Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but on the Full Toss we like to sink even lower. Consequently we’d like to recommend Victoria’s Clint McKay for the Australian test team. It just makes sense. If Michael Beer can get a gig after recording match figures of 5-207 against England in a meaningless warm-up game, then McKay’s 4-92 surely warrants an extended run of one match at international level.
McKay has already achieved more than Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug the Rug combined. He actually had England worried for a second yesterday – or was it two seconds? Either way, the fact that an Australian seamer has taken more than one wicket in an innings should offer the Australian selectors great hope. Before McKay’s astonishing rise to stardom yesterday, the next seamer in the pecking order was Peter George.
George’s potential elevation to the national side was not only a big concern for Aussie fans who have actually seen him bowl (the Australia A versus England match being a prime example), it also worried Peter Higginbotham, the coach of Upper Warlingham second XI. Apparently the Warlingham Wildebeests, as their members like to call them, were hoping to sign George as an into-the-wind third change stock bowler in next year’s Surrey division four league. A central contract for a national team can really disrupt an English village club’s plans for the summer.
As a bowler who often gets eaten alive on a cricket field, George would’ve felt right at home in the Wildebeest’s dressing room. The Surrey outfit are also rumoured to be lining up audacious swoops for Beau Casson and Jason Krejzar. Warlingham representatives are delaying any move for Michael Beer until after the Perth test.
On a serious note, England fans would have been heartened by Matt Prior’s hundred yesterday. England were actually in a spot of bother at 55-4, even if two of those wickets were Steve Davies and Eoin Morgan, who have made more cups of tea than runs on this tour. Therefore you can forgive them for being a bit rusty.
Before this match, Prior was the only England batsman who hadn’t made a significant contribution with the willow. Thankfully, all our batsmen will now feel in good nick when the WACA test begins.
Those, like me, who often read far too much into seemingly insignificant events (you trying finding enough material to write a daily cricket column) will also have noticed that Tim Bresnan was given the opportunity to bat six in England’s second innings; he batted before both Ian Bell and Andrew Strauss. Does this mean that Bresnan is now the favourite to replace Stuart Broad? It’s possible. We all know that Andy Flower likes to err on the side of caution.
As you can tell from this article, we’re rather relishing Australia’s current disarray. However, please don’t mistake this for overconfidence. Regular readers of the Full Toss will know that we oscillate from triumphalism to pessimism like a schizophrenic medium.
That’s why, although Matt Prior’s ton has given us heart, we weren’t too pleased with his post match comments. In savouring his ton, Prior declared England’s intention to finish the Ashes tour unbeaten. That’s us screwed then. Has he not heard of the expression ‘tempting fate’?
James Morgan
If McKay was English, the Australian’s would describe him as a pie thrower – high 70s mph, no great control or movement and is perhaps a sign of the poor depth of fast bowling reserves for Australia that he is near the test team and played over a dozen ODIs.
“high 70s mph, no great control or movement”. He sounds more like a Kiwi than an Aussie
“pie chucker” thank-you. Harris has been all over the news today saying that he is going to have a good chat with Mckay to find out exactly how he achieved his success, ie find out exactly what flavour pies he is chucking.