Cricket IX

[Hereward]

I started watching test cricket when the Aussies were at the peak of their powers (during Steve Waugh's winning streak), so it was kind of natural for me to look elsewhere for a team to support. If I had started watching the game during, say, Kim Hughes' stint as test captain, I would probably be as true blue as Stubs or Jeor ;).

I started watching Test cricket in 1973/4 and I can honestly say this has never been a problem for me. :wideeyed:

[Stubby]

I'm not quite as old as Hereward :P but I think the first test I watched on the telly involved Bishen Beidi (sp?) when I was about 5.

I'm not as rabid or cyclopean about Oz cricket anymore as the personalities are different. Give me the days of Lillee, Marshy & co any day over these robots. Bollinger has some potential to be a larrikin but this era of grumpy Ricky annoys me.

[Jeor]

40 runs to get with 7 wickets in hand, not even Pakistan can snatch defeat from this one. Farhart (and Ali) did a great job of steadying the innings, when Butt went they just as easily could have gone under, but now barring an extraordinary rainstorm of gigantic proportions, Pakistan will break their hoodoo against Australia. Well deserved too, on the basis of that amazing first day they played.

Good hand from Smith, but I'm not sure how he fits into the setup. In first-class cricket he does play as a frontline batsman, so his future is probably more in the batting (as Pax says, a bit like Cameron White). Some speculation on cricinfo that he might be a replacement for North as a No.6 batsman and part-time spinner, which I suppose is possible, but we'll need to see some more batting from Smith before we think of him as playing the role of a Test batsman.

Regarding Australia...well, there have been times when I have gone off the boil from supporting them (notably the home series against India where a number of Australians were behaving very badly). Personality-wise there just aren't players that I really like all that much - my favourite players are probably Katich and Hilfenhaus, but I don't like Michael Clarke, Shane Watson or Mitchell Johnson and I'm largely ambivalent towards the rest. It's good to see Hilfenhaus back again. He adds an extra dimension to the attack - we haven't really had a Test swing bowler around since Damien Fleming retired.

I consider myself a young 'un (mid 20s) but seeing as I started watching cricket at an extremely early age (Dad's a rabid cricket fanatic), I do remember the days of Allan Border (although I only recently became an Ashes tragic, since I was born at the right time and had never seen an Aussie series loss until 2005!). I think the first matches I can remember watching were the 1991 loss to the Windies. I remember the 1992 World Cup and most matches thereafter, and I've been to most of the Sydney Tests since then - didn't get to see the Windies tour though, our last home series defeat until South Africa. Maybe I was more innocent back then but there were definitely more Australian cricketers that I liked in the early 90s.

[Paxter]

Ali gone in the second over of the morning, two new batsmen now at the crease. If this wasn't Pakistan, I wouldn't be so nervous...

[Jeor]

Ali gone in the second over of the morning, two new batsmen now at the crease. If this wasn't Pakistan, I wouldn't be so nervous...

Nah, they're fine...although trust Pakistan's batting order to make it interesting. ;) They really need some solidity there, and it's good to see Butt is starting to stand up - if Umar Akmal can join him instead of getting out to wild shots, then they'll be a bit better off. Any lineup that suddenly loses three of their best batsmen with 50+ averages (Inzi, Yousuf, Khan) within the space of a few years is bound to struggle.

My dad has been quite skeptical of this whole match from the start, muttering about match-fixing conspiracies etc. He reckons Pakistan were always going to lose this match, but I guess they'll prove him wrong. ;)

[Paxter]

Well, in the end it was that fantastic partnership from Farhat and Ali that got Pakistan home. Their middle order was pretty much blown away yesterday evening and this morning, but Australia didn't have enough runs on the board for it to make much of a difference. Ali actually looks to be a bit of a find for Pakistan - his technique is a little bit dodgy against spin but he's fine against pace and has a good temperament for a 25 year old. Amin is a dead loss though. It would be great if Pakistan could send an SOS to Yousuf before the England series starts (he averages 70 against them), but it doesn't seem on the cards at this stage.

ETA: I shouldn't be discussing Pakistan's performance in that series without mentioning Aamer. As LJ and others have said, his performance in this series was remarkable and he has the potential to be a 300+ wicket-taker for Pakistan. England are going to have their hands full with him in the next series.

As for Australia's performance in that series, well, they have a few questions to ask themselves before October's tour of India. Haddin and Hauritz will probably come straight back into the first XI in place of Paine and Smith, but once again there will be speculation over North's position in the team. His match-winning bowling performance in the first test notwithstanding, this was a decidedly poor series for him - especially after scoring so heavily in England in the last Ashes. Ponting and Hussey also have some work to do, but their selection for the Ashes is guaranteed so it's not as much of an issue. On the bowling front, the major concern is Mitchell Johnson, who still seems clueless in English conditions and is experiencing a fairly noticeable decline in accuracy and rhythm.

[Jeor]

On the bowling front, the major concern is Mitchell Johnson, who still seems clueless in English conditions and is experiencing a fairly noticeable decline in accuracy and rhythm.

I'm not sure it's all that noticeable given that Johnson never had much accuracy or rhythm to begin with. ;) To be honest (as people would have heard me say before) I don't rate Johnson as a bowler. He has to be the luckiest bowler around because so many of his wickets have come off bad balls. He may bowl the occasional jaffa but it's far more likely he'll get a sucker wicket with a wide half-volley nicked to the slips, which seems to be a notable specialty of his. I actually don't think he's bowling too much worse than when he was in top 'form', it's just that he isn't picking up those bad-ball wickets anymore.

Congratulations to Pakistan on the win though - now I hope for their sake this isn't a false dawn. So long as they have Butt and Umar Akmal to bat, and Asif and Aamer to bowl, they'll always have hope. Whether or not Yousuf or Younis come back, they will still have to eventually unearth some new batsmen to move on.

[ljkeane]

Good win for Pakistan, credit to Farhat and Ali for putting together a good partnership to win the match.

I think you're being a bit harsh on Amin Pax, he looked good in the first innings before getting out in an unfortunate manner that I'm sure won't happen again, this is only his second test. The batsmen who has disappointed me most has to be Umar Akmal actually, he's clearly got talent but he's not shown a lot of temperament in these two matches. Apparently Younis Khan is very keen to get back into the team and Mohammad Yousef is thinking about it so it'll be interesting to see what they do. They're both not that old so Pakistan should really be building their batting lineup around those two for the next couple of years at least.

[Paxter]

I'm not sure it's all that noticeable given that Johnson never had much accuracy or rhythm to begin with. ;)

The stats don't really bear that out though - during the 08/09 season Johnson was going for 2.9 an over, bowled 108 maidens in 12 matches and was taking regular wickets by building pressure. Take, for example, the WACA test match that season in which he claimed 11 scalps and was conceding just 2 runs an over against an excellent South African line-up on a good batting wicket. In the 15 matches since that season he has managed only 86 maidens and is conceding slightly below 4 an over. That is a pretty noticeable drop-off in accuracy and consistency which has caused or at least contributed to a wicket-taking slump.

I think you're being a bit harsh on Amin Pax, he looked good in the first innings before getting out in an unfortunate manner that I'm sure won't happen again, this is only his second test. The batsmen who has disappointed me most has to be Umar Akmal actually, he's clearly got talent but he's not shown a lot of temperament in these two matches. Apparently Younis Khan is very keen to get back into the team and Mohammad Yousef is thinking about it so it'll be interesting to see what they do. They're both not that old so Pakistan should really be building their batting lineup around those two for the next couple of years at least.

I probably am being a bit harsh - it is only his second test after all. I suppose I'm just frustrated that an inexperienced batsman averaging 39 in first-class cricket is batting at the vital number 4 spot for Pakistan when two exceptional batsmen with 50+ batting averages are being sidelined. As you say, Yousuf and Younis both have seasons left in them (Yousuf probably has another 2, Younis probably 5-6) and it is a shame to see them out when they should be forming the nucleus of the team.

[Jeor]

The stats don't really bear that out though - during the 08/09 season Johnson was going for 2.9 an over, bowled 108 maidens in 12 matches and was taking regular wickets by building pressure. Take, for example, the WACA test match that season in which he claimed 11 scalps and was conceding just 2 runs an over against an excellent South African line-up on a good batting wicket. In the 15 matches since that season he has managed only 86 maidens and is conceding slightly below 4 an over. That is a pretty noticeable drop-off in accuracy and consistency which has caused or at least contributed to a wicket-taking slump.

The numbers don't lie, I guess, but even back then I would be skeptical of Johnson's supposed 'economy rate'. To be sure he has bowled some good spells, but other times he has not gone for many runs because he's just bowled wide and non-threatening deliveries that batsmen leave alone (usually because like that South Africa match, when they tried to cash in, they would nick it behind). It's a big enough numbers dropoff to be noticeable though as you say.

[Paxter]

Another pair of centuries from Paranavitana and Sangakkara, together with a run-a-ball fifty from Dilshan, has put SL well on top once again. The big difference this time is that they don't have Malinga (injured) and Murali (retired) to help bowl India out. The pressure will be on Mendis to somehow fill Murali's shoes, although that will probably be an impossible task.

As an aside: Sangakkara has 4645 test runs and averages 76 when not playing as the designated 'keeper (average falls to 40 when he does) :stunned:. No wonder Prasanna Jayawardene has become a regular fixture in the SL side.

[shortstark]

All time WI 11

Invincibles

No place for some of the best cricketers ever, ie Garner Roberts Rowe Kallicharan

[Paxter]

SL now 419-2 and Sangakkara closing in on his seventh double-ton...this is just too easy.

For the statistically inclined (which is probably only me but anyway), Sangakkara has leap-frogged Ponting/Kallis/Tendulkar and now has the highest career batting average of all current players. If he can catch up to Hobbs, he will be the first Asian player and the only modern player to hold a spot in the all-time Top 10 for test batting average (minimum 20 innings). Michael Hussey was there for a while a few years ago, but has crashed down to earth since then.

ETA: Wow. 600-3. Now Jayawardene and Samaraweera have joined the party - 135-run partnership up at just under 5 runs per over. Why do I get the distinct impression that this is going to be one of these test matches?

ETA: Well, I think this may be the first time where I actually expect a player to score a double or triple century before they have even got to fifty. Surely this pitch is tailor-made for Sehwag to score big.

[Paxter]

Sehwag ended up being stumped on 99, but Tendulkar and Raina have helped themselves to centuries (the latter on test debut) and India have avoided the follow-on. Mendis has the best bowling figures of the match with 2-98. That pretty much rules out any chance of a result in this test and it's going to come down to the third match to decide the series.

I'm looking forward to England v Pakistan tonight - should be a good series. The challenge for Pakistan is that English batsmen generally handle the swinging ball better than the Australians. That will increase the pressure on Pakistan's middle-order batsmen as totals in the 250 range will probably not be enough.

[Stubby]

I'm looking forward to England v Pakistan tonight - should be a good series.

What time does that start, mate? With herself playing around in Dragon Age I might watch me some of this match.

[Paxter]

What time does that start, mate? With herself playing around in Dragon Age I might watch me some of this match.

Starts at 6:00 pm Stubs, or 5:30 pm if you want to watch Julian/Blewett/Border/Waugh pretend to be interested in a series not involving Australia ;).

[Paxter]

Urgh. Pakistan are going to pay for that 4th over drop - very poor keeping from Akmal. Strauss has now moved on to 44.

[Jeor]

Urgh. Pakistan are going to pay for that 4th over drop - very poor keeping from Akmal. Strauss has now moved on to 44.

The more I see of Strauss the more I'm impressed by him. He's very low key and flies under the radar, but he really is the rock of the English batting order. Pietersen may be more feared, and Collingwood may be a tougher wicket to get, but Strauss is exactly the sort of guy who as Pax says you don't want to put down a chance to. He sets the tone early on and is probably the key wicket (I think more than Pietersen, who is more unreliable) in any run chase or fourth innings last stand.

[Paxter]

Commentators' curse! Just as we discuss him, Akmal holds on to a catch to dismiss Strauss. Big challenge for Pietersen now - Aamer is on fire.

[Jeor]

Commentators' curse! Just as we discuss him, Akmal holds on to a catch. Big challenge for Pietersen now - Aamer is on fire.

Yep, just as I write, Strauss falls. Even when losing their wickets the Englishmen have it in for me. :P

EDIT: Realistically they should be fine though. Not too long until lunch.