*Official* Second Test at the Adelaide Oval

[howardj]

Australia can't win from here, especially considering how impotent our attack is.

Therefore, England should declare immediately, and set about taking the required ten wickets.

 

[Briony]

One of the problems with North at # 6 is that he's not the type of player to necessarily build on a good start with quick, aggressive batting. Surely you need someone like that in that position. The other side of the coin is that he's not one you can put faith in if the team has had a bad start.

Punter ironically looks a likely # 6 if some reliable options could be found at the top of the order. Clarke has certainly being exposed after promotion.

 

[howardj]

I reckon if we actually had a really reliable top 5, North would be a very useful player to have at no. 6. A century every 5 innings or so is pretty impressive:

Disagree vigorously.

Anybody who averages in the mid thirties after more than 20 Tests, should not be anywhere near the team - regardless of how many centuries. Furthermore, even if we did have a reliable top five, North is such a slow scorer that he'd be the last bloke I'd have at six. You need a free-wheeling player at six, not a slow scoring bunny.

 

[treamcast34]

Who said that? Forecast says a few showers, and perhaps a thunderstorm, for both tmrw and the next day.

Adelaide weather - local weather forecast

Tuesday particularly looks odds on for a washout. Strauss must declare overnight.

 

[Spark]

North would make a good #7, but not a #6.

EDIT: Although the slow SR is a decent point. Not everyone has to bat like Gilchrist incarnate though and he does have a very good range of shots... once past 27.

 

[GotSpin]

Disagree vigorously.

Anybody who averages in the mid thirties after more than 20 Tests, should not be anywhere near the team - regardless of how many centuries. Furthermore, even if we did have a reliable top five, North is such a slow scorer that he'd be the last bloke I'd have at six. You need a free-wheeling player at six, not a slow scoring bunny.

Don't think our solution is a free-wheeling player at six, especially considering that Haddin is fairly competent with the bat

However, your point remains that anyone who averages 36 shouldn't be in the side

 

[greg]

Australia can't win from here, especially considering how impotent our attack is.

Therefore, England should declare immediately, and set about taking the required ten wickets.

Unless we really are GUARANTEED to lose 2+ sessions to rain i think declaration would be stupid. It's not about the number of runs or the threat of an Aussie victory. It's simply about getting Australia to have to bat when the wicket is at its worst. There are still a scheduled 195 overs left in this game.

As it stands if there was no rain Australia would possibly only have to bat until mid afternoon on day 5, with most of their batting while the pitch is still a blinder. The best chance of England winning is if they have to do most of their batting on day 5.

So i expect at least an hour of batting tomorrow (if there was no rain forecast, then it would probably make sense to bat past lunch, depending on scoring rate!).

I think the first question that should be asked is what should you do if there is no rain forecast, and if that were the case a declaration before lunch would be totally unnecessary, and a declaration now would be, IMO worse than the declaration in 2006. Nobody wants to make a bad declaration, so you have to be very careful how much you compromise with the weather.

 

[Spark]

There's a very good chance you'll lose 2+ sessions, you've already lost one and the weather is predicted to get worse.

And how was 2006 a bad declaration? 550 is a huge score!

 

[Son Of Coco]

Tbh, I reckon the Aussies would be better with Johnson than Bollinger. They're both expensive but I think Johnson is more likely to nick a couple of wickets.

Edit: Also, Bollinger bowling so slowly ATM, slower than Watto.

This year or next year?

To be honest, I think this is one of the problems we have at the moment. We only give ourselves one or two selections options and when one goes poorly, we go back to the other. It's exactly why I think the selectors need to realise it's ok to pick someone who hasn't played for their state for 10 years first.

Didn't see Dougeh bowl much today, but would give him another go in Perth where there might actually be something for the bowlers before looking for other options.

 

[Son Of Coco]

There only tough to bowl to if your bowlers cant control their lines and lengths or if the batsman is too good

Ponting is not a great tactical captain by any stretch but he cant be blamed for other's failings all the time

Yeah, totally agree. You can't set a field for a guy bowling both sides of the wicket. I think we've made errors tactically too (like bowling at Trott's legs far too much), but when your bowlers are not bowling constant lines it makes it very difficult.

 

[Briony]

Adelaide weather - local weather forecast

Tuesday particularly looks odds on for a washout. Strauss must declare overnight.

Maxwell said before signing off that Tuesday looks especially bleak. Weatherman has been saying for the last twelve hours that the players will be more off than on on day five.

 

[GotSpin]

We can definitely draw this match if we bat sensibly. Ponting the key as usual. Needs to step up

 

[Spark]

Bollinger looks short of match fitness/conditioning for mine. Started a touch slower than his usual pace last year and just got slower and slower and slower until he really was very much medium pace at the end.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Good grief this Bollinger cat is awful. Always said he was overrated and was slaughtered by Aussies for saying so, looks like i was right though on what i've seen this game.

Been another brilliant session for England. Another couple of good ones today and the game will almost be in the bag.

You're right.

Looks like we were right in saying Swann is an over-rated hack too going on his results in two tests

Is always going to be hard for a fast-bowler in these conditions. Easier if you bowl consistently though.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Good job it isn't another back to back game then.

Might still get a brand new attack for Perth though.

Copeland, Cameron, Johnson, O'Keefe ?

Take out Johnson and that could be interesting haha

 

[Spark]

Inb4 Spikey/PEWS suggests that we just pick the NSW attack

 

[Son Of Coco]

Maxwell said before signing off that Tuesday looks especially bleak. Weatherman has been saying for the last twelve hours that the players will be more off than on on day five.

Does he mean all of them, or just the Australian batsmen?

 

[tooextracool]

Xavier Doherty - the worst spinner from a non-minnow side to play a Test in the last twenty years?

Not even close. Ian Salisbury for me hands down.

 

[fredfertang]

Not even close. Ian Salisbury for me hands down.

Nah - while he wasn't quite good enough Solly wasn't as bad as his figures suggest - Chris Schofield on the other hand ...............

 

[greg]

There's a very good chance you'll lose 2+ sessions, you've already lost one and the weather is predicted to get worse.

And how was 2006 a bad declaration? 550 is a huge score!

Actually we've lost half a session, but since my comments were made at close of play, I'm obviously referring to losing two MORE sessions. That is the absolute minimum that would have to be lost before the runs/overs situation starts to work in Australia's favour.

As for 2006, i don't think it was a particularly bad declaration, which was justified by England taking a wicket by close of play, but it has become accepted wisdom among the English media that it was awful (and some argued so at the time so at least weren't using the benefit of hindsight). Partly because England lost, obviously, when they could not have done if they had batted on, but also for the same reason outlined in my argument that at Adelaide you want to do all your required batting when the pitch is good, and the opposition to do as much as possible when the pitch is at its worst. By declaring England gave Australia a session's batting on a batsman's paradise that they didn't need to.