I popped into the scg yesterday to see England get another thrashing but Kev, Fred and Straussy didn't do too badly on what looked like a pretty good wicket.
OK so England were badly beaten by the PM's XI but that was pretty well played down but what can England take from this 3 day knock around.
I guess the only positives were that Fred and KP got a bit of badly needed batting practice but on the negative side, I think Bell's 2 ball duck will do some serious psychological damage. He's been batting pretty well and is full of confidence imagining that he has grown up from a boy to a man since the last Ashes, however he was back in diapers after his second ball and he has one match left in Adelaide to undo the damage of 2005. I fear a bad result there could make him a real doubt for the first test, which would be a big surprise.
The bowlers didn't do too much either. Fred hasn't taken a wicket yet although he has been bowling some tidy overs but he is expected to do a lot more than that. With Harmy looking fairly harmless, Fred will be a go to strike bowler (if one can go to oneself that is). Monty has had a fair go but as yet he has not looked like the strike spinner that he is meant to be, which could see Giles playing in Brissy. Mind you Mahmoud is looking like a moderately useful tailender these days.
As for the wicket keeper, is it any more settled than before they came to Australia, it was starting to look like Jonesy would be back but he's been playing like a big girls blouse. In Canberra he seemed to only be concerned with not getting out. He hasn't done much better in Sydney either hitting a tame 13 off 42 balls when he should have made a much more confident stand, and he still got clean bowled by Mcgrath. If England don't put Read back for the Gabba it would show unreasonable faith in Jones. He took a good catch in Canberra but he also dropped a howler.
They did well against a couple of the Speedblitz batters today but they won't be facing them in the test. Two they will be (maybe), Clarke and Katich well had their measure. Apart from Katich retiring. Overall I think England will want to see a lot more venom from their bowlers in Adelaide and a poor start by Tresco and Bell would be very damaging.
But then again this could all be wishful thinking on my part and England will magically lift themselves way above their station when the battle begins in Queensland.
STOP PRESS: I've just heard that Jones is keeping wicket in Brissy. Madness. His dropped catches and missed stumpings (another on at the scg) will prove more expensive than than his miserly batting I'd be willing to bet.
OK so England were badly beaten by the PM's XI but that was pretty well played down but what can England take from this 3 day knock around.
I guess the only positives were that Fred and KP got a bit of badly needed batting practice but on the negative side, I think Bell's 2 ball duck will do some serious psychological damage. He's been batting pretty well and is full of confidence imagining that he has grown up from a boy to a man since the last Ashes, however he was back in diapers after his second ball and he has one match left in Adelaide to undo the damage of 2005. I fear a bad result there could make him a real doubt for the first test, which would be a big surprise.
The bowlers didn't do too much either. Fred hasn't taken a wicket yet although he has been bowling some tidy overs but he is expected to do a lot more than that. With Harmy looking fairly harmless, Fred will be a go to strike bowler (if one can go to oneself that is). Monty has had a fair go but as yet he has not looked like the strike spinner that he is meant to be, which could see Giles playing in Brissy. Mind you Mahmoud is looking like a moderately useful tailender these days.
As for the wicket keeper, is it any more settled than before they came to Australia, it was starting to look like Jonesy would be back but he's been playing like a big girls blouse. In Canberra he seemed to only be concerned with not getting out. He hasn't done much better in Sydney either hitting a tame 13 off 42 balls when he should have made a much more confident stand, and he still got clean bowled by Mcgrath. If England don't put Read back for the Gabba it would show unreasonable faith in Jones. He took a good catch in Canberra but he also dropped a howler.
They did well against a couple of the Speedblitz batters today but they won't be facing them in the test. Two they will be (maybe), Clarke and Katich well had their measure. Apart from Katich retiring. Overall I think England will want to see a lot more venom from their bowlers in Adelaide and a poor start by Tresco and Bell would be very damaging.
But then again this could all be wishful thinking on my part and England will magically lift themselves way above their station when the battle begins in Queensland.
STOP PRESS: I've just heard that Jones is keeping wicket in Brissy. Madness. His dropped catches and missed stumpings (another on at the scg) will prove more expensive than than his miserly batting I'd be willing to bet.
