*Official* Second Test at Lords

[Prince EWS]

Do you think it's actually likely he'll get dropped? would be interesting going through the predictions thread and see if anyone tipped that to happen

I'd be highly surprised if he was dropped, and he really shouldn't be. I've never been the biggest fan of Johnson and as my posting history will show I've been pretty damn sceptical of him throughout his career, even during that golden patch, but a couple of poor games (one in which he, in typical Johnson fashion, bowled a heap of pies and took wickets anyway) isn't enough to undo his good work over the previous few series.

He's always had in him to bowl this sort of crap, but he also has it in him to turn it around really quickly and suddenly become amazingly effective (sometimes even while visually looking crap, tbh). I think people often fall into the trap when selecting teams of thinking along the lines of "what team, with the benefit of hindsight, should we have picked for the previous few games" than actually considering what the best bet for the next game and beyond is, particularly if the team has been losing. I also think these sort of reactions with Johnson are exaggerated because he often looks crap even when he's effective.

Johnson bowling rubbish in the past game and a half doesn't mean he's going to bowl rubbish in the next game as well, and as good as Australia's depth is with Clark (and Lee if he's fit for selection) currently sitting on the sidelines, players need a little more faith to get themselves out of inevitable troughs than a couple of games if they've proven so effective on the whole before.

 

[Richard]

Tbh, losing Cook early on wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It's as good a time as ever for Bopara and Pietersen to play their natural game.

Be happiest with Bopara walking in at 65-1 or so. Pietersen in all honestly I don't care what the score is, he can play well under any circumstance, even though he fails to play well far more often than everyone would like.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd imagine he's in the same kind of situation that Broad's in with us. Being picked in the side on the potential that they'll do something special rather than by judging it on their actual bowling. Added to that both sides seem to value their number 8 batting with more importance than they should do.

Really not true. Johnson's being picked on what he's actually done in Tests. It's not a potential pick; it's a performance pick. It may not be a "performance in the last 30 seconds" pick or a "form" pick, but it's a performance pick all the same. Broad's a different situation - he's done precious little at Test level and picked because the selectors believe he'll improve his output for whatever reason.

 

[Craig]

If Ravi Bopara can't make runs in this innings, then I would be worried about his spot in the team.

 

[stumpski]

I'll tell you what, if Strauss sends in a night-watchman tonight, I won't be a happy bunny.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'll tell you what, if Strauss sends in a night-watchman tonight, I won't be a happy bunny.

Haha, I don't think he'll fall into that trap again, TBH.

Backing Strauss to ton up again here, just quietly.

 

[Craig]

Cook nearly took the umpire out there.

 

[superkingdave]

When your nightwatchman is Jimmeh, its more of an attacking option tbph

 

[Pizzorno]

Really not true. Johnson's being picked on what he's actually done in Tests. It's not a potential pick; it's a performance pick. It may not be a "performance in the last 30 seconds" pick or a "form" pick, but it's a performance pick all the same. Broad's a different situation - he's done precious little at Test level and picked because the selectors believe he'll improve his output for whatever reason.

Yeah fair enough mate I got that one wrong, but they've both been absolute garbage in this series so far yet they both seem undroppable from their respect sides.

 

[Uppercut]

Australia

 

[Craig]

9 fours inside 10 overs.

 

[Richard]

Cook's looking as good as I've seen him look in a long time here. Only faced 30 balls (off which he's made 29 runs) but he's barely played a false stroke.

Of course that means he'll probably hit a rank pie straight to a fielder soon... but this is looking good.

 

[Pizzorno]

9 fours inside 10 overs.

It's like the good old days of Marcus!

Oh Marcus, how I miss thee.

 

[Richard]

Australia

Ind33d. This is the time when you just love to not be Zac Gelman.

 

[GIMH]

No doubt that we won a good toss here, but Strauss and Cook have done exactly what you want from your openers in both innings so far...great stuff

 

[Richard]

It's like the good old days of Marcus!

Oh Marcus, how I miss thee.

In the last 6 months, Strauss has most certainly inherited Marcus' most notable trait - the "ability" to get fielders to drop half of what comes their way.

 

[Prince EWS]

Cook's looking as good as I've seen him look in a long time here. Only faced 30 balls (off which he's made 29 runs) but he's barely played a false stroke.

Of course that means he'll probably hit a rank pie straight to a fielder soon... but this is looking good.

Yeah, he'll be onto 40 in no time, which is of course always the perfect time to put a bet on him not scoring a hundred. One of the manly reasons I hope Cook is never dropped is the fact that he makes me so much money on that particular live betting option.

 

[Pizzorno]

Warne's not sounding happy here. A tenner says he plays later on in the series.

 

[Richard]

No doubt that we won a good toss here, but Strauss and Cook have done exactly what you want from your openers in both innings so far...great stuff

Absolutely. Hopefully we can get to Lunch at 60-0 or so now. That'll be a lead of 270 already.

And if the middle-order can actually do their job properly this time like they so emphatically failed to do in the first-innings, we might just be on for the sort of thumping score (and victory) that we all crave so.

 

[Jakester1288]

England batting well, but it's not hard against this bowling.

50 up.