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

[Ernest]

Hoggard gone bowled Clarke - Warne took the catch.

[Ernest]

Harmison out - England out for 370 is a good 4th innings score, but pity they played rubbish for the first 3 days, real shody cricket from England .

Australia deserved to win - England deserved to lose - simple as that.

[Mike]

Pietersen could have scored his century yesterday but eased off because he wanted to make sure he was still in to face the new ball today. The new ball was taken after the first delivery and three balls later Pietersen got out. Pietersen middled it alright but Martyn was perfectly positioned to take the catch.

I wonder what the ICC will make of this pitch. Some deliveries have either kept low, taken off or deviated sharply from the cracks. Is that a good pitch? I don't think so. The amount of runs has more to do with the short boundaries and quick outfield. I think the pitch is sub-standard and the Ground management ought to be fined. The pitch conditions definitely favoured the team winning the toss and batting first. When the result of the toss has such importance that's a sign of how bad the pitch is. The pitch should be made to be fair on both sides. That wasn't the case with this pitch.

Interesting discussion about the England keeper by the commentators. Mark Nicholas reckons Geraint Jones is regarded by Team management as the mentally tougher player for Test cricket. However, Ian Chappell reckons Jones gets bowled too often for a guy in the team for his batting. He doesn't think Jones is that much a better batsman than Read and that the better keeper should play when Panesar plays.

As far as Jones' keeping is concerned, Healy reckons Jones looked a bit sluggish early in the match but sharpened up after he relaxed. He reckons Jones has done a satisfactory job in this match.

[Ernest]

To be fair to Jones and I am not his biggest fan, he was out to a ball that kept low. 33 in the context of the England batting this match is quite good.

England scored 370 in the 4th innings and got thrashed, 370 is usually a difficult score to get in a 4th innings run chase.

I suppose the papers tomorrow will be caning Flintoff, but he is only as good as his players.

The cracks where there for both sides - Flintoff made some rear from the same cracks, it's no excuse all I will say on that is - the pitch soon deteriated.

That takes nothing away from this Australia performance.
England need a Ponting, and a Langer.

[Aussie-Yank]

Originally Posted by Mike

I wonder what the ICC will make of this pitch. Some deliveries have either kept low, taken off or deviated sharply from the cracks. Is that a good pitch? I don't think so. The amount of runs has more to do with the short boundaries and quick outfield. I think the pitch is sub-standard and the Ground management ought to be fined.

Mike, I am struggling to figure out how you can come to the decision that the pitch was sub-standard?

Australia batting first made 600+ runs, then turned around and through good bowling and a weak batting display by England routed them for 157 runs.

Now if Australia came in and where rolled for 100-200 runs - then I would have to agree with you, but they made 200 with the loss of 1 wicket and that was a run out.

Then England came back in and where able to make 370 runs in a fourth innings - thats a good total for a fourth innings. So where is the sub-standard pitch?

It seems to me that you are wanting to blame the pitch for Englands bowling and batting performance - I think the blame should be well and truely laid at the feet of the English players.

[Ernest]

Being optimistic and also realistic - England are not going to win at Adelaide, the best we can hope for there is a draw.

Perth is England's best chance of getting level in this series.
Flintoff

Mahmood

Plunkett

Harmison (if he bowls ok at Adelaide)

Giles/Panesar

Australia won't be planning for that side, so no man targeting.

[Mr Hutt]

Originally Posted by Mike

.

I wonder what the ICC will make of this pitch. Some deliveries have either kept low, taken off or deviated sharply from the cracks. Is that a good pitch? I don't think so. The amount of runs has more to do with the short boundaries and quick outfield. I think the pitch is sub-standard and the Ground management ought to be fined. The pitch conditions definitely favoured the team winning the toss and batting first. When the result of the toss has such importance that's a sign of how bad the pitch is. The pitch should be made to be fair on both sides. That wasn't the case with this pitch.

Normally teams playing at home do make pitches to suit their own style of play, thats what is called the home advantage!! I do not think this pitch was sub standard at all, if anything was sub standard it was Englands bowling.

I was pretty dissapointed when KP and Collingwood after making such a magnificent stand threw their wickets.. they had done so much hard work, they just had to block a bit but noooo they went after warne great job!

[Occasional Fan]

Originally Posted by Aussie-Yank

It seems to me that you are wanting to blame the pitch for Englands bowling and batting performance - I think the blame should be well and truely laid at the feet of the English players.

Can't argue with that. The cracks looked horrible, but both teams played on them; one made 277 runs more than the other for half the number of wickets. It suggests to me that something other than the pitch was the problem here.

OK - that's it from me. Leaving in twenty minutes for the airport and headed for Adelaide. If I see Harmison changing planes in Hong Kong tomorrow night, I for one won't be surprised.

[flanflinger]

The hard facts

The Aussies took twenty wickets - England took 10
The Aussie batters scored two hundreds in the match, none of the English batters scored a hundred
In the first innings one English batter passed 50, four Aussie batters managed that feat
The best two Australian bowlers took seven wickets in the match, the best English bowler took four

McGrath managed to consistently hit the cracks that formed on the pitch, Harmison struggled to hit the cut strip.

The Australians scored 277 more runs.

Basically England were outplayed in every part of the game, the Australians deserved their win.

The big question is, can England come back. The second innings demonstrated that the English Batters were finding their feet, but will the English bowlers do the same. There is no doubt in my mind that England were woefully under-prepared for this game, and we have not learnt any of the lessons of the last three tours!!

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

and we have not learnt any of the lessons of the last three tours!!

We have! We knew what would happen. The problem is that we don't matter. The people who sort out the itineraries matter. Messrs Botham, Gower et al knew what would happen. The arrogance of those in charge is incredible. How they expected a side, many of whom had never played a Test in Oz, to compete with that preparation I don't know. Arrogance or incompetence?