May I be the first to congratulate James Vince on what was a most marvellous innings.

[Rich]

So very unlucky to be runout like that and I'm sure he'll be immensely frustrated.

Still, bodes well for the rest of the series if he can find some form. He is a wonderful stroke-maker.

[Luis Anaconda]

So very unlucky to be runout like that and I'm sure he'll be immensely frustrated.

Still, bodes well for the rest of the series if he can find some form. He is a wonderful stroke-maker.

You could probably do it in a way that makes you sound less of a **** but yes sounds like a fine knock. Aussie pitches may well suit him, still wouldn't trust him at an overcast Headingley in May. And I don't think he was unlucky to be run out - in fact getting run out taking an ill-judged single on the first day of a Test match should be a hanging offence really

[Rich]

You could probably do it in a way that makes you sound less of a **** but yes sounds like a fine knock. Aussie pitches may well suit him, still wouldn't trust him at an overcast Headingley in May. And I don't think he was unlucky to be run out - in fact getting run out taking an ill-judged single on the first day of a Test match should be a hanging offence really

Well that was rude.

I think a single was there. There are ill-judged singles that end in runouts and there are occasions when you have to say that the fielding deserved it. He could take another 50 singles like that and be fine each time.

[Luis Anaconda]

Well that was rude.

I think a single was there. There are ill-judged singles that end in runouts and there are occasions when you have to say that the fielding deserved it. He could take another 50 singles like that and be fine each time.
Yes it was - sorry it's been a long night, r :). I will say I am impressed that you picked out Malan and Vince to be called up to the England squad last summer which looked very unlikely at the time. Are you sure you aren't an England selector?

[PSRB]

You could probably do it in a way that makes you sound less of a **** but yes sounds like a fine knock. Aussie pitches may well suit him, still wouldn't trust him at an overcast Headingley in May. And I don't think he was unlucky to be run out - in fact getting run out taking an ill-judged single on the first day of a Test match should be a hanging offence really

:nod: F'ing stupid is what it is!

[Peter]

Yes it was - sorry it's been a long night, r :). I will say I am impressed that you picked out Malan and Vince to be called up to the England squad last summer which looked very unlikely at the time. Are you sure you aren't an England selector?

I managed to make it through to lunch. I was enjoying Stoneman's dogged and rather unattractive innings. His timing was out and the runs were drying up but he stuck at it well.

Highlight of the first session was Hazlewood chucking the ball at Vince for no particular reason and Vince responding with two fours.

I dont like Cummings. That face, that ****ing stupid tash. ****er.

Not sure why they have been drivelling on about how quick they are. 88/89 with hardly any balls up at 90. Good, but nothing special.

[Pokster]

Well that was rude.

I think a single was there. There are ill-judged singles that end in runouts and there are occasions when you have to say that the fielding deserved it. He could take another 50 singles like that and be fine each time.

Well there obviously wasn't a single there as he was run out. If he'd hesitated at all then i would agree with you but if you are relying on a fielder not hitting the stumps then there isn't a run there

[Burney]

You could probably do it in a way that makes you sound less of a **** but yes sounds like a fine knock. Aussie pitches may well suit him, still wouldn't trust him at an overcast Headingley in May. And I don't think he was unlucky to be run out - in fact getting run out taking an ill-judged single on the first day of a Test match should be a hanging offence really

Hear, hear. It was a cretinous run to take in the circumstances. He's very much an Australian-style batsman for me. A tendency to plant his foot straight down the wicket and play in-out, often away from the body. Straight up-and-down wickets like Australia (and the Kookaburra ball, of course) suit him, but I imagine he nicks off with alarming regularity in England or anywhere else where there;s lateral movement.

[Burney]

I managed to make it through to lunch. I was enjoying Stoneman's dogged and rather unattractive innings. His timing was out and the runs were drying up but he stuck at it well.

Highlight of the first session was Hazlewood chucking the ball at Vince for no particular reason and Vince responding with two fours.

I dont like Cummings. That face, that ****ing stupid tash. ****er.

Not sure why they have been drivelling on about how quick they are. 88/89 with hardly any balls up at 90. Good, but nothing special.

I liked Stoneman. It's a while since we've had our own, Gary Kirsten-style dogged and unattractive left-hander.

[Burney]

Yes it was - sorry it's been a long night, r :). I will say I am impressed that you picked out Malan and Vince to be called up to the England squad last summer which looked very unlikely at the time. Are you sure you aren't an England selector?

Apologising on AWIMB? Straight :redcard: I'm afraid. Off you go.

[Luis Anaconda]

I managed to make it through to lunch. I was enjoying Stoneman's dogged and rather unattractive innings. His timing was out and the runs were drying up but he stuck at it well.

Highlight of the first session was Hazlewood chucking the ball at Vince for no particular reason and Vince responding with two fours.

I dont like Cummings. That face, that ****ing stupid tash. ****er.

Not sure why they have been drivelling on about how quick they are. 88/89 with hardly any balls up at 90. Good, but nothing special.

Yes, well all the hype about the bowling attack was really rather to convince themselves rather than scare our batsmen. The Brisbane paper's front cover was one of the most pathetic things I have ever seen (even without a massive mistake in it). As much as I would love Malan and Ali to play their natural game we really need to keep them out there as long as possible. All three quicks have been out injured recently - if we can wear them out in the first innings we can prosper in the second (although don't like how much spin their is, Lyon is a very good bowler). in other words it's all ****, eh, p ;)

[Luis Anaconda]

Apologising on AWIMB? Straight :redcard: I'm afraid. Off you go.


We're talking about cricket, b - surely we should be civil. We aren't Aussies after all

[Peter]

Yes, well all the hype about the bowling attack was really rather to convince themselves rather than scare our batsmen. The Brisbane paper's front cover was one of the most pathetic things I have ever seen (even without a massive mistake in it). As much as I would love Malan and Ali to play their natural game we really need to keep them out there as long as possible. All three quicks have been out injured recently - if we can wear them out in the first innings we can prosper in the second (although don't like how much spin their is, Lyon is a very good bowler). in other words it's all ****, eh, p ;)

To be fair, the wicket is a little soft and the ball isnt coming through too well. The short stuff will be more effective in the other tests. I heard a few pundits saying the spin might reduce massively as the moisture in the wicket gradually dries out.

Interesting that they have to circulate the quicks almost constantly because they dont have a fourth seamer. THat is going to get very tiring, surely.....

Overall, its a good first day for us. The first hour in the morning is going to be massive.

[Peter]

I liked Stoneman. It's a while since we've had our own, Gary Kirsten-style dogged and unattractive left-hander.

It was great watching them start to twitch when the runs began to dry up. They were itching to get after a few balls but you could see them telling themselves not to. Stoneman looked quite organised and fairly comfortable from the start.

I didnt notice Vince playing away from his body, thought he looked quite tidy. I recall seeing that repeatedly with Westley in the summer and it winds me up.

[Burney]

To be fair, the wicket is a little soft and the ball isnt coming through too well. The short stuff will be more effective in the other tests. I heard a few pundits saying the spin might reduce massively as the moisture in the wicket gradually dries out.

Interesting that they have to circulate the quicks almost constantly because they dont have a fourth seamer. THat is going to get very tiring, surely.....

Overall, its a good first day for us. The first hour in the morning is going to be massive.

Yeah. It's an OK day, but there aren't enough runs on the board to call it a good one. Two quick wickets in the morning and we're looking down the barrel of a sub-300 score.

[Tony C]

Want to see England slow it down even more tomorrow.

Crawl their way to 375 to 400 by stumps.

[Burney]

It was great watching them start to twitch when the runs began to dry up. They were itching to get after a few balls but you could see them telling themselves not to. Stoneman looked quite organised and fairly comfortable from the start.

I didnt notice Vince playing away from his body, thought he looked quite tidy. I recall seeing that repeatedly with Westley in the summer and it winds me up.

Maybe I'm being harsh. I saw him going at a couple of wide ones he should have left well alone. Westley was terrible for it, you're right. I don't really understand how you can learn your cricket in England and bat like that.

[Peter]

Yeah. It's an OK day, but there aren't enough runs on the board to call it a good one. Two quick wickets in the morning and we're looking down the barrel of a sub-300 score.

Sir Geoffrey said it was going to be a low-scoring game. I do hope you are not suggesting that he might be wrong.....

Good in the sense that it could have been so much worse.

Anyway, you are using the 'two wickets' rule which applies at any stage in any innings.

[Peter]

Maybe I'm being harsh. I saw him going at a couple of wide ones he should have left well alone. Westley was terrible for it, you're right. I don't really understand how you can learn your cricket in England and bat like that.

I dont really understand how you can play the shot. How do you control a drive with your hands that far away from your head and body?

Its disgusting, that's what it is....

I thought Cook's dismissal was a bit ****e. He seems to be playing that a long way ahead of himself.

[Burney]

Sir Geoffrey said it was going to be a low-scoring game. I do hope you are not suggesting that he might be wrong.....

Good in the sense that it could have been so much worse.

Anyway, you are using the 'two wickets' rule which applies at any stage in any innings.

Not quite. Two wickets when you're four down (and dont have Stokes) is a bit different to two quick wickets when you're two down.

It may be a low-scoring game, in which case 300 would be a decent first innings knock. I'd prefer to see both sides bat on it before deciding on that.

My favourite bit was when the edge off Vince clanged out of Tim Paine's iron gloves. :hehe: It's a shame it wasn't more costly a drop for them, but still.

[Burney]

I dont really understand how you can play the shot. How do you control a drive with your hands that far away from your head and body?

Its disgusting, that's what it is....

I thought Cook's dismissal was a bit ****e. He seems to be playing that a long way ahead of himself.

If you can trust the bounce, have a good enough eye and the bloody thing's not going to deviate, you can just play on length and get away with it.

Trescothick, after all, had a decent test career by simply planting his foot straight down the wicket and just thumping the bloody thing.

Cook's always a candidate for that if you can get the ball in the right place early in his innings.

[Luis Anaconda]

Not quite. Two wickets when you're four down (and dont have Stokes) is a bit different to two quick wickets when you're two down.

It may be a low-scoring game, in which case 300 would be a decent first innings knock. I'd prefer to see both sides bat on it before deciding on that.

My favourite bit was when the edge off Vince clanged out of Tim Paine's iron gloves. :hehe: It's a shame it wasn't more costly a drop for them, but still.

The best wicketkeeper in Australia (who doesn't even keep for his state side) :)

[Burney]

The best wicketkeeper in Australia (who doesn't even keep for his state side) :)

There was a certain joyous inevitability about him shelling it, wasn't there?

[Luis Anaconda]

There was a certain joyous inevitability about him shelling it, wasn't there?

Yep - probably make up for it with the bat though