2nd Test, Lord's, London

[morgieb]

Crap. Collapse looks on. Paine is a ****ing idiot.

 

[Spark]

Don't think Joff has bowled that well, but has looked dangerous when he pitched it up.

Yeah I think it's fair enough to be excited about him long-term based on what we've seen, but he hasn't actually been very good.

 

[Prince EWS]

It was hitting the stumps, so out. Good decision and the correct one too.

Yep. See also: Stokes lbw first innings.

Wouldn't have been given in a previous era but it's good that it is now because it's ****ing out.

 

[Jarquis]

'Ugh'

 

[MW1304]

This changed suddenly.

 

[Starfighter]

Amazing what happens when you bowl the bloody correct line. He looked terrible when it was pitched up.

 

[Uppercut]

That's a DRS era decision if ever you saw one. Hit front pad above the knee roll with a batsman forward and jumping a bit.

Yeah but it's also a very good decision imo. When it pitches fairly short but doesn't bounce it always looks less out than it is.

 

[Spark]

Bowl first in the sunshine in England, right

 

[duffer]

God, if you're reading this, please make it rain

 

[Uppercut]

Khawaja reminds me of Cook a little, in that he's weak where he's weak but will contemptuously dismiss anything bowled anywhere else.

That's such a Cooky dismissal.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Paine's decision at the toss looking pretty dumb now. Aussie quicks would love to have these conditions.

 

[91Jmay]

Yeah I think it's fair enough to be excited about him long-term based on what we've seen, but he hasn't actually been very good.

He bowled some absolutely unplayable stuff but has the natural length issue a lot of tall quicks do. Didn't spray it around though to be fair to him which is pretty crucial.

 

[morgieb]

Bowl first in the sunshine in England, right

As I said, a horrid decision. If England win here it's honestly close to the worst captaincy decision of all-time.

 

[Groundking]

The ECB, in their massive stupidity, decided to make the seam on the ball flatter so that batsmen could score more runs in the county stuff, when it was the combination of damp pitches from the terrible money-grubbing scheduling and not even being allowed to use the bloody heavy roller that was the culprit. The ball this year has swung less than the Kookaburra did last summer in Australia and it's a terrible shame because swing bowling is something that absolutely should be encouraged, and it's excessive seam movement, which is largely dictated by the pitch, that's the big issue for batsmen.

However, the ECB said that they were going to use last year's balls, and when they turned out to have not enough of them that they were going to order a special set that were like last year's. So far that appears to have failed.

Yup, the ECB are truly ****ing incompetent, our one strength is swing bowling, so what do they do? They weaken our strength. The whole organisation needs gutting, nothing but corrupt useless bastards that are in it.

 

[mr_mister]

Paine should be fired for this toss decision

 

[Starfighter]

That's such a Cooky dismissal.

Now that I think about it, very reminiscent.

 

[Starfighter]

Yup, the ECB are truly ****ing incompetent, our one strength is swing bowling, so what do they do? They weaken our strength. The whole organisation needs gutting, nothing but corrupt useless bastards that are in it.

They're very short term thinkers, going for the quick money and ignoring the long term damage. Granted, the entire Western World's economy is being run on this sort of thinking, so it's hardly exceptional.

 

[MW1304]

Smith before the rain please.

 

[Groundking]

See what happens when you pitch it up you useless pricks?

Need to get Smith really soon here.

 

[91Jmay]

8 overs spells isn't how I'd be using Archer.