45HG

Chris Gayle / wow!

Good to see Kane Williamson chalk up 6.1 - 4 - 5 - 2

A win on this pitch with no Clarke could boost confidence. Not losing 4-0 is pretty big, too. But you're right, it won't change a great deal. Will the Haus play in the Ashes? Geez, if injuries go our way we could have a very strong bowling line up to take to England. I think we'll get fairly outplayed in England for the most (although, 2009 was much closer that it seemed IMO) but I think the return series here will be almost dead level - we need to find at least two quality bats in that time, however.

The last two balls are possibly the worst pair I've seen in Australian cricket. Mitchell Johnson throws at the keepers end when the batsman was in his crease, not looking for a run, the ball goes a meter of Wade's head for four. Pattinson bowls one a mile down legside, unlucky for Wade that it was called byes not wides.

No doubt about it, AB is a gun - my word Amla is a champion. Starc is a wonderful cricketer. He plays the game in a great spirit. Dangerous with the ball and shows wonderful application with the bat, whether he's trying to bat it out or play his shots. Pujara looks mighty impressive. Unlucky to be given out. It'll be interesting if Haddin plays (well) in the 4th...

Dhawan has also scored about 6000 first class runs as well.

Dhawan scores the fastest century on debut!

Starc one run short of a century. Vics 12 runs short of a final?

Haha knew it'd happen. Pushes for Clarke to move up for over a year. Bats three - gone first ball. Unlike Clarke to be so undone by spin - good bowling, poor batting, team imbalance distracting or a combination of them? Australia's No. 3 against spin: last 40 balls, 0 runs, five wickets Nasher!

Vic's 7/264

I just don't particularly think people skills were there forte. I think we're still coming to grips with how KOTD we were to have had the likes of McGrath, Waugh and Gilchrist - not even to mention Ponting and a couple of handy openers in Langer and Hayden. They made the two aforementioned captains look much better than they actually were in my opinion.

Ponting, Waugh, inclusive of all? Not from what I've gathered.

If two teammates went with Hussey, does that mean the other 10 or so went with Clarke?

My man Kumar has just notched up two centuries in a test on what, on paper, appears to be an incredibly grueling pitch that has tested most batsmen.

Southee bowling to Cook. Right hander getting good swing going, why he would come around the wicket is beyond me.

I don't think anyone is saying that. In fact, everyone seems to agree. Moving Clarke to 3 or four wouldn't be an attempt to procure better batsmen - that's only a relevant issue insofar as he is being moved up because our other bats are no good.

Agree with HT. It's all well and good to say find a good batsman who can play top 4. The reality is that we don't have one. Until we find one, we need our best batsmen in there. It is pointless for him to come in at 3 for not much before quickly losing any support. It worked better for him with Hussey at 6 but with him gone, the bottom has really fallen out I think. Our tail may start earlier now but that's more of a reflection of our poor batsmen. No use batting Clarke lower to preserve the back-end - we need him strengthening the top. A clear succession plan should've been in place long ago.

Here we go.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/623459.html - Wow!

I suppose we see things differently. I believe that moving out country's best bat into the top four is the only real way to strengthen it. Dreading the Ashes!

How long until Clarke moves up the order?

45's Best XI Player Nation Age Tests Keiran Powell (WI) (22) 13 3 centuries and 2 50s at 32.66 including an average of 83 this summer. A very classy young player who has an obviously promising future (as was underscored by his performances in the one dayers for W.I. Also has 8 catches. Highest score 134. 51 in the world. Ed Cowan (Aus) (30) 14 1 century and 5 50s at 32.65, averaged 45.6 against the world's best S.A. lineup (including a century). Values his wicket and is tough to remove, often seeing off the new ball. Also a handy close-in fielder. (Plays for Tassie!) Highest sore 136. 44 in the world. Kumar Sangakarra (SL) (35) 115 All class. 30 centuries and 41 50s and a batting average of 55.8. 11 times he's reached over 190, second only to the Don. 8 double centuries! Wicket-keeping, captaining legend of the game. Highest score 287. 5th in world rankings. Kevin Pietersen (Eng) (32) 92 22 centuries at 49.42. Dislike him immensely, but his batting talents cannot be denied. Shame to say he's the Colin Sylvia of my team! Has an average over 44.5 against all test-playing nations except Pakistan. Highest score 227. 8th in world rankings. Azhar Ali (Pak) (28) 27 4 centuries and 14 50s at 42.26. Another up and coming player, solid technique and suffered a few dodgy dismissals against SA recently (including his teammate running him out!) Highest score of 157 and another who really values his wicket. 11th in world rankings. Kane Williamson (NZ) (22) 20 3 centuries and 5 50s at 30.27. Very young, raw but extremely talented bat. Already has some match-winning knocks to his name. Highest score 135. Also a handy spinner, taking 8 wickets at 53 (averaging 38.5 last year). 38 in the world. Tim Southee (NZ) (24) 21 Has 65 wickets, 3 5 wicket hauls, at 35.04 with a best bowling of 7/64 (in India!). His bowling average last year was 22.64! Also very handy with the bat. Has 2 50s, highest score of 77*. Along with Williamson, Southee is a young-gun who is helping to form a bright future for the Kiwis.18.74/35.04 (22.64 last year). 22 in the world. Vernon Philander (SA) (27) 16 Gun. 89 wickets in 16 matches (Very close to a record). His bowling average is a world-beating 17.13!!! 9 5 wicket hauls, 2 10 wicket matches, best bowling of 6/44, strike rate of 36.8! Another very handy bat, 2 50s at 22.75 with a high score of 74. 4th best all-rounder in the world. Number 2 bowler in the world. Pragyan Ojha (Ind) (26) 20 Staggered he wasn't selected for the first test. Has 95 wickets at 31.62 (very good for a spinner). 5 5 wickets innings and a best bowling of 6/47. Has averaged 14.5 over the past two years. 8th in the world. Tino Best (WI) (31) 18 Fiery W.I. quick coming back into the fold. Bowling average of 26 but averaged 16.27 last year. Best bowling of 6/40. 39 in the world. Ben Hilfenhaus (Aus) (29) 27 Very handy Tasmanian quick. Great bowling average of 28.5 and over the past two seasons he has averaged 22.06. Best bowling 5/75 and could be vital in the Ashes. Number 10 in the world. Between selecting my team on the fly whilst travelling abroad, beginning my prep-teaching career and now enduring some kind of indoor-soccer et. 4 year olds plague I can't be bothered defending the team (as if it needs it). It's been a haphazard arrangement on my behalf. I think the bats have a good mix of experience and I really rate my young guys. Cowan is iffy and my drunken selection of Tino Best has hurt the balance of my side I think. Mind you, Southee, Philander with Hilfenhaus and Best to back them up with Ojha and Williamson with the spin is a pretty threatening attack and I'd back Kumar, Pietersen and an improved Powell, Williamson and Ali to chase down any target that bowling lineup restricts opposition to.

A massive choke.

Great practice. If you can play sport, we'll fast track your citizenship. If you're not, you can rot in Nauru etc.

When you're forced to follow-on, the last thing you want is to lose a wicket first ball of the innings!