General Cricket Thread (It's Come Home)

Thought I'd break the combo to do this:

Quote :

Cricket's just boring.

*Eats Shanks*

Aw yeah, 400 runs! Australia is doing fantastically right now.

This is getting ridiculous. In hindsight, Panesar > Bresnan (probably) was a no-brainer. England can only hope for a draw now, or a collapse to end all collapses.

Darn, there goes Clarke. Oh well, he did an absolutely stunning innings with his almost-double century. Congrats to him!  

Yaaay he can hit ball with stick!!

Anyone can oversimplify any sport to sound stupid. Football (all codes) is just men running around and kicking a ball for example.


Anyway, forgot to say congrats over Broad's for the brilliant bowling.  That was a class act bowl right there, exactly the sort of bowling they needed to get Clarke.

Thank Christ! Come on latter-order collapse...

Shanks, do I need to hit your balls with my mod-stick?  

No I'll be good  

Aww.  (puts away mod. stick)

Now, let's talk about someone who can't hit ball with stick: Peter Siddle!

With 430 runs it's a little late to be cheering over a collapse of bowlers don't you think.  

At the moment I'll take any cheer I can get! And I do get a bit from a box shot, if I'm honest.  

You know what I like about tail orders that can bat and are turning up after a huge total has been made?  They can just smash the ball around without worrying about getting out and add a bunch of runs on the total!   

That score is just shooting up right now!  I may sound like I'm gloating, but after the last test I'm just ecstatic this series might be blown back open.

And no sooner I post this another four gets itself smashed!

And another...

EDIT: And now Haddin is on 50.

Yup, I've pretty much given up hope of an England win. They should be (a) hanging on for a draw and (b) ruing the lack of Panesar. The BBC mentions 2006-07, second test, but that was a great Aussie team and this England one, good thought they can seem against Australia at times, aren't great.

I hope you're right. About their hopes of winning being gone that is. I pray they don't go for a draw, that just makes the match boring.

Well if Australia gives them a chance...  

I doubt Australia will give them a chance somehow. Australia are thirsty for a win, and with such a huge score in their favour they're going to feel it's achievable, and will likely bowl with vigor.

We'll see.  England could roll over, or Joe Root could get another ton.  Cook has yet to really prove himself, as has Pietersen, so we'll see how they fare (I see Pietersen in the "rolling over" camp if I'm honest).

Regardless, 328 to avoid the follow-on is... quite a thing.

EDIT: They're certainly making Cook work for his singles. I can see a wicket before the end of the day.

And Root is OUTta there!  First English Wicket down with 47 runs in total on the scoreboard.

EDIT: Weird, another bad call, but this one wasn't reviewed. Oh well, this makes us even for Khawaja.

No it bleedin' doesn't! Steven Smith's two graces saw to that.

Another bad day for England. I don't fancy reversing my prediction from the first day, to be honest.

Neither those nor this were as bad as what happened to Khawaja.   So yes, after all of those combined the match has evened up after Khawaja's really bad dismissal as far as I'm concerned.

Well you saw it, whereas I just read about it; but I don't think either of us, nor the media that relayed it to us, is completely impartial. So excuse me if I don't trust your judgement completely.

Just tuned in, England not doing all that bad right now, 75 for 3 wickets. They're going to have to dig in if they want to reach Australia's total however, because at this rate they're just going to reach their average this series which is just over 300 runs.

Under other circumstances then maybe, but remember that none of the people who have got out are Pietersen.  I still don't expect much from him.  Still, nice to see Cook taking the hint from Clarke and batting decently.

EDIT: Aaaaaaaargh. Cook continues his form of not quite hitting enough.

Yay!   

The real threat is bell though, now if he goes I'll really have something to celebrate!

EDIT: Damn, they were just smashing that ball around the park while I was eating dinner. Three sixes. We need those guys out and we need them out now.

I am pretty okay with this setup, so long as it sticks.  Pietersen could go for 200, or he could be out next ball.  This applies to almost every ball.

EDIT: Like just then. Australia continue to  the reviews.