The Ashes – Fifth Test, Sydney Day 3: Australia in control
PINK TEST DAY 3
A gorgeous pink day in Sydney for the ‘moving day’. Australia in a good position to build on a big score and hope not to bat again on the last day.
Aside, the NSW lamingtons look revolting and only taste fair. Why is the coconut on top not finely grained for starters? Give me the chocolate coloured De Vils from SA any day. The red colour is indescribable as well.
Have just been told that the colour is for this Test match only but I won’t apologise.
Another aside. I have now seen Stuart Broad in four different coloured suits in the last two tests. He is a fashion-plate if ever there was one.
Neser and Head are getting some good work from Tongue and Stokes. Runs are hard to come by. It takes Head a while to get to his third century of the series. A punch through the mid-wicket from Stokes for four and a cover drive from Tongue took all of ten minutes. His wagon wheel looks superb punctuated with green all around the clock.
Pottsy, not having a good game so far, first two balls go to the boundary. Make that three. Things get worse for the young man and he has gone for 79 runs from his 10 overs.
Oh dear, oh dear. Head hooks Carse straight to Jacks on the boundary who takes his eyes off the ball in the last second and he spills it. Head now 125.
Crisis time as Carse reverts to short stuff with five men on the boundary. England must stem the flow of runs. Neser, who has a couple of first-class centuries to his name, is starting to play shots to compliment Head.
As usual when you make a statement like that something happens and Neser (24) falls to Carse. One must admire Carse he just keeps ‘having a go’ in good old fashion Aussie lingo.
150 for ‘Premier Pete’s Prize Pet’, 23 fours and 1 six in that score. A total of 98 without having to leave his crease.
Lunch and Oz are 3/281 and an interesting period of play coming up.
If Australia are to win they will need to score quickly and then try to bat into mid-afternoon on Thursday. Then they need to take 10 English wickets with no spinner in the team!!
At this stage England look the only team who can win but they will need to run through Australia this afternoon for very few runs to give themselves a chance.
Interesting times in the world of test cricket matches.
Head (163) goes lbw trying to sweep Bethell. A majestic innings and he is applauded all the way to the pavilion. Usman Khawaja in his last test innings waits politely before he earns thunderous applause with a large sign on the scoreboard saying ‘ THANK YOU USMAN KHAWAJA’.
At 4/315 England introduce the only ‘recognised’ spinner in either team. Even that is debatable. Will Jacks is on.
Uzzie’s farewell does not go as expected. He never really got on top of the bowling although there was one exquisite drive through mid off. An Uzzie special for us to remember.
Oz still trailing as another wicket goes. This time Carey (15). England going hard to knock over the remainder of the batters and give themselves a chance of setting up a victory.
After tea Tongue peppers Smith with a series of short balls which leave the Australian skipper at ‘sixes and sevens’.
At 3.43pm scores are level and Australia still have 4 wickets to fall.
Talk about slow cricket, the farting around that is going on between ball and overs is reprehensible. Just get on with the game and give the spectators their monies worth.
Ben Duckett in one over throws four returns from the boundary and keeper Smith does not have to move. Once upon a time that sort of cricket would have received applause. Nowadays just taken for granted. Think Harvey, Bland, Sheahan, Rhodes (Jonty).
Australia are moving now that they have hit the front. Smith & Green have both hit sixes.
The wicket is very docile and the bowlers are making hard work of it. Hard to say if there is any spin in it.
These guys aren’t boxers but they have a towel wipe after every over. Carse has a face make over and he is not even bowling. The umpires do nothing. Soon the 12th men will be running out after every ball..
Green (37) holes out to a short ball from Carse. Duckett makes no mistake on the boundary . The big fella was just starting to show his real ability and he slammed the bat as soon as he played the shot.
Webster at last! Have been waiting all seasonfor him to get a game!
Smith reaches another ton to the roar of his home crowd. Gee, the States love their local heroes. The slug from Snug is giving him great support both with runs and the biggest hug.
It is SPD’s 37th test century. At stumps Australia 7/518 Smith 125 and Webster 42. Australia’s lead is 134 and they could push home a big advantage if these two can bat well into the afternoon tomorrow.
Read more reports on the Ashes series HERE.
More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.
To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au home page click HERE
Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.
Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.
Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE
About Bob Utber
At 86 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.
Bob, I have to order hedgehog slices from Routleys bakery every time I go to Melbourne, so I can enjoy those sweet treats that are unavailable up here. My nephew from the Philippines got a taste for scallops in Queenscliff, then tried to order some from a fish and chip shop in Manly, before I cried “Noooo!”. Bah humbug, potato cakes…
Some cake shops up here commit crimes against gastronomy, so it pays to be careful. You can get great hamburgers and fish and chips however if you shop around.
Will we see Day 5 Citrus?
GEORGE – I just could not come to grips with those lamingtons and found it hard to write about them. They looked revolting and first impressions always play a big part in anything. The one exception being SPD.
I am a vanilla slice glutton and the Birchip Bakery would take some beating followed by Keith’s Cakes in Mentone. Vic.
SWISH – I think it will. The pitch is docile and runs come easily. Oz will bat as long as they can with Smith and the Slug from Snug at the wicket. Declare sometime after lunch. Spinners could come into it on last day (only joking)
Webster 42 not out at stumps – hope he makes plenty more runs tomorrow
what a LONG OVERDUE opportunity for him
great writing, as always
Rabbit In The Vineyard.
Just heard that Bethell has never made a first-class century. Astonishing. Was he picked for his hair?
RABBIT – How can they leave him out of the next test wherever it is?
71 not out and 3 wickets today. We will follow very closely. Green dropped a catch by the way.
MICKEY RANDALL- hotel hopper NO! Selected for his lilting West Indian accent. Will follow Jardine and Greig as an English captain with a foreign accent!
Have been waiting for a potentially great entry in the score book. One to rival the great Lille c. Willey b. Dilley. Of course it would be Head, c.Root b. Tongue. Or vice versa. Alas, all chances now gone.
BUCKO – One would not dare use that in any circumstances but you missed out on the greatest one of all.
Brian “Jonners” Johnston whilst it was not wicket taking. In commentary he said’ the bowlers Holding the batsman’s Willey”. naturally the whole broadcast team broke up laughing with little commentary.
Yes, have heard that one and several re-tellings, very funny. But, unfortunately, not written in any scorebook. Bit sad, Johnston and Arlott used to be the main reasons I listened to Test matches from England, those 2 plus K. O’Keefe, would hardly be able to keep a straight face for a whole session.
Bit like David Lloyd re-telling himself being hit in the lower abdomen by Thommo, never fails to bring the house down.