England in Australia

[puddleduck]

Hmm two down early.. I hate being right when it's negative but it seems to be happening all too often on this tour. I said McGrath would nab 'em, but I wasn't far off considering it was the McGrath clone that did it.

Now would be an excellent time for a massive partnership, but for some reason the English batsman seem fairly incapable of particularly big scores and partnerships. It's often a case of I've got my 50 or 100, job done. If we don't get past 400, we'll lose this test by an innings.

Time to go back downstairs and hope England can actually win a session on a pitch that has done very little for the Aussie bowlers. Amazing isn't it the difference between the Aussie bowlers on a first day pitch and our chaps getting hammered at almost 5 an over on a first day pitch.

Clark, McGrath, Lee and Warne have barely bowled a bad ball, and when they do the pressure built makes it that much harder to put away. Our lot chucked in four balls every over and never once built any pressure in the last test.

It's looking more and more like we are going to get outplayed at almost every juncture on this tour, and to make matters worse Fletcher and Freddie seem incapable of picking the correct side.

Anyway, enough moaning from me for now, well bowled the Aussies and time to head back downstairs again.

 

[aussie1st]

How many stuff ups do England want to make. First the shocking side they picked now Collingwood still at 4 and look whose controlling the game, Shane Warne. KP would change that very quickly and should be batting at 4.

 

[Punk_Sk8r]

How many stuff ups do England want to make. First the shocking side they picked now Collingwood still at 4 and look whose controlling the game, Shane Warne. KP would change that very quickly and should be batting at 4.

lol eat your words Collys got 50+

Bells gone haha I hope England put a fight up i dont want to see no boring match i want drama like last year

 

[RoboRocks]

Well its good that England are making a recovery.
Bell and Collingwood have with recovered well and Pietersen is really looking good.

 

[aussie_ben91]

England can post 500+ here, it's really good to see them being competitive and from here on in look like they can really win this.TBH, I thought England were gone for all money in this tournament despite what happened last year with the series being in Australia. I was gutted to find out that Panesar wasn't playing, he brings more to the series then Giles and is a better player. I don't care about the James Anderson situation, never seen him bowl other then Brisbane but Giles over Monty is a rubbish decision just because he can bat a bit. A batting average of 20 is nothing to go over the moon about, especially when his only made 4 half-centuries.

How many stuff ups do England want to make. First the shocking side they picked now Collingwood still at 4 and look whose controlling the game, Shane Warne. KP would change that very quickly and should be batting at 4.

Collingwood is a valueable player for England. As long he don't give his wicket away it doesn't matter. It's a Test Match, not a one-dayer.

 

[evertonfan]

England have their first dominant day of series and in all honesty, it wasn't even very dominant. KP's a stupid idiot though; Collingwood's always been a team man so I don't think he wanted Kev to hit the ball in the air like that. I'm saying nothing on Colly's innings because i'll jinx it but what I will say is that he has proved his place as a number 4.

I can't help but have this pessimistic feeling of doubt over Englan's chances in the morning because lets face it, England rarely build on batting starts like this.

 

[aussie1st]

Collingwood is a valueable player for England. As long he don't give his wicket away it doesn't matter. It's a Test Match, not a one-dayer.

Yes a Test Match hence KP should be at 4, it offers England a match better balance and in him they have someone that can take it to the Aussies. Collinwood can bat anywhere and be successful hence him at 5 would be a better move.

 

[puddleduck]

To be honest Sly Colly and KP at 4 or 5 is the smallest mistake and least of our worries. Hoping that the same bowling attack that only picked up 9 wickets in the last test can get 20 in this one is. To win this test England need to bat until the end of day 2 and have close to 600 on the board. Hopefully by then the pitch is starting to help the seamers a little, because there is no way in hell that Giles will take a 5-fer and bowl us to victory.

Still at least it was a good day for England, although they are only half way there, and one wicket suddenly exposes numbers 6 and onwards. As good an all rounder Freddie is, he is no number 6 test batsman, and with Jones and Giles the last hopes after him, 300-4, could feasibly become 350 all out.

I know it's like listening to a broken record, but curse you Fletcher for playing Giles ahead of Monty, you've turned me into the biggest pessimist going, and I am finding increasingly difficult to put a postive spin on anything

 

[evertonfan]

I know how you feel Puddle; Too many times with this England side we have seen one wicket result in 3. I just have this horrible feeling that KP and Colly will be gone in quick sucession tomorrow.

 

[kodos]

I had a feeling the same would happen after the Bell wicket but it didn't in the end

Great day by England considering they were 2 down early and Strauss once again should be disappointed with himself, plays a loose shot straight to mid wicket, it wasn't even a ball on good line or a slower ball! Bell's wicket also it was a rush of blood after hitting 2 fours from Lee's past 2 balls, why go for another boundary when you have 1 let alone 2 in the over already! The Aussies bowled well especially Clark's line and length and Warne did bowl well in some spells but I do feel England can see Warne off much easier now than a year ago. Lee once again was erratic and disappointing, bowled far too many yorker length balls which were pretty much half volleys, should of conceded more runs with the way he bowled. Aren't yorkers meant to be surprise deliveries??? But he did bowl with some serious pace, clocked up to 155 kmph.

 

[mattfb]

Stuart Clark was under bowled, and even though i am a fan of Michael Clarke he bowled 10 overs whilist Stuart Clark, our 1st change bowler only bowled 15 i think, Warne 27 McGragth 18 and dont know bout Lee

 

[sid_19840]

England had a good day without doubt,but the doubt in my mind seeing the team today would always be if England can dismiss Australia twice in the test,seems like a poor decision not to pick a spinner looking at the pitch especially with Australia to bat last in the game.

 

[mattfb]

Both teams needed 2 spinners cuz that was a damn slow pitch today despite the fact lee was bowling at 150km/ph and clark was bowling 135km/ph it but it looked slow

 

[Sureshot]

I know it's like listening to a broken record, but curse you Fletcher for playing Giles ahead of Monty, you've turned me into the biggest pessimist going, and I am finding increasingly difficult to put a postive spin on anything

Couldn't have put my feelings any better


A good day for us nonetheless and Colly was fantastic, nice to see Warne quite ineffective also. That six KP hit off of Warne and then Warnes reaction to it was brilliant Nice to see Bell fighting through his struggles against Warne.

Good day but we lack 20 wickets when bowling, well done you plonkers.

 

[wolf]

Excellent day from England. So we didn't score quickly, but I would rather be 266-3 than 400 all out. What a dogged competetor Colly is, and Pietersen had Warne in his back pocket (try not to tempt fate). Hopefully we can build on this start and get 450+.