*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Burgey]

I was actually coming here to ask how he bowled, didn't bother watching after tea.

Actually bowled a decent over not long ago, but I was too busy answering these ****wits who complain there's no test match in Manchester when they live 45 minutes away from the new venue but say it's too far, then turn around and say "oh lol, they're only getting 40,000 to a day's play in Australia". Of course, they're monstrous lightweights, but there you go.

Played England, completely dominated the day. Bowled and batted very well. Much soul searching for our blokes required to even get save the game.

 

[M0rphin3]

Well, smith isn't all that bad it seems

 

[Craig]

Actually before renovations before 1987 world cup Eden Gardens had a capacity of over 120,000 ,but was reduced to about 90,000.

And now before the upcoming World Cup due to renovations it is expected to be reduced to 82,000.

There was claims they got 120,000 people for a day's play for a Test match, but that was never official.

 

[hazsa19]

Actually bowled a decent over not long ago, but I was too busy answering these ****wits who complain there's no test match in Manchester when they live 45 minutes away from the new venue but say it's too far, then turn around and say "oh lol, they're only getting 40,000 to a day's play in Australia". Of course, they're monstrous lightweights, but there you go.

Played England, completely dominated the day. Bowled and batted very well. Much soul searching for our blokes required to even get save the game.

Don't remember saying that

 

[flibbertyjibber]

What a marvelous day's cricket. Brilliant display by one team, the other didn't bother turning up.

Bat all day tomorrow and win by an innings on day 3 to give the beach bums an extra couple of days by the seaside.

 

[Burgey]

Well, smith isn't all that bad it seems

Think he's got a bit to prove tbh. Get the impression he's not quite one or the other at test level yet, and it's a tough place to learn on the job.

 

[Nate]

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Your losing bet will probably go towards rehab for that troublesome shoulder belonging to one of the TAB's copy'n'paste boys.

Knee surgery at the moment for the lad, so it can fund that I guess. Anyway, even if I lose this one, I'll still be massively up on the series as a whole, so it's all good.

I'm trying to remember all those times England got rock and rolled in the 80s and 90s and the grounds were just overflowing. That's right, there weren't any.

I was at Lord's for the Ashes test in 1993 and it was jam packed.

 

[Burgey]

Don't remember saying that

I never said you did.. It's a common bitch on here by English cw'ers though that the test(s) has/ have been moved to another locale and they can't go that far to watch the game. When one examines a map, we discover it's about 40-50 miles away and there's a direct train link.

If you'd been here more than five minutes before making comments about different supporters, you'd have known about it.

 

[Hurricane]

Smith looked alright. Some good uns in his spell.

 

[Burgey]

 

[NUFAN]

Well played England!

I just can't believe Hughes and Smith both get picked again when clearly this series wasn't the right time for them and t was never going to be.

Lol at the people who were so pumped up for Smith at 6, what a disaster, I would have to say he's the worst top 6 batsman to play for Australia in the past 20 years.

 

[Ruckus]

Mitchell Johnson is such a curious character: moves between bowling brilliantly and garbage his entire career, gets dropped from the team after a particularly bad period, returns to the team pumped up after working on certain aspects of his game and produces one of the best performances of his career, gives us some hope his good form might continue for the rest of the series, and then what happens - he comes back the very next game and produces more garbage.

Moral of the story: some things never change.

 

[TumTum]

He hasn't bowled as many half trackers that he did in that Shield game, which I guess is positive... Interesting that even Warney is asking Smith to be replaced by Khawaja, now that is saying something stabbing a leggy that he taught and hyped in the back.

 

[fredfertang]

Why do you say that? There will be 30-50,000 people there tomorrow, most likely. Just because the smelly end of the ground will be making the most noise doesn't mean they are the majority.

Englishman have been gobbing off disproportionately for centuries.

Ridiculous comment really. You could fit four of your village green sized grounds into the MCG. If there was the demand for bigger grounds in England it would be fulfilled. Plainly, historically, people don't turn up there.

Folk would turn up if the admission price weren't so ridiculously high - after all its simple arithmetic that 20k paying guests @ £100 a pop is as good as 100k @ £20 a pop, and you save on policing costs and the huge costs of building a new stadium

I blame Australia myself - there will be a once in a millenium chance after 2012 for England to get a huge, brand new national stadium for cricket with all the infrastructure already done. Had 89 - 02/03 carried on I reckon the ECB would have had no choice

As it is because we can grind you ****s into the dirt without the need for that sort of change we won't do it - because the existing Test grounds don't want to - 'twill be a missed opportunity we'll live to regret

 

[Burgey]

Folk would turn up if the admission price weren't so ridiculously high - after all its simple arithmetic that 20k paying guests @ £100 a pop is as good as 100k @ £20 a pop, and you save on policing costs and the huge costs of building a new stadium

I blame Australia myself - there will be a once in a millenium chance after 2012 for England to get a huge, brand new national stadium for cricket with all the infrastructure already done. Had 89 - 02/03 carried on I reckon the ECB would have had no choice

As it is because we can grind you ****s into the dirt without the need for that sort of change we won't do it - because the existing Test grounds don't want to - 'twill be a missed opportunity we'll live to regret

I suppose it is always difficult to convince members to agree to give up their existing privileges, and tbf a place like Lord's should always have a test, as the oldest ground that hosts a test match, and as the home of the game, albeit a ramshackle, reactionary home. But if there going to be two tests a year in london, they need somewhere bigger than The Oval, if the game is going to grow support-wise.

 

[Craig]

So quick question, for number six for Australia, Steve Smith or Marcus North?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Has there ever been a worse days cricket played by an Australian team in Australia?

Yes. Lots.

Just not that many since the mid-80s.

So, er, possibly the worst day of Australian cricket I've seen in my lifetime? Possibly so.

This comes with the rider that I didn't see any of our innings (was half four in the AM before I retired) but 157/0 in reply to 98 does rather suggest it wasn't a banner day for your chaps.

TBH I'm mildly stunned at the score; 100/3 was the limit of my ambitions but sort of expected 80/5 to be more likely.

Well played England!

I just can't believe Hughes and Smith both get picked again when clearly this series wasn't the right time for them and t was never going to be.

Lol at the people who were so pumped up for Smith at 6, what a disaster, I would have to say he's the worst top 6 batsman to play for Australia in the past 20 years.

As I said several pages back, a few truly awesome indivdual performances from v few players papered over the cracks at the WACA. Clarke & Ponting can barely buy a run, Hughes's quirky techical "issues" look to remain, since the first dig at the Gabba Siddle has looked toothless and Smith is being asked to play a role he isn't (yet) equipped for.

Australia's selectors make ours look as sagacious as Soloman and as prescient as Nostradamus. Puts one in mind of The Oval last year actually: 4 quickes work on a seamer so obviously that's the way each and every time.

 

[NUFAN]

So quick question, for number six for Australia, Steve Smith or Marcus North?

In an important series, Marcus North without a doubt. There are of course other better options, cricketers who consistently perform domestically.

 

[pup11]

Wow.... after all the hype that surrounded this test, our batters pretty much decided the result of the game and the series in the very first session itself.
This is seriously disappointing because its the third time in a row in this series that the batting has crumbled this way and think its high time slots of some high profile players came under the scanner.
Also think criticising Smith isn't fair, he is a pretty good talent but can't help but think that the selectors are screwing with his career atm. I'm not sure whether he knows what his role is in this current side, his bowling is still a work in progress but still he can add value to this team with both bat and ball, though in one test to expect him to play as bowler and then in the next one expecting him to pull his weight as a batsman is only eventually going to halt his evolution as a cricketer.