*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[King Pietersen]

Panesar in pitching short shocker. Swann bowling a better length now, was far too full yesterday.

400 up.

 

[Noble One]

Swann is no worse then Broad, TBH. Performs against the weak teams like New Zealand & West Indies but faulters against the half decent teams in world cricket. Only difference between a poor record and a decent record is that the majority of Swann's games have been played against the West Indies.

Majority of England's stats over the past few years have been boosted from worldclass performances against the West Indies, which makes them look like superstars on paper, but makes them look feeble when they come up against stronger teams like Australia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, etc. Pietersen & Flintoff are probably the only players from the English side who haven't relied on good performances against the West Indies or New Zealand to have kept their spot in the side.

Not much of a sample size to judge a cricketer such as Swann on 8 test matches?

He was brilliant against the West Indies, cannot fault a cricket for bowling well. If he plays 5 Ashes tests and averages 50 then sure, criticism deserved. But no cricketer should be rubbished until shown up to be rubbish. Swann thus far, has been good.

 

[social]

Stranger things have happened. Lets just remember that Cook has 9 centuries against almost all of the test countries around the world with a similarly atrocious technique. Bowlers don't always exploit techniques immediately and it takes them a while to do so. Why you ask? Because quite frankly most of them are rather brainless and it takes someone in the backroom staff like the coach or someone else to analyze and figure it out before relaying it to the bowling attack.

You sure you're not Dicko as that has to be some of the greatest crap I've ever heard

 

[Howsie]

Stranger things have happened. Lets just remember that Cook has 9 centuries against almost all of the test countries around the world with a similarly atrocious technique. Bowlers don't always exploit techniques immediately and it takes them a while to do so. Why you ask? Because quite frankly most of them are rather brainless and it takes someone in the backroom staff like the coach or someone else to analyze and figure it out before relaying it to the bowling attack.

It's the same as Phil Hughes. Once teams get a look at him he wont average anywhere 50.

 

[tooextracool]

He hasn't had a great summer domestically so it was asking a lot of him to expect a great performance here. They were banking on hope more than anything.

Hes just not a very good bowler period. Honestly, unless you have the sort of variations like Murali, in general you have to be a smart bowler to succeed as a spinner in test match cricket. Sorry, but Panesar simply doesn't possess the kind of intelligence to set his own field let alone figure out how to bowl and take wickets. Case in point: He bowls a slightly fuller ball to Clarke who dances down the track and hammers him for 4. Next ball he rather predictably drops it short and outside the off stump.

 

[Briony]

It's the same as Phil Hughes. Once teams get a look at him he wont average anywhere 50.

It took them a while to work out Hussey but he's been in the doldrums for some time now.

 

[Steulen]

Come on you bunch of Richards. The world is not as it ought to be according to textbooks. Not every deviation from textbook technique is a flaw.

 

[tooextracool]

You sure you're not Dicko as that has to be some of the greatest crap I've ever heard

So what is it then? The lad comes in, plays shot away from his body with minimal footwork and you are parading his technique as solid? The only thing good about his technique is that he plays with a straight bat. Other than that, hes a limited player with a few shots in his armoury. Id like to see him go while Anderson is getting the ball to swing away from him.

 

[Howsie]

It took them a while to work out Hussey but he's been in the doldrums for some time now.

But does Hussey have a massive flaw?

Hughes looked terrible, I'm surprised he did so well in SA.

 

[King Pietersen]

I'd take Darren Powell ahead of Stuart Broad in Tests as a bowler.

Just got this from Ben in my VM box. Brilliant.

England could really do with breaking this partnership. But even if we do we'll have 1 of these 2 left, plus Haddin and Johnson. Not looking good.

 

[tooextracool]

Hussey has an excellent technique. His problem is that he came in on something of a purple patch and since then hes struggled to maintain such heights since. Such a thing was always on the cards considering he is 34 years old.

 

[TT Boy]

But does Hussey have a massive flaw?

Hughes looked terrible, I'm surprised he did so well in SA.

Not massive but he didn't know where his off-stump was when he played South Africa.

 

[Howsie]

Hussey has an excellent technique. His problem is that he came in on something of a purple patch and since then hes struggled to maintain such heights since. Such a thing was always on the cards considering he is 34 years old.

Well after watching Hughes bat yesterday I came to the conclusion that every team he has faced has decided to bowl short and wide at him. Because tbh he looked like a tail-ender when facing balls at his body.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Hughes looked terrible, I'm surprised he did so well in SA.

Considering that every ball that Hughes hit, hit the middle of the bat, you still think he looked terrible?

He didn't even struggle against Flintoff, everything he bowled was a bouncer and he bowled a few balls short of a length which Hughes crashed to the boundry before getting an unlucky inside edge to the keeper.

 

[Briony]

The bowlers didn't bowl well to Hughes in SA but he also was out twice gloving it down the legside but the silly saffers didn't refer.

 

[Noble One]

Not the most enthralling cricket on display. Spinners struggling to find the correct length. Batsman constantly leaving the ball alone. Little excitement from the crowd. Commentators going quiet for 3-4 deliveries at a time.

Makes me wish for the days when you had Adam Gilchrist to come in next, just guaranteed a change in the pace of the game.

 

[Howsie]

Considering that every ball that Hughes hit, hit the middle of the bat, you still think he looked terrible?

He didn't even struggle against Flintoff, everything he bowled was a bouncer and he bowled a few balls short of a length which Hughes crashed to the boundry before getting an unlucky inside edge to the keeper.

Except for that nick right

He struggled against Broad ffs, except for 4 or 5 fours Hughes looked bad. It was only the second time I had seen him, the first time was last year in a under 19 game but I didn't really take much notice of him. But from what I saw yesterday I was not impressed at all.

 

[TT Boy]

Not the most enthralling cricket on display. Spinners struggling to find the correct length. Batsman constantly leaving the ball alone. Little excitement from the crowd. Commentators going quiet for 3-4 deliveries at a time.

Makes me wish for the days when you had Adam Gilchrist to come in next, just guaranteed a change in the pace of the game.

To be fair to Haddin, he doesn't **** around and he likes to get after the spinners.

 

[King Pietersen]

50 for Michael Clarke, very good innings in good time. Well played, looks very good against spin.

 

[wpdavid]

Well this is just like old times, isn't it. Not an ounce of pressure on Aus batsmen who look set to build a massive lead before England collapse in their 2nd innings. Quite unwatchable imo, so I'm off to do something more interesting for a while.