I said on the first page that although his score in the first warm-up game was good, it probably wasn't enough to making a convincing case for Carberry to start the 1st Test. But this score has. Given the apparent poor forecast for the rest of this match, not to mention this great start to our innings, it is highly likely that Balance wont be given the chance to make his case for starting in Brisbane. So that, coupled with both Carberry's score here and the non-selection of both Bairstow and Stokes for this game, will surely mean that all Carberry will need do is not fail in both innings of next week's warm-up match, to ensure that he's named in the first Test. Would be a fantastic sight, to see him selected.
If Carberry can get to his double ton then I would imagine he is a definite starter in Brisbane. Even now I would expect him to open in that test. Leaving my Hampshire bias top one side I still think we are a lot stronger with Carberry at the top of the order and Root coming in at 6. If Carberry does start then all of our top 5 apart from KP (who is yet to bat) have scored good centuries. Great for confidence going into the first test and begs the question as to why the Aussies are not playing a stronger bowling line up in these warm ups. Why give our batsmen such a good opportunity to play themselves into form. If our top order carry this into the Tests I really can see it being 0-4, the only reason they got close to us in the summer was because we often found ourselves 3 down for 30.
With day two washed out, what would you do? Carry on with Carberry and Cook? Declare and let the bowlers have a go? Cook and Carberry to both "retire out" and let the other batsmen have a knock?
Alec Stewart and Michael Vaughan have expressed their concern at the prospect of Jonny Bairstow keeping wicket if Matt prior isn't fit for the first test. Personally I think he'd be fine. He is Yorkshire's keeper when not on international duty - and don't forget, Stewart himself wasn't a fully fledged keeper when he donned the gloves at test level for the first time, and look how his career went on!
Ashes..I live opposite the Gabba...literally 25 yards Anyone coming out I'd love to meet up. plenty of fans out here for all teams... PM me on the QPR board/
Sachin out for 74 in in his 200th and final Test, and with the way the match is going fairly likely he will not bat again... Hundreds of millions weep.
It's the end of a golden era of Batsmen with the retirements of Sachin, Ricky Ponting and Brian Lara a few years ago, but "The Little Master" was the best and only second to Don Bradman as the greatest of all time.
Yeah, he looks to have grabbed his opportunity and I think he'll have a good Ashes, although I'm a bit worried for Hant's batting next summer.
My XI for the first test Cook Carberry Trott Pietersen Bell Root Prior (Bairstow if Prior unfit) Broad Swann Finn Anderson
I largely agree with the team above but I wouldn't be surprised to see Rankin play ahead of Finn in the first Test. Flower and Cook like bowlers who give them control and Finn simply doesn't. Rankin may not have the same wicket-taking threat but he doesn't seem to give runs away. On Tendulkar, I'm afraid I think he's a bit over-rated as a Test batsman. Certainly not the second best ever. He's been consistently very good for a long time but if we're talking about the very best players then he's not been enough of a match/series winner for me. Dravid and Lara have similar averages but were both ahead of him in terms of match-winning innings and great series. Tendulkar never scored 500 runs in a series (by comparison Dravid has got 600 in a series twice, while Lara racked up 700 twice as well as 688 in a 3 test series against Sri Lanka).
Well I wouldn't say he's rubbish or anything. He's definitely a cricket great. I just don't think he's as great as people like to make out.
