Super 8's: Australia vs West Indies Part 1
I had it all planned out. Went to bed nice and early at 8.30pm. Set the alarm for 11.30pm. Somehow dragged myself out of bed at the appropriate time and staggered out to the TV, armed with a bowl of chips. Witnessed an awesome batting display as Australia racked up an impressive 6 for 322. But just as we got to the business end of the game, the Antiguan rain kicked in before the West Indies could face a ball. I dozed with the ABC radio droning in the headphones until 5am after which I staggered back to bed for a couple more hours sleep.
Brian Lara won the toss and sent Australia in (you'd have thought he'd learnt from Graeme Smith's experience). Australia started poorly on a skidding pitch. Gilchrist failed as to be expected in the first World Cup match I watched on TV (I'll take responsibility for this one). Matt Hayden seemed in conflict over his newfound Caribbean citizenship. He painfully took 18 balls to get off the mark and nearly ran Ponting out (later he also nearly ran Michael Clarke out for a diamond duck) .
Ponting on the other hand was crisp from the get go, driving cleanly and pulling Powell into the crowd. Unfortunately he was run out brilliantly for 35 by Sarwan who at cover was throwing at a single stump. At this point, Hayden recalled he was dressed in Australian colours and set about dominating the bowlers. Taking a leaf out of Pietersen's book, he advanced towards the bowler so often, I thought umpire Aleem Dar might warn him for walking on the pitch. Hayden's 158 off 143 balls is all the more impressive considering his ponderous start. Sure, he took nearly twice as many balls to notch a century than he did against South Africa but for once, I'll cut the guy some slack.
The momentum of the innings was stunted temporarily by a mid-order collapse. Bravo kicked things off, trapping Clarke LBW then Symonds and Hussey fell cheaply. Hussey's form slump has his batting average plummeting to 60 (also losing his #1 ranking to Kevin Pietersen). However and while fighting cramp, Hayden got things back on track, going into a boundary-fest in the dying overs. He found the boundary regularly, despatching the ball into the stands several times. Shane Watson (33 off 26) displayed some useful death batting, hitting 14 runs off the last over. Watson better get used to batting at the end of the innings. Haydos has relegated him to the middle order until he or Gilchrist retires.
And then the rain kicked in. Viv Richards might boast "it rains champagne in Antigua, mon" but I'm not impressed. Though that might explain why the English squad arrived at the ground late in the day. So the game will be continued again tonight but not televised according to the TV Guide. I don't think I'll be staying up for 3 hours of Quizmania, thanks very much.
| Posted by JC on Wed 28 Mar |  15 comments |
JC I hate to disappoint you, but you will have to miss out on more sleep, I called Channel Nine they will be showing the cricket tonight.
I wonder if we can arrange something with rain for this to happen every time Australia plays.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 12:06:35
I wonder if we can arrange something with rain for this to happen every time Australia plays.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 12:06:35
I am absolutely stoked. Being in WA the cricket comes on at 9.30pm. I fell asleep after the aussie innings only to wake to find out the second innings is on tonight. Perhaps God is a WA cricket lover.
Posted by P. Dorf on 2007-03-28 13:11:44
Posted by P. Dorf on 2007-03-28 13:11:44
Andrew, thanx for the news. I receive it with mixed feelings - I'm not sure how many consecutive "all nighters" my body can take. However, I will take one for the team. :-)
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 13:35:53
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 13:35:53
We're banking on you JC. Who knows, maybe you have the ability to jinx Lara as well (and not just Gilly).
Posted by TA on 2007-03-28 15:49:31
Posted by TA on 2007-03-28 15:49:31
Sorry, I was watching when Lara scored 200 at Adelaide last summer. My mojo only seems to work on Gilly.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 15:55:58
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 15:55:58
Hey now you all know how I felt during the Ashes when it started at 3am!! Glad to see someone else is getting the bags this time!!
:-)
Posted by okbl on 2007-03-28 18:04:59
:-)
Posted by okbl on 2007-03-28 18:04:59
WA does seem to be the best place to watch Cricket, with daylight savings over (just in time for the Super Eight) we have cricket starting a 9:30am. I am sure you will survive JC, it will be interesting to see Lara against Tait, you always hear that Lara struggles a bit against the fast ball.
Hayden was quite impressive after a very slow start, but its a shame about Hussey that inside edge was huge, the ball was no where near his stumps and to drag it back on, you just have to know its not your day.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 18:53:29
Hayden was quite impressive after a very slow start, but its a shame about Hussey that inside edge was huge, the ball was no where near his stumps and to drag it back on, you just have to know its not your day.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 18:53:29
Apparently the second innings will be on tonight on Ch 9 from 11:30pm (AEST).
Posted by stumps on 2007-03-28 19:12:54
Posted by stumps on 2007-03-28 19:12:54
well, that's simple not fair is it- WI wanted us to go in and for them to bat 2nd and now they have the chance to 'bat first' on another day... hmmm... this needs thinking through methinks... WI should not be able to resume the match until the second half of the day.
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-28 19:30:48
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-28 19:30:48
Gaz, if the way the pitch behaved yesterday replicates itself today, the rain will have done us a big favour. The reason Haydos took 18 balls to get off the mark was because the pitch was skidding and difficult to score off in the opening overs. That was with the West Indian bowlers. If conditions are similar and Shaun Tait manages to land the ball in the right spot, the match could be over before the power plays are completed.
BTW, stumps and Andrew are right about Channel 9. The TV guide at yourtv.com.au (which I regularly use to check program times) has updated its programs with the cricket. Huzzah... I think.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 19:35:07
BTW, stumps and Andrew are right about Channel 9. The TV guide at yourtv.com.au (which I regularly use to check program times) has updated its programs with the cricket. Huzzah... I think.
Posted by JC on 2007-03-28 19:35:07
Gaz
You make a very valid point (not for the first time!!).
If the WI were to bat in the second half of the day, who would be responsible for replicating all the scuff marks, potholes, follow-through marks etc. Video tape replication?
Let's hope JC is right and the pitch behaves erratically as it did yesterday. If it doesn't and we lose do we have whinging rights??
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-28 20:01:46
You make a very valid point (not for the first time!!).
If the WI were to bat in the second half of the day, who would be responsible for replicating all the scuff marks, potholes, follow-through marks etc. Video tape replication?
Let's hope JC is right and the pitch behaves erratically as it did yesterday. If it doesn't and we lose do we have whinging rights??
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-03-28 20:01:46
While its slightly slightly unfair consider it part of the advantage of winning the toss.
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 20:49:06
Posted by Andrew on 2007-03-28 20:49:06
Yeah, but Lara made a mistake by putting Australia in and now he has a get-out-of-jail card potentially. However, I do think the rain and covers may help us but the whole thing seems like it's geared towards TV and sponsors again by forcing a result. The ground looked half empty last night - what's it going to be now with the unlikely prospect of the home team getting 300+? Maybe the entry is free for this ill-thought-out resumption?
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-28 22:08:01
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-03-28 22:08:01
I watched the first 1.5 hours, went to bed then got u early to finish watching only to find it had been cancelled!
They couldn't really start in the afternoon 'cos if it starting raining again they'd just have to use D/L which would be even more unfair.
Posted by MT on 2007-03-28 22:36:11
They couldn't really start in the afternoon 'cos if it starting raining again they'd just have to use D/L which would be even more unfair.
Posted by MT on 2007-03-28 22:36:11
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