Is swing bowling Australia’s kryptonite?

Swing bowling has been around for a long time.

The Demon Fred Spofforth used it.

And I’m sure the English had an opening bowler who perfected it before Rasputin was a boy.

My point is this is not a new phenomenon.

Australia has even had bowlers that practice the art, Bob Massie, Terry Alderman, Alan Davidson and Rick(y) Ponting among them.

However when a ball is delivered towards them, and it swings, in either direction, in either fashion, they tend to miss, nick or slice it.

It is a worrying thing.

I even have evidence. Mind you its evidence from my memory, it’s not based on facts or anything.

Case 1, Ashes in 2005.

You could blame McGrath’s Ankle, Ponting’s odd decisions, Warne’s dropped catch, Rauf’s hatred of Martyn, but to me the real reason was Australia’s absolute capitulation to the swinging ball, reverse mostly, but occasionally traditional as well.

Case 2, Ben Hilfenhaus.

Tasmania won the Sheffield pura Shield cup last year. Sure they had some handy batsmen and an allrounder who played an amazing final, but simply put Hilfenhaus averaged over 6 wickets a game bowling outswing. It was almost as if no one in Australia could play him.

Case 3, Agit Agarkar once took wickets in Australia.

I thought the reason we switched from Platypus balls to Kookaburra balls, was to stop international teams from swinging the ball.

Perhaps we need a new ball, the echidna?

Emu?

Wombat?www.cricketwithballs.com "the hooking & pulling specialists"