NZ vs Aust - Adelaide - Day Two

Today is one of those days that you learn from.  Well, that's the official line.  Today was a bad day.  That's the honest line.  Losing four wickets for eight runs certainly doesn't make for a tail wagging, which is what we really needed.  Me nicking a ball I didn't need to play at all was weak.  I had faced a three balls from both Johnson and Lee.  All were rather quick and two of them would have hurt had I not got down fast enough.  First ball from Johnson, bouncer... Not surprised, and felt quite good getting under it; a new feeling!  Then a couple of fuller balls which I defended pretty well I thought.  Next ball I face was from Lee, another bouncer.  This one I didn't quite play as well.  If it had of been a limbo competition I would have been disqualified for putting a hand on the ground.  I swayed back and then had to get lower again, falling backwards a little, hence the hand on the deck.  A quick yorker after that, and I actually saw that one ok.  The next ball though I played poorly.  Didn't need to be anywhere near it and I've played a bit of a defensive poke at it, and nicked it though.  I had enough time to turn around and see Haddon dive to his right, full flight, and catch it.  That ball seemed to take an age to get through to the keeper.  Or maybe he was just standing a mile back!

Dismissed for 270 is not good enough, at all.  We were going to have to bowl very, very well.  And, well, we didn't.  Apart from Dan (and Jesse) us three quicks went for well over three an over.  I actually felt quite good out there, just didn't bowl as well I have been.  Sure it's flat and runs are a little easier to come by, but I wasn't good enough.  The one bright bit was the spell I bowled in the last session.  First ball after Tea, to Ponting, and I just have this feeling that he wants to jump all over me, like he was earlier in the day.  The shot he likes the the pull shot, and I make sure I'm not short as to gift him an early boundary.  He still pulls hit, not quite high enough to hit it where he wants to and he picks out the tallest guy in our team, Fulton, and he comfortably takes the catch.  Now, here is where things got a little interesting.  Obviously very happy to get him out, and especially as he had been playing us all very well, he reacted to something small that I said and a little bit of 'chit chat' between him and our boys resulted.  Nothing nasty, nothing that had to be dealt with by anyone, and it wasn't.  

That pretty much wraps up today.  Debrief after the close of play and the bowlers come under some heat for todays efforts, and so we should as it was the other way around last night.  Some very good things come from it.  I certainly will go into tomorrow with a slightly different plan of attack.  Back to the hotel, massage and then out to get some food.  There is a Mexican restaurant near by that does take away salads and burritos.  I got one of each, eyes bigger than the tummy here!  Brydon Coverdale from cricinfo introduced himself to me while I was waiting to be served.  I was going to head back to my room and eat it, but then thought I might as well sit in, eat, and talk some cricket.  Good guy, but I not sure that he did me any favors by writing a piece about me and bouncers.  

Which brings me to something I was going to bring up yesterday.  There is a lot of Kiwis over here in Oz.  It's been really great when they come up and say hi and the traditional "c'mon Kiwi" as you pass in the hotel or out and about.  Bumped into a guy in the lifts once yesterday morning, and then again at the end of the day, quick chat, a quick " 'on ya mate," and out again.  Although there is a bad time to do it, and that's when we're eating, as a group, mid conversation, mid mouthful and they come up and want a chat.  I sometimes get the feeling some people just aren't taught manners!

So, tomorrow we have some work to do.  I felt a bit better today, although still a little down on energy that where I'd want to be, but it's one of those times that you just have to 'suck it up' and get on with it.  Worry about it when the match is over.  The blood test, from yesterday, came back with a couple of interesting things.  But no real reasons.  We'll solider on and see how I am in a week.

That's all for now.... 

Oh, and yes I do read the comments, thanks for all the positivity.