England v Australia, 2nd Test, Lords, 28 June - 2 July, 2023

Sundries are a feature of this Test.

horace wrote:Sundries are a feature of this Test.

26 byes so far !!

An argument could be made that, if you want to adopt a policy of hitting the ball, best not to seek out the nearest fielder's throat. ...

And second, creating and blowing an opportunity are two different things.

Aus are miles ahead now. I thought England still had the chance of a first innings lead on resumption today, but Stokes out PDQ, an out-of-sorts Brook and a long tail playing pick-out-the-catcher did for that.

Maybe try out a couple of batsmen in the next Tests for possibility of success Down Under. ...

Aus would seem to have got away with this Test, in the absence of their spinmeister. Good application from a well-captained skilful visiting team - but the separate game their hosts have been playing of Find-The-Fielder hasn't half helped.

Four number XIs is one too many?

How thin is the ice Anderson, Broad, and  Robinson are walking on?

As I type that Marnus pokes an innocuous Anderson long hop straight to Brook, and Pietersen again laments how unlucky England has been.

lardbucket wrote:How thin is the ice Anderson, Broad, and  Robinson are walking on?

As I type that Marnus pokes an innocuous Anderson long hop straight to Brook, and Pietersen again laments how unlucky England has been.

They surely can’t pick all three again in the next one. Some suggesting the former two may be bowling together for the last time here, though it’s equally plausible they open up the 2027 series in tandem…

Wood is pretty much certain to play alongside Tongue next week, and probably a spinner, so may be room for only one more seamer unless they lose a batsman.

I think the main problem is all three are walking on the same ice at the same time (see previous comments).

Snap-ish with beamer.

The cloud cover may have been in their favour at times but the pitches being a bit slow and lifeless hasn’t been, they rely on catches behind the wicket which haven’t been order of the day in these first two Tests.

lardbucket wrote:Four number XIs is one too many?

Robinson had shown he was a #9 - and in this lot, I'd have told him to go to 8 and prove his worth (or not).

There is also an argument that bowlers tend often to rise or slump to the position in the batting order they are put in. A fully functioning brain, a bit of technique and positional sense also help.

Wood and Stone next Test?

A mineral strategy.

Very hard working run gathering by Aus as the drizzle comes.

Anything over a 350 chase will be welcomed.

PeterCS wrote:Wood and Stone next Test?

A mineral strategy.

Hasn’t Stone been ruled out as per Joffrey?

PeterCS wrote:

lardbucket wrote:Four number XIs is one too many?

Robinson had shown he was a #9 - and in this lot, I'd have told him to go to 8 and prove his worth (or not).

There is also an argument that bowlers tend often to rise or slump to the position in the batting order they are put in. A fully functioning brain, a bit of technique and positional sense also help.

Yeah, Swann for example was a very capable batsman (sometimes even opened in county white-ball cricket) but if you batted him at 10 he played like a number 10. Broad decided many years ago to just back away and have a slog, once his batting ambitions were curtailed by Varun Aaron (have we ever done the rhyming XI, by the way?)

You set up the Rhymin' Simon XI!

(Suggestion with exhortation, not past tense with exclamation)

And Jimmy tends to try actually to bat when at 10 - as opposed to farting around for a few balls with a reverse-sweep or square-leg whackpullheave, when again relegated to the guardsman in the guard's van.

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Wood and Stone next Test?

A mineral strategy.

Hasn’t Stone been ruled out as per Joffrey?

Probably. Can't keep up with the hospital rollcall.


But it was significant England named a squad specifically for two Tests only.

So presumably, the door is ajar for some new hopeful to come steaming in from. .... Like say that young tyro Woakes ... Or Gough ...

skully wrote:

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:

skully wrote:And congrats to Mitchell Starc for reaching the no. 5 spot in Aus wicket takers list (313 - equal with Mitchell Johnson).

Have you got another left-arm paceman with facial hair called Mitchell waiting to take over?

Hopefully there's a Mitch (other than Marsh) in Grade cricket that can step up in the near future.

They bowl to the left, and they bowl to the right…
These bloody Mitchells, make England look shite!

(Was hoping Swepson would be the next spinner in line, as it scans well in the song…)

PeterCS wrote:

Norfolk Ian Goode wrote:

PeterCS wrote:Wood and Stone next Test?

A mineral strategy.

Hasn’t Stone been ruled out as per Joffrey?

Probably. Can't keep up with the hospital rollcall.


But it was significant England named a squad specifically for two Tests only.

So presumably, the door is ajar for some new hopeful to come steaming in from. .... Like say that young tyro Woakes ... Or Gough ...

Stone played for Notts tonight, made it through an entire three balls. Crappin’ hell… he’s 29, thought he was a youngster (yeah, he still is, compared to us old farts on here, and Jimmy Anderson etc…)

Notice Joe Root has joined the crossword book craze....I'd back him to knock one over before Dave Warner (although arguably Joe is a Yorkie so English is not his first language).

Is this just product placement by the fish-wrapper in question?

Fred Nerk wrote:Notice Joe Root has joined the crossword book craze....I'd back him to knock one over before Dave Warner

Dave would most likely take it as a colouring in challenge ...

BazBall does not apply to the English bowlers. They were on track to bowl 24 overs in the post tea session. The weather saved them.

They also bowled just 26 overs in the post lunch session

I expect the probability of rain informed the negative tactics. They have slowed the game down but avoided penalties for slow over rates.

Terrible luck for Lyon . How Murphy goes in the rest of the series will be of great interest. The youngster shows enormous promise and earned rare praise from Lyon.

If there is any assistance in the pitch, Murphy will find it. Has a decent temperament as well and will enjoy the challenge.

Aye, h. I hope Murph goes alright.