I don't like Cricket

Live blogging from the Hot Water Bottle front

I'm back in town tonight. And a bit of a prelude before the cricket. I've been round a friends for a bit of a do and I want to make two comments.
1) Sorry for not often making the live blogging past 1.30 but we have things to do in the morning so sometimes we just fall asleep. We are doing our best Rhian so please be forgiving - I notice your boyfriend isn't doing any live blogging.
2) On the other hand Rhian has just supplied some lovely brie and a wonderful bit of Lincolnshire Poacher - so tangy it made my gums tinkle. Having eaten so much of it I must stay up all night otherwise I'll be having some crazy dreams.

So here we go third day. Lets hope for a wicket or two before lunch. Realistic scenario for this hard day will be 300-4 at the close and a draw likely

2.31 - That's it. Ponting gets his 50 and its lunch. What a great session for England. Now I've won the race, I'm going to have a kip. See you all in the morning when its 250-7 and the aussies are panicing about the follow on.
2.27 - Three minutes to lunch. Collingwood could have run out Ponting, but instead it goes for overthrows. Annoying. In other news, I am now the live blogging endurance champion of the IDLCC.
2.16 - John Buchanan's an idiot. We all know that. Read this for his attempt to say that Warne and McGrath's worst ever figures weren't actually that bad. Knob.
2.09 - According to CMJ, Ponting has just come across his stumps to the last ball (Jones caught it) and the slips had to do the tidying up. I know its childish, but don't tell me you didn't laugh. In 10 minutes time I will have done the longest session of live blogging of any member of the IDLCC. Winner.
2.01 - This session really is throbbing. High quality over from Fred. 87-3. While thinking what to post, I came across this article on the five live blog. An interesting read that is so right about the differences between the barmy army and football hooligans - responding to some absolute shite by an australian regional paper. James Anderson has replaced the Hog and nearly takes a wicket with his first ball. Hog's spell was 9-1-16-2 this morning. Absolutely brilliant.
1.57 - A bit quiet now as we recover from The Drop. So to prove I'm still awake I'm noting the bowling change. Harmy replaced by Fred. A good opening spell, I think. V fast and in the right channels. Fred is bowling round the wicket to hussey and the wind is gusting round the flat.
1.43 - OH MY GOD!!!!!! Gilo has dropped Ponting at square leg with 35 runs to his name. The Hogster bowling. Ball hit straight at him but fast and high. He should have got it. Will we regret this on a dead pitch like this. The one thing we can be reassured about is that Monty - genius that he is - would never even have got close. But oh my god.
1.42 - Harmison bowls a knee high full toss at Ponting who hits the deck and wants to get angry about a beamer. If only he hadn't made a twat of himself he would have realised it was no such thing. Worrying about Harmy's radar, but pleased that Ponting is rattled.
1.37 - Hoggard is on fire. Aggressive and in your face. After an intense first over against Hussey he fields the final ball of the over himself, hurls it back and takes out the middle stump. That is what we want: proper hate and aggression. We can win this game, if only we forget the hype and concentrate on the team. (Time to admit that I am David Brent, maybe?). Meanwhile it is mighty windy in Tooting tonight.
1.30 - Am I in heaven? The over before the drinks break and Martyn is CAUGHT IN THE GULLY! Bell does the business for Hoggy. 65-3 - Martyn scores 11. Geoffrey thinks that Hoggy set Martyn up by encouraging him to drive. GB has just invented a new word in describing this word: Apparently Hoggy "out-patienced" Martyn.
1.19 - Harmy goes for 1 off that over. Very tidy. Nice one Steve - in the channel (given how little the corridor guys like the Collective, I won't use that word) and asking questions of judgement from the batsman. In the meantime there are predictions of a timeless test from Geoffrey and the first every personal detail from Bill Frindell. He was born on the first day of the timeless Test and therefore is 67 years old at the moment. Astonishing. The machine has a personality!
1.12 - Maiden over from Harmy. Nice one. And if that Australian keeps going on about Barmy Harmy then I will back Geoffrey Boycott in any necessary violent action that he takes. I will be a completely reliable witness when I say: "I didn't see anything, gov."
1.02 - Harmison's first over. Sounds like he's bowling in the right zones but the Australians are still finding a way to get some runs. 50 comes up for two. And now I think the Lincolnshire Poacher is paying me a second visit - this time under the covers.
12.53 - Paul Collingwood is off the pitch at the moment. Has anyone seen Gary Pratt - the guy fielding at short mid-wicket to Ponting looks remarkably familiar.
12.48 - Am I going to be proved massively wrong? Hopefully. Hayden caught behind by Hoggard. It shocked us all so much that the TMS commentators were more interested in talking about yesterday when it happened. This surely has to be a crucial breakthrough in the whole context of the game. Predictably the BBC is missing the point and has taken the opportunity to send Radio 4 listeners to the shipping forecast.
12.43 - Fred to Ponting. A small appeal for LBW. Not much in it, but vital to keep the pressure up on the little one. Get in his face his boys.
12.38 - Fred took the first over. Hoggy now bowling the second. A snorter first ball. The crowd is wondering whether Harmy will get a bowl in the next couple of overs.

posted by wes @ 12:33 am