Mitchell Johnson one wicket away from joining exclusive 300 club

Mitchell Johnson one wicket away from joining exclusive 300 club
3 HOURS AGO JULY 20, 2015 6:22PM

SHANE Warne, Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee, Brett Lee.
And in one wicket’s time, Mitchell Johnson.
The scalp of the first English sitting duck at Birmingham is all the rejuvenated Ashes destroyer needs to enter the elite class of Australian bowlers to take 300 Test wickets.
Johnson might have endured some ups and downs throughout his career, but his place in history as a fast bowling phenomenon is now assured.
As the left-armer champs at the bit on 299 for the next nine days, Australian captain Michael Clarke has revealed he made a conscious decision at Lord’s to let Johnson off the leash and revert to the attack-dog tactics that single-handedly decimate England last Ashes summer.


Johnson had transitioned into a different role bowling longer spells over the past 12 months, but after going 1-0 down in the series at Cardiff, Clarke made the call to revert back to the short, sharp bursts that tormented England last time around.
The result was a stunning Lord’s blitzkrieg as Johnson tore open mental scars in the England top order with six crucial wickets across both innings to bring himself to within an inch of going down as one of the greatest left-armers of all time.
Johnson bowled no more than four overs in a row all match, and as England crumbled to be all out for 103 on the final day, he was given a licence to destroy with explosive three and even two-over raids.
England v Australia: 2nd Investec Ashes Test - Day Four

“I think I utilised him a little bit better in this Test than I did in Cardiff,” said Clarke.
“The whole attack deserves credit because the way they bowled allows me to use Mitchell the way I did in this Test match.”
During the Cardiff slump, it was obvious from day one that Australia was off the boil.
Clarke says he could tell before a ball was even bowled at Lord’s that his senior core led by Johnson was ready to breathe fire.
“I always look at training. I can tell before a ball is bowled in the game how I think we’re going to go and the boys were switched on,” he said.
“I sensed that hunger, from the senior players in particular.
“They lead that and the younger players, they’ve got that enthusiasm and hunger anyway because they want to get out there and play.


“But I sensed that hunger for success from the senior players and we’re going to need that if we want to continue to have success in this series.”
Johnson and fellow cartel members Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will now get the chance to put their feet up in London, exempt from Australia’s tour match against Derbyshire starting on Thursday.
They’re the trio that Australia will try and take through the entire five-match series if at all possible.
Johnson suffered one of the great meltdowns of his career at Lord’s back in 2009.
But coach Darren Lehmann says the second Test was proof that Johnson’s 37-wicket Ashes summer of 2013-14 was no flash in the pan.
This is an athlete for the ages.
“He was brilliant,” said Lehmann.

“He bowled fast. He’s just a great athlete to watch, we enjoy watching him when he’s on song.
“He’s had some difficult times in England in the past but he’s a different Mitchell Johnson you see playing for Australia now.”
Josh Hazlewood finished with five wickets for the match and all-rounder Mitchell Marsh announced himself as a Test standard bowler with some crucial scalps in the context of the match.
This was a dead wicket where England only managed to take 10 wickets for the match, yet Australia’s arsenal was able to dominate.
“Our whole bowling group were fantastic, even Mitch Marsh,” said Lehmann.
“And I thought Nathan Lyon bowled beautifully as well on the final day and in the first innings.
“The whole bowling unit got us 20 wickets again, and we’ve done that for the last four Test matches. They keep finding a way, and that’s really important when you’re trying to win Test matches all the time.”

AUSSIE BOWLING CARTEL
Shane Warne 708
Glenn McGrath 563
Dennis Lillee 355
Brett Lee 310
Mitchell Johnson 299
*Johnson will be the 28th Test bowler to reach the 300 milestone

From 0 /111 runs in the first innings of Australia's defeat to England to picking up three wickets in that 405 runs victory.His career has always been an up and downside,but he has always struck back and he sure is a good weapon to have in your arsenal.