Pak tour of Oz, Dec 14 - Jan 7

[Arthur Crabtree]

Aussies have an old ball to bowl with for the next 16 overs. Maybe Pakistan can still get close.

[bigfluffylemon]

Bouncing out the tail, again.

Why don't the umpires enforce the laws about intimidatory bowling?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Closer than most Boxing Day Tests.

[GarlicJam]

Bouncing out the tail, again.

Why don't the umpires enforce the laws about intimidatory bowling?

do you really think that this was anything other than the norm?

I sure don't.

[mikesiva]

Australia 262 all out

Marsh 96
Carey 53
Smith 50

Hamza 4-32
Afridi 4-76

Target 317

[GarlicJam]

Bouncing out the tail, again.

in fact, the only tail end wicket to fall to a bouncer was the very last.

Jamal and Afridi's wickets were short, but neither was head high in the slightest.

[bigfluffylemon]

I do think it was normal. Hence the 'again'. Doesn't mean I think it's fair play. Never have.

The stats they had up indicated that 70% of Cummins' last spell was short of a length, with 40% being bouncer length. That's not appropriate against 9-11. It looked deliberately intimidatory to me. Shaheel got hit on the head more than once. The ball that got him out wasn't a bouncer, but it followed a few and he was obviously trying to get out the way.

And yes, both sides did it I the Ashes, and I didn't like it then either. Short pitched bowling is part of the game, sure. Deliberately bowling bouncer after bouncer at tailenders shouldn't be.

[mikesiva]

Pakistan 237 all out

Masood 60
Salman 50
Babar 41

Cummins 5-49
Starc 4-55

[bigfluffylemon]

Someone's nicked Warner's baggy green ahead of his last test.

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving w@nker.

[GarlicJam]

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving w@nker.

I got a laugh out of this.

As I did at Schapelle Corby's tweet to Warner/about the bag.

[mikesiva]

Pakistan 313 all out

Rizwan 88
Jamal 82
Salman 53

Cummins 5-61

[bigfluffylemon]

I missed Corby's response, also raised a giggle.

Reasonable effort by Pakistan to recover after being 0/2 and 40/4. Last wicket stand put on nearly 100. They've competed at times but lacked the consistency to be a threat to Australia in their backyard.

Wait, where have I heard that before?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I remember Wee Davie first being picked for the Test side after a good run in ODIs, and it seemed far from certain he would succeed in the longer game. But he managed a lengthy, successful Test career, so he deserves some acclaim. I presume his success at home means Aussie crowds have seen him make an awful lot of runs, which is going to make him a popular favourite.

But as an outsider, he was too hard to like and actually ended up doing the old game quite a bit of harm. So he's not like a Lillee or a Border, who will be remembered respectfully by the neutral. Still, an Aussie great.

[GarlicJam]

even as an insider, Warner has been hard to like, Arthur. Way too brash and 'in your face' for me - and this was way before the sandpaper bullsht.

Yes, he has played some phenomenal innings over the year, often these innings either setting Aus up for a win, or being the difference between winning and losing. Excellent fielder too. He also has that glaring issue of not being very good outside of Aus in tests. It's a big but. Not so bad in white ball.

On the subject of the ever present elephant in the room though - many Australians seem to have gone with the "done the crime, done the time" line. A lesser group, I think, are not prepare to forgive or forget. I am one of those. I am fine with him playing test cricket again, but his name is mentally written with an asterisk.

Smith too, but to a lesser degree. Even less so with Bancroft.

[bigfluffylemon]

Yes, I don't know too many people here that like Warner, despite the runs.