We have just watched a bizarre Test match staggeringly won by the Aussies in two days.
Day 1
On Friday we baby sit and for the first time ever. Olly wanted to stay with me in the playground while Emma took Sam to work. That was a first and for me, bigger than the Ashes!
I did make sure I had a radio with me to follow England’s innings and watched the highlights later. Incredible by Starc, very good by Doggett (rapt for Brendan as a fiercely parochial South Aussie I can’t deny that his 11 wickets in the Shield final for us to reclaim the holy grail after 29 years will always remain his biggest achievement personally. Boland, unusually, bowled a poor length and struggled. Green only bowled one over, but it was important, removing Pope.
England’s batting lacked application and common sense.
I was just about to go to The Payneham Tavern to watch us bat when Jake Weatherald was given out. I was more than bemused that DRS thought the ball was heading in that direction. Quite a few years ago, Kerry O Keeffe said that he thought the DRS was a drunk and stoned uni student I’m yet to disagree with that sentiment.
At the Tavern we watched our batting dismantled by a fantastic bowling performance by England. They bowled in partnerships and gave very little away, aided by some poor shots, in particular sadly by the South Aussies in Travis Head and Alex Carey.
So Day 1 ended. After only making 172, England had Australia 9-123 and were well on top.
Day 2
With the wet weather in Adelaide, local cricket is cancelled. With umpiring duties no longer I decided to go to pubs to encourage folk to buy a particular book. Just trying to help them with their Christmas shopping.
I’m back at The Payneham Tavern watching England bat and the ball before lunch that same uni student is back giving Duckett not out lbw off Boland. For DRS to say that pitched outside leg was bizarre. The smile and slight shake of the head by the umpire said it all.
The fact that Duckett had been struck and received treatment and then the DRS review meant the over took 12 minutes is bloody ridiculous. That’s putting it mildly.
So England go to lunch at 1-for with a lead of 99 and in complete control
(bizarrely, just over four hours later the game was over with Aust winning. That is still mind boggling. Wonder what the odds were at lunch?)
England’s batting after lunch was idiotic, moronic, ignorant, arrogant and mind-boggling and even that’s putting it mildly! Duckett dismissed by Boland was a good ball (following a Crawley pair, awesome caught and bowled by Starc)
Pope, Brook and Root were all trying to be insanely aggressive, staggerling, and drive on the up. Hello! We’re playing in Perth. Is there anyone in the world (well the seemingly
English) who didn’t understand the ball bounces and you can’t hit on the up consistently. As Boof Lehmann said, don’t cover drive in Perth especially until you have settled and got in to the groove of a innings!
Smith’s dismissal! Hell, if the game is stopped for 7 minutes to try to come to a decision, it surely must end up not out – there was still doubt! Was it a combination of third umpire, DRS and Smith starting to walk? Conclusion: yet another bizarre highlight-lowlight of the game.
While the bumper barrage caused England to collapse in the first innings losing 5/12, we gave away a few runs in the Poms’ second dig.
Line and length and their hurry curry, helter skelter batting was working for us. Why change?
Australia had to reshuffle through Uzzie not being able to open. Back spasms.
Now you miss the last Shield game before the First Test due to injury yet decide playing 18 holes of golf the day before the game is ok – huh? Yes, they are adults but not thought through by the Australian coaching panel or the player (yes, I admit Uzzie lost me forever attending the Grand Prix in Melbourne last season instead of being at the Shield game trying to help the banana benders qualify for the final v SA. Mmmmm.)
Travis Head’s innings was…UNBELIEVABLE. It was a where-were-you moment like Armstrong on the moon, the Lennon assassination, the removal of Gough etc.
Even then though -Travis played himself in first before he went berserk – KAPOW.
Well supported by Jake Weatherald (absolutely rapt for Jake) when the squad was first announced I messaged his cousin, Tim https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/tim-weatherald-footballer-mentor-bali-survivor/
Tim was pumped and was part of the Weatherald clan who attended the Test.
I enjoyed Tom Moody’s thoughts and contributions on the ABC. It was interesting re his call to leave out Lyon for Webster because the way -England bat doesn’t give the opportunity for a specialist offie to tie up an end and contribute in that manner Webster seam up, batting and his offies were a better alternative. I concur.
So off to Brisbane. Somehow the Aussies are one-up. And they won by 8 wickets!
Does Cummins play at the Gabba? Does Nesser come in for the pink-ball Test remembering his two Tests have been in Adelaide in the same situation.
Surely that’s it for Uzzie? Does Travis open? Does Renshaw come in?
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Some nice observations there Malcolm re life and cricket. I agree re Tom Moody’s excellent commentary.
Remember when Test Matches had a rest day! Now there over before that and its 3 days of rest.
Uzzie seems to lack the hunger but Heads cameo needs to be put in perspective. He surely couldn’t bat like that again!
Chasing a small total he is an ideal choice but not as a permanent
opener. So, Uzzie should get 1 more test and then bid him a fond farewell. I suspect he will then retire from all forms of the game.
Staggering Test RB. Love some of your descriptive words on the batting of both teams. Diabolical.
Was very pleased for Weatherald in the 2nd dig. He showed something. I had grave concerns after the first dig. He looked like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Why didn’t Stokes give Root a few overs when Head went nuts? Slow it down. Stop Head using the pace of the ball. Can’t work that out. Anyway glad he didn’t.
Aussies still very unconvincing. Take Head out and it’s a draw.
Your long run used to be longer than that Rulebook! Why do they even have to look at the review for Starc’s C&B? The ump can’t get a better view than 2m away directly in front of him!
Uzzie gone. Lyon will be targeted by the poms.
Very difficult to disagree, RB.
To the naked eye, I thought Weatherald’s LBW was pitching outside leg. And the naked eye is usually a very good guide.
Agree with all your comments RB. JW clearly not out 1st innings. Not sure why Lyon played in Perth vs Webster but didn’t at end of day matter I am not sure how the Poms lost this Test match at lunch Day 2, let alone same day. Still 200 run chase should have been enough to win for Poms 2nd innings with their attack and our inept top order. ENTER one T.HEAD due to Khawaja’s back injury. I’ve watched a lot of cricket in my 58 years, and as I said to my 91 year old Dad I have never seen a better 2nd Innings batting performance against an attack they had, the immense pressure up him to perform NOW with limited time to mentally prepare, on a track not in his favour. Head just made them all look like U/15 level standard bowlers. He pummelled them with contempt to all aspects of ground to any length ball. Well done JW and ML supporting him superbly – scoring easily but with control at the same time. MS stood up superbly as the only senior pace bowler once again as did Doggett and Scobo (2nd Innings) – reading b/w the lines in Scobo’s post-tv interview, he inferred he was to bowl a fuller length than what he likes to do normally in 1st innings – and was pummelled for 6 per over. If I read this correctly, not his fault 1st innings as stuck to team’s plan requirement of him – clearly wrong by brains trust. Oh, Khawaja – he was finished well before Warner!
I too wonder about the DRS sobriety sometimes. So much must depend on how the system is set up and calibrated, but I’ve never seen any analysis of the sensitivity of this process, the margin for error. As Smokie said, the naked eye is generally a very good guide.
Other things I remain to be convinced about: that Khawaja’s back issues had nothing to do with 18 holes of golf the day before, and that ‘high performance managers’ and suchlike courtiers of elite sport are worth their salt.
It was a bizarre test. I fear for the future of test cricket. Too much white ball cricket been played around the world. However, Travis’s innings was stunning.
Like everything in this Test, luck played a part in Travis Head’s innings. You nick or you don’t.
Cheers
G.S. Chappell
PS I wrote elsewhere, before the start of the series:
Perth = lottery
Brisbane = lottery
Then three proper Tests
Thanks Barry.Definitely not a farewell test for mine,Dan /Uzz has been given longer than he should have been.Dips yes bizarre etc in reality impossible to really describe don’t think we’ve seen anything like it.
Yes fair point re-TH.Raf mellowing in my old age nah,yes absolutely ridiculous just a obvious out yes umpire two metres away.
Smokie couldn’t agree more.Ducks I reckon you nailed it and yes have never at any level seen,Boland bowl so full he changed the game.
Mark spot on re drs and high performance cough cough.
Henry yep game is purely financial test cricket is in crisis around the world overall way way to much /20 20 it’s sad and tragically it won’t change.JTH Gregory Stephen yep could have easily nicked on nought
I was in the -Carey to open camp purely re technique and yep v much re lottery thanks folks.
Stop picking on golf and golfers.
Bradman honed his skills hitting a golf ball against a tank stand. Ussie was just keeping his eye in.
The rest made sense.
Get rid of the DRS and let the umpires do what they are paid for. Wetherald, Duckett & Smith all dubious DRS verdicts, so it isn’t replacing human error, it is imitating that. It was the strangest test ever. The result wasn’t any confirmation of Australia’s talent either, they got there principally on two individual efforts (three if you count England’s dumb 2nd innings batting). I worry about Green as a bowler, yes he got Pope out but what if we need him to bowl 15 overs in an innings? I am not a selector, but I would leave Lyon out and go with Webster in Brisbane, leave Uzzie at the golf club and play another opening and put Head back at 5.
With the D/N Tests hopefully now in the bin, it’d be great if the Adelaide match gets to Day 5. Lots of questions to be discussed between now and Brisbane. How can this still be over a week away? The Poms could’ve gone to Luton for some R&R.
Just a quick one book. Is there anyone at Payneham tavern who hasn’t got yr book?
PB Uzzie doing any physical activity other than cricket coming back from injury at his age is questionable
( not referring to the bedroom) Jags couldn’t agree more drs isn’t improving the game yep just umpire I’m also in the leave,Head at 5 camp.Green can bowl but is underdone hopefully a fair bit of practice before the Gabba.( Ross Edwards in 72 170 odd not out as a makeshift opener made a pair in the next test-Renshaw time.imo) I’m also in agreement-Webster plays instead of-Lyon.Mickey I can see-Adelaide being a road it will be desperate to get a five day test.Nank it’s a standing joke re the regulars I’m under the pump to sell a book each time I enter the-PT I have a crack can only try thanks folks
Nice easy read RB.
Unbelievable how quickly this test moved. Hopefully the next two go a bit longer
Great read Book.