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

[Spark]

Still doing plenty but this is a biiiig lead now.

 

[social]

Marnus has looked pretty ordinary for quite some time now

He’s incredibly lucky so got away with it for many tests but it’s due to end

 

[trundler]

Marnus deserves middle stump dead grubbers in his next 20 innings

 

[Croadymeister]

Still doing plenty but this is a biiiig lead now.

Was a big lead at the start of innings

 

[kevinw]

Did England blow a review earlier? I haven't seen how they used it. Even if you thought that LBW was just clipping, you'd have kept the review.

 

[MW1304]

Why would you not give that one a go considering you keep it if it's clipping ffs

 

[Uppercut]

I agree but how much of that is simply picking much, much more talented players? "Better than Burns and Sibley" is really not much of a high bar (one that Crawley hasn't reached!)

Hard to say right? Bairstow was never anywhere near so good playing conventionally, and Pope seemed to really get out of a rut. Stokes and Root have probably got a little worse. Brook kinda looks like he'd be even better playing conventionally, but he's been so good that that seems unrealistic.

But I mean, they instantly went from their lowest ebb to winning a bunch of matches on the back of their best batting performances since Flower. It's more than earned the benefit of the doubt. 325 wasn't even a terrible score here, the bowling and fielding have let them down.

 

[shortpitched713]

Lol, Labuschagne isn't ordinary. Australia just currently spoiled for quality in the batting lineup, so current struggles seem magnified. Don't think he was quite an over 60 average batsman, and is coming a bit down to earth. Still quality though.

 

[Spark]

Did England blow a review earlier? I haven't seen how they used it. Even if you thought that LBW was just clipping, you'd have kept the review.

They wasted one where Warner smashed it into his pad, which Stokes correctly spotted but was talked into it by Root. It seems like he's now refusing to consult with anyone else and all and just making decisions on reviews/non-reviews on his own. He didn't even bother asking anyone there before signalling it was down leg.

 

[Michelle Fivefer]

I doubt whether county cricket will appeal to him. Maybe some sort of media role is the likeliest next step.

I know it's not always wise to judge a guy on one and a half tests, but it's been grim viewing so far. Fair enough that Edgbaston was completely unhelpful, especially as all of the seamers struggled there. But one tail-ender here when bowling in supposedly helpful conditions is a wretched return. My guess is he'll call it a day once the Ashes are gone again.

Sad to say it, but I completely agree with you.

 

[Nintendo]

Just watching some clips from marnus in the 2019 ashes at lords compared compared to now. He's nearly an extra stump across towards off then he was then. In 2019 when he wasn't clipping it off the pads his back leg was on leg stump but now it's sitting on middle basically every ball he's facing.

 

[Niall]

The experience is definitely hard to replace and playing away from home is gonna be hard without those two keeping it at >2.5 an over consistently at one end, but I don't think it's gonna hurt them too much at home purely on a bowling front. Woakes is a fantastic bowler in english conditions, him and robinson + a tongue/potts/archer/wood as the third seamer and leach as the spinner is fine for england conditions.

Woakes record on this pitch is insane and once they decided to with Tongue they should have picked him to at least help the lower order.

I just don't understand the exclusion here whatsoever.

Anderson is done, 2-0 down after this test no room for passengers unfortunately. He had no business playing this test tbh.

 

[Uppercut]

They wasted one where Warner smashed it into his pad, which Stokes correctly called but was talked into it by Root. It seems like he's now refusing to consult with anyone else and all and just making decisions on reviews/non-reviews on his own. He didn't even bother asking anyone there before signalling it was down leg.

Also Australia are 200/1, what does he think he's going to need the reviews for later if they don't get wickets now.

 

[Nintendo]

Marnus has looked pretty ordinary for quite some time now

He’s incredibly lucky so got away with it for many tests but it’s due to end

Nah this is ****e. He looked our best bat in india aside from khawaja and looked fine in the home summer.

 

[Spark]

The place it hit on his pad and richocheted off is the tell, Tubby. The first one glanced the pad and shot off square but the second one thumped back down the pitch. Much more of a sign that it's straight.

 

[MW1304]

Woakes record on this pitch is insane and once they decided to with Tongue they should have picked him to at least help the lower order.

I just don't understand the exclusion here whatsoever.

Anderson is done, 2-0 down after this test no room for passengers unfortunately. He had no business playing this test tbh.

That is extraordinarily revisionist thinking. Bloke's been averaging about 20 at home for the last 5 years.

 

[ripper868]

Umpires not giving it out for Broad as he's not turning to ask the umpire, just charging up the pitch like the doors have just opened at TK Maxx boxing day sales.

 

[Spark]

Nah this is ****e. He looked our best bat in india aside from khawaja and looked fine in the home summer.

He absolutely did not look the second last bat in India, that was Handscomb comfortably.

God that was a terrible innings.

 

[Jfry]

Possible a worse innings than Harry Brook

 

[Nintendo]

Is there any reason marnus would be batting an extra stump across towards off now compared to 2019? Feels like it just makes him more likely to play at really wide ones he should be leaving and to get LBW.