The Australians have recorded their maiden first-class victory on this tour of England, but the path to a Test triumph appears more treacherous by the day. Another dispiriting performance from Mitchell Johnson has cast significant doubt over his mechanical and mental readiness for Edgbaston, and placed the one-time spearhead in grave danger of the axe.
Johnson conceded at least one boundary in each of his first six overs on Sunday; a streak that could have stretched to seven but for the negative tactic to bowl short and wide of the Northamptonshire batsmen in the closing stages of his spell. His main persecutor, Niall O'Brien, is more notable for his work behind the stumps for Ireland than his first-class average of 27.68, but the left-hander was made to look every bit the specialist batsman after thumping Johnson for seven of his nine boundaries en route to 58, scored in better than even time.
Johnson's woes also extended to the field, where he dropped Ben Howgego at mid-on off the bowling of Stuart Clark, but it was his analysis of 1 for 65 from 11.1 overs - ending a match in which he dismissed a solitary tailender, and conceded runs at close to six-per-over against a second-division county line-up - that might have tipped the selection scales against him. Demotion at Edgbaston would represent a stunning fall from grace for a bowler who, barely a month ago, arrived on these shores touted as the world's most dangerous paceman and charged with leading Australia's Ashes defence.
Johnson conceded 45 runs in his opening seven-over burst, and his second spell in the final hour of play proved similarly disappointing. Bowling to the Northamptonshire tail, Johnson watched forlornly as his eighth over was dispatched for 12 runs. His next, a maiden, was greeted with a rousing Bronx cheer from the Wantage Road pavilion, as was his eventual dismissal of David Wigley - concluding a stretch of 35 wicketless overs, dating back to the first innings of the Lord's Test.
"He didn't bowl as well as he would have liked at Lord's," said Tim Nielsen, the Australian coach. "He had some times today when he went for four, five and six an over with the ball flying through gully and slip. That's the nature of the beast.
