cricket with balls

Ian Chappell has returned to his hobbyhorse about fast bowlers throwing the ball back and batsmen standing there and not getting out the way. I remember when I was 9 and I first heard that. Was it really only 18 years ago?

This Silva can bat, he plays attacking cricket and hits through the ball. However, the Aussies seemed to work him out precisely. A deep backward point 23.8 meters in from the rope. Seems like a nerdish coach spent 47 continuous hours watching replays before they worked that out.

Atapattu is old school. He is playing for time. While his teammates are struggling to keep anyone out, Marvin looks solid as a rock, doesn’t look like scoring, but solid, like a bus that can’t get out of second gear.

MacGill obviously rubbed up his team mates the wrong way, Gilly dropped a sitter, and Clarke dropped one he should have taken. Perhaps Stuey has been giving them dodgy stock market tips. He hasn’t bowled great regardless of that.

Johnson looks even more comfortable in 5 day cricket than he does in 1 day. Clark seemed to bowl a bit wide, and Brett Lee spent more time flogging his book than he did bowling.

3 more wickets this session for Australia. It’s starting to look a bit ugly for the Lankans. But Mahela is still thinking positively, his KPI’s are working for him.