*Official* First Test at the Gabba

[Goughy]

Does anyone think we can actually win the Ashes with this attack? Can't see it happening...

After 20 yrs of watching England collapse at key times I think Australia will always have a chance. This may be 'new' England but it is still England.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Does anyone think we can actually win the Ashes with this attack? Can't see it happening...

Nope, considering we can look forward to Adelaide, a nouveau-flat Perth and Sydney. We may well be in line for a draw, though.

Dougeh for Johnson?

 

[morgieb]

He's been off the field. Not sure if he's back on yet or, even if he is, if he's been back on long enough to bowl.

Aah, k. Why?

Who else could take a wicket? Clarke's back is rooted, and I can't see Ponting or Hussey doing anything with the ball.

 

[vcs]

Well a bowling line up shouldn't be filled with ATGs to take 20 wickets either

Why? There are lots of very good batsmen going around in world cricket, not as many great bowlers. Maybe that fundamental imbalance is at the root of all the high scores and batting averages these days, not the much maligned subcontinental wickets.

 

[Jono]

Although I acknowledged in another thread that reverse swing plays a big factor, batting doesn't face that many issues until the far latter stages of the match when it begins to break up.

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

 

[morgieb]

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

Makes it more weird why England batted first.

 

[Goughy]

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

It may be flat but the Aussies here have been very unprofessional in their attack. Running up and hoping for a wicket rather than executing plans. Its all so random.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Aah, k. Why?

Who else could take a wicket? Clarke's back is rooted, and I can't see Ponting or Hussey doing anything with the ball.

He got the ball creamed into his foot at silly point/mid on mid-afternoon. He's been back on since tea, though, so I guess he'd be allowed to bowl if Ricky had that plan on the piece of paper in his pocket.

 

[tooextracool]

Have more confidence in your lot bowling us out, tbh. If I was Strauss I'd declare after you get around a 200/250, probably just a gut feel as you have bowlers that can change a match.

We're very much a conservative team, both the Andy's are conservative leaders so I very much doubt that they would make such an aggressive play

 

[Prince EWS]

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

I thought the pitch was awesome in the first couple of days. Had nice pace and carry which is good for everyone, and there was just enough in the pitch all the time to keep all the quicks interested. Turn for Swann too. It flattened out yesterday, which was okay because it was Day 3 afterall, but I was hoping it'd deteriorate a bit more today, which it didn't. There have been a lot of flat wickets in Australia over the last ten years and you've seen me make posts whinging about such, but I don't think this one has been too bad.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

Maybe so, but it's like our attack has folded. There's no effort, much less ability, to put the ball anywhere awkward or to try variations like cutters and slower balls.

Basically the only thing we're relying on here is Ponting's captaincy in field and bowling changes, because who's actually bowling is fairly irrelevant to who gets the next wicket.

 

[social]

I've been a big supporter of Johnson over the years but unless something changes markedly in the next 24 hours, he has to go

Bowling ****, batting ****, dropped a catch - simply a liability as he was the for the majority of the last Ashes

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Note to attack: When bowling at right handers, aim at the ****ing crack.

 

[GotSpin]

Nah fact is this pitch is ****. The only wicket to fall was a charge down the track and stumped.

For day 4 its a disgrace. Can try and defend it all you like, but it's been ****. Had it not been for overcast conditions God knows what would have happened.

Have you been watching this test match at all? There's been three really good days of cricket on it. It's only today that the pitch has failed to produce a quality contest since it really hasn't deteriorated at all unfortunately

 

[vcs]

Note to attack: When bowling at right handers, aim at the ****ing crack.

Made me laugh for some reason.

 

[Jono]

It may be flat but the Aussies here have been very unprofessional in their attack. Running up and hoping for a wicket rather than executing plans. Its all so random.

So just like the last 2 years then?

 

[GotSpin]

Why? There are lots of very good batsmen going around in world cricket, not as many great bowlers. Maybe that fundamental imbalance is at the root of all the high scores and batting averages these days, not the much maligned subcontinental wickets.

By simple definition ATGs implies that world cricket won't always have bowling line ups full of them. As such, pitches need to be made far more accommodating for bowlers in order to address this imbalance.

 

[Jono]

Have you been watching this test match at all? There's been three really good days of cricket on it. It's only today that the pitch has failed to produce a quality contest since it really hasn't deteriorated at all unfortunately

Because of overhead conditions. The sky isn't the pitch.

 

[Goughy]

So just like the last 2 years then?

Yeah, maybe so. I haven't seen much of the Aussies recently. My point is that its hard to know the exact balance between crap bowling, a flat track or an attack not skilled or professional enough to bowl to plans and deal with a track that doesnt offer a great deal of assistance.

 

[GotSpin]

Because of overhead conditions. The sky isn't the pitch.

Regardless, this test match has provided an even contest up until now.