On Hussey, Haddin, English openers and chest hair

It's great to see that the mad, mad week of the English side of the Stanford's Lap partnership has come to an end and that Dave has launched his first 2010 post. A good one it is too.

Its interesting speaking to Dave about the cricket when I am in shorts with the air conditioning on whilst he is navigating thick snow. Many elements of the world circa 2010 not only confuse me but downright worry me. However, being able to discuss cricket happenings in real time with your mate on the other side of the world for very little expense is clearly a good thing. For this, I will put up with the human race updating their Facebook status every 12 seconds and Ashton Kutcher sending me pictures of his wife on Twitter.

Anyway, what about the cricket hey? The past 2 days should have reminded us all that this will indeed be a very close series. Each team has already demonstrated that they are capable of both brilliance and mediocrity in equal measure.

The batting of Hussey and Haddin on Day 3 was simply excellent. Both were in vintage form with Haddin driving crisply down the ground like he does in top nick and Hussey unleashing pull shot after pull shot for 4 as he did in his first two years in the top flight. I admit that I was starting to wonder whether we should stick with Tim Paine after he played the previous 4 Tests while Haddin was getting his elbow right but this innings has reminded me why we should pursue Brad for a little longer (however his missed catch off Siddle in the first innings reminded me why I was considering Paine for a longer stay in the first place. So be warned Brad, Stanford's Lap's selection axe is still hanging over your head !).

England's bowling again varied a little. Anderson's bowling on the third morning was spectacular, exactly the sort of stuff I expect from him after watching England play quite a bit via cable TV. Many Australian supporters only remember his pretty poor work from the last tour so I have no doubt people will take him a little more seriously after this Test. Finn got the big haul but I remain unconvinced. I not exactly sure why but I just don't see a long term success with his action. The radio experts spoke about hip thrust quite a bit and whilst I originally thought they were discussing the pole dancing from the previous night's after dinner entertainment, they were in fact talking about how Finn gets all his speed from his upper body and doesn't use his hips. I am presuming this is a more knowledgeable way of me saying that I think his action looks a bit funny. Anyway, hip thrusting: important in bowling.

As I write, Strauss and Cook have both completed excellent hundreds and got England firmly back in the game. I keep thinking Cook is a young fella that needs to break through at Test level but a quick check of his stats shows that at only 25 years of age, he has played 60 Tests, made over 4000 runs at an average of 42 with now 14 hundreds. I need to adjust my thinking on Cook as they are clearly good figures. He and his skipper have got England in a great position. Everyone should take note that the old England would have capitulated after the Hussey / Haddin partnership and lost the Test by now. In contrast, this England side turned on a big partnership of their own and fought back. They have the ability to win the series here and judging by this, they might also just have the mental strength to do it as well.

Speaking of capitulation, our batting is still suspect and there is the chance that if we need to chase 180 on the 5th day that we could fall apart. Gee, I hope not but these days it is very much possible.

The Bowler Formerly Known As Xavier is bobbing along so far, looking decent rather than a match winner. In line with our policy on spinner management, we should have turfed him out before the end of this series. If we take the Beau Casson approach, then X will never play again after this match and be struggling for his very life in around 18 months or so. Speaking of never playing again, why don't we discard Mitchell Johnson. I think he needs to be taught a lesson. Quick, gun barrel straight full tosses outside off stump just don't seem to be getting the wickets they used to.

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The patron saint of Stanford's Lap, Sir Allen Stanford, has been in the news lately. For those that don't remember, Sir Allen was the Texas real estate and finance billionaire who lived in, appeared to own most of, and was knighted by, Antigua who bought English Cricket for a little while there for a 20 20 tournament in his own image. The low point of the event was Sir Allen spending some time with the English wives and girlfriends whilst their gentlemen were on the field playing. The pregnant wife of English Wicketkeeper Matt Prior was even encouraged to sit on Allen's lap ... and thus the blog was named. The true horror of this event cannot be converyed in enough detail, there are just so many terrible bits to it. If this is the modern game then, two years later, I still want nothing to do with it.

Anyway, it all unravelled for Allen fairly quickly after that with him now in jail awaiting trial for a vast number of charges of serious skulduggery and general dodginess. He popped up in the news again recently having been beaten within an inch of finding his way to the great Sir Allen Memorial Oval in the sky. No word on whether the hit was put out by the ECB, Matt Prior, or both or someone completely different. I suspect there would be no shortage of people looking to discuss the finer points of event management with Sir Allen.

The perpetrators of this dastardly deed are as yet unknown but it suffices to say that Stanford’s Lap are yet to receive any more letters from Sir Allen’s lawyers regarding the use of his name in the title of this blog

On a side topic, much to my surprise chest hair has been a fairly hot topic around this Test.

First, I was speaking to someone at work when I mentioned that as I am a person of relatively solid body hair I was a strong supporter of the ever hirsute Simon Katich. He took this a little differently than I had intended and began telling people that I liked hairy men; not the outcome I was after, though upon reflection I am slightly unsure as to exactly what outcome I was after. Anyway, even if Katich wasn't hairy I would still think he was excellent, based solely on the fact that he is prepared to give the ever annoying and fair too image focused Michael Clarke a thump in full view of his team mates, captain and no doubt media representatives.

Secondly, my wife piped up this morning, completely out of the blue, with

"What is it with all the tattoos the Australian cricket team have now? Why don't any of them just have medallions hanging over thick chest hair like in the 70s?"

No wonder I proposed (albeit the evening after we visited the Bradman museum. Hey, at least it wasn't in the museum itself). For an English lady, she is acclimatising nicely.

My wife, understandably, longed for the 70s and their almost mandatory chest hair / medallion combination

England 60 ahead with 9 wickets in hand. I am getting slightly nervous now.

Late breaking news: the 4th day is complete with England 88 ahead and still with 9 wickets in hand. I am now worried. Come on Siddle, bustle a few out !