Thanks to the power of Foxtel IQ, I've just finished replaying the whole of the first day's play in a mere 2 hours. Great stuff! Peter Siddle with a red ball is the business. Hopefully the selectors never give him a white ball ever again, because you can't take 7 or 8 overs to get in rhythm in an ODI. A couple of fiery Siddle spells has England reeling in the First Test, and that's the way we Aussies like it. Hilfenhaus had an uncharacteristicly wayward sort of day, and Johnson was just extra baggage as usual, but Siddle simply swung Johnson over his shoulder, and carried him on his way to a hat-trick and a 6 wicket haul. If not for some rubbish glovemanship from Haddin, it would have been 7. It's worth re-living the hat-trick moment again, complete with English confusion/referral tomfoolery:
For most guys, a "Birthday hat-trick" means something completely different...or maybe the Sid completed an unprecedented double Birthday hat-trick! Wow, the man's got it all! Respect.
As mentioned before, Hilfy had an off day. But he still contributed something, getting the big early wicket of Strauss. Watson bowled solidly and produced a corker to knock over Trott. The X Factor bowled superbly on a first day pitch, tying down one end with some quality spin bowling. It was good to see him bag a couple of wickets in the end because he was crucial to the overall success of the day's play. Even Punter had a decent day, some good bowling changes and some decent fields for once. I won't get too carried away there because there's a high probability of him doing something stupid to try and get the Poms back in it. That leaves Johnson, who had no impact whatsoever. No consistency, no movement, and no wickets. He was just extra baggage. I hereby officially call for him to sacked. Go back to WA and work on it son. Because there will likely be times in this series when we won't be able to afford having dead weight in the side. I think of how good a Test pace trio of Hilfy, the Sid and the Rhino (aka Ryan Harris) would be and how angry it makes me that I can't have it because of Johnson sending daily photos of himself posing with his Sir Garfield Sobers trophy to the selectors. We can go with a guy who's form for Australia over the last year has been diabolical, or a guy in great form at present...who is called the Rhino...that's a no-fucking-brainer.
Check back in tonight for the Day 2 Recap!
1 comment:
I won't get too carried away there because there's a high probability of him doing something stupid to try and get the Poms back in it.
Knowing Punter, we'll probably bat on and on and on now until midway through Day Five when, on 8/1848 he'll suddenly go 'oh, shit! Declare! Declare!!'
And we'll go to Adelaide 0-0.
(Or, at least that's what would happen if we had a decent batting ilneup. More likely, we'll get bowled out for 200 today and the Poms will get back in and bat for two days)
I think/hope The Uncanny X-Doherty's career will be one where no matter what he does, he is overshadowed by somebody else doing something even more extraordinary.
Good, when the somebody else is on our team (Siddle In The Middle). Bad when they're on the other team (Sri Lankan tail-freakin'-enders)
I like the idea of the Rhino coming in (although only if his knees work - a Rhino without knees is a ludicrous beast) but, at this point, I'd swap Mitchell for just about anybody, including Jessica Bratich and/or his mum.
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