FIRST TEST: MCG

Smokey Dawson has been on SEN spruiking the great tradition of the Boxing Day Test, which "started at the MCG in 1950 as Australia beat England by 28 runs when Lindsay Hassett starred with 52 and Bill Johnson and Jack Iverson starred with six wickets apiece."

Balls! Surely, to call it a Boxing Day Test it must start on Boxing Day. The 1950 Test started on December 22.

Since 1950 there have been a bare 28 Tests start on Boxing Day. That's 28 out of 59 seasons. The first match to start on Boxing Day wasn't until 1968.

(Full list of MCG Tests.)

Three Tests since 1950 have started on December 24. Why isn't the Christmas Eve Test held in such high esteem? South Africa won in 1952, the West Indies in 1988, but Australia finally won a great victory after "44 years of tireless struggle" in 1994 when Warne took a hat-trick as Australia spanked England.

What about another tradition: Australian batting collapses? The tradition of the Boxing Day Test is a media driven, money-making beat-up, while Australian batting collapses are very real and stretch right back to the 1800s. What's more, the current team is doing a bang-up job of living up to the tradition.

Comments

[Tony]

Henry Lawson is commentating, but no Pakistanis are brandishing effigies. Not counting Mohammad Aamer, who was effigy-like in his attempt to catch that slash to gully.

[Shane O]

There's a lot of new faces in the Pakistani line up. Where do they keep finding them?

[Carrot]

Season's greetings everyone, hope all's well with everyone.

I have a Shane Watson-inspired question.

Shane Watson is a player that has spent all his career until six monts ago batting in the middle order. He's done quite well (scored 515 runs before this test this year at an average of 51.50), but everyone has carried on about the fact that he's essentially a middle-order batsman, and the time will definitely come when it all goes wrong and they put him back to 5 or 6, with him bowling second or third change. That's a pretty decent situation for him to be in, mind you - as the longer he does ok opening (or very well, as the case may be) then the higher the chances of him not actually being dropped when/if it does all go wrong, but merely being put elsewhere in the order. Not a bad situation to be in, really, I'm sure any number of cricketers would like to have that sort of get out of jail free card built in to their careers.

All that's setting the scene and nothing else mind you - my question is this: why is Shane Watson not a top order player? And furthermore, what is the actual difference between a middle-order and top-order batsman, anyway? Surely if a man is a specialist batsmen, then he's in the business of facing the best bowling at any stage of the game, and so it shouldn't make any difference? Do we think that Watson is only filling in for Hughes because we don't actually rate his ability, or because we don't rate his ability as an opener? Or is it something to do with the fact that he bowls as well, and that's unusual for a Test opener? Or is it because we haven't been won over by the fact that he keeps making starts without scoring a hundred yet?

In short, what gives?

[Big Ramifications]

The tradition of the Boxing Day Test is a media driven, money-making beat-up...

Collingwood vs. Essendon.

Lest we forget.

[Vindicate]

Wonder what Betfairs odds are on one of these two getting out before lunch.

[Shane O]

Obviously, a good toss to win.

[The Don has risen]

Pakis have backed the Aussies.

My U/12s field better than them

[Tony]

Or a bad toss to lose.

[Tony]

Nine played Soul Survivor over the tea-break footage. They must have finally discovered Exile On Main Street.

[Tony]

Jim Maxwell said during the tea break that the only way this partnership would be broken was by a run out.

[Tony]

Watson will never talk to Katich again.

[Vindicate]

Commentators curse strikes.

[Tony]

Will that be a collapse-starting run out?

[Tony]

So, Katich killed Flatty Hayden last season, he killed PC there, who will he murder next?

[Tony]

Spanky reckons Katich should have been given out because of when the stumps were broken at the non-striker's end. Anyone, any ideas? The TV cameras were focussed on the striker's crease, so I couldn't tell what was what at the non-striker's end.

If true, that will make PC very upset.

Meanwhile, Paper Cut's back-monkey is almost a gorilla.

[Shane O]

Katich grounded his foot behind the batsman's crease first. Ergo, PC is run out at non-striker's end.

[Shane O]

Ah, OK. Nine just showed what Spanky was talking about.

[Tony]

Yeah, but was Katich in the crease when the stumps were broken? Hold that thought... Nine just split-screened it and both Katich and PC are in the crease when the ball broke the stumps. PC out.

[The Don has risen]

they run between wickets like Darling and Wood used to.

[Tony]

The crowd and the commentators are desperate for Katich to get the hundred.

Not so Glenn MITCHELL who wants him to be the only player in Test history to get three 99s.

And not so PC who was just seen mouthing the words "Get out, you c**t."

[Vindicate]

"Yep, chalk him in."

Idiots.

[Tony]

Katich, you absolute dickhead!

PC: "Justice is done."

[Shane O]

Kat wanted to be the first Aussie to score a hundred... then he gets caught at point.

PC's mock worked a treat.

[Tony]

Although I made that up about PC, I'm sure it's true.

[Shane O]

Even imaginary mocks work.

[Tony]

Soon we will be mozzing in reverse. Every time a batsman nears a hundred we will have to say: "Yep, chalk him in... for a ninety."

[Tony]

Ponting's moving into his recent get-out territory. Dunno what his 2008/09 average is, but he seems to get out a lot just when he looks set and/or winding up.

[Shane O]

Can we start now?

Ponting's no chance of scoring a ton this innings.

[Tony]

Chalk him in for a forty.

[Tony]

Drew: "The way he's going Ricky will be a hundred by stumps." Bad luck, Rick, but well batted.

[Tony]

The Ajmal doosra has more than a hint of yo-yo elbow about it. Nine tried some Murali hand-only footage when they split-screened his doosra against his offie but you could still see enough arm to spot the flex.

[Tony]

When the umpires eventually call him, as they no doubt will be forced to do, I hope Spanky is in the comm-box. My Boxing Day memories of his 1995 hissy fit are getting a little faint and I need a refresher.

[Tony]

Evil work from Jim Maxwell: "Ponting is looking good... he's out."

[Vindicate]

Two over his average, nice call Tone.

Good ball though.

[Vindicate]

Bit early for a nightwatchman innit?

[Tony]

Jim Maxwell gets spitey: "Nathan Hauritz is night watchman? Is that why he's in the side?"

[Shane O]

We have to get commentators onto the reverse mozz, ASAP!

[Shane O]

On the doosra: definite elbow work in that. Is it within the 15 degrees the Shrees pushed the ICC to change the rules to?

[Tony]

Some of them might be, and that's the point - some. The current arrangement struggles to stop the 14, 14, 14, 14, then 25 when he feels the need for extra work on the ball. No one would call a once-off.

[Shane O]

Is there anyone that bowls a doosra not chucking?

[Tony]

The doosra is dodgy; you can't bowl it without some amount of yo-yo flex.

The Mendis finger-flick is not dodgy. From what little I've seen it's gold.

[Vindicate]

Consensus seems to be no Shane, Krazys apparent "doosra" has never been used in a match yet as far as I know - wonder why?

[Tony]

Don't forget the doosra that Hauritz is always trialling in the nets. He bowled one in Adelaide, allegedly.

[Shane O]

That's what I thought.

As a former, very occasional (and ordinary) bowler of off-spin, I couldn't think of any way a doosra could be delivered without the elbow coming into play.

[Tony]

On the run out. Katich thought he was out; he took a few steps to leave.

[Vindicate]

The Doosra can probably be bowled legally, as in within the 15 degree framework, whether it's actually dangerous when it's legal begs the question why one would bowl it if it wasn't.

[Vindicate]

Dangerous that is, not legal.

Should really proofread before posting.

[TKYCraig]

A full summer without an Australian century anyone?
What does Ladbrokes have to say on this?

[Yobbo]

Physically impossible to bowl a doosra without chucking it. As tony says though, the finger doosra is a different ball entirely.

[Tony]

Carrot

Seasons greesings.

As I see it there are one and a half reasons Paper Cut won't stay at the top of the order. One) it's generally though to be too much for a cricketer to open the bowling and batting, especially if the opener bowls a long spell immediately before he goes out to bat. A half) Watson really does need to convert his starts, but he's not on his lonesome there at the moment, and anyway, if he keeps getting big half centuries a replacement opener needs to get big centuries in the Shield to give PC the push, and no one is.

[Bob]

"...Jim Maxwell gets spitey: "Nathan Hauritz is night watchman? Is that why he's in the side?"..."

Will be hilarious if Nathan gets the first ton. Works on so many levels. Fuck you Hilditch, fuck you Kreza, fuck you Maxwell, fuck you Clarke, fuck you Jrod...

[Vim]

Watson looked like he wanted to kill Katich. Is anyone good mates with PC? He'll dance on anyone's grave. Remember the big Watsonian whinge in cricinfo when Studs was pretending to be an all-rounder during the tour of SA? Watson is utterly without shame.

I hope Katich runs him out just shy of a ton more obviously next time, none of this split-second stuff.

[SaggyGreenChuckChuck]

Spanky on Ajmal:

"His doosra looks legal under any law, ancient or modern. At worst it is a back chuck, and the laws were not aimed at them."

What the fuck is a back chuck? As opposed to oh, like, y'know, a throw chuck, a chuck chuck or a plain old motherless chuck?

[nick]

Carrot and Tony :

PC is currently one of the best 6 batsmen in Oz (strange but true). However, Hughes is a potential 10-15 year player, and will get a run in the side...so either PC for Huss in the middle order to slot Hughes in (should have been done at some point in the last 18 months of craptacular Huss form), or Hughes and PC to open when Kat falls off the twig.

A back chuck is the apologist's chuck.

PC might be a cvnt but he's our cvnt 8-)

[RT]

Just watched a re-enactment of the Watson runout by Slater and Warne with Smashing doing the interviews. Embarrassing Channel 9. Stick to the 1/2 hr preamble with pitch report and a few highlights. That runout was, even by this summer's eerie no century PC no century any Aussie standards, bizarre.

[The Don has risen]

another batsman pitch.

This test is different to the other three.

The big difference is the pitch. It is a boring batsman's pitch.

SA has the best pitches in the world followed by NZ if recent tests are any guide.

We are competing with India with the worst but given the first three tests we are improving

[m0nty]

Three figures, Haury. You can do it son.

[m0nty]

Okay, so why don't they have those super slow-mo cameras on the run out decisions? It's 2009 people, surely we can get better technology.

[The Don has risen]

why use technology if you ignore it

[Tony]

Just got woken up by Henry's "You are KIDDING?!?" Either he's doing a MatchWELL and Hauritz had played a comfortable forward defensive shot when nothing much happened, or the run-out decision was a shock-ker.

Nine are more interested in replaying the Warne/Slatts/PC/Katich run-out re-creation.

Come on, Rich: "must view television" according to Nicholas.

[Tony]

Hey, Don. "Best pitch I've seen at the MCG in quite a while." According to Tony Grieg, anyway, who sees a comfortable five days of broadcasting.

[RT]

I like after Henry's "KIDDING!" rant, "sack him now!" about Asoka, "I'm off!" after the next ball, that Drew Muppet asks Flem his opinion "not out". Nice work ABC.

[The Don has risen]

he is talking from a batsman's opinion not from a spectators.

The first day's pitch was equivalent to a two or three day pitch way back in the 'good old days'.

This is a pitch made for channel 9.

Say no more

[Tony]

Nick

I agree with what you say about PC/Hughes. But while the batsmen keep knocking up 50s, they won't be pushed out by Hughes who has only made one 100, which was made against a Vic third XI and included three drops.

[Tony]

Don, a bit more: Grieg was talking as an employee of Channel Nine, who demand that matches go the distance.

[Tony]

Rich, you could tell Henry was a bowler. "Yep, that's out. What are they waiting for. SEVEN replays?!? Come on! We could have had three more deliveries by now. He's out. Get on with it. You could tell first replay. Ummmm.... yeah, that's out. [Bit of doubt there.] Come on, Asoka Da Silva. Anyway, 'decision pending'. You are KIDDING?!? Sack him now, etc."

[Tony]

Meanwhile, Drew was muppetting away in the background. Drew probably IS a Muppett since he commentates like it's 1977.

[The Don has risen]

on the run-out it appeared the bails were disturbed before the bat was OVER the crease.

I heard Toneee and he was referring to a batsman's pitch not a cricket pitch.

There is a big difference as we have seen this season.

Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth give me hope.

Channel 9 didn't like Perth. Not much of a last day but it was a great test to watch. A good battle between bat and ball.

This one ain't.

Compare to current SAvs Poms test

[Tony]

Don, you've got to decode the Nine commentators. "Batsman's pitch" actually mean's "Official Broadcaster's pitch".

[m0nty]

Before we crucify Nine alone, let us remember that Cricket Australia also benefits greatly from gate takings at the G across five full days.

[m0nty]

KOK defending Haury against Maxwell's imprecations about slow play: "Leave him alone, he's doing the job." He certainly is.

[m0nty]

Right, so KOK's argument is that it's correct for Haury to slow-play at 3/360 because "you can't lose" once you score 400. Then, when you reach 400, that's the time to throw the bat. What is KOK on?

[Tony]

Monty, yep, CA are an enthusiastic stakeholder.

[Tony]

Hussey & Hauritz are giving Wood & Da... Watson & Katich a lesson in running between wickets.

[Tony]

Looked out in normal speed.

[m0nty]

Looked not out at normal speed to me, and the replay confirms it. Travesty.

[m0nty]

He was guaranteed to get out some way in the next 17 runs, I suppose, but that was a miscarriage of justice.

[Tony]

Anyway, at least Hussey got out before he started stuffing around in our new Red Zone and got out for 91.

[m0nty]

Yep, it's just before the end of a session, and Pup is trying really really hard to get out. Perhaps we should have put in another nightwatchman to protect him.

[Tony]

By Red Zone I mean the last 20 of the 100, like in the NFL. (Denver at 8-6 will be ruing their 43%.)

[Tony]

Clarke is the lunch-watchman.

[Tony]

Has Hauritz got a groin? He is running like slug. He will soon need a runner.

[Tony]

Lunch.

The new Jim Maxwell: "Michael Clarke is lunch-watchman? Is that why he's in the side?"

[m0nty]

Good Lord, the coach of the national disabled cricket team shares my real name. How bizarre.

[Big Ramifications]

I'm on record here somewhere saying one of my fave stats is "highest team innings total without an individual ton" so how dark was I when we declared at 480 with the Ritz on a lowly 50?

According to [link] it is Australia's 2nd highest such example, and the 8th highest ever.

http://aftergrogblog.blogs.com/cricket/2009/11/first-test-the-gabba.html?cid=6a00d8341cb34453ef0120a6e3c990970b#comment-6a00d8341cb34453ef0120a6e3c990970b

After PC got out for 93 I was gunning for Katich to get out. I've never been so rapt to see an Aussie get out just shy of 100. Maybe equal to the time Warnie went the tonk on 99 the ball after I predicted exactly what transpired.

Hey, I've noticed a few of you discussing my fave stat please stop horning in on my fave stat. It's mine. Mine, I say!

[Big Rammer's mum]

It's your favourite now, son?

[Tony]

Hauritz for the first ton? And maybe a Dizzy double.

[Tony]

In case you were wondering why I haven't said anything. I am currently writing a post on Spanky's laughable back-chuck paragraph.

[Tony]

Lunch-watchman Clarke is doing a superb job of supporting his senior batting partner.

[m0nty]

Perhaps this is a permanent move to #5 for the C-Dog.

[m0nty]

#6, I mean.

[Tony]

OK, so I've finished the back-chuck post. It's actually below this Test post because I've pinned the Test post to the top of the page.

[Tony]

And to #5 for the H-Hund.

[Tony]

The H-Hund better watch out. He's only 5 runs from the Red Zone.

[Tony]

Plumb.

[m0nty]

That's 20 50s in a row without any converted to a ton. Stan the Statistician, not to mention Big Ram, will be esctatic.

[Tony]

A declaration?!? Now?!? To quote Lawson: "You are KIDDING?!?"

[Tony]

To actually quote Lawson: "I am SPEECHLESS!"

[m0nty]

Another early declaration. Punter obviously hasn't been alerted to the CA/Nein script. We're going to get bitten on the arse with one of these if we keep tempting fate.

[David]

I cannot believe this. Is this the new Australian philosophy: Nightwatchman out, all out?