*Official* First Test at Trent Bridge

[Maximas]

the rest of the Aussie players can take off their whites for a little while...

 

[Spikey]

Smith rightly forcing Watson to stand up

 

[Coronis]

5 runs to beat record partnership.

 

[adub]

Lyon in Boof's ear

#yeahbutcanhebowlajeff?

 

[Burgey]

Forget Lord's, Nasser. If Hughes gets well away in this match he'll kick on and on all series.

 

[atisha_ro]

this is just way too awesome to witness

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Hope he gets a deserved ton.

 

[Maximas]

It'snot just remarkable that this has happened at all, but this is a real pressure-cooker situation, I can't believe these two players have actually pulled something like this off under ashes (and match situation) pressure.

 

[Ruckus]

god even people from Romania are tuning in

 

[Burgey]

Sir Ashton Sobers moves to 88, the lead to 50.

 

[Spikey]

Forget Lord's, Nasser. If Hughes gets well away in this match he'll kick on and on all series.

Tempted to dig out that post PEWS made about Hughes during the Indian, about how if you just give time to adapt he scores runs. He started off poorly here afterall...

 

[Burgey]

To think this kid won the US Masters in April and is now scoring runs in the Ashes in July

 

[adub]

All time best 10th wicket partnership in Tests WAFG(s)

 

[Cabinet96]

Highest 10th wicket stand ever.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Sir Ashton Sobers moves to 88, the lead to 50.

Ha ha
hey and the partnership record

 

[Spark]

Just extraordinary

 

[Burgey]

All time tenth wicket partnership in test cricket.

Exactly what I expected would happen when I turned he TV on this evening.

 

[Spikey]

Tempted to dig out that post PEWS made about Hughes during the Indian, about how if you just give time to adapt he scores runs. He started off poorly here afterall...

But that's exactly it with Hughes; he always finds a way to make runs. This is what he's all about.

He's completely out of his depth technically at the moment - Harbhajan was mentioned and I think even he has a better technique for these conditions ffs - but the really great thing about Hughes is that if he does find a way to get settled and comfortable then he'll pile on the runs. That's where the Bradman comparisons came from earlier in his career; they were ridiculous obviously but that's what he has in common with him - that almost robotic ability to build an innings of real substance once he's figured out how to survive a situation. Or, as he's showing here, the ability to make really strange runs even when he has no clue. He's adjudged that he's so far out of sorts and unsuited to the conditions that this is the best chance he has of scoring runs and shock horror - he's making it work.

I've never exactly been a Hughes fan as such in that I hated the early hype and don't enjoy watching him bat, plus as I've said in the past he always seems to become a much better idea when he's out of the side than when he's actually in it and you're watching him, but I like him in this team for those qualities. If Watson conquers the opposition and the conditions then he's just as likely to give it away for 40 as he is to actually contribute but when Hughes figures out how to survive with relative comfort then you can chalk him up for a century. In a team of players who score gritty 40s and players who score pretty 40s, I'm happy enough at this point to put up with Hughes's struggles for the ability to actually hit a ton if he can get past it. His technique wouldn't put him in the top 30 bats in the country in all likelihood but his temperament and ability to make it work is unparalleled.

He's an out and out batsman, and I'm growing more and more of an appreciation for that after the frustrations of so many players who look like batsmen but just don't have that batsmanship quality. From that perspective he's got more potential than anyone I've ever seen play the game before; if you can improve him to a point where he can comfortably get to 20 against all comers then you know you've got a world class player on your hands because he'll just keep repeating it.

.

 

[Ikki]

Burgey on fire today.

 

[King Pietersen]

Bumble still suggesting England bowl short at him. Ridiculous. England's success has come bowling full, and I'd bet if they showed a pitch-map of strike rates for each length, the strike rate of short deliveries would be well over 100. Get it up there, and encourage the movement. Not going to get them out banging it in half way down, it's just sitting up.