Mitchell Johnson to seek form in club cricket

Mitchell Johnson will take the rare step of returning to club cricket this weekend, as he aims to regain his touch in the lead-up to the Ashes. Johnson has struggled for form since returning early from the series in India, and as a player for whom time off can be a hindrance more than a blessing, he is keen to get as much on-field action as possible before the Gabba Test.

Having recently played his first game for Western Australia, despite moving there two years ago, Johnson will on Saturday line up for the Perth club side Wanneroo. He will then rejoin the Warriors for their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria, which begins at the MCG next Wednesday, before getting ready for the first Test starting on November 25.

"I'm not getting the results I would probably like in the wicket column," Johnson told reporters in Perth. "But I don't feel like I'm out of form. I guess you look at the last game against Sri Lanka on Sunday and I felt really good. I was speaking to Brad Haddin, we normally talk to each other about how things are going for each other, and he just said go out there and bowl fast, and that's what I did and he said I looked really good.

"I don't feel like I'm out of form, I just feel a little bit off the mark. Hopefully I've got it right for the Ashes. The last time I played grade cricket, I was in Brisbane maybe four years ago. I remember it quite well. I was at our home ground. It was actually a nice, fast week so it was quite exciting for me. [I'm] looking forward to this weekend. Get a bit more bowling in before a big Ashes series."

Johnson was wayward in the ODI series against Sri Lanka this month, when he collected 1 for 128 across the three matches. However, he did show some signs of improvement in the final match at the Gabba, although Mitchell Starc and Clint McKay reaped the rewards.