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

[Prince EWS]

I’ll be so annoyed if such an entertaining series is dead after 3 tests because of England’s insistence on shooting themselves in the foot.

They're saving Test cricket!

Nothing lost, nothing gained. England always lose home Ashes series anyw... oh wait.

 

[Woodster]

Obviously a hugely disappointing effort from England with the bat handing the Aussies a commanding position. Interesting to see when the Aussies declare, probably more likely than us running through them today.

As everyone knows, England, if they remain true to the word and there’s nothing at all to suggest they won’t, will try and chase it down. It gives Cummins a bit more time and allows them a more cautious approach when setting a target, especially with no Lyon.

 

[Nintendo]

Tbf in a way it might be better for Oz if we bowl them out, but not quickly. They’ll probably figure a draw suits them more than it does us

I doubt AUS are gonna go for the draw right now. It we lose 3 wickets quickly or rain cuts a chunk out of the remaining game, maybe, but there's a prime chance to take a 2-0 lead here. Cummins could have gone for the draw when he walked out to bat last test with 70 to get and 2 wickets in the shed, but he smashed 14.runs off the next Joe Root over instead.

 

[GIMH]

I doubt AUS are gonna go for the draw right now. It we lose 3 wickets quickly or rain cuts a chunk out of the remaining game, maybe, but there's a prime chance to take a 2-0 lead here. Cummins could have gone for the draw when he walked out to bat last test with 70 to get and 2 wickets in the shed, but he smashed 14.runs off the next Joe Root over instead.

I’m not saying they’ll play for the draw, but rather of the two sides they’d probably be the happier with that.

Alas, that may be a very different picture this time tomorrow.

 

[Qlder]

I don’t feel good about this. I think we’re gonna have to win the series the hard way, from 2-0 down (and we will). Not like me to be so pessimistic but there you go

Apparently only one team has come back from 2-0 to win, and that team had someone called Don Bradman in it

 

[Alex0paul]

Clouds have arrived in time for play

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

I doubt AUS are gonna go for the draw right now. It we lose 3 wickets quickly or rain cuts a chunk out of the remaining game, maybe, but there's a prime chance to take a 2-0 lead here. Cummins could have gone for the draw when he walked out to bat last test with 70 to get and 2 wickets in the shed, but he smashed 14.runs off the next Joe Root over instead.

Declare if the lead is over 500 I say ..
If England win its a World Record , well played ..

If it's a draw then that means England didn't go at 5 an over and you can call them out in the press as being hypocrites while still holding a 1-0 lead ..

Good situation for Cummins

 

[Spikey]

obviously the Lord's pitch never really gets worse to bat on so if aus doesn't fold again like the first innings, no reason to declare before the last hour.

 

[Alex0paul]

Grind out the first session then smash them in the second to get up to 450 lead

 

[halba]

Grind out the first session then smash them in the second to get up to 450 lead

No this is unlikely, overcast conditions. Jimmy anderson and Tongue will be tough

 

[halba]

if eng lose ashes playing bazball- its time to finish bazball for good- Mccullum career will almost certainly be over or untenable. he will get dumped as Eng never lost a home ashes since 2001, so bazball will be proven a sham(as they played normal cricket in all the other series- and won or drew)

 

[wpdavid]

Clouds have arrived in time for play

It didn't make a huge amount of difference yesterday, or on Day 1. And the ball is pretty old now. Let's hope Australia got the memo about the need to throw wickets away in order to save test cricket.

 

[wpdavid]

I think we're well and truly ****ed here.......yesterday was a complete disaster.

So was the latter part of Day 2 when our first four wickets thought it was only the decent thing to do to provide catching or stumping practice. And the first part of Day 1 was pretty grim too, when we dropped those two catches and generally couldn't take advantage of overcast conditions.

But apart from that, it's been great.

If I was mature and sensible, I'd decide to avoid it today. And I'd be aware that I'm not known for being the best company when England completely **** things up, so I'd decide not to clog up the thread with my views on the matter.
No chance, of course.

 

[TheJediBrah]

All the talk about England being bad, throwing their wickets away and such. Do we really think they would have made more runs by batting more traditionally? You can whinge about the dismissals but you can't do that and assume that all the runs made by batting aggressively would still have been there if they hadn't been in this batting mode.

Other than Joe Root I'm not convinced any of this English side would make more runs batting "properly"

 

[Qlder]

Why is Lyon walking around the ground on crutches. Leave him in the dressing room to rest his calf. Might need him to hobble out at #11

 

[TheJediBrah]

Mark Taylor has barely aged a day since his retirement

Then you look at Matt Hayden and Glenn McGrath who are younger but look elderly

 

[ripper868]

Any analysis of Taylor's bell ringing technique? Seemed to hold on a bit tight for mine, too much left to right movement, not enough right to left, over projected the ring towards the Aussie dressing room, showed a real lack of neutrality, is too old, past it, and should probably retire.

 

[ripper868]

tbf, he is left handed, and used his right, so could excuse it I guess.

 

[Burgey]

Mark Taylor has barely aged a day since his retirement

Then you look at Matt Hayden and Glenn McGrath who are younger but look elderly

Big fan of the hair dye is Tubby

 

[_Ed_]

Then you look at Matt Hayden and Glenn McGrath who are younger but look elderly

Is McGrath that bad? I hadn't actually noticed. Hayden - yeesh.