England v South Africa, 1st Test, Lord's, 17-21 August, 2022

Only 2 Tests around the world in August so it might be pretty quiet in here this month.

This is the first of a 3 Test series in Aug/Sep.

Then the next Tests are not until November in Aus (Aus v WI).  

In this series, can Joe Root continue his record-breaking batting feats?

And Bairstow who if anything has outshone him this year!

Not sure what to expect of SA particularly batting-wise, their era of legends is long gone, but it’s typically one of the more competitive series.

Jimmy Anderson turned 40 a couple of days ago, so set to become England’s first quadragenarian Test player since Alec Stewart (in the year of Jimmy’s debut).

Jaysus - that 3 different Test opponents for England this summer and 5 for the calendar year!

England play a lot of tests.

The ODI series was drawn with SA winning the T20 series 2-1.

Expect to see the poms win the test series comfortably.

Series can't come soon enough. Nothing else of interest happening in the world of cricket.

Yeah, something with more than 16.4 overs a side would be nice…

Squad was announced very early for this, with Tommy back from injury… otherwise much as you were, with a show of faith in Crawley, and Brook likely to warm the bench again.

Ben Stokes (captain), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Matthew Potts, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root

Overton might be injured, at least he didnt complete his over and went off in the Lions match.
unless it was sun stroke. i wouldnt want to play cricket in this weather.

Some of the RLC matches have been good if you can watch them on youtube, but the 100 even
if your into it, has seen mainly very one sided games. With the pitches so dry surely
england should call up an extra spinner, but which one?

Parkinson, surely?

I don’t think they’re sold on Parkinson, with his very slow pace an issue. In truth we struggle to find one spinner good enough to hold down a place, never mind two (we’d have had Harmer if it wasn’t for bloody Brexit…) I suspect Root will end up bowling a fair few overs if the conditions suit.

Moeen is available again I guess.

In a way it would be a backward step (this is a very old team, with only a handful of exceptions) but would help address the long tail issue, and obviously we know he can bowl.

Olivier ruled out for Yarps, with an injury sustained in their thrashing by the Lions. Rabada still a doubt I think.

After six weeks of practically zero rain and record temperatures, tomorrow looks like a potential washout…

Prime Time Test Cricket tonight in Aus - if it's not raining.

Forecast not looking good. Fooking 90% chance of rain. Ugh.

Early trouble for England, thanks to losing the toss and tight, tricky bowling by Rabada and Ngidi.

2-25 after 9 overs.

England 2-25 early, Pope hit on the pads but stays not out after an unsuccessful Sith review.

snap

Trouble.

Root and Bairstow now gone.

Extravagant movement sorts both. 4-55.

3.6 rpo. attacking batting mindset/loose bowling or flat pitch again?

Nath wrote:3.6 rpo.  attacking batting mindset/loose bowling or flat pitch again?

To the Siths' credit, they are pitching the ball up, so plenty of driving balls. The pitch is far from flat - lots of extravagant movement.

Nortje gets a back-of-a-length ball to jag on Stokes on the ball before Lunch, to have him caught at slip.

Eng 5-100 at Sandwiches.

and 6-116 when the ark was launched

Ricky Pontiff keeping our heads above water. Rabada predictably doing for the opening pair before The Phone came calling for the middle order.

Bell rang the bell today. Credit to the MCC for nominative determinism.

Bet england wish it had rained all day. safy quicks were
very good, rumbaba & norty 90+. Could be all over by
the weekend. Stokes gave them the charge as usual but
got out playing defensively. unusual that.