***Official*** 1st Test at The Gabba

[BoyBrumby]

Hard to find too many positives for us, really. Fred was superb, but he can't bowl from both ends. I'm gripped by the fear this series is going to be a huge washout (in the metaphorical sense only, a literal washout out & a 0-0 score over five tests would be dandy, thank you God...) after last time. If the Aussie tail wags like it did over here we could be staring down 550+ quite easily & with a top 7 without a test run in Oz between them (is that unprecedented in post-war cricket? Can't be too many other occasions) even avoiding the follow on might be beyond us.

I may be being unduly pessimistic, but a massacre is going to be so unappealing to haul my arse out of bed for (well, to wake up at an ungodly hour & turn the telly on anyway).

If I were to find a straw to clutch it would be that the new cherry seemed to be swinging a little just before the close. We badly need quick wickets this morning. Unfortunately Ponting & Hussey have an ominous air of solidity about them. Hussey is a strange one, isn't he? He doesn't really play any eye-catching shots (at least compared to the rest of the top 5/6), but when you look up he's suddenly made a score.

 

[Woodster]

I think the fact that on an excellent batting surface against some very poor bowling he was still only getting runs from mistimes shots, through airborne drives that went in between the fielders and between slip and gully just goes to show how poor he batted. A better captain, Vaughan or Hussain,yesterday would have had him out without getting into double figures.

I agree the pitch is excellent and our bowling was average, but still he made the runs. OK he didnt time everyone, but lets look at the last time he played a Test was in March, when he was whacked on the head first ball! He must inevitably have been nervous, but I thought he played positively and got what he deserved. Yes, an early shot could have flown to hand, but you can say that about virtually every innings where someone scores a biggie!

 

[silentstriker]

I dont live in Bangalore anymore. Further whatever place i live in has no relevance to which team i support

Huh? No, I meant its hard to belive you live in Banglore and hasn't seen a performance worse than Harmison.

The implication being that you would see plenty of subcontinent performances .

 

[chris.hinton]

A complete disgrace IMO, Flintoff simply has not got a clue, KP bowling? what going on there

Why Drop Panesar, for 20 years we have been crying for a Spinner who can attack sides we get one so we drop him for a next to useless Spinner who bats better, Panesar can win us tests Giles only plays Supporting roles.

We miss Simon Jones and the lack of Fast Bowlers depth is a big Worry

 

[PhoenixFire]

A complete disgrace IMO, Flintoff simply has not got a clue, KP bowling? what going on there

Why Drop Panesar, for 20 years we have been crying for a Spinner who can attack sides we get one so we drop him for a next to useless Spinner who bats better, Panesar can win us tests Giles only plays Supporting roles.

It simply doesn't spin at the Gabba, so you might as well pick someone that will add something extra, even though they don't spin it. It makes perfect sense to me.

 

[chris.hinton]

Giles will play all tests now

 

[BingLeeElectric]

OK, I've watched the tape of today's play through to Langer's wicket, and a few comments are:
- despite knowing how the day turns out, England could have, at this point, considered themselves unlucky. I don't recall ever seeing so many loose or streaky shots and edges go flying through the wide slip or gully area without ANY of them going to hand.

Then watch any Trescothick innings.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Then watch any Trescothick innings.

Did you watch him bat at your man Brett Lee last summer?

 

[UncleTheOne]

A complete disgrace IMO, Flintoff simply has not got a clue, KP bowling? what going on there

Why Drop Panesar, for 20 years we have been crying for a Spinner who can attack sides we get one so we drop him for a next to useless Spinner who bats better, Panesar can win us tests Giles only plays Supporting roles.

We miss Simon Jones and the lack of Fast Bowlers depth is a big Worry

KP bowled better than Harmison, Anderson and Hoggard.

Hopefully this myth that Harmison is a world class bowler just looking to hit his rhythm can be put to bed now. Flintoff bowls for the first time in a test since the Sri Lanka series and hits his lengths straight away, bowling beautifully.

Despite his niggles Harmison has played more cricket yet still can't 'find his rhythm'. Let's face facts, he's a spineless git who doesn't deserve to wear the shirt.

At least Saj and Monty would play for the shirt.

 

[Turbinator]

What did I say no contest at all folks, booooooorrrrrrrinnnnnnnnggggggggg......

 

[Matteh]

It was til Ponting and Hussey put on that huge partnership.

 

[Matteh]

A complete disgrace IMO, Flintoff simply has not got a clue, KP bowling? what going on there

Why Drop Panesar, for 20 years we have been crying for a Spinner who can attack sides we get one so we drop him for a next to useless Spinner who bats better, Panesar can win us tests Giles only plays Supporting roles.

We miss Simon Jones and the lack of Fast Bowlers depth is a big Worry

KP started off as an off-spinner. You know that if Vaughan was captain that he'd give himself a bowl before KP. Panesar isn't going to spin it at the Gabba, so may as well have someone who can catch and can hit 15+ more runs an innings.

However i do agree with the lack of Simon Jones. Even if it isn't reversing, Anderson/Hoggard/Harmison looked average.

Has to be said that after the dire opening spell, Harmison wasn't that bad. Didn't look like getting a wicket but was easily as average as Hoggard and Anderson.

 

[Salamuddin]

Pretty disappointed with the whole day, to be frank.

Firstly, there wasn't much of a contest between bat and ball today. Harmison showed no ticker, as usual; Anderson got treated like a club bowler; and Hoggard never really looked like breaking through. On the flipside, Giles I thought bowled fairly well and Flintoff was very good.

The bowling was tripe to be honest.
Giles and Flintoff were decent but Harmison was pathetic. I honestly can't see Anderson being consistently successful at test level with his action - his head is tilting sidewaysat the point of delivery - how on earth is he going to be accurate like that ?
I can't see Hoggard doing much damage on hard, flat Aussie wickets - the ball doesn't swing here that much. But he should at least try and keep it tight and build pressure fior the others.
I have said this before and I'll say it again - Harmison is one of the most overrated bowlers I've seen --- he's just so unreliable that you wonder whether England would be better off without him.

Mudhsudhan Singh Panesar should have played - he would at least have made the Aussies earn their runs ---
If you look back at the 2005 Ashes, you'll see that really it was Jones and Flintoff that did the damage with 18 and 24 wickets respectively. With Jones out it wasn't hard to see England could be in big trouble unless Harmison stepped up.

 

[Salamuddin]

I'm just hoping the Pommies especially KP who I like watching can score some runs....cause I have little hiope for the English bolwers v the Aussie batsmen.

 

[Mister Wright]

If England bat well enough this game could be a draw. Ponting won't stop batting in the first innings, and will try to bat England out of the series, so England will have to take wickets. The only way I can see Ponting declaring is if Australia are still batting late today and he might send England in for half an hour.

 

[aussie]

Further whatever place i live in has no relevance to which team i support

you tell em dawg..

 

[aussie]

For the Aussies, i thought Hayden and Langer were complete crap.

i give you Langer was a bit streaky early on & as you said Freddie could have blocked up that area a little more, but Hayden was looking solid all a long, it was brilliant ball from the master to get him out. The two were by no means complete crap.

 

[social]

What did I say no contest at all folks, booooooorrrrrrrinnnnnnnnggggggggg......

You're obviously talking about SA v India


OooooooH! The ball is bouncing above ankle height - let's all give up

 

[social]

Too far. He didn't bowl well, he bowled very poorly, but to say that it was the worst you have ever seen, suggests that you've been in an attic for 14 years, and this is the 1st match you've seen in 14 years.

and that he can bowl

 

[NZTailender]

England to bat before days end.


Got my drinks and snacks. See y'all at lunch.