Little Richard

A little birdy told me that a lot of the drama and Trott's breakdown was due to Swann sleeping with Trott's better half.

Smith gone very early again. Opposition captains just can't catch a break at the moment in the face of Harris and Johnson. I'd like to see them destroy Smith mentally like they did to Cook - it looks as though it may have already happened. He's faced 77 balls for the series.

Quite a collection!

Thanks, I'll give that a go.

Shooting my first short in the coming month, pretty pumped! Anyone seen The Raid? Apparently a kick ass kung fu cop movie, based in Indonesia. Downloaded a version but it turns out it's subtitled in French (all the dialogue is in Indonesian). Unfortunately I'm not fluent in French, though I studied Indo at school. It's all gone now though.

Very happy with my batting lineup as of recent times - Clarke, Taylor, Du Plessis, Bravo, Gambhir and Dhoni performing well. Bowling aside from Johnson is not very good though. Anyone know where Ajantha Mendis is theses days? Just another mystery spinner to disappear into the annals of cricketing history?

Johnson and Stokes both cited for contact (when Stokes was running and Johnson didn't move). Nothing will come of it I think.

And Smith

I'll be expecting Lyon to take a few wickets second innings if the pitch wears - bowled really well in the first innings. They definitely made the right choice in honoring Lyon's decent test form over Ahmed's shaky first class form.

Keep Lyon in. 3 quicks, 1 spinner plus Smith and Watson makes 6 bowling options.

Not a chance.

Anyone seen 100 bloody acres? Low budget slasher flick, Australian and starring Angus Sampson and Damon Harriman. Has the odd stat of being the third most illegally downloaded Australian film in the last few months. Also won a couple of awards and got some great reviews.

Spoke too early, Cowan out for 78.

If Cowan posts a very big score, it will be interesting to see the selectors reaction.

He manages to front pad thrust his way to 90 pretty well...

Watson, who continually makes it to the 90's, only to get himself out? The evidence is there, just look around.

No, I was saying a lot of his club cricket has probably also contributed to the 'hit out or get out' mentality that he often shows. I agree that we are bereft of technically good batsman, that much is obvious. 20/20 though is affecting the players games though, as I said above, in terms of concentration at the crease and not knowing when to attack or defend. There are plenty of examples of our batsmen getting themselves out over the past couple of years in that way and the big scores (batsmen batting on after 100) are less and less each year. Due in part to talent and skill but also this plight.

That is my point, the 20/20 matches and the extra focus on it these days really affects the batsman's ability to concentrate, at least in Australia. If Warner had been brought into tests before 20/20 there is a good chance he would have developed better concentration and discipline at the crease, rather than playing rash shots and being indecisive as to when to attack and defend. And I believe that in his club cricket, Warner was also playing 20/20 and 50 over matches. It is affecting arguably all the bats aside from Clarke, who is obviously our best bat.

And there in point is what 20/20 cricket has done to our test players.

I reckon Cosgrove could if he got serious.

Cameron White a smokey for the first test? Probably not but putting his name back out there as a serious candidate.

Has anyone seen Mystery Road, new Australian western sort of movie based in an indigenous community in far west NSW? Stars Aaron Pedersen who was from Water Rats and more recently City Homicide (where I thought he was absolute rubbish as an actor) and he does very well. Also has Hugo Weaving, Tasma Walton and Damien Walshe-Howling, who played Benji Veniaman. Saw it last week and thought it was quite good though there were a few loose ends to the plot and the dialogue was lacking a bit in flow.

It's amazing how scenes and shots in major productions are shuffled and altered to get brand recognition in, there are a couple of very good docos about it.

Wonder if we'll have a serious look at Tom Cooper as a potential national selection? If he keeps scoring shield runs like this they would have to contemplate it. What would the process be anyway, to get him into the Australian side and off Holland's list/payroll (hypothetical).

It was a big influence in my display name and pic