Ashes 09: Previously at Edgbaston

Australia

Ponting had to bat first, did, and it worked. Most of the batting was little more than see shit ball, hit shit ball, but you still have to do it.

England

Seemed to have played today like a) a rest day or b) the game was already drawn. It was pretty ordinary work. Strauss’ decision to bowl Graeme Swann for 2 overs was special.

Will there be a result

Hard to tell after one session of cricket. It doesn’t look like much of a wicket for bowlers so far. The pitch can break up, but the rain and the draw rate here seems to suggest this is a practice run.

Play of the day

Phil Hughes tweeting his demise. Whether it was him, or his management, it is funny. Although it would have been better had he written, “Shane Watson is a fagot, I am dropped”.

Testicular moment of the day

Australia as a unit. I thought dropping an opener for a Watson was a dreadful mistake, but it worked. Some people thought batting on a pitch that had sweated more than a dude wearing lycra on the tube was a mistake, it wasn’t. Both calls took guts. Neither captain wanted to win the toss, but Ponting even less so. He was taking a new “opener” out on a pitch that could have done something. It could have gone horribly wrong.

Working class moment

When Graeme Swann came on England were looking spit roasted. He should have had both batsmen out in his first over, got the breakthrough and then got one more over before he was taken off for the quicks who had bowled complete garbage earlier. Poor bastard. Got 2 overs out of a possible 30.