Johnson’s high octane start to worry England
JUST as the smiles returned to England’s cricket and they started to believe it might be safe to dip their toes back in the Ashes water comes a sobering reminder of how they were devoured last time. Mitchell Johnson is back.
The man who tortured England throughout their 5-0 humiliation was seriously quick and worryingly accurate at Canterbury yesterday in his first bowl of an Ashes tour that represents his last chance to be a success in this country.
This was a convincing audition for a place in Australia’s formidable bowling line-up as any doubts over Johnson’s first Test inclusion were surely banished.
Only a figure from England’s past was able to stand up to Johnson as he provided a hostile examination of Kent’s limited batting resources.
It is 10 years since Rob Key played the last of his 15 Tests, just missing out on the fabled 2005 Ashes, but Kent’s club captain rolled back the years to at least provide Johnson and Australia with a testing work-out.
When Johnson dismissed Daniel Bell-Drummond with the sixth ball of the Kent innings it seemed that the Second Division strugglers would not hold up Australia for long in this first of two Ashes warm-ups. Yet Key who, at 36, has handed over the limited-overs captaincy to Sam Northeast, displayed the class that once earned him a Test double century. ‘ For a large part of that I thought, “There is no way I get paid enough to be facing Mitchell Johnson”,’ said Key. ‘ He’s at a different level. He’s a serious bowler who can intimidate you but also move the ball around. He’s so tough and there would be a few England batters who would be happy if he’s not in their team.’ Such are the fast bowling riches at Australia’s disposal that England’s nemesis appeared to be competing here with Ryan Harris to join Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in a formidable looking pace attack in Cardiff.
If so, Johnson has surely settled the argument as he bowled menacingly to finish with three wickets as Kent reached 203 for five, while Harris looked rusty on a perfect Spitfire Ground pitch after missing Australia’s Caribbean tour.
Bell-Drummond is an opener of some promise who has experience of quick left-armers having come up against Derbyshire’s Mark Footitt earlier this season. But he would never have faced anything like this.
Johnson’s first ball rapped him on the fingers and the sixth, seriously quick and straight, thudded into his pads in front to have him palpably lbw.
The extra speed of Johnson, who has rarely been at his best in England, was later to prove too much for Northeast, undone by bounce, and Ben Harmison, beaten for sheer pace by the man who was once a figure of English fun.
Only Key and Joe Denly held up Australia in a partnership of 81, even though Key should have been caught on 23 off Harris only for Brad Haddin and Shane Watson to watch the ball fly through the gap between keeper and first slip.
It took Peter Siddle, very much the back-up fast bowler on this tour, to separate the pair when Denly under-edged an attempted pull to Haddin, but Key marched on to 87 before he perished trying to attack leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed.
Even though Australia did not have everything their own way with the ball they could have no qualms about their batting as they rattled up the small matter of 507 for eight before Michael Clarke called a halt.
Seven years ago, Steve Smith was a leg- spinner who batted a bit with Kent Seconds and Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club before he turned down offers to take advantage of his dual nationality and throw in his lot with England.
He has returned as the highestranked Test batsman in the world and showed here why he will be the main batting threat to England with an effortless century before he retired to give other team-mates a chance.
‘My mum is from Kent and I played a little bit here, which was really enjoyable and helped my game,’ said Smith. ‘There might have been an attempt to get me to stay here but I think I made a wise decision to play at home.’
Kent’s bowling day again belonged to 21-year-old Matt Hunn, who took two more wickets to claim his maiden five- wicket haul, Shane Watson falling to a brilliant onehanded catch by Denly and Mitch Marsh being bowled.