And so we move onto day five of the final test with barely a glimmer of hope.
The urn seems destined to be relinquished as another spectacular batting collapse spells our demise. They are becoming all too regular and all too spectacular.
Yet with a new day comes a new hope and six sessions on a crumbling pitch will define us. Will we go meekly as the second day or show some fight and make them win it?
For us to survive will surely mean victory with two whole days to play. Nothing short will suffice with Ponting staring down the barrel of becoming Australia's worst Ashes captain. In this test it has been the batting that has failed which he can take part of the blame but 700 in two innings from England is hardly mammoth and had we made even 100 more in the first innings we would be in with a shot.
And so to hope.
My patriotism has me believing but my mind tells me it will be curtains somewhere around tea time. While it has not been as enthralling as the 2005 series it certainly has been an eye opener.
good blog. keep it up.
ReplyDeleteMark B.
http://buyingcricketbats.com
thanks Mark B.
ReplyDeletei feel the same Nospmas, where there is light...
And further more, at least at this point of the innings we have a full card.
But there can be NO room for rashness, no bravado, no over caution, just play the loose balls for runs and stonewall the good ones.
Obvious stuff to say, but that is only a day and a session score to chase and as we know, we have that time.
If anyone goes out there with the attitude that we must just last last- we are dead!
If we lose, i call for the proposed lost Americas cup punishment... the captains head in place of the trophy; not that we have ever had it!
Ponting for mine can take most- but not all of the blame as CA seam obsessed with making one batting position redundant! I call it the Hayden syndrome, now to be retitled the Hussey syndrome!
Show some aggs Aussies, it is there to be won...or lost!
Ponting should go anyway. Great batsman, average captain. Give it to Katich for a couple of years. I don't think Clarke is ready and it would make him hungry.
ReplyDeletenever say never...if we are good enough then we will win, if not...
ReplyDeleteNot good enough ... no one is that good! We lost this one in the first innings. They bowled well - really well - and we batted badly.
ReplyDeleteHope all is well in the SV household.
make Pup hungry...i like it!
ReplyDeleteKat for Cap, why not. CA MUST get past their 'Capt until you retire' attitude! No one else does it. Sure we have had a succession of players that have deserved this luxury, but...
more to come on this issue, i promise.
all good-ish here Lango, thanks for asking and your good wishes the other night.