2nd Test, Lord's, London

[Spikey]

It’s a 4 day match on a wicket that traditionally gets flatter

Best chance of victory is to bowl opposition out cheaply in first innings

shapes as a game where the team batting third is the only team who can lose it

or australia could get bowled out for 187

 

[Groundking]

well over the stumps.

 

[social]

So Pattinson can't play because 9 days rest between tests is considered too risky, but Hazlewood first test back from injury they bowl him 8 overs straight, give him a couple of overs break, then switch ends for him lol

Patto has a steel rod in his back

Guy is lucky to be walking

Haze was simply injured

 

[Cabinet96]

Think Paine ****ed up batting first at Edgbaston. I know Lyon took a bag on the final day but it was turning big by the third innings anyway. Day one was the only time the seamers got any real encouragement. Probably an overcorrection this time around.

 

[Burgey]

See no justification for bowling first here. This is a pudding.

They should’ve been 3/30. No drama with it a all in the context of a four day test with more weather a possibility.

 

[Starfighter]

I'm calling that England's session. Only two down after being sent in, scoring fairly fluently, guy who scored a century last match having an easy catch shelled off them. Pitch looks flat, although I expect Archer's pace, if he replicates it over a longer period, and Broad's skill will be better equipped than our bowlers for these conditions.

 

[morgieb]

I think both sides would be reasonably happy with that. If it wasn't for Koala I'd think we'd be in a better position.

Apart from Haze and a bit of Lyon our bowling has been disappointing but the pitch does look rather flat.

 

[Burgey]

Maybe the fact Paine and Root would both bowl means they are both crap captains...everpne else said to bat first

Ex captains, all of whom were conservative when they actually led sides and played to the conditions, always tell current captains to bat first no matter what and to “be aggressive”. It’s because they’re ****s.

Australia just didn’t bowl that well, Haze aside. Cummins too full and floaty, Siddle reverting to innocuous type save one ball and you can’t expect Lyon to get much turn day one. If they come out after lunch and hit the right areas, england won’t make 250.

 

[Uppercut]

It’s a 4 day match on a wicket that traditionally gets flatter

Best chance of victory is to bowl opposition out cheaply in first innings

Unlikely to have weather like this for 4 days though. Could be a repeat of 2009 with a shower on day 2 making batting much tougher.

 

[hazsa19]

Evens. I’d take it having been sent in though.

That Root dismissal looks worryingly familiar.

 

[NUFAN]

Definitely England session.

 

[Starfighter]

Ex captains, all of whom were conservative when they actually led sides and played to the conditions, always tell current captains to bat first no matter what and to “be aggressive”. It’s because they’re ****s.

Australia just didn’t bowl that well, Haze aside. Cummins too full and floaty, Siddle reverting to innocuous type save one ball and you can’t expect Lyon to get much turn day one. If they come out after lunch and hit the right areas, england won’t make 250.

Batting first has been the default position for the entirety of the game's history. If batting first on an obviously fairly flat, slow pitch isn't reading the conditions then I don't know what is. If England get bowled out for 250, it's because their batting is quite bad (which it objectively is), there's nothing to suggest an actually good batting good side would get bowled out today on this.

 

[MW1304]

Batting first has been the default position for the entirety of the game's history. If batting first on an obviously fairly flat, slow pitch isn't reading the conditions then I don't know what is. If England get bowled out for 250, it's because their batting is quite bad (which it objectively is), there's nothing to suggest an actually good batting good side would get bowled out today on this.

Tbf that should come into the decision. Still not sure it was the right one, but it's not like it exists in a vacuum.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

With just one batsman in their 11 aussies choose to chase in 4th innings.

1-1 it is.

 

[Son Of Coco]

With just one batsman in their 11 aussies choose to chase in 4th innings.

1-1 it is.

England have made the mistake of not choosing a spinner.

 

[King Pietersen]

Holy ****, Denly's into the 30s. Could this be the day he finally makes a decent contribution? Probably not, but it's good to hope.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

England have made the mistake of not choosing a spinner.

Jack leach?

 

[Starfighter]

Tbf that should come into the decision. Still not sure it was the right one, but it's not like it exists in a vacuum.

It shouldn't make any difference. A bad batting lineup isn't going to magically become better batting second on a pitch unlikely to change much for the first two or three days. You could point to the last match, but the ball moved distinctly more on the first day than the others, an unlikely progression I think in this match as the ball isn't moving much on the first day.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It shouldn't make any difference. A bad batting lineup isn't going to magically become better batting second on a pitch unlikely to change much for the first two or three days. You could point to the last match, but the ball moved distinctly more on the first day than the others, an unlikely progression I think in this match as the ball isn't moving much on the first day.

Tomorrow could be a minefield if the clouds come in. Lords is freaky in recent years and is almost impossible to bat at if it is cloudy with the lights on. Could be a huge toss to lose this one if we get a decent score on the board today.

 

[Starfighter]

Tomorrow could be a minefield if the clouds come in. Lords is freaky in recent years and is almost impossible to bat at if it is cloudy with the lights on. Could be a huge toss to lose this one if we get a decent score on the board today.

The clouds aren't going to change the pitch which has less moisture than recent Lord's pitches, and what you are saying only plays into my point that batting first was the correct decision regardless of how good or bad England's batting is.