*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[four_or_six]

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ha. TBF Sky were pretty late catching on too, wasn't until well past six that Gower pointed out time mattered as well as overs bowled.

 

[wpdavid]

Ponting's had a whinge about the England's tactics in the last hour, said they will be complaining about it. Fair enough imo, we ****ed up, should have done something earlier in the hour but only realised towards the end that time was a factor and so it was blatantly obvious....I mean lets face it we allowed them to bowl 15 overs in 50 minutes we should have been able to limit it to less than that without the **** tactics.

Meh - they didn't look like getting Jimmy or Monty out anyway. Having just seen the highlights, I wonder if he got booed because of the dummy-spitting when Colly was given not out to Hauritz.

My other thought watching JA & MP walk off was about Old Trafford in 1998 - another time when we were basically outplayed but got a draw due to our tailenders showing more gumption than the top order. And we all know what happened in the next two games in that series. Monty to be this year's Robert Croft?

 

[zaremba]

Ah Ricky, learn a bit of dignity pal. A truly great player, as he showed in his 150 the other day, and he's captained his team impressively so far. But he seems to be prone to lapses like this when things don't go his way.

 

[GIMH]

Any linkage to these comments from Ponting?

 

[Jamee999]

Logic dictates no such thing. They did exactly the same in the opening match when they last visited India and we all know how that one ended up.

Although England can't just call up Amit Mishra to win them the series.

There was another series where Straya were the best team in the first test, about 4 years ago, I think. Anyone remember how that ended?

Poor Ricky Ponting. Probably deserved to win that match moreso then any other time in his career. Great batting, captaincy and sportsmenship after the match, puzzling as to why he cops so much stick. Class act.

Because he's the captain of Australia.

 

[superkingdave]

Any linkage to these comments from Ponting?

Was in the press conf on SSN, tbf to Ponting, he was responding to questions from the journo's so it wasn't really a proper whinge

 

[Pizzorno]

My first post on CW and all that but what i'd like to say is simply this;

Collingwood earned his MBE today. What's bad about Monty's performance though is that despite not looking threatening at all with the ball he'll still be guaranteed a place for the rest of the series. Not good.

 

[Jamee999]

Monty won't play at Lord's.

Swann's batting sounded good today, is shaping up to be a genuine Test Number 8 imo.

 

[Goughy]

This is great. All the Aussies are in bed so we can say anything we like without response.

Sour Ponting is the icing on the cake of a great days worth of cricket

 

[wpdavid]

My first post on CW and all that but what i'd like to say is simply this;

Collingwood earned his MBE today. What's bad about Monty's performance though is that despite not looking threatening at all with the ball he'll still be guaranteed a place for the rest of the series. Not good.

I don't think so. We only played two spinners because of the nature of the pitch here, and Swann's still our number 1 twirler by some distance. If we do go on to the win the series, Monty will join the ranks of Dilley (1981) and Croft (1998) as a bowler who did his bit with the bat and then got promptly dropped due to their shortcomings with the ball.

btw welcome!

 

[four_or_six]

That moment where Ponting went apoplectic at the umpire for the (correct) not-out was the moment I thought we were going to win. Somehow, I think Ponting starting to lose it is always a brilliant sign.

 

[superkingdave]

That moment where Ponting went apoplectic at the umpire for the (correct) not-out was the moment I thought we were going to win. Somehow, I think Ponting starting to lose it is always a brilliant sign.

Yeah loved that part, I think Ponting was so pissed off because it was a brilliant take by hisself as well.

 

[Pizzorno]

I can not put into words how much I despise that hairy-armed midget arsehole. He looks like a rat, he acts like a rat and he's living proof that nothing decent has ever come out of Australia. Other than Tim Cahill of course.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Meh - they didn't look like getting Jimmy or Monty out anyway. Having just seen the highlights, I wonder if he got booed because of the dummy-spitting when Colly was given not out to Hauritz.

My other thought watching JA & MP walk off was about Old Trafford in 1998 - another time when we were basically outplayed but got a draw due to our tailenders showing more gumption than the top order. And we all know what happened in the next two games in that series. Monty to be this year's Robert Croft?

Doubt Doctrove or Dar will display the, er, generosity we got from the ump versus SA in 98 tho.

Actually IIRC didn't the umpires make a horlicks at OT? SA got to bowl an extra over at Gus they shouldn't have because, with the time removed for change of innings, a result was no longer possible. Might be memory playing tricks tho.

 

[wpdavid]

I can not put into words how much I despise that hairy-armed midget arsehole. He looks like a rat, he acts like a rat and he's living proof that nothing decent has ever come out of Australia. Other than Tim Cahill of course.

looking forward to your chats with ben91

 

[GIMH]

Thing is, will Strauss really give a toss if he gets a fine for the tactics? I'm sure he'd rather have the result.

And yeah, don't think they'd have bowled us out anyway, with an extra over or whatever

 

[Pizzorno]

looking forward to your chats with ben91

Believe me I know all about our Ben!

I was disgusted with Pietersen in this Test btw. Not one shred of care was put into either of his innings. I'm getting fed up of him riding on the fact that he's undroppable because he's our best batsman and his blatant disregard for his wicket and the team's situation is a disgrace.

But having said that, if he mullers that ugly sod Siddle all over Lords he'll be in my good books again.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Bowling North to get the extra over in was a daft idea anyway; arguably one over from Hilfy to tailenders worth two from the spinners.

 

[four_or_six]

Bowling North to get the extra over in was a daft idea anyway; arguably one over from Hilfy to tailenders worth two from the spinners.

So Hilfy was fit then? I was wondering why he wasn't on...