Mr. Cricket hits mid-wicket

SECOND DAY

To lunch: Anderson bowled maiden after maiden but just one wicket fell, magic balls were few and far between and Australia were 96 for the loss of Watson.

To tea: What a different story in the afternoon. (Text from outer Brisbane said "Listen to us sing!") Ponting was out in the first over, Katich went three runs later and Clarke looked, frankly, like a batsman suffering back problems. He needed 50 balls to score nine before he gave Prior his 100th Test dismissal. (Good isn't it that we don't even think of him as a poor keeper any more.) North lasted only eight balls before he became Swann's first victim and at 143-5 it seemed England had a stranglehold.

To close: Hussey - finished according to the Aussie papers a few days ago - and Haddin batted from the tea score of 168-5 to the close at 220. Now it looks as if Australia will establish a healthy lead on first innings. Blame the bowlers. They fed Hussey a regular supply of long hops which he hit to mid wicket for four. Simple for Mr. Cricket.

A text without words arrives "from my Blackberry." A month ago my little Lotto lot could not afford the bus fare to pick blackberries. Now they are living like Royalty but a tipsy Royalty I suspect.

Jo King, stat Queen, says: Hussey, unbeaten on 81, desperately needs a century. His average has slipped from almost 80 after the 2006-7 series, to 52.65 in 2009 and 49.75 at the start of this series. He may be top scorer so far in this game but he is clearly at a career crossroads.