as the day began the excitement was the same as in the lead up to day 1 in brisbane. it was as if the ashes were commencing all over again. everything was totally back on. every delivery was going to be vital. the game was about to explode into action. one explosive period of play from any cricketer could turn the series. gilchrist began to explode. shortly after he brought up his 50 bill lawry had him on a hundred before lunch. this made me think about how wonderful it would be to reside for a while inside the head of a channel 9 cricket commentator – the scenarios that get played out there, the fantastic ecstasies they live through. when warne reached 22 heals had him reaching his maiden test century.

throughout the early periods of play gilchrist was visibly and bravely battling his own fragility. he was circumspect and feeling for things that may or may not have been there. as i watched i could see these feelings becoming more certain. the explosion began to take shape. travesty of travesty when he fell to giles. giles had nothing but his own awful bowling to thank for the wkt. his only weapon is how poor his bowling is. i was actually getting quite angry watching him bowl today. i dont like writing negative stuff about test cricketers mostly i think theyre all frikkin ace, but im afraid ashley crossed a threshold today – im not going to hold back, he is shithouse. warne was fresh at the crease. it was really the moment for england to launch one last big press to keep the chance of victory alive. astoundingly giles went over the wkt and bowled into the rough outside leg stump. warney just kept padding him away. i found giles decision making completely unbelievable. warne himself resorted to this tactic during england’s first innings, but it was forced upon him by the new planet, the new god. giles was bowling to warne and he still had no belief that he could actually get him out. giles was as full of fear of the batting prowess of warne as warne had been of pietersen. ashley giles is a bane to the game of cricket. one can easily envisage, even without being a channel 9 cricket commentator, that had giles bowled in any ordinary combative manner, england could have gone into the second innings still leading by 130 runs or so. the sooner he is poached by the english lawn bowls team the better for cricket.

it was nice watching clarke reading the shape of the deliveries.

oh yeah and clarke was dropped by giles off his own bowling – a chance that giles barely remembered even to make an effort to catch. instead he ended up in this lawn bowls pose.