Australia vs W. Indies, MCG 14/01/05

Comments from behind a coffee table

I've decided that I'd fill this blog with commentary on cricket, which will probably be non-unique.

You'll probably also get to here about the exploits of my church cricket team.

Anyway ....

Once again, Australia turns up a performance that shows their greatness and the inappropriateness of the attack placed against them. Although Gilly failed to fire, everyone after him got in the action. Punter is definitely in very hot form, and if this is what they do missing a few players, like Katich, well, lookout world. A rethink about the number of specialist bowlers the Windies put in for the next match is in order. 2 specialist pacemen - no way, especially at the MCG. The Aussie team had 3 specialist pacemen and the bowling all-rounder Shane Watson plus Hoggie. The Windies mostly had part-timers bowling. Against another team, they may have done well enough. Against an in-form top-class batting line-up, it looks like a queue to get hit. And hit for 301.
Brett Lee's opening spell has got to be one of the best spells of fast bowling I've ever seen. Fast, on line, on length. There's not much more you can ask. The top order fell, and it was up to Lara and Chanderpaul to save the innings. Lara is in form, but the rest of the order needs to hold up before he hits the crease. He and Chanderpaul were lucky not to be taken out earlier in the innings, and they at least made the score, well, not as bad as what it could have been. If they had hung around for longer, they just may have at least made a good fight.

I think I just might enjoy the Windies playing Pakistan.