Cricket fred

[Banquo]

I still think all three are less than ideal, but that's a touch of the unexpected from Malan, so credit there. Buys him the rest of the series!

Oh yeah. He can now go back to being rank average for the rest of the series.
Ed Smith seems to think this will be the making of him. That the confidence will allow him to play more positively and this will play to his strengths. Let’s hope he’s correct.

Malan is a very decent cricketer. He's one of many that are around that "just good enough for international cricket as a stop gap" level. And he's doing well at that level.

Vince, on the other hand, is a player who has had the same beautiful positive and the same insane negative for his entire career. Why he was given another chance, I do not know. It's always the same with him. Scores very nicely for 20-40 runs, then nicks off.

We don't need that in a 3.

Really? Who are these guys?

[Galfon]

Hardly heard of either of them before this series..
At least it looks like Eng may escape Perth without the usual pummelling, thus keeping the series alive.Good news all round.
Also DM is a good antithesis to the student-lout persona that has become engrained a bit.

[WaspInWales]

Something tells me that the topic of 'crying' will be the focus of the sledging for Malan when hostilities recommence???

[Mellsblue]

I know. I winced when I heard him say that. Still, he put a decent knock in to get to 140. How many times have we seen players post a good score one day and then quickly get out the following morning.

Scorecard makes for good reading. First time we’ve woken up to that this tour.

[Digby]

It's a bit annoying Ali, Overton and Woakes couldn't add much to the score, especially after Malan and Bairstow had worked to see the ball get old and then even added a few runs. Also a bit annoying Malan ran out of patience, but it's hard to take a pop at the man who scores a really good hundred

[Banquo]

FFS, losing 6 for less than 50 is pathetic, and bowling now anaemic on an admittedly belting pitch, plus dropping catches. Moeen could do with contributing something.

[Banquo]

Overton crocked by the look of it. This could get very messy.

[Banquo]

breakthrough, but can't help feeling that Lyon's wish to end careers may be coming true. Broad springs to mind (hope he turns in one of those bursts of wickets now!)

[Banquo]

Smith is a massive irritant- how can a batsmen look so pants yet be heading to be one of the all time greats?

[Digby]

Smith is a massive irritant- how can a batsmen look so pants yet be heading to be one of the all time greats?

And he does it very differently to Cook, thinking back to when Cook actually scored runs, or crossing sports he is to cricket as Jim Furyk is to golf.

[Banquo]

Smith is a massive irritant- how can a batsmen look so pants yet be heading to be one of the all time greats?

And he does it very differently to Cook, thinking back to when Cook actually scored runs, or crossing sports he is to cricket as Jim Furyk is to golf.

Different class to Cook imo, who has mostly been merely 'good' .

[Digby]

Smith is a massive irritant- how can a batsmen look so pants yet be heading to be one of the all time greats?

And he does it very differently to Cook, thinking back to when Cook actually scored runs, or crossing sports he is to cricket as Jim Furyk is to golf.

Different class to Cook imo, who has mostly been merely 'good' .

Cook when good has been very good, though also reliant on a bowling attack getting bored and bowling where he can score, as with maybe Graeme Smith. Steve Smith looks actually pretty good on the technique front to me, happy staying on the back foot, and he tries to keep the back foot still (after he's walked across his stumps) so he's not getting dragged wide and he's not getting squared up too much, also for all his wrists take the bat all over the place he plays straight a lot with a high left elbow. And on this tour Vaughan I think it was talked about the number of balls faced per edge (though not always dismissal) and Steve Smith was way below the average for even a top flight batsman, so vs normal batters he's at much lower risk of getting caught behind. He also looks to me like he's right up on his toes which is a bit too far up, but given he's not falling over I've got to assume he's either got absurd balance, or he's actually keeping on the balls of his feet which allows for fast footwork and to keep balanced.

Not sure what I'd do to target his technique, ideally given how he does walk across you'd want to look at that leg stump, but that's not easy to target unless you've got a fast left arm bowler, ideally Wasim Akram. So best I've got is to pitch the ball up straight, if it moves it moves, but aim to get him lbw and try to plug the on side so when he works the ball of his pads it doesn't cost too many runs. Other than that is having the right arm bowlers go around to him to try and stop that initial walk so he's not getting his weight on the back leg how he's used to and where he plays from, but that's a lot of work for the bowlers, and given he doesn't edge much makes it much less likely you'll get him out.

Actually watching him almost makes one pine for the days of Ashley Giles and someone who could (sort of) attack that leg stump area.

[WaspInWales]

Didn't think we'd collapse again.

Of all the possible occurrences for day 2, a collapse was way down on my list; below a double century each for Malan and Bairstow, a freak thunder storm unloading cats and dogs all over the Waca, first contact with alien life being made, flat earth theory being proved, Bairstow coming out to bat with dyed hair after having enough of being a ginge and the on field umpires doing a rendition of YMCA every time a boundary was scored.

A collapse seemed so unlikely.

[Mellsblue]

As per Diggers, Cook is either averaging in the 60’s or the 30’s. There’s nothing in between. He’s a bit like Jenson Button, in that if everything is perfect he’s world class but if there is even one thing slightly amiss he’s rank average. Regardless, he must go down as one if England’s finest, and best educated, batsmen.

[Banquo]

As per Diggers, Cook is either averaging in the 60’s or the 30’s. There’s nothing in between. He’s a bit like Jenson Button, in that if everything is perfect he’s world class but if there is even one thing slightly amiss he’s rank average. Regardless, he must go down as one if England’s finest, and best educated, batsmen.

He's good to very good by the highest standards, given batting has never been easier at test level, even including DRS for spinners. He also scores relatively slowly, which is a factor. Mind, I'd rather have a few more like Cook to choose from!

[Banquo]

And he does it very differently to Cook, thinking back to when Cook actually scored runs, or crossing sports he is to cricket as Jim Furyk is to golf.

Different class to Cook imo, who has mostly been merely 'good' .

Cook when good has been very good, though also reliant on a bowling attack getting bored and bowling where he can score, as with maybe Graeme Smith. Steve Smith looks actually pretty good on the technique front to me, happy staying on the back foot, and he tries to keep the back foot still (after he's walked across his stumps) so he's not getting dragged wide and he's not getting squared up too much, also for all his wrists take the bat all over the place he plays straight a lot with a high left elbow. And on this tour Vaughan I think it was talked about the number of balls faced per edge (though not always dismissal) and Steve Smith was way below the average for even a top flight batsman, so vs normal batters he's at much lower risk of getting caught behind. He also looks to me like he's right up on his toes which is a bit too far up, but given he's not falling over I've got to assume he's either got absurd balance, or he's actually keeping on the balls of his feet which allows for fast footwork and to keep balanced.

Not sure what I'd do to target his technique, ideally given how he does walk across you'd want to look at that leg stump, but that's not easy to target unless you've got a fast left arm bowler, ideally Wasim Akram. So best I've got is to pitch the ball up straight, if it moves it moves, but aim to get him lbw and try to plug the on side so when he works the ball of his pads it doesn't cost too many runs. Other than that is having the right arm bowlers go around to him to try and stop that initial walk so he's not getting his weight on the back leg how he's used to and where he plays from, but that's a lot of work for the bowlers, and given he doesn't edge much makes it much less likely you'll get him out.

Actually watching him almost makes one pine for the days of Ashley Giles and someone who could (sort of) attack that leg stump area.

Cook, by test standards in an era of relatively easy batting, is good to v good at best imo, but you are right is boom or average/poor. Graeme Smith had better averages and was more aggressive, and probably less technically flawed. I'd put him above Cook.

I didn't say Smith S was technically flawed- his technique is not dissimilar to Bradman's- but that he just looks an ugly batsman. But clearly approaching greatness, laudable given how he started. His conversion rate is phenomenal. Doesn't stop me finding him horrible to watch and annoying. Fast outswingers would do him, but that's true of most!

[Digby]

I didn't say Smith S was technically flawed- his technique is not dissimilar to Bradman's- but that he just looks an ugly batsman. But clearly approaching greatness, laudable given how he started. His conversion rate is phenomenal. Doesn't stop me finding him horrible to watch and annoying. Fast outswingers would do him, but that's true of most!

Not sure where I'd find the stats numbers on balls faced to give away an edge but he is way below most other batters, I can't imagine such stats date back all that far so it'd be hard to compare him to someone like Tendulkar even. Whether he avoids edges due to discipline I don't know, but it does seem for all he moves right across the stumps he does that early and the back leg doesn't then come around very often so he's not getting squared up which makes it easier not to chase wide balls

If someone knows how to get his stats on test dismissals and how to compare that to other leading players please do shout

[WaspInWales]

Smith out in the first over, as is whoever comes in after him. Aussies will then rally to score some runs only to be bowled out for 327.

This is how things will pan out for the next few hours.

[WaspInWales]

Well, it nearly panned out.

Huge Aussie score to follow.

[Galfon]

Aus. will be sniffing a result now even before the full hugeness has been reached.
No excuses.

[Mellsblue]

Ffs

[Mellsblue]

even before the full hugeness has been reached.

It’s a big score and he’s obviously batting well but there is no need to get that excited.

[Galfon]

Smiff still making good headway towards his double..
Now even Bison (Salt's bro., Swampy's lad) on his home patch bags a ton...need inspiration now.

[Banquo]

I didn't say Smith S was technically flawed- his technique is not dissimilar to Bradman's- but that he just looks an ugly batsman. But clearly approaching greatness, laudable given how he started. His conversion rate is phenomenal. Doesn't stop me finding him horrible to watch and annoying. Fast outswingers would do him, but that's true of most!

Not sure where I'd find the stats numbers on balls faced to give away an edge but he is way below most other batters, I can't imagine such stats date back all that far so it'd be hard to compare him to someone like Tendulkar even. Whether he avoids edges due to discipline I don't know, but it does seem for all he moves right across the stumps he does that early and the back leg doesn't then come around very often so he's not getting squared up which makes it easier not to chase wide balls

If someone knows how to get his stats on test dismissals and how to compare that to other leading players please do shout

53% caught or caught behind, Cook is 56%, Tendulkar 56%....so some validity in what you were saying; I picked up my view from an analysis on BT which showed how he picks his bat up (very similar to DB). Though chasing wide balls is not the same as being done by outswing...my take is that any batsman will struggle to play pacy outswing thats aiming to hit the top of off stump, but not many can do that. Its interesting that the one area he doesn't score heavily in is the arc from extra cover to straight as well.
http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statisti ... yerID=3756

[Digby]

I didn't say Smith S was technically flawed- his technique is not dissimilar to Bradman's- but that he just looks an ugly batsman. But clearly approaching greatness, laudable given how he started. His conversion rate is phenomenal. Doesn't stop me finding him horrible to watch and annoying. Fast outswingers would do him, but that's true of most!

Not sure where I'd find the stats numbers on balls faced to give away an edge but he is way below most other batters, I can't imagine such stats date back all that far so it'd be hard to compare him to someone like Tendulkar even. Whether he avoids edges due to discipline I don't know, but it does seem for all he moves right across the stumps he does that early and the back leg doesn't then come around very often so he's not getting squared up which makes it easier not to chase wide balls

If someone knows how to get his stats on test dismissals and how to compare that to other leading players please do shout

53% caught or caught behind, Cook is 56%, Tendulkar 56%....so some validity in what you were saying; I picked up my view from an analysis on BT which showed how he picks his bat up (very similar to DB). Though chasing wide balls is not the same as being done by outswing...my take is that any batsman will struggle to play pacy outswing thats aiming to hit the top of off stump, but not many can do that. Its interesting that the one area he doesn't score heavily in is the arc from extra cover to straight as well.
http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statisti ... yerID=3756

I wonder how much he's caught Vs caught behind, he is quite attacking. Everyone is going to get out caught behind, it's the biggest weakness as you just wouldn't be there if you were the sort to get bowled overly, but for all his pick up goes to 2nd/3rd slip he plays straight and that back leg does stay still so he's putting himself in a position to not be drawn to wider balls other than attacking shots, and he's not much of a poker outside his stumps. So yes swing isn't the same as prodding outside the off stump, but he's better set not to be exposed to swing with despite the movement and the pick up, maybe if his technique changes and his left elbow drops he's going to then get himself tangled more often. Trouble with my theory of bowling straight at him is he's more than decent of his pads so he'll be very likely to score well even if he gets out, so my theory isn't exactly wonderful.