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mikeh wrote: Some guy in Adelaide was telling me that skull was on the MMM radio commentary. Not sure if thats a digital station or if it is available in Perth. Anyway he was listening to it on one of those radio commentary headphones that you can buy outside the ground and he was saying that Skull is still very funny. Also Phil Tufnell was on with him and he is a comedian as well. I will be seeing if I can get this station during the Perth test.
In other news, Mitch Marsh has been added to the squad for the Perth test. If Mitch plays, does anyone know if it would be the first time that the Marshes have played in the same test match?

Mike if you go to the Cricket Australia App on your Smartphone or PC.When the game is live you get the choice of 4 radio stations.
1.ABC Radio....2 MMM..3 Maquarie Radio...4 BBC.
Yesterday when Australia blue one of there reviews on a LBW appeal.Kerry Okeefe said it was Higher Than Bob Marley.
Phil Tuffnel spoke about facing Merv Huges on the Waca was also funny...MMM is also a DAB Radio station like NTS the Maquarie station.

premiership hangover wrote: You got it right AM, if it wasn't for a Dirk Nannes thunderbolt 7 years ago, Payne would be nearing 100 tests as keeper and Wade and Neville would not have played a test for Australia.

He is the current T20 keeper, and I reckon he will keep in the one dayers coming up

Maxwell can not be considered as the all rounder, its not only Smith that doesn't rate his bowling, he only bowled 15 overs for Victoria out of the 194 Victoria bowled at WA in the past few days. Cam white bowled a similar amount of overs. I have concerns about Marsh bowling, and I don't think Stoines has had enough cricket recently to be ready to play for Australia.

here is a thought, leave some grass on the wicket, make it fast and juicy and allow the quicks to do their job. The last few years the WACA has been a road, that's a sure fire way to lose test status if you turn up pitches that cant get results unless the captains are creative with their declarations

absolutely on the money PH...brilliant comment. commentators talk about the WACA being fast and bouncy...well maybe once upon a time but certainly not these days. give us a green top curators ffs...that will give the pommie batsmen something to think about, give Broad and Anderson a bit of hope and resurrect interest in Perth tests.

mikeh wrote: Some guy in Adelaide was telling me that skull was on the MMM radio commentary. Not sure if thats a digital station or if it is available in Perth. Anyway he was listening to it on one of those radio commentary headphones that you can buy outside the ground and he was saying that Skull is still very funny. Also Phil Tufnell was on with him and he is a comedian as well. I will be seeing if I can get this station during the Perth test.
In other news, Mitch Marsh has been added to the squad for the Perth test. If Mitch plays, does anyone know if it would be the first time that the Marshes have played in the same test match?

Its easy to listen to online Mike. Especially through the cricket app. That's how I listen to the shield games and even watch a bit every now and then. I'm a big Kerry O'Keefe fan and I gave the MMM broadcast a go during the first test, but to be honest I couldn't handle Mick Molloys unfunny rantings and the adverts at the end of every over and only lasted a few overs. I'm sure plenty love it though, that's just me.

Thanks for all the info guys. Great stat about the Marsh brothers playing together for 7 tests against 5 different opponents,could be six next weekend.

I really enjoyed my two days cricket at the Adelaide Oval (days 2 and 3 of the test) . I saw a swashbuckling innings from Paine which broke the game open to some extent, Shaun Marshs patient but vital century and another great team bowling performance by the Aussies to skittle England on a pretty flat wicket, then there was that fantastic 12 over straight spell from Jimmy Anderson on the night of day 3 when he was pretty much unplayable.

Adelaide Oval is a outstanding venue to watch sport, good views everywhere, comfortable seating, lots of catering options and heaps of atmosphere. Even though there was a bit of rain around and it was a little chilly once nightfall hit, this didn't spoil the game as a spectacle. My understanding is that the crowd broke the Adelaide test record set in the bodyline series in 1933. The pink ball was easy to see and didnt seem to deteriorate as rapidly as some of the red balls.

I came away more convinced that day/night test cricket is the key to the survival of this form of the game, I can see a day coming when all tests will be played in this timeslot. I can also see it producing more results as pitches inevitably become more spicy in the evening hours and this brings bowlers into the game

It was a forgone conclusion.

No doubt about that - this Pommy team doesn't have a Botham, or VVS Laxman for that matter.

A lot of wasted 2nd guessing and angst on OzF for this test, at least.

The WACA beckons - which must be playing on the minds of the visitors.

I put this bluntly for the triumphalists on here: England could have won both tests; both tests have gone five days. This latter fact is the interestting one to think about in the history of Australian cricket. How many tests went to five days in the SR Waugh era? England is playing without four of its better players -- Finn, Wood, Hales and Stokes

If Shaun Marsh had of walked off instead of using the DRS, Australia would have lost the test match. In India he did walk off which shows you how fine the margin can be in test cricket.

Australia has won back the urn in its own conditions -- in short the side has done the bear minimum, that is all.

AR, I heard a commentator describe the difference between the teams being that Australia won the key moments in both games. In the first test it was the partnership between Cummins and Smith. In this test it was Paine and Marsh who got the scoring going when England were trying to tie them down. On the bowling side I think the Australians have bowled consistently better as a unit than England. There is not a lot ability wise between the two sides but I think mentally Australia have now created a gulf that it going to be hard for England to pull back in Perth. Wood looks like he will be available for Perth but who would he replace? I thought young Overton was very impressive in his debut.

mikeh: I am with you -- both Smith and Marsh were strong enough to go on and make centuries which set up each test for the bowllers to win beautifully. England, by comparison, had Vince in in the first test before he ran himself out. In this test neither Root, Stoneman or Malan, for that matter, could go on with it with the bat. I must say mikeh, I was impressed with Starc with the new ball today

Ark the talk Coming from the BBc boys is the lack of English pace.Theres some young bowlers in County Cricket bowling in the high 140's.15kms on what Broad delivering.How many times did the English medium pacers beat the bat day 1.Maby a genuine pace bowler could change things.

ArkRoyal, I agree with you in terms of Stokes - he could be anything by the time his career finishes (if he can stay off the turps).
Wood has pace and England would do well to consider him for the WACA Test, but I reckon Finn is past his best.
Stokes' tag-team mate Hales is better at the shorter form of the game and has a Test average of just 27.29 (top score 94) from his 11 matches.