Ashes 2010/11

[beness]

Rain

[TheTimVilla]

Hussey gone.

RSP - early lunch. Smith in at 6 again?! Seems odd.

[KevinGage]

That's the one.

They'd have loved to get through to lunch with only three down.

Clarke+Haddin then you're into the bowlers, and suddenly that selection top heavy with seamers in the Aussie attack doesn't look so clever.

[JD]

Excellent start. I'm off to cut the grass now prior to sitting down for a few beers to watch the afternoon sessions .

[beness]

Excellent start. I'm off to cut the grass now prior to sitting down for a few beers to watch the afternoon sessions .

 Bloody showoff.

[KevinGage]

That little rain break might not be the worst thing in the world.

Ideal scenario: keep them in for most of the day, skittle them out for under 200 and have a full day and a bit tomorrow and beyond to build a formidable total.

Might be best for the English batsmen to face as little exposure as possible today.

[KevinGage]

This fat kid looks a complete mess.

*I want to say not an international batsman but don't want to put the mockers on England*

[KevinGage]

The fat kid gone.

[KevinGage]

He doesn't look like an international batsman.

[KevinGage]

Haddin edges first ball.

I would dearly love to see this guy go cheaply.

[KevinGage]

So much is made of this MCG crowd as an advantage.

I've never bought into it (and even said so prior to 2006).

I've been to the MCG for various sporting occasions. 80/90,000, what odds.

Top tip: If you can hear the chatter of the crowd, it's not that partisan.

Not like Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, Villa Park (for a semi final or local derby) or even Fratton Park with less than 20,000 in.

A load of families and fat kids eating hotdogs and enjoying a day out is not a partisan atmosphere. Anyone even remotely perturbed about the crowd at the MCG shouldn't be playing professional sport.

[KevinGage]

Clarke gone!

[KevinGage]

Into the bowlers already, with only 70+ runs conceded.

Only England could balls this up from now on in.

I have an Aussie mate sitting in the members section of the MCG as we speak.

I know this is really, really hurting him.

Continue.

[KevinGage]

7 down!

Which is good.

But I'm not sure I'd want to bat on this wicket.

Good bowling or shit batting?

[KevinGage]

This is mental.