*Official* Second Test at Lord's

[Tangles]

I'd like to give Uzi, Hughes and Smith a run of games to see how they go. What I want to see from them is that they can adjust their games to the pitch and match situation. Mark Waugh could grind an innings when he had too so these lads can do it.

 

[Riggins]

usman's first innings and last year of first class matches have suggested he's had no inclination to adjust his game, and from all reports his attitude around the team his horrendous. not the type of player i want them to give test matches to in the expectation/hope he suddenly turns it around. the others, i hope they can show some guts.

 

[Goughy]

The confusion here seems to be over the term "natural." To me it means leaving anything wide, playing straight, hitting the 4 balls and rotating the strike so you dont get bogged down and allow the bowlers to get completely on top of you. Anyone getting out chasing a wide one or hooking should look closely at themselves in the mirror but Australia dont need to shut up shop for ball one. Also, it is a great opportunity from a couple of players to bat long and play themselves into form.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Yea of course, it's perfectly fine to put yourself first instead of rotate the strike or actually score some ****ing runs when you're in a declaration situation.

"It's time to pick up the phone and call the home office Prime Minister Cameron...we have a Code Red declaration situation going on".


Given the way we're batting, there's a 99.5% chance of England winning if they declare sometime between the start tomorrow and tea time.

 

[Son Of Coco]

CA launch enquiry into offensive tweet.

It was clearly hacked. Only Americans spell it 'ass'.

 

[Tangles]

Uzi needs some runs to feel more relaxed at test level IMO. Probably better for him if he gets in early. Coming in vs Swann isn't ideal. I don't need to like Uzi I just need him to show some of his talent and that he gives a ****.

 

[greg]

usman's first innings and last year of first class matches have suggested he's had no inclination to adjust his game, and from all reports his attitude around the team his horrendous. not the type of player i want them to give test matches to in the expectation/hope he suddenly turns it around. the others, i hope they can show some guts.

I know little of the background, but this is one of the most depressing things. Whilst all of us who continue to see Test match cricket as the most important thing bemoan the apparent effect of T20 on the game, I think we can generally understand the mindset that leads players (who may not be so attached to the history of the game) to be drawn to the Siren calls of the latter because of the riches (and potential superstardom) on offer. But Khawaja doesn't have much future as a T20 player does he? Here is a player with an obvious backstory (his Pakistani heritage) and whose only obvious route to cricketing success is through the Test game and he gives no discernable sign of actually wanting it. It would be interesting to know how much is fundamentally a consequence of his own character, and how much is down to being d**ked around by the selectors.

 

[greg]

The confusion here seems to be over the term "natural." To me it means leaving anything wide, playing straight, hitting the 4 balls and rotating the strike so you dont get bogged down and allow the bowlers to get completely on top of you. Anyone getting out chasing a wide one or hooking should look closely at themselves in the mirror but Australia dont need to shut up shop for ball one. Also, it is a great opportunity from a couple of players to bat long and play themselves into form.

I agree there is confusion, but surely by definition "playing your natural game" is different for every player? Although to be a cynic I think your (generalised) definition of 'natural' sounds about as far as the Aussie batsmen's natural games as one can get. "Getting out chasing wide ones and hooking" seems to fit the bill nicely though...

 

[Spikey]

usman's first innings and last year of first class matches have suggested he's had no inclination to adjust his game, and from all reports his attitude around the team his horrendous. not the type of player i want them to give test matches to in the expectation/hope he suddenly turns it around. the others, i hope they can show some guts.

Yeah this is where I stand. It was a poor selection in the first place, there's no harm in correcting it.It's not like Hughes and Smith who made adjustments to their games and scored runs, Hughes more runs than Smith. Usman didn't make adjustments to his game and put up no more runs than the rest. So why should he get an extended run over say Doolan?

 

[Son Of Coco]

. It would be interesting to know how much is fundamentally a consequence of his own character, and how much is down to being d**ked around by the selectors.

He wasn't dicked around by the selectors that much though was he? The simple fact is if he came in initially and made some runs he would've been there as a fixture ever since. I find it funny how a bloke can throw his toys out of the pram when he's dropped for not really performing that well these days when a generation of players far better than Uzman Khawaja had to basically miss out on Australian careers because of the strength of our team. Blokes like Law, Love, Hodge, Hussey etc kept on making 1000's of runs in Shield cricket as they waited for an opportunity to become available in the Test team. And most of them missed out bar a match here or there (Hussey being the exception). Today we get players with such a sense of entitlement they don't seem to believe they have to justify their spot in the Australian team by actually achieving anything of note...instead of spending the time they had out of the team working on their game to ensure they force their way back in, they come back with the same attitude and the same faults they had before.

Now that I've said this I fully expect Khawaja to score at least 150 in the 2nd innings.

 

[Adders]

So do we think it will be an early declaration in the first session?? Take the lead past 600, let Root get his double and then call it?? In most cases it seems the captains go past what most fans (and commentators) deem reasonable........anyone reckon Cookie will keep us hanging today, and if so at what stage are we going to be getting very cranky with him??

 

[greg]

So do we think it will be an early declaration in the first session?? Take the lead past 600, let Root get his double and then call it?? In most cases it seems the captains go past what most fans (and commentators) deem reasonable........anyone reckon Cookie will keep us hanging today, and if so at what stage are we going to be getting very cranky with him??

I think the only serious reason (from a team perspective) for batting on today is to have the Aussie openers having only 10 clear minutes to prepare to bat. The Root 200 is the only complicating factor so, assuming they do bat on, it will be, at the latest, when that is achieved or when he is out whichever comes first. England also won't want any of their bowlers batting on the off chance that they get injured.

If there's any cloud cover they might declare immediately. Well, at the five minute bell perhaps

 

[Riggins]

So do we think it will be an early declaration in the first session?? Take the lead past 600, let Root get his double and then call it?? In most cases it seems the captains go past what most fans (and commentators) deem reasonable........anyone reckon Cookie will keep us hanging today, and if so at what stage are we going to be getting very cranky with him??

from what i've seen cook tends to be super defensive and leave his declarations, at least imo, way too late. may actually be something that could give us a chance to salvage a draw.

 

[NUFAN]

Yep. Australia's aim would surely be to keep Root off strike and to have gotten out Bairstow and Prior before Root's made 22 today. We would then want to hit the bowling hand of one (3 would give us a sniff) of the bowlers but its not really that likely. I wouldn't be surprised to see England declare 45 minutes into the session with Root on 200* - If Smith didn't get hit for 15 runs from Root in his final over, it might have made time a slight concern, but lets be honest here, there is still a pretty big chance that the game wont even go into the final day.

 

[Spikey]

Batting records | Under-19s Youth One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Man, Clarke sure did suck as an u19 player.

 

[Riggins]

The confusion here seems to be over the term "natural." To me it means leaving anything wide, playing straight, hitting the 4 balls and rotating the strike so you dont get bogged down and allow the bowlers to get completely on top of you.

Yeah, see this is far too logical it seems. Surely this would be plan A every time you walk out to bat in a test match, and from that point of view I still think you need to adjust further. 'Letting the bowlers get on top' in my experience generally describes when the batsmen are trying to score, the bowlers bowl well, you can't score, which builds pressure and eventually forces a **** shot or dodgy run or just something to happen. In this sort of situation where runs are irrelevant, being tied down shouldn't cause this. Hitting bad balls for four shouldn't relieve pressure or make the bowlers feel anything further. It's all a bit different and so I think they need to structure their games differently. But nothing will change.

 

[Riggins]

Batting records | Under-19s Youth One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

Man, Clarke sure did suck as an u19 player.

Shane Watson's got some good stats there - #shanewatsonthoughts

 

[Spikey]

Shane Watson's got some good stats there - #shanewatsonthoughts

This KJ Skewes fella went to Humpty Doo Primary School. What a school.

 

[Spikey]

I love how aaron bird played 11 u19 games and still turned up in state cricket with an action like that

 

[Riggins]

This KJ Skewes fella went to Humpty Doo Primary School. What a school.

what a man. woodville had 10 fielders against us one day because he didn't want to field, then came out and smacked a ton.