Paine is a vasty superior leader of men to Smith, an much more mature, but may lack tactical experience and nous at Test level. The likes of Smith may be able to provide useful tactical advice. However, Paine is our best leader of men, and statesperson, since Mark Taylor. 

Totally agree. Make Smithy v/c so he has an official channel thru which to impart that tactical nous onto Tim.

I wish we played Carey instead of Wade, perhaps we might next test if Wade doesn't get runs next innings.  

We need to find a few new batsmen ASAP probably 1-2, I don't have much confidence in our top 3 with the ball moving. I also don't l have much confidence in M. Marsh if it comes to that... I would like someone in the top 3 who complements Warner by being a sold grafting player that is hard to dismiss.

Anyway we can win the test from here, we will need around 400 in the 2nd innings that is a chance for the batsmen to make some runs in what might be easier conditions.

I hope for Australia's sake that Paine does better as captain in the field.

Give it a rest Jim.

Have a boozy nite DC. I will be watching Cummins and Pattinson making mincemeat of the Pommie top order.

Might see you blokes later.

Attending a Tas Cricket Assoc party tonight!

Paine is a humorous sledger.

Good day, JJ.

As a leader of men, Paine is excellent, Smith is rubbish and was/is too immature.

Smith exuded poor body language as captain, perpetually looking upset with his team-mates.  Conversely, Paine looks in charge and is much more relaxed.

Smith's innings was a very good innings, but it doesn't  extrapolate to captaincy.

Captains can inspire others by more than deeds. Agreeing to cheat is morally a very poor example. 

I noticed Smith. Was never impressed. Too much constant fighting with umpires and what not.

Paine seems very good in the dressing room, that is obvious with Aussie's attitude now being polite and positive, but he needs to up it on the field to reach Flemming levels who captained some seriously mediocre teams to above average results.

@jaszyjim
I guess the argument for Paine as a captain is his leadership is meant to make our team more friendly and sportsmanlike

From a distance its hard to tell if he is succeeding

A good captain though is worth a weak performer. Before Finch returned to form his decisions in the field meant he was worth carrying him as a walking wicket. Another was steve fleming for NZ back in the day

to tell you the truth I havent noticed smith or paines captaincy in the field

Gday DC
jaszyjim - here we go again
I did not catch up with the team or the match until the 30th over.
Surprises in both.
Lets get your nonsense about how good a captain Paine is out of the way first - He is not, may be a good keeper
but not a good captain. The captains knock was played by Smith, it will be a captains knock
in a years time & the Aussies will be better for it.
I assume you noted at the end of the days play, how the players congratulated Smith & how Paine
did it - Not the congratulation of a good captain, in fact I thought it disgusting.
So how did we go overall:-
Warner - failed
Bancroft - failed
Khawaja - failed
Smith - excelled
Head - passed
Wade - failed
Paine - failed
Pattinson - failed
Cummins - failed
Siddle - excellent
Lyon - excellent

Interesting, we played 2 wicket keeper batsmen & both failed - one of them the highly thought of by some, captain.
Cannot understand Bancroft & Wade's selection at all - would have been better with M. Marsh
I hope for Australia's sake that Paine does better as captain in the field.
The much maligned by some, Smith has given him a target to do something with - 
Hope he does it.
jaszyjim

But I do need to sort out channel 9 on my tv ;)

I watched the full day to be honest. Havnt slept :P

It's the weekend soon. I'll catch up ;)

There are no sufficient superlatives to describe Steve Smith. When I went  to bed well into the last session he was on 70.. having dragged us out of the mire with help from Sids. He musta then led a brutal assault on a tiring attack to finish unconconqued on almost 150. That knock shud move him back to #1 on rankings and keep him there. The man is a phenomenon. 

If you live in NZ, do you ever sleep, Paddles?

I wish I had seen more of the partnership. 

England was right on top when I watched , apart from when Head was at the crease.

LOL!

Too funny. 

I don't like  the calls for Smith to be reinstated as captain.

Paine is a vasty superior leader of men to Smith, an much more mature, but may lack tactical experience and nous at Test level. The likes of Smith may be able to provide useful tactical advice. However, Paine is our best leader of men, and statesperson, since Mark Taylor. 

Waugh fell out with players like Warne and Slater. Clarke and Ponting had too many tantrums in action. 

Because of injuries to fast bowlers it precludes them as future  leaders. Lyon doesn't have what it takes - too much of a clown and one of the boys. If Head succeeds he is our best captaincy option to replace the ageing Paine.

Siddle was great. Smith was just excellent. Just excellent.

Truly a class player. 

Siddle showed up some of his specialist batters.

There was some worse bowling from Stokes and Ali that Head capitalised on, but early on Anderson, Broad and Woakes bowled some very potent deliveries. 

combination of smith brilliance and the bowling got tired and wayward. If head lasts another few overs we would have put on plenty and cashed in on the injured anderson. Might get a chance in the 2nd innings

Siddle averages near 40 with the bat in county! Shows how much experience there can help you!

sheesh they did their time. 1 year is 51 weeks longer than the icc wanted.

There has to be some path to redemption! we are land of reformed convicts after all!

Smith still a weak captain who agreed to look the other way to cheat.

I still want Warner replaced on merit, for bringing the game into disrepute.

I think the likes of Atherton and Du Plessis have been leniently dealt with for ball tampering.

I'm not sure Head played well in lead up games, but he looked like our best batter until he was surprisingly dismissed, Mike.

Even though I'm biased,  as a parochial Tasmanian, Wade looked awful and could  have been dismissed many times before he was out.

I'm still of the view we should play with the Dukes ball all time time in Aus, because we are only making ourselves good in our own home conditions that few other  rivals experience at home. 

This is also one of the only Test series that Aussies view free to air. Few Aus cricket fans see what we are really like away from home - mediocre to poor. Out of sight , out of mind.

Incredible score from where we were!

Paine got out to a loose hook, after just surviving some very close outside edges.

Some of the other dismissals were to very good balls though.

I just don't believe what has happened?

When I went to bed Siddle was struggling with the bat. Australia were about 112.

We end up with a competitive score!

Masterstoke playing Siddle over Hazlewood, Hazlewood playing we're all out for 130 and we lose the test. To make nearly 300 on that wicket is an excellent effort. Siddle has probably held his position for the next 2 tests with just that innings. He should bowl OK on this wicket.

Someone passed a comment about playing a batsman "out of position" is a stupid thought. Hands up who thought that when Warner went in the 4th over, wouldn't it be good to have another opener in Harris playing at 3, considering that Warner also got an edge to Stuart Broad's first delivery, lucky for him Eng didn't review that one could have been 1/0 in the 2nd over. That's the problem with an opener like Warner when he hits a purple patch he'll win you the test, but when he fails he does so very early in an innings and it puts a lot of pressure on the following batsmen. There's no in between performance with Warner especially playing away from home where his average drops from 60 down to 36.

Also considering that Bancroft failed again (should have left that delivery go through to the keeper just fishing at it with no technique and edge to slips), as did Khawaja, a player that averages 18 in England tests, when he faced fresh new ball bowlers coming in the 4th over (very poor defensive shot something a quality opener such as Harris does have). Wade offered nothing at 6 and wouldn't have been selected if Harris was at 3. I personally don't consider playing a player "out of position" a stupid idea, but maybe that's just me. A lot of players change position with a great deal of success, Allan Border batted anywhere from 3-6, Greg Chappell batted anywhere from 3-6, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Michael Hussey, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid etc etc. If they're good enough they can move around, so if Khawaja batting at No 3 in England can only manage 18 average maybe a shift away from No 3 to No 5 may give a better result, you don't know till you try, If he fails you question his place in the side. This batting position theory was only introduced because Michael Clarke failed miserably as he moved up the order Batting No 5 av 60, No 4 av 30, No 3 av 13, that says something more about Clarke than being a general rule.

Baggers I think Bancroft proved that runs scored playing Div 2 county cricket is nothing to take into serious consideration as he has scored 726 @ 46 in 9 games but looked all at sea against international England bowlers. I think your Pommie mate is exaggerating the quality of Div 2 county cricket.

Great innings again by Smith, he is definitely an Australian batsman that loves playing in England, 5th century in 14 tests over there, his technique though not a classical approach, negated the swinging ball, maybe they should re-write the batsmen technical textbook.

I can't believe some still question Head's selection, reminds me a lot of a young Ricky Ponting, lets hope he continues his development, at only 25, many years of cricket ahead for him.

all out for 284 australia

I think its maybe slightly above par. If we got another 50 or so could of really hurt England as it would mean broad and woakes have to use extra juice tomorrow morning and wear out quicker in the 2nd innings

But the pitch is showing some signs of deterioration and Engladn will be a bowler short....

0/10 off 2 overs for England

Was Smith giving it to the crowd there?

Good on him if he was... And I am supporting England.

Brilliant player. One of the best ever...

broad and woakes deteriorating and wayward bowling at the other end

I think Australia might be par or in front here. We'll see tomorrow I guess!

Aus on top now... well done Smith...

267-9
I actually reckon this is par actually

England is batting last and pitch is already turning!

Great by Siddle, marvellous by Smith.

Hat's off...

big boos for steve smiths 100!

What an innings in the circumstances!

Australia at 9-233. Its not a terrible score since the pitch looks like it has something in it and is already deteriorating. Another 30 is probably par in my opinion, but we will see!