I dont like cricket...oh no...I love it

First Test, Perth (day two, close):
Australia 375 v South Africa 243-8

Test match cricket is just the best.

When I went to work, after spending an hour watching the afternoons session, SA were well set with Kallis and De Villiers looking set for tons. When I get into work (45 mins door to door) they are looking down the barrell of 100+ defecit and yet another test match deafeat to the Australians.

I hate to say it but the Aussies are the best side in the world still, even without McGrath, Warne, Langer, Gillespie, the list goes on....I may still be on a downer after Monday however I cannot think of any England bowler except Flintoff who could have down to SA what Johnson did today.

SA face an uphill struggle now. Unless time is taken out of the game or they bowl Aus out for under 250max I do not see how they can save the match. SA's batting is reliant on the top 6 for its runs as it has a long tail.

And so to England's next Test which ridiculously just three days after the last one! My two dream jobs would be Chairman of England Cricket Selectors or Chair of Liverpool FC, though if I was in the former now I would have even less hair than I do now.

I have given this much thought. Panesar will never learn if he is dropped for a test in India, though Swann's performances may mean he gets the nod as a sole spinner in the WI, so he would for me stay in.

Broad however gets in if he's fit and so, given that Anderson could be forgiven for being mentally scared by Sehwag, that would be my change. Whilst his batting has improved out of sight, (if only all tailenders worked as hard), he ultimately gets picked for his bowling and indian wickets dont suit him. He will be back however and could yet play a large part in the upcoming Ashes.

And so we come on to the last possible change England could make, Shah for Bell. Bell deserves one last chance and in fairness has been shunted round the order like a locomotive in the sidings. He has the makings of a fine test batsmen (though maybe not at 3) and I would pick him. He has so much talent it hurts to watch him not convert his starts into large scores. Bell has backing from the selectors and the captain so I will be amazed if Shah plays. However his Test carear is at a cross roads and he knows it.

One final thought...Pieterson is playing when he is not 100% fit with his rib. It hampers his fielding and must hamper him when he bats and looks to pull, hook and flick to the legside. This makes me think two things

1. Would he pick a teammate with a broken rib
2. Is Englands delay because someone has made that very point to him...perhaps Shah could get a game afterall...

The Mighty Boosh

As an early Christmas present I took my loving wife of three years Charlie to the 02 to see the Mighty Boosh last night.

I have to confess I dont get it! There is no doubt they are both talented comedians, and the band is fantastic, but its too weird for me. Enjoyed my first time at the 02 though.

Charlie however had a great time. Thank god opposites attract. The look on her face meanwhile was well worth the money.

First Test - India win by 6 wkts

First Test, Chennai (day five, result):
India 241 & 387-4 bt England 316 & 311-9d by six wickets

Warning

Readers of this blog will soon gather two things.

1. I am rubbish at spelling and grammar and
2. I am a huge Cricket fan

They call him the little master but after this innings there is no doubt in my mind he is the best batsmen of his era and maybe of them all. After Sehwag had set the game up last night, Tendulkar just came in and slowly but surely took England out the game. You just knew we would never get him out. Lara, Ponting and S Waugh have nothing on him.

The uneducated would look at the score and think it was a flat pitch but anyone who saw Swann (in his first test) pitch the ball way outside off and get it to turn and bounce knows differently.

The uneducated will wonder how England could be so bad they couldnt defend nearly 400. It happens to the best of teams. Just ask Australia. They couldnt stop the West Indies and they only had Lara. Australia have even lost a 400 lead in a one day game against South Africa.

Quite simply two of the best batsman in the world took the game away from us whilst two capable ones in Gambair and Singh held an end up. Whilst Anderson did bowl like a sieve with the new ball, no-one could bowl to Sehwag in that mood yesterday. Sometimes when a batsmen gets in he gets in that 'zone' and you cannot bowl to him.

What makes Tendulkar all the more amazing is that the whole nation expect him to score runs, and have done all his career since he was 17. And India is a cricket mad nation. The weight on this shoulders is crushing. And to think some people where wondering whether/when he would retire...

Sure England could have done some things better, (field placements, their batting before the declaration) however that would be knit picking. Everyone tried hard and apart from the start of India's second innings England didn't really have a bad session.

This test will be remembered for the batsmen - Strauss, Collingwood, Sehwag, Tendulkar with Singh and Prior getting a mention in dispatches. I therefore want to spare a thought for the bowlers. Flintoff deserved a pfeiffer for the way he kept running in esp as he was ill throughout the test. Once again he was England's only viable pace bowler. Frankly Anderson and Harmison proved once again that they are only horses for courses.

Swann also deserves high praise. He bowled with beautiful control and never let the batsman (even Sehwag) take liberties. Monty meanwhile was lacklusture. Following bad tours to Sri Lanka/New Zealand and a bad summer last year, any more games like this and he will lose his place as Englands number one spinner. With Rashid also being carefully groomed by the ECB Monty needs to up his game.

This is a corny saying but Test Match cricket was the winner after this game and should serve as a reminder to the ICC why it should be preserved. Whilst England will emerge with credit from this game Bell needs a score if he is to justify being in the team let alone No3.

I cant wait for the second test - I'm off now to pick up my bat and practice 'shadow' drives in front of the mirror.

Praise to West Ham and Craig Bellamy

Well done West Ham. One shot on target all game (and from an ex red and all), yet they still draw one-one. At this rate I'll have to rethink Green and Upson for England, whilst Cole and Bellamy kicked lumps out of Terry and Alex at the back, my code for he had a good game!

So still a point clear despite not being able to win at home for three games in a row. What odds the top four all drawing - at this rate Villa are in the title race!

Next up Arsenal

Polls

Another weekend, another round of polls.

I dont see Brown going to the country in the spring. Joint elections with the European and local elections is the most likely option if he is to go this year. If not then he will enjoy his time in No 10 for as long as he can.

Let me just give a plug to my work and the campaign to Stamp Out Voting Fraud. Hopefully this will be the last General Election we have without Individual Voter Registration...

Sehwag

Currently watching Sehwag hit our opening attack out the ground - has anyone told him its a test match?

This is great fun and highlights the lack of fear Indian batsman have (though the bowling is shoddy).

Question for my non existent readers - why are English batsmen so reserved?

For Whom The Bell Tolls

First Test
India v England Chennai (day three, stumps):
England 316 & 172-3 v India 241

Well played to Strauss and Collingwood. They have put England firmly in control here and just one more session of good batting will take it away from India. Let us hope now our bowling attack can get 10 wkts. There are rumours of Flintoff and Harmison being unwell/injured. Early to bed for the bowlers I think.

Though you could quite happily 'bowl' to a field to Strauss (eg no mid on for instance or extra cover for instance) there is no doubt that since he has come back in the side, though he is less pleasing on the eye, his provides a steady hand at teh top of the order. His slip fielding was also missed, esp now Tres has left us.

As for Colly, everytime you begin to worry for him he comes up trumps. My wife upon hearing about his fifty told me that she found him curiously attractive in a Catherine Cookson type way (whatever that means). All I know he that he is a very underrated cricketer.

Looking ahead though, as England cricket fans always seem to do, there is no doubt we need to up our scoring rates if we are to challenge Australia and give our bowlers time to bowl Ponting and co out twice.

That leaves Bell in a tricky position if he is to keep his place in the side. This guy has so much talent however he is a bundle of nerves everytime he goes out to bat. With Shah and Vaughan breathing down his neck he needs runs. To my mind he needs to remember life is great...he is being paid to do something most of us would give our back teeth for - play for England. So why not relax, back his ability and have some fun...

Thoughts on my team Liverpool after 2-2 home draw against Hull

So we have dropped two points at home again for the third time in a row. Mind you could have been worse I suppose as we were two nil down. Still, just as happened this time last year, draws at home are costing us.

We really miss do Torres as he has the pace to get behind defences. I suspect we will buy a striker in the transfer window, however Benitez really does have to think how to play without him in the team.

Whilst I realise he is far from the finished article I dont see why Babel cannot play up top. He has the pace and would allow Kuyt/Gerrard/Keane to either play off him depending on how we wanted to play.

Quick word about Keane. The lad must be gutted about how his dream move is turning out. He needs a run of games with someone up front with him whom he can play off, eg stays up front not drops deep like Kuyt. Benitez will need to use all his man management skills over the holidays to get the best from him. He will also need to buy someone in the transfer window up front.

I have a couple of theories about Keane. I suspect in the summer Benitez wanted Keane, but to play in the role that Gerrard plays just off the striker. I suspect his thinking was that having Keane would allow him to rest Gerrard in some games and still have a creative spark up front. I also think that he was not consulted over the price and that if he had of been he would have thought twice and brought someone younger. Spurs saw Rick Parry coming!

Oh well, if you'd have said to Liverpool fans at the start of the season we would be two points clear (yes I know we have had a game more) in Dec having beat the Mancs and Chelsea already we'd have taken that! In Rafa we trust!

Finally a quick word about Hull. As a Hull grad I'm really pleased they are doing so well. Just hope we can beat them at their place...

Testing Testing - Greetings

Hello world

This is a test post to see if I am doing this right.

Basically as the title gives away my blog will I suspect mainly consist of random and irrelevant thoughts on topics varying from politics to sport and the weather.

This blog may contain spelling and grammar which will shock you.

Enjoy