2nd test

[Fluffy]

Good 1st day from the Aussies 4/303.

Hughes will be one of the greats

Then a 50/50 first hour on day 2

Then things turned ugly

Aussies losing their last 5 wickets in 19 balls

To add to that Johnson has taken 2 in his first 5 balls

thats 7 wickets in 24 balls

Aussies made 351

 

[SilentBob]

7/138 Duminy and Steyn batting with Ntini to come. Smith has his right hand in plaster.

Something must go terribly wrong for Australia to lose this match, I hope they didn't scuff the trophy.

 

[Chip and Chase]

The pitch looks completely different to the Day 1 track we batted on. Johnson bowled well, and was well supported by Hilfy. Loved the fact that Mitch put both Smith and Kallis in hospital, great stuff. Be interested to see if Ponting enforces the follow on should we wrap the tail up quickly.

Hughes batted well, but a bit early to tell if he will be one of the greats. It was a pretty placid pitch and the Saffies bowled pretty poorly to him and Katich. He still has a few technical flaws that might need some work.

 

[Fluffy]

No should about wrapping up the tail quickly, balls 2 & 3 of the day to Piddle

All out 138 Aussies batting again with 214 already on the board and 3 days to play.

 

[The Gronk]

Gee this Hughes will be something special - the youngest ever to make two tons in one test.  Inevitably he will have a lean patch as other teams find his weaknesses and exploit them, but his temperament alone will see him through in the long run.  After all, there's only so many times you can lash it over gully without getting caught. 

If you look at players like Ponting and Clarke they had their lean patches and were dropped, coming back as more complete players.  Hopefully Hughes gets through the ashes before this inevitable period comes. 

 

[Fro]

As C & C said, there are a few technical issues there, Sth Africa have completely lost the plot as far as bowling to him, at the moment he is a dominant offside player.

but he is the best prospect we have had with the bat for a long long time.

 

[Zep]

i think that scoring two tests tons opening against two quality bowlers in Ntini and Steyn will prove that he is more than capable of scoring against the Poms.

BTW a bit disturbing these Half centuries from ponting not turning into centuries, lack of concentration?

 

[Fro]

they are quality bowlers zep, no doubt about that, but what they are bowling is stupid.

Bowl at his body, he may not get out right away but he'll get frustrated.

But you are right, he'll murder the poms 🙂

 

[willstyles]

I think the most pleasing thing is that yes, there are some pretty big technical holes in his game, at the moment his hand eye coordination is covering up those holes. He's only 20! He has many seasons to hone his technique, and really, like every 20 year old out there his current technique is a work in progress.

Wait till he has a few seasons in the Australian system, they will iron out the major weak points. And until then it appears as if he'll be able to rely on his natural hand-to-eye coordination to pick up the slack...

 

[Fluffy]

0, 50, 100, 150

There is a certain pattern emerging here

and what a way to bring up the 150, smashing Steyn over long on

 

[Chip and Chase]

He's got an eye like a dead fish that's for sure. I thought the way he worked his way to the second ton showed a lot about his mental strength, which is what you need buckets of if you are going to survive in international cricket long term. He rode his luck a bit, there'll be other days when those thickish edges and slashes outside off go to hand, but for the moment the cricketing Gods are shining on him. How good would it be to be 20 years old wearing the baggy green and knocking up two tons in your second test.......*sigh* if it wasn't for this dodgy knee 😉

 

[Zep]

But you are right, he'll murder the poms 🙂

Yeah when i said he will have no problems against the poms i was talking more about the swing bowling. The pitches in the UK will be close to what they were in 05 and England are going to try and swing there way to victory. For mine when watching hughes he seemed to have only one orthodox shot and that was the flick off the pads. All the other weren't what you called textbook. X factor indeed!