4th Ashes Test : MCG

[spell_check]

Oh well, at least those people who don't like batting decks will be happy. Personally, I enjoy watching some batting rather than balls beating the bat and batsmen walking in and out all day.

Its because of flat batting pitches that the 'modern' bats cant play against a ball that does anything except go straight...

nothing wrong with a wicket that does something early, just put ya head down and dont try and score at 4 an over...

Yes, that's true ... which is why we need to prepare decks that don't allow bowlers to dominate. A Test is meant to last 5 days, not be over halfway through day 3. All pitches "do something early", this deck is way too juicy.

And why Les Burdett aimed to do just that - a finish in the last session on day 5, and copped criticism when a Test was drawn. In reality, the bowlers were not good enough, as I don't ever recall Adelaide Oval ever being like a subcontinent road. A good batting wicket yes, but not flat as a tack.

[NFC]

Oh well, at least those people who don't like batting decks will be happy. Personally, I enjoy watching some batting rather than balls beating the bat and batsmen walking in and out all day.

Its because of flat batting pitches that the 'modern' bats cant play against a ball that does anything except go straight...

nothing wrong with a wicket that does something early, just put ya head down and dont try and score at 4 an over...

Yes, that's true ... which is why we need to prepare decks that don't allow bowlers to dominate. A Test is meant to last 5 days, not be over halfway through day 3. All pitches "do something early", this deck is way too juicy.

And why Les Burdett aimed to do just that - a finish in the last session on day 5, and copped criticism when a Test was drawn. In reality, the bowlers were not good enough, as I don't ever recall Adelaide Oval ever being like a subcontinent road. A good batting wicket yes, but not flat as a tack.

The AO wicket has been pathetic for many, many years.

[spell_check]

Possibly compared to other Australian wickets, but you must be forgetting the scores that Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan have racked up on their wickets - they offered no chance of a result at least half the time.

[spell_check]

I was trying to remember when the last time we were bowled out for less than 100. To show I am only human, it was only in July against Pakistan - 88.

[jackpot jim]

Oh well, at least those people who don't like batting decks will be happy. Personally, I enjoy watching some batting rather than balls beating the bat and batsmen walking in and out all day.

Its because of flat batting pitches that the 'modern' bats cant play against a ball that does anything except go straight...

nothing wrong with a wicket that does something early, just put ya head down and dont try and score at 4 an over...

Agree 100% mickey.
The defensive techniques and abililty tp let the ball go have been lost over the years due to the neccessity to score quickly as the majority of cricket played these days is T20 & 45/50 over cricket. Even shield games, the mentality is to get on with it or get out to set the game up for an outright either way.

[Rik E Boy]

Don't blame the wicket. Yes, good bowling conditions but not unplayable. It just looks unplayable because Hussey aside there is no heart in the top six. Hughes and Smith in particular simply not up to it. Show some heart. If it is the wicket then we'll bowl England out for under a hundred and fifty and stay in the match.......except we wont.

Bresnan FFS! Absolute Pie Chucker. You would think we are facing Ambrose or Marshall out there today. Worst batting performance I have witnessed in my 35 years of watching Test Cricket.

regards,

REB

[locky801]

Seen nothing so far from the aussie bowlers to suggest there is anything wrong with this wicket, England quite simply batting with commin sense and waiting for the right ball to play their shots off of

[Rik E Boy]

Ponting is injured and I think he has probably put his own interests before that of the team.

Got a fair nut today.

regards,

REB

[Adelaide Hawk]

Great bowling by Johnson ... not.

[am Bays]

Don't blame the wicket. Yes, good bowling conditions but not unplayable. It just looks unplayable because Hussey aside there is no heart in the top six. Hughes and Smith in particular simply not up to it. Show some heart. If it is the wicket then we'll bowl England out for under a hundred and fifty and stay in the match.......except we wont.

Bresnan FFS! Absolute Pie Chucker. You would think we are facing Ambrose or Marshall out there today. Worst batting performance I have witnessed in my 35 years of watching Test Cricket.

regards,

REB

Nah still don't reckon it comes close to the 141 agaisnt a half fit Botham on Boxing Day 1986 Matthews and Boon were particualarly soft that day. At least today their was some half decent nuts bowled, unlike 24 years ago.

[locky801]

Great bowling by Johnson ... not.

Back in form

[Rik E Boy]

Hughes gives his wicket away. 2 down now, need a solid partnership for this wicket.

Hughes is simply not up to it. The back foot doesn't go anywhere so he exposes off stump and this makes it really hard for him to score on the on side. When the ball is pitched up and swinging he doesn't present the full face of the bat when he goes on to the front foot and that front foot isn't really coming down far enough in attack or defence. This means Hughes has to score quickly because with his technique you can't back him to occupy the crease. Because his scoring zones are restricted to the offside and in particular square of the wicket on the offiside he is going to have to play more balls in this area than he perhaps should in order to overcome the above mentioned deficiences in his technique.

He got out today because he is really limited in the areas in which he can actually score. Hughes is a batsman who might be aware of his limitations but unlike Katich or a Geoff Marsh he hasn't fashioned a working game plan to counteract those limitations. Until he does he shouldn't be wearing the baggy green.

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

Don't blame the wicket. Yes, good bowling conditions but not unplayable. It just looks unplayable because Hussey aside there is no heart in the top six. Hughes and Smith in particular simply not up to it. Show some heart. If it is the wicket then we'll bowl England out for under a hundred and fifty and stay in the match.......except we wont.

Bresnan FFS! Absolute Pie Chucker. You would think we are facing Ambrose or Marshall out there today. Worst batting performance I have witnessed in my 35 years of watching Test Cricket.

regards,

REB

Nah still don't reckon it comes close to the 141 agaisnt a half fit Botham on Boxing Day 1986 Matthews and Boon were particualarly soft that day. At least today their was some half decent nuts bowled, unlike 24 years ago.

43 runs behind that today but I see your point. That is my other strong nomination.


regards.

REB

[locky801]

Great ball Johnson

[Adelaide Hawk]

This is embarrassing.

[Jim05]

Its amazing what happens when you put yout head down and wait for the bad balls. Australia just cant let balls go, they feel compelled to play at everything. To not last 2 sessions is a joke. I have never recalled a series where so many batsmen caught behind the wicket.

[spell_check]

Hughes gives his wicket away. 2 down now, need a solid partnership for this wicket.

Hughes is simply not up to it. The back foot doesn't go anywhere so he exposes off stump and this makes it really hard for him to score on the on side. When the ball is pitched up and swinging he doesn't present the full face of the bat when he goes on to the front foot and that front foot isn't really coming down far enough in attack or defence. This means Hughes has to score quickly because with his technique you can't back him to occupy the crease. Because his scoring zones are restricted to the offside and in particular square of the wicket on the offiside he is going to have to play more balls in this area than he perhaps should in order to overcome the above mentioned deficiences in his technique.

He got out today because he is really limited in the areas in which he can actually score. Hughes is a batsman who might be aware of his limitations but unlike Katich or a Geoff Marsh he hasn't fashioned a working game plan to counteract those limitations. Until he does he shouldn't be wearing the baggy green.

regards,

REB

It's basically what you said, but everyone knows his game, they set the field for that and he hits it to them! That's what I can't understand; he just hopes it will miss the field, but they are all there waiting for those shots.

[Jim05]

Time to piss off ponting you are a disgrace and we cant carry you any more. I hope this is his last test

Disgraceful comment.

It is a disgrace when sundries have made nearly as many runs for the series as our captain. He has to go immediately, been a passenger for too long.

[spell_check]

Time to piss off ponting you are a disgrace and we cant carry you any more. I hope this is his last test

Disgraceful comment.

It is a disgrace when sundries have made nearly as many runs for the series as our captain. He has to go immediately, been a passenger for too long.

Sundries are always at the crease, mind you.

[locky801]

Time to piss off ponting you are a disgrace and we cant carry you any more. I hope this is his last test

Disgraceful comment.

It is a disgrace when sundries have made nearly as many runs for the series as our captain. He has to go immediately, been a passenger for too long.

Sundries are always at the crease, mind you.

So have a few English batsman