2nd Test: Australia v England at The Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 5-9 Dec

[valvolux]

I'm going to be seeing Haddin top edging sixes over square leg in my nightmares.

ha. so many of his sixes only just cleared the rope - was only a 50-60m boundary...would've been out on any other ground in Australia. KP will have a crack - still have nightmares about all his slog sweeps off warne and top edges off Lee that sailed over the ropes in the 5th test in 05.

 

[barmyarmy]

I'm going to be seeing Haddin top edging sixes over square leg in my nightmares.

You and Michael Carberry both...

 

[valvolux]

Clarke will fail eventually...

says everyone as he continues to pile on 100 after 100.

Well Brisbane and Adelaide are his favourite grounds by miles, so this is probably the best you will see of him all series. The WACA is his worst ground in oz, averaging only 37. His one century there in 15 innings was when Gilly smacked that 59 ball century. His done naff all after that.

Actually in recent years Australia have batted poorly at the WACA. Only Clarke and Warner have scored tons there in their careers - and only Warner averages over 50 (74), but 80% of his runs from 3 innings came from that 180 he scored against India.

The more I look at it, the more I think Australia need to win here in Adelaide, cause i'm not sure Australia will be the shoe-in in Perth everyone thinks they will be. In our last 3 tests there we haven't reached 400, and in the last ashes we were only saved by some Hussey heroics in the second innings. Though their saving grace will be England are probably unlikely to post a big total either, but I think it will be closer than you think.

It's good that Clarke is making runs - rewind to day one in Brisbane and England apparently had his measure and Australia was cooked. The question is - where has all the short stuff with close in fielders gone? Was a bit premature of Cook to abandon their obvious plan against him, which was working. Feeding him spin with singles on offer galore is never going to work, cause that's his bread and butter. Fact is, Australia still rarely post good totals unless Clarke fires, so as soon as Clarke fails its game on.

 

[Skater]

I've just seen Stokes's no ball wicket.

 

[barmyarmy]

The ECB website has highlights.
I paid for Sky during the summer Ashes but I really can't be bothered during this series. TMS will do...
It's just too cold to stay up and watch (and too depressing!)

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Barmy there are highlights on Pick TV (Sky 152) at 10pm which I believe is available on freeview

Hoping for a wicket free morning, need a big partnership. This game can go only 2 ways...an Australian win or a draw.

 

[barmyarmy]

I think we ought to be able to draw it. Pitch is taking a bit of spin but we ought to be able to lose fewer than 19 wickets in 3 days.

 

[T.J.Hooker]

It's good that Clarke is making runs - rewind to day one in Brisbane and England apparently had his measure and Australia was cooked. The question is - where has all the short stuff with close in fielders gone? Was a bit premature of Cook to abandon their obvious plan against him, which was working.

You can't expect 80mph seamers to keep on delivering short balls with enough venom to take a wicket on a flat track with a ball that's lots it's hardness against a world class player who is well set. You have a limited window of opportunity with that sort of tactic.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

If we have any chance of getting a draw then we must avoid the follow on.

 

[dancingmongoose]

Unless England are dismissed under 200 (again) I don't think Clarke will even let the follow-on cross his mind with Perth just around the corner. Don't want to drain the bowlers with consecutive innings of bowling, also wary of England posting a mammoth total and then chasing on a 5th day against 2 spinners when it's turning sharp

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Dear oh dear, Joe Root, why did you throw your wicket away? Not that I'm complaining, but that was a stupid shot

 

[SpitfiresKent]

You idiot Joseph

 

[PackenHols]

I sometimes wonder if the English batsman know that hitting the ball in the air has a certain risk to it...

 

[SpitfiresKent]

What the hell is going on!

Terrible shot from KP. Not looking good at all apart from Carberry who looks solid.

 

[s2sschan]

England look like they are going to be whitewashed.

 

[T.J.Hooker]

Basically all the stuff that's been running for England in the last 3 Ashes series is now running against them instead. They're paying severely for their mistakes, and they're not really getting much reward when they do produce good cricket.

As a result they're losing the important confrontations instead of winning them and the pressure keeps building up.