grazman

Been listening to a lot of new music lately. Some of my favourites are: The Horrible Crowes: Elsie The Black Keys: El Camino Pygmy Lush: Old Friends Bruce Springsteen: The Promise BRMC: Beat the Devil's Tattoo White Denim: D Tom Waits: Bad as Me Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin: Let it Sway Oupa: Forget Eagerly waiting for the new releases from British India, Pearl Jam and Boy in a Box's debut album.

I must be losing touch with reality.... a man selected to play for his country, leaves to go home - not because his nearest and dearest is on death's door, but is just emotionally overwrought. Hmmm. Maybe I'm lacking in sentimentality but when you lie down with dogs, you'll wake up with fleas. I miss the old days when we didn't know who the wives and girlfriends of the players were because they didn't matter

Siddle continued to bowl with fire and agression all innings, and that's why I'd like to see Dirk Nannes included. Hilfy is just going for mine and unless he can generate late swing in England his days as a test bowler are numbered, he's just not threatening for long enough periods. I can't see any value fast tracking a spinner, we just don't have one of test quality, Katich, Clark and North (if he can cement a spot) are good enough to roll out 20 overs an innings between them, but it needs to be supported with 4 genuine attacking bowlers. Johnson, Siddle, Clarke and Nannes would do plenty of damage IMO.

and I'm starting the Dirk Nannes for the Ashes Tour fan club. 151.6 kms an hour with more than a hint of reverse swing to finish the Bulls first innings. The man is intimidating.

In the history books now as of 5.30 EST.... Go the mighty Vics!!!!!

Vics putting Qld to the sword... but can only manage two players in the shield team of the year. What a joke!

No I wouldn't and I don't think they will. Remembering that the English team were in India during the Mumbai attacks and now the attacks in Lahore, there's a worrying new trend. All three countries have been subject to terrorist acts in the past and that's nothing new, but with the deteriorating situation in Pakistan there's a new trend emerging. These aren't opportunistic targets, and this isn't simply the old sectarian violence of Hindu V Muslim (or Buddhist). The attacks in Mumbai and Lahore demonstrate the sort of methodology and ideology of Al Qaeda/Taliban/Laskar i toiba etc. It's East vs West and in a region where it's relatively easy to recruit, train and disguise indigenous assassins then the security risks remain far too great. I expect to see more of the same types of attacks over the next few years given the relative ease in which they were conducted. (It was only the bravery of the bus driver and relative ignorance and inexperience of the attackers that saved the entire Sri Lankan team from being massacred)

I think that's an understatement. Anyone that saw the Four Corners program on Pakistan recently would see this as a very concerning, yet almost inevitable outcome of the fractured nature of the security environment there. The country is on the brink, lucky they don't have nuclear weapons

I'm a big fan of Ricky Ponting the batsman, not so much Ricky Ponting the captain. When you're 240 runs ahead after the first dig a test match has to be won, not saved from losing, particularly in a game that's lost time every day to adverse weather. Three or four overs before lunch to try and grab a quick wicket may not have worked, but if it had it would certainly have tightened the screws. We were plenty ahead anyway, SA needed to make the biggest ever second innings score at Wanderers to win on a pitch still offering assistance to the quicks and now turning as well. Anyway poor Mike Hussey. I like him, but completely out of form and the longer it goes on the more frustrating it is. I'm surprised they didn't promote Clark to four and put Hussey at five, I'm stunned they haven't tried it in SA.

I almost feel "unVictorian" for saying this, but Ronnie is in no way shape or form a test batsman. Doesn't move his feet and never looks comfortable. His bowling is serviceable, but hardly penetrating. His last test today I think. Looks like Ricky is dragging the chain with the declaration.

Great century on debut from North. He just looks so composed. 96 not out from Mitchell Johnson. I don't know why the selectors are dicking around with trying to 'produce' an allrounder. MJ is one already, he's all class when he bats. I'm glad Hilfenhaus has been given a go, I think he'll be important in England. Just a pity that McGain was ill and couldn't be selected.

All that matters is the Shield. Win the Shield and the 20/20 and Ford Ranger pale into insignificance. Win the 20/20 and Ford Ranger and lose the Shield and they still pale into insignificance.

Absolutely. I'd also suggest that our bowling is suspect. Apart from Bracken we have no-one we can rely on to keep it tight. Clark is actually a better bowling option than any regular spinner which is a huge worry. I'm bitterly disappointed with Ponting's captaincy. He's been shown up to be a fair weather skipper. He's devoid of any real ideas when the momentum needs to be turned. Bowling blokes like Tait and Johnson in batting power plays is just dumb. The pace works in favour of the batsmen who don't have to do anything except put their bat in the way to clear the infield. The selections are also baffling. The whole process seems so formulaic. Why has it taken so long for Ben Hilfenhaus to play, why isn't Katich (whose bowling adds more flexibility) playing while he's firing? You can afford to stick thick with blokes when you're winning, but this aint working.

Ronnie bags six for, and the Vics still in with a show to get another 4 points and really stretch the gap. - Mc Donald Should be included soon in the one day squad - though I'm not sure why he wasn't to start with. With the wheels really falling off the cart for us, I think it's a chance to go back to the drawing board and start afresh.

You think with his latest brain explosion on radio (what the hell was he on when he did this interview - definitely under the influence of something) that it's career over for Roy. I won't be sorry to see him go - 18 months ago maybe, now he's a liability in terms of his batting (doesn't value his wicket) and a walking headline off it. I still think the best option for South Africa is to bat Haddin at six and Johnson at 7 in the tests. Hauritz if he plays is a more than capable no 8. that still leaves space for three other bowlers. McDonald may tour, but his batting is suspect and Watson is unlikely to play a regular part in the future such is the nature of his fragile body.

I agree Mo. Captains usually have a say to a certain extent as to who plays in the side and who doesn't. Symonds at least strikes me as a Ponting selection. After being banished he came back in on reputation and not form, he's injured and has never shown the application to be regarded as a genuine test batsman. I really can't understand the rationale behind selecting an allrounder for the sake of having an allrounder when our dominance has been fixed around seven batsmen and four bowlers. I wonder how bad Michael Clark's back is - surely he's good for 6-8 overs for an innings? Listening to Shane Warne in the last test and watching Ricky Ponting's captaincy for a while, I think the two are chalk and cheese. Warney for all his faults has a great tactical mind, and would have made a superb captain. Ricky is just devoid of any creativity or spark. He backs his troops, but is completely dyslexic when it comes to the writing on the wall. Perhaps that's a little unfair, because this current South African team is going to be deservedly the number one team for a while. They're very good - not great, but a lot better than us. The real challenge isn't trying to gain respectability in the next test or trying to be competitive in South Africa, it's trying to build a side that can defend the Ashes, and in that regard the next four tests are vital, the results are meaningless. If I were a betting man, I think there'd be pretty good odds for the selectors continuing their conservative line, they'll replace the injured Lee with Hilfenhaus. Watson being injured complicates the matter, because he would have replaced Symonds. In Sydney I'd say they'll opt for Cameron White which would be the wrong decision in my book. Hayden will stay if he's retiring otherwise he's gone and Phil Hughes comes in. For me though the problem has been two fold, firstly it's the batsman that aren't making enough runs and this is compounded by sides like South Africa that aren't intimidated about chasing down reasonable second innings totals, and we can't buy a wicket when we need one. Number four is problematic, Hussey is as out of form as Hayden IMO. I'd swap him and Clark and if he doesn't make runs soon, then you need to consider either Brad Hodge or David Hussey. I'd move Haddin to six, his forms pretty good and Johnson and Hauritz are both pretty much all-rounders when it comes to the blade anyway. (In fact I'm happy to go on record as saying I think Johnson is probably a better batsman than he is a bowler). There's a lot not to like about that in terms of 'balance' but neither Symonds or Watson ever gave us enough with the bat to justify their selection ahead of a specialist batsman IMO. White gives you nothing in the bowling stakes and while I'd normally favour playing six specialist batsmen, we have real problems trying to find an attack capable of taking 20 wickets in a test (both in India and against South Africa) Siddle remains (though I'm not sold and in time I think he'll make way for Clark), Hilfenhaus comes in, it's a no-brainer, he swings the ball and takes wickets. The last position in problematic. I'm not interested in short term solutions and it doesn't worry me if we lose the series 3-0 or 2-1. Playing Kreja would seem logical on a turning pitch, but the real question for me is whether he's going to be the man that helps us retain the Ashes. Both logic and my gut-feel tell me no. He's the best long term spin prospect for mine, but he needs time. ATM he bleeds runs and isn't a real threat. Which is why I'd go with Doug Bollinger. Like Hilfy he moves the ball in the air, and even though his last season of County cricket was poor, he could be the difference. All we can do is suck it and see, like I said if we lose the next four test matches, but find a combination that can defend the Ashes then that's all that matters.

Yesterday would have to go down as one of Australia's worst days in a test of the last twenty years. I blame not only the selectors, but in some measure Ponting as well who obviously has some degree of influence. I love him as a batsman, but as a captain he's about as imaginative as the vegetarian alternative at a steak house. The problem obviously is in picking players that are basically not fit and not in form. Nothing has been done to enhance Brett Lee's career or Australia's chances of winning by hoping he'd last in this test and magically find form. Andrew Symonds was a gamble, both because of his knee and that he bats like a millionaire, the only way he'll ever make a big score is if the opposition keep grassing the chances that he regularly provides. Watson unfortunately doesn't make runs and is always injured anyway. I'd rather pick an in-form batsman. Michael Hussey, along with Gilly is one of my favourite cricketers of all time, but his rich vein of form has run out, we need him firing for the Ashes, which means he needs to make runs, which means he needs to be dropped. As for Hayden, It's all well and good for him to want to make a decision at the end of the series as to his future, but the future for Australia is now, he either intends to go on (in which case he's gone unless he makes runs today) or he wants to retire (in which case he gets a farewell test).

Unfortunately I'm holidaying in QLD at the moment and there's no channel 9 reception where I'm staying... bummer. I think Brett Lee's in trouble. He's taken 300 test wickets, but his best is only 5 for... (though granted for 200 of those wickets he had some handy competition at the other end) He just hasn't seemed to trouble batsmen for a while. I'm not a huge rap for Johnson, I like that he can bowl long spells at a consistently high pace, I just hate the negative tactics of continually bowling a foot outside off stump to a 7/2 field. That said most of his wickets yesterday were achieved by getting the batsmen to play (though Kallis like half of all Johnson's victims will be kicking themselves for playing something they would normally leave alone). Gavin Robertson made a good point about Kreja yesterday, he's a very attacking offspinner - which is a rarity in Australia, and I like his attitude, but he has to learn how to dry up the runs. Hayden won't or shouldn't be dropped. His heroics speak for themselves - he's an Australian cricketing legend. He's deserved the chance to fall on his sword. Anyone that reckons Michael Bevan should have had more test opportunities is kidding themselves... the guy couldn't play a short ball to save himself.

I was pleasantly surprised last night. I was expecting the customary sub-continent collapse after Ponting got out (memo to the Australian dressing room, Sehwag, Laxman and Ponting have all been dismissed trying to cut balls that were too full and pitched on or about off stump - play the percentages), but Katich and Hussey made batting look extremely comfortable last night and there's only the occasional ball that's doing something. There's absolutely nothing in the pitch for the fast bowlers and even the Indian quicks can't get the ball to reverse. If we can get through the first hour without losing another wicket I think we're still some sort of chance to actually build a lead and put the pressure back on the Indians, the key will be how quickly the pitch starts to deteriorate. I can't understand Cam White's selection given the reluctance of Ponting to bowl him, but I fully understand why Clarke (back) and Katich (opener) weren't given the ball, it's too much to expect your batsmen to make runs and take wickets. They're fine for a bit of a chop out, but not for extended spells. Sehwag suffered in the last test from having to bowl too many overs IMO. I admire Ponting's firm resolve as a captian - the Australians never dropped their heads after the first session when it never looked like they were going to take a wicket and he persevered with Kreja. Well done to the kid, what a debut, particularly after getting pasted early and then looking at figures over 200 runs. Hopefully the Indian spinners continue to push the ball through, because the dangerous ones are those that are tossed up and allowed to bounce. I'm bemused by test spinners that are intent on bowling in the 90-95 Kms range, it's not a one day match. Today should be one of the most intriguing day's viewing of the entire series. C'mon Aussie C'mon!

We absolutely must get them out for less than 400. I have a real fear of how we will handle Harbi on this pitch, unfortunately we don't play offspin very well and the pitch is doing enough already to suggest he'll really trouble our middle order. I'm ambivalent about Lee, his best figures in test cricket are five for and he really is the weak link in the pace attack imo. He seems like a genuinely nice bloke, but he's only bowling in the 130s and isn't troubling any of the batsmen at all. He also takes an eternity to bowl his overs and doesn't really move the ball in the air or off the deck. He'll be safe for a while, because even Merv could come out of retirement and take wickets against New Zealand.

I agree. I'm not a fan of offspin in general, because besides the chuckers in the game, most of them bowl far too flat and are worried about saving runs rather than taking wickets. At lest Krazy is giving the ball flight and he's actually bowling well. It's a pity McGain was injured, but the overall selection of the team reflects the steadfast conservatism of the selectors, at least the kid got one test match. Johnson and Lee bowling together is a worry, both are quick, but bleed runs, we need a paceman to keep it tight. Watson has been a pleasant surprise this tour. Thankfully the Indian Cricket Board backed down, cricket is the winner, it doesn't matter that you don't like the umpire's call, when you gotta go, you gotta go!

Cricket's governing bodies are turning the game into a joke, moreso because they consistently fall prey to the almighty dollar. The Indian Cricket Board appear hell bent on taking over world cricket on their terms. There's only one acceptable outcome for this, and that is for the ICC to stand firm and not let Gambhir play after it has suspended him, if they allow India to play then the game is in danger of suffering a schism that will split the cricketing world in two.

Nice... I was born on the April 11 in 68. Spent quite a few years in the Riverina teaching. Love the country life, but I'm in Canberra now.