Back from the dead

3rd Ashes Test

WACA Ground

by Steve Ingham

Day 2

Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.

Written by Mark Twain more than a century ago, but he could very well have been peering into the future and writing a press release for Mitchell Johnson. 10 days ago when left out of the Adelaide Test, the media were speculating, and asking the man himself, if Mitch’s career was over. Could he ever get back in the side? Could he find that inswinger again? Would he ever bat like he did in South Africa?

He has answered those questions, with a yes, yes, yes & yes. However, he still needs to prove himself to have something that has evaded him throughout his career, consistency. As a cricket loving public, we understand he is an x-factor, but the highs and lows cant keep being at the extreme’s of the 1st and 3rd tests of this series.

On Day 2 he was at his devastating best. After Strauss and Cook got off to a 70-run partnership, mainly due to loose bowling and a missed chance between keeper and first slip, and then Johnson was introduced. Within a handful of overs, Mitch had Cook caught at Gully, then swinging inswingers trapped Trott, Pieterson & Collingwood. Harris chipped in with the dismissal of Strauss and the Poms were on the ropes at 5/100 at lunch.

Could it be a side that had been so outplayed since Day 3 in Brisbane, have finally woken up and now were performing out of their skins! Speaking of skin, is their any chance of the reborn one putting on some more clothes in those Rebel Sport ads? I mean, Mitch, some pants or a singlet maybe??? Those ads suddenly don’t make me feel as distressed as the day before though, when he is bowling like this, he can wear whatever he wants.

After some fight put up by Ding-Dong Bell again, but with not much support, Johnson finished with 6 wickets that had us all remembering the 8-fa against the Proteas a couple of summers back, Harris took 3 and Siddle 1, leaving Hilfenhaus wicketless again, but wicketles isn’t so bad when you knock over a side for under 200. Smith and Watson weren’t even used, and remarkably, the 11 men in the baggy green’s took an 80 run lead into the second innings. Not any person expected that at stumps on day 1. It was all about how far behind we’d be.

After another 10 ads with Mitchell Johnson in his jocks, and a creepy male voice asking to see Michael Clarke’s dongle (id just like to see him use his bat for more than 15 minutes), I had to wonder where were all the good cricket ads? Like the one where Andrew Symonds on Hot Spot had a drumstick in his pocket? They’ve clearly stopped marketing at men, and now targeting our wives! Beware Men of Australia!

After a better looking, but still too short innings from Phil the wonder Kid, and another fail from the skipper, and the skipper in waiting, it was up to Mr Cricket, and that is only for the 5th time in this series. And at stumps, along with the Brick Sh*thouse Watson, they hadn’t let us down, steering us to a 200 run lead with 7 wickets in hand.

The whole country will now be watching to see if yesterday was a flash in the pan, or if we really are back!

Comments

  1. It appears that we’re back Steve!

    For now anyway.

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