Australia’s morning.
The Poms 97/3 at lunch
Saw brief highlights at lunchtime. Bopara struggled badly to pick Johnson’s slower ball and was lucky a couple of times before lobbing one up to point for a soft enough dismissal. Very good catch to dismiss Cook too. Pitch seems to be doing a bit for the seamers. Pietersen is always the key wicket for England and Wales - even more so now as to get him quickly could prompt a real collapse.
Aus have just brought Hauritz into the attack, should be interesting. Johnson, Siddle and especially Hilfenhaus have bowled well. There’s not much in the pitch, but they’re getting some slight movement and they’ve really tried to keep chaging what they’re doing. Johnson has caught them out a few times with the change of pace. Their attack look comfortable enough. Great catch by Hussey to get Cook.
Strauss never looked happy. If they can get KP before he starts motoring, they could have this wrapped up fairly quickly.
Mind you KP is settling in nicely now and playing some nice strokes.
Surprised Clark didn’t get the nod, but Hilfy has come on in leaps and bounds in the past 2 years and has been knocking at the test door big time. He’s a superb athlete.
Could have the makings of a very good test match here, despite an insipid pitch and a complete and utter lack of atmosphere at the ground.
Which is in Wales by the way.
England 233/4 at tea.
Pietersen still there on 66
Important wicket of Collingwood there. Tea is long since over DB.
KP should be out as well:
[quote=“therock67”]Tea is long since over DB.
[/QUOTE]
just finishing mine now Rock.
I must take longer meal times than these cricketers
HE’S GONE !!!
Piertersen out for a 69er
Caught Katich bowled Hauritz
Pietersen’s an absolutely cracking player but he has a shocking habit of getting out cheaply to lepers.
Apparently, he’s just given his wicket away terribly cheaply to this awfully crap spinner while trying something unorthodox.
Sweet. They were speculating on the Guardian earlier that Hauritz might be the new Ashley Giles - just getting big wickets in an Ashes for no reason at all.
Momentum swings back to Australia a bit.
[quote=“Bandage”]Pietersen’s an absolutely cracking player but he has a shocking habit of getting out cheaply to lepers.
Apparently, he’s just given his wicket away terribly cheaply to this awfully crap spinner while trying something unorthodox.[/QUOTE]
Look at the ball he tried to sweep:
[quote=“therock67”]Look at the ball he tried to sweep:
http://play.pulselive.com/pulse/Image?id=176[/QUOTE]
A big, dirty, bended knee flailing across the line ‘hoike’ that ended up as a top edge. They could have been 300/4 at close of play now the Aussies will be sensing that they can dismiss them for somewhere around that. That said, I’m personally happy anytime I get a 69.
England rallied well for a while there again but losing Prior was a big blow. Advantage Australia.
Broad can bat a bit but the other three don’t have much in their locker. It’s advantage Australia all right but it’s not a huge advantage. Anything over 375 batting first on a pitch that’s expected to turn will keep you in the game, especially given they’ve chosen two spinners.
Yeah not a massive gulf but it’s more of a psychological advantage considering the position England were in near the end.
Just saw KP’s dismissal there. Fucking idiot.
Advance Australia Fair
[quote=“therock67”]Yeah not a massive gulf but it’s more of a psychological advantage considering the position England were in near the end.
Just saw KP’s dismissal there. Fucking idiot.[/QUOTE]
Yep, it was just a premeditated sweep for a single - he wasn’t even trying a big hit. Just a bit of a headless moment, as he’s had before. He should have been out LBW a while earlier though.
Nassar (I think) reckoned that Hauritz saw him move so put it out there very wide to do him. What do you think of that?
Either way it’s a shocking lack of discipline to be pre-selecting shots like that.
[quote=“therock67”]Nassar (I think) reckoned that Hauritz saw him move so put it out there very wide to do him. What do you think of that?
Either way it’s a shocking lack of discipline to be pre-selecting shots like that.[/QUOTE]
I agree with Nasser, think he’s quite a decent analyst actually and pretty forthright too, if sometimes a bit serious. He’s right in that KP needs to be able to react when his pre-meditated shot isn’t on and pull something else out of the fire instead of going through with it and getting out.
Yeah I know all that bid but do you think Hauritz saw him move mid-delivery so flung it extra wide then. As in whatever mistake KP made that Hauritz must have been brilliant to adjust mid-delivery.
I think Hauritz is utter scutter so I’d be wary of crediting him for spotting him move and flinging it out wider. The replays didn’t show him glancing at KP so I’d be more of the opinion that it was merely a case of KP giving his wicket away to a shit delivery.