Freddie & the Dreamers

Well...if anything could depress an English cricket then the sight of our steady openers giving away their wickets before the close of play. Hats off to the Aussies though. 602 is a formidable total by any measure. Although, part of me, was thinking they may have gone too far in using almost 2 full days to get there. After all many now consider 400 runs in a day to be the norm. However, that said, the idea that Oz had not allowed enough time to win the match is now academic after a mistimed pull-shot and the most bizarre shot from young Cook.

McGrath seems to be back into his typical metronomic rut and Brett Lee is bowling as fast as I have ever seen him, and of course Shane Warne has reprised his flipper. The follow-on seems inevitable as does defeat. It is sad to predict but the next few sessions will see England playing for time. All they have to do is draw. But I would much prefer to see them stand up and be counted. Belly & KP could sort it out...get us going and Freddie is always going to play the captain's game. His bowling was inspired but sadly failed to inspire the rest of the team.

I guess the last 2 days have shown 2 things: Firstly, that the complacency that Oz showed upon arrival in Blighty in 2005 has gone - their determination is superb. And Secondly, that we do not have a side as strong and as tightly functioning as we did in 2005.

Amidst all this gloom 2 things made me smile: On the first day Bumble (I think) described Justin Langer as a 'Jack-in-the-Box' type of cricketer. This is true. I have long admired Langer's skill and grit. It's just a shame that he was born on the wrong side of the world. And the 2nd thing that brought a smile to my face was just after England had started batting this morning. Freddie had sloped off to the nets and upon his return the cameras caught the gob-smacked look on his face when he noticed that both Strauss & Cook were back in their hutches. Caught dreaming again....