*Official* Third Test at the WACA

[Spikey]

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

what's this about the australian tour of india in 2013 and steve smith

 

[Burgey]

Root will do well here IMO, unless Australia bowls really full to him.

You'd think McDermott will be telling them to bowl really really full. Only have to show them the England pitch maps and how many pills were missing the sticks

 

[Spark]

Root will do well here IMO, unless Australia bowls really full to him.

You'd think McDermott will be telling them to bowl really really full. Only have to show them the England pitch maps and how many pills were missing the sticks

Really? I reckon the way he opens the face on the back foot will land him in trouble on this deck, especially if it quickens up.

 

[theegyptian]

Anderson may have lost a little of his fizz or whatever you want to call it but it's magnified by the terrible output from the third seamer and the good aussie tactics of getting after Swann. Just puts too much pressure on Broad and Anderson. It's why they've brought in Stokes and Panesar imo- ie they've been forced to because of aussie tactics and because of the **** third seamer.

 

[nevermind]

Mitch to get his 3rd MotM this series. 100 in first hour tomorrow. 6 wickets by end of days play.

 

[GIMH]

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.

When I was listening and he was on (prior to the Haddin wicket) he said the Bailey wicket was good bowling but that the rest were gifts. Needs to make his mind up evidently.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Being a pragmatic fellow, who favours runs on the board over "runs that should be made", Australia are ahead here.

But not disastrously so.

 

[Spark]

When I was listening and he was on (prior to the Haddin wicket) he said the Bailey wicket was good bowling but that the rest were gifts. Needs to make his mind up evidently.

That's true, tbf. The rest were gifts.

 

[benchmark00]

Another day another half ton to the WPWB. And sm00ts, what can you say? I've made the comparison to Steve Waugh in the past and I will continue to do so.

 

[Tangles]

Nice recovery from Rad and Smith. That ton should shut some of the idiots up for a few matches. Being idiots it won't though.

Anderson is bowling a touch too short and not getting the same movement that he was IMO. The ****house support from the 3rd seamer and Cooks fields don't encourage him to pitch up.

Pitch looks decent to bat on if you get in and don't throw it away. So someone was always likely to get some runs. Rad getting 50 doesn't kill England like allowing MJ and the tail to score again.

Already enough runs that Clarke will have to decide on the follow on again.

 

[Top_Cat]

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).

Dunno. Anderson was excellent with new ball. Later on, was a bit pedestrian but you honestly felt a wicket was an inevitability with the nurry.

He's not at his best, no doubt, but his new ball work has been good overall.

 

[Spark]

Hmm, I dunno. He was getting good zip off the pitch but I hardly felt that a wicket was inevitable.

 

[Top_Cat]

Having someone leaking 4's at the other end didn't help. Any pressure he built was gone next over.

 

[dumastudetto]

Australia have just about a par score so far. It feels better than it is because England allowed them to escape last night when having the 5 down for 140 odd. But make no mistake this match is far from over yet.

Alistair Cook is due a big innings and he'll definitely enjoy batting on here.
Kevin Pietersen looked good in the second innings in Adelaide and will also be strong on here.
Joe Root will bat and bat and bat.
Ian Bell is the best batsmen in the world right now and it will take a real beauty to dismiss him on this road.

Further positives can be drawn from how ineffective Mitchell Johnson was in the second innings in Adelaide. England figured him out and played him very comfortably there. Couple that with his natural inconsistency and there's every reason to believe we've seen the best of Mitch for the series and England can now get on top.

Australia looked nervous batting yesterday and made heaps of mistakes. Gilly did warn that the Aussie team are not used to being in this position and could feel the pressure of being frontrunners. They definitely choked yesterday and let's see if the choking transfers to their bowling and fielding when England bat.

This series is far from over yet and I have a sneaking suspicion if we get the scores close to parity in the first innings, the Aussies will be blown away in the second dig and England can win this test match.

 

[Spark]

Oh ****, not the gamblers fallacy again

Edit: actually, gimh is that you.

Edit2: no, even gimh would be disappointed with the number of trite cliches in that post

 

[andyc]

What a day for Smitteh. What a day for Australian cricket overall. Got on Steve to outscore Bailey for the series before the Gabba (Bailey was shorter odds than TPC, ridiculous from Sportsbet), pretty happy with it all now.

 

[91Jmay]

All over bar the shouting which is very disappointing. Don't think we bowled to badly other than to many boundary balls. Smith batted very well and Haddin has hit a purple patch that really has turned the series.

 

[dumastudetto]

All over bar the shouting which is very disappointing. Don't think we bowled to badly other than to many boundary balls. Smith batted very well and Haddin has hit a purple patch that really has turned the series.

England fans are being far too pessimistic here. Australia got out of jail and had heaps of luck yesterday when Haddin and Smith both flirted with the fielders with airborne shots that on another day would have been caught. Their main batters played like the pressure of the world was on their shoulders and they are very lucky their lower order has bailed them out. But if we can bowl them out for less than 400 that's still only marginally above par on a flat deck, and if Johnson continues his second innings form from Adelaide then Australia will struggle to bowl us out. I'd like to see the scores close to level at the end of the first innings and then let's see how the Aussies handle it.

 

[91Jmay]

If we can get the scores level after the 1st innings that would be a minor miracle, however I would feel we'd be in with an above average chance then. Aussies due a collapse.

 

[GIMH]

Oh ****, not the gamblers fallacy again

Edit: actually, gimh is that you.

Edit2: no, even gimh would be disappointed with the number of trite cliches in that post

What do you mean, even GIMH (note the caps btw ****)