The Ashes 2006/07: The Brisbane Test Thread - Day Two

[Occasional Fan]

Please post your comments on the second day here. Play commences at midnight GMT.

[Moss]

Let's hope we can do better than yesterday. Get Ponting out early and then work on the rest.

I almost managed to stay up for it last night, but Botham and Hussain made me drop off on the sofa.

[Quagmire]

Clarke and Gilchrist still do bat today along with Hussey and Ponting, there is going to be some entertainment today. A worrying sign for England was the amount of turn and bounce Pietersen was extracting from the pitch. What is Warne going to be able to do with the pitch?



Ponting would be thinking of another double ton. Hussey would be thinking of a ton as well.

[south beds mikey]

seems to be swinging

[south beds mikey]

how about another slip

[Ernest]

Harmisons first over a real mix, bowled with pace but no line - a delivery miles to good for Ponting, but bowling rubbish.

Jones is having to keep well, and is doing a good job.

[-xan-]

Originally Posted by south beds mikey

how about another slip

to cover harmisons line?

[Ernest]

Harmison has not been expensive, just 3 wides and a couple of byes.

He is dragging the moral of the England side down, his one delivery on line could have got a wicket.

His form seems to have been passed on to Anderson to a degree, after a good start.

[Aussie-Yank]

Another 50 for Ponting - if he lasts another hour He could get anything today.

[Django]

There has been some very good discussion on the board on the selection of bowlers in the England team for the Brisbane test. But in my opinion any combination of bowlers would not have made any difference to the proceedings of this test match nor will it make to the outcome of this “over-hyped” series. The fact of the matter is that, man-to-man, the Australian team is simply far better than the England team and there was no “real” contest in the offing anyway. This will be clearer as the series progresses.

Let us not forget that, even in the 2005 Ashes, England did not exactly crush the Aussies – the series was very close than the 2-1 result suggests. If a couple of things had gone Australia’s way, the result could easily have been 3-0 in Australia’s favour.

Reverse swing was the major reason England won that close contest and in Australia reverse swing is almost impossible to achieve.

I also do not agree with the theory that Panesar would have made a big difference in this the first test match. Panesar may be the best spinner England has since Underwood, but he is inexperienced and has a long way to go to be considered as a strike force.