if we lose 5-50 NZ have a sniff

shame I'll talk to myself! 

Head cuts and is gone off an edge

Including me today. Got a function.

not a whole lot knocking down the door. I guess Khawaja or patterson are the obvious choices

No posters here as per usual.

Wade's position is now in jeopardy. He has one 50 from his past 5 matches. That is simply not Test standard.

There may be something in that. But his figures show he drops form when the short ball is bowled to him.

Troll city on WP. I post that we use archaic rolling and covering methods compared to say England.. and the troll gang come out in force saying they think the current methods "are cool". 

I wonder if smiths form slump is due to his team-mates doing well

he is excellent when our backs are against the wall but may drop off a bit when we dominate

lots of aggression early! And we lose a wicket.

Not sure why the agression is needed. I'd rather us bat forever in this heat

Yeah, it stands out that the kiwis lack a good quality strike bowler to get wickets with the new ball. Way over reliant on Wagner's short stuff that they seem to go to rather early.

Yes only 35 in the CBD and surrounds but that is hot enuff to make things uncomfortable for the Kiwis in the field. So our plan of attack will be to bat deep into the day and cook em. There is,tho, the very likelihood of smoke haze disruptions.

often in bowler friendly conditions too!

For Paddles.
You saying the FTP is not organised by the ICC  committee but instead by the boards of member nations. That the ICC only prints the program? If that is the case then I was incorrect. But how the hell is anyone to know that unless they have inside info.. I see ICC on top of the  FTP and assume it makes the program.. anybody wud do the same. Makes you think then what use do the ICC play. The MCC .. as I understand are the actual caretakers of the sport. They make the rules and such. So what the hell use is the ICC. They certainly work slow furthering the game. . More than 120 yrs of Test cricket and yet there is still only a piddling 12 Test playing nations.. and it was 10 up to two years ago. There are some 92 nations playing cricket.. so ICC you are as useful as tits on a bull.

Sorry about the double post ^. No idea how it happened, but can't fix it as the edit function isn't working.

Going to be a tough day in the field this. Temps predicted to reach 46 deg in the west, but only 35 deg in the city. Sometimes that can be worse, it's usually more humid and can be stifling.

Aussies in a good position again. After day 1 in each test match so far...

4 - 248
4 - 257
3 - 283

Also, good luck to those in our fire affected areas. It could be a tough day, it's been ordinary up to this point, hope we get some rain soon.

Correlation does not imply causation. I am far from convinced that this is remotely conclusive of mental frailty post being hit by Archer. After Smith was sconed, he came back vs England - got some short stuff, and scored 221 and 82. The bowlers who got him were spinners Root and Leech.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/19430/scorecard/1152849/england-vs-australia-4th-test-icc-world-test-championship-2019-2021

No wickets to the short ball there.

Next test he makes 80 and is lbw to Woakes. Lbw is not a short ball.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/19430/scorecard/1152850/england-vs-australia-5th-test-icc-world-test-championship-2019-2021

Broad gets him in the second innings - but off a length ball:

Broad to Smith, OUT, gone, the plan works! Caught at leg gully! Steve Smith is out, ladies and gents, and he hasn't even got fifty! Length ball, no great menace in it, Smith looks to tickle it round the corner, and Stokes dives low to his left at leg gully to take a sharp catch. England are ecstatic, and are surely now in the box seat to square the seriesSPD Smith c Stokes b Broad 23 (88m 53b 4x4 0x6) SR: 43.39

Still no wickets out to the short ball... since the Archer hit...

Pakistan first test:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/19430/scorecard/1183530/australia-vs-pakistan-1st-test-icc-world-test-championship-2019-2021

Yasir Shah - the leggie gets him...

Second test - Shaheen gets him...

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Smith, OUT, he's edged behind having a big swing! Round the wicket, a full delivery outside off, Smith aiming a huge hoick over the leg side and gets a thin inside edge to the keeper


So that is still no dismissals since Archer to the short ball.

Then along comes Wagner... who had done it to him once before and many many more batsmen besides Smith...

I am not going to count how many short balls Stokes, Archer, and Broad gave Smith in England in the 4th and 5th test, but I remember plenty. Plenty. 

Either way, no short ball has gotten Smith bar those bowled by Wagner since Archer sconed him, including all those bowled in 4 test previous. Smith has been out to 4 short balls since Archer sconed him. It's all Wagner's wickets. All 4 of them. Until then - it was business as usual for Smith in not getting out to short balls. And he scored those nigh 80 runs somewhere cos they weren't many off Wagner's short balls.

The cause for Smith? Is it Archer? Is it a coincidence? Is it Wagner? Is it a left armer doing it? Has he always had a problem with the short stuff only known by Wagner and NZ? How much did Shaheen give him around the chin in the second test? Anything? Is it the field set for Wagner? 

But there is nothing conclusive presented that I see from Craddock.

I will say one thing, Smith can expect a lot more of it next year vs India if he makes runs. Shami or Yadav - maybe Bumrah to dish it up. I bet they wish they had a gun left armer, though. Which could well be the most critical factor of all... Left arm spin is Smith's biggest weakness (if you can call it that), and while he has not had to play many good left arm seamers, Wagner, Boult and Shaheen do have Smith noticeably well below his career average. Smith has however plundered many mediocre left armers like that Pakistani medium pacer from a few years ago. I just notice Southee as a right armer when bowling short, didn't get Smith, did he really trouble him? I don't think so, Smith pulled him last test iirc. But Southee is nowhere near as skiddy or as good at it as Neil.

Craddock just said that since Archer clocked Smith his average against the short ball has dropped from a ridiculous @90 to about @30. That backs up what I have been saying. He was mentally shot by that hit.

That was a very un Smith like dismissal. He does not looked as mentally tuned in  to me. I'd have expected Burns, Mitch marsh or Head to play that shot not SPUD

wade gets himself in an awkward position on the 6th ball of that degrandhomme over but shows ponting like reflexes to get out of trouble

its a shame he's not younger, he has such good hand eye coordination. If he could develop his game he could be really special

I remember him getting beaten a few times in England only to use exceptional reflexes to save himself

yeah it looks like its not too hard a pitch to get a start but you are never really in on.

Unless you are labu, then you are in on any pitch

smith falls to the new ball getting bang on his average of 63

I maintain the same that that Archer clonk has affected him mentally. 

Limited sideways movement is sufficient to get a good player dismissed. It is spongy.. not much bounce. Will it turn later on. Surely if CA expected that they'd have picked Swepson.

the live averages of these two make for some pretty reading

61 and 63!

I'd rather a pitch with some encouragement  for bowlers than roads.

We are  probably in a good position then.

Phew! Labu stays in.

Smith is not what he was to watch as a batter in the middle of the year.

well normally pitches like this the batsmen are never really in and can spoon the occasional delivery in the air. Its an incredibly dominant position

2-232 is a little over 3 per over, thus far, so I am quite satisfied. 

Smith said on Fox there is already inconsistent bounce. 

Review for Labu being out off Somerville.

It does not worry me as much if it is used exclusively against  Smith. 

A pundit elucidated figures where he has struggled as batter, comparatively, since Archer bit him in the head in The Ashes. 

that its a spongy pitch with a limited sideways movement for the seamers

you often see a lot of players on these pitches get a start then get out for a middling score (say between 20 and 80)