The best players are judged not necessarily by how they look, but rather by how many runs they score and when they score them.
Langer: Aussies going North
Click here for cricket.com.au's VB Tour of England "Ashes" page.
For behind the scenes videos from the tour click here.
Read more from Justin here.
The best players are judged not necessarily by how they look, but rather by how many runs they score and when they score them.
By this measure Australia’s latest batting star Marcus North is an outstanding player. Looking back on his short but prolific career to date, he has scored runs when they count the most. In his debut Test where the self doubts are most prominent, he came out and played the innings of his life at the Wanderers against the best fast bowling attack in the world.
From there he has gone from strength to strength playing match saving and match winning innings under enormous pressure. Playing Ashes cricket is always an intense experience but North has shown maturity and skill in three of the four Tests this series. He has played a major role throughout and it can only be imagined that there is even more brilliance to come as his confidence continues to grow.
Having played with Marcus throughout his domestic career for Western Australia, I am pleased to see him grabbing his opportunity with both hands. While he has always possessed mountains of talent, he like many young players, has had to wait and bide his time for an opportunity to present itself.
Interestingly, he has been criticized for lacking consistency throughout his first class career. The view was that he was the type of player you would pay money to watch play, but he didn’t spend enough time at the crease for people to get their money’s worth.
Now though, he is presenting as the perfect package, because not only is he pleasing on the eye but he is also scoring the runs required to be taken seriously as a top class batsman. With a high and fluent back lift and sharp foot work he is able to play shots that players like Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting can play. This ability makes him a delight to watch and a nightmare to bowl at because he can hit the ball through both sides of the wicket with equal assuredness.
North’s success is another testament to the Australian first class system where players are made to wait until they are ready and knocking so hard on the selector’s door for a chance. In the last few years Michael Hussey, Brad Hodge, Simon Katich and Brad Haddin are examples of players who have had to wait to a point, where they are so hungry for success, that their experience over a long period in first class cricket has brought instant success at the international level.
Marcus has always been highly ambitious and I am sure there were times when he thought his chance may never come, but now that it has, he like many of his team mates, is cashing in as his dreams are quickly becoming a reality. While relatively young at Test level, the lessons he learned as a first class cricketer are like gold to him and his team because he has already experienced many of the distractions that hamper younger players.
Going into the final Test of this series, that experience and confidence could be a major factor in Australia retaining the Ashes. Australia was brilliant at Headingley and they will take a buoyant spirit into the remaining fifteen days of this Ashes series. The main danger confronting the team is an attitude of over confidence and I am certain Ricky Ponting and Tim Nielsen will be well aware of this.
The word momentum is used so many times in sport these days but after the drubbing England encountered over the last three days they will be shell shocked at how they have gone from favourites to underdogs in such a short period of time. The feeling over here seems to be one of panic even though Andrew Strauss was quick to point out after the loss at Headingley that “now is not the time to panic.”
With the absence of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen and the loss of the last Test, the media is throwing around all sorts of names as possible heroes to save the day. Players like Mark Ramprakash, Marcus Trescothick and Robert Key are being touted as possible saviours of this series.
The England selectors have a lot to ponder over the next few days as they juggle with the messages they are going to send out by their selection strategy for this all important final Test match. Strauss is spot on with his ambitions for the selection table. The shrewdest selectors actually know when not to change the team rather than when to shuffle the players in and out. It is easy to panic and make knee jerk selections when your team loses but the best selectors back their men and allow them to get the job done.
Players don’t lose their ability overnight. The champions come good eventually as we have seen with Mitchell Johnson on this tour. It would have been easy for the Australian selection panel to panic and drop Johnson rather than continue to encourage him and help him through a tough time. Thankfully this faith paid dividends at Headingley and I am certain more rewards will come as a result of that loyalty in the future.
The fluctuations of Test cricket, and series like the Ashes, are what I love about this game. The next ten days of speculation and opinion is going to add to the drama and theatre of what promises to be one of the great Test matches of modern times.
Rarely does one Test match carry so much weight and the prospects are tantalizing as we all sit in anticipation and wait for the climax of yet another incredibly entertaining Ashes series.
Click here for cricket.com.au's Diaries & Blogs Page.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.
Please note that comments that are derogatory, defamatory, or discriminatory will not be published. The decision to publish is solely at the discretion of CA
For behind the scenes videos from the tour click here.
Read more from Justin here.
The best players are judged not necessarily by how they look, but rather by how many runs they score and when they score them.
By this measure Australia’s latest batting star Marcus North is an outstanding player. Looking back on his short but prolific career to date, he has scored runs when they count the most. In his debut Test where the self doubts are most prominent, he came out and played the innings of his life at the Wanderers against the best fast bowling attack in the world.
From there he has gone from strength to strength playing match saving and match winning innings under enormous pressure. Playing Ashes cricket is always an intense experience but North has shown maturity and skill in three of the four Tests this series. He has played a major role throughout and it can only be imagined that there is even more brilliance to come as his confidence continues to grow.
Having played with Marcus throughout his domestic career for Western Australia, I am pleased to see him grabbing his opportunity with both hands. While he has always possessed mountains of talent, he like many young players, has had to wait and bide his time for an opportunity to present itself.
Interestingly, he has been criticized for lacking consistency throughout his first class career. The view was that he was the type of player you would pay money to watch play, but he didn’t spend enough time at the crease for people to get their money’s worth.
Now though, he is presenting as the perfect package, because not only is he pleasing on the eye but he is also scoring the runs required to be taken seriously as a top class batsman. With a high and fluent back lift and sharp foot work he is able to play shots that players like Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting can play. This ability makes him a delight to watch and a nightmare to bowl at because he can hit the ball through both sides of the wicket with equal assuredness.
North’s success is another testament to the Australian first class system where players are made to wait until they are ready and knocking so hard on the selector’s door for a chance. In the last few years Michael Hussey, Brad Hodge, Simon Katich and Brad Haddin are examples of players who have had to wait to a point, where they are so hungry for success, that their experience over a long period in first class cricket has brought instant success at the international level.
Marcus has always been highly ambitious and I am sure there were times when he thought his chance may never come, but now that it has, he like many of his team mates, is cashing in as his dreams are quickly becoming a reality. While relatively young at Test level, the lessons he learned as a first class cricketer are like gold to him and his team because he has already experienced many of the distractions that hamper younger players.
Going into the final Test of this series, that experience and confidence could be a major factor in Australia retaining the Ashes. Australia was brilliant at Headingley and they will take a buoyant spirit into the remaining fifteen days of this Ashes series. The main danger confronting the team is an attitude of over confidence and I am certain Ricky Ponting and Tim Nielsen will be well aware of this.
The word momentum is used so many times in sport these days but after the drubbing England encountered over the last three days they will be shell shocked at how they have gone from favourites to underdogs in such a short period of time. The feeling over here seems to be one of panic even though Andrew Strauss was quick to point out after the loss at Headingley that “now is not the time to panic.”
With the absence of Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen and the loss of the last Test, the media is throwing around all sorts of names as possible heroes to save the day. Players like Mark Ramprakash, Marcus Trescothick and Robert Key are being touted as possible saviours of this series.
The England selectors have a lot to ponder over the next few days as they juggle with the messages they are going to send out by their selection strategy for this all important final Test match. Strauss is spot on with his ambitions for the selection table. The shrewdest selectors actually know when not to change the team rather than when to shuffle the players in and out. It is easy to panic and make knee jerk selections when your team loses but the best selectors back their men and allow them to get the job done.
Players don’t lose their ability overnight. The champions come good eventually as we have seen with Mitchell Johnson on this tour. It would have been easy for the Australian selection panel to panic and drop Johnson rather than continue to encourage him and help him through a tough time. Thankfully this faith paid dividends at Headingley and I am certain more rewards will come as a result of that loyalty in the future.
The fluctuations of Test cricket, and series like the Ashes, are what I love about this game. The next ten days of speculation and opinion is going to add to the drama and theatre of what promises to be one of the great Test matches of modern times.
Rarely does one Test match carry so much weight and the prospects are tantalizing as we all sit in anticipation and wait for the climax of yet another incredibly entertaining Ashes series.
Click here for cricket.com.au's Diaries & Blogs Page.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.
Please note that comments that are derogatory, defamatory, or discriminatory will not be published. The decision to publish is solely at the discretion of CA