*Official Third Test at Edgbaston

[Pigeon]

According to the Beeb:

BBC Weather | Birmingham

No sign of rain until after the scheduled close, so as long as there has been no rain overnight (which I haven't checked, hasn't been any round here though) then we should be good for an 11 start.

Just for the record, don't know if any of you are superstitious, but the last time I got up this early to watch the cricket on telly (in England) was day 4 of Edgbaston four years ago. Woke up with a filthy hangover, watched the Premier League years whilst shaking with nerves and apprehension. Feeling similar here. Mates coming round at 11, can't wait for today.

Thanks mate! It would be magnificient for test cricket should England pull off an unexpected win today.

 

[GIMH]

No, I need to be here anyway. Times like this you need a boss who's cricket mad.

Anyway, it's not so bad... I will just have to turn my persuasive powers to getting the radio onto TMS instead of radio 1.

Aww, sucks, well hopefully there are some good highlights for you to watch tonight.

 

[zaremba]

How's the weather today? Will we get the entire day today mate?

Currently sunny with light clouds.

My hotel room looks out over Edgbaston and if I use the binoculars I can see the scoreboard which if I'm not mistaken shows Australia 2 down and still trailing

 

[GIMH]

On the highlights, Freddie said on interview that he was too old to get involved in all the aggro between bowlers and batsmen! Could have fooled us Freddie

 

[Ikki]

I think you're clutching at straws a little there, we'd love to have Flintoff in the team as a bowler.

Flintoff as our pure bowler? I doubt it.

It's not as simple as that thogh mate, just as it isn't as simple to grade the attack on what they've done (or haven't) in this series.

This attack is still in its formative stages of development. Johnson is the most experienced bowler in the side. They're raw.

I believe they can develop into a really good attack but they're not there yet because of lack of consistency.

I'd also agree that if you up and put these two sides against each other in most conditions around the world, Australia would probably (but by no means definately) shade England in most places. The reason why I say it's not definite is Australia isn't what it once was, which you'd expect.

More importantly though from the POV of this series, England'sbowlers know how to use their conditions better than our blokes do. That shouldn't really be too big a surprise given they're at home, and given the relative inexperience of our bowlers.

Likewise, if England brought this attack to Australia this coming summer, I'd back us to win quite well, because (and it'snot a slag at them, it's just the way they bowl) guys like Anderson and Onions are far less likely to find conditions conducive to their styles.

Finally, I'm really glad I went to bed at 4.30 and didn't sit through this.

That's actually pretty much what I am saying. And if England were to win, I would cite our inexperience and inconsistency. I think if they get it right, they will simply be superior. That's the difference between the players. Let me not let others think I am simply blinded by patriotism or that I am overrating our players. I believe such an argument does not go for India or S.Africa. I believe their teams are so good now in comparison to ours that even if we can actually play very very well they can still play just as well and beat us.

If anything, this series thus far has shown that when Australia are doing the simply things right, they are getting it over England. The last two tests, we've basically gifted away our top order in the first innings. Yes, England bowled well, but not THAT well.

Funnily enough, that's only a sample size of one more Test than you're criticising 91Jmay for using. And they got pounded in one of those Tests, too. Not to mention you judging Swann on exactly the same sample.

I am not using that sample size to prove anything. I have said that I expect them to do well because they are playing for Australia where the standard is that high. I didn't say they already ARE at that level, but that they can get to it as they have shown. They just have to believe in themselves and be consistent.

Inconsistency is not a mitigating circumstance. It's a problem. Johnson's about as likely to get consistent as Broad is to start swinging the ball both ways.

You keep talking about Broad and Johnson as if my point goes for both. Where has Broad shown that he is even a good bowler, let alone world class? Johnson was being touted as the best or up there before this series. Clearly, a lot of people don't think it is beyond him. As an Australian, that's how I expect him to be or thereabouts. If he doesn't get there, you, I, your neighourbour and his cousin know he is going to get replaced.

 

[Pigeon]

Currently sunny with light clouds.

My hotel room looks out over Edgbaston and if I use the binoculars I can see the scoreboard which if I'm not mistaken shows Australia 2 down and still trailing

Awesome. Although I am at office today.

 

[four_or_six]

Aww, sucks, well hopefully there are some good highlights for you to watch tonight.

Me too.

Will be interesting to see how we go at them this morning. I thought the aggression to Watson was a good idea last night, but he seems more than happy to stand up for himself and will have had time to calm down overnight. And I remember that partnership with Lee in India where the Indians went crazy at the pair of them and it seemed to turn out to be counter-productive. Will be a fine line for us to get just the right amount of aggresssion going at the batsmen I think.

 

[Pigeon]

Flintoff as our pure bowler? I doubt it.



That's actually pretty much what I am saying. And if England were to win, I would cite our inexperience and inconsistency. I think if they get it right, they will simply be superior.

What is wrong with Flintoff as a pure bowler?

 

[GIMH]

Flintoff as our pure bowler? I doubt it.



That's actually pretty much what I am saying. And if England were to win, I would cite our inexperience and inconsistency. I think if they get it right, they will simply be superior.

So you honestly think all three of your pace bowlers (those currently in the side) are better than him, with the ball alone?

 

[Stapel]

According to the Beeb:

BBC Weather | Birmingham

No sign of rain until after the scheduled close, so as long as there has been no rain overnight (which I haven't checked, hasn't been any round here though) then we should be good for an 11 start.

No early start? There was some discussion a few pages back, that play never starts early in England. However, I am reasonably sure that in 2005, all matches, regardless of lost time due to rain, started at 10:30.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, when they were on Channel 4 they did indeed start at 10.30, because of The Simpsons being on Channel 4 at 6.

 

[Uppercut]

Can't see England getting a result today. Need another monster seven-wicket session or something but the pitch seemed a lot slower yesterday than it did on Friday.

 

[GIMH]

What are the bookies saying?

 

[Pigeon]

Yeah, when they were on Channel 4 they did indeed start at 10.30, because of The Simpsons being on Channel 4 at 6.

That's a random reasoning indeed.

 

[Uppercut]

What are the bookies saying?

2/9 the draw, 10/3 England, 80/1 Australia. No value anywhere there IMO.

 

[Ikki]

Remind us of Hussey's recent standards....

Hussey's recent standards are the reason why he may not find a place in the team in the next Test - that's precisely my point.

Nice trolling. Ignoring the irrelevant Hussain reference, underrating Anderson to me seems pretty much indicative of the predicament Australia find themselves in in this series. Now even as one of his biggest fans I am not going to sit here and tell you he's the best bowler in the world. That being said, look at his average of 33 and tell me he's **** if you want, I hope that's what your batsmen are still doing. You really think Siddle is a better bowler than Jimmy? Hilfy is having a good series, will pay that, would rather have Jimmy myself but would happily leave that one down to opinion. But on current form, your selectors would kill to have Anderson in their side, even if he is only taking wickets through confidence

I'll respond to this part of the post as I wish to move on from this argument but Anderson is no way near "the best bowler currently" as some of the English comms have been arguing. He has had 4 series in about 16 averaging under 30. In his last 5, including this series, he only averaged under 30 once against WIndies. Even in this series, he is in no great shakes. Do you think such a bowler would get these many chances in Australia? He's your best bowler and he could really only find a place as our 3rd.

His tail is up, the conditions are helping him, but he is no Waqar Younis. The point was that our batsmen are too tentative against some of the English bowlers. You can live in dream-land, but Anderson is simply a good bowler. If the Aussie batsman are failing against this level of bowler, then they should simply lose their place.

 

[social]

Can't see England getting a result today. Need another monster seven-wicket session or something but the pitch seemed a lot slower yesterday than it did on Friday.

As I said before Oz batted, IMO it's 50/50

Aus are 2 for -25 and will need to score runs and eat up a lot of the day's play before they can feel safe

If the ball starts doing something in the first session then I have my doubts as to whether they can do it

 

[Ikki]

So you honestly think all three of your pace bowlers (those currently in the side) are better than him, with the ball alone?

No, I don't. And yet, for the 10th time this thread, that's not the point. An Aussie seamer is expected to be better than that. We may bring in David Hussey as a #4 for example, but if he isn't lighting up the world and is averaging worse than Collingwood, that does not mean Collingwood would make our side. We have others ready to go on the sidelines who do show the promise of more. Likewise Flintoff as a specialist bowler probably wouldn't be good enough for what we are looking for. Siddle at the moment is inferior to Flintoff, yes, but he is there and is expected to grow into a better bowler. If he doesn't do it, he won't be kept, it's as simple as that.

 

[Uppercut]

I'll respond to this part of the post as I wish to move on from this argument but Anderson is no way near "the best bowler currently" as some of the English comms have been arguing. He has had 4 series in about 16 averaging under 30. In his last 5, including this series, he only averaged under 30 once against WIndies. Even in this series, he is in no great shakes. Do you think such a bowler would get these many chances in Australia? He's your best bowler and he could really only find a place as our 3rd.

His tail is up, the conditions are helping him, but he is no Waqar Younis. The point was that our batsmen are too tentative against some of the English bowlers. You can live in dream-land, but Anderson is simply a good bowler. If the Aussie batsman are failing against this level of bowler, then they should simply lose their place.

You may shove your stats, because ever since New Zealand toured in May of last year Jimmy has been awesome. The only Aussie bowler I'd have had over him pre-series was Mitchell Johnson, and that's looking a little iffy to say the very least. He'd absolutely walk into your team.

 

[kevinpietersen]

Come on we can win this test. We just need flintoff bowling on form Anderson swinging the ball. Bopara batting well instead of switching off and getting bowled. If flintoff bowls well we have a very strong chance of winning.