What an amazing day of cricket at the Gabba! I have seen a lot of cricket in my time but today’s will be hard to top. Of course I say this as an Australian fan: if you are a fan of the English team it was a day to forget.
Australia are well and truly on top in this game now with a lead of over 200 runs and 10 wickets still in hand. For that position of health, the Australians must thank their bowlers profusely who have dominated the game so far.
Here are my talking points arising from day two:
The Maligned Rises Part 2: Johnson the dominant
Mitchell Johnson broke the game open with a scintillating spell of express bowling from the city end of the ground that left the English bereft and the crowd roaring. The dismissal of Carberry was the starting point to England’s collapse and was brilliantly thought out and executed. Johnson has gone a long way to prove a lot of doubters this game and for that he is to be lauded.
The Maligned Rises Part 3: Lyon Hearted
Many Australian fans have a soft spot for Nathan Lyon and his performances to date in the baggy green have been solid if not spectacular. His first spell today was a marvel of off spin bowling. 3 strangling maidens that contributed to Carberry’s wicket was the start of the spell and then he conjured two classic off spinning wickets to extract Bell and Prior.
The Brain’s Trust: I love it when a plan comes together
It was blindingly obvious that the Australians came into this innings with plans for all of the English batters and those plans came off. The brain’s trust from Australia of Lehmann, Clarke, Haddin and Watson (I include Watson because it was clear that Watson was part of the discussions on the field) have done their homework and done it very well.
It was a brilliant day: Australia now have England on the ropes and must tomorrow keep them there by batting for the whole day. If they do a lead of 220 will be transformed into a lead of 500 and the game will be theirs for the taking.
Shumpty Speaks 
I woke this morning to a familiar sense of shock and disappointment that I haven’t felt since the 1990’s (2006 is blocked from my memory). Great day for Australia and it’s their game to lose. The only dark clouds on the horizon are… dark clouds on the horizon. Still, on this form a few washed out hours shouldn’t stop your bowlers wrapping up the game.
I am hoping so: the bad weather is predicted for Sunday with it clearing on Monday. Got to keep in mind your mob scoring 1/517 declared here last year. Need to bat all day tomorrow.
Are we trying to outdo each other with pessimism? 🙂 The sign of true cricket fans. I think your bowlers have the measure of Trott and a bit of a hoodoo on Cook at he moment, so I think that score line is unlikely.
I am worried that KP has a big one in him and Bell is just a class about at the moment. Agree on Cook and Trott. Particularly Trott: looks like a shadow of his old self.