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Looking forward to the 4th test.
Rumour has it Ponting is struggling to be fit for the Aussies and Finn to be replaced by Bresnan. Bell could move up the order.

Greetings,

Native wrote:Rumour has it Ponting is struggling to be fit for the Aussies

Hopefully he doesn't play and Usman Khawaja will make his debut.

Retro.

England win the toss, Punter plays, and Aussie bat. Bresnan in for Finn. Aussie play the four quicks again.

*edit* One hand on the urn.....

*double edit* Make that two. 98 all out.

Apparently lots of UK personalities here to enjoy the moment.
Latest rumours are Rolling Stones in the crowd.
U2 were watching in Perth.

Someone needs to give Ricky Ponting the tap on the shoulder...

retrofuturist wrote:Someone needs to give Ricky Ponting the tap on the shoulder...

He'd only edge it to third slip.

Aussies need a blinder tonight, or some good solid monsoons.

I thought Ponting would miss this game tbh but credit to him for not bottling it. He could have easily taken the easy way out, considering he was under so much pressure. The thing that winds me up with him, is he makes too many excuses and finds it really difficult to praise any of the opposition. He was even going on about how the Aussie bowlers completely outdid the England bowlers in the last Test. They did bowl better but England still took 20 wickets pretty cheaply. The main difference was Watson and Hussey.

Big scores should gain you confidence but i think the pressure built on Watson and Hussey because everyone else was failing. It didn't look a particularly great pitch for bowlers but England's precision was spot on. They never gifted the Aussies any runs.

It should be game over but England started the last Test well and crumbled and England also scored a huge score in the first Test, after a poor first innings, so the game can be saved but somehow, half a dozen Aussie batters need to wake up.

"Crickets on the radio" as the song goes. Can't watch.

I am not convinced that when a side is loosing, you sack the captain.
Isn't it better to find out what the problem is first. Not convinced Clark is ready either.

England had a high turnover of captains in the bad years and I
wonder if that did more harm then good.

I did hear someone say Ponting is not good at encouraging new players
like Steve Waugh was. That's an issue granted.

Greetings Greg,

gregf wrote:I am not convinced that when a side is loosing, you sack the captain.

It is when he's 36 years old, has never been a good captain (why was he picked in the first place?), and is horribly out of form... likely to never find it again. Sure, maybe he'll have one or two more decent scores, but it will be littered with failures.

Ricky Ponting was a good player... I don't want him to age disgracefully like Mark Taylor.

Retro.

Ponting's captaincy isn't their main concern. It's the batting. Hussey is different class. IMO, one of the worlds best. Watson has done well but he's being forced to bat out of position. Who else is there? Thing is, Ponting wouldn't be in the team if he wasn't captain. That Steve Smith is never an international player. Phil Hughes doesn't look particularly good. So that's three out of six batsman who aren't doing anything.

Ponting has finally cracked under the pressure. What was all that about? There's a lot of pressure but to start questioning technology shows he's struggling. to cope.
They still have a second innings and you would expect that someone, other than the usual 2, will knock a massive score.

As for England, they have at least 4 top batsman. Then you get Prior chipping in and even Swann and Bresnan can bat a bit. I'm not convinced be Bell. He always throws his wicket away through a poor shot. I think Collingwood has been brilliant for England and if one of the worlds best fielders but i think he's had his time. Eion Morgan looks a ready made replacement.

gregf wrote:I am not convinced that when a side is loosing, you sack the captain.

Worked in 1981

Anyone think Mitchell Johnson can bat for two days?

England have been awesome with the ball throughout this Series. It's not moving all over the place but the precision is spot on. Every bowler lays his part.

It seems that Ponting still thinks (albeit his half hearted apology) that the third umpire got Pieterson's decision wrong. No wonder he get's booed. It's always everyone elses fault.

Do the Aussies have any decent spinners that deserve a chance? Steve Smith is just another Ashley Giles. Just bowls dead slow and thats it. Every team must have a good spinner.

Bresnan!
Great team selection by Flower and Strauss to put the Yorkshire boy in for Finn.
Shouldn't be a late night tonight and England will have this game wrapped up - much deserved.
Ponting looks a sorry figure with the bat, a sad end to a great player. He's just so bang out of form, I'd presume this series will be his last.

I didn't realise Ponting was 36. He will never regain any consistent form at that age. He's a gonner. If the Aussies had won, it would still be difficult to pick someone based on being captain and a good fielder. You need to contribute with bat or ball. I get the impression even the Aussies are fed up with him. As great a player he was, his excuses, rants and whinging eventually get on everybody's nerves.

Even if Warne and McGrath were still playing, i still think England would have had too much, purely because Australia have too many players who just aren't contributing at all, or hardly ever.

Only Watson, Hussey and Siddle can say they have performed. Maybe the wicket keeper as well.