previously at the gabba

Australia

Started well, in that their clothes looked recently cleaned. Then they got dirty, very, very dirty.

England

Made sure that Monty wouldn't be missed by putting away the bad balls, handling the very occasional good ball and generally batting well if not that entertainingly.

Who's in front

Fuck knows.  England, probably, but I can't see them winning, not with my eyes shut.

Play of the day

Mitchell Johnson is falling apart.  His moustache is all that is keeping him from being beaten by the gabba faithful.  No wickets or runs in this test.  Then he drops Strauss early enough in the day it could have made some difference.  It didn't.  Strauss' last two hundreds have come from his loving hands. When I look at him now I keep expecting a cartoon anvil to fall on his head.

Testicular moment of the day

Strauss and Cook working as an impenetrable force of tenacity.  Cook's technique looks like swiss cheese at times. Strauss hadn't made a hundred since I first saw the Watchmen.  Yet today they make the biggest opening partnership in Australia for visitors in over 20 years.  Respect.

Working class moment of the day

Peter Siddle wasn't quite in the touch he was on day one, but he was still the best of the bowlers.  He got an edge from Cook through a non-existent fourth slip, went within an inch of taking Strauss off the inside edge and then had Trott dropped.  They were the only batsmen on show for the day.  Siddle has no wickets in the second innings.

Weird factoid of the day

Mitchell Johnson has not really smiled, I mean really, like with his whole boy so you can see it in his eyes, since June 09.

[image error]