The Ashes – Third Test, Adelaide Day 3: Piping Shrikes at it again

 

PIPING SHRIKES AT IT AGAIN

 

If you are not a Croweater it is very hard to take. They still whinge about how Victoria took all their best footballers during the heady days of the VFL. Bradley, Motley, Kernahan, Hall, Jarman, Blight, Platten to name just a few.

 

Interestingly  they always forget that the might of SA cricket teams in the past have come from interstate. Bradman (could play a bit), Favell, McIntyre, Hole, Hogg, Siddons, Berry. I think a guy by the name of Sobers might have tried his luck there too.

 

But today was the biggest day in cricket ever for true blue, dinky die Croweaters if ever there was one.

 

Not satisfied with just Alex Carey making a hundred on Day 1 they followed it up today with Travis Head scoring a ton also.  The first time ever that two home grown Croweaters have made centuries in the Test match.

 

It also was to be Head’s fourth in a row at his home ground.  No wonder he kissed the pitch when he reached his century.

 

To add insult to injury at the end of Day 3 they were both still there in Australia’s 4/271  Head 142 and Carey 52. They walked off arm-in-arm to the rapturous reception from the locals in attendance in the huge third day crowd of 53,696.

 

England had their heroes too.  Captain Ben Stokes and bowling hero Joffra Archer defiantly kept the Aussies out on the field for much of the early morning with a great rear guard partnership of 106 for the 9^th wicket before Starc bowled Captain Ben for a determined 83 and Boland had Archer (51) taken in slips.

 

The partnership had taken the inanity out of the English score and they finished only 85 runs behind Australia.  The wickets were shared around Boland and Cummins 3 each, Lyon 2, Green and Starc 1 apiece.

 

England’s bowlers took wickets regularly without looking threatening. Khawaja (40) batted with style again as only he can. He would have been a real hero on The Golden Age of cricket with his timing and deft placements.

 

When the out of form Green went, the afternoon  became The Day of the Shrikes and belonged to them and their drooling fans.

 

Green will be lucky to hold his place for Melbourne as he is in the side for his batting where his average has now dropped to around 28 per innings.

 

The only chance during the long stay of Head and Carey was when Head, nearing his century and bogged down,  gave a hard chance to Brook on 99.  When I say hard he should have taken what would be regarded in test cricket a normal take.

 

At the end of the day Australia were  356 runs in front and will probably bat on for another hour on Saturday to give the visitors around 450 to make on a track favourable to batters.

 

Have England got any batters?  That is the sixty-four dollar question. Given their form so far this series only Captain Stokes and Old Joe Root would pass the test. 

 

Saturday night should see the game coming to a conclusion that rightly so sees Australia holding The Ashes as comfortably as they did when England last visited town.

 

Personally still not happy with the batting lineup of Australia and I would  put Uzzie back to the top, SPD comes in and Inglis or Green goes or both.   I still would like to see the Boy from Snug back into the side.

 

As for England?

 

David Lloyd said today that “Will Jacks was only a net bowler”.

 

There is no way he can get another game likewise Ollie Pope unless his namesake throws his zucchetto into the ring.

 

England’s biggest mistake was only naming 15 players in the first place. A bit cocky in my opinion. Not a reserve opening bat and only young Bethell as the extra bat.

 

 As for their bowlers, Archer excepted, give me a break.

 

Australia will be 3 up with 2 to play. A whitewash is definitely on the cards and don’t blame the English skipper who has virtually played a lone – hand throughout the series so far. 

 

 

Here is the link to espncricinfo website for the full scorecard.

 

 

More stories from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here.

 

 

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