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travellingduttons

Listed below are comments made by travellingduttons between Friday, 10th July 2009 and Tuesday, 4th August 2009.

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Edgbaston ratings 06:09am on 04 Aug 2009 England

Andrew Strauss: 7 - Another captain's knock in the 1st innings, by England's rock. Made some good bowling changes which picked up key wickets in both innings. Went a bit flat in the 2nd innings and will be wondering how different it could have been had he held onto that chance from Clarke. That would have had them at effectively 80-5 with Manou arriving at the wicket.

Alistair Cook: 3 - Fishing outside the off stump again. Unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to atone for that with a knock in the 2nd innings.

Ravi Bopara: 4 - You have to give him something, Mr Consistent this series so far. 20 or so runs and then out to a lazy/sloppy shot. Got to work on his concentration. Under the microscope but I would persist with him throughout the series.

Ian Bell: 6 - Very lucky to get away with a plumb LBW decision off Johnston's bowling and a couple more close ones (inside edge and one just going over, despite Warney's protests). Took his chances and compiled a valuable 53 in testing conditions on his comeback. Solid and dependable in the field. On pure hard facts, he justified his inclusion as KP's replacement. Hopefully will take some confidence forwards.

Paul Collingwood: 5 - Out to a sloppy shot in swinging conditions. Clearly trying to force the pace, but maybe the over before lunch wasn't the perfect timing. Solid as ever in the field.

Matt Prior: 8 - Great display behind the stumps again and is clearly making the spot his own. Some very valuable and quick runs in a good partnership with Freddie, which turned the momentum of the match in England's favour. Ugly shot to get out to but sacrificed himself for the chance of quick runs and a potential victory.

Andrew Flintoff: 8 - Looked in great touch with the bat and showed Watson he is not quite ready to be a front line test bowler. Deserved a century, before getting out in bizzare circumstances. Bowled way too short in the 1st innings however tried his heart out with the ball in the 2nd innings and was mm's from getting Hussey on a number of occassions. Real concerns about his fitness for Headingly.

Stuart Broad: 7 - Good performance with the bat at the end and got a deserved half century, whilst upsetting both Johnston and Siddle. Picked up 2 wickets in the 2nd innings when nobody else could.

Graeme Swann: 7 - Another valuable contribution with the bat and another man who clearly upsets the Aussie bowlers when he is in. Hit and miss with the ball again though. Bowled well to get Katich and Punter, but far too many half volleys and full tosses thrown in as well.

Jimmy Anderson: 8 - His bowling in the 1st innings was immense. Totally destroyed a good batting line up. 6 wickets for the match, a stunning one handed catch, impressive in the field and still no quacks in 52. Gave England a sniff of victory, but strangely couldn't get the ball to swing again on the last day.

Graeme Onions: 8 - Proved many wrong with his inclusion above Harmison. Quality swing bowling in the 1st innings and has now picked up 8 wickets in his 2 tests this series. Turned the tide Englands way with 2 in 2 on day 2. Finished with 5 wickets for the match and has still not lost his wicket with bat in hand either.

Australia

Simon Katich: 6 - Another gritty display with the bat. Got away with an LBW shout early in the 1st innings and went on to score some valuable runs.

Shane Watson: 8 - A surprise inclusion to many (me included), but took his opportunity well with half centuries in both innings. England clearly got their bowling plans wrong to him and need to be better prepared for the rest of the series. Showed he isn't quite ready for test bowling and was rusty with ball in hand.

Ricky Ponting: 3 - Another disappointing few days for the Punter. Looked very scratchy with the bat in both innings and less than impressive / poor with his captaincy again. (2-1 to Strauss on that score). Rescued by his no.2 again. Did he miss a trick at the end by sending the English batsmen back in for a nervous 30 overs and 200 runs to get? I don't think it would have produced a result but it would have turned the screws again and built some real momentum for Headingly.

Michael Hussey: 6 - Quite possibly saved his place in the side with a half century in the second innings. Difference between success and failure at the elite level is truly mms. Could easily have had a king pair had Onions got to the ball late on day 4 and Freddie was mm's from getting his edge on at least 6 occassions. Solid knock in the end though and produced some valuable runs.

Michael Clarke: 9 - Mr Dependable and for me the man of the match. Has produced consistently throughout this series, stands up when his team needs him and deservedly tops the runs scored and averages. Clearly the next Aussie Captain. Just waiting for Punter to make that decision now.

Marcus North: 8 - Another player who must have felt under immense pressure to produce the goods again coming into the 2nd innings (after a fantastic knock at Cardiff, then a series of failures). Looked totally at ease and fully deserved a century. Surely a certain starter for Headingly now. Stands 2nd only to Clarke in the Aussie scoring charts. Played his part in the catch of the series so far as well.

Graham Manou: 5 - Thrown in at the deep end at the last minute. Kept much better than Haddin behind the stumps. Certainly won't threaten Haddin's position with his batting display though.

Mitchell Johnston: 6 - Much better bowling from MJ with the old ball and looked to be getting some of his rhythm back. Looked like his radar was going off again when thrown the new ball and his bowling and figures noticeably suffered when his mind switched to starting fights with any and every English batsman that looked his way. Ended with unimpressive figures again.

Nathan Hauritz: 5 - Most ineffectual game of the series for the surprise package of the tour. Some valuable runs with the bat late down the order though.

Peter Siddle: 6 - What a frustrating bowler. Bowls some superb, aggressive deliveries and gets in amongst the wickets again. Surrounded by some real dross as well though. Looks like he tries too hard to take a wicket with every single delivery and ends up providing some lovely 4 balls. Will probably make way for Lee or Clark at Headingly.

Ben Hilfenhous: 8 - The stand out performer for the Aussie bowlers yet again. Mr consistent and has the best bowling figures in either side (series so far). Another 4 wicket haul, surely his 1st 5 for isn't too far away. A valuable contribution with the bat as well.

Overall
England 70/100
Australia 70/100
Edgbaston 'aura' can lift England 04:18am on 30 Jul 2009 No issues from me about Strauss honestly answering a question about the Aussies lack of 'aura'. As Punter said himself, this is a young Aussie team, who will have to work hard over a number of years to create their own aura (if they can).

I certainly have a great deal of respect for the cricketing talents of many of the players in the Aussie line up. Bottom line though, they are definitely beatable (as shown by the Indians and South Africans in recent series).

Any team which loses great players like Warne, McGrath, Hayden, Langer, Martyn, Gilchrist and Gillespie (sorry couldn't help put that last one in......), will lose a lot of its air of invincibility.

The Aussies are most definitely 'back in the pack' of leading cricketing nations, instead of being the one team way ahead of everybody.

This is very different from them being useless team though. These 2 sides are pretty evenly matched so far (the stats would even indicate that they have played slightly better over the 2 tests). Not much in it though and one or two sessions could determine the result in all the remaining tests.

I expect a draw in this one, due to the weather. A shame as we have such a good history at the ground and I really fancy our chances.

I'd certainly go into any test match with our best team available, and that of course includes Freddie. If we have a chance of a positive result here, then we will need him firing in and intimidating them.

Bring it on and take back our little urn boys.
Second Ashes Test - player ratings 08:37am on 22 Jul 2009 A great feast of entertaining cricket over the past 5 days. Unfortunately tainted a little with a few questionable umpiring decisions again, but few (even with green and gold tinted galsses) could argue that Australia were comprehensively outplayed in this match and deserved to be beaten. Two fiercely competitive and evenly matched teams on the show of the 1st two tests. Ended a lot easier and tamer yesterday than I thought it would. Was expecting more heart palpitations I have to say.

Some selection dilemmas for both teams in the lead up to Edgbaston. England with injuries to Freddie, KP and possibly Onions. The form of Bopara. Pressing claims from Belly and Harmy. Australia with the form of Hughes and particularly Johnston and how to shoe horn Lee, Clark, Watson or MacDonald in without affecting the balance of the team.

My scores;

England

Strauss: 9 - Match winning innings on day one and set the tone for a fabulous result. Never looked in trouble. Scored some valuable runs in the 2nd at good pace as well. Set much better fields (than Cardiff) and inspired bowling changes resulted in quite a few wickets. Certainly out captained Punter this time (1-1).

Cook: 8 - Much better game at one of his favourite venues. Scored quickly in both innings and will take confidence into the next game. Deserved a ton on day one. Got to watch those straight ones though!

Bopara: 4 - Looks completely out of touch at the moment and clearly feeling the pressure to deliver. Needs to think before throwing down the stumps in impossible situations. Some valuable over throws conceded. Would like to see him at 4 with KP at 3.

Pietersen: 6 - Clearly the achilles injury is affecting his form and confidence. Not the pomp and swash buckling style we are so used to. Still scoring some valuable runs though despite his injury and well worth his place in the side. Good catch to get rid off Katich.

Collingwood: 7 - Poor shot selection in the 1st innnings led to a middle order collapse just before the new ball. Turned it around in the 2nd innings though and helped force the pace of the game. Always good in the field.

Prior: 8 - Got another peach of a delivery in the 1st innings (similar to the Cardiff dismissal) to knock over his stumps. Aggressive batting took the game away from Australia in the 2nd innings and unlucky to get run out to a direct hit from the boundary. Good game behind the stumps and shaded his dual with his all round performance against Haddin this time around.

Flintoff: 9 - The talisman of the side, who rightly deserves plaudits for the way he bowled in both innings and some valuable runs at the 2nd time of asking. Causes real panic in the Aussie line up, which assisted Jimmy's wickets in the 1st innings and then helped himself in the 2nd. Strauss would have had to rip the ball out of his cold dead hands to stop him bowling yesterday. He milked the crowd wellgot the place buzzing which helped pile more and more nerves on the Aussies.

Broad: 7 - Started shakily with the ball but came back to claim 2 vital wickets late in the day on day 2. Bowled much better lines in the 2nd innings and was unlucky not to pick up more than the Punter. Great diving catch to take Katich. His batting is looking a little off at the moment though. Much better match than Cardiff.

Swann: 8 - First failure with the bat this series, but then that's not his main job. Great, tight and attacking bowling in the 2nd innings and was excellent value for his 4 wickets. Looks like a great addition to the team. A real character.

Anderson: 8 - A match winning performance in the 1st innings. Turned the game England's way again with some great swing bowling. Great pressure at the start of day 5 with a maiden, helped set the tone, returning the favour for Freddie. Let's not forget the valuable runs he scored at the end of the 1st innings as well. Great partnership with Onions, where all were falling around him. No quacks in 51 now.

Onions: 6 - Three valuable wickets in the first innings and involved in a great last wicket partnership with Jimmy. Certainly looked better than a no.11 there. Possibly injured in the 2nd innings. Will be under pressure from Harmy for that 4th seemer role though.

Australia

Hughes: 4 - Another poor day at the office for this prodigous talent. Looks totally uncomfortable against the ball that tucks him up. Unlucky to be given in the 2nd innings, but with the chances he was offering I doubt he would have lasted much longer anyway. Certainly more than enough doubt that the ball touched the ground! A real concern for the Aussies and a cheap wicket for England at the moment. May have to make way for Watson at the top of the order, but that would be very un-Aussie-like in selection policy.

Katich: 6 - Gritty performance again from the opener. Gave his wicket away in the 1st innings (albeit to a great hold by Broad). Unlucky to be given out off a no ball but a silly shot at the time didn't help his cause.

Ponting: 4 - The pantomime villain to the barmy army. He really doesn't like batting at Lords does he. What anyone says about his 1st innings dismissal, he clearly should have been out at the end of that ball anyway. His stumps would have been flying everywhere. Unlucky inside edge got him in the 2nd when he looked to be set for another big one. Missed run out of KP and dropped Bopara in 2nd innings, turned the game further England's way at a pivotal stage. Was out captained and will be bitterly disappointed with his own performance here. Watch out at Edgbaston!

Hussey: 6 - Looked to be getting back into some form in the 1st innings before shouldering arms and losing his off stump. Timing of the ball was beautiful to watch. Was scratching around in the 2nd before being wrongly given out to a turner from Swann. Good in the field.

Clarke: 9 - Stood up for his team when they really needed it. A real (future) captain's knock there. Some shot making to make you salivate and certainly got us thinking they may be in with a chance. Did give his wicket away cheaply in the 1st innings though, when his side were under immense pressure. Will surely be the skipper when these teams next lock horns again down under.

North: 3 - Dreadful game from a very talented individual. Scratched around for 14 balls to get his duck in the 1st innings and looked ill at ease in the second before losing his stumps to a straight one from Swanny. Bowling looks decidely pedestrian and far from dangerous at present. Could be the one to make way for Stuey Clark to get back in the team, with Haddin moving to 6 and MJ at 7 (very similar to Prior and Flintoff for England).

Haddin: 7 - Solid performance with the bat in both innings. Can be so destructive when he gets going. Will be gutted to have surrendered his wicket so cheaply on the last morning. Silly shot selection to throw away his wicket in the 1st innings as well. Bit clumsy behind the stumps in both innings (which dropped him to a 7).

Johnson: 5 - Clearly a great talent, who is underperforming at the moment. His radar is well and truly off (although showing signs of his class with his wicket taking balls and batting). Presents a real selection dilemma to the Aussies and on current form is upsetting the balance of the team. His performance on the 1st day was costly. Fantastic knock in the 2nd innings may install some confidence for the rest of the tour though.

Hauritz: 7 - Unlucky to cop one on the finger from Strauss, which restricted his efforts in the 1st innings. Came back strongly with the bat in the 1st innings and bowled really well to take another 3 wickets as England appeared to be getting away. Brave effort and clearly deserving of his place in the side on a turning Edgbaston wicket.

Siddle 7 - Another solid display by the fiery paceman. Sometimes feel he needs to control his aggression a bit more though. Valuable 35 ruuns in the lower order in the 1st innings, getting Australia so close to avoiding the follow on. Will be very unfortunate if he is dropped, but also looks like a possible candidate to make room for Lee or Clark (if the selectors persevere with Johnston - which I expect to happen).

Hilfenhaus: 8 - Pick of the Aussie bowlers again in the 1st innings. Swinging the ball around and unlucky not to end up on the honours board. Looked a little down in the 2nd innings. The only true bunny with the bat in both sides by the look of it.

Overall
England: 80/100 (up from 56 at Cardiff)
Australia: 66/100 (down from 76 at Cardiff)

Bring on Edgbaston I can't wait.
Brilliant Strauss leads from the front 03:51am on 17 Jul 2009 Wow....plenty of negativity on here boys. To be fair I think the Aussies will have gone off feeling happier than us last night, after a cracking last session pulled them back into the match.

I certainly think that England let them off the hook. We probably should have been going into day 2 at most 4 down and looking to bat them out of the contest. However 364-6 is by no means a disastrous score at the end of the day. We still have Strauss in looking in imperious form and Broad and Swann can certainly do some damage with the bat. Not to mention Jimmy, who has proven many times that he can hang around and add some valuable runs at the end of an innings.

We could do with at least another 100 runs at the end of the innings and to put real pressure on the Aussies another 140-150 will be great. This is distinctly possible.

However, had anyone told me that we would post over 400 in our 1st innings in the 1st 2 test matches I would have been pleased. If we can get to 500 and bat until after lunch on day 2, we will be in a position to control this test match.

Most people seem to assume that we will bowl as badly in this match and the Aussies will all bat as well (I for one do not think that either will happen). I certainly saw enough yesterday that if (and it's a big if) the bowlers put the ball in the right areas there's enough assistance to keep the bowlers interested.

A great innings by the skipper though today. Strauss deserves all the plaudits and I hope he goes on for a big double century. Hopefully he will keep his composure and not be too concerned with reaching it for the 1st time.

Cookie played a wonderful innings today as well. Shame he seems falls so many times between 50-99. He looked completely at ease until he reached the nervous nineties and tightened up a bit with thoughts of his name up on the honours board.

Bopara looked in fine touch until he got a great ball from Hilfenhous (which was a little lucky to stay straight, as you can see the seem position was there to produce the outswing again). He deserved his wickets though and was the one Aussie player that looked dangerous all day.

Pietersen looked scratchy early on, but ironically appeared to be starting to find his groove again when he got a pearler of a ball from Siddle. Colly..what happened fella? His bat was turning inwards all game and he was out to a shocker there (I wonder what the press would have said if that was Pietersen?). That wicket more than any other led to the end of day wobble. Even more annoying as it was to Clarke, who was serving up complete pies in his overs.

A beautiful ball to take out Prior again (disturbingly similar to the ball that got him in the 1st innings at Cardiff as well)..and Freddie poking at one again.

As for the Aussies. Some real concerns for them in the bowling department I would imagine. Only Hilfenhous bowled well on day 1. Johnston bowled 6-7 good balls all day (2 of which got wickets..which shows what a player he can be), but mostly served up a load of trash. Siddle looks industrious but manageable. Then they are down to part time spinners who looked as likely to take wickets as my mum would (so long as Colly or others don't have brain fades and present gifts).

The injury to Hauritz may yet prove crucial in this test. 1 less wicket to take in both innings for us (or if he does bat, surely a token one at least). Plus if (heaven forbid) they do what they did in Cardiff, they don't have Hauritz to bowl (and if he does there will be no control).

I'd certainly be looking to see where he is fielding tomorrow and be sending a few balls his way while we are batting. No point letting his finger rest! I'm sure they are wishing that they had chosen Stuey Clark at this point in time.

Me..I'm ever the optimist. After feeling incredibly disappointed at the end of the day I have had time to reflect and am feeling a lot more confident now. If we can get through until lunch tomorrow, this test will be ours to win. Then a couple of early wickets with the conditions overhead favourable and we can turn these boys over. I do wish Harmy was there though (hopefully Anderson and Freddie will open the bowling instead).
Ashes player ratings - First Test 04:44am on 15 Jul 2009 Carlgreenhalgh.....that depends where you work fella......anything is possible.

Glad you enjoyed my review of the game (I try to be unbiased as I can despite the rose tinted glasses occassionally falling over my eyes).

It's great being a POM in Perth during these series....the banter is fantastic. Although some people get a little carried away with it. No doubts we were outplayed in this test match, but I would hope we will come back stronger in the Lords Test. A lot of England's players underperrformed to their abilities in this match and this gives me confidence that they the next game will be closer and more of a contest. To walk away from this and still be level is a real let off and will hopefully shale up a few of our players.

I certainly haven't forgotten about Clarke mate, or the way he performed in the last Ashes when he was the leading wicket taker. Not sure whether I'd want to see him line up or not. He is clearly under cooked at the moment so could play into our hands by picking him on reputation (I know the irony of my comments looking down the list of England players in the team). Definitely a danger man but he may struggle to get in the team anyway considering the way you guys played in this test.

I guess Lee, Clarke, Hauritz and Siddle are challenging for 2 spots in the side. Ironically I thought Siddle's stats didn't quite do him justice and Hauritz's flattered him considerably. I'd be more than happy to see Hauritz line up again (so long as the English are more aggressive). As for the other place a line call....but I'd probably go with Siddle or Clarke if I was selecting (leave Lee to recover more).

Not a bad dilemma to be faced with though.

I just hope we don't make too many changes and give most a chance to redeem themselves. Hanging out for the game to start on Thursday and praying that Punter loses the toss (he'll probably have a whinge about the English coins being different and we cheated their as well ;0).

Keep up the good work fella.
Ashes player ratings - First Test 05:30am on 13 Jul 2009
I think we will all admit that we got out of jail there. We were totally outplayed and outclassed for the majority of the test match, however a draw will hopefully give the boys some momentum going forwards.

Not sure where the 'celebrated like they had won' comments came from about the English players (fans maybe). A few handshakes and pats on the backs aside, this was nothing like the scenes when the Aussies held on for a great draw 4 years ago (and rightly so as it was a great effort at the time). Ultimately they will have felt very relieved and anyone with an ounce of knowledge about sport or who has played any game will know the feeling of relief one has when you get away with a draw after taking a hammering. I'm sure the Aussies would have been pretty annoyed with themselves that they didn't finish it off.

I agree with some of the posters on here that KP is often unfairly judged. People want to either drop him / give him lower marks because he didn't bat to this true ability. Despite a couple of very soft dismissals the bottom line is he still top scored in the 1st innings and is our one true world class batsman that can win us a match. The Aussies would certainly like to see the back of him that's for sure. As a few have mentioned previously if KP got out in the circumstances that Colly did, he would have been dragged over the coals for being selfish and not playing for the team (not that anyone should after the innings he played yesterday). He truly is an enigma and I can understand people's frustrations, however he would be in my England 11 every time.

I live in Australia and was dreading coming to work today had we lost. It is beautiful to hear them whinging about the weather.."you would have lost if it wasn't for the rain" (probably but it was no surprise to anyone and Punter knew it was coming and could have declared earlier.oh and you still had a combined total of 15 overs at our no 10 and 11 and still couldn't wrap it up) and "you only got away with it cos you cheated..wasting time at the end" (to be fair I didn't mind the 1st time he came on with gloves and a message from the skipper..seen that many times in different sports all over the worldhave to admit I didn't like it when they came back again 5 minutes later and with the physio). Looking at the time at the end they wouldn't have had time for another over anyway and even if they didthey didn't look like they were troubling either batsman. Grasping at straws in the end which is a good sign.

Certainly a big smile on my face today and looks of stunned mullets from all around me. Have to say it was well worth staying up until 2am watching it unfold..despite my hands shaking at the end. I think I played every ball and I couldn't move in case my movement or desertion of the team for a nice night's sleep was in some way responsible for the loss of a wicket.

Anyway I'd bring in Harmy for Panesar and possibly Onions for Broad. No other knee jerk reaction changes required quite yet.

My scores;

Strauss: 4, Looked untroubled in the 1st innings until hurried into a poor 'shot'. Threw away his wicket in the second. Looked a little lost in the field but have confidence he will rebound.
Cook: 3, Thinking I may have been generous here as well. Looked completely nervous and ill at ease. Psychological rather than technical issues here.
Bopara: 4, Played some good shots in the 1st innings and will be disappointed at not pushing on, although did look very scratchy and nervous. 1st Ashes test so understandable. Unlucky decision in 2nd innings.
KP: 6, Top scored in the 1st innings but got out to a shocking shot. Not the only one though! Less said about his 2nd innings the better.
Colly: 8, Brave, gritty determined. What a star. A stand out in the top order. Two soft dismissals though and will be disappointed he didn't get a ton in both innings.
Prior: 6, Solid innings on the 1st day until bowled by a beauty from Siddle. One of his better performances behind the stumps. Looked comfortable in 2nd innings until soft dismissal.
Flintoff: 5, Not at his best, but some encouraging signs. Worked over Hughes beautifully. Unlucky inside edge in the 1st innings but didn't need to poke at the one in the 2nd.
Broad: 3, A disappointing game all around. Not on his game at all with bat or ball. Another player to give Hauritz some confidence.
Swann: 6, Fantastic performance with the bat, in both innings. Valuable runs and time that helped save the match. Wore a few from Siddle. Disappointing with the ball although was unlucky with a couple of LBWs.
Anderson; 6, Probably the pick of the bowlers in the end (but then that isn't saying too much I guess). Got some valuable runs in both innings and an immense effort at the end. Still no quacks in 50.
Monty: 5, The concentration and effort at the end there dragged him up (batting buddies clearly working for him), but another bowler disappointing with the ball.

Hughes: 5, Gave a sneak peak of his immense talent and flashes of brilliance. Worked over by Freddie after tea, but a real danger man if he gets going.
Katich: 9, Tough customer and England need to find a way to prise this guy out. Immense performance that set up the innings. Under bowled.
Ponting: 8, A true Captain's innings. Never looked troubled. Much better captaincy (although questions will remain over bowling choices at the end). He is filthy that they didn't win.
Hussey: 3, An ineffective game from a class and dangerous player. He will only get better over the series though.
Clarke: 7, Looked very comfortable until he gloved one late in the day. Deserved a century (but that would have made 5). Average bowling, never looked like taking a wicket.
North: 9, Unbeaten century on debut, slipped under the radar in the press after poor warm up games. This boy is quality though. Can bowl much better than he showed today.
Haddin: 8, Fantastic aggressive batting, when the pressure was off. Kept well although let a few squirt through his legs to the boundary.
Johnson: 5, Nowhere near his best in either innings. Line was awful with the new ball in the 2nd innings. I think he felt the pressure of his 1st ashes. Still picked up 5 wickets though. Beware!
Hauritz: 7, By far and way out spun his much vaunted opposition. Picked up some important wickets. Albeit one were cheap gifts but he created the pressure to get them. Will be hard to drop him for Lords.
Siddle: 7, Bowling figures didn't reflect the effort this boy showed. 2 late wickets on 1st day turned the match Australia's way and that over to Swann.just awesome. Thought he had done it when he got Colly.
Hilfenhaus: 8, Wasn't expected to play in the lead up, but was pick of the bowlers. Got the ball to swing all over the place on a flat wicket. Always looked dangerous. Glad Punter left him out to pasture at the end.

Total scores
England: 56 / 100
Australia: 76 / 100

If it was a boxing match it would have been stopped with England bleeding badly, concussed and asking for our collective mummy. Thankfully though we live to fight another day and can only get better.
Peerless Ponting steamrollers England's hopes 08:20am on 10 Jul 2009 Yeah not a good afternoon for us it has to be said (painful for a POM here in Perth, Aus) ......despite a great start to the day with the gift of 100 runs in a little under 17 overs from our tail enders. Freddie should have taken the new ball......and I would expect (hope) Strauss to throw it to him when it comes around tonight. But all is not lost.

I'm glad half the people on this blog aren't picking the team or giving the team speech before play though. Anyone would think that we had already lost the test / ashes. Perspective gentleman (and ladies) please.

England need a good 1st session to get a foothold back in the match. It doesn't look positive for us at the moment but Freddie is right ...we only need to look back at the oval in 2005 to see how quickly things can change (Aussies slumping from an imperious 267-1 to 367 all out). Things can turn quickly with momentum and that's what they will have to keep telling themselves. That is the joy of test cricket after all.

Having said that more than likely England will be battling to save the test match. I fully expect the Aussies to send England back in with a deficit of 250-300 runs with 1.5 days to go. Funnier things have happened and there is plenty of rain expected all day on Saturday apparently....which could come to England's rescue.

I'll be having a few beers tonight and be eagerly watching to see if we can raise the tempo.....and talking of tempos.........I've been really disappointed with the Welsh crowd. It sounds more like a test match in Australia than England..........far too quiet for my liking. One thing you can usually rely on from the English crowds is singing and chanting, however badly we are playing.....and this usually fires up the team. Sadly missing at the moment as well.

Still a couple of early wickets tonight and we could be in for another close fight. Still the best part of 200 runs ahead still so no need to panic quite yet.

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