*Official* First Test at The Gabba

[BoyBrumby]

i feel like many of the english commentators really like smitteh. like, even before he hit the 89 and ton at the Oval, they seemed to like him

Smith does grow on you. Perennial underdogish face. Rooting for him this time ftr.

He's a hard guy to dislike, tbf. Does have the look of the archetypal "loveable loser".

If the Ashes was a war film he'd be the guy who gets the letter from his sweetheart in the first act saying she's left him for some rich douche who's avoided the draft and stayed home to strangle puppies.

The Warne pattern is being set for the series, praise Cook's captaincy and it is all thanks to him.

Seemed to be making a real effort not to sound like a prick (would imagine maybe someone at Sky has had a word in his shell-like after his uber dire efforts at The Oval), but somehow seems all the more wankerish because of it.

I bet the second Clarke sets a leg slip he'll be back to fapping away over his little prince.

Anyway, sad to say because I'm a huge fan of the big fella but Tremmers definitely doesn't seem quite the bowler he was; looks to have lost that crucial yard. However, even if he isn't carrying the threat he did, he suits England's MO better than the other options because he does at least offer control ("bowling dry" is one of those irritating buzz phrases that gets bandied about) whereas Finn would have doubtless being going for something like 4.5 an over.

 

[VCC44]

I didn't think Broad bowled too short, I thought he used the short pitched ball quite effectively. For example with the Clarke wicket, the man was put straight in at short leg, Clarke knew it was coming but Broad put in a couple of fuller length deliveries before firing in the shorter ball. Good planning imo.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

When Broad is bowling at his absolute best, he's near unmatched in world cricket at being able to get genuinely vicious bounce/seam movement off a length - the ball will seem to genuinely rear up out of nowhere and such deliveries are simply impossible to play. Again, I missed most of the day's play but I didn't really see much of that on display. Just good, consistent bowling with some bounce and threat that any Test standard batsman should be capable of dealing with.

Sigh.

A bit like how we felt with McGrath but that sod would do the miracle spell three times a series every series and be like a bloody robot for all bar one innings of the rest. Crikey he was good.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

If it's any consolation, he'll probably disappear for at least 2 matches.

Carry on like you are and you will too.

 

[wpdavid]

It's funny how it actually transpired. Broad bowled well in patches today but I've seen him bowl much better and take 0/70; I actually thought he bowled much better at the back end of the English Ashes than he did today. How many times have we seen Broad run in with the new ball, bang in a bunch of short rocks and then have wpdavid to come in and tell us how terrible the attack looks, Spark mention how much better he looks when he pitches it up etc because he takes none and wastes the new ball? Today those short rocks took wickets. Yeah, the pitch was more conducive to short bowling than we usually see when Broad bowls and yeah, two of them were actually pretty well directed (even if poorly played) but he's bowled extremely similar spells before only be roundly criticised for his length, and the Warner/Watson wickets were gifts.

It's definitely possible that his "revels in being the villain" thing could play a part in the series with Broad. I'm not at all convinced it did today though - in fact if it makes him bowl that short for most of the series it's probably a good thing for Australia.

Yeah, I don't buy the idea that the abuse made any difference. More that it was just one of his days. Maybe karma / divine intervention after the crap that's being thrown in his direction.

My main worry about today is that Aus were able to recover because there was only one of the quicker bowlers posing a consistent threat. By rights, if you have a team at 130 for 6, they shouldn't be reaching 200. In the summer it didn't matter so much because Swann was usually helped by the conditions, but that's not going to happen here. It doesn't help that our 3rd seamer is nothing more than a container nowadays.

 

[Woodster]

Yeah, I don't buy the idea that the abuse made any difference. More that it was just one of his days. Maybe karma / divine intervention after the crap that's being thrown in his direction.

My main worry about today is that Aus were able to recover because there was only one of the quicker bowlers posing a consistent threat. By rights, if you have a team at 130 for 6, they shouldn't be reaching 200. In the summer it didn't matter so much because Swann was usually helped by the conditions, but that's not going to happen here. It doesn't help that our 3rd seamer is nothing more than a container nowadays.

Tbf if I was an Aussie fan I'd be more worried about the top order than from an English perspective our inability to break the Haddin/Johnson partnership, as frustrating as that was. The pitch is a belter, there was very little happening, the ball seemed to come on great so a partnership was almost inevitable just such a surprise that none of the top six reached 50 and beyond. All England could do was be disciplined without any reverse swing around, and we did that for much of the day. To have the opportunity to bowl Australia out for under 300 on that pitch would be an excellent effort, just hope our batsmen show up on day two.

 

[social]

For some reason you have failed to mention the person who top scores today? Did it hurt? Did it make you feel empty inside? Did it make you feel like crying?

You are seriously stupid

Haddin's good work on day 1/25 can be undone by a simple dropped chance or a brain fade with the bat at any time

But you wont recognize that #neverwrong

 

[social]

Tbf if I was an Aussie fan I'd be more worried about the top order than from an English perspective our inability to break the Haddin/Johnson partnership, as frustrating as that was. The pitch is a belter, there was very little happening, the ball seemed to come on great so a partnership was almost inevitable just such a surprise that none of the top six reached 50 and beyond. All England could do was be disciplined without any reverse swing around, and we did that for much of the day. To have the opportunity to bowl Australia out for under 300 on that pitch would be an excellent effort, just hope our batsmen show up on day two.

It will be interesting to see how Oz bowlers perform on this pitch

Gut feeling is that they will be a different proposition as Broad showed that there was a life in the track if you put in but Anderson looked flat until he found a ball he liked and Tremlett was little more than steady

 

[Burgey]

Hahahahaha. Not bad for a Murdoch **** sheet.

 

[zaremba]

Hello all. My halfpennyworth:

- Tremlett a poor pick. No form to speak of, his action looks wonky (and slightly suspect), and you can't just pick a player on the strength of 3 pretty good matches 3 years ago and nothing else since

- Quite happy with the scoreline so far

- The signs are there for another slightly underwhelming Ashes (a la '09, '13) in which two slightly limited teams battle it out but neither really impresses

- Astonished that anyone from Oz could possibly criticise Broad for not walking, but I realise it's all got to be tongue-in-cheek, and I've now come round to the idea that the Courier Mail's campaign is actually quite funny

- Hoping the level of debate here improves a touch

- So very, very, very tired; and it's only going to get worse from here on in

Maybe see you all later

z

 

[Furball]

But essays inviting other posters to attack one other are expected

Sorry, but this place is a ****ing toilet. My respect for Australians in general has plummeted today.

Is that even possible?

 

[four_or_six]

Could be a good night to stay up tonight... at least for the start. I didn't last too long yesterday so I need to do better!

 

[sledger]

Lying in bed in the dark with TMS on: the best.

 

[four_or_six]

Yeah, did that last night. I woke up and heard them talking about Haddin, couldn't believe how early it was when I looked at the clock!

 

[Furball]

I think I'll be getting up early to watch the evening session; going to sleep at 3:40am and waking up again at 6:45am isn't really sustainable.

 

[four_or_six]

I think I'll be getting up early to watch the evening session; going to sleep at 3:40am and waking up again at 6:45am isn't really sustainable.

Nope, definitely not. I luckily have tomorrow off work, although I need to be up and with if by 9am, that still gives some good scope.

If only I'm a celeb wasn't on, cause it would be easier to just go to bed for a few hours before play starts...

 

[Burgey]

I think I'll be getting up early to watch the evening session; going to sleep at 3:40am and waking up again at 6:45am isn't really sustainable.

Broken sleep is the pits. Better off choosing one half of the day to watch and sticking to it. Trouble is t it's the first half an it's good, you end up watching the whole lot.

 

[Tangles]

Anyway, what's going on with Clarke and Broad - he looks like he's never played short pitched bowling in his life against him!

I think it's a combination of things. The angle and bounce into his body means he has to play or duck/weave. He isn't playing the pull shot and he isn't ducking. That leaves him playing the ball defensively but in an upright side on position. With the right pace and extra bounce (Broad/Morkel) the ball gets big on him and he loses control. If its short outside off he gets in position across his stumps so I don't think he's scared of the short stuff. And I only use that word because his backfoot going to leg when he gets in trouble is an indicator if that being an issue. I think his back could be the reason he doesn't want to duck which is the most effective way of dealing with it if he won't pull. It's harder to duck against guys with steeper bounce but on Aussue pitches ducking on length is doable.

If the pull and the duck are not options he wants to use then as Nasser pointed out he could go with something like what Steve Waugh did. Which is fending the ball but getting inside the line and fending down. Looks ugly but would be better than getting trapped. He will definitely get more practice now it's something the Poms think they can exploit.

 

[Furball]

Broken sleep is the pits. Better off choosing one half of the day to watch and sticking to it. Trouble is t it's the first half an it's good, you end up watching the whole lot.

I had to be up early today anyway, I iust somehow managed to wake up a good 45 minutes early.

I don't see myself lasting 5 hours until the start, whereas if I get an early enough night then a 4:30am or 5am start could be on. The fact I've got the wee one might affect my decision as well, I doubt I'll be able to sleep much longer than 8am tomorrow anyway.

 

[Pothas]

Anyway, sad to say because I'm a huge fan of the big fella but Tremmers definitely doesn't seem quite the bowler he was; looks to have lost that crucial yard. However, even if he isn't carrying the threat he did, he suits England's MO better than the other options because he does at least offer control ("bowling dry" is one of those irritating buzz phrases that gets bandied about) whereas Finn would have doubtless being going for something like 4.5 an over.

I am always desperate for him to do well but thought he did ok yesterday, as you say certainly better than Finn would have managed, aside from maybe the lack of a wicket caught down the legside. I can certainly see why people think he is no longer the bowler he was, but he actually has had whole seasons bowling like this (with the addition of constant little injuries) for Hampshire in the past, before he moved to Surrey I really had started to give up on him and then he came back so brilliantly. It may be wishful thinking to think that is going to happen again overnight but gives me a reason not give up hope.