England v South Africa, First Test at Lord's

[dazzer6666]

Declaration sometime between lunch and tea tomorrow.......4-4.5 sessions to take ten wickets on a turning pitch. Can't see anything other than an England win here.

 

[jakarta]

In full agreement, England will just bat in test match mode until tea, which should give them a lead of approaching 450. At tea they will assess how the pitch is performing and whether South Africa could get 450 in 4 sessions. Maybe a ODI mode post tea for 30 minutes or so, so that the South African openers only have a short break between innings, then look to get 2 out before close of play.

Can't agree with this, from all accounts this wicket is already cracking up and no way a run chase of 330 or so is going to happen - plunder some runs tomorrow, get the Saffers in before Tea & then get them out!

 

[Mackenzie]

I've never winced so much at a live occurrence on TV. Horrible, horrible scenes.

Think it was actually directly on the top of his head rather than his face. Players due back out at 9.10 but still no news on Fletcher.

Just a nasty cut hopefully, seeing the players turn away like that was concerning. Poor lad.

 

[studio150]

Can't agree with this, from all accounts this wicket is already cracking up and no way a run chase of 330 or so is going to happen - plunder some runs tomorrow, get the Saffers in before Tea & then get them out!

Almost the 1st rule of test cricket bat the opposition out of the game, and England won't see 330 as enough of a safety net

 

[knocky1]

There is still TWO whole days to go. This isn't 2020 crap. This is real.

England bat most of tomorrow - bore the South Africans stupid while piling up a lead of way over 450, and then spend the last day and a bit bowling them out on Monday. Alternatively massive English collapse, and SA win by tomorrow tea time.

225 in first two sessions is Australian test cricket pace not ODI. Baylis and Root will have that as a minimum. Cook will break through despite that.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I love it when everyone says "put a quick 100 on the board" as if it's easy. If they take risks a lose 4 wickets in the first session people will be slagging the batsmen for throwing their wickets away!

It's all about risk and reward and with two days left on a wearing pitch they don't need to risk things just yet. I'm sure they'll up the pace in the second session tomorrow.

 

[Beach Hut]

Minimum 450 on the board before any thoughts of declaring

 

[Pevenseagull]

Could they not adept their batting as if it was a 50 over game and perhaps score another 200 - 250 as quick as possible then have the time to bowl them out again. The problem is they have the players to make big scores so Root will have to be a little cautious or they could win.

Beautiful adeption of the South African cadence there.

I would hope that today will see:

1) Cook get a century (I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a test where a new captain and an ex chef have got a ton in the same match)
2) Ballance gets to 50 and then makes way for ....
3) our lovely baby faced leader and his band of merry middle order batsmen to smash the match utterly out of SA's control.
4) Declare a few overs after tea with a lead of 500.

I'd love that, I'd bloody love that.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Minimum 450 on the board before any thoughts of declaring

Hopefully we'll get that ..... but YES. There is absolutely no way that a declaration would be made until the game is utterly beyond their reach.

Queue hubris and a hatrick in the first over today.

 

[McTavish]

Beautiful adeption of the South African cadence there.

I would hope that today will see:

1) Cook get a century (I'm pretty sure there hasn't been a test where a new captain and an ex chef have got a ton in the same match)
2) Ballance gets to 50 and then makes way for ....
3) our lovely baby faced leader and his band of merry middle order batsmen to smash the match utterly out of SA's control.
4) Declare a few overs after tea with a lead of 500.

I'd love that, I'd bloody love that.

Blimey, Cook's versatile. I knew he was a farmer but had no idea about his cooking skills.

 

[Pevenseagull]

The thought of Stokes going into bat with the brief 'smash the **** out of them' is giving me a cricket boner.

 

[dazzer6666]

Blimey, Cook's versatile. I knew he was a farmer but had no idea about his cooking skills.

He's not that well qualified.....only a Cook, not a chef.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Blimey, Cook's versatile. I knew he was a farmer but had no idea about his cooking skills.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alastair_Cook

I refer my honourable friend to the 'nicknames' entry

 

[jakarta]

I seem to have been out-argued by the great & good of NSC, I still think 330 will not be a realistic 4th innings total for this Saffer lineup but I will up the ask to 360 if it makes you feel happier!

One of the problems of setting a ludicrous target (450 plus) is there is no reason to attempt it and Brigadier Block comes to play for the rest of the game...

 

[big nuts]

I seem to have been out-argued by the great & good of NSC, I still think 330 will not be a realistic 4th innings total for this Saffer lineup but I will up the ask to 360 if it makes you feel happier!

One of the problems of setting a ludicrous target (450 plus) is there is no reason to attempt it and Brigadier Block comes to play for the rest of the game...

It will be hard to survive on an up and down pitch with men around the bat. The benefit of setting an unachievable target is that you can set ultra attacking fields throughout the innings.

A counter attacking stand when you've only set 340 means fielders retreat and potential chances go through a vacant 4th slip or an easy bat pad chance isn't taken as that fielder has been pushed back to stop the one.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I don't think this SA team is good enough to block a day and bit for a draw.

 

[Titanic]

With the state of the pitch and Cook, Ballance and now Root all gone in the first hour... the declaration is not something to be worrying about.

England 146-4, leading by 243.

 

[pasty]

With the state of the pitch and Cook, Ballance and now Root all gone in the first hour... the declaration is not something to be worrying about.

England 146-4, leading by 243.

Agreed. I was kind of hoping to see us bowling after tea having declared with a healthy lead, but looks unlikely now.

Edit: And now Stokes gone. Maybe we will see us bowling today, but not for the reason I thought

149/5 Eng lead by 246

 

[Titanic]

The thought of Stokes going into bat with the brief 'smash the **** out of them' is giving me a cricket boner.

Brewer's droop?

 

[jakarta]

All these 'experts' on NSC talking about a 450 lead, at this rate we will be lucky to get to 300...