Johnson does tend to be round armed and slingy but it does mean he releases the ball from close to the stumps, so when he pitches up the ball is likely to be going wicket to wicket. Terry Alderman was the same after his shoulder injury which lowered his arm, he used to release the ball from about level with middle and off, so the ball wasn't angling in like it usually does.



Out of those three who sank, Ilott was the one who I thought had some potential. Him and Peter Martin swung the ball well in South Africa in 1995/96 but when the English summer came around Alan Mullally got called up and he was the left armer of choice for the next few years. I never saw much in Mullally, he didn't swing it, he used to waste the new ball by bowling outside off stump so the batsman just left it alone till the shine had come off it, he'd finish his opening spell with 0-15 in 7 overs and everybody said yeah Mullally keeps it tight!

McCague was crap, not fast enough to bowl the short balls he did and was cannon fodder to good batsmen. Lathwell was a strange case, he could play some great shots. I remember seeing him open for Somerset once, he came in, smashed four boundaries in the first couple of overs and then played a crap upper cut and got caught in the gully for 16 or so. He walked off happy as larry, normally when openers are out early they come off cursing and ranting. Lathwell just shrugged his shoulders and sauntered back with a smile on his face then appeared at the pavilion balcony eating his breakfast and reading the paper a few minutes later, he was like a club cricketer who just likes to play his shots and doesn't really give that much of a toss. He retired from cricket pretty early, I don't think he could be bothered with the modern era of running miles, spending hours in the gym and having dieticians monitor what you eat....

Well that didn't last long

: roll on the MCG boxing day

I genuinely cant stand test cricket at any level.

But I laughed out loud when I heard the result. Will the crowd get a refund because the soapies folded a day and a half early?


Maybe we should call them South Africa 'C' from now on?

But seeing as you've actually won a game, you thought you'd perk up?

Not really.

I would sooner "England" won the Ashes personally.

Maybe then the 5 day (well usually 5 day unless South Africa C fold again) form of the game might die out completely in Australia leaving more tv time for decent sports like V8 Supercars and NRL

It's still funny how you lost though. Everyone seemed to be saying the soapies would win the ashes 5-0. I havent laughed so much since the 'Stanford Superstars' bowled you out for about 50 runs in that big winner gets millions of bucks match a few years ago

Tiime to stand up and be counted!

That was utterly disgusting

Which bit?

The fact your South Africans didnt perform or just the fact they are South African?



Dont worry..it's no shame to come from a country that has to rely on South Africans to fill up it's national cricket team. South Africa 'C' will probably still win the Ashes.

There is something seriously wrong if they dont.

We suck.

Maybe in your insignificant, deluded world. I have heard no such rubbish