Cricket 2013

[Dale]

So Sky Sports News over here is reporting that David Warner was involved in more controversy during the Australia A warmup game as he had to be pulled apart from the wicket keeper after sledging had gone too far.

Guy seems like an absolute headcase and a ticking timebomb.

 

[AF.]

He plays with emotion and a bit of heart, and as for the off-field stuff he is probably just a regular guy who has the occasional big night. Warner is far from a trouble maker when you take into account the actions of other athletes around the world.

I could get behind Bailey as captain.

 

[Troy]

So Sky Sports News over here is reporting that David Warner was involved in more controversy during the Australia A warmup game as he had to be pulled apart from the wicket keeper after sledging had gone too far.

Guy seems like an absolute headcase and a ticking timebomb.

I think that this time it was just some sledging, nowhere near as bad as punching another player in a pub. He isn't very smart, a common theme with quite a few in this Australian team, so it doesn't surprise me that he gets involved in situations like this.

He plays with emotion and a bit of heart, and as for the off-field stuff he is probably just a regular guy who has the occasional big night. Warner is far from a trouble maker when you take into account the actions of other athletes around the world.

I could get behind Bailey as captain.

He needs to pull his head in though, he is only in Zimbabwe because he has been dropped from the test team thanks to that Root incident. Should be focusing purely on cricket and not getting himself into any trouble.

Bailey did a great job jumping into the ODI team and has excelled there so I am sure he would do alright if he had to step into the team as captain. Would be an odd way to do it but there is such a leadership void in the team right now.

 

[Troy]

Changes for the third test were Hughes, Agar and Pattinson out replaced by Warner, Lyon and Starc for Australia. England went unchanged. Can't believe that they dropped Hughes, the selectors keep messing with his career by bringing him in and out of the side and by not playing him in one position. This tour he has played all spots from 1-6 and hasn't had a chance to make one position his own. Watson should have been dropped. Starc coming in ahead of Bird is another baffling decision, one has a FC bowling average of 33 and a SR of 55 and the other has an average of 20 and a SR or 41 yet we pick the first guy. I thought that England might have brought in Panesar since it is at Old Trafford but I guess you don't mess with a winning formula.

Australia won the toss and batted and we got off to a good start with Rogers racing to a 50. Watson then got out for yet another start, 19. No idea why we keep playing him when he averages around 25 in tests the past two years. 77-1 right now and I have no confidence in this batting order.

 

[Troy]

FFS DRS has screwed us again. Khawaja given out caught behind and reviewed it. No Hotspot, no sound off the pad and there is daylight between bat and ball. Shocking decision again.

Absolute joke.

 

[AZUCAR!]

I figured the decision was going to be overturned, but oh well.

 

[Troy]

Kumar Dharmasena is the muppet that doesn't know how to use DRS.

92/1 would have been a great session but at 92/2 it is England's session. Still amazed that this was given out even after the third umpire saw all the evidence that showed he missed it. No wonder players don't walk when you get decisions like that.

Hope that the Australian team manager has a word to the match referee about that one.

 

[Troy]

Good innings from Rogers but we really needed a hundred for him. 84 for Rogers and Australia in trouble, as usual, at 129/3. Happy to see that we didn't waste a review on a plumb LBW. Swann is looking dangerous, spinning it a mile and getting plenty of bounce.

Clarke and Smith need to buckle down and try to consolidate. Curious to see how Warner goes at six, I have a feeling it with either be all or nothing with him. He could play a Gilchrist style innings from that position.

 

[Troy]

This better stay not out, there is a sound but it comes after the ball has already passed the bat. Nothing on Hotspot at all so there shouldn't be enough to overturn the decision. Snicko shows sound after the ball passed the bat. Thankfully the third umpire got this one right and kept it not out.

Clarke has raced to his fifty and is looking good but someone needs to go on and hit a century. Swann is still looking dangerous, glad we aren't batting last on this deck as Swann would roll through our batting lineup. Cook should give Root an over or two.

 

[AZUCAR!]

A good day overall from Australia. 303-3 at the close of play. I don't think Australia will declare if they're still batting around the end of Tea tomorrow, as they'll want as many runs as possible.

 

[Dale]

A good day overall from Australia. 303-3 at the close of play. I don't think Australia will declare if they're still batting around the end of Tea tomorrow, as they'll want as many runs as possible.

Would be a silly move to not declare at tea, going on to day 3 still batting would essentially write the game off as I just can't see them bowling out England twice extremely cheaply. Declaring at tea and putting England in for an uncomfortable session should be the way to go see as though they have to win this game.

 

[Andrew]

Batting quite well.

Lost Smith on 89 with him playing a stupid shot. Warner arguing about being caught by slip, seriously?

Warner needs to be dropped imho. Other than that we're doing well. Hope Clarke hits 200

 

[Troy]

Quality innings from Clarke, great to see him go on with it and hit a big one. Smith had a lucky innings, was umpires call once and gone another time but England had no reviews left, but you take what you can get these days, pity he threw away a chance at a hundred. Warner showed that he isn't too bright reviewing a clear edge, I get that he hit his pad as well but surely you know that you hit that. Clarke should have told him not to review anyway since tehre was a massive deflection. Swann has been fantastic again for England.

If we can stay in I wouldn't mind batting 30 minutes after tea and then declaring. Give the batsmen free reign to swing after tea to get quick runs. Not sure if we will survive till then though.

With this pitch they need Nathan Lyon to give the groundsmen some tips on how to prepare proper footholes

 

[Wrestling with Shadows]

I haven't been able to watch this test but I've been using the BBC livefeed to keep up to date with the score.

So what changed for Australia this time they haven't been doing in the first two tests, seeing as they did get demolished this is a relatively impressive turn around.

 

[Troy]

Batted a lot smarter and with more confidence. Rogers started aggressively compared to his usual sedate start and Smith managed to use a bit of luck to build on the decent form he has been in. Clarke has been in golden touch for the past few years so it doesn't surprise me that it eventually clicked for him. Also Haddin excels in this kind of situation of 350/5 when the pressure is off. A strong start has made the world of difference.

Haddin and Starc aren't doing too badly here. Haddin 57* and Starc 45* at close to a run a ball. Closing in on 500 before tea.