*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[social]

It takes a longer time to put your hands up to your face than it does to drop your hands down. It was an error of judgement, he went for the hook then realised that it was too quick for him and tried to get out of the way and failed to do so. Its not about reflexes, its about making an error in judgement. It happens so I guess I am being a bit too critical off him.

It was a great ball that produced an error from the batsman

Nothing more to say so let's move on

 

[superkingdave]

I hate these dead pitches.

I'm prepared to wait till both sides have batted for final judgement, but really this is exactly the pitch a lot of people, myself included, expected to be produced at Cardiff.

 

[King Pietersen]

Imagine Strauss without a helmet.

Imagine most modern players without helmets. There aren't many genuinely good players of the short delivery around anymore. Far too many players nowadays take their eyes off the ball.

 

[Briony]

Imagine most modern players without helmets. There aren't many genuinely good players of the short delivery around anymore. Far too many players nowadays take their eyes off the ball.

True, it something old timers such as Chappell bemoan, the fact that youngers aren't taught to watch the ball because they have a helmet they can rely upon.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Imagine Strauss without a helmet.

Bopara without one would be worse. He'd have had his first 3 visitors in hospital by now.

 

[Jono]

Hauritz has bowled ok until that last over whilst Clarke has simply been crap

Unfortunately, the wicket is so slow that the batsmen can simply adjust to anything after it has pitched

Yeah I was out and then watched a bit of the Tour de France.

Switched to see two horrid overs from Hauritz and Clarke.

You can't bowl short outside off with that field on this track.

 

[Top_Cat]

Time to go around the wicket against KP? Sweeping with impunity. Would be annoying the piss out of Hauritz.

 

[superkingdave]

Another Hauritz no ball, Imagine Richard's co-workers are going to be in a world of pain if he's listening to this on the work radio.

 

[oitoitoi]

reckon this one's a draw fro sure. horrible bowling this, shades of nagpur in ponting's captaincy today, as much as I've been slating macdonald, perhaps he should have played ahead of hauritz, personally would have played clark.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

Great session for England. Did their job, got out of a hole, let's get after Hauritz after tea.

 

[Jono]

Mo Matthews is so awesome.

Martyn is mehish, and MacGill is seriously weird hosting. His description of Mitch then was awful.

 

[superkingdave]

Draws a great price at 5/4 right now, Australia at 15/4 is ridiculous as well

 

[Scaly piscine]

This is exactly the sort of pitch I expected. Although it should have been pretty obvious to everyone. They wanted a pitch that got as much as their ECB bribe back that stole the match from a genuine Test venue. They wanted a pitch that turned. As it happens this is exactly the sort of pitch Cardiff produces anyway - a piss poor substandard slow wicket.

 

[social]

Draws a great price at 5/4 right now, Australia at 15/4 is ridiculous as well

15/4 is crazy in a 2 horse race at tea on the first day when one team is 160-3 on a dead, slow deck with bugger all in it for the bowlers at the moment - a quick wicket or 2 and Aus would be in a very good position

 

[superkingdave]

15/4 is crazy in a 2 horse race at tea on the first day when one team is 160-3 on a dead, slow deck with bugger all in it for the bowlers at the moment - a quick wicket or 2 and Aus would be in a very good position

yep, just stuck money on Aus win and draw. If England win i won't give a **** about losing my money

 

[BoyBrumby]

Siddle's been a bit unlucky so far, lets hope it stays that way

Indeed so, pick of the bowlers for me and has the worst figures to show for it. Someone needs to have a word about his collar tho; wearing it up makes him look like an albino Gladstone Small.

This is absolutely **** spin bowling here.

Can't quite believe we had Hauritz & Clarke in tandem in the second session of day one. I've promised myself I'll ration my references to 2005, but jeez, talk about after the lord mayor's show.

Taff crowd not exactly bouncing off the rafters either; probably wondering why the ball's small and round and the goal posts are so tiny, tbh.

 

[TT Boy]

Great session for England. Did their job, got out of a hole, let's get after Hauritz after tea.

R/R is fine, doing all the right things and with the field Hauritz has, they don't have to take any risks to get four runs an over.

Aus just let the game drift for an hour and half and got both batsman set.

 

[pup11]

Great session for England. Did their job, got out of a hole, let's get after Hauritz after tea.

Hauritz won't mind that one bit tbh, his chance to pick up a wicket increases when the batsmen start going after his bowling.

 

[Woodster]

Excellent afternoon session from England, with KP and Colly just ticking along effectively and generally risk free. Hauritz got the odd one to really grip, which will please England, with it doing it on the first day. This track will be going square later in the Test, but it is generally slow turn which doesn't really help too much.

Much needed consolidatory partnership, worked the gaps well, taken advantage of the few loose balls that have been on offer. Encouraging seeing Siddle bowl big induckers, Jimmy A will certainly be taking a keen interest.

 

[social]

Indeed so, pick of the bowlers for me and has the worst figures to show for it. Someone needs to have a word about his collar tho; wearing it up makes him look like an albino Gladstone Small.



Can't quite believe we had Hauritz & Clarke in tandem in the second session of day one. I've promised myself I'll ration my references to 2005, but jeez, talk about after the lord mayor's show.

Taff crowd not exactly bouncing off the rafters either; probably wondering why the ball's small and round and the goal posts are so tiny, tbh.

Is it just me or do others think that having the first Ashes test in Cardiff is a bit like playing the Boxing Day test in Launceston - just desnt seem to have the same feel to it