Test of young lion as Tudor squares up to his rival (26 December 1998)
TWO raw young fast bowlers promised to give additional spice to a Boxing Day menu which otherwise threatened to be rather too familiar at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today
26-Dec-1998
26 December 1998
Test of young lion as Tudor squares up to his rival
By Christopher Martin-Jenkins
TWO raw young fast bowlers promised to give additional spice to a
Boxing Day menu which otherwise threatened to be rather too
familiar at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
The late selection for Australia of the 24-year-old Matthew
Nicholson, who was expected to play despite experience of only
eight previous first-class games, and the return for England of
Alex Tudor, three years younger but with 28 matches behind him,
offered the prospect of a particularly intriguing trial of
strength.
It was a duel, however, which needed to be kept in proportion. In
a close match, whichever of them performs better might well tip
the balance, but not half so decisively as the possible absence
of Glenn McGrath might have tipped it towards England had he not
recovered from the chest virus which was threatening his
participation until yesterday.
With 16 wickets in three Tests so far he has been the best bowler
on either side, though Darren Gough would have pushed him closer
if only the slip catches had stuck.
McGrath's simple, classical action, immaculate control, shrewd
cricketing brain and deceptively fast pace make him the model
fast bowler of his generation. As long as his participation was
in doubt it was possible for England supporters with longish
memories to dream.
There were echoes here of the second Melbourne match of the
otherwise one-sided 1974/75 series when Jeff Thomson suffered a
shoulder injury before the match, Dennis Lillee broke down early
in the game and Max Walker was left as the only experienced fast
bowler, much as Damien Fleming might have been this time.
A suddenly liberated England won easily in 1975 with outstanding
innings' from Mike Denness and Keith Fletcher and a match-winning
bowling performance by Peter Lever.
Perchance to dream: six away from 200 Test wickets after only 43
Tests, McGrath is the biggest single reason for Australia's
outstanding record against all-comers since Mark Taylor became
captain. The one recent blot on the escutcheon is the 1-2 defeat
in India last March when Shane Warne played and McGrath did not.
Even the possibility that he might not be fit to bowl long spells
seemed to put some spring back into English steps as the players
played football at the MCG yesterday morning and then
concentrated on catching practice before sitting down to
Christmas lunch with wives, girlfriends and families.
No one is fuller of the joys of Christmas than Darren Gough and
he more than anyone might have been forgiven a prayer that this
time the catching practice would bear immaculate fruit. It was on
this ground during a one-day international on the last tour that
Gough's rapidly rising star was eclipsed when he suffered a
stress fracture of the foot and had to go home. He looks now to
be a picture of health and strength and on the verge of something
big.
Inevitably, however, the focus will be on the two tyros. Their
battle will not just be between two exceptionally quick bowlers
from very different backgrounds but also between themselves and
the batsmen who face them.
Tudor has the encouragement of including the Waugh twins among
his five wickets for 108 in his first Test at Perth and Nicholson
of his career-changing seven for 77 against England on the same
ground seven weeks ago.
It will be fascinating to see them perform not just in this match
but over the next few years. Nicholson has the advantage of
coming into a powerful, confident, winning side. He is 6ft 6in
and wiry, as opposed to Tudor's 6ft 5in and muscular.
Nicholson, tutored by Lillee at the Adelaide Academy, runs in
straight and delivers with a chest-on action, relying for his
movement on a strong wrist. Tudor, who still walks like an
immature foal, becomes a graceful thoroughbred when he runs and
his is a pure, classical sideways-on action with a full
follow-through. They can both bat, but Tudor has much the
superior technique.
Tudor will win this particular Anglo-Australian duel, in the long
term if not the short. The MCG will not be so helpful to either
in terms of sheer pace but there was expected to be some life in
a relatively grassy looking pitch, sufficient to make winning the
toss a doubtful privilege.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)