by Krap - 8 - Krap scores runs. Krap gets high score.
Hughes - 2 - Looks dreadful. I don't recall his limitations being so
bleedin obvious in The Repugnant so maybe it's just something that's
incubated in Pomgolia. Atm there doesn't look to be a solution and there's
a good to very good chance that he'll be dropped before the series is over.
Or there would be if the squad had a spare batsman. It must be galling for
Rogers & Klinger (Ok, he's a #3 buttt), players of perfectly good
techniques *and* as good a season as Hughes' watching Hughes atm.
Punter - 9 - Again made a definitive statement with the bat at the start of
a series. Chasing 440 on an unknown pitch in Oz's first innings of the
series and coming in cheaply is serious pressure. He never gave England a
sniff. No serious, or even contentious errors in the captaincy arena.
Bowling North at the death wasn't something I would've done but his
reasoning was rational.
Huss - 3 - Another Test failure and... well...what? Repeat: There is no
reserve batsman in the squad. Exactly wtf are the selectors going to do if
Hughes and/or Huss fail again? It's madness.
Clarke - 7 - Boring little innings played under no pressure. Next.
North - 7 - Boring big innings under no pressure. Did the job but fails to
impress me due to a shortage of shots and a penchant to over-balance to the
off in his desire to work everything to leg. Could be picked off by a
quality quick taking the ball away. Off-spin looks over-rated. And boring.
He's even got boring hair.
Haddin - 7 - I just can't score a keeper highly who's as brad as Bad. He
batted superbly and selflessly (unlike Marcus) but 22 byes in that match
weren't justified.
Johnson - 4 - High expectations, low returns. Delivered more lines than a
phone exchange and totally failed to swing the ball. Bowled rubbish on D5
when he was needed. (Arm looks even lower than usual)
Hauritz - 5 - Seeing through the smokescreen of support that was being
pumped out from the usual suspects revealed that Horrie performed exactly
as expected. Dud. He's no good. Although to be fair, he was probably more
than a tad confused when he saw his deliveries spinning & jumping. He has
absolutely no experience in that situation. Should be dropped for T2. Don't
care for who. SK Warne ideally.
Hilf - 8 - Easily the pick of the bowlers. Aside: One of the comms, and I
have a *** feeling that it was GRJ Matthews, pointed out the striking
similarity between Hilly's run-up and action and Graham Mckenzie's. Am
kicking meself for not picking that *and* having GRJ Matthews doing so. Was
the only quick on display who consistently swung the ball. And the bastard
is continuing his bad RSA tactic of only bowling his off-cutter once every
four overs. Once an over minimum please Benny.
Siddle - 6 - The Pocket Merv. Can be relied upon for a bit of GBH on the
batsmen and could do well on a seaming deck with that high arm action. He'd
be a much more successfull bowler if he could find another few kph. He
should also insist on a 3rd man.
So to Lords.
Enjoy yourself Mikey.
alvey
in Briz, just off to check on which Aussie batsmen are playing county.