Pom v Aussie round 2

Continuing our daily chat between Patrick Kidd, The Times's cricket blogger, and Scott Heinrich, of Fox Sports Australia. They discuss beards, girlfriends and Day 1 of the Ashes below.

From Scott Heinrich
To Patrick Kidd

The day-one tussle in Cardiff reminded me of the time my first girlfriend told me she really liked my best mate: I didn't know what to make of it. Who's on top? Who knows! I'd like to think Australia, because any team which takes seven wickets on an opening day after losing the toss has done well. But we don't know what a good score is on that deck, so time might tell us England did well. It's Even Stevens in my book, but the bigger picture tells me Australia will need to bat out of their skin, and bowl well in England's second innings, as chasing even a moderate score in the fourth dig, with two specialist spinners to face, could be a challenge.

I was apoplectic yesterday when Australia left out Clark and played both Hauritz and Hilfenhaus, but I'm warming to the rationale that Clark and Siddle offer much the same fare. I was pleased with Hilf's performance and he will definitely have a role to play on days three/four. I'd give all the bowlers a pass mark, even Hauritz. The ball he got KP with was delivered with wicked intent. A normal man would have left that ball alone, but Hauritz and Australia know that once Pietersen has his mind set on something, nothing can change his course; that ball would be swept come hell, high water or extravagant line wide of off-stump. He looked OK after a patchy start, KP, but he could have been out three or four times before then, and in one instance should, so he had it coming. I wouldn't hang him for getting out to Hauritz, though. I reckon a full weekend watching re-runs of Chris Tavare bat, Clockwork Orange-style, would be more appropriate.

From Patrick Kidd
To Scott Heinrich

You need to stop worrying about who's on top of your ex-girlfriend, Scott. She's gone now. As for the cricket, though, it is pretty much parity. Remember that the first Test of 2005 (and I promise that will be the last time I bring the series up today) began with Australia winning the toss and 15 wickets falling by the close of Day 1 - on a pitch that is well regarded for batting. The Ashes is wonderfully unpredictable. My gut feeling is that England are a smidgin ahead thanks to KP and Collingwood's second-session stand. Bowling last on a pitch that is showing signs of turn already is a good thing. And I would not underestimate the ability of our tail to make runs (well, not Monty). Broad and Swann are both stroke-makers - I don't know if you saw the quicksilver fifty that Swann made in a session against West Indies at Lord's - and Anderson can cling on for quite a while. If we get somewhere near 400 then England will be very happy.

My Aussie friends shared your anger at Clark being left out and I feel he would have done better than Siddle who looked, well, ok but not great. As for KP's dismissal, he is getting pasted over here in the press as you would imagine, but I'd like to defend him. Sure, he has a knack of getting out in irritating fashion to weak spin bowlers (Hauritz follows Sulieman Benn and Paul Harris) but at least he tries things and they come off more often than not. It does concern me that six batsmen got to 30 and none made it to 70. Here's hoping Australia's batsmen also go walkabout mentally when set. One more thing for you to consider: why does Ponting always look like a startled chimp when a batsman gets runs? The camera keeps picking Punter up making the most extraordinary reaction faces. If he were my team's captain, I'd be worried. Give me the calm focus of a Waugh or even a Strauss any day.

From Scott Heinrich
To Patrick Kidd

Well, I married my first girlfriend, so I have every reason to worry about who's on top of her. Just kidding. She married my best mate. I think it's a bit rich to knock KP for the manner of his dismissal when the very same people will laud him for his bravery and industry after a reverse slog-sweep clears the rope. That's the way he bats. He's a loose cannon. You take him or you leave him, but not both. It's interesting you mention facial expressions. I've always been amused by the way KP routinely looks at the pitch when he's been done by a good'un, utterly amazed, as if a gremlin leapt out and made the ball deviate off course. Of course, no bowler alive could dismiss KP fairly and squarely.

As for Punter, he's a man of many expressions. He's got concerned and, um, concerned. To his and his team's disadvantage, Ponting let things get the better of him in 05 (now you've got me doing it) and he seemed a little too involved with the umpires yesterday. He wants to win this series like I want to win the lottery. Two Ashes defeats in England, as captain of the world's No.1 team, is not something he wants on his CV. I'm backing him to have a bottler of a series with the bat, but he'll need to keep his emotions in check as Australia's leader. He's not universally popular, as a captain, in Australia, but I have no issues with him. I'm more concerned about the heir apparent, Michael Clarke. The bloke can bat, but should metrosexuals captain international cricket teams? What am I saying, of course they should! Apologies, Pup. Sorry, Lara. If England get to 400 today, I reckon we could be in trouble.

From Patrick Kidd
To Scott Heinrich

Part of me would love Ponting to have a terrible series with the bat - and his average has not been great in the past year - as that would help us. But part of me wants to see him play at his best. I think back to that big hundred he made at Old Trafford in, ahem, a previous undated series in this country when he frustrated everything that England chucked at him. It was genuinely great batting, and I'd like to see more of that. The occasion demands it. But if he can just restrict himself to two good hundreds this series that have no effect on the result of the match, then I'll be happy.

Sticking with KP's face: it looks like he is growing a beard again, or at the very least that he forgot to shave yesterday morning. There was definitely a decent covering of stubble around his chops. Now some Brits will complain about our players looking scruffy (although you won't get that criticism from the Times's correspondent as Mr Atherton was himself famously scruffy as captain) but I think this is a good sign. First, KP grew a reasonable beard in the Caribbean this winter and played better when he had facial hair than when he didn't. Second, the Ashes needs beards. Think Grace, Border, Brearley, Botham, Chapell, Ray Bright... All the best Ashes players - and Ray Bright - had beards. I'm delighted they are coming back.

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[vasu]

A roaring lion as the symbol of England?