*Official* Second Test at Lord's

[ajdude]

Steven Smith – “Steven is obviously one of the good looking roosters in our team”

yep

 

[Handsome Harry]

Harry.......all of those above have been used since the dawn of cricket!!! And I'm sure you are not naive enough to think that the Aussies don't partake as well.......everyone is at it.

And what about shining the ball then....how is that not tampering with it??

The difference is that the MCC Laws say you can shine the ball without the use of an artificial substance. I'm not sure where sweat and saliva fit into that. Maybe they're not considered "artificial"?

 

[Expressway76]

 

[morgieb]

I did a quick lookup on the most successful pace bowlers since 2010 and what do you know? Jimmy it is! Only Peter Siddle makes the cut from Australia which is a far cry from the past!

View attachment 20469

Irrelevant. Steyn's average is 4 runs lower, that more than makes up the different between wickets. All that says is that Anderson plays more.

 

[masterbatter]

Irrelevant. Steyn's average is 4 runs lower, that more than makes up the different between wickets. All that says is that Anderson plays more.

Maybe there's a bit of a confusion. I meant to show the pace bowlers who have taken the most wickets since the start of this decade. There's no doubting Dale Steyn is the most dangerous bowler around but it also signifies that Jimmy Anderson has been amongst the highest and most impactful bowlers.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

We already know you can't tamper with the ball. That's enshrined in the Laws of the game, so no sunscreen, minty spit, hair gel, deliberate boot spiking or pockets full of dirt. That is cheating. Thanks for bringing up the litany of past Non stories involving England

Fixed that for you.

Do you think, at my game on Saturday, I should instruct the players that they must not wear sun screen in 30+ degres heat?

When I was qualifying some years ago the chap running the course suggested that amomgst the things an umpire should carry on the pitch were "boiled sweets or mints to give to the players". Some older umpires still often do so in my experience.

 

[Cabinet96]

Michael Atherton has forgotten Sri Lanka exist.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Captain Cook reported as saying England ready for some "tough decisions" ahead of Lords.

Unless it's a cunning double bluff, I reckon Finn's done.

 

[MrPrez]

The current cupboard is pretty bare for quicks really when you consider the options. I'd be ranking Steyn, Anderson, Morkel, Siddle, Philander and then daylight.

Lot's of blokes like Patto, Broad, Roach, etc that are very, very dangerous on their day but lack the consistent penetration and durability that the others have.

I'd go with this order too. Though Morkel, Siddle and Philander are harder to rate. Obviously Philander has been the "best" of the three over the past few years, statistically. However, I think we'd all agree that Philander isn't worth his 17 average.

When the ball's moving, Philander is easily third. When you need a spark of brilliance, or someone to strike fear into the batsmen, Morkel's your man. If you're looking for an all-round workhorse, Siddle is up there.

 

[Cabinet96]

Philander's no three test wonder anymore. He's been playing for nearly two years, and has showed little signs of taking the foot off the gas. He's easily opening the bowling in my World XI, and if he's not the second best quick in the world, he's ahead of daylight for third.

 

[grecian]

Morkel doesn't deserve to be top tier yet, he's very much in amongst the second tier, IMHO.

Would much rather have Roach or Pattinson myself.

 

[MrPrez]

Philander's no three test wonder anymore. He's been playing for nearly two years, and has showed little signs of taking the foot off the gas. He's easily opening the bowling in my World XI, and if he's not the second best quick in the world, he's ahead of daylight for third.

Oh of course, he's not a 3-test wonder. But I'm sure you'd agree that he's also not a genuine sub-20 average bowler. That would put him way superior to Dale Steyn.

If I was picking one team to play in every Test nation in the world, and I could only pick one of Philander and Anderson, I'd choose Anderson. I still don't trust Philander on the sub-continent.

Think Michael Hussey. He had a Test average well above 60 for a good while, iirc. Noone genuinely saw him as a 60+ batsman, but in the same vein it was clear he was something special.

 

[MrPrez]

Morkel doesn't deserve to be top tier yet, he's very much in amongst the second tier, IMHO.

Would much rather have Roach or Pattinson myself.

Massively, massively disagree on Roach.

Not sure on Pattinson, haven't seen enough of him in honesty. Though, as the avatar hints, I doubt I'd be swayed

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Massively, massively disagree on Roach.

Not sure on Pattinson, haven't seen enough of him in honesty. Though, as the avatar hints, I doubt I'd be swayed

Yeah, Roach has huge potential and could become a lot better than Morkel but would he get in the SA side ahead of him at present? NO

 

[MrPrez]

Yeah, Roach has huge potential and could become a lot better than Morkel but would he get in the SA side ahead of him at present? NO

Morkel has more potential than Roach imo. Easily.

Then again, look at the avatar.

 

[grecian]

Yeah, Roach has huge potential and could become a lot better than Morkel but would he get in the SA side ahead of him at present? NO

Well he wouldn't because Morkel adds something different to the saffie bowling, but I maintain I prefer Roach as a bowler.

Yet I have to say I don't rate Morne highly, I would rather have Broad doing that role, with his extra batting handy.

 

[Expressway76]

Yet I have to say I don't rate Morne highly, I would rather have Broad doing that role, with his extra batting handy.

Also Broad seems to just rip through batting lineups from time to time. Morkel is a bit more of a steady wicket accumulator, with match winning performances happening less often.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Also Broad seems to just rip through batting lineups from time to time. Morkel is a bit more of a steady wicket accumulator, with match winning performances happening less often.

Daft thing about Broad is he can go from Devon Malcolm to Curtley Ambrose in the same innings.

 

[Cooky Monster]

This is some nasty clashing here if you like golf and cycling along with the cricket...

Lords Ashes test - next 4/5 days
Open golf - next 4 days
Tour de France - 4 days left with 3 must see stages coming up.

**** knows how to juggle that lot.

 

[Furball]

Take your Morkel chat elsewhere ****s.