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

[cameeel]

I wonder if that gift of a wicket will make Harmison bowl a bit better.

He's got to improve eventually, and he is impressive to watch when going well.

 

[chalky]

Personally I doubt they will though. I get the impression Australia will look to make as many as possible and look to declare about an hour after tea.

Although Warne has just gone to Harmison so that might change their approach.

Seems a bit unnecessary for me I don't think they will look to enforce the follow on as it would be asking too much of their bowlers. Perhaps they are looking to grind England into the dust ala Border in 89.

 

[Somerset]

Seems a bit unnecessary for me I don't think they will look to enforce the follow on as it would be asking too much of their bowlers. Perhaps they are looking to grind England into the dust ala Border in 89.

How demoralising would it be if Stuart Clark and Glen McGrath batted for an hour after tea though? I think that would inflict a fair bit of damage on the English.

Harmison immediately looks better although wasn't helped by Freddie there!! More bouncers against Lee to come I imagine.

Clarke on 49 and one short of a deserved fifty.

 

[chalky]

How demoralising would it be if Stuart Clark and Glen McGrath batted for an hour after tea though? I think that would inflict a fair bit of damage on the English.

Harmison immediately looks better although wasn't helped by Freddie there!! More bouncers against Lee to come I imagine.

Clarke on 49 and one short of a deserved fifty.

I don't think England can get much more demorilised TBH. Though they will probably bat a bit longer than they should for the same reasons Border in 89.

 

[pasag]

Clarke brings up his 50, not bad especially with the pressure.

 

[Slow Love™]

I don't think England can get much more demorilised TBH. Though they will probably bat a bit longer than they should for the same reasons Border in 89.

Ponting usually does, to be honest. But I don't think there's any great cost to doing it here.

And there's 50 for Clarke.

 

[chalky]

Flintoff owning Lee as usual.

 

[pasag]

Haha funniest 4 from Lee who is having a fair bit of luck.

 

[pasag]

Pretty big selection quandry for the selectors with Clarke out on 56 as he probably won't bat again in the match. Will be interesting. Anderson deserved a wicket for his efforts imo.

 

[NZTailender]

Anyone else's reception breaking up? According to our DSTB it's at 66% strength. Pretty annoying. And whats with all these bloody McDonalds ads? Who are you trying to kid; your food is death in a wrapper.


Anyway, good bowling from England this afternoon. Will be interesting to see how Cook and Strauss handle McGraths accuracy and Lee's pace this afternoon. I can see Warne getting in 2 or 3 overs before close of play as well, if England bat.

 

[chalky]

Prety big selection quandry for the selectors with Clarke out on 56 as he probably won't bat again in the match. Will be interesting. Anderson deserved a wicket for his efforts imo.

Reading what most of Aussie posters have wrote on here they believe Watson is a better first class batsmen than Clarke add to that his bowling if fit Watson should really play over him. The battle for me should be with Martyn, with him Langer, Hayden & Gilchrist all in their mid 30's and probably past their peeks it might be worth getting some younger blood in and avoid the situation of losing 3 or 4 players in one year.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Martyn's place might be in danger I think. Depends a bit on whether or not he bats again, but if Martyn does bat next innings and fails, and Clarke doesn't, I think they might drop Martyn for Watson at Adelaide.

I guess we'll see. It'll have to be one or the other.

Good spell from Hoggard this afternoon. He's not the most frightening bowler in conditions that don't assist swing, but he's a hard worker and can be relied on to bowl 10 overs wide of off-stump with the old ball to at least keep things in check. Harmison could learn a lot from his endevour, but obviously he won't.

Clarke played a good knock I think. Was quite composed, put away the bad deliveries and didn't do anything stupid. Chappell made a decent point, though interspersed with his usual Watson-bashing, that if England pick two spinners in Adelaide Clarke's ability against spin might make him an attractive prospect to the selectors. Martyn is perhaps an even better player of spin, but he got out to Giles yesterday.

Australia won't declare IMO, but I suppose if they batted for another 90 minutes they would, unless Lee was closing in on a century or something.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Reading what most of Aussie posters have wrote on here they believe Watson is a better first class batsmen than Clarke add to that his bowling if fit Watson should really play over him. The battle for me should be with Martyn, with him Langer, Hayden & Gilchrist all in their mid 30's and probably past their peeks it might be worth getting some younger blood in and avoid the situation of losing 3 or 4 players in one year.

I don't think Watson is a better batsman than Clarke, but he does have a much better record. Clarke averages around 40 in FC cricket compared to Watson who is at a shade under 50. Clarke is more likely to be a world class batsman in the future IMO, but Watson's bowling should definitely see him picked, especially if they go for two spinners in Adelaide. In fact, if they go for two spinners, he's a certainty. As you say, Martyn and Clarke fighting for the other spot.

 

[Slow Love™]

Prety big selection quandry for the selectors with Clarke out on 56 as he probably won't bat again in the match. Will be interesting. Anderson deserved a wicket for his efforts imo.

Yeah, I have no idea what will happen there. Needed more (or a not out) to feel safer, that's for sure, and his method of dismissal wasn't that unfamiliar. Might still get an opening if he's dropped for Watson and Marto fails at Adelaide.

I was just reading that the cops have been really over-militant so far, and threw out the barmy army's bugler yesterday - apparently a big bloc of the Army are considering boycotting the series as a result. It's a really typical overreaction on the part of the police - surely what everybody wants cleaned up is the violent incidents and the racism. No need to go OTT like that at all, it's just plain stupid.

 

[pasag]

Police at the cricket have always been dire (recently), you even look at a beach ball and they chuck you out, however say any racist epithet in the book and nothing. Just as bad at the MCG. Their priorities are way out of order.

 

[chalky]

I was going to post that there doesn't seem to be much of an atmosphere, considering there is a full house, I was wondering if the Ground mics were turned down.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I was just reading that the cops have been really over-militant so far, and threw out the barmy army's bugler yesterday - apparently a big bloc of the Army are considering boycotting the series as a result. It's a really typical overreaction on the part of the police - surely what everybody wants cleaned up is the violent incidents and the racism. No need to go OTT like that at all, it's just plain stupid.

Yeah, atrocious behaviour from the cops there. There was nothing at all wrong with the crowd behaviour, and the typical desire to crack down on random crap when there's no proper work to do is just disgraceful.

 

[chalky]

Tail end batting can be the greatest or worst part of watching cricket depending if it is your team batting or bowling.

 

[pasag]

Stuart Clarks massive domestic innings a short while back firmly in the memory.

 

[Slow Love™]

Tail end batting can be the greatest or worst part of watching cricket depending if it is your team batting or bowling.

This is a fine tail, particularly given that none of them are picked on any extra talent with the bat. They can all play, even McGrath these days at 11. And both these guys (particularly Lee) can play good orthodox shots.