InTheBack!
Team Captain
Due to my daughters restless night I elected to take advantage of watching most of the 1st days play.
Australia were very nervous or something early on. I think the pressure of expectation must be getting to them more than anyone admits.
Dizzy will be the bowler of the series along with Warne. Lee is still regaining form & top pace & McGrath was also out of wack. All in all they did not take advantage of the early conditions which favoured the bowlers.
Gilchrist's 2 dropped chances were something we Australian supporters have not been used to the last few years. 300 looks better then 200 the Poms should have been.
Slaters batting defies belief - he was amazing, controlled agression, perfect placement, hitting everything except the very very good balls. I have not seen an innings like it for a long time - there was no bludgening hit across the line one day innings - it was classical shots played with perfect placement. It's worth the sleep deprivation just to watch.
Hayden got a bit carried away & would be kicking himself for playing a loose shot from a dolly ball on the rise - must have been watching Slats too much.
Ponting was out to a No ball - so thats one against us.
England bowlers looked less than potent. The wicket is holding up & none of them have the pace to make the batsman hurry when they drop it in short & thus the batsman hits a boundary. When they bowl a fuller length Slater hits a boundary.
The bad news for us is that the wicket looks like it will get worse & we have to bat last on it so we dont want to be chasing too many runs. I think we have to be at teast a couple of hundred in front this innings cause if they set us 150-200 to win then it will be a difficult task.
Predictions
Our bowling can only get better - I think Dizzy will take bags & bags of wickets & Warney still has them all rattled.
Their bowling seems at best honest but hardly inspiring. I think our batsmen will overcome them on the long term.
Australia were very nervous or something early on. I think the pressure of expectation must be getting to them more than anyone admits.
Dizzy will be the bowler of the series along with Warne. Lee is still regaining form & top pace & McGrath was also out of wack. All in all they did not take advantage of the early conditions which favoured the bowlers.
Gilchrist's 2 dropped chances were something we Australian supporters have not been used to the last few years. 300 looks better then 200 the Poms should have been.
Slaters batting defies belief - he was amazing, controlled agression, perfect placement, hitting everything except the very very good balls. I have not seen an innings like it for a long time - there was no bludgening hit across the line one day innings - it was classical shots played with perfect placement. It's worth the sleep deprivation just to watch.
Hayden got a bit carried away & would be kicking himself for playing a loose shot from a dolly ball on the rise - must have been watching Slats too much.
Ponting was out to a No ball - so thats one against us.
England bowlers looked less than potent. The wicket is holding up & none of them have the pace to make the batsman hurry when they drop it in short & thus the batsman hits a boundary. When they bowl a fuller length Slater hits a boundary.
The bad news for us is that the wicket looks like it will get worse & we have to bat last on it so we dont want to be chasing too many runs. I think we have to be at teast a couple of hundred in front this innings cause if they set us 150-200 to win then it will be a difficult task.
Predictions
Our bowling can only get better - I think Dizzy will take bags & bags of wickets & Warney still has them all rattled.
Their bowling seems at best honest but hardly inspiring. I think our batsmen will overcome them on the long term.
