The Ashes 2006/07: The Perth Test Thread - Day Three.

[greg]

The way Gilly is playing it looks like he is playing for a declaration tonight.Might be a good idea as the England openers won't fancy 20 minutes batting tonight.

[Aussie-Yank]

Vintage Gilly 24 runs of Monty

[Irish Left Armer]

Absolutely fantastic stuff from Gilchrist. Poor old Monty, didn't really bowl a bad ball and just watched them disappear for 6!

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by greg

Frighteningly good [...] Just need to find the right combination to replace Langer and Hayden and the batting will be sorted for many years.

Hussey and Jaques look like being THE great openig partnership of the next decade. The middle order looks like being Ponting and Clarke perhaps followed by Voges. Many seem to think Cameron White will be the no 6 (very much a batsman who can bowl rather than the other way around) but that strikes me as uncharacteristically negative thinking for Aussies - I suspect they'll end up going back to a genuine batsman at 6 just as soon as they have settled on four specialist bowlers who can be trusted.

The complication I forsee is the composition of that four man attack... as the best four might well be Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark / his replacement, Cullen Bailey and Dan Cullen - not the classic balance... and if White did nail the no 6 spot we'd be looking at something curious - a three-spinner dominated Aussie attack!!!!

ps. I'm pretty sure Watson doesn't offer a solution: as Boycott noted today, his ongoing injury problems have been bad news for England

[Underzaker]

110.5 Hoggard to Gilchrist, no run, a deliberately wide one, smart cricket from Hoggard. Gilly can still equal Richards's record

Hoggard you sleazy bastard

I'm absolutely gutted.

[John]

Great innings by Gilchrist. Only caught the last ten minutes. I think the England bowlers want to come home. Well there is little point in staying.

[Irish Left Armer]

Ok how many wicket will England lose before the close?

I'm going for 3.

[Underzaker]

Will England go for a win?

They have nothing to lose.

[warney's wrong un]

has anyone got a razor so i can slit my wrists

good to see geoff still having a go at jones.

[Mike]

When Gilly was on 50 my mate pulled out some beers and said: "our neighbour has invited us for dinner, do you wanna come?" I ummed and arrred and eventually said: "no thanks, Gilchrist is on fire and I don't want to miss his innings." My mate then tried to change my mind and eventually said: "It's Christmas Mike, come and meet the neighbours. They're good people." I held firmly and said: "Sorry." He said: "alright, be boring."

So, it's official. I'm boring for watching the second-fastest Test century in history.

By the way, Simon O'Donnell lambasted some joker who said on the Cricket Show that Adam Gilchrist doesn't dominate bowling attacks anymore. O'Donnell has asked for a copy of that show.