Goodbye WPUJC Vaas

Plan B

Now that Kevin Pieterson is no longergoing to be a part of the Ashes, what are the odds that we will see wickets similar to Cardiff and Lords at Edgbaston, Headingley and the Oval? And what are the odds that England will strengthen its batting and bat Australia out of the series?

While it is a move fraught with risk ( one slip and the Ashes will be gone), I think that is exactly what England will do.

Test 2 Wrap

Given that the weather in this neck of the woods held as firm as over in England, I found myself unable to watch Days 3,4 and 5 of the Test (lets just say that life took precedence and leave it at that).

England won, Freddie was magnificent, Johnson scored about the runs as the number of overs he bowled, Ponting was gracious in defeat, a 75 year streak was broken, England are 1-0 ahead in the Ashes and all is well with the world.

Except that it is not.

Bad umpiring, a spineless batting display and the strength of character of one man were the only reasons why we have a result in this match. Again, we find that the Lord's pitch, the one that promised bounce and carry for the bowlers, was nothing but another of those factory manufactured, dull,lifeless pieces of dirt that is all too common these days.

What point a Test match if the tail swats the ball as merrily on the first day as the last? What point a Test match where the team batting last reaches 406 despite being 5 down for 128? What point a Test match if making in excess of 500 on the final two days is considered on par?

And what point crowing about the primacy of Test Cricket and the dangers posed by T20 when the body making those statements roll out a deck that, on Day 5, is not dis-similar to an ideal T20 deck?