**Official** Australia in West Indies

[Magrat Garlick]

Just curious, what happened to Chatergoon who played a test against SL?

Shoulder injury.

Does any country have decent openers tho?

 

[andruid]

Shoulder injury.

Does any country have decent openers tho?

There are one or two floating around...

 

[Magrat Garlick]

There are one or two floating around...

Plural.

 

[Mister Wright]

Love waking up to reports that Symonds played a 'superb' innings. So gun.

 

[Mister Wright]

Windies certainly not out of this one. Will take a mighty effort, but it's achievable. They certainly haven't been the walkovers that we expected.

 

[Woodster]

Symonds has been very impressive in both innings. His natural ability that allows him to remain solid in defence but attack when the opportunity presents itself makes it rarely dull watching him bat, and he now seems to understand his role in the side and also his own batting and how best to structure an innings. A pivotal role around number six whether that's helping to re-build or continue the good work of the top order, two parts of Symonds batting that has really come on.

His fielding speaks very loudly for itself.

 

[roseboy64]

Parchment barely has the technique to score a 50 in test match cricket let alone 100. Should really have been out much before he actually did get out. Some of these WI openers are really so pathetic that you start to long for players of the calibre of Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds which is never a good thing.
Just curious, what happened to Chatergoon who played a test against SL?

TBH, not many West Indians are happy about Parchment being there.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

IIRC, Parchment scored two hundreds in a game for Jamaica and was suddenly the next big thing as far as the selectors are concerned. That's really all it takes sometimes for them to get fascinated with a player. A teenaged Daren Ganga scored his maiden FC hundred for T&T a decade or so ago. He was drafted in to tour South Africa and made to play in most of the games. Who knows how much that damaged him...

Adrian Barath is 18 and nowhere near ready for Test cricket, but he's oceans better than Parchment technically.

 

[roseboy64]

Not seen Barath but not hard to believe is that.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

From what I've seen he doesn't have a perfect technique, but he's certain a damn sight more impressive than Parchment. Barath has dominated every level of cricket he has played at. Hopefully he can find his feet at first class level in the near future.

 

[howardj]

The thing with MacGill is that the team used to tolerate his abrasive nature and rubbish deliveries, because a wicket-taking ball was always around the corner. Now, however, his best deliveries are bowled so infrequently and are often not good enough to get wickets in any case, that there's no reason to any longer tolerate the rubbish bowling and abrasive nature.

 

[howardj]

Loving Pommie Mbangwa on Foxtel's commentary, by the way.

Seems like an absolute peach of a bloke.

Top notch.

 

[Top_Cat]

Those odds read to me as if the bookies think Warne and McGrath are still in the team...1.36? Haha, you'd have to be a bonehead to back us at that price.

287...All it takes is a hundred from one player with a few assisting 20s here and there. Sarwan will ton up, I'm sure of it.

Ridiculous pessimism. Near 300 (and it would set a new record at Sabina Park if they got there) is a very tough chase. The logic of your second sentence is faulty too; if that's 'all it takes', why couldn't one of the Aussies do it? Could it be because the deck and pressure isn't all that easy do you think?

This is a Test match, not a ODI. The WI have a day to score 241 further runs to win on a slightly difficult wicket and they're already one down. There's no field restrictions and the Aussies have two world-class, in-form (if a bit under-done) bowlers in the line-up. The WI, if they do it, will have to have batted very, very well because every wicket exponentially ratchets up the pressure. Two of the Aussie bowlers bowled poorly in the first. I wouldn't back them to do it two innings in a row.

And I know everyone was complaining that Clark didn't get the new cherry in the first dig and didn't bowl as much as the others. That he took the new ball suggests he'll get plenty of the ball tomorrow. Hope he's limber because, like in the Adelaide Ashes win, he'll be used to bowl a long first session spell to put the brakes on, especially since they'll be starting earlier and there will be some swing about. One gets the feeling Magill is due to step-up too. Key player for the WI will be Bravo for mine. After taking a knock in the first dig and scoring a ton, Chanders will be a bit fatigued so I wouldn't back him to do it all again.

EDIT: Notice how, with two great Test finishes in the making, everyone's forgotten all about IPL?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Two of the Aussie bowlers bowled poorly in the first. I wouldn't back them to do it two innings in a row.

How often has Stuart MacGill bowled well at all lately? And Mitchell Johnson hasn't looked particularly penetrative in most of his innings.

 

[GIMH]

Ridiculous pessimism. Near 300 (and it would set a new record at Sabina Park if they got there) is a very tough chase. The logic of your second sentence is faulty too; if that's 'all it takes', why couldn't one of the Aussies do it? Could it be because the deck and pressure isn't all that easy do you think?

This is a Test match, not a ODI. The WI have a day to score 241 further runs to win on a slightly difficult wicket and they're already one down. There's no field restrictions and the Aussies have two world-class, in-form (if a bit under-done) bowlers in the line-up. The WI, if they do it, will have to have batted very, very well because every wicket exponentially ratchets up the pressure. Two of the Aussie bowlers bowled poorly in the first. I wouldn't back them to do it two innings in a row.

And I know everyone was complaining that Clark didn't get the new cherry in the first dig and didn't bowl as much as the others. That he took the new ball suggests he'll get plenty of the ball tomorrow. Hope he's limber because, like in the Adelaide Ashes win, he'll be used to bowl a long first session spell to put the brakes on, especially since they'll be starting earlier and there will be some swing about. One gets the feeling Magill is due to step-up too. Key player for the WI will be Bravo for mine. After taking a knock in the first dig and scoring a ton, Chanders will be a bit fatigued so I wouldn't back him to do it all again.

EDIT: Notice how, with two great Test finishes in the making, everyone's forgotten all about IPL?

Came in the thread to basically say that

Exciting day of Cricket ahead tomorrow. Should be able to see the bulk of both if all goes to plan

 

[JBH001]

EDIT: Notice how, with two great Test finishes in the making, everyone's forgotten all about IPL?

Thinking exactly the same thing this morning while reading the match summaries. Unfortunately, have not had the chance to watch any of the matches though, apart from a few highlights, because I have been too busy with Uni stuff. Still, will certainly watch the last day of the NZ v Eng test tonight. And yes, T_C, as you suggest, its good to see normal service has resumed with the resumption of the real cricket.

 

[Top_Cat]

How often has Stuart MacGill bowled well at all lately? And Mitchell Johnson hasn't looked particularly penetrative in most of his innings.

True and history is against them but this is the first time in some time the Aussies are facing a tough ask in a 'live' Test. Against India, the loss in Perth happened after the series was essentially over as a contest and SL presented few problems with big first innings totals. Stuart Magill is many things, most of them not good, but he's a determined bugger too. I'd back him to at least improve on his first innings performance, especially if WI lose a couple of early wickets. If I was in Ponting's ear, I'd be suggesting perhaps Midge be used as more of a shock weapon for the second dig. As soon as he throws a few wide, give him a spell and bring him back later. One thing is for certain, Ponting will be leaning heavily on Lee and Clark for the day.

 

[JBH001]

Would be so nice if Windies won though, wouldn't it?

Hell of a filip for the game too.

 

[silentstriker]

EDIT: Notice how, with two great Test finishes in the making, everyone's forgotten all about IPL?

Except the fans on this website are the absolute last people that the IPL is targeting. Most of us don't even consider limited overs proper cricket.

In any case, its fantastic to see some real cricket for a change. Unfortunately, I can only tune in to this game for a little bit due to time zone issues, but I've been watching the Eng-Nz game, and its so refreshing to watch proper cricketing skills on display.

 

[Top_Cat]

Except the fans on this website are the absolute last people that the IPL is targeting. Most of us don't even consider limited overs proper cricket.

In any case, its fantastic to see some real cricket for a change. Unfortunately, I can only tune in to this game for a little bit due to time zone issues, but I've been watching the Eng-Nz game, and its so refreshing to watch proper cricketing skills on display.

True although IPL has been pushed down the headline list on Cricinfo too.