***Official*** 1st Test at The Gabba

[Nate]

Still think we need Watson in the team.

Good decision by Ponting for mine.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Haha, bit of an overreaction to the Ponting decision here. If Australia were 300-350 ahead I would have expected him to bat again, with 450 it's a bit of a suprise but the same principles apply. The pitch is getting harder to bat on, the bowlers could use the rest and it can't hurt to make the English bowlers work a bit more. Ponting has never looked to enforce the follow-on at any point since he became captain, it's just not something he likes to do. In Sri Lanka, at home against Pakistan in his first home summer as captain and so on he did it, and again in every summer since.

Yeah, it's largely pointless as Australia were more or less certain to win the test if they enforced the follow-on, so it's not a defensive move, but the chance of England batting for five sessions and saving the match on a difficult 4th and 5th day pitch are pretty slim. If England save the test Ponting will certainly cop criticism for it, but realistically Australia will bat until lunch tomorrow (assuming they don't collapse), score 250-300 runs and then declare and have five sessions on a difficult surface with a fresh attack. If England survive that, it'll be an amazing effort.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Batting now is a lose-lose situation. If they bat for too long, they would have lost valuable time in trying to bowl out the English. If you bat for too short of time before declaring, then there really wasn't any point and you've wasted an innings.

This is the bit of the complaint I don't get. Sure, it was pretty pointless to bat again, but I don't see how it is "lose-lose". Australia will have 5+ sessions to bowl anyway, and even if they only bat until stumps tonight they will still have added 100-150 runs to the target, which is certainly not a loss, given it would turn the chase from extremely difficult to impossible. And if Australia bat until lunch and really dominate the bowling and score a few hundred runs and then win with most of a day to spare, it's obviously a huge psychological advantage heading into the next test.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Ponting is ****ing insane. 450 ahead, I'm pretty sure that'd be close to a world record chase, yet alone needing to set a total. You're just wasting time England need for a draw, and giving them a chance to get some form.

Got to be one of the worst decisions I've ever witnessed in my life. I'd almost shoot the idiot.

I don't understand what you're on about!? There's 2 and a half days left...the wicket's only going to get worse...the bowler's will be fresh in the morning. I can't see the point in arguing that one way to win it is 'insane' and any different to the other.

 

[Craig]

Hayden run out.

 

[aussie tragic]

When will Ponting declare?

I hope he puts England in for 30 mins tonight (they should be 600 ahead by then), however I predict he'll put them in after batting for another hour tomorrow.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Tee hee hee.

"Pietersen's down on the fine-leg boundary encouraging the banter," says Andrew. "And there goes a Mexican Wave! Hurray for dissent! Vive la Revolution! Down with the fascist oppressors and all that."

 

[Somerset]

Struggling to understand Australia's approach, I don't know why the Aussies are not pushing to score at a quicker rate to have a bowl at England tonight with a 575-600 run lead.

I don't think Ponting's decision was a "lose-lose" situation although I would have certainly enforced the follow on. Gives the Australian bowlers another rest - although it isn't as though Clark and Lee bowled a huge amount of overs, while Warne was barely called upon. And still plenty of time remains in the match to take 10 English wickets.

Silly runout from Hayden but touch and go with a one-frame call, right decision made.

 

[Craig]

Do England have any say in the way of warm-up games? If so it is surely madness not to ask for a tour match in Brisbane instead of playing one at Sydney and Adelaide and waste of time game in Canberra?

I mean they will getused to playing on a completely different pitch, conditions, humidity etc.

Anyway I know England have lost Vaughan and Simon Jones from the last year's winning Ashes, but they have hardly played since then so you have thought England would have come up with other plans. They have to think what they did last time and do it now. Batting wise I think they need to more proactive and look for singles and other ways to keep the scoreboard ticking over and ease the pressure without having to hit boundaries, especially if a guy is struggling against a bowler.

As for Harmison, I think dropping him would be a tad harsh, instead he needs to go back into the nets and do what Dennis Lillee used to do, and go find an area where he could put in a stump somewhere (or something to mark his run up with) and obviously making sure there is nothing in the way and shut his eyes and run in and bowl (but without having a ball) and picture himself bowling his action perfectly.

He can clearly play and his confidence is shot to pieces ATM, and I would be showing him footage of him running through Australia last year and other teams and focusing on his action and head position and delievering the ball out well. However he looks to be bowling a lot better now IMO.

Well that is one of the things I would do, and if somebody has something better then can I please hear it? To me if you are going to critise then I think suggestions/ideas should be given on how to fix the problem if that was your job.

 

[Somerset]

Do England have any say in the way of warm-up games? If so it is surely madness not to ask for a tour match in Brisbane instead of playing one at Sydney and Adelaide and waste of time game in Canberra?

I mean they will getused to playing on a completely different pitch, conditions, humidity etc.

Anyway I know England have lost Vaughan and Simon Jones from the last year's winning Ashes, but they have hardly played since then so you have thought England would have come up with other plans. They have to think what they did last time and do it now. Batting wise I think they need to more proactive and look for singles and other ways to keep the scoreboard ticking over and ease the pressure without having to hit boundaries, especially if a guy is struggling against a bowler.

As for Harmison, I think dropping him would be a tad harsh, instead he needs to go back into the nets and do what Dennis Lillee used to do, and go find an area where he could put in a stump somewhere (or something to mark his run up with) and obviously making sure there is nothing in the way and shut his eyes and run in and bowl (but without having a ball) and picture himself bowling his action perfectly.

He can clearly play and his confidence is shot to pieces ATM, and I would be showing him footage of him running through Australia last year and other teams and focusing on his action and head position and delievering the ball out well. However he looks to be bowling a lot better now IMO.

Well that is one of the things I would do, and if somebody has something better then can I please hear it? To me if you are going to critise then I think suggestions/ideas should be given on how to fix the problem if that was your job.

Personally I believe Harmison should definitely be selected for the next test at least - I do not rate Saj Mahmood nor Liam Plunkett. Two spinners is an option but I don't think it is an ideal situation. Harmison appears to be bowling better this innings, his lines are at least repectable if not deadly accurate. I would continue to bowl him for a little while in this innings just to try and get that confidence and rhythm going. Almost had Ponting there if Ashley Giles had come in and attempted to take the catch rather than backing off.

 

[Craig]

Personally I believe Harmison should definitely be selected for the next test at least - I do not rate Saj Mahmood nor Liam Plunkett. Two spinners is an option but I don't think it is an ideal situation. Harmison appears to be bowling better this innings, his lines are at least repectable if not deadly accurate. I would continue to bowl him for a little while in this innings just to try and get that confidence and rhythm going. Almost had Ponting there if Ashley Giles had come in and attempted to take the catch rather than backing off.

Was thinking about it earlier, any odds on Jon Lewis getting a call-up?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

When will Ponting declare?

I hope he puts England in for 30 mins tonight (they should be 600 ahead by then), however I predict he'll put them in after batting for another hour tomorrow.

Lunch tomorrow IMO, or fractionally before or after. There's around 90 minutes left today, so generously that's perhaps 20 overs. I don't think the score is really the point, it's more to do with the time, and Ponting won't look to bowl again tonight. Another day for the cracks to open and for the bowler's to rest will be the aim, and they will probably bat another session tomorrow just to rub it in a bit more. I also doubt Ponting will declare with a batsman in close to a century or anything, at least not before lunch.

 

[Somerset]

Was thinking about it earlier, any odds on Jon Lewis getting a call-up?

From the outset I was surprised he wasn't in the initial squad. A call-up would give England an extra and importantly, reliable bowling option, so I wouldn't be complaining if that was the case from an English point of view.

Doesn't look like Ponting will declare tonight and I tend to agree that the declaration will come some time towards the end of the first session tomorrow.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Was thinking about it earlier, any odds on Jon Lewis getting a call-up?

Well the whole England Academy is in Perth (well they were as of Wednesday, not too sure anymore).

I still think Lewis is better than Mahmood, Plunkett and Anderson.

 

[aussie tragic]

Ponting clicks over 9000 Test runs

btw, Punter has to score a 62 to overtake Dravid as the 6th highest run scorer in Tests (behind Lara, Border, Waugh, Tendulkar & Gavaskar)

 

[Craig]

So Ponting is aiming to do a Bill Lawry when Lawry once the set the West Indies at the MCG in 1967-68 over 700 runs to win?

 

[imagine]

So Ponting is aiming to do a Bill Lawry when Lawry once the set the West Indies at the MCG in 1967-68 over 700 runs to win?

is that the highest target ever set?

 

[aussie tragic]

is that the highest target ever set?

Highest targets ever set for England to chase down:

708 – 1930 - Oval (dismissed for 145)
696 – 1938-39 – Kinsmead (drawn: 5-654)
689 – 1936-37 – MCG (dismissed 323)
659 – 1920-21 – SCG (dismissed 281)
626* – 2006-07 – Gabba (dismissed for ???)
617 – 1929-30 – Bourda (dismissed 327)
605 – 1924-24 – SCG (dismissed 411)
601 – 1950- Lords (dismissed 274)

Highest targets ever set for any team to chase down:

836 – 1929-30 – WI vs Eng (WI got 5-408: drawn)
742 – 1928-29 – Aus vs Eng (Aus got 66)
735 – 1968-69 – Aus vs WI (WI got 352)
708 – 1934 – Eng vs Aus (Eng got 145)
702 – 1910-11 – Aus vs SA (SA got 171)

Btw, only 3 teams have ever chased down more than 400, with 418 being the highest target ever achieved. At the Gabba, only 2 teams have chased down more than 200, with 7-236 being the highest

 

[andyc]

England were all out for 157 off 61 overs. Australia are currently 1/174 off 37

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

This is an absolute flogging that England are copping now. If Australia declare at 1/250 or something tomorrow and bowl England out before stumps, it'll end up as one of the most one-sided tests between quality test nations in recent years. It'd be next to impossible to come back from that to win the series, IMO.

This evening was some of the easiest runs that Langer and Ponting will ever make. Fielders on the fence, singles and twos for the taking every ball, and utterly pedestrian bowling on a pitch that seemed like a minefield this morning. It's only going to be harder to face McGrath and Clark on tomorrow, let alone Warne, and England will have to bat well just to avoid a 500 run defeat.