After yesterday's potentially match winning partership between Hussy and Haddin we totted off to bed all warm and safe in the notion that Australia would once again triumph in Brisbane. All manner of sins forgotten amid the elation of twin centuries and damn near a double. What is now becoming more apparent by the minute is how important the failure of most of our line up was as Strauss and Cook eat away at our lead. If only our top order or tail end could have offered some sort of resistance and maybe a hundred or so more runs our total and lead would have at the very least made sure that we could not lose this test. As it is we are faced with the very real possibility of a tricky run chase on the last day.
Let's face it Australia were a bad umpiring call away from being bowled out for two hundred going on the return from our tail end and would almost surely be staring defeat in the face by now. The pitch is still good and England have all their wickets in hand and only a deficit of less than a hundred to navigate. After that the test is square and it becomes a case of how many we chase and how long we have to get them, or hold on.
We need to win this test and take full advantage of the two H's partership otherwise England will take far more from Brisbane than we will. We really needed to bury them yesterday and should have made them bowl out the entire day. As it is we now rely on a catastrophic England batting collapse to regain the ascendancy which doesn't seem likely.
Absolutely right - the importance of the result from Brisbane cannot be overstated. Much like the psychological impact of Cardiff last year, if Aus do not win this test it will be partly felt as a loss as the inability to break the opening partnership; much less getting into the middle order and tail, will hurt the bowlers incredibly. I don't worry too much about the 'what could have been' as that is cricket. Every good innings has some element of luck. But, if you're bowling lineup doesn't even look like making the first breakthrough you are in real trouble.
ReplyDeleteWe can expect to see Hussey bowl before too long and that's never a good sign. Whereas Watson has been a partnership breaker quite successfully for 18 months now not much seems to be going Aus' way. Good test for Doherty now if Ponting gives him a long spell and a decent field. Bowling left arm into left handers is not ideal but I notice North is on at the moment. If he keeps getting picked because of his spin I'll be disappointed!
Great platform for Eng being only 35 behind. Set up for KP to blast away with Broad, Swann and Prior building a decent lead and putting Aus under huge pressure. With cracks opening up and the pitch taking turn Aus won't like chasing many at all. This is supposed to be when Johnson spruiks out of his usual wayward rubbish to produce some blinders and grabbing 3 poles thus finishing with decent figures having only bowled a handful of decent deliveries.
Come on boys!
on th radio this morn, Skull basically said that Jono can spray across the r/hders all day and no one will stick a bat out...why would you?
ReplyDeleteMe I like it when the lefties stray across me too far. Unleash my fave shot, the cut.
ReplyDeleteReckon Johnson is done (or should be), not delivered anything this test and not looking like doing so.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone got any issues with the pitch??? Not a usual green top Brissie pitch and just keeps holding together... England will not want to set any sort of a decent target (why would they) on this road, then we have Adelaide to look forward to (looking forward to it myself immensly).
Alem Daar has had a great test as well, just thought I would put that out there.
Hoping Pomgolia will try to win and set some sort of target for the Aussies to chase.
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ReplyDeleteDespite the much slower scoring rate in the last session, during which the new ball was seen off, England have end the day as emphatically as Australia did only twenty four hours earlier. How can one side then the other, be so dominant?
ReplyDeleteThe answer lies in a placid Brisbane wicket which spent too much time under covers in the two weeks leading up to the toss and very little being baked by the Brisbane sun. As a result, its covering is still very well woven together, despite the appearance of the cracks. There was little deviation of the cracks today because the grass cover is still holding, making this in effect, a third day wicket. Tomorrow should be different but is there enough time or enough gamble in either captain to chase a win? Strauss will be happy to bat on and on and continue to build the England lead. He doesn't have to look for victories. A draw in Brisbane, given the Australian record at the Gabbatoir, is as good as a win for England because it is also one less match Australia have to play with to manufacture an Ashes victory.
The batting of England's top three has done more than set up an interesting last day. It has also made a loud statement of the English intent and exposed Australia's most glaring weakness with the ball - apart from Johnson - the lack of a spinner. As much as I didn't value Hauritz, I rather think he would have done a better job than the rookie, whose name Warnie can't pronounce ... Eggzavia. The left arm greek orthodox tried hard but he didn't have the armaments for the battle he was fighting.
Ponting was left with no options but that was by tea. In the last session, the new ball was taken to defensive fields and all but Hilfenhaus wasted it. The Tasmanian has been our best bowler during this Test, regardless of the Siddle first innings effort and will bowl a lot worse in other games and yet take bags full. Siddle again bowled too short - a remarkably poor effort considering the evidence of his first innings length and the result there in. Johnson doesn't belong and won't until he gets his left up closer to the vertical and has his run up running through the crease rather than stopping as he delivers. North was tried for the only wicket then fell too short himself. Had Katich not been injured, he would have been an option worth trying. At least he spins the ball! On top of all that, the Australians final review was wasted when the ball was clearly missing Trott's off stump.
What of tomorrow? England will bat and bat. Don't expect Strauss to manufacture a declaration even though the pitch will turn tomorrow and jump off those cracks. Swann could be a factor if he is done licking his wounds but a draw looks the most comfortable bet. I'd like to believe an Australian will perform some magic feat with the ball but I'm having trouble dreaming up the culprit. Hilfenhaus is my only thought. If Australia do chase, watch Swann carefully. He couldn't bowl that badly twice in a match.
Great summary Lango. The weather leading up to the test perhaps made it hard to leave the pitch uncovered. In any case I watched most of the day's play yesterday and Aus didn't trouble Eng whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteStrauss' comments just 5 mins ago didn't indicate he was thinking too much of grabbing a win but surely he can't just bat the whole day?!? A draw would certainly be a huge step for Eng but you'd have to go for a 1 nil lead, wouldn't you? Eng just have to draw the series admittedly but making Aus go for wins straight from the 2nd test puts Eng in the driver's seat. We'll learn a lot about Strauss' mindset today I think.
It's a god damned batting clinic at the Gabba. They better serve up better in Adelaide or I'm gonna have something to yell over the fence at them.
ReplyDeleteWoeful Australia.