Posted by One of the reasons why it’s been so enjoyable to watch Shane Watson’s hapless summer is because he generally looks like the kind of batsman who can rifle a long series of chanceless fours. Yesterday, he actually did this. His drives were crisper than neglected bacon blackening under the grill and his pulls were as percussive as Stomp.
There were a couple of wobbles. He was given not out LBW early on. If he had been given out and it had been reviewed, it would have been ‘umpire’s call’ and he would have been on his way. It’s odd to think that moment could just as easily have further contributed to his general air of front-legged uselessness. Instead, things turned out rather differently.
Later on, Broad hit him with a bouncer.
“I got lucky, because it hit me on the muscle, not on the skull.”
Those were the only two options.
Being hit on the helmet was a third option, of course.
Ducking away from rather than into the ball was a fourth option.
But once the batsman takes his eye off the ball, autonomous choice doesn’t much come into it, so these are more possible outcomes than options really.
I’ll get out more if/when it stops raining in London.
And now Smith! The Aussies are in a great position, England will do well to get out of this. It’s just like the old days, Aussies on top, can’t get a wicket, gloom, disaster, pray for rain, the horror, the horror…
Oh, hold on a sec – we’re winning 3-0 aren’t we? This is one of those tests they used to call “dead” in a patronising way when England were winning them back in the 90s. I forgot that. I just can’t get used to this way of watching the Ashes. So what I meant to say was “Meh”.
Enjoy your runs, Aussies, but think on this. Smith and Watson are now undroppable for the return series! Bwahahahahaha…
I fear we’re giving Aus far too much ammunition with which to console themselves.
Hello. A thing I wrote about the yips.
http://learningisfunblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/the-ashes-the-dreaded-yips/
Thank you.