The Second Investec Ashes Test, England v Australia, Lords

[big nuts]

Only one player scored runs all the time, Don Bradman. It's easy to forget that these guys are mere mortals. In my lifetime only Gooch, Cook, Gower & Stewart (perhaps) come close to doing it with his level of consistency over a protracted period.

He's also fairly handy in ODI's & T20. I just can't stand it when people question his worth to the team. We've got 4 grinders in Cook, Root, Trott & Bell (to a lesser extent.) We can afford his extravagence.

Agree with everything you say but you missed out Graham Thorpe perhaps the most consistent of all the English players you quoted. His biggest flaw was failing to convert 70 & 80's into centuries but his still one of the best players I've seen play for England. He made a century in Sri Lanka with only one boundary, a great nudger and nurdler (I love that phrase).

 

[The Wizard]

I'm sorry am I the only one that thinks that ball didn't carry? The whole thing with Sky doing the reconstruction of whatever there was a clear difference smith's hands were not that close to the ground as the ball reached him, I just can't believe they are crying so much about it the umpire must have NO DOUBT to give it out.

Although I don't care anyway Aussies are shite

 

[spring hall convert]

Agree with everything you say but you missed out Graham Thorpe perhaps the most consistent of all the English players you quoted. His biggest flaw was failing to convert 70 & 80's into centuries but his still one of the best players I've seen play for England. He made a century in Sri Lanka with only one boundary, a great nudger and nurdler (I love that phrase).

Great call, totally forgot about Thorpe. One of my favourites. He also played at a time when there were some decent bowlers about. Didn't KP replace him in the team?

 

[spring hall convert]

Double post.

 

[big nuts]

Great call, totally forgot about Thorpe. One of my favourites. He also played at a time when there were some decent bowlers about. Didn't KP replace him in the team?

Yes Pietersen had scored three hundreds against S.Africa away in his first five ODI's, Ian Bell had scored an 80 on debut against W.Indies and a big hundred against Bangladesh. So with only two spots up for grabs Thorpe was the one to miss out. He had also scored a hundred I think in his 100th test against Bangladesh.

Thorpe announced his retirement after the 1st test defeat at Lords and I always wondered if he regrets that, as by the 5th test and England needing a replacement for Simon Jones I'm pretty sure they would have called up Thorpe rather than Collingwood. That would have been a dream finale to be part of an Ashes winning team at his home ground the Oval. He would have also picked up an MBE in the process.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Not really a great day to be sitting at Lords today,although I suppose a ton for Root will be something to cheer about.

 

[spring hall convert]

Yes Pietersen had scored three hundreds against S.Africa away in his first five ODI's, Ian Bell had scored an 80 on debut against W.Indies and a big hundred against Bangladesh. So with only two spots up for grabs Thorpe was the one to miss out. He had also scored a hundred I think in his 100th test against Bangladesh.

Thorpe announced his retirement after the 1st test defeat at Lords and I always wondered if he regrets that, as by the 5th test and England needing a replacement for Simon Jones I'm pretty sure they would have called up Thorpe rather than Collingwood. That would have been a dream finale to be part of an Ashes winning team at his home ground the Oval. He would have also picked up an MBE in the process.

I thought the same thing, I also thought had Thorpe been available Ian Bell would have been dropped at some point in the series.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

All going rather well but I'd have deffo made the Aussies follow on

 

[big nuts]

I thought the same thing, I also thought had Thorpe been available Ian Bell would have been dropped at some point in the series.

Possibly although Bell scored two fifties in the 3rd test at Old Trafford which may have given him a stay of execution.

 

[spring hall convert]

Well played Joe Root. Super knock

 

[7:18]

Well done Joe Root!

 

[big nuts]

Great hundred from Root, you get the feeling if he stays fit his going to eventually break or get close to a lot of English batting records, just like Alastair Cook in his early days.

Great technique but more importantly a great temperament to play test cricket. Once again you have to say the English selectors have made the right call, however harsh that was on Compton. Arguably they have got nearly every decision right since bringing in Darren Pattinson in the Headingley test against South Africa in 2008.

 

[Buckley's Mad Eye]

Looks like the push is on, the scoring rate has upped considerably. I wonder if we'll have 20 minutes at the Aussies tonight?

 

[vegster]

You may have something personal against Pietersen, fine, it's childish but it's your decision. To suggest Compton should be in the team in his place is just clueless.

Lets just take a look at his great test innings for a minute

vs South Africa Headingly August 2102 149. Beyond a shadow of a doubt the best innings I've seen from an England batsman in my 25 odd years of watching cricket. He counter attacked against a rampant South African bowling line-up that no-one else had looked comfortable against. Some of the shots he played were just breathtaking.

vs Pakistan Dubai x2 February 2012 111* & 130 . Two ODI centuries of the highest quality in the space of 3 days against a bowling attack that had made his England colleagues look mediocre. Notable for his patient approach. Gritty determined innings in the toughest of circumstances.

vs India Mohali December 2008 144. Another backs to the wall masterclass and again in a series where most of his colleague struggled.

vs Australia Adelaide December 2006 158. A Test match remembered more for a Warne inspired 5th day mauling & Paul Collingwood's double hundred, it was actually Pietersen that stopped the rot against an Australian bowling attack up there with the best world cricket has ever seen.

vs Australia Oval September 2005 158. The innings that finally broke the back of the great Australian side, in only his 5th test match. Pietersen was nothing short of inspirational.

He is clearly an all time great, I just can't understand how anyone can question his place in this team, we will miss him massively when he does eventually retire.

Excellent piece of homework Springy, next weeks homework is for you to research the innings when he is out in single figures sweeping from outside off stump/ or pulling to midwicket. Should be plenty for you to find. On a personal note, suggesting someone being dropped from any team is not childish.

 

[Acker79]

Given Australia's poor batting this series, I'd say it won't make much whether they followed on or not.

 

[larus]

Assuming we don't declare tonight and Root is still not out, say on 170 odd. Would you give him 45 mins or so tomorrow to try to get the double ton? Still would leave best part of 2 days to bowl them out. I think it would be good to.

 

[Stat Brother]

I just checked my open BBC feeds for cricket and golf.

After a recheck, I seem to have cost Bell his wicket and Westwood 2 shots.

 

[banjo]

Have a go at them for 1/2 hour tonight Me thinks.

 

[big nuts]

Excellent piece of homework Springy, next weeks homework is for you to research the innings when he is out in single figures sweeping from outside off stump/ or pulling to midwicket. Should be plenty for you to find. On a personal note, suggesting someone being dropped from any team is not childish.

Maybe not childish but your argument to drop one of England's finest batsman of the past fifty years, for a player with limited experience and a patchy record is quite frankly ludicrous.

For every negative you list in your post about Pietersen's dismissals I can give you at least 10 positives. Ask any person with a good understanding of cricket should England drop Pietersen and they would laugh in your face. It's not even as though we a load of quality batsman knocking on the door, our reserves of bowlers is fantastic but not our batsman. Morgan, Bopara, Carberry, Compton, Shah & Taylor have all had a taste of test cricket and haven't convinced for one reason or another.

 

[spring hall convert]

Excellent piece of homework Springy, next weeks homework is for you to research the innings when he is out in single figures sweeping from outside off stump/ or pulling to midwicket. Should be plenty for you to find. On a personal note, suggesting someone being dropped from any team is not childish.

It is when they are clearly a better player than the person you advocate bringing in both statistically and anecdotally. Compton's a flat track bully at Somerset, he was pretty lucky to get another go after a decidedly average tour of India. The New Zealand "attack" he scored two centuries against is one of the more friendly in world cricket.

Pietersen has made runs consistently against the best sides in the world. Yes, he can frustrate at times but he's scored over 7,000 runs at a smidgen under 50.

He also, as my post attempted to illustrate, is capable of playing innings that no other England batman I've seen could ever play. That one against South Africa last year was ludicrously good.