Thursday, December 14, 2006
Monty Plays Shock!
Well that’s a bit better from an England perspective! Bowling the Aussies out on day one, and then setting about the task of knocking the runs off and taking a substantial first innings lead.
The damage was done by a resurgent Steve Harmison - who trapped colossus Ricky Ponting LBW for 2, then caught and bowled Michael Clarke, and finally wrapped up the tail – and, of course, Monty Panesar, who took five wickets on his Ashes debut. He is also the first England spinner to take five wickets at the WACA. Monty ripped the heart out of the batting line up, snaffling Langer, Symonds, Gilchrist, Warne, and Lee. Why oh why did the selectors not have enough faith to play him at Brisbane or Adelaide???
Finally, the message dropped for the management and they picked players who can win games, rather than those who are their best mates. In came Panesar for Giles, and Mahmoud for Anderson. It was a bold move, and one that should be applauded even if it may prove to be too little too late.
As predicted, the side that won the toss batted – Ponting being successful yet again. After a solid and unspectacular start, Hoggard had Hayden caught behind, then Harmison soon beat Ponting for pace and trapped him in front. Panesar came on and with his seventh ball, he bowled Langer. Monty celebrates like no other and it was a while before he could do so again. By then, Harmison had cut short a mini-revival with a good catch off his own bowling to get rid of Clarke.
The English spinner then spun his web and, after getting hit for a couple of big sixes, had Symonds caught behind by Jones, Gilchrist excellently caught at a running short leg by Bell, and then disposed of Warne (who had slogged a few) and Lee.
Harmy bowled short at the tail, got them worried, and then got them out. He finished with 4-48; Panesar with 5-92.
England needed a solid reply, but Cook fell to McGrath for 15, and Bell (nought) in the next over to Lee. At 37 for two, things looked bit rocky, but Collingwood survived a Warne drop at slip, and Strauss held firm at the other end.
Tomorrow will be the defining day of this match, and possibly the series.
If England bat all day, and well, they could take the game out of the reach of the Aussies. This would set up Monty to bowl late in the game and hopefully force a win. If England fail to force home the advantage, they may not get too or past the Aussie score, and then would have to beat the third innings score in order to win the match – probably too much for this team to do when the pressure is on.
Hopefully, by the time the cricket comes on the early morning radio tomorrow, England (say, Pieterson and Flintoff?) will still be batting, and a large total will be looming.
The damage was done by a resurgent Steve Harmison - who trapped colossus Ricky Ponting LBW for 2, then caught and bowled Michael Clarke, and finally wrapped up the tail – and, of course, Monty Panesar, who took five wickets on his Ashes debut. He is also the first England spinner to take five wickets at the WACA. Monty ripped the heart out of the batting line up, snaffling Langer, Symonds, Gilchrist, Warne, and Lee. Why oh why did the selectors not have enough faith to play him at Brisbane or Adelaide???
Finally, the message dropped for the management and they picked players who can win games, rather than those who are their best mates. In came Panesar for Giles, and Mahmoud for Anderson. It was a bold move, and one that should be applauded even if it may prove to be too little too late.
As predicted, the side that won the toss batted – Ponting being successful yet again. After a solid and unspectacular start, Hoggard had Hayden caught behind, then Harmison soon beat Ponting for pace and trapped him in front. Panesar came on and with his seventh ball, he bowled Langer. Monty celebrates like no other and it was a while before he could do so again. By then, Harmison had cut short a mini-revival with a good catch off his own bowling to get rid of Clarke.
The English spinner then spun his web and, after getting hit for a couple of big sixes, had Symonds caught behind by Jones, Gilchrist excellently caught at a running short leg by Bell, and then disposed of Warne (who had slogged a few) and Lee.
Harmy bowled short at the tail, got them worried, and then got them out. He finished with 4-48; Panesar with 5-92.
England needed a solid reply, but Cook fell to McGrath for 15, and Bell (nought) in the next over to Lee. At 37 for two, things looked bit rocky, but Collingwood survived a Warne drop at slip, and Strauss held firm at the other end.
Tomorrow will be the defining day of this match, and possibly the series.
If England bat all day, and well, they could take the game out of the reach of the Aussies. This would set up Monty to bowl late in the game and hopefully force a win. If England fail to force home the advantage, they may not get too or past the Aussie score, and then would have to beat the third innings score in order to win the match – probably too much for this team to do when the pressure is on.
Hopefully, by the time the cricket comes on the early morning radio tomorrow, England (say, Pieterson and Flintoff?) will still be batting, and a large total will be looming.
