Second Test Jan 3rd-7th@SCG

[locky801]

Just in case anyones missed it Nine News follows the cricket

Thanks. By the time it finshes it will be time for the Redbacks

Hell forgot about that was going to go but had a few too many to get there

[locky801]

Dont need the Pakastanis to get off to a flyer

[locky801]

Bye from 9 time for the News

[locky801]

either bowling to wide or too short yet again

[locky801]

Pakistan now 0/7 with no dramas whatsoever

[Adelaide Hawk]

Come on Ricky .. get Johnson in there.

[locky801]

Come on Ricky .. get Johnson in there.

Have to agree AH, they are talking about it on the ABC, cant believe he is not bowling

[Adelaide Hawk]

Come on Ricky .. get Johnson in there.

Have to agree AH, they are talking about it on the ABC, cant believe he is not bowling

I just don't know about Ricky's captaincy, sometimes the easiest decisions are the ones he fails to make.

Light offered .. taken ... not one ball from Johnson. Nice one.

[locky801]

Pakistan are offered the light and take it,

Pakistan 0/14

Cant really remember a performance by Australia like that and to think tomorrow the pitch would have settled down and by lunch will be a peach to bat on.

Full credit to Pakistan, did their homework, bowled to a plan and dominated.

May well be 1 or 2 in that Australian lineup be batting for the near future in the 2nd innings and one bowling for his Test career tomorrow

[Adelaide Hawk]

May well be 1 or 2 in that Australian lineup be batting for the near future in the 2nd innings and one bowling for his Test career tomorrow

Yep, unless they make a score (and I hope they do) in the 2nd Innings, I think North's position may be in doubt, and Hughes may have to wait awhile for his next chance.

If we only had Hilfenhaus out there tomorrow .....

[Hondo]

Marcus North not travelling well recently

v WI: 79, DNB, 16, 2, 68, 1

v Pak: 8,DNB,10

186 runs at 26.5

[Pup]

Marcus North not travelling well recently

v WI: 79, DNB, 16, 2, 68, 1

v Pak: 8,DNB,10

186 runs at 26.5

And his second innings scores and average is a real worry.

[alamodog]

Agree Adelaide Hawk,

As he has done in the 2 recent Ashes series in the UK..he tends to under estimate the opponent.

He has done the same here and determined that the Pakistan attack would not be good enough.

Some on his recent 1st innings declarations are high risk and his batting form is becoming a worry.
Without McGrath / Warne /Hayden etc. etc. to rely on, his stratergies have to change.

At this rate I cant see him going to England for the next Ashes series...in fact, I hope not.

[CoverKing]

IMO questioning, Hughes and Watson on this pitch is not fair. Stupid deicion to bat first IMO once winning the toss. Would have liked to see Hughes, as he has done at state level, guts out a ton, on a green deck when his side has needed it most! Unfortunately it did not happen but im backing him in for the second dig thats for sure...

Aussies to win this test still or draw it at the least

[NFC]

I'm a bit staggered, maybe even upset, at the bagging Hughes has receieved. He's 20 years old. Sure he's not perfect, and has weaknesses but by nature he's an attacking, agressive batsman. He's just been given a last minute call-up, is playing his first test in Aus and chances are this will just a one off match. He's playing on a wicket that is massively in favour of the bowlers and all the pressure is on to perform. He saw a few short balls and tried to give them the treatment. He handled the short ball fine IMO. He's a friggen kid, he's got unbelievable natural talent, give him a bit of time before we bag him so much he's a spent force. Lets not go Damien Martyn on this one very talented youngster.

[rod_rooster]

I'm a bit staggered, maybe even upset, at the bagging Hughes has receieved. He's 20 years old. Sure he's not perfect, and has weaknesses but by nature he's an attacking, agressive batsman. He's just been given a last minute call-up, is playing his first test in Aus and chances are this will just a one off match. He's playing on a wicket that is massively in favour of the bowlers and all the pressure is on to perform. He saw a few short balls and tried to give them the treatment. He handled the short ball fine IMO. He's a friggen kid, he's got unbelievable natural talent, give him a bit of time before we bag him so much he's a spent force. Lets not go Damien Martyn on this one very talented youngster.

Great post NFC. As i said in a post earlier today he might have been better off getting caught first ball as he did look all at sea for the rest of his brief stay and that has probably harmed his reputation more than getting a first baller would have (unfairly IMO by the way). As you say though conditions were very much in favour of the bowlers and he hasn't had an ideal preperation.

Unfortunately Hughes will cop criticism for the rest of his career more than most other players as he doesn't have a textbook technique and if he's not making runs people will be very quick to suggest his technique is at fault. Those same people will be very quiet whilst he is making mountains of runs though and that will be more often than not over the next decade i reckon.

[CoverKing]

I'm a bit staggered, maybe even upset, at the bagging Hughes has receieved. He's 20 years old. Sure he's not perfect, and has weaknesses but by nature he's an attacking, agressive batsman. He's just been given a last minute call-up, is playing his first test in Aus and chances are this will just a one off match. He's playing on a wicket that is massively in favour of the bowlers and all the pressure is on to perform. He saw a few short balls and tried to give them the treatment. He handled the short ball fine IMO. He's a friggen kid, he's got unbelievable natural talent, give him a bit of time before we bag him so much he's a spent force. Lets not go Damien Martyn on this one very talented youngster.

Great post NFC. As i said in a post earlier today he might have been better off getting caught first ball as he did look all at sea for the rest of his brief stay and that has probably harmed his reputation more than getting a first baller would have (unfairly IMO by the way). As you say though conditions were very much in favour of the bowlers and he hasn't had an ideal preperation.

Unfortunately Hughes will cop criticism for the rest of his career more than most other players as he doesn't have a textbook technique and if he's not making runs people will be very quick to suggest his technique is at fault. Those same people will be very quiet whilst he is making mountains of runs though and that will be more often than not over the next decade i reckon.

two great posts IMO. well done lads. I completely agree!

[Jimmy]

FFS
Why isint MJ playing with a dead bat. irresponsible, selfish, terrible batting
No ones criticising him
Ah thats right hes making runs
Haurrie clobbered a few undisiplined batting as well, no critics
Ah thats right he made runs

I guess the criteria is if you play shots and get out cheap youra dill
But if you make runs well played

No doubt if Haddin was 40 not out by now we would e saying well batted

8/115 now
MJ smashes another 4 over the infield

GEEZ IM GLAD MITCH IS PLAYING HIS NATURAL GAME

im astonished by this post...do we really need to explain.... anyone who has played cricket knows why you are WRONG!

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'm a bit staggered, maybe even upset, at the bagging Hughes has receieved. He's 20 years old. Sure he's not perfect, and has weaknesses but by nature he's an attacking, agressive batsman. He's just been given a last minute call-up, is playing his first test in Aus and chances are this will just a one off match. He's playing on a wicket that is massively in favour of the bowlers and all the pressure is on to perform. He saw a few short balls and tried to give them the treatment. He handled the short ball fine IMO. He's a friggen kid, he's got unbelievable natural talent, give him a bit of time before we bag him so much he's a spent force. Lets not go Damien Martyn on this one very talented youngster.

I'm a supporter of Hughes, but the wicket had nothing to do with his dismissal yesterday. He flashed at 3 balls that he should have been letting go, was dropped once, played and missed at the second, caught the third time.

What worries me is two things. After the first let off, he really needed to put the cue in the rack for awhile and have a good look at the bowlers. Playing a natural game is all well and good, but sometimes a Test opener cannot afford to do this .. not from ball 1 anyway.

So he has a propensity to flash early outside the off stump which is something he needs to eliminate from his game if he wishes to succeed as a Test opener, and he also appears unwilling to make adjustments to his game. Batting in conditions favourable to bowlers is a huge part of being an opener.

For the record, I think he'll make it, but I'm not convinced he's quite up to Test standard at this time. A 2nd innings 100 will help me change my mind.

[skywalker]

Rimmington and Reardon were shocking for the Bulls! What a crackerjack game though! Would be good to see how many people wouldve been there if the members werent under construction!