Kevin Pietersen and Switch hitting

I have no problem with this Pietersen switch hitting fiasco. What a storm in a tea cup that is.

It's only going to really work on the postage stamp English grounds anyway. Let's just see a few pitches with a bit of life in them, and as Dan Vettori says, give the bowlers a bit more leeway, and there is no problem.

Maybe it will bring about the demise of the dibbly dobbly one day cricket bowler anyway and force teams to select real bowlers. Let's see someone switch hit Brett Lee over cover (or is that mid-wicket). Love to see them try, and I'd love to see their face as they try to avoid the beam ball coming their way next up, as the switch hands, switch feet and duck all within 0.02 of a second!

In all seriousness though, "innovation" is all very well when you're batting on flat, dead run machine wickets with more armour than a medieval knight. A small element of the self preservation factor needs to come back to batting. Bouncers should be allowed in ODIs.Tracks need more life. I'm a bit sick of the attitude that cricket has to have three thousands of runs scored every day to be interesting. Even in ODIs and that other crap that went on in India, the game is more interesting when some wickets are falling, or at least threatening to fall. surely...

Let Pietersen innovate and let the bowlers fight back, it should be that simple. If Scott Styris can't bowl well enough not to contain the opposition batsman when they're batting with their wrong hands, don't let him bowl.

Australia win in the West Indies

Very few posts here recently...  It's so hard to get enthused about a Caribbean tour these days, which is a tragedy really. The hour doesn't help the time difference here in Aus makes it even harder to catch say a first or last session. Anyway, Australia won 2 / zip. No real surprise there except that some may say, it wasn't 3 / zip!

Australia wouldn't take too many positives out of the series though - you could argue Beau Casson with 3 wickets, but you'd have to argue pretty well. Katich back in form - true! The selection for openers for our next Test match will be very interesting.

Matt Hayden's last two test innings: 103 vs India, and 123 vs India

Phil Jaques last innings: 108 vs West Indies, averaging 47

Simon Katich last innings, 157 vs West Indies, and a ton in the match before that as well.

So who stays, and who goes. It seems incomprehensible to say it, but could Mike Hussey have a question mark, no surely not, put those thoughts out of your mind...never!

Something I really did enjoy watching though was Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Bravo, brash, raw talent that will hopefully bring the West Indies back towards the top of World Cricket again.

England to win Ashes in 2009

I forgot to mention this, but Rodney Hogg categorically stated on Melbourne Radio last week (or was it the week before), "England will win the Ashes in 2009". Based solely around Monty Panesar. (Given he was just coming of a 7 wicket haul against NZ).

He makes a good point though - for the first time in about 20 years, England will have the advantage over Australia in the spinning stakes and will be in a position to prepare turning pitches. India will testify to how Australia, particular the middle order, struggle in these conditions.

England vs New Zealand

I see New Zealand have let England off the hook again. This is getting frustrating and I'm not even a Kiwi - how must Mike feel!?

As an Aussie, it's my responsibility to support anyone who plays England, and this is not good news - England were 5 for 86!! They are now 7 for 273 - far from a great score still, but probably enough seeing as though NZ have to bat last and Monty is in form and confident.

Two tests have past by with no comment

I am still alive...just busy.

Since my last post...

Australia wrapped up the first Test against the West Indies on the fifth Day, MacGill struggled but got a couple of questionable wickets to finish things off.

Australia went into the second Test, heavy favourites, but again, could get rid of Chanderpaul, the end result being a draw. MacGill again highlighted just how good Warney really was, and then "retired". Bryce McGain must be spewing now - Beau Casson will probably come in for the Third Test and snuff out any hope Bryce had...

Warne has denied a comeback, after never really saying he was thinking about it, but managing to cause a stir anyway - how desparate are we getting? How good would be be to see him turn up to Lords next year, pie in hand, trip Beau Casson down the stairs, then stroll out and take a lazy 6 for...

Mohumad Asif has been arrested by drug possession or some such thing and is probably in all sorts of strife - just lucky he wasn't in Bail.

I'll try to keep more up to date from now on, but to be honest, it's not that likely...

West Indies versus Australia - First Test - Day 2 & 3

Game On!

Fidel Edwards and Daren Powell bowled really well in Australia's first innings without just rewards. That happens in Cricket. Their bowling was inspired stuff without luck.

More inspired stuff from Chanderpaul, being basically KO'd by Brett Lee, then rising like Lazurus to score a first innings saving 118. More inspired stuff! In fact there are many young inexperienced player in the West Indies side that have just become a whole lot more experienced. Chanderpaul's knock today with be something they can draw on throughout their careers - not just in this match.

So the WIndies stayed in the game with a deficit of only 119.

Enter Edwards and Powell once more. A nasty little session for openers, late in the day with fading light, quickly turned into a nasty little session for the middle order. Australia at 4 for 17 (and there's been two boundaries in that) and the West Indies well and truly in the box seat.

Edward and Powell didn't just bowl fast with movement, they bowled to obvious plans. They picked up Ponting at slip - a way he has been dismissed many times early in his innings. Jacques caught behind, by a beauty, Kattich caught on the crease for the easiest LBW decision a Test umpire will ever get and Hussey bowled - which seems to happen quite a bit, unusual for a batsman of his obvious class.

So the WIndies in the box seat. Everyone will be asking, "so who's turn is it to get them out of this one?" Well guess what, the usual suspects aren't there! There is no Gilchrist to come out and knock up 100 in 60 balls, no McGrath to cut a swathe through a top order, and no Warne to toss the ball to on Day 5 and sit back while the wickets crumble.

Interesting times! I sense the rest of the cricket world salivating at the prospect of a West Indies win here and without a new hero for Australia, it is well an truly on the cards.

West Indies versus Australia - First Test - Day 1

I was going to call it, Strong but not dominant, Australia's performance on Day 1 of this Test, but looking at that scorecard, I think maybe my view was tainted by the coverage I saw of the late overs. The West Indies certainly didn't seem dejected, but with a score of 4 for 301, maybe that is only a matter of time.

Dwayne Bravo was certainly up - putting pressure on the batsman, doing quite a bit with the ball, and eventually earning his reward with Punter's wicket to a blinder of a catch by debutante Brenton Parchment - a great dive, with the reaction time of a slips catch. So to produce something like that, late in the day to a batsman on 150+ is something! But you wonder...Mitchell Johnson has been sent in, he'll most likely come out swinging, Hodge is known for going on with it, should he scrape passed the ton, and there is still Roy, Haddin and even Lee to come. So it could quite possibly be a 500+ total.

The time difference from Melbourne to the Caribbean makes it awkward to watch a great deal of Cricket, but with the Cats taking on Collingwood tonight, a few quiet bourbons could easily see me slide straight on into some Test cricket, as I celebrate yet another smashing of the Pies at the hands of my Catters. Bring it on!

Correction - Brenton Parchment is playing his second Test.

West Indies arrive for their tour of the Caribbean...

When you hear the stories of all the big names in the West Indies camp arriving after the official training camp has finished, it automatically conjures up images of disunity and low team morale which does not auger well for a decent contest on this tour.

Should we hear the same of the Australian side, we'd assume they will all get it together when it counts and that if Ricky Ponting arrived late, it wouldn't have an impact. he's professional and will hit his straps...and so on.

So why is this?

Is it that the West Indies are not as professional, and therefore not well prepared, and therefore lose, or is it that the West Indies have been losing, so they aren't as well prepared and therefore not as professional, or are they not as well prepared, therefore they lose and....well you get the picture?

Anyway, interest that it seems the Australian squad has been "on the ground" in the Caribbean, longer than the West Indies squad.

NZ v England

In only 2 days, Lords will host the first test between England and New Zealand. The return bout after England's tour of NZ earlier this year. Promises to be a good show too. I enjoy watching these to sides go at it.

Traditionally the Kiwis have struggled against the POMS. Statsguru will tell you, only 8 wins from 91 matches - appalling really. NZ recently choked somewhat in their hometown Test series against England, squandering their first Test win to go down 2 - 1 in the three Test series.

I think England will be too  strong for the Kiwi's (unfortunately) on home soil but how I'd love to see Dan Vettori pick up about 30 wickets in their 3 Test series and lead the Kiwi's home!

For far more informed insights on this series, keep an eye on Mike On Cricket and The Corridor for views from both sides.

Australia set sail.

The pre-tour camp is over, those that "ran away with the Circus" for a time, are back, no doubt fighting hard to get their feet back on the ground, the ship has set sail for the Caribbean, there is Test Cricket on the foreseeable horizon again, and all is well with the world.

Just 8 more sleeps until the First Test between Australia and the West Indies at Kingston. Every time we meet the WIndies, we Aussies secretly (and sometimes not so secretly) hope for a great contest from a much improved West Indies line up. They often seem to find a way to self destruct.

Last time Australia met the West Indies was in Aus. just after the infamous 2005 Ashes tour. Australia were the wounded bull. Brian Lara was on his "farewell tour".  West Indies contract disputes were still only tenuously resolved. In what was perhaps a sign of controversy to come, with absolutely no help from umpires, the WIndies capitulated to three massive losses - their best effort, a seven wicket loss in Melbourne.

Since that time Australia have won an astounding 16 Test Matches, drawn 2 and lost 1. The loss and one of those draws coming in each of their most recent Tests. Incredible really, when after Ashes '05, we were supposed to see their downfall.

Meanwhile the West Indies have clearly struggled. They have, surprisingly played the same number of Tests in that period, (19) winning just 2. (One against Sth Africa and one against Sri Lanka.) They lost 11 and drew 6.

Australia were a more formidable opponent in those days though, the WIndies were on the whole, young and inexperienced,  Warne and Co. were scarred from their Ashes loss and had a point to prove. Wrong place at the wrong time for West Indies.

So what may change this time around? We Aussies lament again..."No Warne, No McGrath, No Langer, No Gilchrist" - surely that is a massive consideration - suely this time we'll see them fall back to the pack somewhat. Still, it hasn't seemed to have made a huge difference thus far.  Ponting it must be said is out of form for the first time, well, since last time he met the WIndies (ominous?). Haddin is new. MacGill is...no Warne! I think a lot will depend on early sessions in each match. Even the depleted Australian side will not be dominated for 5 days of a Test. Probably not even more than 2 days. But can the likes of Bravo or Chanderpaul, Sarwan or maybe even Jerome Taylor do enough to eek out a win, I doubt it.

I can't see the West Indies troubling Australia enough to take out the series, however we will surely see a closer contest, than 2005.

Bring it on...