Even when conditions were "favourable" we had periods when our batting simply failed. End of day 4 being a case in point. Getting out when set is a sin on a deck like that - and an eternal problem with Watson. When conditions are favourable we need to cash in - but don't. And then there is always Swann to contend with in the periods where Anderson isn't warping it around.
I agree that Starc has the capability but doesn't do it often enough. Is he dangerous enough often enough i.e. does he bowl enough good balls to get a gig at Lords? He didn't seem to cause great angst aside from the novelty of being a left armer. Gee he can leak runs, and can look deadest ordinary when the ball isn't swinging.
I agree that Bird is the logical replacement but is he going to "make things happen" if the pitch is flat or grind out wickets... bearing in mind that the poms seem perfectly happy to grind out decent scores at 2 an over? Is our attack too same-same with Bird and Siddle.... but the thought of Bird hitting a spot on the downhill ramp at Lord's does peke interest.
Agreed, it took a miracle from Agar and Hughes (of all people) to prevent this being over in 3 days. The 14 run margin seems to have clouded people's minds to reality - our batting failed twice, and nobody posted a score in both digs (= inconsistency, our biggest problem).
Haddin out driving away from his pad, to a ball that wasn't quite there to drive... haven't we heard that one before? In Haddin's defence, why was he placed in that position in the first place? 0/100 FFS! Bloody top order - again.
Gees we owe this mob of diving, sniping, squealing hypocrites more than just about anybody, but thanks to the small paper for the acid treatment... just about guaranteed norf win this week.
Don't expect anything other than a truckload of pineapples from the judicating personnel as well... really worried that what we saw against ST K will be amount to nothing more than a "dead cat bounce".
I don't know about you Boof, but the big blond bloke at first slip needs to start contributing something - ANYTHING - because we've got enough passengers in this team as it is.
Please play Clarke at 5 and bat Siddle at 4. Don't bother with the others, we may as well paint a garbage bin white and lean a Gray Nick against it for all the defensive nous those blokes have.
Kudos for Siddle coming back but the bowling was patchy and the field way too attacking. At least we took the catches. Should have been all out for under 200 though. Our short bowling was mindless and most of it sped to the fence. Gees that outfield was fast.
Haddin made some unbelievable takes but occasionally his concentration wobbled a bit. Just to get to that wide one down leg was a heck of an effort. I am a detractor but he did better than ok.
Agar has been selected and needs to contribute and not just go along for the ride - he will have a role to play.
English batting looked rubbish at times - pushing at decent deliveries with poor footwork. Attitude poor- looked like they were just waiting for Prior/Broad/Swan to play little cameos and drag the score to 300.
Cook - rubbish shot- and he'd played it about 3 times in the previous overs. Something to exploit before he fixes it. Root - got a good ball but has a technical flaws in footwork we can exploit. Trott - when are we going to execute a plan to this bloke??? Played Agar terribly. First ball wide on off and he chops it on. Bairstow - technical flaws to exploit. Prior - awful shot - he won't do that again this series. Broad - when are they going to come around and cramp him? Awful shot - exploit. Swann - limp shot bunted to point/mid off... get out of jail card there Australia.
Won't mention batting, far too disappointed.. no gutted to see those clowns burn a golden opportunity.
Is the big bloke standing at slip going to have a trundle?
Based on lead-in form Siddle was lucky to get a run, and at this stage it looks a mistake to have gone with him instead of Bird. Looked like a man who hadn't been doing enough bowling.
We still have no idea about how to bowl to Trott. Has all gone to )&^_t in the last 30 minutes.
