Over by over
From tehgraun‘s OBO, as the England 2d innings begins:
If Freddie pulls this off, it will be his greatest feat as a captain so far, but then the only competition for that title is his use of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” to motivate the team into coming back to win the final Test in India earlier this year. I wonder what Johnny Cash tune he’ll be playing now? “How high is the water mamma? three feet high and rising” that is the best the man in black has to say about this sorry business.
Or, perhaps:
↓ Quote | Posted 26 November, 2006, 4:14 am“I can see the buzzards I can hear the crows; 1 more minute to go.”
Turned out not as bad as it could have done. The balance of injuries certainly favours us – Ponting now has a dodgy back (and some really dodgy captaincy – imagine what a knob he would have looked if they’d battted out the last day) and McGrath is already walking wounded. Jones did enough to merit keeping his place, although I think that we now need Panesar if Harmison has to be wrapped in cotton wool. Make room by leaving out the utterly pointless Cook and letting Bell share the opening (I think Bell was a revelation in this test – he really does look like he’s improved and appears to have lost his habit of poking aimlessly at balls moving away from him). It still obviously looks bad, but if we can grind out a few draws, then maybe sneaking one later in the series when Warne has bowled himself out (or pouncing on a stupid error by Ponting, which I doubt will be in short supply).
↓ Quote | Posted 27 November, 2006, 11:35 amYou’re right about the injuries, and it was a good call in your earlier comment to observe that the war of attrition might matter a great deal in this series, esp. with the Australian fondness for back-to-back Tests (Brisbane-Adelaide now, Melbourne-Sydney after Christmas).
And Lee wasn’t bowling especially well, either.
I’m pleased that Bell’s batting has got better. I really worried that he was the kind of player to make huge scores against weak attacks, and then to fold when it mattered, but that he’d prove to be undroppable because Fletcher liked him — but the fifty in the first innings is reassuring.
I’m not sure about dropping Cook — is anyone hammering at the door for a batting place?
But, yes, what to do with Harmison is the real puzzle. It looks as if Panesar can come in at Anderson’s expense, since there’s a case for playing two spinners at Adelaide anyway, and Anderson was useless, too. But whether Mahmood should play instead of Harmison is a tough one, though I suspect that Fletcher will stand by his man, again, and say “no”.
↓ Quote | Posted 27 November, 2006, 12:02 pm“Make room by leaving out the utterly pointless Cook and letting Bell share the opening”
Ah, yes, the utterly pointless Cook, with his average of 51 in 10 tests. Good grief.
↓ Quote | Posted 30 November, 2006, 11:38 pm