*Official* Second Test at Lords

[Richard]

The thing is you don't know what the ball, the wicket or the weather is going to do before the match starts so if you think it's going to swing at a particular ground and with rain around and a damp outfield and there is no swing or even if the ball doesn't swing with the sun out, you have 4 swing bowlers. Variety covers all possibilities with so many slow flat wickets around these days.

On slow flat wickets you need bowlers capable of bowling on them - which numbers not very many.

It's not really possible to get no swing, unless the ball is of crap quality. Good swing bowlers take almost everything out of the equation. And you can always have a pretty good idea of what the pitch, ball etc. are going to play like, even if you clearly can never be certain.

Also by chopping and changing the attack you won't have your bowlers learning to bowl on all types of wickets. If we had kept Hoggard just for games where we thought there was swing he wouldn't have developed into a bowler who could bowl anywhere.

Hoggard didn't develop said skills by bowling in matches. No, he developed them with one hell of a lot of hard work in the nets. Until someone is capable of bowling in certain conditions, in my view it's a mistake to pick them in said conditions.

The fast bowlers in 2005 took roughly the same amount of wickets and their strike rates were 34.0, 48.5, 45.8 and 56.8.

Yes, but apart from Flintoff all were effective in fewer matches than they were ineffective. No-one had more than three good games out of five.

 

[Richard]

If ponting wins the toss and bowls, I'll kill someone.

What about if he wins the toss and bats on a green-grass-of-home-er and Australia crash to 124ao?

 

[FBU]

. And you can always have a pretty good idea of what the pitch, ball etc. are going to play like, even if you clearly can never be certain.

.

So tomorrow who would you pick to bowl at Lords for both sides and what is the pitch going to do?

 

[Athlai]

What about if he wins the toss and bats on a green-grass-of-home-er and Australia crash to 124ao?

 

[duffer]

inbox is on fire in this thread.

 

[pup11]

I never thought of this, but it's an excellent point. Siddle, Johnson and Lee (when fit) will all run in all day bowling to the best of their ability. When picking from bowlers like Hilfenhaus, Clark and McDonald to complete the attack, a fifth bowler beyond Clarke/North/Katich would be completely surplus to requirements.

Of the English options in the pace department, the only bowler I'd trust to send down a third spell as good as his first is Anderson. That's a crucial difference when picking the teams.

Australian bowlers can take a decent workload, but the after-effects are there for all to see, Lee is siting injured on the sidelines, Clark too only has recovered from a serious just a while back, and both Hilfy and Siddle too had to deal with some fitness problems after bowling a truckload of overs in South Africa.

Its fair enough to use an all pace attack depending on conditions, but I don't agree with using it as a combination for every game, irrespective of what te conditions might be.

 

[Streetwise]

Heh they should have got Gary Pratt to bring the gloves on the other day. Ponting would have regressed terminally into enraged chimpdom then I think.

I think Ponting is expecting something like this or probably more like hoping that England focus on him and not the games at hand. He did a masterful job at the end of the last test and must be pleased to see some of the English frothing at the mouth and going ballistic. Its a funny sight to see all this indignation being sprouted by the English as they complain about a cheat calling a cheat a cheat.

Ponting has done a number on them and they are so far up their own arses they dont know how silly they look.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Heh they should have got Gary Pratt to bring the gloves on the other day. Ponting would have regressed terminally into enraged chimpdom then I think.

Can you just put this in your sig so you don't have to repeat it every post. I think we get the point.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Got a mate round on Sunday for the Test so glad that day's rain-free. It also means there will be no repeat of my annoying the hell out of everyone during the game. I'll be sure to visit later on though.

Hope you've got a DVD rental shop nearby for backup...just in case

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, I have indeed, don't want our day ruined when we end the game with an innings victory at Sunday lunchtime

 

[ripper868]

Yeah, I have indeed, don't want our day ruined when we end the game with an innings victory against us at Sunday lunchtime

Edited to remove optimism

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yeah, I have indeed, don't want our day ruined when we end the game with an innings victory at Sunday lunchtime

Knew that was going to be the reply. Where'd you ring in the 11 proper cricketers from?

 

[ripper868]

Knew that was going to be the reply. Where'd you ring in the 11 proper cricketers from?

South Africa

 

[Son Of Coco]

South Africa

 

[sparkey]

England must bring Onions in for Panesar and hope Flintoff is declared fit

 

[James90]

What's Sidebottom up to these days? Was killing it for a while.

 

[simmy]

England must bring Onions in for Panesar and hope Flintoff is declared fit

From Bumbles Twitter, this is looking very likely.

 

[simmy]

Heh they should have got Gary Pratt to bring the gloves on the other day. Ponting would have regressed terminally into enraged chimpdom then I think.

HAHAHAHA, oh god thats awesome.

 

[Matt79]

Can't wait for tonight. Should be great.

It's such a great timezone for us, although maybe a start a couple of hours earlier would be better. As it is we can spend all night watching cricket. Was ace in the first test watching the first hour with my son before he nods off. He's fascinated although being three not really clear on what's going on. Still, over the five days taught him to say "good shot" and "Yes! Got him!". Now the mission for lords is to help him master "**** off back to the Pavillion!"

 

[Athlai]

Bah its rubbish being a kiwi, usually made it to Tea though.