***Official*** NatWest Series/Challenge

[Neil Pickup]

YEEEESSSSS!!!! Shot Marcus!

 

[Jono]

Brilliant runout by Tresco, ends a good knock by Symonds.

 

[Gloucefan]

Symonds gone...

 

[Barney Rubble]

wicket needed or this could reach 300

Well, 66 off the last five is stretching it a little......

As I type, Trescothick throws down the stumps to run out Symonds - must be the first run out he's been responsible for in a while! 300 looks miles away now, HUGE wicket.

 

[superkingdave]

what did hawkeye say on that appeal?

hawkeye said 2 inches up middle, but thats beside the point, umpire thought he hit it

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

what did hawkeye say on that appeal?

Whatever Hawkeye said, the ball would have hit the stumps. Umpire thought Symonds edged it, and it hit him just outside the line imo. Close though.

 

[Adamc]

280 will be very generous now, unless Martyn starts hitting out, about ten overs too late.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Australia need another 31 for 270. That would be a good score, I think.

 

[superkingdave]

run a ball gets 264 - Australis should be looking at atleast 280 imo, but 264 is a decent score

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I really don't get all the Martyn-bashing in this thread. He's played a perfectly paced innings today under the circumstances. If he had got himself out Australia would be looking at 250 as a good score, not 260-280.

And 57 off 72 is hardly terribly slow.

 

[Jono]

run a ball gets 264 - Australis should be looking at atleast 280 imo, but 264 is a decent score

Maybe but with so many wickets in hand, I reckon 270-275 should have been scored. England have done well to keep it reasonably tight. Last 4 overs will be vital IMO.

 

[Jono]

Brilliant bowling Goughie.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Symonds run out looks significant now. Hussey not set at all and struggling to get off strike.

 

[Adamc]

I really don't get all the Martyn-bashing in this thread. He's played a perfectly paced innings today under the circumstances. If he had got himself out Australia would be looking at 250 as a good score, not 260-280.

And 57 off 72 is hardly terribly slow.

He's an excellent player in the middle overs, which is why he bats at four, and, true to form, he played excellently in the middle overs. With so many wickets in hand, however, I don't understand why he hasn't shown the slightest inclination to aggression in the last ten or so overs. He played a vital innings, but could have done far, far more, IMO.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Only four off that over, well bowled Dazzler. Three to go, they really need 25 more to be confident of defending it. Otherwise England are very much favourites.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I don't think 270, 280 etc. is a particularly good score, it's the sort of pitch where there's virtually no threat of someone bowling a guy out (as opposed to someone getting out trying to achieve a run-rate). I think virtually any international class side would score 250 minimum.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I really don't get all the Martyn-bashing in this thread. He's played a perfectly paced innings today under the circumstances. If he had got himself out Australia would be looking at 250 as a good score, not 260-280.

And 57 off 72 is hardly terribly slow.

I'd love to see Martyn dropped, he plays such a crucial role in this sort of situation - I think it's the base mindset of seeing Hayden-Ponting-Gilchrist scoring SR 90 from ball one and 'fans' without an understanding of the game expecting everyone to do that.

 

[superkingdave]

I don't think 270, 280 etc. is a particularly good score, it's the sort of pitch where there's virtually no threat of someone bowling a guy out (as opposed to someone getting out trying to achieve a run-rate). I think virtually any international class side would score 250 minimum.

I think ill wait till mcgraths first spell before i decide on the pitch

Hussey goes

 

[Barney Rubble]

Hussey gone, Watson really needs to swing the bat when he gets in, no messing around. Hussey never looked comfortable.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't think 270, 280 etc. is a particularly good score, it's the sort of pitch where there's virtually no threat of someone bowling a guy out (as opposed to someone getting out trying to achieve a run-rate). I think virtually any international class side would score 250 minimum.

Err, the pitch isn't that much of a road. It's quite slow and a few have kept low. You haven't noticed Martyn and Symonds mistiming them a lot?

I think England are perfectly capable of getting 270 or so on this pitch of course, but it's still a good score that can definately be defended with decent bowling. It's looking out of Australia's reach now with that wicket.