BLUE PIETER

With his dominant bottom hand, Kevin Pietersen has a hole in his technique you could drive a truck through. Shane Warne doesn't need a hole that big. His ball that bowled Pietersen last night was good enough to beat the big Yarpie, but a better batsman would not have fallen over himself to plonk it through the leg side. Mind you, Doyen Benaud was moved to compare the ball to the Gatting ball. Richie must be pining for the south of France; even the replay showed that to be a stupid comparison.

Batsmen with obvious flaws in their armoury are quickly found out in test cricket. Many burst onto the scene but are forced back to the drawing board by accurate bowling aimed at the weakness. Look no further than Steve Waugh.

Pietersen has been touted as the next big thing but at the moment is struggling. No matter any form slump, though, he will probably keep his place. There are just that many more cheap runs to be had now than there were when Waugh started out. That is one of Australia's problems this series - suddenly coming up against a good attack. But KP's right-hand pulling across the line is a doozy of a glitch and requires plenty of work. (And then there's his catching) So much work, in fact, that he runs the risk of wearing the dreaded three letter acronym.

Comments

[DJ]

He has loads of talent but he also has the makings of a giant flop.

[Tony.T]

His stance is bogus, too. He looks as if he is weightlifting.

[kath]

*reads Tony T's insightful and well referenced critique of Pieterson's ball play (or lack of)*

*swoons*

[Scott Wickstein]

Since England's next tours are to India and Pakistan, Bruvva Pieterson had better work on these holes tout-de-suit.

[pat]

Richie's comparison had me perplexed as well. I tried to see the similarities in vain. It's Richie's last tour of England - which seems to have come soon enough before he starts to make a complete fool of himself.

[Tony.T]

Kath: That's the kind of feedback nerdy cricket writers can only dream of. Carry on swooning.

Wicky: If the pitches are as you would expect, KP will make a goose of himself.

Pat: Richie has been hanging on by the skin of his teeth for a little while now. His Dumb Statement Quotient has been well up.

[kath]

*frigs*

[Snr Nubi]

KP, FTB. Btw TT, Aust FTB might make some runs after grabbing that sharp chance off SKW.

[pat]

Allright, I admit my ignorance - what's FTB stand for (effing something I suppose).

Family Tax Benefit, Free Trade Butter, Floyd The Barber, Filipino Torso Boy, Front To Back Algorithm, are just from two pages of Google. Please explain?

[Tony.T]

K: Now, Kath. That is more than a swoon. More than a Walkley, too.

SN: Agreed. He looks more confident than he has for a while.

P: Prostrate Path Persecutor. You'll have to work for it. Can't just give these things away, you know.

[pat]

I've got children - have pity on me!

[Tony.T]

Prostrate = Flat.

[pat]

Yeah - just worked it out while running the kids bath. If Hayden is a FTB then what is Marto - a FTFAMCM?

[Tony.T]

Martyn has his claims, too, Pat. But you'll have to give me some time to work that one out.

[pat]

S Waugh was ever, rather patriarchily, Haydens proponent, even still now that Haydo is in dark times, walking through his Valley of Death. As such Haydo should be referred to as a SoG. His resurrection is due.

[Russell Allen]

Pietersen's first test series is going all right. He's already been spotted in a nightclub with Warney. How much higher in cricket can one get?

[Scott Campbell at Blithering Bunny]

It's clear that Rudi Koertzen is old and his hearing is going.

[Tony.T]

Pat: Haydos' first century was a painful affair (dropped numerous times) against the Windies in 1996/97. He has resurrected to that, by the look of things.

Russ: How much higher in cricket can one get? He needs to have his text messages leaked to the Tabbies and to feature on the front pages in a sex scandal. Sorry "romp".

Scott: Not just the Rude-boy, but Morgan, Dar-He-Blows and Billy Bent.

[Tony.T]

Jeez. I'm glad I was watching the Pinks/Catters. It might be a low scoring arm-wrestle, but it is still preferable to watching the opposition's tail wag.

Still 370 odd is workable. Could have been worse given the nature of the day one pitch. Bowled Shane!

[Tony.T]

Bugger Antony Emu. I want 40 minutes of Simon, Deano and Mo.

[pat]

Richie's redemption - a day of it so far:

Cricinfo:"18.4 Giles to Langer, SIX, Catch it is the call from Giles as Langer comes down the pitch and lofts over midwicket, someone in the stands at midwicket might have heard that and had a go! That was huge!"

Richie's comment: "There's a fielder out there who had the opportunity to stretch his neck muscles to pinpoint exactly where the ball had gone." hehe nice one Richie.

[Tony.T]

Yeah, just saw that. Excellent. Richie is still the master of the smooth line.

[Brett Pee]

Pietersen is not having a good time at the moment is he ? Shame. hasn't caught a cold and his technique has come under great scrutiny- has potential to rival Sehwag in the Gallery of test match Park players- only without Sehwags runs. The Poms will not drop him- he's their new blonde/blue/peroxide superstar. Perhaps age is catching up with Richie ? Gatting ball my arse.

[Clem Snide]

Perhaps Richie was relying on Hawkeye's version of events, which showed the ball turning the opposite way to its actual direction for Bell's LBW.

[Yorkshire Soul]

The Ozzies have made two really bad decisions in this series, putting England in to bat at Edgbaston (OK, so Ponting's error there), and Hayden/Langer deciding not to come out and bat after tea today because of bad light, have they gone mad ?

Australia are still 260 odd runs behind, rain is forecast for most of Saturday and part of Sunday, the opening pair have made their best start to a game all series, and they choose not to bat.

Can anyone explain ?

[edward]

I can explain. They probably wanted to be out of south London before it got dark.

[Tony.T]

I saw that, Clem. Hawk = Farce.

Mike, I agree it was puzzling, but from what I could gather they expected it to rain and didn't want to be coming on and off over a short period. I don't think one session is going to matter in the overall scheme of things either. Should they start losing whole days, though, well that is another kettle of kippers.

I'm with Ed, too. I used to live in Sarf Lundin. Frightful place. Especially after dark, which always seemed to be about half-an-hour after morning tea.

[murph]

YS

Because Langer, Hayden, Ponting and Gilly decided that, with weather looming, the best they could hope for was about an hour and a half of play. In that time, the best case scenario was that Australia finish at stumps with none for about 180. The worst case scenario was that Flintoff started reverse swinging the ball in the dark and we ended up at 3 or 4 for about 160.

It was a tough decision but understandable in its logic.

[Nick]

Great start - but he's just pietered out.