The McGrath Foundation Pink Test.
England won the toss and elected to field first. They trail us by 318 runs with 9 wickets in tact.
Australia 1st innings: 326 all out from 76 overs
Steven Smith 115, Brad Haddin 75, Shane Watson 43
Ben Stoked 6-99
England 1st innings: 1/8 from 6.0 overs
Mitchell Johnson 1-3
Plays: The best pattern followed heading into this Test was an unchanged starting XI. That is real unity for you and uplifting to see some tired bodies just keep fighting for the team to be out there.
A pattern was identified this Ashes series and this slightly different pattern continues. This pattern, or trend, sees our top order struggle for runs in the 1st innings, with our middle order (notably Brad Haddin) bailing us out.
Our bowlers then stand up and deliver aggressive spurts of bowling to rattle England. Our batsmen then come in with a strong standing and manage to see our top order put big runs on the board - taking the pressure off the middle order. The lead ends up being relatively secure in place, or the game turns to our favour after this occurs.
As written in an article covering day 3 of the 4th Test, "Brad's fight to keep our 1st innings a float is a trend that has been
apparent this series, a reason he is my Man of the Series right now,
despite Mitchell Johnson's unreal performances.
However, as outstandingly pointed out by Brydon Coverdale
(ESPN Cricinfo) if we look back to Newland's 2011, we didn't have the
saving graces of Hads that day as we were rolled for 47. He can't do it
all the time but thank our lucky Southern Cross he was able to bail us
out again."
Thanking our lucky Southern Stars, Hads brought the goods to his home ground and entertained. So did Steven Smith though!
There has been a rumor surfacing that Hads will retire after this Test. Perhaps, it is a great time for him to bow out on an almighty high. We've won the Ashes, he's been sensational, and he can leave the game with little scrutiny from the media. However, with a tough tour to South Africa, he may be eager to help this team fight to number one. He may hang on, along with Ryan Harris and skipper Michael Clarke.
Before a quick look into the outstanding input from the two New South Wales representatives, David Warner brought up his 500th run for the series. He was hitting the ball crisply and confidently before Stuart Broad rattled his stumps. With one innings left in this Ashes series, he has a tally of 507 runs at 63.37.
Brad Haddin finds himself with a mighty fine collection of runs for a man coming in at number 7.
465 runs at 66.42 with 5 half-centuries and a century. This has come from just 6 innings and when you consider the manner and pressure with which he's earned this return it's not only outstanding but also very inspiring. On top of this his wicket keeping has been world class and he's been the real difference between the sides. He just stands out as my Player of the Series right now. We may not have the urn if it weren't for his rescue missions. He deserved a century today but fell 25 runs short with a soft dismissal.
Steven Smith was able to carry on though. After the WACA innings, I wrote that was Smithy's coming of age, the defining innings of his career. He delivered today with his second century of this Ashes campaign, and don't forget his maiden century in England at The Oval.
Today at the SCG though it was 115 runs, invaluable runs. He moves to 320 runs for the series and, as a result, he went ahead of Kevin Pietersen which means the top six run scorers this series have been our Australian boys. Domination!
The freedom which he played with is what really struck me today, especially after Hads departed.
We were 5/97 and somehow these two guys were able to put us into a mighty strong position by stumps with fearless cricket - a brand of cricket we lost until the return of Darren Lehman. Both played their aggressive strokes, Hads preffering the leg side, while Smithy put away some glorious cover drives with a tighter technique than his slightly "floppy" technique of the past. This was just a sign of confidence and self-belief. Just terrific, boys.
Smithy's century came with a six on 93, followed by another to go beyond 100. An example of good footwork and a thriving challenge against spin bowlers, which we got to see glimpses of in India. Nearly a year later we see the progress. Just after, instead of ducking into his shell he took full advantage of a full toss and dispatched it for six with a powerful pull stroke. A century for Steven Smith when the team needed it, as he did so at the WACA with Brad Haddin.
Ryan Harris played a good knock to score 22 runs, which helped Smithy keep our fight going. Ryano got some big shots of his own in there.
Earlier in the day though Shane Watson made another start but got out before the lunch break. Concentration? Who knows but the frustration of Watson continues, a man with immense talent but just unable to keep in the game when the opportunity of definition presents. The likelihood of him bringing some big runs in the 2nd innings is high.
George Bailey will feel not pressure but probably a bit of sadness with his own performances, not the teams of course.
He knew this was an opportunity to hang onto making his debut at a later stage of his career. It was through limited overs cricket he earned it (why many said he was lucky), but he hasn't been able to deliver enough for the team with the blade in hand. This shouldn't take away the fact he has been a member of a winning team and played a role for us in the field. Just sad he wasn't able to give much more earlier on. It's okay, he still has another innings to try and enjoy and just live for moment. Keep going Georgey!
With our last wicket falling, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris kept the English openers on their toes and we got the breakthrough. Great tactics implemented from Michael Clarke, but Mitch bowled to the plan and it came off with Nathan Lyon taking a wonderful catch at leg slip. The crowd went mad!
Mark Taylor nearly lost his mind in the commentary box when the catch was snatched, waxing lyrical about Nathan Lyon summer.
That wicket of Michael Carberry gives Mitch 32 wickets for the series. Unreal stuff, but very real he could break some more records.
He needs just 3 wickets to claim the most wickets for an Australian fast bowler in a 5-match Ashes series.
He needs 6 wickets to break the record for the most wickets by an Australian bowler in any 5 match Test series. Record was set in 1910-11. Back our left-arm fast bowling bringer of destruction tomorrow.
Verdict: At 5/97 is wasn't looking like our opening day but going over 300 runs and an English wicket in the bag, it would have to be our day given their struggles this tour. Oddly enough I didn't worry, which I something I do a fair bit of, despite the optimism you read right here at the Baggy Green Supporters Blog.
It's been a remarkable turnaround for our boys looking back 10 months ago.
5-0 is now a very possible outcome after the performances from Hads and Smithy. However, as written here many, many times, cricket is a game that presents many sudden and dramatic twists and turns. Given England's confidence, or lack thereof (throw in three debutants) if we have a cracking opening session tomorrow (any by Mitchell's watch) it will be bloody hard for them to comeback at all. That is quite obvious, as is the possibility of the trend to emerge which, if it does, will be the end of England to see us go 5-0 up.
Still plenty of cricket to soak up. Come on Australia!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
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Showing posts with label Brad Haddin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brad Haddin. Show all posts
03 January 2014
28 December 2013
The Ashes, 4th Test, day 3
England 1st Innings: 255 all out from 100 overs overs
Kevin Pietersen 71, Michael Carberry 38
Ryan Harris 2-47, Mitchell Johnson 5-63, Shane Watson 1-11
Australia 1st innings: 204 all out from 82.2 overs
Brad Haddin 65, Chris Rogers 61,
Stuart Broad 3-45, James Anderson 4-67
England 2nd innings: 179 all out from 61 overs
Alastair Cook 51, Kevin Pietersen 49
Nathan Lyon 5-50, Mitchell Johnson 3-25Australia 2nd innings: (Target 231) 0/30 from 8.0 overs
Chris Rogers 18*, David Warner 13*
Plays: Come the start of the day we were batting. Come the close of day 3, we were batting and suddenly in a position to win this Test and go 4-0 up. Brilliant how things can change in a matter of sessions.
Our boys look so alive out there and once again I bring up the theme of unity. Nathan Lyon, who took his 100th Test wicket since debut in 2011, as well as a 5-fer (his 4th in Tests), made certain he gave raps to his team mates, notably his bowling mates. The self-belief is massive and today we saw how important unity is, as well as key players stepping up.
Starting the day trailing by 91 runs with 1 wicket in hand, Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon were able to ensure we reduced England's lead to 51 runs. Every run they tucked away has been invaluable, and could be so in this chase.
Brad Haddin was oddly enough the one England were able to dismiss after he mistimed an attempted pull shot that came onto him a bit quicker than his body position allowed for come the execution of the shot. It didn't dampen the effort of our wicket keeper, who not only scored 65 runs (4 half-centuries, 1 century this Ashes series) but he also became the highest run scorer for an Australian wicket keeper in an Ashes series. A record deserved by a man who has fought some awful odds to be where he is at, after a very patient journey too.
Brad's fight to keep our 1st innings a float is a trend that has been apparent this series, a reason he is my Man of the Series right now, despite Mitchell Johnson's unreal performances.
However, as outstandingly pointed out by Brydon Coverdale (ESPN Cricinfo) if we look back to Newland's 2011, we didn't have the saving graces of Hads that day as we were rolled for 47. He can't do it all the time but thank our lucky Southern Cross he was able to bail us out again.
Nathan Lyon offered excellent support as the number 11 but come his efforts with the ball in hand, he's made his ultimate impression in that regard.
England got off to a strong start, suddenly really dominating the game in a way they have not at all this series. I texted my mate Sylvester just reminding him of Amazing Adelaide. I had a gut feeling that England had, if anything, just given us a wonderful opportunity to fight back and really test our self-belief and skills as a team. Soon after the collapse began. The challenge was accepted and we now find ourselves in a very realistic place to go up 4-0.
Nathan Lyon, he deserves every reward he gets. He was just another spinner in the line post-Warne and was selected on the basis of a remarkable story with the Redbacks and excellent performances in Twenty20 and List A cricket. He found himself debuting against Sri Lanka, and some credit has to go to the previously appalling selection panel, who gave him a chance. The new panel has kept faith in him, and he's repaid it. I am pleased most supporters have kept backing him. He was always the only option. He is still with us and now has 100 Test wickets. His story has been a joy to follow.
I remember meeting Nathan, who was alongsideTrent Copeland, at the nets by Newland's Cricket Ground two days after we were bowled out for 47 runs against South Africa. I asked him if it had sunk in yet that he was shortly before a member of the grounds team at the Adelaide Oval, and was suddenly a Baggy Green cricketer, a member of the Australian team. He laughed, thanked me for the support and just replied, "No mate, I simply can't believe it. I have to pinch myself some days". I bet he is still pinching himself.
He removed England's danger man Ian Bell for a golden duck, and lured England into the attack, having totally made them contradict their style of defensive cricket. It lead to their downfall and we had them all out for 179. He ended with 5-50, giving him 16 wickets at 26.93 for the series.
Mitchell Johnson though was the man under the spotlight once again.
The MCG was once harsh to him, now he has won over the crowds at the gladiator arena of international cricket. As the famous quote from the movie Gladiator goes, "I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom." You'd have to sense their is some similarity between that drive to entertain and be brutal come Mitchell Johnson, and Russell Crowe's character in that movie.
Mitch took a catch, he took the opening wicket, he took the closing wicket, and he ran out Joe Root with some highly athletic fielding with a solid technique on display too. The direct hit was a winner and that was our turning point and the boys knew it. Mitchell Johnson was all over the scorecard and all over the Poms.
He is killing their tail enders and they seem to be eager to leave the field no sooner than they've taken guard knowing Mitch is bowling. I love it.
He also had a good time getting stuck into Kevin Pietersen. Many will dismiss it as bad sportsmanship from these two, but with the ego of KP I think it is inevitable their will be some heat in the middle. They entertain. There was no physical contact but definitely physical aggression. I like it. It dates back the 70s with our team and of course the 80s. The ugly Australian tag is returning and I wouldn't have it any other way.
KP also bowed out of the way five times during his innings during our bowlers run up. It was just the right guy at the crease against the right bowler to add fuel to the fire. It was entertaining and Mitch won that round.
David Warner and Chris Rogers have gotten off to a steady start. We are 30 without loss, requiring another 201 runs for victory. We had two days to achieve this and this is against an English team that is seriously low on confidence. It is more than possible to win this based on their lack of confidence, our self belief and the trend that shows how we have shown greater consistency in our second dig.
Verdict: I am so mighty proud of my boys and just so blown away by the self-belief out there today. It was so inspiring. No other team can give you that emotion - no team, only Australia!
Still some massive work to do tomorrow. If the trend is followed, our collapses occur in the 1st innings. This 2nd innings seems to be when the group really up their game. Nice to see it reverse but right now I will take the trend continuing to see us reach that target of 231 runs. Rogers and Warner looked very relaxed out there and if they can hold the fort to set a strong foundation, this is ours. 4-0, but the challenge is on offer. Another big one for this team going forward.
Tomorrow the boys need all the support they can get.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
TWITTER
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
Kevin Pietersen 71, Michael Carberry 38
Ryan Harris 2-47, Mitchell Johnson 5-63, Shane Watson 1-11
Australia 1st innings: 204 all out from 82.2 overs
Brad Haddin 65, Chris Rogers 61,
Stuart Broad 3-45, James Anderson 4-67
England 2nd innings: 179 all out from 61 overs
Alastair Cook 51, Kevin Pietersen 49
Nathan Lyon 5-50, Mitchell Johnson 3-25Australia 2nd innings: (Target 231) 0/30 from 8.0 overs
Chris Rogers 18*, David Warner 13*
Plays: Come the start of the day we were batting. Come the close of day 3, we were batting and suddenly in a position to win this Test and go 4-0 up. Brilliant how things can change in a matter of sessions.
Our boys look so alive out there and once again I bring up the theme of unity. Nathan Lyon, who took his 100th Test wicket since debut in 2011, as well as a 5-fer (his 4th in Tests), made certain he gave raps to his team mates, notably his bowling mates. The self-belief is massive and today we saw how important unity is, as well as key players stepping up.
Starting the day trailing by 91 runs with 1 wicket in hand, Brad Haddin and Nathan Lyon were able to ensure we reduced England's lead to 51 runs. Every run they tucked away has been invaluable, and could be so in this chase.
Brad Haddin was oddly enough the one England were able to dismiss after he mistimed an attempted pull shot that came onto him a bit quicker than his body position allowed for come the execution of the shot. It didn't dampen the effort of our wicket keeper, who not only scored 65 runs (4 half-centuries, 1 century this Ashes series) but he also became the highest run scorer for an Australian wicket keeper in an Ashes series. A record deserved by a man who has fought some awful odds to be where he is at, after a very patient journey too.
Brad's fight to keep our 1st innings a float is a trend that has been apparent this series, a reason he is my Man of the Series right now, despite Mitchell Johnson's unreal performances.
However, as outstandingly pointed out by Brydon Coverdale (ESPN Cricinfo) if we look back to Newland's 2011, we didn't have the saving graces of Hads that day as we were rolled for 47. He can't do it all the time but thank our lucky Southern Cross he was able to bail us out again.
Nathan Lyon offered excellent support as the number 11 but come his efforts with the ball in hand, he's made his ultimate impression in that regard.
England got off to a strong start, suddenly really dominating the game in a way they have not at all this series. I texted my mate Sylvester just reminding him of Amazing Adelaide. I had a gut feeling that England had, if anything, just given us a wonderful opportunity to fight back and really test our self-belief and skills as a team. Soon after the collapse began. The challenge was accepted and we now find ourselves in a very realistic place to go up 4-0.
Nathan Lyon, he deserves every reward he gets. He was just another spinner in the line post-Warne and was selected on the basis of a remarkable story with the Redbacks and excellent performances in Twenty20 and List A cricket. He found himself debuting against Sri Lanka, and some credit has to go to the previously appalling selection panel, who gave him a chance. The new panel has kept faith in him, and he's repaid it. I am pleased most supporters have kept backing him. He was always the only option. He is still with us and now has 100 Test wickets. His story has been a joy to follow.
I remember meeting Nathan, who was alongsideTrent Copeland, at the nets by Newland's Cricket Ground two days after we were bowled out for 47 runs against South Africa. I asked him if it had sunk in yet that he was shortly before a member of the grounds team at the Adelaide Oval, and was suddenly a Baggy Green cricketer, a member of the Australian team. He laughed, thanked me for the support and just replied, "No mate, I simply can't believe it. I have to pinch myself some days". I bet he is still pinching himself.
He removed England's danger man Ian Bell for a golden duck, and lured England into the attack, having totally made them contradict their style of defensive cricket. It lead to their downfall and we had them all out for 179. He ended with 5-50, giving him 16 wickets at 26.93 for the series.
Mitchell Johnson though was the man under the spotlight once again.
The MCG was once harsh to him, now he has won over the crowds at the gladiator arena of international cricket. As the famous quote from the movie Gladiator goes, "I was the best because the crowd loved me. Win the crowd and you will win your freedom." You'd have to sense their is some similarity between that drive to entertain and be brutal come Mitchell Johnson, and Russell Crowe's character in that movie.
Mitch took a catch, he took the opening wicket, he took the closing wicket, and he ran out Joe Root with some highly athletic fielding with a solid technique on display too. The direct hit was a winner and that was our turning point and the boys knew it. Mitchell Johnson was all over the scorecard and all over the Poms.
He is killing their tail enders and they seem to be eager to leave the field no sooner than they've taken guard knowing Mitch is bowling. I love it.
He also had a good time getting stuck into Kevin Pietersen. Many will dismiss it as bad sportsmanship from these two, but with the ego of KP I think it is inevitable their will be some heat in the middle. They entertain. There was no physical contact but definitely physical aggression. I like it. It dates back the 70s with our team and of course the 80s. The ugly Australian tag is returning and I wouldn't have it any other way.
KP also bowed out of the way five times during his innings during our bowlers run up. It was just the right guy at the crease against the right bowler to add fuel to the fire. It was entertaining and Mitch won that round.
David Warner and Chris Rogers have gotten off to a steady start. We are 30 without loss, requiring another 201 runs for victory. We had two days to achieve this and this is against an English team that is seriously low on confidence. It is more than possible to win this based on their lack of confidence, our self belief and the trend that shows how we have shown greater consistency in our second dig.
Verdict: I am so mighty proud of my boys and just so blown away by the self-belief out there today. It was so inspiring. No other team can give you that emotion - no team, only Australia!
Still some massive work to do tomorrow. If the trend is followed, our collapses occur in the 1st innings. This 2nd innings seems to be when the group really up their game. Nice to see it reverse but right now I will take the trend continuing to see us reach that target of 231 runs. Rogers and Warner looked very relaxed out there and if they can hold the fort to set a strong foundation, this is ours. 4-0, but the challenge is on offer. Another big one for this team going forward.
Tomorrow the boys need all the support they can get.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
@BaggyGreenBlog
@Ianbaggygreen
@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
26 December 2013
The Ashes, 4th Test, day 1: Boxing Day
For my article regarding our 'Baggy Green team that regained the urn', have a read via the following link.
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Australia won the toss and elected to field first (interesting move by Michael Clarke)
England 1st Innings: 6/226 from 89.0 overs
Kevin Pietersen 67*, Michael Carberry 38
Ryan Harris 2-32, Mitchell Johnson 2-59, Shane Watson 1-11
Here's a quick run down regarding the highlights of day 1:
The legend himself, Bill Lawry, was back in the commentary booth ("Oh he's got him"), the MCG saw a record Boxing Day attendance of 91,092 (earlier 90,831 on the scoreboard) fanatics, Shane Watson has managed 50 Tests in an injury burdened career span of 9 years, Brad Haddin took his 50th catch of 2013 (further boosting his Man of the Series prospects), Hugh Jackman was interviewed by Michael Slater and his crew on The Cricket Show, there were a lot of flies at the MCG today, my mates Sylvester and Dan Stapo texted me that they are now deaf after sitting in Bay 15 having endured never ending drunken singing/ chanting, and we dropped Kevin Pietersen twice as England already seem to be in shut down mode, playing for a drawn result. Yes, it was Boxing Day.
Play: Our decision to bowl first was an interesting one. It would seem with the cloud cover and a bit of drizzle about that there would have been a lot in it for our bowlers to rattle England's top order. I am a bat first bloke and it's hard for me to consider the idea of fielding first, unless in England or possibly New Zealand, but it would seem Clarkey didn't make a bad call. If anything we simply lacked some luck today and, for the first time this series, our fielding standards were a bit below the benchmark set to not fully capitalise on the decision.
The main thing I admired today was our bowlers discipline shining through yet again. Ryan Harris has been unlucky this series, and his input has deserved much greater output. Today was a prime example.
Economically he was first class, discipline wise with his line and length he was first class, his subtle swing movement was enough to keep England's top order batsmen stuck on the crease, and his bowling was executed to the plans and fields set by Michael Clarke. It was first class, pure class.
Sadly for Ryano, having claimed Joe Root and later Ian Bell, there was man he should have had - twice. That man was Kevin Pietersen and he is a player currently short on confidence, despite his PR work that all is well. We needed to mow him and our fielding was a bit scrappy out there and not only cost us two golden opportunities, but blundered two brilliant pieces of tactical bowling to try get that one prized wicket. Frustrating!
The first was luring KP in for the hook shot and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was on for Shane Watson who'd injured his groin, took the outfield catch but made the error an outfielder should never make. He had no idea where the boundary was! So, he took the catch, but had no control over his balance once he realised how close he was to the rope. His momentum was too much and his footing was incorrect to drive his balance forward. In a desperate attempt to throw the ball back in play - partly in panic - he ditched it over his head and into the crowd. It was shattering for us, but imagine poor Nathan. He will have nightmares about it tonight.
The chance went down and fortunately we worked hard to grab two more wickets before stumps as soon as we secured the new ball in the hands of mighty Mitchell Johnson.
There was however another chance that went down, and that was the wicket of KP - round two. He spanked a pull short which flew directly to our man at short mid-wicket. This was George Bailey whose taken his catches and been alert in the field. He blundered the chance and although it was traveling bloody fast, it was a chance that by our standards was one to be claimed. He didn't and KP survived.
I think he then swallowed a fly and threw up on the field, but that may be just pure disgust at how lucky he was today.
All in all I was pleased with our bowlers. When they bowled superb spells they were of the highest quality and England had little room for confident stroke play. If anything they seemed hesitant to play with any natural flair. Nathan Lyon was equally impressive with the grip he was able to get early on in the day. He troubled Michael Carberry in particular with a very, very tight line leaving Carberry minimal room for error. He had a bit of pace to with a consistent delivery of 90km/h which had a few batsmen struggling for smooth footwork. Brad Haddin's keeping was good once again.
Peter Siddle never saw Pietersen play him comfort, just further working in the "bunny" tag. It was entertaining to watch.
Tactically England were in the crapper with their slow run rate.
Sure, it is Test cricket but at their slow scoring rate, the risk they faced was that with the pitch being a bit on the slow side, flattening out as the day progressed, and their top three batsmen in the shed when they did have some passages of opportunity, the new ball when taken would be a handful and if Australia were able to claim another two wickets late in the day, it would make that patient, conservative approach one in vain. And so it happened! They needed to be about 350 runs by stumps with what was on offer, but as soon as Mitch Johnson ripped those last two wickets with the new cherry, it set them further off course and, as a result, should they find themselves a few more down early tomorrow they will have quite easily lost 150 runs from their potential tally.
Verdict: Tomorrow our boys will have worked off Christmas dinner, and they will have clear objectives. I believe England will be hazy with a game plan and they lost the day - even though KP had luck which is a part of this tough game.
Given we have the Ashes now many want a bit more fight from England. Yes, with a Test series against South Africa around the corner I want some pre-tour fight for even more from our players but I also want a 5-0 result here which will help us get closer to the goal to become the number one Test side again.
So come tomorrow I'd like a nice aggressive session, with clear tactics executed and much better fielding standards from our boys. The only thing I was upset about today was our fielding. We have much better standards, but all in all it was a fairly ordinary day of Test cricket by Boxing Day standards. Still, we were the top side for the day and tomorrow awaits.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
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Australia won the toss and elected to field first (interesting move by Michael Clarke)
England 1st Innings: 6/226 from 89.0 overs
Kevin Pietersen 67*, Michael Carberry 38
Ryan Harris 2-32, Mitchell Johnson 2-59, Shane Watson 1-11
Here's a quick run down regarding the highlights of day 1:
The legend himself, Bill Lawry, was back in the commentary booth ("Oh he's got him"), the MCG saw a record Boxing Day attendance of 91,092 (earlier 90,831 on the scoreboard) fanatics, Shane Watson has managed 50 Tests in an injury burdened career span of 9 years, Brad Haddin took his 50th catch of 2013 (further boosting his Man of the Series prospects), Hugh Jackman was interviewed by Michael Slater and his crew on The Cricket Show, there were a lot of flies at the MCG today, my mates Sylvester and Dan Stapo texted me that they are now deaf after sitting in Bay 15 having endured never ending drunken singing/ chanting, and we dropped Kevin Pietersen twice as England already seem to be in shut down mode, playing for a drawn result. Yes, it was Boxing Day.
Play: Our decision to bowl first was an interesting one. It would seem with the cloud cover and a bit of drizzle about that there would have been a lot in it for our bowlers to rattle England's top order. I am a bat first bloke and it's hard for me to consider the idea of fielding first, unless in England or possibly New Zealand, but it would seem Clarkey didn't make a bad call. If anything we simply lacked some luck today and, for the first time this series, our fielding standards were a bit below the benchmark set to not fully capitalise on the decision.
The main thing I admired today was our bowlers discipline shining through yet again. Ryan Harris has been unlucky this series, and his input has deserved much greater output. Today was a prime example.
Economically he was first class, discipline wise with his line and length he was first class, his subtle swing movement was enough to keep England's top order batsmen stuck on the crease, and his bowling was executed to the plans and fields set by Michael Clarke. It was first class, pure class.
Sadly for Ryano, having claimed Joe Root and later Ian Bell, there was man he should have had - twice. That man was Kevin Pietersen and he is a player currently short on confidence, despite his PR work that all is well. We needed to mow him and our fielding was a bit scrappy out there and not only cost us two golden opportunities, but blundered two brilliant pieces of tactical bowling to try get that one prized wicket. Frustrating!
The first was luring KP in for the hook shot and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who was on for Shane Watson who'd injured his groin, took the outfield catch but made the error an outfielder should never make. He had no idea where the boundary was! So, he took the catch, but had no control over his balance once he realised how close he was to the rope. His momentum was too much and his footing was incorrect to drive his balance forward. In a desperate attempt to throw the ball back in play - partly in panic - he ditched it over his head and into the crowd. It was shattering for us, but imagine poor Nathan. He will have nightmares about it tonight.
The chance went down and fortunately we worked hard to grab two more wickets before stumps as soon as we secured the new ball in the hands of mighty Mitchell Johnson.
There was however another chance that went down, and that was the wicket of KP - round two. He spanked a pull short which flew directly to our man at short mid-wicket. This was George Bailey whose taken his catches and been alert in the field. He blundered the chance and although it was traveling bloody fast, it was a chance that by our standards was one to be claimed. He didn't and KP survived.
I think he then swallowed a fly and threw up on the field, but that may be just pure disgust at how lucky he was today.
All in all I was pleased with our bowlers. When they bowled superb spells they were of the highest quality and England had little room for confident stroke play. If anything they seemed hesitant to play with any natural flair. Nathan Lyon was equally impressive with the grip he was able to get early on in the day. He troubled Michael Carberry in particular with a very, very tight line leaving Carberry minimal room for error. He had a bit of pace to with a consistent delivery of 90km/h which had a few batsmen struggling for smooth footwork. Brad Haddin's keeping was good once again.
Peter Siddle never saw Pietersen play him comfort, just further working in the "bunny" tag. It was entertaining to watch.
Tactically England were in the crapper with their slow run rate.
Sure, it is Test cricket but at their slow scoring rate, the risk they faced was that with the pitch being a bit on the slow side, flattening out as the day progressed, and their top three batsmen in the shed when they did have some passages of opportunity, the new ball when taken would be a handful and if Australia were able to claim another two wickets late in the day, it would make that patient, conservative approach one in vain. And so it happened! They needed to be about 350 runs by stumps with what was on offer, but as soon as Mitch Johnson ripped those last two wickets with the new cherry, it set them further off course and, as a result, should they find themselves a few more down early tomorrow they will have quite easily lost 150 runs from their potential tally.
Verdict: Tomorrow our boys will have worked off Christmas dinner, and they will have clear objectives. I believe England will be hazy with a game plan and they lost the day - even though KP had luck which is a part of this tough game.
Given we have the Ashes now many want a bit more fight from England. Yes, with a Test series against South Africa around the corner I want some pre-tour fight for even more from our players but I also want a 5-0 result here which will help us get closer to the goal to become the number one Test side again.
So come tomorrow I'd like a nice aggressive session, with clear tactics executed and much better fielding standards from our boys. The only thing I was upset about today was our fielding. We have much better standards, but all in all it was a fairly ordinary day of Test cricket by Boxing Day standards. Still, we were the top side for the day and tomorrow awaits.
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18 December 2013
The Baggy Green team that regained the urn
I wrote many times that we would win the Ashes. I noted that if our batting clicked into place we would win as it would give our bowlers consistent opportunities to defend totals of competitive substance, rather than defend totals in desperate attempts to stay in the game. Consistency was a key, as was self-belief, balancing experience and upcoming players. Fortunately, this time around it occurred and it proved the theory, finally. However, having stated this I will also be honest that I did go into this Ashes series with few expectations, reserving this execution of a winning recipe to be handled by our team day by day. No expectations creates a better platform for a team with a new coach reigniting the concept of pride and fun for the players and supporters. I kept this in mind and now in hindsight I am glad I took this approach with my writing in the build up to this series.
Here is my article looking at the team that has led us to an Ashes victory in 2013. More discussion via the Facebook page.
I had zero objections with this side heading into the Ashes. I wanted an unchanged unit because, as the word "unit" intends, unity comes from consistent selection policies. This was followed and as a result this team is the most united Australian team in many years. Even before we took that final wicket to bring the urn back (although not officially form Lord's) there was a strong sense of unity amongst the team. It's so uplifting.
Mitchell Johnson (23 wickets at 15.47, BBI 7-40, BBM 9-103/ 147 runs at 49.00, HS 64) has been praised for his performances. It seems as if he is the only man in this team though. I think this is both unfair and hypocritical on the media's behalf. Mitch has been treated like trash from the media in particular in the past. The way it's being portrayed by them (the media) one would think his efforts, while absolutely remarkable and rare to witness (Brisbane & Adelaide), were the only occurrence of excellence this Ashes series.
I am so proud of Mitch. I cannot emphasise this enough. There is no shame on my part that a few years back I wrote an article that the gap between his best (match winning) and worst was too great for the harsh nature of Test cricket. He is a confidence player and in a team environment with constant change and high expectation on him to show up like the star player, game in game out, was unfair and harsh upon his character. It was not enough to develop him. Limited overs cricket was a much better platform for him to rebuild his confidence for two reasons.
Firstly, it is a form of the game that is not as harsh a reality as Test cricket, allowing shorter bursts and erratic bowling spells to still produce erratic results. This came to light during Mitchell's IPL stints then his tour to India a few months ago.
Secondly, it would give him chance to still be a member of the Australian Cricket team and also allow him time to balance limited overs duty with State duty to rebuild his confidence across a variety of formats and realign both his focus and objectives. This was to return as a Test cricketer with performances to back his return and of course win an Ashes series to put away all that criticism and degrading he had to endure.
The time away from the game at the elite level was the best thing for him and now we see Mitchell Johnson, confident, refreshed, focused, settled, but most importantly backed by both a united team and bowling attack. The leadership is strong and Mitch is thriving. The environment is better able to accommodate his bowling nature. The results say it all. Welcome back mighty Mitch!
Despite this return, Mitch was backed by a consistent bowling unit consisting of Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson and Nathan Lyon. Their input made Mitchell's performances possible and they all played a massive role in the result that sees us 3-0 up. That is why I find it unfair to put it all on Mitch, which also creates unfair expectation on him - a reason that led to his initial fall from great (media) heights. Time for people to get some perspective on what is a team sport and what was a bloody special team effort it has been!
Ryan Harris (12 wickets at 23.58/ 76 runs at 38.00, HS 55*) suffers through grueling body aches and the fear he could break down at any point. He still continues to take his catches, dive in the field, save boundaries, train hard, and above all do his primary job which is to charge in and bowl a ball around 140 - 145 km/h with swing. He hasn't been red hot but he's contributed, notably removing Alastair Cook for a golden duck at the WACA in England's 2nd innings. Cook was coming off a well fought half-century in the 1st innings and Ryano ensured the most beautiful delivery ended his contribution for the Test. It was massive.
Peter Siddle (11 wickets at 22.09) gets criticised, at times justifiably, for his lack of variation. Where he makes up for the tricks of the trade, is a burning ambition to succeed and unrivaled passion to play for the Baggy Greens.
When a track is dead, he finds something out of nothing on many decks and is able to bowl a line that probes and attacks a batsman whether they decide to defend or attack. He keeps coming at you and in times when the opportunities look slim he can pull out enough energy to pick the troops back up.
There is evidence that in times when desperately needed he hasn't been able to put in significant performances, but for Siddle to succeed you need bowlers around him with good pace, natural variation and a strong understanding of their duties. This is why he may appear the leader of the pack with a younger bowling unit, but they lack the experience and understanding Mitchell and Ryano have. With these factors he can play with greater significance. A few years back the combination with Ryano and Ben Hilfenhaus against India further proved this theory of mine.
He is a work horse and teams need those men. We have Siddle and this man was able to work over Kevin Pietersen - England's danger man - to the point where we have contained KP and the English critics want him gone. He has also rattled Matt Prior and these bunnies essentially add to the psychological demolition of the opposition. Personal battles but successful to come back to the concept of synergy. Sids is a big player and it's hard to not select him on this basis.
Nathan Lyon (10 wickets at 31.40) was only ever going to succeed through consistent selection. The more he bowls the better he gets, the more pitches he plays on, the more it forces him to look at his abilities (or enhance them). He initiated the collapse of England's batsmen yesterday and as a result we won the Ashes quicker than anticipated heading into the lunch break. It was a passage of play that may have defined him, just as Steve Smith's century in the 1st innings was a coming of age, the innings that has ultimately become his career defining moment.
Nathan took a 5fer on debut. He has struggled too, don't get me wrong. Many felt he didn't deliver when needed, but he has always been the right man for the job and until you've played as a spinner in multiple conditions against the best of the best, along with a winning team, it is a bloody tough initiation. He has come out on top and John Inverarity and his panel deserve the respect for this. We lacked consistency from the awful Hilditch regime and we have had this with the one position we were lost on. The spin bowler.
To add to Nathan's success as a spinner, a solid wicket keeper is needed. Enter Brad Haddin (15 catches, 325 runs at 65.00, HS 118, x1 century & x3 fifties from 5 innings) who, like Mitchell, was facing a high hill to return.
Matt Wade deserved his opportunities for us, I have no doubt about it. He had ticked all the boxes to make the Australian side and entered the mix at a time when Brad was going through a horrible time off the field which brought his game into a state of demise. His standards were low and it was not his time. Every player has a period of pain and this was his - sadly with personal matters as well which he fought through strongly for his family. That was the ultimate victory for Brad. Forget cricket.
Yet, when Matt Wade started to show chinks in his armor and Tim Paine still on the mend after his finger injury, Brad reawakened and raised the benchmark higher than his standards have been in years. The result was a keeper/batsman of an elite standards. Forget Adam Gilchrist, what you have seen here is a performance that most teams would give anything for from their keeper. Brad has delivered and he saw the opportunity for a return and made it count big time.
His keeping to Nathan Lyon's bowling was brilliant, with a technique Ian Healy waxed lyrical about from the outset. This has aided Nathan's output immensely and for this Hads must be added to the reward we have seen from our spinner. It is also a reason why Hads is, at present, my stand out player of the series.
His batting has been Michael Hussey like. He has stepped up when the team was in desperate need of a big innings and he's crushed England's winning edge, which in previous years would have not materialised. He's executed rescue missions and shown belief in our lower order.
A century at the Adelaide Oval, a near miss in Brisbane, performances in every other innings and then his partnership with Steven Smith in the 1st innings of the WACA Test. It all points to invaluable input with the bat from our keeper. England have not had this and it's been another huge difference between the teams.
Brad Haddin has been sensational and enhanced other players performances. Synergy once again.
Our batting has been hit and miss at times (a few small collapses requiring some remedy) but consistent in the fact that every single batsman, including newbie George Bailey, has stepped up as opposed to just Michael Clarke, which has been the case for too long.
David Warner (457 runs at 91.40, x2 centuries, HS 124) has become the top order destroyer we have missed since Matthew Hayden. He will have his blue patches but his cockiness has been most appreciated and his self-belief nothing but extraordinary when consider what this man went through off the field in recent months. It's been a personal relationship off the field that has helped him through this dark passage in his career and now look. It's a great sporting story.
He's been brutal with the bat and has now bagged two centuries, along with some high class fielding standards - another major difference between the two sides. Catches win matches but they also separate teams in terms of standards. Mike Young is back in the mix and his impact has been noticed.
Chris Rogers (156 runs at 26.00, 4 catches) hasn't scored a century but I don't care. I called for his selection in 2009, as I did now in 2013 before the English Ashes series. We needed to stick with him and once again the selectors have done so. He is the ideal partner for David Warner at the crease. He has experience, a well grounded game, and is able to quite likely put the right advice and encouragement into David Warner's mind in the battle zone.
I said I had few expectations heading into this series but right now I do have expectations of Chris to deliver big time in the final two Tests. I see a place for him in this team while Phillip Hughes continues to dominate the State field, and young batsmen like Nic Maddinson, Joe Burns, and Jordan Silk fine tune their craft for a while longer.
Chris, like Ryan Harris and Brad Haddin, realised that this was his final chance to quite likely be a member of a winning Ashes series. Ryano and Hads have endured one too many and now they have it. This was evident in the emotion Ryano displayed during the post-match celebration as his voice cracked and he held back the tears of relief. A raw moment in this harsh but great game.
Michael Clarke (331 runs at 55.16, x2 centuries), well, not much to write on this front as I have blurted it all before. He is our best batsman, recently winning the 2013 ICC Cricketer and Test Player of the Year awards.
He has executed his tactics well, rotated his bowlers on song, and he's used his referrals far better than the previous series with the DRS. Up until the match was won, Clarkey was the only player to have experienced a winning Ashes series. Now he is the leader of a winning Ashes campaign and he can be mighty proud of that coming in his 100th Test match.
Steven Smith (186 runs at 37.20, HS 111, 5 catches) had his coming of age with his century in the 3rd Test. He turned his public profile around in England, improving his reputation as a middle order batsman, specialist fielder and part-time spin bowler, as opposed to the variety of tags given to him upon his early Test appearances which did him more damage than good. He was all over the place as to what role he should play but once again, thanks to the selection panel and some brilliant performances from Steven for New South Wales, his position has been clarified.
He put in the performances at State level, which followed an Ashes campaign where we saw his drastic turnaround in his indentity as an Australian cricketer. It is still a very long road ahead for him and time is well on his side to become a solid Australian batsman. Below is what I had to write regarding his century of 111 runs.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
Then there is George Bailey (136 runs at 34.00, HS 53, 6 catches). Put into the team on the basis of limited overs form in India where he lead the side and dominated with the bat. It was a strange selection basis given his first class stats didn't quite stack up but he does have experience, and a good characteristic is he always has a smile on his face, loves his cricket and tries his best.
He took his catches for us, tried to play aggressive cricket - the brand the team is publicly promoting - and even found himself smashing James Anderson around the WACA to level with Brian Lara's most runs scored off an over in Test cricket - 28 runs.
Then finally there's Shane Watson (200 runs at 33.33, x1 100, x1 50, HS 103, 3 wickets) who found himself under fire for once again making starts and not converting or finding ways to gift away his wicket. Fortunately for Watto's confidence he was delivering maiden overs for us (35% of his overs have been maidens with an economy rate of 2.73) and has found ways to build pressure from his end just taking pace of the ball to keep the batsmen in no mans land, while also scrapping 3 wickets.
His batting came out with the desired result. A century with some big powerful shots. Although we were well ahead of England we still needed something else on the back of David Warner's ton, an innings that would crush England's presence on the field. Watto's innings did so and it was a spectacle to behold.
Shane Watson does have a poor conversion rate, he's never lived up to the potential that he definitely possesses and he knows it. Unfortunately, he has endured injury issues since his teenage years which has affected him but, as Brett Lee did so, he has found ways to reinvent himself and come back time and time again. That takes serious mental toughness. He finally has experienced winning as Ashes series and delivered when the team needed him too. Some may say one occasion too few, but I also say better late than never on the cricket field.
Watto is also one of the most respectful players come the supporters. Always taking time to talk to them, greet them, listen to them and play his role off the field with those who show up to back the team. This has always made me wish him all the success possible for our team. He's shown up in the Ashes and that is what has counted most.
After all I have written above, essential the differences between the sides is easily noticed in short:
- we had a bowling unit with more pace,
- we had a strike bowler high on confidence,
- a bowling unit with enough variation (well mentored by Craig McDermott),
- a wicket keeper showcasing elite standards who helped enhance our spin bowlers output
- our top order found centurions (7 versus England's 1 - Ben Stokes)
- we held our catches and had unbelievable intensity in the field versus England
- and of course this aggressive brand of cricket was backed by home support on home turf.
We still have two Tests to play, followed by a series against South Africa, in South Africa. This means that even though this is a special feeling to have regained the urn and one to embrace, there is a hell of a lot of hard work ahead for the players and the supporters and we shouldn't get too far ahead. This game can change very quickly.
They (the team) need our support to continue through the highs and the lows. They know the battle goes on and that for now the focus is 5-0 and a continual push for consistency as come the series against South Africa, we may have the urn but they have the number one Test ranking, something we dearly want. More about this come the eve of that series, but for now it is just wonderful to see my team united and playing positive cricket.
When one man has a tough day, another man is fighting his hardest to have a beauty of a day. And best of all is that man who has the tough day is getting the support from his team mates and the coach, Darren Lehman. We, as the supporters, need to back them all and let's just hope that concept of unity continues to grow. It's great to have the winning edge again, embrace it and enjoy it.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
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13 December 2013
The Ashes: 3rd Test, day 1
The Ashes, 3rd Test, day 1, Perth
Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
AUS 1st innings: 6/326 from 87 overs.
Steven Smith 103*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39*.
Graeme Swann 2-71
Verdict: I had a work function to attend this evening and fortunately there was TV showing the game, so I was able to watch Steven Smith lead one hell of a solid fightback as he brought up a century, which will define his career and ultimately his coming of age.
It was hard to contain myself as not only was it a defining moment in his career, but it gave us the momentum coming to the close of play and essentially the day was taken from England on the back of Stevo's Test century, and the invaluable support offered by both Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. Partnerships!
Play: Firstly congrats to Michael Clarke on reaching his 100th Test for Australia. Despite the outstanding achievement, this Test is about trying to win it to secure the urn and go 3-0 up. He only managed 24 runs in the first innings, but his middle order men stepped up and may have delivered something massive in the context of this game, which just happens to be his 100th Test.
We were in a bit of trouble after gifting away some of our wickets (Chris Rogers being run-out, a waste of a solid batsman in Test cricket) and then to lose Shane Watson (dashing at one he could have left by WACA standards), Michael Clarke for 24 (attacking Swann) and then David Warner (60) - who managed to bag another half-century continuing his good run as a Test batsman - was just tragic.
The score was 4-129 after Warner departed and George Bailey didn't last too long but Brad Haddin and Smithy had plans of a rescue mission, quite possibly an epic one depending how the rest of the play pans out.
The two put on a 124 run-partnership and Brad Haddin has continued his sublime run this Ashes series as "the go to guy". He's delivered and has looked so unbelievably eager this Ashes series. He's scored 320 runs at 80.00 with three half-centuries and his Adelaide century of 118. He wants to experience a victory and he's doing his utmost best to help! Proud of him and to top it off his shot selection and execution was mesmerising to watch. Always written that I view him as one of the best stroke makers in the business. It was on show again today.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
We managed to put ourselves on top for the day with that stand between Smith and Haddin, and then mighty Mitchell Johnson coming on out to deliver something with the bat in hand. Mitch has 39*. Confidence is everything.
The fact we got to 300 after that slightly worrying position was massive, but 400 is definitely on the cards.
England will feel they let it slip a bit today, just another dent to the self belief one would hope from an Aussie perspective.
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Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
AUS 1st innings: 6/326 from 87 overs.
Steven Smith 103*, David Warner 60, Brad Haddin 55, Mitchell Johnson 39*.
Graeme Swann 2-71
Verdict: I had a work function to attend this evening and fortunately there was TV showing the game, so I was able to watch Steven Smith lead one hell of a solid fightback as he brought up a century, which will define his career and ultimately his coming of age.
It was hard to contain myself as not only was it a defining moment in his career, but it gave us the momentum coming to the close of play and essentially the day was taken from England on the back of Stevo's Test century, and the invaluable support offered by both Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. Partnerships!
Play: Firstly congrats to Michael Clarke on reaching his 100th Test for Australia. Despite the outstanding achievement, this Test is about trying to win it to secure the urn and go 3-0 up. He only managed 24 runs in the first innings, but his middle order men stepped up and may have delivered something massive in the context of this game, which just happens to be his 100th Test.
We were in a bit of trouble after gifting away some of our wickets (Chris Rogers being run-out, a waste of a solid batsman in Test cricket) and then to lose Shane Watson (dashing at one he could have left by WACA standards), Michael Clarke for 24 (attacking Swann) and then David Warner (60) - who managed to bag another half-century continuing his good run as a Test batsman - was just tragic.
The score was 4-129 after Warner departed and George Bailey didn't last too long but Brad Haddin and Smithy had plans of a rescue mission, quite possibly an epic one depending how the rest of the play pans out.
The two put on a 124 run-partnership and Brad Haddin has continued his sublime run this Ashes series as "the go to guy". He's delivered and has looked so unbelievably eager this Ashes series. He's scored 320 runs at 80.00 with three half-centuries and his Adelaide century of 118. He wants to experience a victory and he's doing his utmost best to help! Proud of him and to top it off his shot selection and execution was mesmerising to watch. Always written that I view him as one of the best stroke makers in the business. It was on show again today.
It was about Steven Smith's century though which saw him roar in triumph to see his team through to stumps. A man given his Baggy Green too soon with an undefined role, has stepped back and crafted his own game over time. He is now becoming a Test batsman.
Well done youngster, well done!
The innings, from what I have analysed, was a mature one, seeing him leave many deliveries that needn't be played or were simply too tempting to nudge, and then picking the right ones to blaze away with no complacency. He didn't deliver in a dull moment, he did so when we seriously needed it. His pitch map tells a tale too, how many deliveries on a good length were simply dot balls. Patience folks, patience.
This was a massive moment, alive and fuming, demanding Smith to be the master and control it. He needed to secure it and he did so. This is about winning back the Ashes and in the past these small victories in these passages of play have not been present - or have come too late. This is day 1 against an English team low on confidence. This century could prove to be something very significant.
We managed to put ourselves on top for the day with that stand between Smith and Haddin, and then mighty Mitchell Johnson coming on out to deliver something with the bat in hand. Mitch has 39*. Confidence is everything.
The fact we got to 300 after that slightly worrying position was massive, but 400 is definitely on the cards.
England will feel they let it slip a bit today, just another dent to the self belief one would hope from an Aussie perspective.
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
To comment on this article, click on the 'Comments' tag at the end of the article.
@BaggyGreenBlog
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@SylvesterAu
@Dan_Stapo
09 December 2013
The Ashes: 2nd Test, day 4/5 (plus images)
2nd Test, Adelaide Oval
Australia won the toss and elected to bat (leading the series 2-0)
Result: Australia won by 218 runs.
Australia 1st innings: 9/570 dec. from 158.0 overs
Michael Clarke 148, Brad Haddin 118, Chris Rogers 72, Ryan Harris 55*, George Bailey 53, Shane Watson 51,
Stuart Broad 3-98
England 1st innings: 172 all out
Ian Bell 72*, Michael Carberry 60
Mitchell Johnson 7-40
Australia 2nd innings: 3/132 from 39.0 overs
David Warner 83*, Steven Smith 23*
England 2nd innings: (Target 531) 312 all out
Joe Root 87, Matt Prior 69, Kevin Pietersen 53
Peter Siddle 4-57, Ryan Harris 3-54
Verdict:
We wrapped England up within one session on day 5. The verdict is that not only did we win the days play but we now lead the Ashes 2-0, something we have not seen since 2006/07.
I wrote it before the 2013 England Ashes series and I will write it again. If we put enough runs on the board we will win as we have enough firepower in our bowling attack and a quality fielding group to counter-attack any batting unit. If we don't get sufficient runs, it just puts too much of a burden on the bowling group. We had some luck this Test with England's fielding, but we stacked on the runs and the theory is proving correct.
Match stats and facts:
This Test saw Michael Clarke bring up his 26th Test century, his 7th versus England. At the Adelaide Oval he has scored 6 centuries from 9 Tests, averaging 98.38. Next Test will be his 100th Test (the same for Alastair Cook)
Brad Haddin took his 200th Test catch and his batting average at the Adelaide Oval is 121.00 with 2 centuries from 5 Tests. He now has 4 Test centuries, clearly demonstrating the ground is both a hunting ground for himself and Michael Clarke.
Nathan Lyon needs 9 more wickets to have 100 Test wickets.
Peter Siddle has dismissed Kevin Pietersen 9 times, but Matt Prior 10 times as well. Two bunnies!
Mitchell Johnson's 7-40 is the best bowling figures by a fast bowler at the Adelaide Oval in Ashes history. He also has back to back Man of the Match awards. It is his seventh award in Tests.
George Bailey scored his maiden Test half-century this match.
Analysis:
The difference in this game was confidence and of course fielding standards. England literally dropped the match after having us in a sticky situation on a flat track. They were outplayed in the field by us in this regard, and then to top it off we dominated as a bowling group. Our batsmen made England pay for their drop catches and once we had amassed 500 runs plus, our bowling attack was always going to be too strong, backed by sensational world class fielding.
Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin's centuries were both gifted as a result of drop catches, but as Michael Hussey has noted many times in commentary, post match presentations and his books, luck is needed in Test cricket and we had it. Luck came into effect for them, as it did for England yesterday.
Brad Haddin's keeper standards have been first class as well, which has seen a huge boost to team morale. Well done Hads. Definitely seeing the importance of the return from Hads and Mitchell Johnson. We also have Tim Paine doing well at State level for Tasmania so some healthy competition emerging again.
On top of it all, I mentioned confidence being the main difference. After a slaughter at the Gabbatoir, they were rattled. Mitchell Johnson delivered a devastating spell here in Adelaide after making them pay for their drop catches, which opened a wound that was still seeping. The result of this low confidence was poor shot selection and an inability to build partnerships where we had to work bloody hard for the wickets. I know about this all too well given how we have gone since 2009.
Either way, if England struggled to handle our bowlers on this track, it will take a hell of a lot for them to handle our boys at the WACA. To be honest I don't see how they will regather. Our batting remains and area to be targeted so their bowlers should still have their tails up. I also like to believe with some luck we may see Mitchell Johnson reach the 160 km/h speed mark, given he clocked 150 km/h on this track on his brutal effort on day 3.
On the note of not enforcing the follow-on.
I stand by my view on day three that it was the right decision to not enforce it. Take the rain out of it, we had time and the plan was to rest our bowlers and lets face it, this track was dying and after Mitchell Johnson's explosive spell (a real gift to witness given the rarity) it would have been a big ask to have them back out on the ground to search for a few more. We still won in the end and while Clarkey would have been stressing a bit with the knowledge the rain when looking out of his hotel room which could have affected his decision (mostly in the media), hindsight is a wonderful thing and fortunately it had no cause and effect on this game.
Play: Day four was hard work for our boys, but they worked in partnerships, bowled to their fields, and despite England having plenty luck - deliveries just missing outside edges, just missing the stumps by a whisker (Prior on day 4) etc. - we managed to pull out 6 wickets on a flat track. That took a huge effort.
Nathan Lyon didn't enjoy the conditions that aided him in Brisbane, but despite not having the rhythm, he bowled plenty of overs and outperformed two of the English spin bowlers. The more he bowls, the better he will get. Something previous spinners post-Warne had no fortune of. He has now also sung the team song "Under the Southern Cross" twice after having to wait a long time after Michael Hussey's retirement.
The only criticism I had on day four was at the close of play, when Stuart Broad came out to the crease and our bowlers attacked with too much emotion, rather than discipline and clinical execution, which had been so brutally demonstrated throughout. They were a bit erratic with too much short ball emphasis. We also played into Broad's game of stall tactics and stirring with all associated with Australian cricket (including all of us at the ground).
Other than that, we came on out and pulled off the victory with plenty of time to spare and the rain a distant memory.
Peter Siddle was the star of the day for me on day four, while himself and Ryan Harris were just splendid today. Ryano was due some deserved collections. Still so proud to see him in our team.
We needed them to deliver the goods, given the track was no longer playing to Mitchell's strength and of course the obvious fact we needed to take the weight off his shoulders. These two boys are experienced Baggy Greeners and they delivered to help us take the win - important for Mitchell's game plan too.
Sids is always a grafter and will keep asking questions all day long, hitting his marks and getting batsmen to find a response or solution to his output. He became the best man on the flat track, which he has showcased a few times in his career how he bangs the ball into the deck and can find something out of nothing. It's a trait that makes up for his lack of ammunition and tricks of the trade in his bowling repetoire.
A fascinating stat is that Peter Siddle has now dismissed Kevin Pietersen 9 times in Test cricket.
He had some luck getting KP to get an inside edge to chop one onto his stumps, but Sids has seen many dismissals of this nature on the back of his bowling. He has also removed Matt Prior 9 times, a stat I missed until doing some research on Cricinfo's Statsguru.
Joe Root showed outstanding temperament and patience for a man of his age, and it took something special with a touch of luck to remove him. Nathan Lyon got him to find the faintest deflection onto his body while attempting a defensive stroke which saw a diving Brad Haddin grasp the ball with one hand from up close to the stumps. It resulted in a massive breakthrough - England's last hope - and Brad Haddin's 200th catch in Test cricket.
Matt Prior showed resistance to come out of his bleak form slump but as he fought with aggression, it was inevitable he was going to be undone with this sense of attack or he'd simply run out of batting partners.
Sure enough he was removed by Peter Siddle. Prior was just one of the many English batsmen who was sent packing with the pull shot. A few hook shots also went horribly wrong for them and their short ball woes continued. It was a very nonchalant celebration from Ryan Harris who took the catch but it was one step closer to the win.
The final wicket was that of Monty Panesar and it was a special moment, not only because we went up 2-0, but because James Anderson and Panesar were at the crease against us in 2009 at Cardiff. They managed to keep us at bay and the 1st Test resulted in a drawn result despite us outplaying England individually. I am convinced that was the Test that initiated our ultimate downfall into a dark period for Australian Cricket. It shattered our belief and ability to handle those key moments we always took with confidence and lethal execution. The winning edge from a new team, somewhat united with a win in South Africa in early 2009, took a turn for the worse. We're now making it up with a fresh brand of cricket.
As a result, to wreck the short lived partnership between the two tail enders and give us such a strong victory was actually quite a beautiful moment for me as a die hard Aussie supporter. It has not buried the memory of 2009 cause we still have to regain the urn, but it was a huge step forward for us.
We still have room for improvement and despite the obvious objective to regain the urn, Michael Clarke was calm in victory and noted the number one goal. To be the number one Test team in the world. The boys will know their job from here and if England stay down in the dumps and get the heat delivered to them by Ryano, Sids and Mighty Mitch at the WACA, I struggle to see how they will come out on top.
Still three Tests to go but after the torrid time we've endured it's great to be leading 2-0.
If we can regain the urn and see consistency set into our batting line up, it will make spots hard to claim from the players at State level and, as a result, the benchmark will be raised. This will result in higher output at State level in order to see capable and able players become potential Australian Test cricketer and our stocks will become stronger. Domestic output will be lifted and if the team is continually trying to become stronger and build character to connect and engage with the supporters it will genuinely increase the passion in the fan base and team identity. As a result, the overall culture will get closer to Darren "Boof" Lehmann, Michael Clarke, ours (supporters), and Cricket Australia's objectives.
It's a way to go, but to win by 218 runs on a flat Adelaide Oval track has been epic. Personally, I finally saw Australia take on England in an Ashes series. To know we won the first international game at the new ground and for me to be a part of that history, along with the return of Mighty Mitchell Johnson, has just been special.
Bring on Perth!
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Australia won the toss and elected to bat (leading the series 2-0)
Result: Australia won by 218 runs.
Australia 1st innings: 9/570 dec. from 158.0 overs
Michael Clarke 148, Brad Haddin 118, Chris Rogers 72, Ryan Harris 55*, George Bailey 53, Shane Watson 51,
Stuart Broad 3-98
England 1st innings: 172 all out
Ian Bell 72*, Michael Carberry 60
Mitchell Johnson 7-40
Australia 2nd innings: 3/132 from 39.0 overs
David Warner 83*, Steven Smith 23*
England 2nd innings: (Target 531) 312 all out
Joe Root 87, Matt Prior 69, Kevin Pietersen 53
Peter Siddle 4-57, Ryan Harris 3-54
Verdict:
We wrapped England up within one session on day 5. The verdict is that not only did we win the days play but we now lead the Ashes 2-0, something we have not seen since 2006/07.
I wrote it before the 2013 England Ashes series and I will write it again. If we put enough runs on the board we will win as we have enough firepower in our bowling attack and a quality fielding group to counter-attack any batting unit. If we don't get sufficient runs, it just puts too much of a burden on the bowling group. We had some luck this Test with England's fielding, but we stacked on the runs and the theory is proving correct.
Match stats and facts:
This Test saw Michael Clarke bring up his 26th Test century, his 7th versus England. At the Adelaide Oval he has scored 6 centuries from 9 Tests, averaging 98.38. Next Test will be his 100th Test (the same for Alastair Cook)
Brad Haddin took his 200th Test catch and his batting average at the Adelaide Oval is 121.00 with 2 centuries from 5 Tests. He now has 4 Test centuries, clearly demonstrating the ground is both a hunting ground for himself and Michael Clarke.
Nathan Lyon needs 9 more wickets to have 100 Test wickets.
Peter Siddle has dismissed Kevin Pietersen 9 times, but Matt Prior 10 times as well. Two bunnies!
Mitchell Johnson's 7-40 is the best bowling figures by a fast bowler at the Adelaide Oval in Ashes history. He also has back to back Man of the Match awards. It is his seventh award in Tests.
George Bailey scored his maiden Test half-century this match.
Analysis:
The difference in this game was confidence and of course fielding standards. England literally dropped the match after having us in a sticky situation on a flat track. They were outplayed in the field by us in this regard, and then to top it off we dominated as a bowling group. Our batsmen made England pay for their drop catches and once we had amassed 500 runs plus, our bowling attack was always going to be too strong, backed by sensational world class fielding.
Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin's centuries were both gifted as a result of drop catches, but as Michael Hussey has noted many times in commentary, post match presentations and his books, luck is needed in Test cricket and we had it. Luck came into effect for them, as it did for England yesterday.
Brad Haddin's keeper standards have been first class as well, which has seen a huge boost to team morale. Well done Hads. Definitely seeing the importance of the return from Hads and Mitchell Johnson. We also have Tim Paine doing well at State level for Tasmania so some healthy competition emerging again.
On top of it all, I mentioned confidence being the main difference. After a slaughter at the Gabbatoir, they were rattled. Mitchell Johnson delivered a devastating spell here in Adelaide after making them pay for their drop catches, which opened a wound that was still seeping. The result of this low confidence was poor shot selection and an inability to build partnerships where we had to work bloody hard for the wickets. I know about this all too well given how we have gone since 2009.
Either way, if England struggled to handle our bowlers on this track, it will take a hell of a lot for them to handle our boys at the WACA. To be honest I don't see how they will regather. Our batting remains and area to be targeted so their bowlers should still have their tails up. I also like to believe with some luck we may see Mitchell Johnson reach the 160 km/h speed mark, given he clocked 150 km/h on this track on his brutal effort on day 3.
On the note of not enforcing the follow-on.
I stand by my view on day three that it was the right decision to not enforce it. Take the rain out of it, we had time and the plan was to rest our bowlers and lets face it, this track was dying and after Mitchell Johnson's explosive spell (a real gift to witness given the rarity) it would have been a big ask to have them back out on the ground to search for a few more. We still won in the end and while Clarkey would have been stressing a bit with the knowledge the rain when looking out of his hotel room which could have affected his decision (mostly in the media), hindsight is a wonderful thing and fortunately it had no cause and effect on this game.
Play: Day four was hard work for our boys, but they worked in partnerships, bowled to their fields, and despite England having plenty luck - deliveries just missing outside edges, just missing the stumps by a whisker (Prior on day 4) etc. - we managed to pull out 6 wickets on a flat track. That took a huge effort.
Nathan Lyon didn't enjoy the conditions that aided him in Brisbane, but despite not having the rhythm, he bowled plenty of overs and outperformed two of the English spin bowlers. The more he bowls, the better he will get. Something previous spinners post-Warne had no fortune of. He has now also sung the team song "Under the Southern Cross" twice after having to wait a long time after Michael Hussey's retirement.
The only criticism I had on day four was at the close of play, when Stuart Broad came out to the crease and our bowlers attacked with too much emotion, rather than discipline and clinical execution, which had been so brutally demonstrated throughout. They were a bit erratic with too much short ball emphasis. We also played into Broad's game of stall tactics and stirring with all associated with Australian cricket (including all of us at the ground).
Other than that, we came on out and pulled off the victory with plenty of time to spare and the rain a distant memory.
Peter Siddle was the star of the day for me on day four, while himself and Ryan Harris were just splendid today. Ryano was due some deserved collections. Still so proud to see him in our team.
We needed them to deliver the goods, given the track was no longer playing to Mitchell's strength and of course the obvious fact we needed to take the weight off his shoulders. These two boys are experienced Baggy Greeners and they delivered to help us take the win - important for Mitchell's game plan too.
Sids is always a grafter and will keep asking questions all day long, hitting his marks and getting batsmen to find a response or solution to his output. He became the best man on the flat track, which he has showcased a few times in his career how he bangs the ball into the deck and can find something out of nothing. It's a trait that makes up for his lack of ammunition and tricks of the trade in his bowling repetoire.
A fascinating stat is that Peter Siddle has now dismissed Kevin Pietersen 9 times in Test cricket.
He had some luck getting KP to get an inside edge to chop one onto his stumps, but Sids has seen many dismissals of this nature on the back of his bowling. He has also removed Matt Prior 9 times, a stat I missed until doing some research on Cricinfo's Statsguru.
Joe Root showed outstanding temperament and patience for a man of his age, and it took something special with a touch of luck to remove him. Nathan Lyon got him to find the faintest deflection onto his body while attempting a defensive stroke which saw a diving Brad Haddin grasp the ball with one hand from up close to the stumps. It resulted in a massive breakthrough - England's last hope - and Brad Haddin's 200th catch in Test cricket.
Matt Prior showed resistance to come out of his bleak form slump but as he fought with aggression, it was inevitable he was going to be undone with this sense of attack or he'd simply run out of batting partners.
Sure enough he was removed by Peter Siddle. Prior was just one of the many English batsmen who was sent packing with the pull shot. A few hook shots also went horribly wrong for them and their short ball woes continued. It was a very nonchalant celebration from Ryan Harris who took the catch but it was one step closer to the win.
The final wicket was that of Monty Panesar and it was a special moment, not only because we went up 2-0, but because James Anderson and Panesar were at the crease against us in 2009 at Cardiff. They managed to keep us at bay and the 1st Test resulted in a drawn result despite us outplaying England individually. I am convinced that was the Test that initiated our ultimate downfall into a dark period for Australian Cricket. It shattered our belief and ability to handle those key moments we always took with confidence and lethal execution. The winning edge from a new team, somewhat united with a win in South Africa in early 2009, took a turn for the worse. We're now making it up with a fresh brand of cricket.
As a result, to wreck the short lived partnership between the two tail enders and give us such a strong victory was actually quite a beautiful moment for me as a die hard Aussie supporter. It has not buried the memory of 2009 cause we still have to regain the urn, but it was a huge step forward for us.
We still have room for improvement and despite the obvious objective to regain the urn, Michael Clarke was calm in victory and noted the number one goal. To be the number one Test team in the world. The boys will know their job from here and if England stay down in the dumps and get the heat delivered to them by Ryano, Sids and Mighty Mitch at the WACA, I struggle to see how they will come out on top.
Still three Tests to go but after the torrid time we've endured it's great to be leading 2-0.
If we can regain the urn and see consistency set into our batting line up, it will make spots hard to claim from the players at State level and, as a result, the benchmark will be raised. This will result in higher output at State level in order to see capable and able players become potential Australian Test cricketer and our stocks will become stronger. Domestic output will be lifted and if the team is continually trying to become stronger and build character to connect and engage with the supporters it will genuinely increase the passion in the fan base and team identity. As a result, the overall culture will get closer to Darren "Boof" Lehmann, Michael Clarke, ours (supporters), and Cricket Australia's objectives.
It's a way to go, but to win by 218 runs on a flat Adelaide Oval track has been epic. Personally, I finally saw Australia take on England in an Ashes series. To know we won the first international game at the new ground and for me to be a part of that history, along with the return of Mighty Mitchell Johnson, has just been special.
Bring on Perth!
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| The scoreboard on day one before a ball had been delivered. Fresh, no story told. (Photo: Ian Reid) |
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| Stapo, Ian, Sylvester (left to right). The first time we all finally watched a game of Test cricket together, united. |
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| The official attendance on day one. The scorecard would grow. (Photo: Ian Reid) |
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| A view towards to hill from the lower Western Stand, day four (Photo: Ian Reid) |
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| A view to the new Southern Stand with a good capacity seated (Photo: Ian Reid) |
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| Our boys getting ready in the slips. Smith, Clarke, Watson, Haddin (Photo: Ian Reid) |
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| A great picture of the scoreboard, a packed out hill, and the attendance on day four (Photo: Ian Reid) |
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
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06 December 2013
The Ashes: 2nd Test, Day 2
 |
| Well done champs, well done © Getty Images |
Australia won the toss and elected to bat (leading the series 1-0)
Australia 1st innings: 9/570 dec. from 158.0 overs
Michael Clarke 148, Brad Haddin 118, Chris Rogers 72, Ryan Harris 55*, George Bailey 53, Shane Watson 51,
Stuart Broad 3-98
England 1st innings: 1/33 from 21 overs
Michael Carberry 20*, Joe Root 9*
Mitchell Johnson 1-9
Yesterday ended with the game probably sitting 60/40 in England's favour. However, after they completely screwed up in the field they now find themselves hopelessly out of the match with a draw likely the best outcome right now. They dropped vital catches, had a no-ball from their debutant, and on top of it all they lost their captain after mighty Mitchell Johnson extracted plenty of pace from the flat Adelaide Oval wicket to knock his stumps back.
Verdict: We took day 2 after Michael Clarke brought up his 26th Test century, his sixth at the Adelaide Oval from 9 Tests (has scored centuries in three consecutive Tests at the ground) in his 99th Test, while Brad Haddin brought up a century at a venue he loves.
This was followed up by a well composed lower order knock from Ryan Harris - once an Adelaide boy. It was a massive collection of 570 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Two wickets by stumps would have been great for us, but to have Cook's wicket it was fantastic and tomorrow we can come out fresh and on top.
Play: I have only caught highlights packages of the days play but there was good, positive aggression out there from our boys with the bat and with the verbal antics on the field. The luck we had didn't make our guys perform with complacency. Instead they took the opportunities with tenacity and made England pay. Mitchell Johnson had extreme pace out there which really surprised me as I did not expect him to be so brutal on this track. Alastair Cook was clueless when bowled and Joe Root took a thumper to the chest. It was a splendid sign as come tomorrow all our bowlers will be refreshed.
It will be very difficult to get the 19 wickets required to win this Test. It can be done though if we stay confident and take our chances, which England didn't do and have, as a result, dearly paid the price.
Brad Haddin scored 118 runs after being dropped yesterday by Michael Carberry before stumps, while then also being dismissed off the bowling of Ben Stokes who made a critical mistake on debut by bowling a no ball. He paid the price and England have been caned on day two as a result of making vital errors against two very experienced cricketers. They ended up scoring the highest 6th wicket partnership at the Adelaide Oval. It was also the first double century partnership, totaling exactly 200 runs.
Michael Clarke continues to lead with the bat. This century won't go down as one of the legendary ones, as such, but it was stepping up when the team needed him to and we now stand well poised on the back of his 148 runs. He loves the Adelaide Oval and so far he's had a wonderful start at the newly revamped ground. His average at Adelaide is now 104.75.
Kudos to Ryan Harris as Brad Haddin was starting to run out of partners until Ryano came out to the wicket and played with loads of confidence. Was he batting with one of David Warner's bats?
On top of that he bowled tightly and complimented Mitch Johnson perfectly. His accuracy will be essential for us.
Tomorrow will rely on sharp fielding, aggressive tactics and pressure bowling in partnerships to mentally attack England. Even this evening we missed a few opportunities which ultimately need to be taken on a track like this.
Tough work for England to comeback into this Test and we need to keep rolling them out of this contest over by over, key moment by dull moment. If anything, the pressure on us to overcome their likely tactics of resistance. Still three days cricket to come so lots of hard work ahead for both sides, but after the close of day 1, it is most definitely a very different set of emotions I have tonight as an Australian supporter. Bring on Saturday!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
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23 November 2013
The Ashes: 1st Test, day 3
Australia 1st innings: 295 all out from 97.1 overs
Brad Haddin 94, David Warner 49
Stuart Broad 6-81
England 1st innings: 136 all out from 52.4 overs
Michael Carberry 40
Mitchell Johnson 4-61, Ryan Harris 3-28, Nathan Lyon 2-17
Australia 2nd innings: 7/401 dec. from 94 overs
David Warner 124, Michael Clarke 113, Brad Haddin 53, Mitchell Johnson 39*
Chris Tremlett 3-69
England 2nd innings: 2/24 from 15 overs
Alastair Cook 11*, Kevin Pietersen 3*
Ryan Harris 1-7, Mitchell Johnson 1-7
Match status: England require 537 runs to win with 8 wickets in hand, two days play in tact.
Verdict: After losing Chris Rogers so soon to Stuart Broad for 16 runs, followed by Shane Watson in an attempt to aggressively push our lead forward, it looked like our advantage would be blown, but of course - as noted in the previous articles - David Warner looked in good nick first innings, following some cracking state cricket performances. He took it up a level by scoring the first century of the Ashes series, while Michael Clarke scored a century of his own to help us push the lead to a mammoth one. Ideally we needed two wickets before close of play and we did it. The day has gone to us, so it is England, Australia, Australia.
The day: It is understandable that many supporters will be fretting ever so slightly. It has been a long time since an Australian side was in such a dominating position so early in a Test series, an Ashes series for that matter. Throw in South Africa's run chase in 2008, followed by their defense at the Adelaide Oval last year, as well as this teams inability to secure key passages of play and it is understandable why many may have a restless night and some worries until those final 8 wickets get claimed.
My job as a supporter is to believe we couldn't be further ahead right now and back my boys to win. Seriously, we are in the most dominant position possible. We have two days play, a versatile bowling attack, and a team full of ambition and self-belief. There is little reason why we can't roll England tomorrow, but even I have those above mentioned ordeals in the back of my mind. To be honest it is more so the worry that these players have not experienced the "winning edge" for some time and will be haunted by the numerous moments they've been in these situations (not as good perhaps) and still blown it. This is the chance, this is the mental battle set out, this is the time to make it count and the opportunity to be seized. It will set in motion something sensational, but 8 wickets will require everything. We can do it and take note that England will need to bat for longer than any amount of overs in a fourth innings than any other match they have played.
The performances from Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson this evening were splendid but it's fair to say Michael Carberry's dismissal was filled with luck (something we haven't had much of for a long time too) and Jonathan Trott just lost his head completely with that shot! Kudos to Nathan Lyon on some brilliant fielding this evening.
The key performances of the day were batting based as David Warner and Michael Clarke were the stars of the day with batting performances that imposed Australia upon the English bowling attack. Ultimately it announced the arrival of our team into this Ashes series, our key players at least. Sooner than later.
Davey was explosive with his straight and cross bat shots, with the most athletic effort with his running between the wickets. His attention to the game was outstanding and it was special to see him reach his century after a bloody tough time off the field over the last few months, while he's also had to change his personal approach to the game, noting one achievement being he has lost 8 kilograms.
It was a testament to a guy just stepping and showing us true supporters how much it means to him to play for Australia. It was tough work for him out there but he gunned it and did so in his natural manner. Well done champ! He's endured lots of flack in recent times and for me this it just made it so delightful to see him release his energy, jump as high as possible and fist pump the air with his helmet in hand.
Michael Clarke was bound to get a century this series and he's already done so. This was his 25th Test century, his sixth against England, his fifth at the Gabba, and the way he crafted that century was one which overshadowed the innings of Warner. Clarkey was onto the spinners in no time with elegant foot work and quick bat speed, while he had no fear attacking the English fast bowlers. His innings was one displaying all-round skills and his scoring rate resembled that of an Australian batsmen during the golden era. It was also filled with limited overs intent, but nevertheless one of Test quality from our ace batsman.
The platform was set come their departures and Brad Haddin wasted no time in playing some cheeky sweep shots and finding some thick outside edges to cash in on a second half-century in his 50th Test match.
Mitchell Johnson's confidence continued to ripple into his batting second time around as he blazed England's bowlers down the ground effortlessly, with shots that reminded me of his highest ODI batting effort against the West Indies in the Champions Trophy back in 2009. The damage was done by this stage and the two saviors of the 1st innings had another chance to entertain.
The call for a declaration dragged on but eventually Michael Clarke called his troops back to the pavilion after Peter Siddle decided he wanted to hit boundaries too. England started the day off well but walked off broken, with Stuart Broad being the only bowler to have shown any character or true fight, despite Chris Tremlett giving it some positive energy on his efforts later on. Perhaps Stuart Broad's "not walking" incident has just made him hungrier for competitive arenas? Either way he was on his own.
It will be a tense atmosphere at the Gabba tomorrow, with many of us just begging our bowlers, just hoping and believing we can get a Test victory back in our record books and for us to at long last take first blood in an Ashes series. We are so damn close and with two days to go, anything is possible, but it wouldn't be unrealistic to feel confident that we're close to wrapping this up if we maintain elite fielding standards and high intensity.
Come on Australia, it's so close for this one!
Welcome to The Baggy Green Blog!
Thanks for reading this article written by Ian.
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