1st Test

Got a couple of great streams this morning - watched as we looked in ease early only for a few cheap wickets to fall.

The captain forgot to drop his hands when trying to get out of the way of a bouncer - schoolboy error.

Cook got out to a nothing ball.

Ravi looked as thou the Australians had put alot of work into finding a weakness in him. Excellent probing n a sucker for my fav - the slow ball.

Ok guys - tell me what u think this pitch is going to do day 3 4 or 5 if we get there???

Too much in and out. Could be 20/20.

No matter what, it made for some good cricket and should lead to a result in the test. Draws can be a bit boring. This test will probably be over in 4 days. Depends how we bowl tomorrow.

A nothing pitch and someone could have filled their boots, but chose not to.

Slightly average opening day, if the rest get us up to around 400 tomorrow, then the likes of Broad put their share in for the wickets, then it could change...

So do u all feel 2 spinners is correct selection?

I think it would be unfair to comment on spinners until we have seen how the pitch deteoriates.

One thing we can ascertain, is that the pitch will swing and Anderson might well be laughing since he is one of the worlds best. Before people suggest we should have included Sidebottom and a host of other swingers, I would suggest that not many of our batsman got out to genuine swinging deliveries. The pitch is slow and the swing, not so hard to play. Anderson will still be a handful, since he is the best.

We need 400, or as close to and then we will struggle to lose the test from there...though with runs coming quickly, I am fairly certain we will see a result from this test and from most of the others.

The ball is definitely in Australia's court after day one... the wicket was offering very little to bowlers, very little pace, very little movement... Whilst I appreciate that the wicket could deteriorate, we will have to bat again on it still... If we were going to stand a chance of winning on what can only be described today as the perfect batting strip, we should have been looking to post 450 plus minimum, hopefully our tail will get us close.

abcdef wrote:

I think it would be unfair to comment on spinners until we have seen how the pitch deteoriates.

One thing we can ascertain, is that the pitch will swing and Anderson might well be laughing since he is one of the worlds best. Before people suggest we should have included Sidebottom and a host of other swingers, I would suggest that not many of our batsman got out to genuine swinging deliveries. The pitch is slow and the swing, not so hard to play. Anderson will still be a handful, since he is the best.

We need 400, or as close to and then we will struggle to lose the test from there...though with runs coming quickly, I am fairly certain we will see a result from this test and from most of the others.

Best where? The world - English - or his back garden?

The difference between the teams is the Aussie batsmen don't give their wicket away ,they are disciplined and once they are in and set they usually convert to big scores. None of this flashing outside off stump and reverse sweep bollocks

Need a wicket or 5 soooonn.......

*Tumbleweed*

This is a top top partnership. Am thoroughly enjoying some test batting in a test match (though not enjoying too much ).

Not giving it away, thats the key. Should make 500+ now, so the ball is our court to do something with it. Lets see...

Well, the day could gone better... Again

So now then - is that a test match standard attack?

I think we are regretting the two spinners tactic...

People seem to forget that the Aussie batsmen have grown up with the likes of McGill and Warne, class spin bowlers and they know how to play it. Our average spin bowlers are proving very ineffective. Then our pace attack of Broad and Anderson offers little variation, I am kinda stuck on Broad at the minute.. It just seems that our attack is nothing compared with the Jones, Harmison, Hoggard attack from 2005.

I would say our pace attack offers much variation. We had the problem today that the ball didnt swing, at all, for whatever reason. For the Aussies it swang all day yesterday, even at 75 overs old.

This wasnt for the lack of trying. Collingwood worked on the ball all day, but apart from the first 6 overs, it offered very little. It was an easy day of batting for the Aussies. Perhaps tomorrow will be different. The new ball might swing all day, the pitch might detereorate and they might lose 9 for 100.

We just need a little something to go our way.

Also has anyone noticed the lack of lbw decisions. From instant memory, Pietersen, Strauss and another were all lbw, some of them pretty plum and not given. Today, Katich was lbw as well, a decision I called straight away...not given. As long as its the same standard, (as it seems) there is no problem...but still...a little strange.

We only have one test match standard bowler out of this lot - thats Flintoff.

Today they were all found out - None of them had anything about them to trouble top class batsmen on a benine pitch.

Test bowlers always, at least, trouble the batsman if not getting them out and today the two century making Aussies had armchair rides to their 100.

I listened to Test Match Special today - Geoff Boycott and Ian Chappel - light years ahead of anyone on Sky's commentry team - both questioned the class of the English bowlers.

I am very happy to report Boycott is in complete agreement with me on Broad as a Test Match bowler, although he did speak higher on Anderson than I would like.

Both he n Chappel were of the opinion our two spinners are nothing to worry a top class batsman like Pointing once he is in, n prasied the other Aussie for much better improvement in tecnique n footwork since his last tour here.

When asked why the Ausses were able to swing the ball n the English not - he answerd that the Aussies are not used to the "DUKE" ball and in his opinion, no matter what writers n other commentators on other tv stations (sky) will tell you - the Aussie bowlers are very much suited to our conditions n he expects the two slower pace bowlers (Not Johnson) to move the ball through the air alot more than any of ours during this test match.

He went on - we have better bowlers suited to a pitch like this - but they have not been selected - he never expanded on who they are.

Asked if two spinners is correct - he said - It would be correct if they were both test match standard - never said which one - if either - was test match standard.

If the aussies score 600 by the end of tomorrows play - we will lose this test match - as we dont have good enough bowlers.

As I said - Test cricket is about taking 20 wickets.

19 To go then

hmm...
England's bowling does look shy of ideas and credit has to go the Katich and Punter for sensible batting against seemingly standard bowling. England's bowling is hyped up and the truth is that we are only a threat as a unit when Flintoff plays - and when the ball is swinging - take the swing away and the likes of Sidebottom and Anderson have little effect - as day 2 has shown.

A quick note on Katich - I was listening to Michael Bevan on Tuesday evening and he did point out that he will definitely be among the top batsmen of this series.

As for Broad - I decided to dip into the international cricket fan base and it seems they are all in agreement that his talent is typically over-hyped by the British media but they do acknowledge that he is a good young talent, who with experience will improve. Alot of the sub-continent fans said he wouldnt make their bowling attacks.

I know a lot of pitchs today are made flat so that teams can pile on the runs and make a good show for fans, but the point that tick says about "taking 20 wickets" is essentially what wins test matches (yes...I am a bowler,lol ). But we have to play to our strengths - so when one of the worlds best decides not to pull out of a pre-meditated sweep when the ball is chucked over a yard outside off stump - then we have to question the mentality of the batsmen.

Can you really say Siddle, H'house, Hauritz and Jhonson is a lineup capable of taking 20 test wickets?

As for the inclusion of spinners - as has been mentioned - you have to wait till day four and five in the second innings but the reporting of the pitch does seem that two will be needed to take 10 wickets. Again the quality is the question - I've never been too big a fan of monty and there has to be a response as it is obvious he will be picked by the aussies to take the attack to him, but I'd have picked him ahead of Rashid because of experience. As for Swann - he's not an agressive spinner but likes to ware the batsmen down. In the second innings is that what we need? But we have to look at what we have too.

If England lose it will be the bowling department where changes will be made, mainly with Sidebottom and Harmison knocking on the selectors door.

The new ball will be taken in the first session tomorrow and thats where we have to do the damage - because if we dont, and the aussies pile on 600 or so - then we are in trouble.

huzup wrote:

Can you really say Siddle, H'house, Hauritz and Jhonson is a lineup capable of taking 20 test wickets?

I think H'house is going to be a wicket taker this summer - loosing Lee might just have been a blessing in disguise - as it would have been touch n go between H'house n Siddle for this test.

huzup wrote:

If England lose it will be the bowling department where changes will be made, mainly with Sidebottom and Harmison knocking on the selectors door.

Dont forget Onions - wobbles it about both ways.

huzup wrote:

The new ball will be taken in the first session tomorrow and thats where we have to do the damage - because if we dont, and the aussies pile on 600 or so - then we are in trouble.

I agree - For all my against those who have been picked in this test to be our attack - I hope they manage to get a ball that does alot - so we have a chance in this game.

Much better morning - Felt the captain was very much at fault this morning - Flintoff was bowling and we had 3 fielders on the boundry - Its a test match not a one day international.

I just said this to my wife when Ian Chappel said the same thing - I was very pleased.

Well done Anderson - bowled with movement - hope he isnt offended by the news that Pointing does not rate him as a bowler to worry about and feels he is someone the Australian batsmen can get on top off - another gem of info from the TMS commentry box.

Yep - good morning of cricket.

New ball did the trick and Panesar came into the equation with a bit more spin from the pitch. Clarke looking settled and it's just a matter of making sure the aussies dont go too much over England's first innings score. Swann looks pretty useless at the mo.

Thats the most one sided session of the match so far - very worrying - n maybe we better start to hope the rain thats due tomorrow lasts alot longer than they are actully forecasting.

Bland 5 man attack - which has taken to using Collingwood - sad.

Very average bowling - Broad's having a mare - seems to be no plan for each batsman as they did in 05 - not a good way to start and only bad weather can save England from a convincing defeat.

Just gets more and more depressing. No wickets, couple of hundred more runs, and no rain Pretty grim for England.

The worst of it is, Lords is next and with a 100% guarenteed defeat there, that makes it 2-0 in the series. We won't come back from that

We must save this test...but this pitch is a batting paradise, if we cant bat out one day then we may as well pack up and go home.

Oh wait, we are at home.

Have to agree with above - I decided to watch the Tour de France this afternoon - the cricket has got that bad.

A mixture of Rain n a couple of strong partnerships may save us.