Broad Shoulders

Anderson's opening spell was some of the best seam bowling you'll see. It was superb! Broad backed him up very well too and kept it very tight. Had they just had one of those chances go their way it would have been wrapped up before lunch. But from there, the spirits were broken.

Pollyana

Have to agree there, they started so well but all the luck and chances went against them. for today, hope you have a good one I really want to wake up to some good news in a few hours time.......

Broad Shoulders

have a well deserved hibernation. Talk to you when you wake up (should be around the time of the SCG test)

4-1 to the England

papilon

Very true, the match was all in that opening spell, they just didn't get the break, the Hussey lbw decision was the one they needed and i had a very bad feeling as soon a i went against them. But Hussey and Haddin were superb after that and won this test for Australia.

Shame it's not in Melbourne today as it's pissing down and we could have been saved.

Broad Shoulders

We just lacked the aggression at the other end I thought. We really needed Finn to be bowling at their chins to complement Anderson's spell. We also showed our limited options in attack. Once Hussey decided he was going to go after Swann we were always going to be in trouble. Added to the fact that it was an extra long day (additional half hour of play) meant that opening session was especially long for us (no wicket and 100% effort given to get one). That would have been demoralising for any bowler.

Regardless of what happens in this test, our bowlers have shown already that they should be respected and feared on Australian pitches

Pollyana

Or even "the Engerrrrland" (I've been sat by the Barmy Army too long )

Made it to the end of the shift, off to hibernate for the rest of the day.....if it goes to 5 days I'll be there tomorrow

Bernieboy

Excuses excuses,me thinks you have been in oz too long

DeadVim

The problem being that they need to bowl well for more than the opening x overs of the day when the batsmen aren't set and the pitch is doing a bit ... I agree if one of those chances had been taken it would be a different game, but they weren't.

Broad Shoulders

I see your point, but you can't keep a batsman unsettled all day without taking their wicket. They are always going to settle at some point or other. The fact that we didn't take a wicket was in the hands of the cricket gods, not due to lack of effort. Granted, Cook should have probably held onto that catch of Haddin's off Collingwood and Anderson should have got his hands onto the Hussey one off Broad and we only have ourselves to bame for that. But any other day we would have had Hussey out LBW and remember that was before Haddin was set. Haddin and Johnson at the crease (two slashers) would have been a whole new ball game.
But credit where it's due, once they were set they were fantastic to watch. I actually thought Haddin's innings was the better of the two, when you consider that Hussey very very nearly went for a golden duck (again the gods) and then survived 3 lbw calls early yesterday. Haddin was near perfect, especially considering he hadn't played a test in 8 months!

Burbage

If a certain lbw decision had been given it would have been a different day, if the batsmen had got more runs it would have been a different match. If England had a decent fourth seamer it would have been a different attack.

England bowled well, they have a better attack than Australia with the exception of a fifth bowler. Bresnan for Adelaide anyone?

Now the batsmen have to do a job. Probably will have to survive a first hour when the humidity is up, then the pitch should provide the runs necessary to save the match. If not then the fault is with the first innings batting, not the bowling.

Amazulu

Forget cricket, I'm enjoying the fact that the Bokke thumped England in the rugby for the 7th or 8th time in a row.

Bokke! Bokke! Bokke!

Pollyana

B*gger, I sleep through a brilliant morning, wake up and what happens Guess I ought to go back to bed

expatasia

Aye, just when Chappelli was starting to talk up England's chances....

What's the weather in Bris, likely to see a full day's play? How many days off work you got?

IvanM

Bloody eye gougers

Pollyana

Off till Tues night now and I've just organised tomorrow's ticket so I shall be back in the thick of it for the last day. Shame I couldn't have got there today but I was dead on my feet after yesterday + last nights shift