Cricket IX

[The Winged Shadow]

Sachin got his 5th 200. The bastard just keeps on impressing. But i am terribly bored of the match as it seems like it's going to be a draw. I hate draws! :tantrum:

[Paxter]

Sachin got his 5th 200. The bastard just keeps on impressing.

Yeah, after a brief lull in the mid-2000s, Sachin is probably getting back to somewhere near his best form - averaging 76 under Dhoni's captaincy compared to 40 under Dravid and 45 under Kumble. And one more century in 2010 will make this calendar year the most successful of his career in terms of centuries scored - he's already up to five.

[ljkeane]

Pietersen's gone after Aamer and Asif gave him a bit of a torrid time. They both bowled well but Pietersen really looked off the pace as well, he probably should have waited until after he'd had some warm up games before telling Hampshire that he was leaving.

ETA: And Trott's gone as well, this might be trouble with Morgan at 6.

[Stubby]

Thanks to Paxter's ever-present knowledge of scheduling I've managed to watch a bit of this match. :thumbsup:

I continue to be impressed with the Pakistan seamers. Also, Salman seems to get it wrong a bit as captain but he is, nonetheless, a fast learner. This incarnation of the Pakistan team has some spirit, a level of fitness unheard of in recent sides and some pure talent. Its good to see - as there is more parity in world cricket when Pakistan are strong.

[Paxter]

Great knock from Morgan, he might just be earning himself an Ashes call-up here. England now well on top, but I can't help but think what position Pakistan might be in if their 'keeper had dismissed Strauss in the fourth over and Collingwood in the seventy-first.

[ljkeane]

If he hadn't been so deep he might have had Morgan as well.

I was very impressed with Morgan, I wasn't sure if he was going to be a success in the test arena but I think batting like he did against top bowlers (even if most of them weren't playing well) in a pressure situation today has proved me wrong. A few more innings like this and he might force himself into the team for Brisbane, which will give England some interesting decisions to make as I think Bell's probably been their best batsman since he got back into the team and even Bopara is apparently batting very well.

As far as this match goes I think Pakistan are in big trouble as aside from Aamer they have't bowled well but conditions look like they could well suit Swann and Anderson and I wouldn't have a lot of confidence in their batting lineup scoring 400 plus.

[adamsputnik]

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.

Jesus Christ, and I thought Adelaide Oval was a road. What kind of pitches are they preparing over there? Ridiculous.

[williamjm]

I was very impressed with Morgan, I wasn't sure if he was going to be a success in the test arena but I think batting like he did against top bowlers (even if most of them weren't playing well) in a pressure situation today has proved me wrong. A few more innings like this and he might force himself into the team for Brisbane, which will give England some interesting decisions to make as I think Bell's probably been their best batsman since he got back into the team and even Bopara is apparently batting very well.

I thought Morgan was good as well. He was a bit lucky a couple of times, but other than that he did suggest that he does have the temperament for Test cricket, he came in when England were in a tricky position and together with Collingwood took them into a strong position. I'm still not sure if he'll be in the team in Brisbane, since I would guess Bell would retake the number 6 spot unless Morgan scores a few more centuries in the series, but it looks likely that he'll be the first choice replacement batsman.

[Jeor]

I thought Morgan was good as well. He was a bit lucky a couple of times, but other than that he did suggest that he does have the temperament for Test cricket, he came in when England were in a tricky position and together with Collingwood took them into a strong position. I'm still not sure if he'll be in the team in Brisbane, since I would guess Bell would retake the number 6 spot unless Morgan scores a few more centuries in the series, but it looks likely that he'll be the first choice replacement batsman.

Morgan dropped by Farhart at first slip, a complete sitter. Asif has managed to get Collingwood out LBW though. One actually wonders what the Pakistani bowling career records might look like if they had reliable fielders throughout their careers. The dropped catches must be worth at least a couple of runs off a bowler's average.

It's no wonder that Pakistan's two best bowlers of the last decade (Wasim and Waqar) had the highest percentage of bowleds and LBWs, which at least didn't require other fielders! I remember reading somewhere that Wasim Akram had the highest number of unassisted wickets, or something like that.

[Paxter]

It's no wonder that Pakistan's two best bowlers of the last decade (Wasim and Waqar) had the highest percentage of bowleds and LBWs, which at least didn't require other fielders! I remember reading somewhere that Wasim Akram had the highest number of unassisted wickets, or something like that.

I'm not too sure about highest number of unassisted wickets in total, but at one stage "lbw Akram" was the most common unassisted dismissal in test match history (although that has long since been surpassed by "b Muralitharan").

ETA: Just ran the stats, and it turns out that Murali has the most unassisted dismissals with 317, followed by Warne with 254, Kumble with 250, Akram with 221 and Younis with 212. If I ran the proportions, I reckon you would probably be right and Akram and Younis would be at the top.

[Jeor]

I'm not too sure about highest number of unassisted wickets in total, but at one stage "lbw Akram" was the most common unassisted dismissal in test match history (although that has long since been surpassed by "b Muralitharan").

ETA: Just ran the stats, and it turns out that Murali has the most unassisted dismissals with 317, followed by Warne with 254, Kumble with 250, Akram with 221 and Younis with 212. If I ran the proportions, I reckon you would probably be right and Akram and Younis would be at the top.

Hm...well, it's possible Wasim may have had the most before the spinners (Murali, Warne and Kumble all had quite a number of years of bowling after Wasim retired) overtook him. Otherwise I could have just misheard and he probably had the highest proportion, rather than highest total number.

As an aside to this match...the umpires have had a good match. Anytime that you get all four umpire reviews burned in the first four sessions of the match shows you're doing well.

[Paxter]

Hm...well, it's possible Wasim may have had the most before the spinners (Murali, Warne and Kumble all had quite a number of years of bowling after Wasim retired) overtook him. Otherwise I could have just misheard and he probably had the highest proportion, rather than highest total number.

Yeah, you were almost certainly correct. The spinners probably wouldn't have overtaken Younis and Akram in terms of total unassisted dismissals until the mid-2000s.

ETA: Well, England 7 down now. Pakistan are actually extremely lucky that they haven't been punished further for their errors in this match - the two dropped catches and missed stumping have cost them a total of 65 runs, which isn't really all that bad. Trouble is that their brittle batting order may well cancel out that piece of good fortune.

[Paxter]

That was a good old-fashioned lower-order collapse, England losing 6-17 after the partnership between Collingwood and Morgan. Big task ahead for Pakistan now.

[Jeor]

Big collapse, the last 6 wickets fall for only 17 runs. No surprises that all the wickets to fall today didn't involve fielders making a catch (3 LBWs, one bowled, one runout). ;)

It's a real pity Pakistan didn't shoot them out for less - their batting really is so weak that they need to blast out the opposing batting order in quicktime for them to have any real chance. And I'm afraid with a lineup thin on quality (no one averages 40+) as well as depth (Kaneria and Asif are automatic wickets so you're almost playing with only 9) an England total of 354 looks quite adequate. They might have managed a decent innings against Australia but England's bowlers will bowl better in home conditions than Australia did.

[sckma]

Pakistan's openers have generally built a pretty good platform. They'll need them to do the same. But what a collapse! esp for lower order that's generally pretty strong! prior, swan and broad all are very good with the bat. Well done to Asif, great bowling from him.

I'm expecting butt to lead from the front, and hoping umar akmal plays a great innings, and not throw it away like he is inclined to.

also good first over from broad.

[ljkeane]

Disastrous start from Pakistan with the bat, they need Umar Akmal to step up to the level he can play at now. Why Ali didn't referred his dismissal I don't know.

I think it's absolutely clear now that they need to stiffen up their middle order and there should be no doubt that they need to get Younis Khan into the team before the next test.

ETA: Well Umar Akmal has gotten out in the time it's taken me to write this post so that hope's gone.

[Daeric]

49/6 at time of writing, the question is will the English bowlers let the lower order build as they have recently or actually twist the knife for once.

[Jeor]

Disastrous start from Pakistan with the bat, they need Umar Akmal to step up to the level he can play at now. Why Ali didn't referred his dismissal I don't know.

I think it's absolutely clear now that they need to stiffen up their middle order and there should be no doubt that they need to get Younis Khan into the team before the next test.

ETA: Well Umar Akmal has gotten out in the time it's taken me to write this post so that hope's gone.

This Pakistani batting is paper-thin. These days international bowlers must relish bowling to them as much as they would Bangladesh. And while Umar Akmal still has great talent and potential, he hasn't made a half century in his last 10 innings (albeit there are a couple of 49s in there). I hope for his (and Pakistan's) sake that he doesn't become another one of these 'flash in the pan' talents.

[Paxter]

England have lost their last 11 wickets for just 89 runs, but the Morgan/Collingwood partnership in the first innings means that Pakistan going to be chasing at least 300 in the fourth innings. That's probably 100-150 runs too many for this batting line-up.

Pretty decent performance from Umar Gul though - 65 not out in no time and 3-15 have at least made things interesting.

[Daeric]

I think you spoke too soon there Pax, another nice upper order collapse by Pakistan really has put this beyond their reach.

Finn did a very good job sticking around for Prior to get his hundred, specially since from 95 to 98 prior got singles at the start of the over.