The Ashes, Second Test Lord's

First topic message reminder :

Harris and Khwaja in.
Aus's bowling depth is so good that they can drop who was rated to be their top fast bowler without blinking an eyelid.

Beautiful bowling by Ryan Harris

Such a shame he's missed so much of his career with so many injuries.

Oh dear - just the start we could have done without. Bresnan out first ball of the day for 7 and England are 289-8.

350 is suddenly looking a long way off...

Haha. Oops.

Ok then, sub 300 chase it is.

My lord will t,s be all over that poor boy. Brought into bat. He has another innings though to sort it out,

Alec Stewart says anything out before lunch is a failure
I think we should wait for both to bat. If they get 400 + then yes it was.

Actually that's me done with tms on the net, far too negative.  And that fordyce tends to be one of those journos who knows everything and is too superior for someone who wasn't even a player.

Ill get my news here.

292/8, still an outside chance of 350. Swann is no mug with the bat.

True duty.

The tail did poorly at Trent so hope they can ride out the new ball. Tough examination.

You do still have to see 300 as a recovery in the overall context of this innings.

I think 350  could just be par with some turn appearing on this pitch.

trebellbobaggins wrote:And that fordyce tends to be one of those journos who knows everything and is too superior for someone who wasn't even a player.

Very true, he started out as funny, witty, one of the lads, but he's let his rise through the BBC Sport ranks get to his head, and he really does come across as a snob who's landed a plum job, so screw you lot, I'm ace and you're all peasants.

Same happened to someone I lived next to, he started the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing webpage, then when he started getting involved in the show and It Takes Two, he got all high and mighty.

I can't stand people who think they're great.

Broad's batting could give us an 'edge'.   

My my hoggy, that was an 'edge'y joke.

It's a shame.  He's just a bloke doing a job and needs to realise it

I think that tone is more palatable when it comes from a true great.

If McGrath says it then I might not like it but I can respect the man and his achievements.

300 up for England. Anderson hitting a couple of nice boundaries and Broad looking like he's set to play one of his better innings.

Maybe 350 isn't out of reach, with Swann still to come.

To cheer myself up I think "where would Athers team have been right now".

Pattinson is having a rotten innings. 0/95 off just 20 overs. Ouch.

[quote="trebellbobaggins"]It's a shame.  He's just a bloke doing a job and needs to realise it

I think that tone is more palatable when it comes from a true great.

If McGrath says it then I might not like it but I can respect the man and his achievements.[/quote]

And feel relieved that he's telling us things from the TMS commentary box rather than on the field blasting through our batting order (again)

Congrats Ryan Harris

3rd Test 5 wicket bag

Name on the honours board.

trebellbobaggins wrote:To cheer myself up I think "where would Athers team have been right now".

The obvious answer - fielding...

Harris doing an amazing job and England on the brink.

350 looks very unlikely but let's hope.

Anderson's nicked behind. Still he's made 12 crucial runs.

Oh and Harris gets on the honours board.  

Jimmy Anderson caught behind for 12. England 313 for 9.

dummy_half wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:To cheer myself up I think "where would Athers team have been right now".

The obvious answer - fielding...

Yesterday lunchtime.

Dammit - I've jinxed us again!

Anderson out for a bright and breezy 12...and that's Harris' 5-for. Well done Rhino.

England 313-9

Broad to get 4, Swann 4, jimmy and Bres 1.

trebellbobaggins wrote:

dummy_half wrote:

trebellbobaggins wrote:To cheer myself up I think "where would Athers team have been right now".

The obvious answer - fielding...

Yesterday lunchtime.

Well, I was going to suggest that the Aussies would have been about 200-1 and already ahead  

The pitch is offering a lot of pace and bounce - lets see how the Aussies cope with the England attack. I say they will fall short of it.

Yeah it isn't the flat track some were suggesting.

CaledonianCraig wrote:The pitch is offering a lot of pace and bounce - lets see how the Aussies cope with the England attack. I say they will fall short of it.

I'm glad you've noticed. We had one poster on here yesterday describing the pitch as a flat track when discussing Bell's century.

Broad's best test score is 169, while Swann's is 85. If they can repeat that, England are on for 500+!

That said, factoring in England's uncanny ability to mess things up from a good position, I reckon Australia will get close or even end up with a lead of 50 or so.

Ah doody.. Breath of fresh air.

dyrewolfe wrote:That said, factoring in England's uncanny ability to mess things up from a good position, I reckon Australia will get close or even end up with a lead of 50 or so.

Depends on whether the AA can come to the rescue again.

dyrewolfe wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:The pitch is offering a lot of pace and bounce - lets see how the Aussies cope with the England attack. I say they will fall short of it.

I'm glad you've noticed. We had one poster on here yesterday describing the pitch as a flat track when discussing Bell's century.

I missed much of yesterday's play (aside from the first hour) due to work and will be the same today but it is pretty obvious that it is not a flat track. Plenty of pace and bounce as Beefy indicated in his pitch report this morning.

dyrewolfe wrote:That said, factoring in England's uncanny ability to mess things up from a good position, I reckon Australia will get close or even end up with a lead of 50 or so.

Australia getting a lead of 50 would probably make the game even as Australia will have to bat last on this pitch.

Duty281 wrote:Broad's best test score is 169, while Swann's is 85. If they can repeat that, England are on for 500+!

That's one gigantic IF!

What are their best scores at Lords?

The Aussies are brought up on pace and bounce, and in the main have the technique to handle it. We need the ball to move a bit more sideways than the Aussie bowlers have managed in the main if we are to cause them real problems.

Anyway, someone mentioned targets earlier. Let's set Broad and Swann the target of breaking Agar and Hughes's record stand  

Swann and Broad are both capable bats and they can still drag England to that 350 mark. But it does look difficult at the moment, Australia have gained the early morning momentum. Tim Bresnan's first ball dismissal have handed the Australians the Control!.

dyrewolfe wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Broad's best test score is 169, while Swann's is 85. If they can repeat that, England are on for 500+!

That's one gigantic IF!

What are their best scores at Lords?

Swann's is 63*, whilst Broad's is 169. I love Cricinfo!

England roll past 320 now.

dummy_half wrote:The Aussies are brought up on pace and bounce, and in the main have the technique to handle it. We need the ball to move a bit more sideways than the Aussie bowlers have managed in the main if we are to cause them real problems.

Anyway, someone mentioned targets earlier. Let's set Broad and Swann the target of breaking Agar and Hughes's record stand  

Hmm they never did that well on it in the last Ashes tour down under with a better batting line-up.

dyrewolfe wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Broad's best test score is 169, while Swann's is 85. If they can repeat that, England are on for 500+!

That's one gigantic IF!

What are their best scores at Lords?

169 and 63* so we'd take that I guess!

Phil Tufnell wrote:"Number 11 is the place to bat - if only I'd known." (Test innings 59, runs 153, highest 22*, average 5.10)

Anyone else as astonished as I am that he managed to make 22*? He was one of the worst batsmen I've ever seen

cracking shot by broad- proper cricket shot..

I saw his 169 here!!

after that offcourse i talked him up and up and up!! He can bat

Broad and Swann average 25 + 22. Even getting those scores would take us to 347. I'd be comfortable with that.

So Stuart is not looking to protect Graemme. Pity, its always funny when tail-enders think they can farm the batting. Morne Morkel is an absolute genius at the parody.

Superb hitting from swann and broad so far. Hopefully they can keep it going and get us up to 375

Good approach this from Broad and Swann, taking the attack to the Australian bowlers. England 337-9. I think this already is a pretty decent score, considering England's bowling and Australia's batting.

Wow - Broady and Swanny going great guns out there and the scoreboard fairly racing along.

Could we actually post something close to 400?

Azzy Mahmood wrote:

Phil Tufnell wrote:"Number 11 is the place to bat - if only I'd known." (Test innings 59, runs 153, highest 22*, average 5.10)

Anyone else as astonished as I am that he managed to make 22*? He was one of the worst batsmen I've ever seen

I think an average of 5 tells you plenty about how good a batsman the Cat wasn't.

To put it into perspective, even Devon Malcolm has better stats - 58 innings, 236 runs, avg 6.05 and HS 29  

kingraf wrote:So Stuart is not looking to protect Graemme. Pity, its always funny when tail-enders think they can farm the batting. Morne Morkel is an absolute genius at the parody.

Morne thinks he bats like Hayden.... 

Good over that.

Score up near 350 looks better even if short of the 400 part it's a heck of a recovery from where they were.

If you won the toss and batted first you should ideally get 400 so its not horrible is it.

So, more tail-end fire works... This could be the series to re-invent cricket. Who needs six batsmen averaging 44-50 when you have eleven who average 25-30?