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Luke Stevens - 24 July 2009 01:45 PM

Freddie has got our number for now though. Can I just say test match cricket is so much more interesting when there’s something in it for the bowlers? That’s what made 2005 great imo.

I think that all cricket is more interesting when there’s something in the pitch for the bowlers. Mind you, only first class cricket is real cricket anyway

Can’t wait for third test. I agree with Nick - if we bat first, I think we’ll get 600+ and put them right out the game ;)

Well, the third Test is upon us, and the Aussies did bat first but didn’t quite make 600.

If the English bowlers bowl well in the first session, this could be a very interesting final day …

Saved the draw. 

It would be disasterous if the rain costs Australia a chance to level the series in future Tests.

Although our bowlers are performing poorly, one wonders whether the batting practice we have enjoyed in the 1st and 3rd tests may prove decisive. Our batsmen have 6 centuries between them compared to England’s 1. If we can manage to bat first in reasonable conditions and put on 500 odd, heaven help England.

What an incredible first session and a half! So good to have S Clark back in the side. Does it get any better than rolling the poms for 102, then watching our batsmen smash ‘em all over the place? We’re going at 8.20 runs/over at the moment!

Then rolling the Poms again for a probable innings win by Australia!

Great bowling effort - for an even greater result ;)

Woeful effort against Pakistan.  About to lose to whom I recall is only the 6th ranked test nation.

Ricky Ponting, while being a great truly batsman and inspirational leader, lacks subtlety and finesse in his decisions.  He always makes the conventional choice.
 
I saw him, before the toss, prodding at the pitch and looking dubiously at the conditions.  He could see it was a bit of a greentop, see the clouds, feel the humidity.  He should have recognised the Australian batsmen are all struggling a bit(only one century, remember?), the Pakistani bowling attack is actually pretty good (let down by some dropped catches), and moreover the Australian bowlers have all been doing pretty well, functioning well as a team (pretty rare for Australia, who as long as I remember have relied on one or two heroes.)
 
Platitudes like ‘you can’t blame him for wanting to bat’ or ‘this would be a good toss to lose’ are nonsense.  Cricket politics needs to change here.

 
Ponting won the toss.  He should have chosen to field.

OR , just pull a stunning victory from the jaws of defeat.

Famous last words guys! What a win :D

...but yes, really it was what a loss!

Ros Burgess - 06 January 2010 10:32 AM

should have recognised the Australian batsmen are all struggling a bit(only one century, remember?)

I think we can make that two, now!

Mike Hussey 134 n.o. (2nd Test)

Shane Watson 120 n.o. (1st Test)

Aussies stage miracle win over Pakistan

Encouraging to see that miracles still happen in the non-essential areas of life!

TZ.

Tia Zheng - 09 January 2010 08:13 AM

Encouraging to see that miracles still happen in the non-essential areas of life!

TZ.

Yes, Mary McKillop strikes again !!  -        ;)

Thanks to some Sun Herald complimentary tickets, we will be heading out to the ANZ Stadium on Wed night for the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash - with the NSW Speedblitz Blues taking on the Queensland Bulls ( Gates open 5.30pm and match starts at 7.15pm ).

The last time I went to see a live cricket match was the same two teams at the same stadium about 5 or 6 years ago - but that was a limited 50 overs match - so this 20:20 one should be very fast paced. Anyone else going along to see some of our future champions in action ? Last time, we even got to see an unknown called Bollinger take a few wickets !

Just two hours before the match starts.  I read that the pitch is now east to west - and the shortest boundary is 61 metres for a straight hit. Apparently they’ll be aiming at a world record for 6’s in a 20:20 match - currently 26. The record for a Big Bash match stands at 22.

And Andrew Symonds will be back smashing the ball for Queensland - so we’re looking forward to a GREAT evening.

Former Australian one-day hero Andrew Symonds blasted a quick 38 not out to put Queensland in a strong position in their rain-affected Twenty20 encounter against NSW at ANZ Stadium.

After a 90-minute rain delay, the Bulls scored 4-110 in their nine-over innings in front a ground-record crowd of 29,743.

Symonds hit four fours and two sixes in his 21-ball knock while opener Chris Simpson was also in blazing form with 34 from 14 deliveries.

Good to hear Symonds is performing again.  I thought he was badly treated by the Australian cricket authorities.

We just got home. There was a record crowd of over 29,000 - and ( for those who love statistics ) it took us 44 minutes from leaving our seats until driving out of the stadium exit. Which is interesting because that was 4 minutes longer than each side’s batting time for their 9 overs ;)

A nice evening anyway - especially for those Queensland fans. Good to see Symonds back in form - and to observe NZ import Daniel Vettori take one wicket AND three fantastic catches in the out field.

I am perplexed at Ponting not enforcing the follow on. Has he ever made such a decision in his career ?

Saw the NSW-SA 20/20 live.  Having been to the other forms of the game live but not 20/20, it was very fast with lots of pyrotechnics and music.

Highlights were a SA batsman smacking the ball right into the other batsman’s gearbox, Tait chucking a tanty when he got out and Tait getting smashed for 24 in an over by Warner.

Regarding Ponting:

Kevin Goddard - 16 January 2010 03:46 PM

not enforcing the follow on. Has he ever made such a decision in his career ?

I think it was to rest his bowlers. Otherwise, if they’d bowled again straightaway & gotten tired out, the Pakistani batsmen may have gotten back into the game (with a very different result).

A number of years ago some Aussie captain - either Ponting or Gilchrist (acting) I think - had enforced the follow-on against India, when we had them in a weak position.

India fought back, I think with Laxman & Dravid, resulting in us losing the match. And oh, the criticism thereafter of the captain for the Aussie side..!

So, given that history, rather than risking a loss, I think it’s better not to enforce the follow-on.

The 20/20 sounds great Arthur, it’s one of the things that would get me out to see domestic cricket (would that I could…), seems like a lot of fun!

( Re Ponting’s decision : )  ah well… all’s well that ends well !  AND that’s why he’s the captain - and has won a record number of tests.