Official 3rd 3 Test - Perth

[Squawk]

They may also look to another batsman (at least to prop up Panesar's batting shortfalls as Fletcher maintains!), but who would go? Strauss will live on and should. Collingwood will stay put as will Peterson. That leaves Bell or Cook. Bell has made 50,0,60,26,0,9 not out so far. Cook has made 11,43,27,9,15,7 not out so far. That makes Cook look in danger. However, I doubt they will change the batting line up but I still tink Jones could be replaced by Read. Jones' scores? 19,33,1,10,0 so far.

Well done to Bell and Cook today - nothing like responding to the challenges laid out on SA Footy!

Will be interested though to see how well Jones bats (if he has to!) in the fourth innings. I reckon Read might be feeding him a few pies and donuts tonight, or maybe a dodgy curry or prawn dish!

[rod_rooster]

Useless Poms. Work so hard for so long but manage to completely balls things up in such short periods of time.

[Thiele]

The Ashes is ours England 5/261

[rod_rooster]

I guess by putting Hoggard in as night watchman at least Flintoff is batting at 7 where he belongs

[heater31]

Cook batted well for a 21 year old opener but WTF was Freddie thinking sending Hoggard out as nightwatchman? achieved absolutley nothing for England. looks like he doesnt want to face our bowling attack the big girl

[rod_rooster]

Cook batted well for a 21 year old opener but WTF was Freddie thinking sending Hoggard out as nightwatchman? achieved absolutley nothing for England. looks like he doesnt want to face our bowling attack the big girl

The single he took when he finally got bat on ball backs up the fact that he didn't want to be out there. Almost caused a run out and at that stage there is no way risky singles should even be contemplated. Should not be captain, should not be batting in the top 6. Very good cricketer but as has been said many times already he is being expected to do far too much.

[dinglinga]

what is with flintoff when gilly was goin crazy

who didint want to bowl ....debbie flintoff

when cook got out who didnt want to face the music flintoff

is this guy goin to break down ( mentallY)

[Rik E Boy]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept, except why chose the worst batsman in the side??

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

is this guy goin to break down ( mentallY)

Fair chance. In all seriousness he is under enourmous pressure and by this time tomorrow will have captained the side that has given the Ashes back in 3 straight Test matches. How he will deal with it is yet to be seen.

[rod_rooster]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept, except why chose the worst batsman in the side??

regards,

REB

Agreed, but who was the right choice? Mahmood possibly?

By the way, great avatar

[heater31]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept, except why chose the worst batsman in the side??

regards,

REB

The concept of the nightwatchman is ok in some circumstances ie a tough little session of 5 or 6 overs before stumps to protect the entire batting lineup.

Dont agree when the batting side has batted all day and fought it out in tough conditions as seen in Perth today and is 4 down. selfish cricket when the skipper says to his nightwatchman to chuck the pads on because he doesnt want to go out there.


Sadly I think Flintoff will join the long line of Captians in the Causualty ward after touring down under to never captain his country again

[Rik E Boy]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept, except why chose the worst batsman in the side??

regards,

REB

Agreed, but who was the right choice? Mahmood possibly?

By the way, great avatar

Flintoff. For once I agree with the majority of posters on this site on this one.

regards,

REB

[noone]

I dont think there was anything wrong with hoggard going out as nightwatchman, sure it looks like a bad decision after his off stump cartwheeled before he had time to see both ends, however didn't he go in as night watchman last game (or was it the first test) and lasted the tricky period. I dont recall anyone saying that was a bad move.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept

except that it rarely ever works.

[Adelaide Hawk]

I dont think there was anything wrong with hoggard going out as nightwatchman, sure it looks like a bad decision after his off stump cartwheeled before he had time to see both ends, however didn't he go in as night watchman last game (or was it the first test) and lasted the tricky period. I dont recall anyone saying that was a bad move.

I did, and I always will. The night watchman idea is so stupid I can't believe it happens as often as it does. What the captain is saying is a tail ender has a better chance of surviving to stumps than a top order batsman does. All it really achieves is to upset the batting order.

The night watchman idea for Australia is silly because it suddenly demotes Gilchrist (a player with 17 Test 100s) to bat at number 8. Crazy.

[dinglinga]

maybe that is why steve waugh never played a nightwatchman

[Squawk]

I dont think there was anything wrong with hoggard going out as nightwatchman, sure it looks like a bad decision after his off stump cartwheeled before he had time to see both ends, however didn't he go in as night watchman last game (or was it the first test) and lasted the tricky period. I dont recall anyone saying that was a bad move.

Bad decision before he faced his first ball. Why? Because if the Poms carry on the way they are, they remain a chance to win. They need 292 tomorrow with Peterson in very good batting form. If Hoggard had survived he would have been of little support to Peterson tomorrow. The Poms need to draw this test at least and I reckon in some ways that sending out the nightwatchman in this case was a big kick in the guts to Bell and Cook who batted so well for so long. Lets face it, Cook was only the fourth wicket to fall and the first for a long while. It wasn't as if there had been a run of wickets sending batsman back to the pavillion.

Jones would have been a better 'nightwatchman' if used because he could have provided much more batting support to Peterson. Even Panesar showed a straight bat - a real pre-requisite for a nightwatchman - and is so excitable he would surely have relished the challenge and if he had survived tonight and even for half an hour or an hour tomorrow he would have frustrated the aussies no end whilst Peterson kept batting. If he got out, what had they lost? Their no 11 "batsman".

Is Freddie betting on the Ashes? I'm starting to wonder.......
As I said before, I'm not surprised now that Trescothick went home because the english put more pressure on themselves than anyone else does.
Now Giles has headed home due to his wife's illness.
If they lose the Ashes tomorrow, the whole team could go home - racial abuse the likely excuse I expect!

Finally, spare a thought for the Barmy Army. So many are on their way here for the xmas and the last two tests. They fought so hard for tickets. They fought hard for their trumpeter. They must be cringing, and probably crying.

[heater31]

Nothing wrong with the nightwatchman concept

except that it rarely ever works.

pretty sure it worked in Bangladesh didnt it?

has worked for NZ also with Vettori


the only attribute the nightwatchman needs is a rock solid defence and the ability to poke around for 1s and 2s the next morning

[Punk Rooster]

the only attribute the nightwatchman needs is a rock solid defence and the ability to poke around for 1s and 2s the next morning

In that case, none of the English players are qualified!

[Squawk]

Lets not forget Dizzy - possibly the best nightwatchman ever. And, in the Steve Waugh era as well as the Ponting era.