is such a minnow basher then why didn't he do that well against England?

England isn't a minnow.

lardbucket wrote:England isn't a minnow.

As much as we like to do a minnow impression just for jollies now and again.

PlanetPakistan wrote:

Augustus wrote:He's not a one-year wonder, he's a minnow-basher. He was never much cop and I think that yours truly was one of the few to question his credentials during the mega-bum Dale Steyn happy time that a few folk were having on here. I said I'd judge him after England and Australia. Well, KP had fun and got right under his skin, and now against good batsmen on good pitches he looks mediocre.

Great fast bowler my arse.

I keep hearing this over and over again hence a question for people who agree with Gus.

If he is such a minnow basher then why didn't he do that well against England?

Seem to recall he did pretty well in India earlier this year. But hey, if you want to call India minnows I'm not going to stop you.

I think we can put this one to bed.

Hmm, looks like he did very well today, getting Cabbage, Brazen and then the tail for not many runs per over.

How he would have done against Australian batting that was still good may be another matter.

Rob I wrote:Hmm, looks like he did very well today, getting Cabbage, Brazen and then the tail for not many runs per over.

How he would have done against Australian batting that was still good may be another matter.

True, he might have struggled against Bradman.

taipan wrote:

True, he might have struggled against Bradman.

How would you explain his mediocrity in England?

1 poor match on the freshly laid Heathrow Terminal 5 runway

Nothing to explain

Would you Aussies call his current 5/87 and 74* minnow-bashing? Whatever floats your boat...

Mynah,

Steyne has lived up to his reputation in this match. But geez he was crapulent in Perth.

Paul Keating wrote:Mynah,

Steyne has lived up to his reputation in this match. But geez he was crapulent in Perth.

Aye, this thread was a superwoof.

mynah wrote:Would you Aussies call his current 5/87 and 74* minnow-bashing? Whatever floats your boat...

Be afraid. When Bung started doing that, there were some in the media saying it wouldn't take long for him to be regarded as a 'genuine all rounder'.

By 'some in the media' are you by any chance refering to Nickelarse?