Day two: Giles spins ball shock

If Shane Warne is the Don Juan of world cricket, is Ashley Giles the Juan Carlos?

While the morning belonged to the Sheikh of Tweak, the Sultan of Spin, the afternoon belonged to the King of Spain, Prince Wheelie bin Giles. (Dammit, I should be writing for WWE.) The hyper-testosteroned English media are calling His Ashliness' dismissal of Damien Martyn "the ball of the century". In Ashley Giles' case, it probably will be his best ball of the century (and of the last one).

Martin Johnson dissects the ball at great length in the Telegraph.

As if the inconsistency of the Australian batting is bad enough, Michael Clarke has a dicky back. And going into Saturday, Australia needs 35 to avoid the follow-on, three wickets in hand, after England made a two-thirds demonic 444.

Midwinter-Midwinter points for Day Two: 3 pts - Ashley Giles; 2 pts - Shane Warne; 1 pt - Simon Jones.