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Nathan Lyon - Performance Watch

Marshland

Marshland

First Class Star
Joined
Jul 21, 2012
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3,846
Nathan Lyon, the Australia offspinner, is nearing a rare century. Australia's leading Test spinners have overwhelmingly been of the leg variety - Shane Warne, Richie Benaud, Clarrie Grimmett, Stuart MacGill and Bill O'Reilly top the wicket list. You can count on one hand the number of Australian offspinners who have taken 100 Test wickets, but Lyon is poised to join Hugh Trumble, Ashley Mallett, Bruce Yardley and Ian Johnson on that list, the first player in 30 years to reach the milestone.

Lyon will begin the Boxing Day Test on 95 wickets. Playing enough Tests to take that many is an achievement in the post-Warne era, given the way Australia's selectors rotated through the slow bowlers until settling on Lyon. Exciting he may not be, but Lyon has provided important variety for Michael Clarke and has been steady enough to maintain the pressure built up by the fast bowlers during this Ashes series.

"If I get there it'll be a great achievement, but we're worried about getting a 4-0 result here and then, when I finish my career, I'll worry about my results," Lyon said. "I just want to keep bowling well and keep contributing to Australian cricket and hopefully if I play my role and everyone plays their role in the team we'll get our result.

"I'm definitely confident about my own skill to get the job done, there's no doubt about that. There's a great feeling in the team at the moment. Everyone's playing together and everyone wants each other to do well. It's a great feeling and I'm very proud to be a part of it."

Lyon has outbowled his England counterpart Graeme Swann in this series and was surprised to learn that Swann had retired in the lead-up to the Melbourne Test, ending the career of a man Lyon had respected greatly. While the majority of successful offspinners in recent years have been from the subcontinent, often boasting doosras and other unusual varieties, Lyon and Swann are of the more traditional breed.

"He's someone I certainly looked up to and learnt my craft off just watching on the TV," Lyon said. "He's been a pleasure to play against and I've had a couple of chats with him. It's a credit to him and his career and I wish him all the best.

"Just his consistency [has] been fantastic, and the way he puts the ball in different spots in different ways. I get a lot out of just watching it. Credit to Graeme Swann, he's been fantastic and he's going to be missed for cricket in general, but it's a big positive for Australia, there's no doubt about it. He's been the menace for Australia over the last few years."

Swann's consistency is a trait Lyon would like to emulate, and he knows that while he bowled well in Brisbane and Perth this series, he was disappointed with his output in Adelaide. However, at only 26, and with less than three years as a first-class cricketer to call upon, Lyon is still learning his craft. For now, he is happy to hold up an end and let the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris take the majority of the attention.

"Not one of us is concerned who takes wickets so long as one of us in the bowling group is taking wickets and we're able to take 20 wickets in a Test match," he said. "That's our goal. If Mitchell Johnson keeps taking seven-fors and five-fors, I'm more than happy about that. It's going to be someone's day. We just have to keep working together as a team unit and keep enjoying it."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2013-14/content/story/703333.html?CMP=chrome
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One of the most underrated bowlers/spinners going around. Always does the job asked of him and isn't a rank tailender with the bat either. Now that Swann has left the game, he is up there with say, Rangana Herath from Sri Lanka in my book.
 
Done quite well for himself has Garry
 
Swann doesn't rate him though.

"He's a nice bowler, Lyon," Swann said.

"I think he can go on and have a nice career for Australia. I'm not sure in England, because England is the hardest place in the world to bowl spin. Unfortunately he'll get smashed around the next time he plays the Ashes in England."
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England is the hardest place in the world to bowl spin.
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He can't be serious!? Australia is the hardest place for an off-spinner, not England. Many spinners have done well in England including Murali who has even won a test for Sri Lanka at Nottingham. Nothing to show down under however.
 
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England is a good place to bowl offies, Australia is a nightmare for offies which makes lyon's record here pretty impressive.
 
I played Nathan in the nets couple years before his debut, really happy and amazed too see him now. He does a soild job which is all that Australia needs
 
trogger said:
England is a good place to bowl offies, Australia is a nightmare for offies which makes lyon's record here pretty impressive.
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It's just yet another self-glorification statement from Swann, a la Warne style. By stating that England is "the toughest" backyard for spinners, it consigns him into a legend in a backhanded, self-anointed way, which he most clearly is not.
 
Haroon786 said:
Decent bower, but nothing more than that.
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He's actually pretty good. Has had a top Ashes series so far. 1/39 and 3/70 at the WACA where no spinner does well, similar story in Brisbane where he ended up with 4/63 overall.
 
What people forget about Garry is just how little experience he has had.
His first test match was the same year as his first class debut and about his 5th first class match. Until December 2010 (last home Ashes series) he was mowing the lawn of the Adelaide Oval and occasionaly a spare net bowler for South Australia.
Around August 2011 he was in the test team.

So yes at times (especially last summer against South Africa) he didn't have the confidence to attack when he should have but that was an experience thing.
 
Marshland said:
He's actually pretty good. Has had a top Ashes series so far. 1/39 and 3/70 at the WACA where no spinner does well, similar story in Brisbane where he ended up with 4/63 overall.
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Bowlers tend to do well in their own home country, so Lyon may have a higher average in Asia than in Australia.
 
Haroon786 said:
Bowlers tend to do well in their own home country, so Lyon may have a higher average in Asia than in Australia.
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Since Yardley I don't think any offies have done well in Australia though
 
Haroon786 said:
Bowlers tend to do well in their own home country, so Lyon may have a higher average in Asia than in Australia.
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He has held his own in Asia - took a 5-fer for 34 on a Sri Lankan debut where he picked up the wickets of Sangakkara and Matthews. Also took out Tendulkar, Kohli and Sehwag in his first Indian match.

And I am pretty sure he will enjoy the UAE as well.
 
Marshland said:
He has held his own in Asia - took a 5-fer for 34 on a Sri Lankan debut where he picked up the wickets of Sangakkara and Matthews. Also took out Tendulkar, Kohli and Sehwag in his first Indian match.

And I am pretty sure he will enjoy the UAE as well.
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Considering the way Pakistan played Imran Tahir, than he'll probably get a couple of tenfers in the UAE.
 
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He's a decent offie and still developing, given his late start/almost non-existant first class career.

He's never run through a team on day 4 or 5 and may not ever do that but he picks his share of wickets and can play a role if the attack around him is strong and has strike bowlers, as this current line up does.
 
Convict said:
Averaged 40 in Australia and 28 in England.
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Ah ok. Yeah can't think of any others. Greg Mathews & Funky Miller maybe but they'd probably average 40 too and it's hard to seperate Millers mediums from his offies.
 
Marshland said:
Even Nathan Hauritz has been quite successful against Pakistan as of a few years ago...
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Still think we'll win the series in the UAE, have better spinners and our batting is improving.
 
Convict said:
Swann doesn't rate him though.
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Hmm, I think he can get better. Iron Lyon Zion has 95 wickets at 33 each, s/r 65 so that is comparable to Monty. Not such a matchwinner as the English Son of Sardar SLA but more reliable day-in-day-out.

I understand Swann's comment because English and Welsh tracks are usually slow seamers and no good for spin, apart from sometimes The Oval and sometimes Old Trafford. But he spun it so hard with so much drift that he could get something out of most of them.

Actually these days they are no good for seam either.....
 
Wow. He's silently achieved this.Decent bowler
 
And he's done it. Possibly a match winning haul here.
 
Very good bowler. Mentally tough as well. Got thrashed in India in 1st test, was dropped but returned with a 7-fer. Now doing the job in the Ashes too. England gifted him the wickets but he has been superb in this series.
 
Very competent bowler, half his wickets come because the batsmen are too casual looking at his unassuming nature
 
Well, ENG handed him three today.

He's benefiting from the very strong pace attack he supports. people are taking chances against him because the quicks deny them scoring opportunities.
 
Robert said:
Well, ENG handed him three today.

He's benefiting from the very strong pace attack he supports. people are taking chances against him because the quicks deny them scoring opportunities.
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Well that's his job. Australia have very good pace depth and we don't have a great spinner. Lyon is test standard and plays his role in the attack perfectly and always chips in with a few wickets.
 
He's young as well. Australia need more spinners of good quality though which has been their problem for a while.
 
Australia really need a legspinner. Offies are useless these days unless they bowl with a bent arm or something. Swann was an exception.
 
Convict said:
Well that's his job. Australia have very good pace depth and we don't have a great spinner. Lyon is test standard and plays his role in the attack perfectly and always chips in with a few wickets.
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Aye, Lyon has the support that Hauritz lacked.
 
should end with 400 test wickets which surely make him an australian legend considering the fact that they do not have a rich history of offies
 
Leo23 said:
should end with 400 test wickets which surely make him an australian legend considering the fact that they do not have a rich history of offies
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400 looks very very difficult,
I would say at max he would retire with 350 wickets
 
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A underated spinner who seems to have improved in subcontinent conditions.
 
Nathan Lyon's burnt toast stops play during Sheffield Shield clash in Brisbane

Test spinner confesses to cooking blunder that led to fire alarm and Shield game being temporarily halted

Test spinner Nathan Lyon has confessed to a comical culinary blunder that led to NSW's JLT Sheffield Shield match against Queensland being delayed by around 30 minutes.

Umpires suspended play on Wednesday afternoon at Allan Border Field due to a fire alarm that forced the evacuation of the Stuart Law Stand, which houses both teams, the scorers and the media.

Play eventually resumed before Lyon sheepishly confirmed it was he who had caused the delay, with a burnt piece of toast setting off the alarm.

"(The toast) popped up first and I wasn't happy so I put it back down and I got carried away watching the cricket," Lyon said dryly.

"It happens every second week (at home), I reckon. "I was getting a bit bored in the changerooms.

"Steve Smith already said he's going to cover it (the fire truck call-out fee).

Lyon confirmed he had intended to spread peanut butter on the toast before the mishap.

Play had continued for a number of deliveries despite the alarm sounding but once umpires were alerted to the evacuation, players and officials were taken from the field for safety reasons.

Perplexed players, among them Test stars Smith, Usman Khawaja and David Warner, looked on and grouped together at the edge of the outfield as two fire trucks arrived at the ground.

NSW were 4-110, needing just 18 more runs to win, when play was stopped, but the all clear was given to resume the match around 30 minutes later. NSW went on to record a six-wicket victory, the win coming just before a downpour in Brisbane that would have delayed the match even further.

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/quee...lan-border-field-brisbane/2017-11-15?mode=amp
 
Bizarre incident! In any other setting, we would be calling for ACU!
 
And mean while in Zimbabwe, cricket is still being played despite an ongoing military takeover.
 
Enjoy his bowling, very clean, and fresh to see legit spinners in the test arena
 
You are watching the development of the GOAT offspinner. Stay tuned.
 
He's finally learned to read the batsman whereas previously relied on his captain to do most of the work while he went through the motions.
 
He should have mental sessions with Warne on how to further impose himself. He's improved but he could be so much more dangerous with the skills he's bowling.
 
One good thing about his bowlers my is that he seldom bowls a hit-me delivery. Keeps it very tight.
 
Lyon's final Ashes stats:

21 wickets @ 29. His strike rate wasn't amazing (74) but he took a lot of top order wickets.
 
Nathan Lyon was smashed for 34 runs in one over

http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/42919081

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On missing out on the sixth six, he added: "I probably was disappointed, especially in an England shirt. It would have been nicer to get the final one too but if you're hitting 34 off an over you can't complain."
 
Lyon will end up with 400 test wickets imo - remarkable for an Aussie finger spinner.
 
Far better bowler than ashwin and he has the patience to bowl his stock ball and not look for fancy things every other ball. Ashwin bowling compared to him is mediocre if you compare both.
He looks like getting a wicket every over
 
Great bowler but I feel we gifted him too many wickets today. Also our playing style against traditional offies is pathetic.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Great bowler but I feel we gifted him too many wickets today. Also our playing style against traditional offies is pathetic.
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This. Last few wickets were literally gifted to him by likes of Rahane and Shami.
 
Reyansh2017 said:
Far better bowler than ashwin and he has the patience to bowl his stock ball and not look for fancy things every other ball. Ashwin bowling compared to him is mediocre if you compare both.
He looks like getting a wicket every over
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Ashwini is medicore in comparison to Lyon? Now I have heard all
 
MP2011 said:
This. Last few wickets were literally gifted to him by likes of Rahane and Shami.
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He enticed them by bowling wide of off-stump and slower because he knew they were going to slog.

Warne practically called out the last few wickets to fall because it was obvious.
 
Lyon was absolutely brilliant once again. His bowling goes a level above against us. Thanks to Pujara for blunting him for a large part else he was threatening to bowl us out under 175-200.

Ashwin has looked a pale shadow of him in the 4th innings so far.
 
cricketindiafan said:
Lyon was absolutely brilliant once again. His bowling goes a level above against us. Thanks to Pujara for blunting him for a large part else he was threatening to bowl us out under 175-200.

Ashwin has looked a pale shadow of him in the 4th innings so far.
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Post 2012-13 which offie hasn't looked threatening against us? I remember Duminy causing havoc in the 2013 series. We play leggies and SLAs way better these days. I can only imagine what a prime Murali would do this batting order even on a flat wicket. We are unable to smother the spin, aren't great sweepers, not good dance skills (down the track), indecisive footwork (not fully forward or fully back), zero will/skill to play against the off spin.

I thought Lyon was mediocre for most parts this innings, too short for my liking. Also our brainfade towards the end of our innings gifted him many cheap wickets. He bowled much better in the 2014 Adelaide test and the 2017 home series.
 
Swashbuckler said:
Post 2012-13 which offie hasn't looked threatening against us? I remember Duminy causing havoc in the 2013 series. We play leggies and SLAs way better these days. I can only imagine what a prime Murali would do this batting order even on a flat wicket. We are unable to smother the spin, aren't great sweepers, not good dance skills (down the track), indecisive footwork (not fully forward or fully back), zero will/skill to play against the off spin.

I thought Lyon was mediocre for most parts this innings, too short for my liking. Also our brainfade towards the end of our innings gifted him many cheap wickets. He bowled much better in the 2014 Adelaide test and the 2017 home series.
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Lyon and to an extent Moeen Ali. Can't remember Dilruwan Perera, Tharindu Kaushal, Harmer, Jeetan Patel, Chase, Mark Craig, Mehdy Hasan or Gareth Batty doing much damage
 
Are the Indians still saying they are just gifting him wickets and he is average?

He has improved every year he's played Test cricket and he's now top drawer.
 
He is Australia's best bowler at the moment, outperformed the pacers in last the two tests.
 
Such an underrated bowler. I didn't rate him for years but now he deserves so much credit for all his efforts. Hope be continues to be successful in the future too
 
Pk716 said:
I know he is an impact player. But still don't know why some critics call him G. O. A. T when he avgs like 32 that's not even close to great .
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Yes average wise he doesnt look as great but he is only 2nd to Harbhajan Singh in terms of test wickets by an off spinner and will take over him in next couple of years most probably.

Also not to forget that he plays most of his cricket in Australia which isnt that great a place for finger spinners to ball, which effects his average and that is one of the reasons Australia generally hasnt produced a lot of world class finger spinners.
 
Best Test spinner in the world at the moment ahead of Jadeja.
 
Pk716 said:
I know he is an impact player. But still don't know why some critics call him G. O. A. T when he avgs like 32 that's not even close to great .
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wickets per test are a bit more important measurement imo
 
sad thing is he could have had a decent limited overs career as well, only by the end of this world cup the aus found out he should have been in the limited overs sides for the past 5 years
 
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