Australia v India, 3rd Test, Melbourne, 26-30 December, 2018

Thunder and heavy rain at the moment. I am on the Bay,about 20 clicks from the G.

Expect it to clear soon. No escape for us.

No play before lunch. 

Once again, the bowlers should be seething at the pisspoor effort from the batsmen in this Test and series.

Paine draining on about the inexperience of the top 6. I am sorry but the Bane Brothers and Uber K have considerable experience and Fink has considerable international experience. Only Head and Harris are newbies.

Congratulations to the Bannies on the win and retaining the Trophy.

They are a monty to win in Sydney, which will be a real feather in Langer's cap.

Langer has a winning 20% ratio.

Langoustine added to the squad for Sydney.

If he plays Uber may open with Fink out..

Doubt Hollow Man will miss.

Win the toss, win the match.

horace wrote:Paine draining on about the inexperience of the top 6. I am sorry but the Bane Brothers and Uber K have considerable experience and Fink has considerable international experience. Only Head and Harris are newbies.

Congratulations to the Bannies on the win and retaining the Trophy.

They are a monty to win in Sydney, which will be a real feather in Langer's cap.

Langer has a winning 20% ratio.

How much experience does Cummins have?

taipan wrote:Win the toss, win the match.

Langer and Paine apparently may have sent the Bannies in had they won the toss, according to Paine.

Doubt we would have got 300.

Been out all day. Was heartened briefly with the news of the 1st session wash out.

Oh well. Congrats to the Bannies. Far more disciplined with bat and ball than Aus in this match.

I just hope we can make more of a fist of it in Sydney.

Pat Cummins PB-ing as both batsman and bowler in the same match reminded me of Doug Walters, who had just turned 19 and was still to debut for Australia when he handed in these numbers, neither of which he bettered over the next 17 years of first-class cricket, although there were two Test doubles, at least one more 200 for NSW, and a Test five-for and a six-pack for the Dubbers.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/AUS_LOCAL/SS/SOA_NSW_SS_05-09FEB1965.html

Simpson and Booth were in the Windies (which I'm guessing is why keeper Brian Taber opened the innings), so somebody called Barry Rothwell captained the side and sent in two nightwatchmen who were appalling bats to save the next batsman for the morning, that being himself. As Walters and Len Marks had, er, consolidated after Taber's early loss to take the score to 396 before the second wicket fell, such caution was obviously well warranted.

Neil Hawke played for SA, but was also in the Windies by the time the first Test started, What brought that about - was he a replacement for another bloke who couldn't stay on tour?

SA medium pacer Bryan Hurn is Shannon Hurn's grandfather. Another football connection is Port Adelaide SANFL legend Eric Freeman donning the whites for one of his first games for SA, and batting no 11.

Fred Nerk wrote:Pat Cummins PB-ing as both batsman and bowler in the same match reminded me of Doug Walters, who had just turned 19 and was still to debut for Australia when he handed in these numbers, neither of which he bettered over the next 17 years of first-class cricket, although there were two Test doubles, at least one more 200 for NSW, and a Test five-for and a six-pack for the Dubbers.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/AUS_LOCAL/SS/SOA_NSW_SS_05-09FEB1965.html

Simpson and Booth were in the Windies (which I'm guessing is why keeper Brian Taber opened the innings), so somebody called Barry Rothwell captained the side and sent in two nightwatchmen who were appalling bats to save the next batsman for the morning, that being himself. As Walters and Len Marks had, er, consolidated after Taber's early loss to take the score to 396 before the second wicket fell, such caution was obviously well warranted.

Neil Hawke played for SA, but was also in the Windies by the time the first Test started, What brought that about - was he a replacement for another bloke who couldn't stay on tour?

SA medium pacer Bryan Hurn is Shannon Hurn's grandfather. Another football connection is Port Adelaide SANFL legend Eric Freeman donning the whites for one of his first games for SA, and batting no 11.

Talking about Doug Walters et al, it used to be commonplace for an "all-rounder" to occupy number six, average mid to high forties and bowl overs to relieve the main crew. Sometimes they took wickets, sometimes just kept it tight. Greg Chappell would be another. Now it seems Mitch Mash does enough if he simply bowls overs, regardless of wickets, but he's allowed to average next to nothing. What happened to the players of the ilk of Walters?

Red wrote:Now it seems Mitch Mash does enough if he simply bowls overs, regardless of wickets, but he's allowed to average next to nothing 100.

Fixed.

Fred Nerk wrote:Pat Cummins PB-ing as both batsman and bowler in the same match reminded me of Doug Walters, who had just turned 19 and was still to debut for Australia when he handed in these numbers, neither of which he bettered over the next 17 years of first-class cricket, although there were two Test doubles, at least one more 200 for NSW, and a Test five-for and a six-pack for the Dubbers.

http://static.espncricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1960S/1964-65/AUS_LOCAL/SS/SOA_NSW_SS_05-09FEB1965.html

Simpson and Booth were in the Windies (which I'm guessing is why keeper Brian Taber opened the innings), so somebody called Barry Rothwell captained the side and sent in two nightwatchmen who were appalling bats to save the next batsman for the morning, that being himself. As Walters and Len Marks had, er, consolidated after Taber's early loss to take the score to 396 before the second wicket fell, such caution was obviously well warranted.

Neil Hawke played for SA, but was also in the Windies by the time the first Test started, What brought that about - was he a replacement for another bloke who couldn't stay on tour?

SA medium pacer Bryan Hurn is Shannon Hurn's grandfather. Another football connection is Port Adelaide SANFL legend Eric Freeman donning the whites for one of his first games for SA, and batting no 11.

Thanks for that Fred. I can recall being very excited when Douggie burst into first cricket. Eventually his bowling was classed as handy, though he was considered a clever partnership breaker. Eventually Cummins' batting may be considered better than Doug's bowling. Neither would be considered an all rounder.

Taber was a terrific gloveman, though not in the same class as Slug Jordan. The latter could never be considered for Oz selection, given his inability to complete a sentence without swearing. Bradman was no fan.

Hawke and Freeman were both wonderful bowlers and good footy players. The mists of memory did not clear enough to recall Rothwell or grandad Hurn.

As a kid I was obsessed with Shield matches and how each team would care  against touring teams. The quality of the matches seemed so much better than Shield nowadays.

I really feel for kids now. Summer hols is now the Babel with an odd Test. I have watched snippets of Babel but have not been able to watch a whole game. It all looks the same to me.

An old school mate of mine tried out at North Melb in 1977 when Slug was U19 coach. When at training one night Barassi used him to demonstrate tackling technique and broke several ribs (story faithfully told in Power's 'The Coach'), and the kiddies squad heard about it, the ensuing laughter could be heard on the other side of Royal Park.

Legend also has it that North paid for Gary Dempsey's clearance, Ross Glendenning's salary, David Dench's knee job, and comprehensive renovations to the Social Club all out of Ray's contributions to the office swear box. He made the similarly vertically-challenged Libba senior or Despicable Dave W sound like the Archbishop of Canterbury.

I'd suggest both Doug's bowling and Pat's batting are/were of a much higher grade than Mush's either.

Never doubted it.

Fred Nerk wrote:I'd suggest both Doug's bowling and Pat's batting are/were of a much higher grade than Mush's either.

No doubt about it.

pitch officially graded as "average"

Two team scores in the 100s saved the pitch's arse.