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[Blazer]

Steve Smith may look average but he certainly can punch above his weight and has the ability to assess the situation, adapt quickly. Besides who doesn't like a player who plays like a 1st team club player but can cut it in the Test level too ?.

[lazza32]

the disappointing thing for me was letting a pretty average player get 100 and allowing aus off the hook. 140-5 then added another 180 - 1. thats been the main difference in the series. we have let them off the hook and the aussies have pounded us when we have been in a similar position.

John don't be hard on your team. You know how damn hot it gets in perth. It was 38 degrees from 12.00 to 3.30 with no wind. They were just exhausted. You could physically see the pace drop

[awp]

Smith is becoming an excellent young player, his innings today was magnificent, once again redink, get off what ever drugs it is that you're on, you have no clue.

I still feel, long term he's going to be fantastic at 6.  Not a fan of bailey, never have been, he's not test
Grade, never will be.

England bowled too short. In prior post I mentioned the key to success on the WACA is pitching 1m further up, I thought England's experienced attack fell for the Perth trap, too short.

I watched Anderson closely. While i still maintain he 'paces' himself if conditions/match situation aren't quite to his liking, my prior comments about him lacking guts are off the mark. The poor bugger is absolutely flat out exhausted. I'm convinced he's completely fatigued. This is dangerous for a quick bowler, he is vulnerable to injury. If he does get hurt, heads should roll in the team managemt, they've already sacrificed a good player who wasn't fit for duty.

Australia were fortunate, pretty clear they wanted to come hard at England but very poor shot selection rewarded some mediocre bowling.

I like Cook, but reality is that as a tactician, he's pretty 1 dimensional, he's a lead by example type, and he typically sets a fine example to his team, but in the field, he doesn't have control of that team, the team aren't buying in to the plan, and the plans no good in the first place. At times today, looked like there were 7 captains out there.

Getting pretty sick of England's pathetic over rate. Yes it was hot today, the over rate has been tardy in prior matches too.

The pitch will quicken up tomorrow, by lunch it should be really flying through......

As always, can't say whether it is a possible match winning position untill both teams have batted, but with 320 on the board, shouldn't loose.

[jamesisapayne]

the disappointing thing for me was letting a pretty average player get 100 and allowing aus off the hook.

I think he's a very intelligent and way above average cricketer. He may not have the style of Bell or Clarke but who cares, it's not how it's how many. He looks hard to bowl at as well - he plays a lot of unorthodox shots and it's hard to set a field to him.

I think calling him an average player is a real disservice.

[Kulli]

His record suggests he's a pretty average player who's upped his game in the last 12 months, but he's still a very average batsman at test level. Very strong on the on side and a tired England attack bowled too strsight to him. Good knock nd a very important one but lets not get carried away.

[lazza32]

I need someone to explain to me why bailey is in the team. He is simply not test material as is shown in his sheffield shield record. 18 months ago I didn't even know his name, he is the only person in the team I would say is easily replaceable unlike watson unfortunately.

[tim2000s]

England bowled too short. In prior post I mentioned the key to success on the WACA is pitching 1m further up, I thought England's experienced attack fell for the Perth trap, too short.

Tell me about it. I sat and watched half an hour of Stokes bowling at Smith on the train (thank you Sky Go!!!) and felt that the length of the bowling was idiotic. You could see the back of a length balls causing defensive strokes, so why bowl half way down the pitch? It's not like these guys are bowling at 90+mph, so the short balls are properly hard to play. They were topping out at 85-86, which Smith was dealing with easily.

And Anderson does indeed look exhausted. As mentioned previously, he's bowled 285+ more overs than any other fast bowler in world cricket over the last 12 months. To put it in context, that's nearly three full days of a test match, continuously, more. No wonder he is exhausted.

[Alvaro]

I think he's a very intelligent and way above average cricketer. He may not have the style of Bell or Clarke but who cares, it's not how it's how many. He looks hard to bowl at as well - he plays a lot of unorthodox shots and it's hard to set a field to him.

I think calling him an average player is a real disservice.

Thing is, that's fine when he's in nick, which is now.
I bet when he is out of form he will struggle exponentially more than someone like Bell who has a technique to fall back on.

He'll be a good honest player for Australia, but if someone will a similar temperament and a technique turns up, then I'm sure he'll be ushered out of the team.

[awp]

I need someone to explain to me why bailey is in the team. He is simply not test material as is shown in his sheffield shield record. 18 months ago I didn't even know his name, he is the only person in the team I would say is easily replaceable unlike watson unfortunately.

100%  lazza.  And thats no slight on him personally, by all accounts he seems to be highly regarded and well respected. I agree, never been  a fan of his cricket outside odi, his technique doesnt look like test grade to me.  Trouble is, of those pressing for selection, who really has put their hand up and demanded selection through sheer weight of runs? No one (aside from phil hughes who is making a mountain of runs now he based in adelaide.....) at the same time bailey was slaughtering odi attacks on indian pitches thst were yielding 700 runs per game, which looked flattering, but to me atleast isnt overly compelling.  Ive nearly given up hoping but its such  a shame shaun marsh hasnt fulfilled his prodigious talent in longer form cricket as he is the second best batsman in australia full stop,  but with 1 century in 4 shield games this year, hardly screams 'pick me'.  If form is the ultimate criteria then marcus north would be the man who has most centuries (opening too) but has taken time off to deal with the death of his brother (understandable of course).  Marcus may be too old now anyway?  The team has improved, significsntly, you could see it emerging in england, despite the 3 zip belting received.  However, the batting still looks capeable of a collapse if clarke goes cheaply and haddin doesnt do a rescue job.  Reality is we were 2 dropped catches from being out cheaply in adelaide, game changing stuff at that elite level.  I see out batting evolving in 2 potential ways, depending on who emerges.  The hunt for another ponting to bat 3 is probably as futile as our search for another warne, but if a quality 3 emerges, I think we need to pick him and let watto bat lower, if hes expected to bowl.  Dont mind watto at 3 though, in principal.  If a good youngish player genuinely capable of a test place in the top 4 emerges then he csn bat at 5 and smith at 6, which is where I think he would have a fantastic career, which he may well have at 5 in any case.  At 6 he could also further develop his leggies which I do hope he keeps up with.  No nedd to worry about quicks, theres another 15 kids coming ghrough thst all bowl 150+.

[awp]

Thing is, that's fine when he's in nick, which is now.
I bet when he is out of form he will struggle exponentially more than someone like Bell who has a technique to fall back on.

He'll be a good honest player for Australia, but if someone will a similar temperament and a technique turns up, then I'm sure he'll be ushered out of the team.

Bell didnt always look the player he does these days......... check his record when he was the same age as smith.......theres actually little wrong withcsmiths technique, he looks like hes worked damn hard on improving, what people mostly confuse is his style, which is a little unconditional.

[awp]

And Anderson does indeed look exhausted. As mentioned previously, he's bowled 285+ more overs than any other fast bowler in world cricket over the last 12 months. To put it in context, that's nearly three full days of a test match, continuously, more. No wonder he is exhausted.

I didnt read that earlier, his exhaustion would seem understandable if that is correct.  As said earlier, I love his skill at swinging the ball, so I watched him very closely, and in the field, hes completely knackered.  I dont know what englands schedule is post ashes, but they need to rest this bloke or risk a serious long term injury.

[Bulldog Cricket]

Smiths playing well at the moment but I agree his technique looks fragile. When you see him batting at 5 for Australia people like Stuart Law, jamie Cox, Lehman etc etc must be thinking I wish I could have my career again now. Mind you the same could be said for carberry. Very lucky to be playing test cricket imo.

[awp]

His record suggests he's a pretty average player who's upped his game in the last 12 months, but he's still a very average batsman at test level. Very strong on the on side and a tired England attack bowled too strsight to him. Good knock nd a very important one but lets not get carried away.

Isnt thst called being a kid in a test team and learning?  Same for root.  I think perhsps we need instant cricketers these days..... it took steve waugh a while to flourish in test matches, you blokes would have discarded him!

[awp]

Smiths playing well at the moment but I agree his technique looks fragile. When you see him batting at 5 for Australia people like Stuart Law, jamie Cox, Lehman etc etc must be thinking I wish I could have my career again now. Mind you the same could be said for carberry. Very lucky to be playing test cricket imo.

Yep, in the 90's and early '00's our second stringers were capeable of averaging 50 in tests....those guys would have walked into any other nations test team..timing is everything isnt it.  Hussey couldnt get a game until he was 30........

[Sam]

I'm personally not really liking the decisions Cook is making as a captain out there and feel a couple of other people could be better suited but perhaps at the moment there is other things to be worrying about!