*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[Burgey]

Kat - you beauty.

Punter - WAG.

All the talk this morning was how England's tail had stood up and "thrown down the gauntlet" to Australia.

Well, Ponting and Katich picked it back up and slapped them across the face with it.

Great effort today, but much to be done. New ball quite early. Should aim to bat all day tomorrow and, if possible,into day four. Then let loose the best spinner on display in this Test on a wearing wicket.

 

[Fusion]

Awesome knocks by both players. It will be tough to get them out and they should set up Aus for a sizable lead.

 

[andruid]

Great knock. Great player.

So Ponting fans are not extinct on this forum.

Well played Aussies.

 

[Adamc]

Haven't used statsguru in ages, anyone able to find out how many times Ponting has scored a ton in the first Test of a series?

 

[0RI0N]

Well done OZ.
The Kat and The Punter well played.
Glad Ponting didn't end the day on 99*.
Ponting haters must be mad.
I really didnt expect this scoreline.
Since Melbourne 2007 vs India OZ has had 180/5 syndrome.
Until now.
Hard work still ahead though

 

[wfdu_ben91]

haven't used statsguru in ages, anyone able to find out how many times ponting has scored a ton in the first test of a series?

11

 

[Pothas]

Yeah. 600 and an England collapse second innings.

Can't see how these two are going to get out.

Think England would have to play fairly horrribly to lose this match especially with rain likely over the weekend but obviously stranger things have happened.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ponting is such a great player. Both tons were close to flawless, Katich had the one LBW shout that was gone for mine, but was otherwise very composed, and Ponting played about one bad shot in his innings. Australia well on top. Nine overs until the new ball tomorrow, and it's hard to see England managing a win if they don't take three or so before lunch.

Anderson and Broad were both very disappointing. Flintoff is a fine bowler but overall the attack looks toothless on this surface, and there's not enough pace or bounce to make the spinners threatening yet. Maybe on the last day or two when there's more natural variation off the wicket.

 

[The Sean]

Great ton. Sagger's quote in someone's sig comes to mind. The man is a legend. Katich done well too.

Ha ha was thinking the exact same thing - absolutely freakish how often he does it. A genuine all time great.

Top effort from Katman as well. Hopefully one or both of them will push on for something really substantial tomorrow and bat the poms out of the game.

 

[Uppercut]

Bumble and Botham are sitting in the studio now desperately trying to blame the ball for England's inability to take wickets.

 

[R_D]

Top knock by Ponting... it is amazing how he manages to get a ton in the first innings in the first test match of the series.

 

[Adamc]

11

Cheers. Quite a lot though I suppose out of 38 it isn't more than should be expected.

 

[aussie]

Just your typical flat subcontinent wicket instead.

Word. It may still turn big on day 4 & 5 (if it goes so far ha). But i only expect Swann to be a serious threat.

 

[Steulen]

Bumble and Botham are sitting in the studio now desperately trying to blame the ball for England's inability to take wickets.

Yeah, Bumble saying they must choose as the second new ball tomorrow one that will swing instead of today's obviously wrong choice. Uh, well, okay...

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Cheers. Quite a lot though I suppose out of 38 it isn't more than should be expected.

He actually averages better in the 2nd & 3rd matches of a series though and has scored more 100's in them.

 

[TT Boy]

Word. It may still turn big on day 4 & 5 (if it goes so far ha). But i only expect Swann to be a serious threat.

It can turn square but the wicket is slow, so it means ****. Slow big turn doesn't cause anyone problems.

Best hope is what we saw from the quicks and the ball to start going through very low. Bowl stump to stump and get a plethora of LBW's/Bowled.

 

[Ikki]

Punter's overall record in Tests has him averaging 50+ against all teams bar India who he averages 47 against. His away figures are similar where he averages 50+ in all countries bar India where he averages 21 and England where he averages 47. His home figures has him averaging 50+ against every country bar WIndies - where he averages 48. Unbelievable record, so consistent. 34 and still chugging along.

*It should be noted I am disregarding his 1 away innings in Zimbabwe and 2 home innings against Bangladesh for reasons that it's simply a very small sample.

 

[Uppercut]

It's just what happens when a team decides not to throw wickets away. Hughes was undone by a fantastic spell of bowling, unsettled with short-pitched bowling and eventually nicked out. Australia have decided that if England are to take ten wickets, they're going to have to work that hard for all of them. Whereas England decided they were going after the bowlers and not letting them settle.

Both methods have their merits, and both have came off to some extent.

 

[Steulen]

The most shocking two things about England's bowling performance today:

1) Bowling wide of off stump to Hughes first up. Do they honestly not know where his strengths are?
2) Nathan Hauritz was the best spinner on show

 

[social]

Cannot believe that Oz are 240+/1 after watching the garbage they bowled this morning on a rapidly deteriorating wicket against tailenders who played brilliantly

We are still a long way behind but I find it incredible that the Eng bowlers have hardly delivered a threatening delivery apart from Flintoff's first spell - maybe its just the quality of the batting but I also suspect that certain players have been exposed