Stumps: Australia 134-4.
Here’s what was gratifying about today’s play: it was somehow inevitable that, by the close, we’d be in control of the game. Australia began promisingly, and then submitted once again to the authority of our cricket. For so many years this would happen the other way around: we might have one good session, and threaten to dominate, only for the Aussies to put us back in our place. Isn’t the change refreshing?
Long way to go yet, of course – and we still have Hussey and Haddin to deal with. Mr Cricket has played and missed, or edged, about a dozen times so far – just a shame none of them stuck. Overall, Australia will be rueing their decline from 105-1 to 134-4. Clarke played the kind of foppish captain’s innings we all expected. If I were Australian, I’d be deeply unconvinced by the idea of him as captain.
And as for Phillip Hughes. Let’s be honest: the guy’s a complete tart – a bit like an English version of Ravi Bopara. He and Watson had worked so hard for two hours to keep England out, on a gently seaming pitch, only to give it all away in the last over before lunch.
I don’t know about you, but Shane Watson has grown on me during the series. It’s partly his honesty. After the third day at Melbourne, he gave Sky an unusually candid interview, in which he admitted that Australia were terrible, and would lose by an innings. None of that old “the first hour will be crucial” stuff. There was another poignant Watto moment today, when, as he edged to slip, the stump microphone picked up his lament. “Oh no!”, you heard him wail. Rather mild language, in the circumstances – and strangely touching.
What did you make of our bowling today? From our perspective, it seemed pretty decent – if rather lacking the zing of Melbourne. Anderson began slowly, and Tremlett was again the pick. He has probably been the best bowler, on either side, of the series.
Commentators all agreed that debutant Usman Khawaja was “wristy”. This is punditry euphemism for “Asian”. There’s a general tendency to patronise young cricketers of south Asian heritage. On the BBC’s ball-by-ball text coverage, he was twice compared to Brian Lara. Steady on! He seemed a pretty good player – but rather early days yet for that kind of comparison. Why can’t we just treat him like any other debutant?
Over on Sky, David Gower was coming over all Lesley Phillips, referring to Michael Clarke’s ex-girlfriend as “the delicious Lara Bingle”. Ding dong! Expect him to begin tomorrow’s coverage by pouring a G&T, adjusting his cravat, and pinching the make-up girl’s bum.
Maxie Allen
I tend to agree with Andy. England are still in a decent position. It’s just that it could (and should) have been so much better.
On the subject of the Hoff, I was lucky enough to see him star as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at Wimbledon theatre a couple of weeks ago. The strapline for the panto was ‘Hoff the Hook’ (even worse than one of my puns!). Louie Spence made an appearance as …. you guessed it … Roger the Cabin Boy. Oh my sides. Hoff was actually very entertaining. He’s still got it!
OMG! The Hoff as Hook????? Hook was an Etonian, with all that that implies… Can’t imagine the Hoff somehow……!