*Official* First Test at Swalec Stadium, Cardiff

[Woodster]

When Pietersen came out here (seems ages ago now) to play a season in grade cricket in Sydney, the talk around town about him soon got going - regarded as the hardest-hitting, most devastating batsman a lot of good judges had seen in donkey's years.

They were probably right. I don't doubt his ability at all, and frankly he's by so far the batsman we Aussies fear most in England's side. When you see someone score runs the way he can, it frustrates you to see him get out the way he does sometimes.

But then again, Mark Waugh was similar as an Aussie supporter. He'd play these sublime knocks, some of the more fluent and audacious shots you'd ever see. Then he'd bang a long hop to point, and it'd be the biggest disappointment ever - like cricketing coitus interruptus.

I agree, and you are at times left feeling short changed when a potentially brilliant innings is brought to a premature and sometimes horrible end. Would probably say that Mark Waugh was a more aesthetically pleasing batsman, KP's style is not as pleasing to watch, some of his strokes, while audacious and breathtaking, are quite horrible in a technical sense.

Everytime England's main man is out with an unorthodox stroke it does get scrutinised to ridiculous degrees. KP has passed 50 on 30 occasions, 16 times he has gone on to reach three figures, five innings over 150. Now those stats do not indicate a man that readily gives his wicket away before punishing the opposition.

 

[zaremba]

Everytime England's main man is out with an unorthodox stroke it does get scrutinised to ridiculous degrees. KP has passed 50 on 30 occasions, 16 times he has gone on to reach three figures, five innings over 150. Now those stats do not indicate a man that readily gives his wicket away before punishing the opposition.

Fair point, this. It can be hard to remember that he lives by the sword and therefore must die by it. He finds some god-awful ways of getting out. But none quite as ridiculous as Ed Joyce yesterday, caught accidentally when the ball lodged itself in short leg's pocket.

 

[Woodster]

I wouldn't say that this indicates any worry for England, it just happens with Flintoff that he does not bowl many quick spells. He is quick medium for the slight majority of his spells and only cranks up to 150kph territory when he is pumped up, such as his first spells in this innings or a spell against his good friend Yuvraj in India.

Yes with his frame/injury record, he will not bowl consistent spells in excess of 90mph, will recognise when the time's right to throw in one of those bursts, and change up a gear.

 

[Uppercut]

Indeed. When he scores so many runs from balls with nothing particularly bad about them, you can't complain too much when he gets out to a ball with nothing particularly good about it.

 

[Woodster]

But none quite as ridiculous as Ed Joyce yesterday, caught accidentally when the ball lodged itself in short leg's pocket.

Ha, yes saw the picture of that today, what a way to go!!

 

[zaremba]

Beloved, let us once more praise the rain.
Let us discover some new alphabet,
For this, the often praised; and be ourselves,
The rain, the chickweed, and the burdock leaf,
The green-white privet flower, the spotted stone,
And all that welcomes the rain; the sparrow too,—
Who watches with a hard eye from seclusion,
Beneath the elm-tree bough, till rain is done.
There is an oriole who, upside down,
Hangs at his nest, and flicks an orange wing,—
Under a tree as dead and still as lead;
There is a single leaf, in all this heaven
Of leaves, which rain has loosened from its twig:
The stem breaks, and it falls, but it is caught
Upon a sister leaf, and thus she hangs;
There is an acorn cup, beside a mushroom
Which catches three drops from the stooping cloud.
The timid bee goes back to the hive; the fly
Under the broad leaf of the hollyhock
Perpends stupid with cold; the raindark snail
Surveys the wet world from a watery stone...
And still the syllables of water whisper:
The wheel of cloud whirs slowly: while we wait
In the dark room; and in your heart I find
One silver raindrop,—on a hawthorn leaf,—
Orion in a cobweb, and the World.

 

[Jamee999]

POTY.
z

 

[tooextracool]

Technique is nothing. Temperament is everything. North made a wonderful century on debut on a deck that was seaming all over the place.

Try telling that to Michael Bevan. Technique might not be everything but its a very important part of the game. There are minimum requisites in a technique, no matter how good the temperament, that you need to meet in order to be a test class cricketer.

 

[Uppercut]

Try telling that to Michael Bevan. Technique might not be everything but its a very important part of the game. There are minimum requisites in a technique, no matter how good the temperament, that you need to meet in order to be a test class cricketer.

Marcus North is well above those minimum requirements. Besides, i'm not of the opinion that technical deficiencies were Bevan's crucial weakness.

 

[King Pietersen]

6:15 start according to Bumble on Twitter. I wonder if he apprecited he pointing out his use of the word 'organised'? Using the lights as well.

Another quick question, in answer to Ben's VM messages to me, Broad vs Daren Powell, who's the better Test bowler?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Another quick question, in answer to Ben's VM messages to me, Broad vs Daren Powell, who's the better Test bowler?

Broad; outbowled him in the winter.

Rather like being a better heavyweight boxer than Dawn French tho, tbf.

 

[King Pietersen]

Aye, neither are Glenn McGrath, but I just wanted to gauge a general concensus as I'm bored of discussing it with him myself.

 

[GIMH]

Play set to restart in a minute then?

Just been getting a rerun of what I missed. Very grateful for it, honest

 

[GIMH]

Great roar for Freddie but it seems like a lot of people have gone home

 

[ripper868]

Great roar for Freddie but it seems like a lot of people have gone home

Soft, I'm halfway across the world and still kicking, despite having a warm bed to go to.

 

[King Pietersen]

Broad again =/ How Strauss doesn't see Anderson as the leader of this attack and the go-to bowler at the start of a session alongside Fred is beyond me.

 

[ripper868]

how much play is left actually?

 

[tooextracool]

Marcus North is well above those minimum requirements. Besides, i'm not of the opinion that technical deficiencies were Bevan's crucial weakness.

His inability to play the short ball was the reason for his early failures. That he probably improved and got better and might eventually have been an excellent test match batter given the opportunity cannot be ruled out, but one cannot deny the fact that his technical issues were a huge reason for his initial failures at the international level.

As far as North is concerned, you don't have to agree with me. My opinion is that his technique isn't very tight and whilst it is still very early for me to rule him completely as a player given that I have watched him only for 1 inning, I would definitely argue the point that 'he has a sound technique' that was suggested by another poster earlier.

 

[Manee]

Cricinfo cits a minimum of 12.0 overs remaining in the day. If Australia can score at five runs per over, they can get to 531 which is a 96 run lead. An extremely aggressive declaration after that could have Australia push for a win.

 

[GIMH]

I don't think these conditions are suitable for cricket. I say the captains should shake hands on a draw and move on to Lord's.