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*Official* Second Test at Lords

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
16 times in the last 30 years... that's one innings every couple of seasons. I really don't think it's that easy to get 600 against any reasonably decent attack, which this one is... even if it's not fantastic.
They have not bowled remotely decently today, they've bowled dreadfully - with a couple of good-'uns to dismiss Pietersen and Prior chucked in there.

Also, despite the fact that there are few properly seam\spin-friendly decks around at the present time, this is still even easier to bat on than normal. And the outfield is very fast.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Forgotten about how much Strauss loves this ground. Well played to him, played to his strengths as usual even if Australia helped him out considerably with that. Strauss is one of the worst players to let get settled because invariably he scores a 100.
Yeah, for all his technical problems that get him in trouble between 0 and 40, he really has awesome powers of concentration and applies himself brilliantly when he has his eye in.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Warne is a good commentator, love listening to him.

Great captains knock by Strauss,
kept out the good balls and gave the bad ones (which were plentiful at times) a good whack to the boundary. Lets get the lower order out quickly, want to be batting early tomorrow to have a shot with the rain forcast.
Was it really? Or was it just a good knock by an opening bat who just so happens has the C beside his name. I'm thinking the latter, he's been dropped 3 times..
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
They have not bowled remotely decently today, they've bowled dreadfully.

Also, despite the fact that there are few properly seam\spin-friendly decks around at the present time, this is still even easier to bat on than normal. And the outfield is very fast.
Okay... I didn't realise they were that dreadful. From the written commentary and the bit of radio I've heard I got the impression that some of the wickets were good balls.
 

.matt

School Boy/Girl Captain
Was it really? Or was it just a good knock by an opening bat who just so happens has the C beside his name. I'm thinking the latter, he's been dropped 3 times..
Yeah he's been dropped a few times but it's a decent captains knock really when you look at how everyone fell around him. Kept his cool well.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Yeah, for all his technical problems that get him in trouble between 0 and 40, he really has awesome powers of concentration and applies himself brilliantly when he has his eye in.
This is true. Think bowlers for whatever reason fail to bowl full and straight enough to him early on and once hes well set it really is too late for it. Australia for some reason have fallen into the rather ludicrous trap of trying to bounce him out, which really is not likely to work anytime soon.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Okay... I didn't realise they were that dreadful. From the written commentary and the bit of radio I've heard I got the impression that some of the wickets were good balls.
Pietersen and Prior were - and Bopara's in fairness was hard to avoid if fortuitious (it was an intended outswinger that didn't swing and looked like a genius piece of setting-up).

But there's been a hell of a lot of rubbish bowled today, not a little of which has been hit straight to fielders (especially as the day has gone on). And Cook and Collingwood just plain gave away their wickets. Flintoff didn't particularly give it away but nor was it taken from him. And as I say Strauss has scored a 150-odd where he should've been out 3 times, which is OK though far from outstanding.

Really good batting and we'd have ended-up 400 for 4 or so. But of course, to expect such a thing from England is usually to expect too much.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Congrats on the 5000 Test runs Strauss, well played.

Annoyed that no third man still particulary to Strauss.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
This is true. Think bowlers for whatever reason fail to bowl full and straight enough to him early on and once hes well set it really is too late for it. Australia for some reason have fallen into the rather ludicrous trap of trying to bounce him out, which really is not likely to work anytime soon.
I actually think the full-and-straight thing tends to work a lot better against Strauss when he's in the 20s and 30s than right at the start of his innings. Since his recall he's generally just put the drive away until he hits about 20 - this is the ideal time to really try to get him coming forward, IMO.

I'd be quite interested to see his 20s to 50s conversation rate. I might look it up myself, actually - I have a feeling it'd be quite poor.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
I actually think the full-and-straight thing tends to work a lot better against Strauss when he's in the 20s and 30s than right at the start of his innings. Since his recall he's generally just put the drive away until he hits about 20 - this is the ideal time to really try to get him coming forward, IMO.

I'd be quite interested to see his 20s to 50s conversation rate. I might look it up myself, actually - I have a feeling it'd be quite poor.
Think most people would have a pretty poor 20s to 50s conversion rate because they are not quite set at 20. Strauss is even more likely to have that because he usually converts 50s to 100s.

Regarding the full ball, he cant really put the drive away if you pitch it up on the stumps and make him play at it. Maybe he might not go out for a out and out drive but at least if you bowl it full and make him play at it, you are far more likely to get him out than if you bowl short of a length outside the off stump or if you try to get him out pulling IMO (which is best used as a shock ball).
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Think most people would have a pretty poor 20s to 50s conversion rate because they are not quite set at 20. Strauss is even more likely to have that because he usually converts 50s to 100s.
I meant 20s to scores of 50 or more, rather than literal 50s. Also meant comparatively to other players and not comparatively to his 50s-100s conversation rate.

I'll make a post on it later if the results are in any way interesting. :p
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Regarding the full ball, he cant really put the drive away if you pitch it up on the stumps and make him play at it. Maybe he might not go out for a out and out drive but at least if you bowl it full and make him play at it, you are far more likely to get him out than if you bowl short of a length outside the off stump or if you try to get him out pulling IMO (which is best used as a shock ball).
That applies to all batsmen though really. The batsman who it is not a good idea to pitch it up, attack the stumps and look to swing it, and more early doors than ever, is exceptionally rare.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
tooextracool said:
Regarding the full ball, he cant really put the drive away if you pitch it up on the stumps and make him play at it. Maybe he might not go out for a out and out drive but at least if you bowl it full and make him play at it, you are far more likely to get him out than if you bowl short of a length outside the off stump or if you try to get him out pulling IMO (which is best used as a shock ball).
Yeah, of course. Bowling full and straight to Strauss is generally a good idea at any stage of his innings. I wasn't trying to suggest otherwise; merely that the problem seems to be exaggerated for him in the 20s and 30s as he isn't quite set and begins driving anyway.
 

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Pietersen and Prior were - and Bopara's in fairness was hard to avoid if fortuitious (it was an intended outswinger that didn't swing and looked like a genius piece of setting-up).

But there's been a hell of a lot of rubbish bowled today, not a little of which has been hit straight to fielders (especially as the day has gone on). And Cook and Collingwood just plain gave away their wickets. Flintoff didn't particularly give it away but nor was it taken from him. And as I say Strauss has scored a 150-odd where he should've been out 3 times, which is OK though far from outstanding.

Really good batting and we'd have ended-up 400 for 4 or so. But of course, to expect such a thing from England is usually to expect too much.
I don't agree with this. Cook was beaten for pace, which can happen when you bowl 90mph+, even if inaccurately. Bopara's was a fantastic piece of setting up, Hilfenhaus knows every ball won't swing so you've got to give him credit when a batsman gets out playing for it. KP and Prior got awesome balls, and Flintoff's was a pretty decent one too. Only Collingwood threw his wicket away.

Australia have been reasonable today. Too many four-balls, especially from Midge, but plenty of wicket-taking deliveries too.
 

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