I’m not happy at being an Australian at the moment.
Spent the time last night watching the great Tom Watson playing the 18th at St.Andrews. Reminiscing on Tom I can’t remember there ever being anything spoken in anger either by him or about him. His final words were great and the reception he received walking up the fairway was magnificent.
Watson has spent the last 40 years on the circuit and without doubt his name will be forever etched as a sportsperson without peer.
I can’t say the same about our enfants terrible – Tomic and Kygrios. I won’t give them the courtesy of their Christian names as they haven’t earnt it let alone calling them “mate”.
Who do these brats think they are? We have given them everything yet really, we have got nothing in return. Our name as a sporting nation is beginning to stink around the world
It is a magnificent day at NW8 and I am seeing clouds that I never see in Mildura. Fluffy, fleecy like cotton wool.
Hawthorn aren’t in cotton wool and they bounce out of the blocks against Sydney and are five goals up at quarter time.
Cook and Stokes start the day in aggressive mood. This is a new English team and we like what we see. Stokes is very impressive and he brings up his 50 with a lovely drive through the covers of Johnson.
England wins the first hour. It had been absorbing right from the start of play with the Australian bowlers going all out and the batsmen on the attack
Reigning premiers Hawthorn continue their dominance over Sydney with Rioli playing outstanding football. At three quarter time they lead by 55 points. The Bluebaggers are hanging in against Freo with the Dockers leading by 20 points.
Clarke turns to Smith (my joker) in endeavour to break the partnership. It did not work.
Australia is a bit like Sydney, trying hard for little result. The Swans are even further behind. Hawk coach Alistair Clarkson reminds me of Bart Cummings preparing his charges for the one big event.
Stokes goes! Playing on to Mitch Marsh for 87. 5/175 nearing the lunch break and a great breakthrough for the visitors. The first time ever that three Mitchell’s have taken Test wickets in the same innings. For his team.
Stokes had played a fine innings and had defied the Australians for a long time.
Lunch time 5/181 Cook (56) a splendid captain’s knock and England took the points.
A controversial catch/non catch by Nevill from Buttler’s bat off Johnson will be talked about for a while. The third umpire a New Zealander says “no catch”. Where is the Anzac spirit?
Johnson vents his spleen and his next over is fast and furious.
Nevill gets his just reward when he takes a sharp nick from Buttler (5) off Lyon 6/210. Peter Nevill has been very impressive behind the stumps. A very good debut.
England has depth in their batting as Moeen Ali comes to the wicket at 8. The Worcestershire man opens the batting in the short game and sometimes for his County.
Cook and Moeen settle in with a sound partnership of 56. Cook looking pretty for a century plays one back into his stumps of Marsh and is out for 96. 7/266 with the new ball due in 2 overs.
No doubt Australia will bat again when they finally get England out. The fast attack will need a break and we will probably see a fast and furious second dig .
With the sun shining through the window I unfortunately fell asleep for the last 10 minutes before tea. England 7/285 with Moeen 38 and Broad 5.
Moeen goes soon after tea lbw to Hazlewood for 39 and Wood (4) follows soon afterwards clean bowled. The young quick has taken 2/5 in a very good spell England now 9/306
Broad (21) tickles Johnson to Shaun Marsh at first slip and the innings is over for 312. Anderson not out 6. Johnson and Hazlewood 3 each and M.Marsh 2 where the most successful of the bowlers.
With a lead of 254 Australia will bat again for 80 minutes to set up a big lead tonight.
What will Australia do? More to the point what will England do?
Well it was England who bowled well early beating the bat with good balls and making life difficult for the Australian openers.
Warner’s form has deserted him. He is having trouble timing the ball despite getting balls he would normally cream to the boundary. He is a determined cuss and he is getting there.
Another opening partnership of 50 plus and while it looked slow it was obtained in 49 minutes.
Warner and Rogers continue with the run push and will be looking for a lead of 350 plus before stumps.
The telescopic lights have come out of bed with 7 overs to go. What a great move it was a few years ago to give the umpires final say on the light. The introduction of lights as part of Test cricket has also given spectators more play. What next?
The first ever Test Match between Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide in November will be an interesting test with the pink ball.
Warner reaches a very good fifty from controlled batting. His indiscretion in the first innings is far behind him. He has learnt his lesson.
100 up for the seventh time between these two Australians. At 0/108 a lead of 362. Warner, back in form with 60 and Rogers on 44.
Australia has won the day and taken complete control. With two days to go and weather providing the visitors are odds on to win the game.
About Bob Utber
At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.
The 90-year old Watson blowing the Open the other year with the 3-putt on 18 still one of my great sport regrets : (
I hope come 3pm on Monday we are not regretting the decision to exclude Fawad. Ah-med!
Great stuff Citrus. Loving the reports. I’m sitting in the kitchen trying to interpret the report written by Chris Barrett from The Age on line. It’s like it’s been written by an 8 year old. The header says that “Australia tighten grip” on the Test. What? The article is full of “England are” and “Australia are”, then he writes “…there is no footnotes on the scoreboard.” Absolutely appalling. Is it now Melbourne’s biggest rag newspaper? Think I’ll just stick with the Almanac.
Cranky, Tom Watson struck that 7 iron just too purely and it flew about 2 yards beyond the landing area. Otherwise he was close. Brilliant performance.
Good on you CB Utber.
We probably should acknowledge the capacity of these English to play for the draw.
It’s a serious skill; one held by AN Cook, JE Root and formerly IR Bell, at the least.
A skill not really valued in selecting the Australian team (CJL Rogers aside).
Taking ten more wickets not straightforward from here.
Thanks Citrus Bob taking 10 wickets on this road is going to take a very good team bowling performance
We could win this inside 4 days if Johnson gets on a roll.
Well played,Nostra Dips you called it ! Seriously tho pathetic lack of fight by both sides in the 4th innings of both tests so far has 20 20 cricket meany sides no longer at least fight for a draw ?
Rulebook – I think the 20/20 cricket has something to answer for.
Just watched Mick Fanning getting attacked by a shark in a surfing competition in South Africa. Extraordinary stuff. Luckily he got out of it OK. Bloody big shark !!
Dips – referring to your spray at The Age online,
Reminded me of this one on Media Watch a fortnight ago.
It’s a story on the rise of robots in online news publishing.
Software is written that creates articles automatically – just plug in a few pertinent facts, let the software do the work. Amazing stuff.
http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4268654.htm
In the new world, the future may be in differentiating yourself from others.
Using a voice.