*Official* Second Test at Lords

[four_or_six]

How can they not understand why people might want test cricket in the evening? You can tell these guys don't have real jobs.

 

[Uppercut]

I really wouldn't tbh. Weather is set to be bright sunshine tomorrow so not the best for bowling a side out in.

Hmm. I'd definitely enforce the follow-on.

 

[marc71178]

Oh FFS England - Bring Stuart Broad Back On!

Good call, needed someone else to pick up a couple of wickets.

 

[Richard]

Insanely stupid from Broad, pitching short in this light.

It's about the only chance he has of dismissing half-decent batsmen with short crap, doing it when it's so dark they can barely see.

Either way, so, so hope that if we can knock them over nice and early tomorrow and it's sunny we don't go and be stupid and enforce the follow-on to let them have a chance of getting back in. Be ruthless, bat again and do the job properly - set them 600 and bury them.

 

[Richard]

There's more rain and cloud around today. If we knocked them over tonight I would have no hesitation but if it were early tomorrow and a clear day - with more iffy weather due Sunday and Monday - I'd be tempted to spend tomorrow in the middle and give us two weather-interrupted days to take the 10 wickets.

Yup, was precisely my thoughts before we came off this evo.

 

[Burgey]

How can they not understand why people might want test cricket in the evening? You can tell these guys don't have real jobs.

Agreed. But it's not much of a spectacle if the players can't see the ball.

If/ when they get a ball that holds up well under lights then they'll do it at the drop of a hat I think.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Hmm. I'd definitely enforce the follow-on.

Either way should work out fine for England, but I'm inclined to agree with what others have said - that Australia's best chance of somehow turning the match around is if they bat again tomorrow when conditions are good and bat exceptionally well, and set England a target. If England bat again, even if they bat poorly Australia are likely to have to chase 400+.

 

[pup11]

Shane Warne's teeth are absolutely ridiculous.

....And he isn't the only Victorian bowler to have ridiculous teeth

 

[Richard]

Good call, needed someone else to pick up a couple of wickets.

We could've really done with Anderson or Flintoff getting those two TBH, but there we are, can't win 'em all. Just hope Broad's presence for the rest of the series (which is now near-inevitable) doesn't cost too much.

 

[four_or_six]

Agreed. But it's not much of a spectacle if the players can't see the ball.

If/ when they get a ball that holds up well under lights then they'll do it at the drop of a hat I think.

Yep, agreed. I agree with all the reservations. It's just the way they're saying that just because the ground is full for an Ashes match, there's no reason to worry about the state of test cricket.

 

[four_or_six]

Go Nass.

 

[pup11]

Agreed. But it's not much of a spectacle if the players can't see the ball.

If/ when they get a ball that holds up well under lights then they'll do it at the drop of a hat I think.

I really can't see day/night tests being played, even if they change the colour of the ball, the moment ball does something under lights, both players and experts would start to whine.

 

[Burgey]

Yep, agreed. I agree with all the reservations. It's just the way they're saying that just because the ground is full for an Ashes match, there's no reason to worry about the state of test cricket.

Yeah but they're knobs for the most part. Tbf there's no way any international umpires were going to keep players out there in that light during a test.

Even more so when you've got the handkerchief sized sightscreen at one end so the ponces of the MCC don't miss seeing things.

 

[Uppercut]

Either way should work out fine for England, but I'm inclined to agree with what others have said - that Australia's best chance of somehow turning the match around is if they bat again tomorrow when conditions are good and bat exceptionally well, and set England a target. If England bat again, even if they bat poorly Australia are likely to have to chase 400+.

Well if England bat again, Australia could be bailed out by bad weather. They could collapse leaving Australia 350-odd to win, they could make an overly negative declaration and let Australia out of jail. The pitch won't get any harder to bat on, and I fancy England far more to take wickets when runs are an object to Australia. You can dangle the carrot of a 250 run target without actually risking losing the match. Even if Oz make 500ao, England are still massive favourites. You've got to trust yourself to restrict the opposition to less than 500.

On top of which, I really don't think Phil Hughes wants to bat again first thing tomorrow.

 

[pup11]

Is there any any rain predicted for tomorrow....

 

[Uppercut]

Is there any any rain predicted for tomorrow....

Yeah, in the afternoon.

 

[four_or_six]

Yeah but they're knobs for the most part. Tbf there's no way any international umpires were going to keep players out there in that light during a test.

Even more so when you've got the handkerchief sized sightscreen at one end so the ponces of the MCC don't miss seeing things.

Yeah, that's got to be the stupidest sightscreen in the world.

 

[four_or_six]

Is there any any rain predicted for tomorrow....

May be a shower in the afternoon, apparently.

 

[Burgey]

I really can't see day/night tests being played, even if they change the colour of the ball, the moment ball does something under lights, both players and experts would start to whine.

Yes, but their whining will be drowned out by the sound of all the Boards' cash registers ringing. They won't give a rat's about what players and experts think.

 

[pup11]

Well if England bat again, Australia could be bailed out by bad weather. They could collapse leaving Australia 350-odd to win, they could make an overly negative declaration and let Australia out of jail. The pitch won't get any harder to bat on, and I fancy England far more to take wickets when runs are an object to Australia. You can dangle the carrot of a 250 run target without actually risking losing the match. Even if Oz make 500ao, England are still massive favourites. You've got to trust yourself to restrict the opposition to less than 500.

On top of which, I really don't think Phil Hughes wants to bat again first thing tomorrow.

I still believe, Australia batting again in this game provides them with the best chance to get out of jail here, where as if England bat again, and set an astronomical target for Australia to chase, then they would just be trying to bat out time to save the test, which doesn't really go well with the way the Australian side plays, either way they need to bat their arses off to not lose this game now.

Anyways, Prince to score a double in the next innings....