Cricket Super Series-- Australia v World XI

[Tania]

Bring on the test

 

[cleazer]

So who's going to play for the World XI in the test?

As I understand it, these are the options:
Graeme Smith
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Brian Lara
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Jacques Kallis
Andrew Flintoff
Shaun Pollock
Mark Boucher
Steve Harmison
Shoaib Akhtar
Muttiah Muralitharan
Daniel Vettori

I tend to think that Smith, Inzamam, Boucher, and Harmison are all guaranteed to play, since they didn't get a chance to be part of the ODI matches. Also, Muralitharan and Vettori should be locks based on their performance during the ODI's.

That leaves 5 spots to be split between: Sehwag, Dravid, Lara, Kallis, Flintoff, Pollock, and Shoaib. Which 2 don't make the cut? The squad seems a little South African-heavy, so I'd probably vote to cut at least one of them. Since Kallis was just named Test Player of the Year, I'd guess that Pollock was a bit more likely to get omitted. During the ODI's, Shoaib was looking somewhat unfit, so I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't play either.

 

[cleazer]

Looks like I was right about Pollock and Shoaib Akhtar not making the cut.


Apparently Australia will open the batting. Again.

 

[ibiarain]

Looks like I was right about Pollock and Shoaib Akhtar not making the cut.


Apparently Australia will open the batting. Again.

u mean they'll be batting 1st

 

[cleazer]

wow, what an incredible start


looks like we may not be needing all 6 days!

 

[timothius]

Langer out 3rd ball.

This is Dan's time to shine... here on a spinning SCG wicket.

 

[GibsonGirl]

 

[timothius]

That's the spirit!

 

[cleazer]

a fairly even first two hours.

 

[timothius]

Uncharacteristically slow start for Australia.

Hayden continues his awesomely bad form. 28 runs off 73 balls... the world's most dangerous batsman? Yeah right!

 

[cleazer]

I was going to ask if anyone thought the batsmen might slow it down a little since they had 6 days instead of 5.

It doesn't seem like it so far, but time will tell, I guess.

 

[timothius]

Australia has slowed it down though, their normal runrate in Australia is over 4... today they are just breaking 2.

I think it is more to do with Hayden's poor form and ailing ability rather than the 6 day situation.

Also I wouldn't be slowing down... living pretty much in Sydney - rain will happen in this test and probably wipe out at least a day.

 

[cleazer]

149/2 at drinks, a good hour put in by Clarke and Hayden

 

[timothius]

Another one bites the dust.

 

[timothius]

Another.

It is irregular that I will read somthing I agree 100%... but this is the closest I have come in a long while.

http://aus.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/221812.html

 

[cleazer]

Looks like F1 practice starts in about an hour. Guess I'll be flipping back and forth again.

 

[timothius]

I can't believe you get F1 practice.

We don't even get qualifying.

 

[cleazer]

Yeah, Speed Channel is pretty cool.

Just keep in mind that I get virtually no cricket.

 

[cleazer]

A much stronger second session from Australia.

Okay place your bets: who's gonna get to 100 first, Hayden or Gilchrist?

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Hayden, probably.

 

[DignityPassesBy]

score and runs update please

 

[cleazer]

293 for 5

Australia about to get to 300. Gilchrist at 76 right now.

 

[cleazer]

Watson just went via lbw

so now its 323 for 6

Gilchrist on 87

The six wickets:
Langer 0
Ponting 46
Clarke 39
Katich 0
Hayden 111
Watson 24

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Play's over for today.

 

[cleazer]

Pretty decent total for 85 overs, the Aussies have a good shot at reaching 400 tomorrow.

Tomorrow should be an interesting day. We'll see if anyone on the World XI can be bothered to whack a century or not.

 

[Tania]

Uncharacteristically slow start for Australia.

Hayden continues his awesomely bad form. 28 runs off 73 balls... the world's most dangerous batsman? Yeah right!

111?

Sounds alright to me...

 

[timothius]

111?

Sounds alright to me...

His first 50 runs were 50 of the most tediously boring runs I have ever seen. His 50 off 104 balls surpassed the sleep putting techniques of Lawry, Taylor and Boycott combined.

His second fifty was much better.

The media is reporting this as Hayden's "return to form". Hayden's "form" (over 18 months ago) were blisteringly quick centuries on day 1 of tests taking the game away early - not 2 of the most boring centuries I have ever witnessed.



Thumbs down for Hayden - the weakest of the Australian batsman (note - Watson is too ordinary to even be granted batsman status).

 

[cleazer]

Unbelieveable. Gilchrist out on only the second ball of the day!

 

[cleazer]

345 all out. A fairly comprehensive collapse by Australia, dominated by Flintoff!

Harmison wasn't looking so good at all, but Flintoff looked ready to beat the world.

 

[cleazer]

World XI currently on 50/3. Smith, Dravid, and Lara already out.