tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post8089183419268422279..comments2024-02-11T10:15:25.794+00:00Comments on Third Umpire: The real HarmisonTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-49420976138441925282007-05-29T16:11:00.000+01:002007-05-29T16:11:00.000+01:00Yet to be convinced he is a world beater. The stat...Yet to be convinced he is a world beater. The stats suggest the peak of 2004 bucked the greater trend!Chrispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17116768172493122694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-42615567416124555192007-05-24T13:50:00.000+01:002007-05-24T13:50:00.000+01:00Sorry Nick, but "prime form" and "top class perfor...Sorry Nick, but "prime form" and "top class performance" can only refer to the Old Trafford test. In his last 20 matches, that is the only match in which he has taken 5-fer.<BR/><BR/>In those 20 tests, he's taken 61 wickets (that's just 3 per match), and 11 of those were in the Old Trafford test. At this strike rate we'd need 6-7 bowlers to bowl a team out twice, not the 4-5 that we should be striving for.<BR/><BR/>This is more than a reaction to the recent Ashes series. He's very lucky that we have so many fast bowlers out injured, because he really isn't contributing at the moment.Richard Lakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12305428361656401297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-76813438785568245942007-05-24T12:34:00.000+01:002007-05-24T12:34:00.000+01:00I understand people's frustrastion with Harmison, ...I understand people's frustrastion with Harmison, but you seem not to have counted his top class performance last summer against Pakistan.<BR/><BR/>The Ashes was appalling, but it was not just Harmison who played poorly - most of the team, coaching staff and selectors must take the fall.<BR/><BR/>It is only one series and one match ago that Harmison was in prime form, not two years.Nick Gammonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15078764238948971216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-43453503380017568982007-05-23T16:18:00.000+01:002007-05-23T16:18:00.000+01:00“To suggest that he should be dropped after just o...“To suggest that he should be dropped after just one Test this summer is to ignore the history of the man and to weaken England's bowling attack considerably.”<BR/><BR/>As far as I see the situation, people are calling for Harminson’s head precisely because of historical reasons. Undoubtedly, he is very talented and has a lot of potential, but there is only so far being an apologist for his failings can get you. <BR/><BR/>You outline many tours where he has averaged over thirty, some were even worse.From this historical perspective, according to your own analysis, Harminson has only had one good series overseas, and a few decent seasons here. These “purple patches” were two year’s ago. <BR/><BR/>Sadly, there is very little evidence of them coming back. Consequently, people are arguing that he should be dropped. Not, as you suggest, because of this one bad match, but because there is no discernable sign of improvement since the Ashes catastrophe. More importantly, he seems to lack that drive to succeed at the highest level.<BR/><BR/>In some ways, he and his Durham colleague, Paul Collingwood, are opposites: one gifted with brilliant natural ability, but lacking in character; the other less fluent, but endowed with a steely determination.<BR/><BR/>At test level, it is all about mental strength and, sadly, Harminson simply does not have it.The Atheisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08314238450779293325noreply@blogger.com