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James Anderson started with a blinding spell to Mike Hussey, but as we said yesterday, the cricket after the new ball matters too.
It’s easy to look on the first hour of the third day as being England’s chance to break the Hussey-Haddin partnership, but Test cricket in Australia is really about finding ways to dismiss batsmen when the ball isn’t doing a lot.
Anderson couldn’t have done much more with the new ball, but there are a lot more overs with the old ball, so that can be the difference between sides. The team that’s better with a stroppy, uncooperative waster of a ball is the one that wins.
Earlier, Nasser Hussain said it was a fine line between success and failure, noting how Prior got a first-baller and Haddin got a hundred. In a sense, he’s right, but then again England had another 286 balls to dismiss Haddin after his first and he survived all bar the last one.
Listening to Hussey score his ton on the ABC, the description sounded oddly… familiar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbxh_074fIg
Perhaps Laurence gave some private lessons while he was in WA?
Did he chin anyone while he was pissed later on?
That would be proof.
http://v4admin.sportnetwork.net/upload/66/66_0_1290866999.jpg
loving the through the night thread.
made it to 4am last night fuelled by pedigree beer, pringles and tea.
There’s a combination. You can improve on the Pringles though.
You need protein, man.
To be fair I was a massive fan of the Prawn Toast at the lunch interval and it really helped me power through. Alas I went to bed at tea and so only watched us not dismiss people. As soon as I went to bed we took three wickets.
I fear this makes me a cricketing Pariah. Well for England – I think I am a big hit in Australia.
I say three wickets but I mean five. Hell we took some wickets and I didn’t get to see shit!
Except Gooch embarrassing Slater. Which was quite good
Prawn toast has promise, but thus far the beef carbonade, southern fried chicken and Bombay mix combo is the one that’s got a person through a full day.
Until this template is improved upon, we’re sticking with it.
It’s all about what you personally trust.
I have ordered a double quarter pounder (in certain schools this is referred to as a half pounder…) and chips and will microwave this at lunch.
The microwave ensures it will taste shit and the green parts will be wilted, but at 2am I will hardly be a judge.
Evening!
I’ve just resumed my place in the C of U having been well fed by the Fitz family here in Galway. Irish teas that go on all night – having done this for three nights in a row, I can safely say that many cakes and scones take their toll after about 10 overs.
Not a good combo (along with duvet and fairly comfy armchair) for staying the distance, but very good for getting an excellent night’s sleep.
Have you noticed that Australians (for example Shane Warne) can’t say Australia properly? I can say England properly so what’s the problem?
Tight – I’ve just found your football blog!
Apart from Gareth Bale looking a bit like a moray eel (it’s that lower jaw thing) what else have you really got against him? I love him, but that’s because (whisper it) I support Spurs.
And just so I don’t get a rap over the knuckles from The King for going wildly off the subject, we appear to have nearly got to 50 without loosing a wicket…
Oh I hate him because he’s good Welsh left winger who doesn’t play for United. Plus he plays for Spurs and he really has only had a third of a good season. Plus he plays for Spurs.
I didn’t post that til we had 50 just so I could make this look legitimate.
We are 50-0
That’s cricket
And now we’re 58-0.
How’s the cat this evening? Have you got the catnip out yet?
The cat is asleep on the end of the couch.
There will be no catnip until we start leaking wickets and I need some entertainment.
At lunch I get a burger and Louis gets catnip.
Jaffa Cakes and Biltong. The late night snacks of Kings. Aren’t they KC?
Jaffa cakes and biltong together doing some sort of crazy meat/fruit combo?
Jaffa cakes don’t count as one of your five a day, y’know – not enough alcohol content.
If you marinaded them in vodka they would.
But then the cake/biscuit (delete as preferred) layer turns into a mush. Never dunk a Jaffa cake, unless it’s into cold custard, when it’s really quite nice.
Seeing as it is the season you could dunk it in brandy custard
Ooooh… like your thinking there, although brandy custard is usually quite disgusting.
I’m hoping to make it as far as the hundred partnership, but the scones from tea earlier are taking their devillish effect.
Not together (yet – won’t entirely rule it out). Jaffa cakes go with the coffee, biltong to accompany the imminent switch to beer. Both items go undunked.
We’re ton up JF…Will you still garden the C of U or will you succumb to the scones?
Succumb to the scones I think.
Tomorrow I leave this hotel and the Corridor of Uncertainty and dodgy wifi signal.
With any luck tomorrow night I’ll be listening from under a duvet (on a bed) eating Thai Chili crisps and celebrating the 400 opening partnership.
Anyone just hear Gower scream?
I hope Nasser did that on purpose.
I’ve just stood in my sitting room and aplauded Strauss.
I’m on my own but I don’t care.
I’ve also had a bet tonight with an Australian friend of mine that this will be a draw as we’ll bat for 4 sessions.
The bet is for the princely sum of 1 English pound.
You must be pretty tense then Dan, promising response but a long way to go before the money is anything like secure.
To be honest at the moment the only likely result is a draw or an England win.
Then again… it is England we’re talking about here, so anything is possible.
http://v4admin.sportnetwork.net/upload/66/66_0_1290932958.jpg
At last! I know the winning combination! The Holy Grail of helping England to victory.
Start drinking at 5pm and don’t stop until you pass out a little after 3am having just eaten a microwaved burger and a can of Apple Tango.
It doesn’t have the refinement of let’s say a Gower but it gets the goddamned job done
Well my prediction wasn’t that far off!
Morning all!
I’ve brought my laptop down to the breakfast room rather than skulking in the C of U, so I can peruse the TTNT.
@Tight – keep up with that winning combination, but let someone else take the baton for the second test otherwise you’ll be dead.
Ged has confirmed this in his Venn so it must be true.
@ The Dawg – just what did Nasser do?
Nasser & David Gower:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pht2ApNG53U
We probably need a Venn diagram proving that all things shown in a Venn diagram are true. Or is that going just a little too far?
I am worried that I don’t feel as bad as I should this morning, but that’s just to suck me in to the second test. We all know I’m not man enough for two in a row