*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Spark]

Yeah, agree with this. England have been doing this for quite a while now. All that time wasted in consulting each other and Broad still bangs them in the middle of the pitch, must be Ishant Sharma's long lost brother. Utterly brainless. Not only would the English have had a better chance of getting Johnson out had they pitched it up, they've also probably fired him up even more. Bresnan and Broad will get it back tomorrow...with interest.

Hope we can push this score to about 400, can see a fighting innings from Cook or a KP special in the first dig so we could do with a few extra runs. The last thing we need is England getting a first innings lead as our one-collapse-a-series is long overdue.

We've actually already had a few "collapses" this series tbf. The difference is that it hasn't blown away all our batsmen, just a few of them.

 

[Spikey]

and someone has posted a hundred (or close enough to, in the case of Haddin's 94)

 

[wpdavid]

Well that was crap. Apparently Saker's blaming the bowlers for under-performing, which is probably true, but it also deflects attention from the selectorial **** up in packing the squad with beanpoles who are then deemed surplus to requirements at the WACA. Sacking offences all round afaics.

Kudos to Smith. Yet again, an Aus batter shows the value of a match-defining century rather than a a career-preserving 50. Naff all chance of any of our guys learning from that though.

Innings defeat, you'd think, once their quicks eventually get a bowl.

 

[Jassy]

We've actually already had a few "collapses" this series tbf. The difference is that it hasn't blown away all our batsmen, just a few of them.

Yeah we've had a number of "mini collapses" but I mean something like a 100 or 150 a.o (or worse still, 47!). If we manage to somehow bat out the morning session we'll likely have put the game beyond England's reach.

 

[GIMH]

Geoffrey reckons our batsmen can score big on this pitch.

 

[Jassy]

CAN, yes. WILL they? Not likely. I only fear Cook and KP, don't see anyone else having the ability or temerity to stand up to Johnson, Harris and Siddle in fully cry on a pitch faster and bouncier than anything they've played since 2010.

 

[Spark]

Geoffrey reckons our batsmen can score big on this pitch.

Knowing him I doubt he is - I think he's just saying they should score big on this pitch so he can rip them to shreds when they don't.

Yeah we've had a number of "mini collapses" but I mean something like a 100 or 150 a.o (or worse still, 47!). If we manage to somehow bat out the morning session we'll likely have put the game beyond England's reach.

Well there's a reason that isn't happening. England's attack as whole simply doesn't have the penetration to capitalise on openings at the moment - by the time they have a chance, their strike bowlers have reached the end of their spells and/or are tired, and there are still two decent bats at the crease who inevitably put their head down and consolidate.

 

[Jassy]

True, I am not denying that, but there's only so many times Haddin can rescue us, only so many times Anderson and Broad will throw up innocuous pie after pie etc etc. I mean, I fervently hope it does not happen but if it has to happen I pray it isn't in this test or the next.

 

[Burgey]

Honestly, it's the ultimate humiliation that hack tonning up.

At least we know you aren't talking about an Englishman.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Geoff Boycott on Watson's dismissal, "Well, you have to give the England bowlers credit."

Just as he will to Australia's bowlers when an English batsman nicks off to slip.

 

[Spark]

True, I am not denying that, but there's only so many times Haddin can rescue us, only so many times Anderson and Broad will throw up innocuous pie after pie etc etc. I mean, I fervently hope it does not happen but if it has to happen I pray it isn't in this test or the next.

I think Anderson is a little shot tbh. Even from the first innings at the Gabba he just looked to have lost something, and it's just continued - he's been accurate, sure, but he hasn't really ever looked like getting anyone out.

 

[Burgey]

True, I am not denying that, but there's only so many times Haddin can rescue us, only so many times Anderson and Broad will throw up innocuous pie after pie etc etc. I mean, I fervently hope it does not happen but if it has to happen I pray it isn't in this test or the next.

Broad has been good this series tbf, today was probably the worst he's bowled. I reckon Anderson is starting to be a real worry for England though. I can't say it's something with his action because I've not looked that closely at it, but something isn't right with the way he's bowling, and largely hasn't been since Lord's.

Edit: what Spark said

 

[Maximas]

I can't tell what would be worse:
- If Twatto had tried to late cut that ball and chopped it on or something
- What he actually did

 

[wpdavid]

I think Anderson is a little shot tbh. Even from the first innings at the Gabba he just looked to have lost something, and it's just continued - he's been accurate, sure, but he hasn't really ever looked like getting anyone out.

Nor for most of his test appearances leading up to this series, either. Unless he's carrying a knock that we don't know about, I think he's simply past his best, period.

Dread to think how the side will look next time we play you.

 

[MW1304]

Well there's a reason that isn't happening. England's attack as whole simply doesn't have the penetration to capitalise on openings at the moment - by the time they have a chance, their strike bowlers have reached the end of their spells and/or are tired, and there are still two decent bats at the crease who inevitably put their head down and consolidate.

This is very true. The combination of Haddin being in supreme form, having generally more than useful tail anyhow, and the inability of our attack to keep going through a day (despite the fact that we've now used five bowlers two games in a row) means that despite making 100 odd for 5 quite often, there seems to be a successful rebuild almost every time. I'll put a lot of that down to Haddin tbf, who has been quite brilliant, but it is so frustrating to see every time I wake up. It means that even when we do knock over the top order there's a resignation there that we're not even close to bowling you out. It proves how important your strong lower order is, this kind of thing was happening through the English summer as well.

 

[Maximas]

Dread to think how the side will look next time we play you.

"In the hour of greatest slaughter, the great avenger is being born"

 

[Spark]

Re: Anderson, it's pretty hard to explain, tbh. I don't think it's down to a lack of pace - some of his deliveries today were hitting the low 140s, but batsmen just seem to find him easier to play. Like, last time down here he was still bowling late-130s but he seemed to be bowling an unusually heavy ball, with batsmen really having to play him in an unusually hurried manner for someone of his pace. That's not happening this time at all. That his "natural" length has gradually worked itself shorter and shorter since TB hasn't helped him either.

I suspect that it's because he's just lost a little of his ability to get the ball to move really late on the batsman, either in the air or off the seam (or the pitches haven't let him).

 

[wpdavid]

"In the hour of greatest slaughter, the great avenger is being born"

I'll settle for that.

 

[Jassy]

I think Anderson is a little shot tbh. Even from the first innings at the Gabba he just looked to have lost something, and it's just continued - he's been accurate, sure, but he hasn't really ever looked like getting anyone out.

Broad has been good this series tbf, today was probably the worst he's bowled. I reckon Anderson is starting to be a real worry for England though. I can't say it's something with his action because I've not looked that closely at it, but something isn't right with the way he's bowling, and largely hasn't been since Lord's.

Edit: what Spark said

I wonder if this is more a permanent thing. I guess we'll know in the next 12 months for certain. He's always been a bowler who tends to do better in certain conditions than others but a total lack of bite here is disconcerting (not as an Australian fan!). Just to put it in perspective, 2 tests back Johnson was a nobody and a fringe player; Anderson was the spearhead of the English attack. However, now the tables have turned so much that you may even have people rating Johnson higher by the end of the series! Wonder what the numbers are like but I suppose that is a debate for another thread and another day.

 

[wpdavid]

Geoffrey reckons our batsmen can score big on this pitch.

I'm trying to think of which England batsmen that I've seen would do well here. Robin Smith wouldn't die wondering. Lamb would give it a go. Greig would maybe do OK. Definite theme here ....

From our home grown talent, maybe Stewart without the WK gloves and Gooch at the absolute peak of his powers. Thorpe would offer something.