Overall, I think Australia would have been happy with the 7 wickets and they have gotten the last three but after another 100 added which isnt great but I think we need to accept that we wont polish off the tails as quickly as we have had in the past.

Brett, the loungeroom camp sounds ideal…unfortunately I can set up until after Lords due to work commitments but after that the aero bed will be up and in use in front of my plasma!

Ashes in England only comes every four years – enjoy everyone!!!

BTW, Graeme Lloyd was ‘Bumble’s son – he also played for Lancashire and England- though only for England as a limited overs player.

The occasional straight one would stop the batsmen leaving him outside off with impunity too. Can’t he just run his fingers down the side of the ball for a slight off-cutter?

See also: “Defensive fields: shock horror”.

McGill was pretty stiff but I guess that’s to be expected. I’m sure he’ll settle down. Maybe a glass of vino would do the trick?

Graham Lloyd was an Aussie pitcher who came to fame when he pitched relief for the Yankees about 10 years ago.

Botham asked the same thing, who was Anderson protecting. I get the impression Beefy doesn’t think much of using nightwatchmen…

Good day of Test cricket. That wicket of Flintoff was crucial, because it changed the way Prior played. He and Flintoff were just going along nicely not worrying about the close..then Prior was in two minds how to play.
Interesting that they sent in James Anderson ahead of Stuart Broad..The ABC/BBC commentators suggested he was the night-watchman..and quite rightly asked. “Who was he protecting?”

Pulling Johnson out of the attack and getting Siddle in was both good and bad. Siddle didn’t quite settle as well as he would’ve liked – but, he brought the necessary amount of aggression and energy to the table.

From there, it was as if the Australians were ‘awoken’ and the English top order batters became a tad tentative.

Ironically, Siddle failed to settle. Hilfy got a soft wicket and Johnson likewise got a couple more pretty soft wickets – but, the batsmen had become a little unsure and it was tentative non-strokes that got them in trouble. Certainly Johnson’s 2nd spell was a great improvement on his insipid start.

Equally bemused as others about the handling of Johnson and the end switch after he got Strauss?!?!??! Just because a plan is hatched – - doesn’t mean a sudden wicket shouldn’t allow it to be deferred another over (it’s as annoying as the AFL tend to plan interchange breaks for players, such, that so often a guy kicks a goal and then heads straight for the bench?!?!?! What about momentum and confidence and addrenalin rush??)

The middle session – - gawd, Hauritz on day one…..either North, Katich and Clarke are real part timers and can plug the hole for a tad and we take a 4th seamer in – - or what the heck is going on?!?! Even McDonald would’ve been better value.

With 4 overs to go, the day belonged to England. Funny how Siddle suddenly validated his day with 2 key wickets and should establish momentum for Australia going into day 2.

I got through about the first half of the day.

Bopara was completely at sea. He was playing and missing outside off, snicking them over slips and gully, couldn’t handle the short one and lucky to survive as long as he did.

I also agree with whoever said it was karma KP got out the way he did, because that LBW beforehand was plumb. KP looked iffy early on and he’ll get some low scores as the series goes on.

Ponting took too long to fill the gaps when Hauritz was bowling, letting them take easy singles off him. He needed the short leg plus a square leg, which was where both Collywobbles and KP were milking Hauritz. Hauritz also has to bowl fuller or they’ll read him off the pitch. Overall he bowled ok though, but what will the English spinners be like on the 5th day?

Hilfy did bowl well and almost looked like an inspired selection. I expected SClark to play. Siddle did his usual thing of charging in late in the day to change the course of the match. That’s about the third time he’s done that in only 6 or so tests.

Johnson’s seam wasn’t vertical and his arm was too low. I don’t understand how they can have that many coaches and not get this right. It isn’t really that hard, but it could all change in an instant as it did in SA. I think in his 2nd spell he stopped worrying about trying to swing it too much and came in and bowled fast. Hughes is supposed to be the one who worries about the short ball, but Strauss and Bopara looked pretty wobbly to me!

Great day, honours roughly even. England will be ahead if they can manage 400+, Australia will feel good if they can dismiss them for under 375. Bowling first can be a great way to win a test. Bowl them out, then have a huge first innings so your bowlers can rest. Even if England make 400, the Aussies can really seize control – but they’ll have to score about 550 to do that. A couple of big innings.

Everyone will be very excited to watch Phil Hughes when he gets his chance tonight!

And just something that puzzled me – Johnston looks innocuous, then suddenly finds his groove and in one over (the third I think of his second spell, and sixth overall) hits and nearly gets Bopara, has a good shout against Strauss turned down, and gets Strauss with a nasty one off the last ball. The other team’s main batsman (Pietersen) comes in to the non-striker’s end, and stays there for the following over, setting up the confrontation with Australia’s main and fired up bowler. What does the captain do? Put on a new bowler so Johnston could switch ends. Is it just me, or do others think you’d at least give Johnston one over immediately at Pietersen especially given he was suddenly bowling well from that end?

Hilfenhaus and to a lesser extent Hauritz seemed to be the pick of the Australian bowlers to me, and perhaps what is surprising is that Johnson and Siddle, the two guys who were “locked in” before the England Lions match, were both off the pace in stages. Johnson’s second spell to take Strauss and Bopara was quality, and Siddle’s corker inswinger to remove Prior was his highlight of an otherwise disappointing first day for him.

Pietersen needs a walk through the house of mirrors after his dismissal, most sane batsmen would have pulled out of that shot once the ball went wide, but not Kev and Kev’s ego. Perhaps it was karma for surviving the Hilfenhaus LBW shout. Bopara looked like a rabbit in the headlights, and even Strauss seemed lost after starting reasonably well. Collingwood looked solid, and Flintoff and Prior’s partnership very nearly gave England the honours for the day. Flintoff looked ominous, and Prior erased the questions I had about him being a Test No.6. Though both were aided by Siddle giving them as much width as they needed.

Great first day, and on the personal front, the lounge room camp worked a treat, and despite only three hours sleep, I’m feeling pretty fresh at work. That said, ask me again on Monday morning…

In 2005, the tail-end partnerships proved crucial and if the likes of Broad and Swann, who are both accomplished batters,can take the score past 400, then England will be firmly in pole position. At least Anderson kept his record of never having been out for a duck in test match Cricket.