The Ashes 2006/07: The Melbourne Test Thread - Day Three

[Collyisamackem]

Australia have been bowled out for 419, a lead of 260, with Symonds being removed early this morning by Harmison and Warne not out on 40 as Glenn McGrath collected his 35th career duck.

Anyone think we'll make them bat again?

[Vrock]

I think we'll have one of our classic second innings good scores. Andrew Strauss will probably make a 120 and get out to a stupid shot.

Cook should have just been out but Rudi, once again, won't give anyone out!

[Collyisamackem]

Morning Vrock. If you get bored or dispirited with this the NZ-Sri Lanka ODI seems entertaining, with Ross Taylor bagging a hundred in his third game.

Decent start here for us, but I'm still very upset at our cricket this series.

[Vrock]

Morning Colly, I have been flicking back to the NZ/SL game and there's been some good stuff from Ross Taylor. I don't think he's got the kind of technique that would see him an incredibly successful test career as he could be very vulnerable early on but once he gets in he's certainly got some shots.

We've played, as a side, pretty poor cricket, just a few individual performances to shout about.

Ignoring the batting for this: I was listening to the Sky commentary last night and (I can't remember who it was) one of them said that England's back up bowlers have got to step up today... Harmison and Mahmood. It just made me think back to 2005 (sorry people, I hate doing it but I think this one is valid); we played with a four-man pace attack. I only ever thought we had one 'back up' bowler in Simon Jones, until Vaughan realised the guy could bowl. But we did finally have a complete attack that I would regard as being a unit and all of them chipping in with some wickets; not necessarily just one bowler taking all of them. Now looking to this series we have Hoggard and Flintoff; then we have what we see as back up bowlers. It just doesn't give me the same confidence of being able to bowl a side out and if Hoggard/Flintoff don't take wickets then were are up the creek.

Should we have bowlers who we could see as being part of the unit? If Jon Lewis (regardless of his lack of pace etc.) was coming in first change would we be saying he's a back up bowler? I'm not too sure whether it would have made a huge difference but the signals we send out are that once they see of Hoggard and Flintoff, the Aussies have it easy.

[Vrock]

Well Cook couldn't cash in on his luck getting out to Clark. Very poor shot with no footwork.

Clark gets Pietersen with a beauty. Now we're struggling.

[Ernest]

So Pietersin is a #4 - well England are 49-3.

[Ernest]

IF - the England batsmen had played as good as Mahmood - 4 wickets @ 25 each, they might have been in a stronger position.

[Aussie-Yank]

Well, I had some friends come over and I thought by the time they left England may have lost a wicket or two - but I sit down and watch the first over after tea and see Lee get Struass for 5/90.

I am assuming there where no bad umpiring decisions here - but didn't Warne make 40 on this pitch, what is going on with the English batsman?

[Irish Left Armer]

109/7, England are abject, spineless, gutless and rudderless all rolled into one.

[south beds mikey]

Yep. It really is hugely disappointing. They say 65,000 tickets are sold for tomorrow; given that this is the case will ponting claim the extra 30mins if he needs it? (unlikely I know)