[Cricket] The Ashes- England v Australia- 2nd Test, Lords, June 28 - July 02, 2023

[vegster]

As Sir Geoffrey used to always say.. " Bat first and score 300 and you'll win more than you lose " .. So, 339-5 and if we were to magic them out with no additions to the score we need to score 400+ to put them under any sort of pressure. I can't see either of those things happening. This is 2-0 to the convicts and all they need is to close the third Test out for a draw, but we know in reality they will be going for the win and will probably get it ! ah well, getting used to this.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Blimey, after a fantastic transformative year of cricket, how quickly people turn.

Not a great day by any means. Touch of thinking it was just a case of bowling and the wickets would fall. Always the danger when getting too caught up in overhead conditions and colour of the pitch. Lords is always good to bat on.

2 late wickets keeps England in it imho. Reliant on getting Smith early tomorrow, but England have room to fight back in this test match. Need to bowl well tomorrow morning with the new ball, then bat with intent to rack up a big score.

I would also had to add, Australia's luck surely has to break at some point!? I thought there were 4 or 5 inside edges passed the stumps as well as 8 or 9 play and misses / false shots. Not one resulted in a wicket.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

As inept a bowling display as I have seen...on a responsive wicket...for a very long time. Medium paced half volleys and short of a length fed them all day. For God's sake the lights were on all day. Bazball ignores the basics..creates sloppiness and a lack of sharpness.
The first Test was chucked away and we are facing a hammering here. Before we blink this series will be over.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Blimey, after a fantastic transformative year of cricket, how quickly people turn.

Not a great day by any means. Touch of thinking it was just a case of bowling and the wickets would fall. Always the danger when getting too caught up in overhead conditions and colour of the pitch. Lords is always good to bat on.

2 late wickets keeps England in it imho. Reliant on getting Smith early tomorrow, but England have room to fight back in this test match. Need to bowl well tomorrow morning with the new ball, then bat with intent to rack up a big score.

I would also had to add, Australia's luck surely has to break at some point!? I thought there were 4 or 5 inside edges passed the stumps as well as 8 or 9 play and misses / false shots. Not one resulted in a wicket.

Their luck broke in the First Test with class batsmen getting out cheaply. This was only gonna happen early in the series. We failed to take advantage. Today will give the top order huge confidence going forward.
England are going to have to score 550 - 600 to rescue this Test....Good luck...!!!

 

[Bold Seagull]

As inept a bowling display as I have seen...on a responsive wicket...for a very long time. Medium paced half volleys and short of a length fed them all day. For God's sake the lights were on all day. Bazball ignores the basics..creates sloppiness and a lack of sharpness.
The first Test was chucked away and we are facing a hammering here. Before we blink this series will be over.

Hypebole. In 2015 when England were the no.1 test side* in the world, Australia were 337-1 after day 1 at Lords. This is nowhere near as bad as that. After declaring on 566, England were all out for 312. Short memories for some people.

Bazball this, Bazball that, it's cricket., we've bowled like we did today long before Bazball was supposedly the creator of sloppines and sharpness.

We miraculously drew the last Ashes home series by the skin of our teeth. Bazball wasn't responsible for the last 3 Ashes series. Let's not put failures down to an approach when today we didn't bowl well, didn't take our chances, and Australia with 3 of the best batsmen in the world rode their luck and took advantage.


*probably weren't by 2015...

 

[Easy 10]

The convicts nearly always win at Lords. They revel in that genteel atmosphere, and use it to put a boot on our neck. When I come to power, Lords will be banished as an Ashes venue.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Hypebole. In 2015 when England were the no.1 test side* in the world, Australia were 337-1 after day 1 at Lords. This is nowhere near as bad as that. After declaring on 566, England were all out for 312. Short memories for some people.

Bazball this, Bazball that, it's cricket., we've bowled like we did today long before Bazball was supposedly the creator of sloppines and sharpness.

We miraculously drew the last Ashes home series by the skin of our teeth. Bazball wasn't responsible for the last 3 Ashes series. Let's not put failures down to an approach when today we didn't bowl well, didn't take our chances, and Australia with 3 of the best batsmen in the world rode their luck and took advantage.


*probably weren't by 2015...

Regardless of coaching or whatever, there's no excuse for bowling as many no balls as we have in the last couple of matches, or the number of dropped catches/stumping. They have to be taken if we're going to win against a team who are basically better than we are on paper.

As you say, I'm pretty sure South Africa or India would have been ranked no. 1 in 2015. Not that it makes any difference to the points being made.

 

[A1X]

For all the angst, isn’t 339/5 a pretty even first day of a test all told?

 

[Mackenzie]

Australia won all three sessions today, we need to win all three tomorrow.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

For all the angst, isn’t 339/5 a pretty even first day of a test all told?

No.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

For all the angst, isn’t 339/5 a pretty even first day of a test all told?

Only if you're batting

 

[Questions]

The Aussies are

No.

simply because the Aussies can still bat on to 500 here. Look at their ‘vulnerable’ tail in the last test.

 

[dazzer6666]

Blimey, after a fantastic transformative year of cricket, how quickly people turn.

Not a great day by any means. Touch of thinking it was just a case of bowling and the wickets would fall. Always the danger when getting too caught up in overhead conditions and colour of the pitch. Lords is always good to bat on.

2 late wickets keeps England in it imho. Reliant on getting Smith early tomorrow, but England have room to fight back in this test match. Need to bowl well tomorrow morning with the new ball, then bat with intent to rack up a big score.

I would also had to add, Australia's luck surely has to break at some point!? I thought there were 4 or 5 inside edges passed the stumps as well as 8 or 9 play and misses / false shots. Not one resulted in a wicket.

This. Could very easily have been 250 all out. We’ll need to knock them over quickly and bat well but not out of this yet.

 

[Questions]

With there surely being one draw in this series I think if the Aussies go on to secure a win in this match the series is drawn at very best and the convicts retain the Ashes.. What do the experts think about putting them in ?

 

[Questions]

Only if you're batting

I think it’s equal. But they are more equal than us…

 

[dazzer6666]

With there surely being one draw in this series I think if the Aussies go on to secure a win in this match the series is drawn at very best and the convicts retain the Ashes.. What do the experts think about putting them in ?

Every pundit I heard before play started said ‘bowl first’.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Every pundit I heard before play started said ‘bowl first’.

The only argument for batting first is the one that @Audax put forward - that bowling first means England have to bat last on a drying pitch against Nathan Lyon.
But England don't have Nathan Lyon or any spinner anywhere near as good as him, so our best chance to win is to bowl first and make the best of any early movement.
I also woudn't back our top order in today's conditions against the aussie bowlers, they looked like taking a wicket every other ball on the 3rd evening at Edgbaston when it clouded over.

 

[dazzer6666]

The only argument for batting first is the one that @Audax put forward - that bowling first means England have to bat last on a drying pitch against Nathan Lyon.
But England don't have Nathan Lyon or any spinner anywhere near as good as him, so our best chance to win is to bowl first and make the best of any early movement.
I also woudn't back our top order in today's conditions against the aussie bowlers, they looked like taking a wicket every other ball on the 3rd evening at Edgbaston when it clouded over.

We’re loose

 

[Steve in Japan]

I watched almost all yesterday, and was left to conclude that (with a few exceptions) we don't look fit, let alone Ashes-fit. Our Captain we all know is struggling, but Robinson was consistently slow when bowling, YJB looks over-weight, and for Anderson this looks like one series too many. Broad I have to excuse based on Edgbaston, but he's done not much this Test yet. Bright spots were Tongue who bowled with real purpose and energy, and Root who diddled Travis Head out before being presented with a gift from the gormless Green.

The one saving grace IMO is Australia had a lot false shots yesterday and got away with them, they have been a bit fortunate at times

Hope to be proven wrong this morning of course. Three or four wickets in first session and we have a slim chance.

 

[Milano]

It’s an old boys club (a bit like a certain report released this week suggests).
Bairstow should not have the gloves.
Anderson is no longer the world class bowler he once was.
Stokes is doing a cricket version of Harry Kane, he’s clearly not 100%

The average age of this side is over 30.

It was a massive mistake to declare on 390, cost England at worse a draw. What worried me more was Stoke’s Gladiator style “are you not entertained?” speech, err this is the ashes, it’s about winning, end of.

Yesterday bowling first was understandable, not selecting a specialist spinner was scandalous, going out with what appeared to be a ‘just turn up’ attitude was not good enough, the buck stops with Stokes for that.

I also agree with a previous poster that Lords should not be an Ashes venue.