SCG day 2

Lunch day 2- 8/230

Jono batting well, but you can bet it will be over soon after lunch. But if he can get Australia to 270+ at least Beer can be used for attacking.

With the track flattening out England could still be batting late on day 4!
Here's what HAS to happen.
Smith must get some wickets to justify his inclussion, he has not kept his head down while batting so i hope he can hit the spot.

Jono and Hilf must get wickets too otherwise they'll just have to wear the label of "conditions" bowlers.

I hope the players have a bit of self belief because i think this next session is the one where Australia either lose the Ashes or square the series.

a dry one from me, but that was
stoph verismo
down the wicket

as Gough said, "It's time."

the Ashes series has started (well, in 2 hours after this posting), but the war of words and tabloid BS is in full swing in Blighty and well, here too.

The centre for "quality" journalism is going flat chat tearing strips off Ponting, with headlines and copy such as: You're once, twice, three times a loser (and we love you for that, Ricky!). Bring on those saggy greens. Strauss invoked the jaw-jutting spirit of Douglas Jardine on the eve of the Ashes battle and welcomed Mitchell Johnson's threat of a bouncer war".

Under the headline "Sick Rick", The Sun said that Ponting heads into the opening Test "looking like a man about to be publicly executed".

"Out of form, ageing and with an unforgiving Australian public loading their bullets, Ponting knows he has a huge target strapped to his chest".

The Mirror was keen to keep the focus largely on the game, expecting the walls of Australia's Gabba fortress to "come crumbling down within a week".


anyway, who cares what they think- for opinion that really counts, here is mine - polemic or otherwise, but totally correct; because i am stoph verismo!

the toss of the coin is exactly that- a toss. so there is no point banging on about ifs and buts; it will be humid on a green top- win the toss BOWL! and get out for a bat in after tea.

Doherty- i don't know. He is there for KP and Trott, apart from that, he better be able to "shut down" runs. i agree with Rod Hogg and think the Rug as opener with Hilf was the way to go as Jono MUST NOT open bowl; he prefers not to, as does his record.

also while on Rodd Hogg- he and Jon Anderson gave Hilditch an honest spray in their column "Chin Music". They were good value last summer, and i predict they will be the biggest hit of the Ashes.

While mentioning Jono, i've got to say, his threats of a bouncer barrage -particularly against African Andy #2- seem pointless to me unless he can find a MUCH better line... and if ALL the quicks learn to bowl a sandshoe-crusher!

Anyway, this is the only ground i'm prepared to give Strauss after he hauled out the standard English shit stirrer response to the actual Ashes not coming here should we win, "It is too fragile and is at the home of cricket for a reason." Sorry AA, what was that reason? the home of TEST CRICKET is the MCG, and the Ashes represents Test cricket between Australia and England, not cricket on the whole! i know you are only saying this to get a rise out of us Andy, but it only makes a fool of you when you are getting the relevance wrong. Learn your history...son!

and to finish up:
my vote for the 2 best bits of media today: we've all heard of the Gabba referred to as Fortress Gabba- but Will Swanton's label of the "Gabbattoir" is the best i've heard in a while.
and as a leggie, i like Robert Craddock's: "In this country, leg spinners are the stars while offies are the road crew, harassed from all quarters, and seen as tradesman of last resort."

this has been brought to you by Stoph Verismo
down the wicket


ps. another ton to Hodge...hmmmmm

Let's get serious.

OK Boys, instead of picking apart the selectors after they have announced the team I thought I would take the chance to get shouted down (or not) and name my 12 for Brisbane.
Note:
Katich is picked if his thumb is ok, if not Jaques comes in.
No specialist spinner on this deck for me, White can handle 10 - 15 overs a day if needed.
If Bollinger is unfit McKay comes in.

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Clarke
4. Khawaja
5. Ponting (C)
6. Watson
7. White
8. Haddin
9. Siddle
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

12. Smith

Round 1

Who didn't enjoy that?
I feel asleep before the start of play -pathetic i know, but i do get up bloody early every day!- and woke to see 3/94 with Hilfenhaus wrapping KP on the pads for a big appeal.
Johnson's following over looked the goods too.

Seeing the wickets (good catch Huss!) and Bopara get the ball to the throat bodes well for a bat in the last session; especially if Collingwood keeps pulling with his eyes closed!

Hauritz in and England with 2 spinners: so everyone thinks it's a bunsen, you better get wickets Haury!

back to you Stuey, MO and Damo.

more fun than you can poke a willow stick at!

I can't believe i haven't posted much lately... probably got to do with being ridiculously busy.
The reason why i can't believe it is because there is so much going on in the cricket world.

Firstly the IPL: after a average start to the comp, it looks like Warnies mob are winding up again; funny thing how well he captains... maybe he missed his true calling! He has bowled a couple of good spells too, and one average one. It is clearly enough to get people asking would he go to England? Obviously he will, only to neck pints and pies in the stand!

Hughes is having fun in Blighty at the moment too; back to back tons. Clearly a good way to ensure he has a spot in the test side once the Ashes begin. Maybe Brad Hodge should push for a spot in the Ashes side as a bowler after his 3-24 off 4 overs! It might be the only way in for him!

And to merge the two paragraphs above- T20 and England, we hear now that the ECB want to develop a rival 20-20 comp for the English summer called P20. What a joke! The plan is to have it based on the county sides and yet wants to draw in big name internationals; like the Raj now has the money to compete against India! When is the ICC going to look at an international club competition? Like the champions league, but with enough dollars to keep the splitters happy and consolidate this need to play a competition like this. IPL, ICL, Stanford, P20 etc and whatever. I understand peoples reservations against T20, i myself- while preferring test- am just happy to have any cricket, but let's get some consistency and uniformity to T20 at a level outside of international competition.

What else is news? India are prepared to give ICL players permission to play again if they end their connection with ICL; how generous of them!
Brett Lee looks likely to be called back up again... according to himself. It might be a bit of a shite-fight with Johnson and Siddle totally worthy of their positions, Clark fit again (but lacking form yet), Hilfenhaus needed to provide swing in England and a spinner likely to figure in the equation.
Another offie being pinged for chucking whilst playing against Australia, then Ajmal got fined for having a sook in the media accusing Watson of dobbing on him! Boo Hoo!

See, it is all happening, and i haven't even mentioned the Australian/Paki results in UAE... any takers?

stoph verismo
down the wicket

Durban Demolition

The "green Mamba" pitch at Durban strikes again and its venom is clearly getting stronger as the days click over.

Australia's lower order folded at 352, a score that at any other time would be considered the bare minimum to defend and stay competitive. With all the talk of Johnson now pushing all-rounder status, a duck seemed to burst that bubble and one could not help but wonder if some of the hype had gone to his head... then he was given the ball!

Johnson, showing that he is now well entrenched as an international cricketing superstar, battered South Africa into a bloody pulp! With able assistance from McDonald, and another super tight and constrictive bowling effort from Siddle, Australia truly appear to have the bowling formula and combinations required now to take twenty wickets. Of course a front line spinner is the one key element missing, but unless Hilfenhaus takes it up another notch his position may well be used as the interchange bench. As previously stated, clearly it is desirable to give him as much test experience as possible when England will offer him the best conditions for his talents.

Where as in the Sydney test with Smith missing due to his hand injury Australia felt they had a real chance, his absence again (thanks to a 151km/h Johnson missile) looks unlikely to be the decisive factor in a match where more Australian batsman compiled some sort of score than South Africans. Hussey must consider his 50 a career saver given his recent test form. McKenzie just doesn't do enough regularly and one can't help but wonder how he keeps his spot when RSA cricket looks so good now!

Still, given the momentous turn-arounds all summer between these sides, only a fool would write South Africa off at this (or any!) stage. With two days to go, it once again seems likely that the competitive nature and skills of these teams will provide a full five days of test cricket.

Lee? Clark? Either? Neither?

So if Brett and Stuart were fully fit and rearing to go would you pick them???
Highpathetical obviously....so in this case there are no injuries to Siddle, Johnson or any other Aussie bowler.

Clarke over Lee surely (I reckon Brett is done) and only to make sure Clark is match fit for the tour of Pomgolia.

Personally I dont think there should be any change and the next bowlers in line for a crack should come from:
Harwood (So many reasons, even cricket ones)
Bollinger (A Sub-Editors wet dream)
Bracken (Does he have the head for the 5 day game? methinks he does)
Davis (I know, I know another Left armer)
Any other young up and comer who lives fast, bowls fast, breathes fire, and aches to kill his first batsman with a piece of leather.

Any others?

It's time to let all the up and comers know that we have wiped the slate clean and the spots are there for the taking.

Unless your from NSW

Outside Sledge
downthewicket

Damned Duminy!

Ponting must be scratching his head thinking, "what happened?" last night in the 1st ODI against SA. After being tied down for a while at the crease, Australia posted a competitive score and then began supporting it well enough.

Duminy AGAIN looked like he has no real threats within the Australian line-up, and the "weakest link" in the SA side -McKenzie- actually got some runs against his name! At this time the game was in a nice- though somewhat boring- point of balance; then that balance tipped decidedly Australia's way, with quick wickets.

Enter A.Morkel! In one Hilfenhaus over the game was effectively taken away from Ponting.
This post is not a criticism, as i think Ponting worked his bowlers and his field well- ably assisted by Clarke- when it was clear Morkel was there to win the match; evident by the HUMONGOUS and STRAIGHTEST drive imaginable! The big issue was the 'setting-in' of Duminy to steady the innings and allow a powerhouse hitter like Morkel to save the day.

I'm sure the Aussie bowlers have a plan (each) for Duminy, but what ever it may be, it plainly isn't working; he is such a talent!
I don't have one - although Flem on the radio said a series of short ones (not necessarily bouncers)and then jammed in at his feet is what he'd do... old school, but worth a try!

Of concern was the amount of wides bowled by our bowlers too: Tait and Hilf gave away too much down leg side; it is not like they don't know that it will be called if it is even an inch off the pads!

While all is not "doom and gloom" after this game, i think the biggest thing highlighted was that, even when the ball/runs ratio is close, the longer periods of 'tied down' play in ODI mean the death of the format to T20.... my 20c.

stoph verismo
downthewicket