Warne: how to beat the poms

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25731076-2882,00.html


A better cricket brain than sooky or Arthur so interesting to read his thoughts on the series but I would query his assertion that Hughes plays the short ball very well.


I can't wait to get stuck into Poms




Shane Warne

July 03, 2009 12:00am


THE Ashes. Just the name makes the blood start pumping. Gets the mouth watering.The history, tradition and recent series have built up the anticipation for what we might get when this series starts at Cardiff on Wednesday.

The 2005 Ashes series captured everyone's imagination, mainly because of the standard of play and the tension, but also because of the sportsmanship that was displayed by both teams.

There is always a lot of feeling when these two teams play. Not the send-offs and the pointing-to-dressingroom stuff, more the banter in the middle.

That should never disappear from cricket, and I don't think it will.

I can't wait until the first Test starts on Wednesday. It should answer some burning questions about Australian and world cricket. Here are some of them:

1. How big is this series for Ricky Ponting's captaincy?

After the 2005 series loss in England, I think he will feel there is some unfinished business.

He was the first Australian captain in decades to lose the Ashes in England. Knowing him like I do, I am sure it hurt him a lot.

The way he has responded since then, with both his captaincy and batting, has been pretty good, especially in the 12 to 18 months immediately following the loss.

If he can complete his unfinished business and retain the Ashes in England, it will be a huge coup.

He has not got the so-called legends with him - Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Co.

No long spells for the bowlers, aggressive declarations, no mental disintegration when only one team can win - all those types of things will be important.

Ponting's captaincy will be under the microscope from the media and former players, but I think he is up for it.

2. How do the Aussies handle England's big guns: Andrew Strauss, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen?

KP will come out and try to stamp his authority from the first Test.

We know he is one of the best batsmen in the world and he has a massive ego.

You have to play on that. There is no point sledging him. I would give him the silent treatment. Don't talk to him, just let him know you are after him with body language.

You can get him out a bit like Inzamam ul Haq - bouncer then yorker, or yorker then bouncer.

Mitchell Johnson should test him out with the short ball, then set him up for lbw or bowled. And bring on Nathan Hauritz straight away. Let KP try to murder him and Haury will get him out.

If none of that works, Michael Clarke can get him out. Pietersen doesn't like facing his little left-arm sliders. KP is not sure which one spins and he plays fancy sweeps.

And when KP comes on to bowl, smack him.

As for Andrew Strauss, you have to get into him straight away verbally. Just try to intimidate him, 11 against one.

Target the captain. When he walks out to bat, 11 players should give it to him. Let him know they want a piece of him.

He will be tough to get out because he has all the shots and he's in good form.

He has no obvious weakness, but he's a bit loose through gully and pulls in the air just in front of square leg. So a fielder in front of square leg just back a bit is a good option.

Andrew Flintoff has come back firing in county cricket and obviously is a big key. His batting is hit or miss.

He will have one or two good innings though the series, but his bowling is his strength. If he bowls flat out like he did last time, then he is going to be hard work.

He is the best bowler in the world when he is on song.

3. Should Brett Lee play?

Johnson has turned into a superstar. The other two pace spots are up for grabs.

Peter Siddle has earnt the right to bowl in the first Test. He has a big heart, in the Merv Hughes mould.

He could bowl extremely well in English conditions.

The third spot will be fought out between Ben Hilfenhaus, Stuart Clark and Lee. Hilfenhaus and Clark can both swing it and have good bouncers.

Those guys could easily play, but I would go with Brett, provided they are sure he is bowling fast and swinging the ball.

He deserves the opportunity to have the first crack at it.

Bowling is about variety. Johnson is left arm, Lee is right-arm express, then you have someone like Siddle, who is the steady line and length, big-hearted bowler.

That would be a good varied pace attack with back up from Hauritz. He has to play.

Then you have part-timers Michael Clarke, Simon Katich and Marcus North.

4. Will reverse swing play as big a role as it did in 2005?

Last time I don't think the Aussies gave enough respect to the England bowlers. We did not plan enough to play reverse swing.

Short backlift, batting out of your crease, all those little things weren't really discussed, and it was not as though we hadn't played reverse swing before.

This time I know the Aussies will be planning more for it. And Siddle, Lee and Johnson can exploit reverse swing, too.

Australia's bowlers were reversing the ball in 2005, but there's no doubt England executed it better than we did. We had so many left-handers and Flintoff around the wicket - even over the wicket - to guys such as Hayden was phenomenal.

Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison were also brilliant.

It is hot in England at the moment, so the wickets are going to be really dry. They are going to spin as well.

5. Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer had problems in 2005. How will Simon Katich and Phillip Hughes go this time?

Once again we have two left-handers, while England's probable opening bowlers are James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom, or Stuart Broad.

Those guys bowl extremely well to left-handers and they will swing the new ball. Anderson can swing it both ways.

Hughes' technique will really be under the microscope. His weakness is the ball swinging back in to get him lbw, because he does give himself a bit of room.

He bats on leg stump or just outside. At times people think he is backing away. He's not. He's not scared, because he plays the short ball very well. That's just his technique.

If they bowl too straight to Katich, he can really hurt them because his strength is through the on-side. They will try to get Hughes out bowled or lbw.

The plan for Katich will be to try to push it across him looking for an edge.

The new ball is the key to both teams. They have to take early wickets with the cherry because they are going to be flat wickets.

6. Can Mike Hussey bounce back?

Hussey took to Test cricket like he was born to do it; this is the first time he's had a form slump.

He has to find some runs. He's not an automatic selection.

The good thing is he got a big hundred in the lead-up game.

That will give him some confidence, but he still needs runs in that first Test to consolidate his spot - to get the monkey off his back, to stop people talking about it, get the selectors thinking he demands his spot.

But he is going to have to come in and face reverse swing and/or spin straight away. So it is not going to be easy for him because he is not the best player of spin.

He needs to stamp his authority on the series early. Clarke at five is the key member of the Australian team because of all the guys, he is the standout player of spin bowling.

The wickets will turn and England will play two spinners, so when he comes in he is likely to be facing spinners.

He can turn a game with his footwork, he can manipulate the field. He is in the Darren Lehmann, Mark Waugh mould of playing spin.

7. What about England's spinners. Are they any good?

There are three spinners going for two spots: Monty Panesar, Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid.

Rashid is a 21-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder who I would give the nod to partner Swann. He adds variety, a bit of mystery; no one has seen him.

Panesar is not taking wickets at Northants and a jolt will make him hungry. Rashid batting at eight will also give England a bit more depth.

Swann is a very talented cricketer. He bowls very similar to Hauritz, is a handy batsman down the order and a pretty good fielder.

Swann's confidence is up and he has a swagger. I will be looking for guys such as Clarke to whack him around and knock him off his perch straight away.

8. How will the series play out?

If you had to put your house on someone, you'd have to pick Australia, but you would not be surprised if England won.

Australia's win in South Africa was a phenomenal effort. The team has been in transition, but that transition period is over.

The new blood have all played enough games now, they know a bit more about Test cricket. That it is not easy.

It's tough and this is the biggest series of them all.

Forget playing India and South Africa, the Ashes in England is the biggest series of all.

How they respond will determine the result.

THE BOTTOM LINE

We know that the Cardiff pitch will turn, that England is going to play two spinners and Australia hasn't played spin very well recently, so England is favourite for the first Test.

But as the series moves on to Lord's and other venues, Australia's fast bowlers will really come into play.

I say 2-1 to Australia.

5-0 if we ditch Ricky as captain and select him.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement this:

Swann is a very talented cricketer. He bowls very similar to Hauritz, is a handy batsman down the order and a pretty good fielder.

Rashid is a 21-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder who I would give the nod to partner Swann. He adds variety, a bit of mystery; no one has seen him.

Oops!

So he thinks Hughes is good against the short ball, Swann is similar to Hauritz and thinks the very green Rashid should play eh?

The role of the Aussie ex-cricketer fits Warney like a glove.

Every Aussie seems to be spinning out this line about Hauritz and Swann being similar (I suppose they've got to spin something this summer) - I hope they start believing it. Difference between them is one is an attacking bowler, one's a net bowler. One guy spins the ball, the other doesn't. Swann's already got some very good batsmen out on pitches not necessarily helpful to him. Chanderpaul has struggled with him - the Aussie left-handers had better do their homework

As for plans to English batsmen;

Strauss - outside off, pack the gully/point region. Slashes aerially when you deprive him of runs. Danger is that the cut is one of his strongest strokes so you don't go too wide, too short.

Cook - fourth stump. Has improved his technique but he still struggles with the ball across him. He's literally a very tough cookie though.

Bopara - difficult because I haven't seen much of him, but he is a compulsive hooker. I suspect if you get in his ear he'll start playing shots. The typical fourth stump line to deprive him will be helpful with Lee and Johnson peppering him.

Pietersen - like Ponting, bowl outside off early on and pack the slip corden. If he gets in and starts playing his shots then play on his ego. There are times when he seems impossible to get out, but these are times when he has, in the past, got out all too often to an in-out field. He's also susceptible to the ball coming in, but then, who isn't?

Colly - if the ball swings you can pin him on his stumps as he tries to shuffle across and work to leg. I also think short-leg should be a permanent position to Colly with how close he keeps his bat behind his pad.

Prior - he's an awesome batsman you know so don't even bother bowling to him .

Flintoff - in current form, just bowl at him.

Judging by the interview, the short answer to the question seems to be:

Bore them to death.

TGM didn't need a plan to bowl at batsmen, he just bowled. It worked more often than not.

I somehow can't see this series being decided on the respective (lack of) merit of the spin bowling.

I can't see this series being decided on the merit of anything, except luck.

Red wrote:3. Should Brett Lee play?
Those guys could easily play, but I would go with Brett, provided they are sure he is bowling fast and swinging the ball.

He deserves the opportunity to have the first crack at it.

Why, when Gump has a good record against England while Bung is arse?

One of the enduring mysteries of Oz cricket: The Lee fascination.

Unless the English Lions gift Haurie a 5-fer this arvo (Drunky probably won't even bowl him) he is NO CHANCE of playing T1.

Re the Lions opening pair: Wasn't 'Denley Moor' the village Eric Olthwaite came from?

(Johnno, you are bowling utter hogwash)

Fred Nerk wrote:One of the enduring mysteries of Oz cricket: The Lee fascination.

I suppose that he should be the best bowler in the world. He has all the tools, just no cricket brain.