Optics aside, kevins response to the gfc was exemplary on the policy level but there is a lot of literature on what to do since keynes writings in the great depression (to be fair very few countries followed that advice so credit to rudd there)

an unprecedented natural disaster is a bit different though. Are there specific federal policies that could be rushed through to increase fire fighters capacity?

I suppose literally anything can be a better response than going to hawaii and the cricket though even if its only for comfort

It happens with Burns for one reason only.. his technique. He must be close to being jettisoned. May survive as we have few Tests this year.

Another bashing Sco Mo for taking a deserved holiday with his on school holiday kids. 

Good old Kev. No doubt Sco Mo wud've done same.. as he is now doing. These fires have been raging in my state a hell of a lot longer than Sc Mo took for his holiday. He shud not be shamed for taking a holiday with his family. By apologizing tho he was admitting in his mind he had made a political mistake. That was a boo boo.

The good old socialist polititians.. know how to steal votes. 

thought my comment was pretty chill rather than "bashy"

Where are all the IC members talking cricket. We really to recruit some more people. Bobbie seems to have abandoned us.

warner gone for 45

I would expect a few scores like that on a spongy pitch today

lets change the subject away from the fires and politics and back to the cricket

not sure where everyone is, ???? was on before

Does he want his name bandied about here? 

oops my bad, fixed

Well the cricket issue with me is I want every single one of Wagner's deliveries pitching outside leg to be wided. The ICC or is in the MCC needs to take a stand on this otherwise we will have every other medium pace, stocky quick employing the same tactic to our very best test cricketers. It has certainly exposed an achilees heel for Smith.

well that makes it more likely to spread if other sides try it which makes it a lot more dangerous. Hard to imagine Bumrah doing it - seems a good sport - but I can imagine Ishant Sharma doing it

What makes it likely to spread. I am saying ban it now.. before it takes over like a bloody cancer on our game.

oops my bad, fixed

spelt his name incorrectly too. No H

Post something KW

Baggers and Grazor, do you think Smith is really badly out of form? 

I’ve missed a bit of cricket, but 2-173 seems like slow scoring. 

It seems like Astle doesn’t get a lot of loop, but some of his balls gain a lot of sideways spin. 

That last one bounced too. 

Labu is scoring at a strike rate of about 58, whereas Smith’s SR is only a bit over 40. 

It might not have been well disguised, but Astle just bowled a sharp spinning, accurate googly. 

Is 182 a good enough score for 2  sessions and with only 2 wickets lost, Baggers? 

Should Australia have pushed the scoring rate more?

Then he bowled another.

No. We are way ahead in the game even at this stage. Marnus and Smithy had to consolidate after Warner went. I expect they will put foot on accelerator after tea.

Are wristies like Labu, Astle and Smith too flat, Grazor? 

That is the reason they picked him over Santner. Poses more questions when you have the ability to turn the ball both ways. Astle is experienced too with a decade of FC cricket behind him.

No. I do think that this short ball assault by Wagner has unsettled him a touch tho. 

The best thing DC is Marnus and Smith appear to be picking it.

Labu has scored a lot faster than Smith. 

They seem to be using a conventional field to Labu, whereas they go round the wicket and bowl short to Smith - devoid of slip! 

When Smith hooks he looks funny to me. He doesn’t quickly get onto the back foot like a classical hooker, such as Ponting. Smith seems to hook neither on the front or back foot. 

Baggers? 

Shouldn’t there be at least a wide slip to Smith, even when going around the wicket?!