Rhino Richards

He was nothing special unlike other pace bowlers who are very good in the field. I would not have picked Adam Dale in advance to take a catch like that. Mind you Monty Panesar has taken a great outfield catch so there is hope for us all. One thing I will say for Adam Dale. I saw him play a shield game for Qld vs Vic. Gee he could swing the ball. He was never going to get the right conditions in Australia often but when he did he was good to watch.

Vases can be replaced. Diving one handed catches are priceless!. The first thing I did when i bought my first home and took possession of the property was I kicked a full sized Sherrin all around the house including slotting some very good goals through doorways on the angle. I did this because my mother always told me not to kick a ball in the house and to do it only when i had my own house. So i did! BTW, both efforts are outstanding catches. Adam Dale's is especually good as he was always a duffer in the field. McGrath's diving catch at square leg fence was a very good catch as well. I still remember John Dyson's Australian rules catch at deep mid wicket to dismiss one of the WI bats. I was working in a pub at the time as a student and when the catch was taken the whole bar went wild and continued doing so every time the catch was replayed.

Fair comment. You do wonder why he want public on those 2 specific players. I dont the reason that the club has been too forgiving for decades is a valid justification of sending messages to players via the media. Such messages can be delivered face to face to each player or behind closed doors. I dont think any of the comments were humiliating but it is irrelevant matter when the issue is the mode of communication. Astute thinking. I agree Neeld will make changes to the leadership group and IMO Green and Davey (certainly) should be replaced. However I dont think you will be any the wiser when the leadership changes happen about what Neeld thinks of Watts and Davey

I couldnt agree more with the sentiments. Some of the old style "tuff" players were some of the most gutless individuals on a football ground whose spineless attacks on other players with eyes on the ball were rightly rubbed out and eliminated from the game. Leigh Matthews is one of the best footballers to have played the game but some of the behind the scene hits place a blot on a great record. The 1989 GF is indeed a great game. However some of the celebrated "phyisical" aspects of the game (eg Yeates on Dermie) were good examples of the cheap shot that thankfully has no part in modern football. In fact most of the 1980s GF would always start with a ridiculous pre mediated brawl which lowered and wrecked the football aspect of the game. Indeed the AFL have rightly determined that reportable offences committed on GF day are subject to stiffer penalties and rightly so.

Correct on both counts Bob. Watson is out for the summer according to reports. I would back the existing top 3. Marsh was a revelation before the back injury. He still has credits. Harsh call on Cowan who did so well in MEL on Boxing Day. India are getting stronger because of the financial pull they control over the game. The power in international cricket moved 15 years ago to India from the UK and the ICC can do nought without the blanket vote of the South Asian teams (India, SL, Pakistan and B'desh). This group is lead by India. Both SL and B'desh have financial obligations to the BCCI through funding/borrowing arrangements. While they are minnows against India they each have voting powers at ICC level. And its not a matter of cosy relationships as India does need to bhorse trade a situation as often they acted unilaterally and against the spirit of the game. Pakistan has done likewise and the Southern Asian block has done little to censure them. I am not sure they can get any more powerful.

Gee the pitch looks an absolute belter today. There appears no wear. Its far cry from the 4th and 5th day spinning dust bowls that used to be at the SCG in past years. As I speak Gambhir is out for 83. Again caught Warner and once again Siddle gets the break. This is an important break through. Now we have Very Very Susceptible Laxman coming in.

Agree with that. You should be looking at the grey on this occassion.

Interesting that when India got flogged by England 4-0 six months ago, Dravid hit 3 tons and was a shining light.

Fabulous catch to Warner to remove Sehwag. Pitch is a peach to bat on with little swing so catches like that are gold. And I agree with whats been said about Clarke's milestone and Bob put it well. Hussey has backed up MEL well. And to think people were prepared to drop all Ponting Hussey and Clarke without decent replacements last summer.

Good link. What is interesting is that most of the records happened in the past 12 years. Very little happened prior to 1998/99. Obviously some good batting but is this indicator of the benign pitches that have been served up in the past decade or so. Clarke on 289 is the highest score on the SCG. He should get his final score as a tattoo!

India are historically poor tourists but there record in recent years has not been that good. In Australia, there effort to score 700+ in a Test and not win the Test did not augur well. I think questions will be asked about the balance of their team for the Aust tour. The big question for me is what batting talent is coming through for India over the next year or so. There are some big shoes to fill once the big 3 players go. And it would appear here that they dont have a class spinner which they have had for at least 12 years or so with Kumble and Singh. Unfortunately there are some oversized egos in the Indian team that also should be generationally removed (Ganguly was thankfully the first to go).

I did not word it like i should have. I think both records are big ask but definitely achievable. But the 400 mark is the everist like peak. Thanks for the Statsguru pick up. Got to love it. Its exactly why I think Kallis is not far behind the Little Master. Just for safety, I would give them 550 plus on the basis that they have name batsmand and the pitch is not doing a lot. It still gives us 6 and bit sessions. From the BOM website the indications are not suggesting notable cricket interruptions.

If we are not bowled out then the question is when to declare today? A part of me wants to continue to strain and drain the Indian bowlers further. In my mind I have a target of 550+. I would give us the possibly the last hour to bowl at them. Given the weather is not looking like significantly taking time, this should be sufficient to attack the Indian batsmen given they have no hope left in the Test. If Clarke is still there then Hayden is definitely in the gun. He would have to be batting better than yesterday to get to Lara's score. Its not out of the question and within my proposed time/run target. Hayden made his runs batting as opener, Lara made his recrod at No 3. Clarke is batting at No 5. Does anyone have the Test highest score for a batsman coming in at 3 for??

Gillespie came in as nightwatchman against B'desh and batted on. Clarke detractors may argue similarly. I know the media love Tendulkar (and with good reason) but I am stumped how jacques Kallis is not considered just short of Tendulkar in class. Over 12,000 runs at over 50 average and 270+ wickets at approx 32. What a absolute star! I cant work out when you have an allround diamond like that how South Africa have not had sustained success as the leading Test nation following Australia's demise. He is worth two good players in any side. Seriously, I hope Clarke bats on for 300+ and grinds the Indian team in the dirt today for the following reasons: 1. To stretch and strain their tender 4 man attack. 2. To psychological blunt and batter the Indians for this Test and the rest of the Series. 3. To bowl a 2nd time when the bounce on the SYD pitch is more variable on the 4th and 5th day. 4. To repay them for hitting 700+ plus against us in 2004 at SYD. 5. For their appalling trucculent and spiteful display in SYD in 2008 over the Singh- Symonds affair. The involvement of Indian officials and senior players in knobbling of an ICC tribunal and umpire was appalling. Its ironic that they wont allow video replay on dismissals when they abused and kneecapped Steve Bucknor over his not out decision on Symonds. 6. For their perpetual whinging about issues from the top BCCI administrator down through to their cricketers. Kohli should be fined for his gesture to the crowd. Indian cricketers have continually shown cultural insensitivities towards other team supporters both here and overseas while demanding to be treated like royalty. Special thanks fo Julia GIllard for making them wait 15 mins outside Kirribilli.

Happy New Year old dee. He must have read your post. Superb knock from Australia's leading batsman. Accepted the 774 MacGilvray Award judged Australia's best cricketer over the past 12 months. Fair call.

He was not the only one that it happened to after that Test. Paul Sheahan made 125 but also did not play the next Test and also did not tour the WI. I dont think he played another Test for Australia. I believe at the time that Sheahan announced that due to his teaching profession demands that he was unavailable to tour for Australia. That put a black mark against his name. Sheahan was a talented batsman and an outstanding cover fieldsman. Also at that time, the selectors chose the team to tour the Windies at the same time they chose the third Test team against the Pakis. Watkins an unknown with less than 6 first class games was a raw leg spinning country boy who started the year playing in the Newcastle league at the start of the year and was playing for his country 3 months later. It was a jump too far. He could not land a ball on the pitch and his performance was marginally worse than Bryce McGains debut. He did put on an important 80 run 9th wicket partnership. He toured the WI played only 3 B grade carnival games where he got smashed out of the park. Apparently was badly affected by the pressure and experience of Test cricket and sadly suffered later in life. The third test was also the debut of Max Walker who took 6/15 in the 2nd innings to win the game. He had a great tour of the WI. Walker promptly retired from MFC.

Ben Hilfenhaus take a bow!. Refound his mojo and his swing. Well done and great stuff! Haddin five catches. Got to love Test cricket. On a day when the Indians were poised to build on their overnight score on a good batting strip, excellent bowling prevailed. The remaining days are going to be absolutely absorbing.

He might be in the pecking order behind Christian. If not then why the selectors choosing Christian at all. If India gets more than 100 runs in front on the 1st innings the lack of a true 5th bowler is going to hurt and I reckon Hussey's spot is in danger. Watson was confirmed as likely to be out for the rest of the series.

Another player with a back injury. On the radio they said Watson wont be back soon... If Hussey does not score big in the 2nd dig, I would play Christian. We looked exposed with only 4 bowlers today. Pattinson clearly the pick of the bowlers... Bowled well on a flat deck... Better batting tomorrow.

And there are more left handed batsman... I cant see why left handed batsman cant play left handed bowlers as well as right handers. The two left handed opening pairs I gave demonstrate that issue.

Mathew Hayden and Justin Langer Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook. What's not to like about it??? The 774 radio team said since 2008. They did go onto to say one has average over 50 and the other player has average 2.3 in that time. Hussey was undone by a great piece of bowling. Notwithstanding his misfortune, he was in an uncomfortable tangle. His batting was good in SL but has slipped since the SA tour and NZ. I think he is one more bad innings away from being dropped. Great day's cricket regardless.

Agree with the shortcomings. Given his history i cant think why you wouldnt have a Steven Baker/ Ryan Crowley type that could run with and pester him until he overheats. Regardless of where he is on the field he needs to deal with his lack of maturity and poor attitude. He shouldnt be in the leadership group and he needs to make a position his own this year rather than being a temperamental front runner.

Oops Tim. Thks for the correction. I can remember that Gayfer stepping horse. used to watch Cutho do some great marks in the 2nds game before the main game. Glenn Swann had a day out in a big victory against Geelong in the 70s. Here are the details: Round: 10 Venue: M.C.G. Date: Sat, 09-Jun-1973 2:10 PM Attendance: 19,900 Melbourne 2.6.18 8.13.61 16.16.112 20.19.139 Geelong 3.7.25 4.9.33 6.12.48 11.15.81 Glenn Swann kicked 8 goals that day. Diamond Jim kicked 6 goals too. Wow 14 goals from Coodabeens. Played 13 games for 21 goals but disappeared from the VFL scene after that. Wore No 36. Records have him down as 197cm and 81kgs. Skinnier than Cale Morton.

Given the MFC was an arm of the MCC and all MFC decisions of consequence were subject to MCC approval/veto, the MCC was not moving in the same direction as some of the aspiring clubs like Hawthorn, Carlton and Richmond. In addition each of those Clubs had a key off field mover and shaker. Bert Deacon (Carlton) and Graeme Richmond (Richmond) were influential in creating the champion sides they were. The MFC/MCC structure and the increasing diverging interests meant that MFC could not respond to the challenges ahead of it. And when it came to supporters, most/many MFC supporters would have been MCC members and the blur between the two outfits would have been greater. In addition, as a legacy MFC lacked a regional grassroots community where such club revivals can come from. And given the nature of the competition back then and the financial immaturity of Clubs, planning never extended beyond six months.

Agree with that assessment. Subject to injuries and suspensions and a bit of luck thrown in.......I think Hawks will be flag winners.