Aussies all out for 445…hard to see E&W getting anything out of this…Sets it up perfectly for the final test at the Oval…
When you analyse what has unfolded in the three and a half tests to date, its actually amazing that England are 1-0 up, although soon to be 1-1, unless it rains for about two and a half days solid.
Australia acutally havent batted too badly in this series. The century that North has just brought up is the 7th by an Australian batsman in the series. Norths 2nd, Clarke has 2, Katich, Ponting & Haddin one apiece. Throw is some decent knocks of 83 for Clarke in the first test in Cardiff, Haddin 80 at Lords, North 96 at Edgbaston, Clarke 93 & Ponting 78 here at Headingly. Watson has done reasonably well since been drafted in as an emergency opener and Hussey although out of form has come up with a few gritty contributions, particularly a half century at Edgbaston when Australia were rocking. Even Mitchell Johnton further down the order has posted a 63. The only Australian batsman who hasnt contributed in any meaningful is the hopeless Phil Hughes.
Compare that to Englands lamentable batting, Strauss is their sole centurian with a 161 at Lords, Cook next highest scorer in the seires with a 95 at Lords. Collys 74 at Cardiff and Freds 74 at Edgbaston are Englands joint 3rd highest scorers. And bar those 3 innings, Cook, Colly & Fred havent contributed much else with the bat. Bell got a useful half century at Edgbaston but big scores are needed now fast. Bopara has been woeful from the start. Only Strauss & Prior have come close to consistently batting up to scratch.
Reason England are ahead is over the first three tests, out of two poorish attacks, England were marginally more competent, particularly during that purple patch they struck on the Friday of the Lords test. With Clark back in though and Fred injured, Australia suddenly looking the more menacing attack.
All in all, over the course of the series, it wouldnt represent a bad return for England to be heading to the Oval tied at 1-1 for a winner takes all showdown. Put the pendelum is swinging and unless England have a reasonably fit and fully charged up Fred back for the Oval, they are in trouble.
Manuel might recall…wasn’t there a test 4 or 5 years ago in South Africa where England and Wales had a pitiful first innings effort and had a huge deficit only for Strauss and Trescothick to score huge centuries in the second innings and they held on for the draw?
Found the test match I was thinking of on the excellent archive function on cricinfo:
http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64117.html
'Twas actually the English and Welsh who were pushing for the victory in the end but the first innings deficit was only 200 odd rather than 343 here.
I think it was the game where South Africa were offered the light late on the final day and Vaughan and the boys sat out on the pitch with big angry heads on them.
The point still holds though - they need to bat with a bit of fucking discipline and pride here and make Australia bat again at the very minimum.
Strauss out. Lovely bowling from Hilfenhaus. Very important wicket that.
It is now shit or get off the pot time for Mr Bopara now…E&W needs you Rabi…
Ah Bopara!!!
That surely has to be the end of Bopara as an international cricketer…Shocking stuff…
What did he do? Not watching at the moment.
out first ball, completely misread the ball and out lbw by hilfenhous(sp)
First ball out LBW to an inswinger type.
He’s claiming he got an inside edge but it was minimal and it’s hard to know if it was bat first or pad first. Beaten all ends up anyway.
I was going to say that, even though this game looks impossible to save, it’s a chance for Bopara et al to get some time in the middle and try to bat themselves into form for the final test. Ah well.
Bell gone for 3 now. Excellent end to the day for Australia. Shite shot from Bell.
67-3
Bell you knob.
This will be over before lunch tomorrow…
That was terrific bowling from Mitchell Johnson to get Collingwood out.
Ah lovely stuff. Mitchel Johnson again gets Cook’s wicket. Jimmy Anderson came on as a nightwatchman and got himself off strike straight away. Some protection that was.
England in all sorts of trouble here. They were 51-0 now 78-5 and they’re all over the shop.
Bringing in a nightwatchman when they’re still 250-300 runs behind and already 4 down was slightly pathetic. The overall performance has been absolutely pathetic.
[quote=“Bandage”]Found the test match I was thinking of on the excellent archive function on cricinfo:
http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/64117.html
'Twas actually the English and Welsh who were pushing for the victory in the end but the first innings deficit was only 200 odd rather than 343 here.
I think it was the game where South Africa were offered the light late on the final day and Vaughan and the boys sat out on the pitch with big angry heads on them.
The point still holds though - they need to bat with a bit of fucking discipline and pride here and make Australia bat again at the very minimum.[/quote]
Yes, I remember that test match in Kingsmead very well. It started the same day as the Tsunami in South East Asia. In fact, its a match that England looked like winning for most of Day 5, despite their first innings deficit of 200. Only a dogged 8th wicket stand from AB de Villiers & Shaun Pollock saved South Africa.
I thought you might have been referring to Mike Athertons finest hour at the Wanderers in 1995. His 185 not out when he batted for almost 2 days to save the test when England were in a position which was every bit as hopeless as that which they were in at the end of the the first innings in this match.
http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63701.html
Some Mike Atherton or Geoffrey Boycott application sorely missing from the current English lot.