***Official*** 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

[Alysum]

shot ! lovely six !

the MCG is so big it's hard to hit sixes, strange Symonds hasn't hit any

 

[James90]

SHOT!!! How much hangtime did that get.

Love Nath's robot emoticon. Instead of the robot just creating a new body the head turns into the body and then it grows a new head. Efficient.

 

[Slow Love™]

I don't think Symonds was out either. It would probably have hit the stumps, but there's no possible way you could have been certain. It needed to turn a fair amount to hit the stumps, after all.

Anyway, full credit has to go to Symonds. I don't think there's a place for him in the test side when Watson is fit, as the middle order is pretty settled now, but there's no doubt he's a better player than an average of 18 or whatever he had before this innings. Nice that he got the chance to play a key innings in test cricket at least once.

Great innings from Hayden, of course. Could have been out last night, but he worked really hard to get through the tricky period this morning, and took advantage of the conditions easing up after lunch and batted really well. Needless to say, if Australia are still batting at stumps the game is basically over.

It might be over already. As to Symonds, yeah, his figures aren't good, but I'm sometimes surprised by the really negative remarks directed towards him at this forum. I think he's maybe experienced some confusion as to his role in the batting order at times, and though it's very likely that he won't be a regular test player for Australia, I can't help thinking that he has all the tools.

At 5/111, with Ponting, Hussey and Clarke all removed, this game was really on for England, but, not to take anything away from Symonds and Hayden, somebody really needs to take this England team aside and give them the Alec Baldwin lecture from Glengarry Glen Ross. 'Cause they simply aren't closers. Flintoff overly defensive virtually from the moment Symonds was walking to the wicket.

 

[cameeel]

England are appealing for absolutely everything that looks like it may have hit the pads, then looking like someone's taken their baby when it's given not out.

It's like a whole team of Warnies.

 

[Nate]

At least it`s not a whole team of Williams`.

 

[Nate]

200 partnership up. What are England trying to do?

 

[cameeel]

Crack!

 

[Nate]

EDIT: Shot! by Symonds.

 

[Slow Love™]

LOL, Nath's little avatar wager about to pay off big time, here. Excellent call.

 

[Slow Love™]

There's the hundred, gets there with a six! Great stuff, Symmo!

 

[cameeel]

Maiden century for Symonds with a huge SIX!

Well played.

 

[Nate]

SYMONDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Oh my goodnesssssssss.

regrdegagrdg

tgeareg
ye
6t2
5t4yt54
tt
y
yy
ysy

 

[JASON]

Hayden saved from the Retirement club by Dave Orchard on Day 1. Looks like he is going to make it count and extend his career .

 

[Alysum]

at last symonds gets his ton ! he can now die happily I'm sure... but man that was risky to bit a six in the 90s...

 

[Nate]

LOLing at the slow-mo replay.

Are they actually doing it?

 

[James90]

How far did he reach for that six! Fantastic knock and good for Australian cricket.

Queensland saved Australia big time. How much does Hayden want to hump Symonds in that embrace. Oh dear.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Hayden saved from the Retirement club by Dave Orchard on Day 1. Looks like he is going to make it count and extend his career .

He did make 90 odd in the last test, you realise? I hardly think a failure here would have ended his career.

 

[Slow Love™]

Haha, yeah, Symonds did seem to cop a pretty savage dry hump or two when he jumped into Hayden's arms just then. Symonds a fair bit heavier than little Langer, too.

 

[Nate]

I understand that this 100 doesn`t mean Symonds is neccessarily a World-Class Test batsman. But he had a great knock in him, and he played it. To all those who said Symonds should or will not play Test Cricket again, enjoy watching the man bat.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

It might be over already. As to Symonds, yeah, his figures aren't good, but I'm sometimes surprised by the really negative remarks directed towards him at this forum. I think he's maybe experienced some confusion as to his role in the batting order at times, and though it's very likely that he won't be a regular test player for Australia, I can't help thinking that he has all the tools.

I think mainly the negative comments were a result of frustration as his continued selection as an all-rounder. I don't think he's deserving of a batting average in the teens, but there are better test batsmen who aren't in the side at the moment, and really he never should have played 12 tests. It's been a great century, and Australia haven't exactly suffered for carrying Symonds so far in his career, but the fact that his bowling has been better than his batting in general says a lot about how he has played.

I agree though that his main problem has been understanding his role. The parallels between this innings and the one at the start of the 2003 World Cup are obvious. He comes in as a lineball selection with a poor record, the team is in trouble and he relaxes and plays himself in before going for his shots, and makes a hundred. It may even be that he learns a bit more about himself as a batsman from this and succeeds in tests, but with one match to go and then a year off I can't see how he'll hang on to his place in the side. If Watson is fit next summer and bowling like he was before this series began he'd be a pushover for number 6.