Tuesday, July 26, 2005
One down - four to go...
I guess it was inevitable that, after collapsing to 21-5, England lost the first test. It was nice to see Pieterson stand up and biff them about a bit, but worrying that no other batter looked comfortable.
The mind games have obviously started in earnest - Warne deliberately delaying each ball to Bell; the odd comment aimed at each batsmen, except Pieterson who got the cold shoulder (except when McGrath left him face down in the dirt first ball Friday); and the short pitched bombardment to lower order batters in retaliation to England's initially similar approach.
The worst part of the defeat was the seeming inability to cope with Warne (and it wasn't exactly the best (worst) turning pitch in the world!). The team has changed a lot recently (with five making their debuts versus the Aussies), and we may have lost the technique that, say, Stewart, Hussein, Atherton, and Thorpe had when playing the leg spinner. Trescothick and Strauss dangerously played no strokes, Bell fatally! Others slogged, or blocked, with hope on each occasion. To me, Warne only bowled two type of ball in this match - the "leggie", and the "slider" (which looks like a leggie but acts like the "flipper" and goes straight on). You would like to think that the management may have prepared the players for these balls? Watching TV pictures of Bell batting against a mechanical contraption that could spin the ball prodigiously was fun - but the machine bowled the same ball time after time, and you knew what was coming - maybe Bell should ask Warney what he's bowling before each ball? Crazy!
The bowlers did OK - and can do better. Harmison looks good and dangerous each spell; the Aussies are paying him respect which means he must be good! Flintoff is accurate and aggressive; Jones (S) a bit in and out, but when on song, aggressive; and Hoggie swings it when the weather is right and tries hard. Giles was ineffective and long-term needs replacing (Monty Penasar?).
Jones the glove lost his confidence after the one-handed drop (why did he not use his left hand too???) and must now be under real pressure. His batting will save his place for test 2 but he needs to improve...
Vaughan also needs to improve his captaincy, which (as Hussein did) follows the ball after it has gone.
Marks out of ten? 4....mainly due to the bowlers and our Kev.
The mind games have obviously started in earnest - Warne deliberately delaying each ball to Bell; the odd comment aimed at each batsmen, except Pieterson who got the cold shoulder (except when McGrath left him face down in the dirt first ball Friday); and the short pitched bombardment to lower order batters in retaliation to England's initially similar approach.
The worst part of the defeat was the seeming inability to cope with Warne (and it wasn't exactly the best (worst) turning pitch in the world!). The team has changed a lot recently (with five making their debuts versus the Aussies), and we may have lost the technique that, say, Stewart, Hussein, Atherton, and Thorpe had when playing the leg spinner. Trescothick and Strauss dangerously played no strokes, Bell fatally! Others slogged, or blocked, with hope on each occasion. To me, Warne only bowled two type of ball in this match - the "leggie", and the "slider" (which looks like a leggie but acts like the "flipper" and goes straight on). You would like to think that the management may have prepared the players for these balls? Watching TV pictures of Bell batting against a mechanical contraption that could spin the ball prodigiously was fun - but the machine bowled the same ball time after time, and you knew what was coming - maybe Bell should ask Warney what he's bowling before each ball? Crazy!
The bowlers did OK - and can do better. Harmison looks good and dangerous each spell; the Aussies are paying him respect which means he must be good! Flintoff is accurate and aggressive; Jones (S) a bit in and out, but when on song, aggressive; and Hoggie swings it when the weather is right and tries hard. Giles was ineffective and long-term needs replacing (Monty Penasar?).
Jones the glove lost his confidence after the one-handed drop (why did he not use his left hand too???) and must now be under real pressure. His batting will save his place for test 2 but he needs to improve...
Vaughan also needs to improve his captaincy, which (as Hussein did) follows the ball after it has gone.
Marks out of ten? 4....mainly due to the bowlers and our Kev.
