Nasher

Anyone whose name is Ian but pronounces it "eye-an" has my vote.

It is what it is.

Pissing down with rain this morning here. I live half an hour south of Hobart and it tends to rain more here than it does there, but let's hope it's raining up in the "big smoke", so that play is abandoned and we stop running their batsmen in to form with the pie chuckers we've got in the 'A' side.

In the Tasmania vs Queensland game, Tassie 2/268. Silk 107, Cosgrove 74, Cowan 57*, Bailey 22*. Bailey's 22 have come of 20 balls, including five 4s; all the other batsmen had strike rates in the order of 50. Think someone forgot to tell him he's not playing on roads in India any more. Harris 1/86 and has been the most expensive of the bowlers.

Opening the batting now (2 not out) in his first Shield game of the year. Apparently has shed 16 kilos in a couple of months. He's 29 now, it's not too late to knuckle down and make something of his undoubted talent. I'd love to see him extract a digit, get fit and get himself picked. Not holding my breath though - and quite happy to have him help Tassie to another Shield if he can't. His batting partner is Jordan Silk, who already has two centuries to his name in 6 first class matches. Doolan, Hilfy and Ed Cowan also playing, though you'd think the latter is finished at Test level. Plenty of interest in this game.

With the way we've been batting in recent years, the "extra rest" he gets at batting at 5 instead of 3 is about 15 minutes.

Amazing that we're short of quality bowlers given our stocks of talent. What a disastrous run of injuries, almost unbelievable really. Alex Doolan pressing his claim for a place with a match winning century in the fourth innings against a strong NSW side. Also scored a 50 in the first innings, and his century was the only one scored in a match where no team managed to reach 300 in any of the four innings. I didn't see a ball of the game, but it sounds good in the context.

Bailey is busy scoring billions of runs with the Australian ODI squad. 156 of 114 balls last night if you don't mind.

Bailey is busy scoring billions of runs with the Australian ODI squad. 169 of 114 balls last night if you don't mind.

Wha, there was a ODI series on? I switched off literally the minute the last Test finished.

Ashley Mallett said Ashton Agar was easily the best spinner in Australia. He may be eventually, but he isn't yet. Shane Warne once said Bryce McGain was the best spinner in Australia. You might forgive me if I don't take MacGill's word as gospel.

Agree on those changes, Rhino. Would also like to add some man love for Ryan Harris. Considering that at 30 he looked a journeyman Shield bowler who had never been and would never be anywhere near Test cricket, his rise to first rate international bowler is amazing. His bowling Test average is superior to his first class record, and his batting is comparable. Let's just hope the string and chewy holding his body together can hold out a year or two more.

What about the idea of not using it for the line/impact elements of LBW? I.e. the pitching, bounce, impact part of the LBW are just always set to "umpire's call", and the DRS can only be used to determine if the batsman hit it or not. I think this would solve the problem of the players overusing it (i.e. batsman like Cook and Watson seemingly believing that they are immune to getting out LBW), and it takes away the annoyance of LBW decisions being reversed all the time when it's a marginal call. LBW is the only way to get out in the game where the decision is not black and white, i.e. requires judgement from the umpire, so my view is to leave that judgement with the umpire. For everything else (caught, bowled, stumped, run out, the "I hit it" aspect of LBW), it's clear cut: you hit it or you didn't, you were over the line or you weren't etc; the DRS should be able to manage that quite sufficiently without creating the problematic grey areas we are currently seeing in LBW decisions.

...for England? He's playing as a non-international player and has retired from Cricket in Australia. He could be the next Darren Pattinson.

Quick, rush Ed Cowan back!We're gone. The cupboard is completely bare. It's the Aussie equivalent of out: Pedersen in: Dunn.

What are your grounds for claiming that? He had a lengthy time out, but for the latter half of the Shield season he was a regular feature. His form isn't much at the moment, but there's not much doubt about his fitness. I expect that within the next 12 months he'll be pressing for Test selection once again.

I thought the same thing about an MFC parallel. The results are similar too, gallant enough in defeat to give you some heart, followed up in the next match with a crushingly pathetic performance that makes you think there is just no hope. Jeez I'm tired of supporting rubbish sport teams.

Jackson Bird should play purely because we're clearly lacking a genuine number 11

I thought he hit it. I was definitely in denial for the first few minutes, but he hit it. Still, feels like it's ended on a technicality rather than drawing to its natural conclusion.

That is absolutely devastating. I feel completely crushed.

Agar's good for another 97 or so you'd think

Exactly. The whole purpose of the review is to eliminate clear errors. Even if we pretend for a moment that the LBW decision was line ball - if teams are choosing to roll the dice and use reviews on line ball decisions in the off chance they might get overturned and aren't successful, then they have no right to complain when there are no reviews left to use on the genuine mistake.

Tell you what, it'll be awfully disappointing if it turns out that he's an ordinary bowler.

I switched the telly off at 9/117. Checked the scores at lunch, and aborted plans for going to sleep (which I really, really needed to do!) and switched it back on. So glad I did. Such an amazing innings. Phil Hughes I thought was Mike Hussey-esque - Hussey was a specialist for playing near-flawless innings while in the shadow of someone else. Fair to say Agar won't ever bat at 11 again. All the quicks failed with the bat yesterday, but on paper they are all decent, and we'd have an embarrassment of riches having James Pattinson bat at 11.

Jack Watts? Does a player have to be small to be a small forward?