*Official* Second Test (Lord's, London) 28 June–2 July

[Kenneth Viljoen]

I don't think the current team would beat the 90s one tbh having watched both of them even if a few underachieved in that one.

Harry Brook vs Ian Salisbury no contest

 

[Aidan11]

It's time Stokes came to the party and smashed a few.

 

[grecian]

TBH, there's a little bit of chicken-little here, we've not lost a wicket for a bit, Head is bowling and Oz bowlers are pretty tired, it was an annoying passage, but again we'd have taking this at 5.45 yesterday, and even this morning.

 

[grecian]

I don't think the current team would beat the 90s one tbh having watched both of them even if a few underachieved in that one.

disagree whole-heartedly, but hey-ho game of opinions.

 

[Pothas]

TBH, there's a little bit of chicken-little here, we've not lost a wicket for a bit, Head is bowling and Oz bowlers are pretty tired, it was an annoying passage, but again we'd have taking this at 5.45 yesterday, and even this morning.

If they don't lose another tonight it is objectively an excellent day but it still doesn't really feel like that right now.

 

[trundler]

Wonder if the version of Stokes that's going to get caught on the crease against a half tracker has showed up or if this is the ultra rare proper batsman Stokes which hasn't been sighted in a year.

 

[Uppercut]

I think people are forgetting how much criticism Bazball got during periods when England were losing wickets last summer. It’s always looked ugly when it’s not working.

 

[MW1304]

If they don't lose another tonight it is objectively an excellent day but it still doesn't really feel like that right now.

Similar to Australia yesterday really, good day just should have been a whole lot better if you take two (in our case three so far) incredibly soft wickets away.

 

[Pothas]

Similar to Australia yesterday really, good day just should have been a whole lot better if you take two (in our case three so far) incredibly soft wickets away.

Can basically say this about almost every day of the series can't you.

 

[Pothas]

I think people are forgetting how much criticism Bazball got during periods when England were losing wickets last summer. It’s always looked ugly when it’s not working.

The Duckett stuff was definitely the worst because he wasn't even getting boundaries. Was just ridiculously high risk singles.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Head has bowled brilliantly

 

[trundler]

Haha yeah, wickets fall in clusters and most innings converge to a par score (by definition). Like 80% of the time a team has an excellent platform, a wicket falls and the next batsmen look for quick runs and collapse because they don't see it as well as the set batsman that's gotten out. And equally as often you see tail wags bring a team to parity after a top order collapse once the pacers tire.

 

[kevinw]

Lyon getting injured might've been the worst thing for England. He'd almost certainly have been bowling during the brain fart and doubt he'd have caused many problems (well he'd have gotten Pope but we know that).

 

[CartyDurham]

Missed much?

 

[CartyDurham]

Head has bowled brilliantly

Really?

 

[loterry1994]

Get Starc on and short stuff again please

 

[Calm_profit]

Safe to say Crawley looked the best English batter today.

 

[Jfry]

Safe to say Crawley looked the best English batter today.

The more significant question is who looked the worse?

 

[grecian]

Blimey, whisper it but it feels like proper test cricket ATM.

 

[Ashes81]

I mean it was tbh, it just came off. Bairstow was swinging at every ball but still hitting hundreds for fun.

Bairstow wasn't hooking the ball with 3 men out on the boundary waiting for the miscue ball after ball. He played himself in and by and large played proper cricket shots.