It’s tense, really tense. Three results are still possible in the second test: an England win, a draw, or a win for the weather. Even the most pessimistic England fans must now realise an Australian victory is about as likely as FIFA giving the World Cup to the country with the best bid.
The unbearable thing is that our fate now rests in the hands of the weather Gods. We’re like Xavier Doherty with a ball in his hand – absolutely helpless. According to Sir Ian, ‘the local forecasters reckon there won’t be a ball bowled tomorrow’. No fair! England probably need three hours of cricket to win on Tuesday.
People are debating whether Strauss should’ve declared earlier – but if it rains tomorrow the extra eight overs we batted won’t make much difference. Furthermore, the runs could yet prove to be valuable. If Australia make us bat again, we’ll lose fifteen minutes for the change of innings. Remember how we celebrated at Cardiff last year when Jimmy and Monty took us past Australia’s total?
It’s a just shame we couldn’t finish the job yesterday. Australia batted aggressively – and as tends to happen in these circumstances, fortune favoured the brave. There was no swing whatsoever for James Anderson, who bowled a succession of half volleys trying to find some (no complaints there), but the edges went into the gaps and the mistimed drives landed safely between fielders. Damn.
Meanwhile, bloody Mike Hussey continued his love affair with lady luck, who must surely qualify as his ‘bitch’ by now. We can’t deny that he’s batting beautifully, but surely he can’t ride his luck forever. At the moment, there seems to be an invisible force field protecting his wicket and a hidden hand ensuring that all his edges fall short of slips and silly-point.
Despite our Hussey frustrations, England still have reasons to be optimistic. The late wicket of Michael Clarke could be crucial – and if we do get some play on the fifth day an England win is still on the cards. Graeme Swann will obviously be our key man. England’s talisman bowled pretty well and the balls that got Ponting and Katich were beauties.
One small problem though, could be the injury cloud above Stuart Broad. He might not be able to bowl tomorrow because he’s pulled a stomach muscle. The more pressing concern, however, are the storm clouds that the bureau of meteorology have forecast.
Every drop of rain that falls in Adelaide tomorrow will be like a toxic drip poisoning my mood. If Ponting’s men are nine wickets down when the downpours arrive, I’m likely to resort to ultra violence. The Australian dressing room might be a bit inaccessible from my Wimbledon home, but fortunately there’s an Aussie pub called the Billabong just around the corner. Now where did I put my old cricket bat?
James Morgan
