As The Bug‘s resident cricket tragic, I lost a mouthful of Coco pops this morning over something I heard on ABC’s Weekend Breakfast program, namely that its sports reporter Jared Coote reckoned that the Australians were in a strong position after day two of the cricket Test at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham.
Okay, by the time I cleaned up the breakfast cereal and grabbed a pen, I’m not sure whether Jared had said good, or strong, or sound. All the same for mine.
Here’s my beef. Our lads still trail by 82 runs after the Poms buzballed their way to close to 400 runs on day one. I don’t see us being in a good/strong/sound position at all. Right now, I’d prefer to be in England’s boots.
Both opener Usman Khawaja and ‘keeper Alex Carey will need to make solid second starts tonight and the tail will have to wag well to get Australia well enough ahead after the first two digs to offset the task of batting last.
So, maybe our graphics people have been a little premature in placing the dunce’s cap on Coote at the top of this rant. Khawaja and Carey could easily kick on to double tons and tons respectively. Cummins might put in a solid cameo for a change. Ditto the GOAT. Generally good for 25.
Jerusalem! Bairstow and Root might once again be required to bat well to even make us bat again! Tell Jared he’s dreamin!
Some sobering thoughts on where this game might go. England has won 29 of the 54 tests played at the famous county ground. They’ve lost only 10, with 15 draws. Oz take heart: teams batting second have won 21 Tests, and teams batting first 18.
Also instructive is the last Test played there, against India, when England chased down a 378-run target, winning by seven wickets on the back of tons to Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, the two who gave England its big score in a hurry only a day ago.
So, sure. If England bat well again regardless of what Australia achieves tonight – and there’s plenty of time folks, thanks to Bazball – Coote could be proved right if this much vaunted Australian top and middle order rise to any challenge. Marnus Labuschagne couldn’t possibly get a golden pair, shirley! Davie Warnie must be due another double-figure effort.
Nah! I’m not buying it. Call me unpatriotic but I’m backing England to kick on and win this one by 124 runs. Put some on; I’m rarely right.
And for that reason alone, I have a new dinkus with dunce cap ready to proudly wear in a few days if Jared proves right after all.
Don Gordon-Brown.
PS: We will present a dunce’s cap without qualification to Coote’s commentary mate on this morning’s program. He suggested Australia could establish a solid lead with useful contributions from the likes of Cummins and Mitchell Starc. This would be a big ask of Starc. He’s not playing.
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