Hauritz horror

Greg here again, second day at Hove, and we are holding our breath hoping Brett Lee will turn on the heat. No such luck before lunch anyway. Old House on the Hill gets a wicket in five pretty useful overs at the start, but it is not the same Lee who used to scare the excrement out of every Pommie batsman under the sun.

Ponting declares overnight hoping to make a game of it on a flattish deck but a couple of ordinary Sussex batsmen take the score to 98-3 at lunch - that is the Aussie score yesterday as near as makes no difference - and this game has the words "practice" and "draw" written in large capitals already.

Worst of all is Hauritz. Mates, the bloke cannot bowl and goes away at seven an over. From what I see on TV Panesar and Swann and Rashid are all better bowlers. If I hear that the curators at Cardiff and Lord's are using a plough instead of a roller ahead of the first two Tests I will send them a bottle of champagne each.

He goes on in some paper I see in the gents toilet about inconsistency of selection; hey, what about a little consistency in bowling, mate? You aint going to scare anyone, See if you can get a place on the same plane at Watto even though I hear our favourite patient is going to be fit for the next match.

At tea - 219-6 - there is a sign of two of an Aussie win and a bit of a morale-booster but as for the spin department, forget it. By the time the sandwiches and scones are on the table the horror story that is Nathan Hauritz has leaked away 71 runs in 13 overs and all those dreams of him ripping into the Poms at Cardiff go up in smoke.

I'm beginning to think they should link him to Warne by wireless. No, better still, Warnie makes a name for himself texting ladies and might as well put his skills to the national good.

"You sit in the broadcast unit, Warnie," I'll tell him. "And keeping texting Horrible with orders like No More Long Hops, All Right and Try the Doozra, You Dingbat and maybe that is the way to go."

Sorry, Shane, just joking. You'd be wasting your time.

Anyway we finsih with a lead of 38, none of the Sussex guys get to fifty, and Stuart Clark finishes with 3-45 in 15 overs which means we are still a chance; especially if our No.1 spinner turns them over in the last 45 overs of the match.

Who am I kidding? There's more hope Clark will do the trick; steady, put-it-on-the-spot Mr. Reliable. Someone has got to have a serious word with the Horror of Hove, who finishes with none for 98 in 18.

Warnie, mate, you would not consider . . . no I suppose not. Quite understand, mate, but fair dinkum, this day has broken my heart.