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

[RossTaylorsBox]

I think this is basically time wasting and trying to lower the scoring rate

They’ve give up on trying to bowl Australia out

Trying to delay the declaration for as long as possible

Bazball

 

[CartyDurham]

30 months

That long? 2 and a half years time? It usually sooner than that in the past ?

 

[CartyDurham]

Bazball

Spooked

 

[CartyDurham]

Well there you go. He won’t be around for that.

I’ve been told it’s 2 and a half years time. So definitely this is his last

At least he retires with more test wickets than any Australian seamer

 

[NZTailender]

Ultimately batting is about determining where a fast moving small object is and then predicting where it'll go, to be fair. That's more than just reflexes, there's an element of calculation and judgement in there too.

Yeah I oversimplified. There's a lot of things that happen in a split second and being able to figure out in that split second is more to do with practice than it is supernatural eyesight.

 

[Spark]

I’ve been told it’s 2 and a half years time. So definitely this is his last

At least he retires with more test wickets than any Australian seamer

Cue howls of disgust etc etc etc but it’s simply true

Alright I've had enough: cut out these shithouse snide comments at the end of every other post or it'll be infractions. Clearly polite asking isn't working so it'll be less polite demands now.

 

[CartyDurham]

I’ve just bought done new glasses if that helps the eyesight debate

Blind as a bat me

 

[CartyDurham]

Alright I've had enough: cut out these ****house snide comments at the end of every other post or it'll be infractions.

Every other post? First one today it’s only a joke

I apologise and won’t do it again

 

[Burgey]

Ponting talking about playing on synthetic wickets as a kid against men reminds me he went to the week long Tasmania under 16s carnival and made a hundred in every game - as a 12 year old. He also didn’t get out for two years in junior cricket so they actually changed the playing conditions to 50 and retire

 

[NZTailender]

It's not just about impaired vision v good vision. Vision isn't binary, as far as I'm aware at all levels it's on a spectrum (much like Steve Smith)

These are professional sportsmen, so you'd think they'd be getting eye tests (though Taylor not knowing for a while makes you wonder.

As someone with impaired eyesight I'm not going to pretend it doesn't make a difference. My eyes started going when I was about 9 and playing cricket at the time the ball would sometimes feel like it appeared out of nowhere. Except I knew something was wrong and got glasses.

So either Steve Smith has amazingly perfect eyesight and there's a huge swathe of players with some undiagnosed astigmatism, or maybe the ability to look like you have more time at the crease is a combination of factors and not some inherent physical advantage in one's eyes.

 

[TheJediBrah]

the ability to look like you have more time at the crease is a combination of factors and not some inherent physical advantage in one's eyes.

Of course it is

 

[GotSpin]

Ponting talking about playing on synthetic wickets as a kid against men reminds me he went to the week long Tasmania under 16s carnival and made a hundred in every game - as a 12 year old. He also didn’t get out for two years in junior cricket so they actually changed the playing conditions to 50 and retire

Didn’t he have to retire at 30 or something at junior level

Might have remembered incorrectly though

 

[CartyDurham]

I think it’s just that smith is an all time great and with all time greats they appear to play the game at a different pace then mere mortals

He’s just too good

 

[Calm_profit]

KP please just keep mouth shut

 

[Burgey]

Didn’t he have to retire at 30 or something at junior level

Might have remembered incorrectly though

I think that may have been what they brought in, you may be right though. He was such a prodigy, I remember him playing Shield at about 16 or 17 and Ian Chappell basically calling for him to get brought into the national set up straight away

 

[CartyDurham]

Anyone going to have a guess at what total Australia are looking for here and how much time they would need to bowl England out ?

 

[NZTailender]

Of course it is

It's also cocaine imo

 

[ataraxia]

You go short for a few overs maybe? But if it's not working try something else?

SPIKEY LIKE ALERT

I REPEAT, SPIKEY LIKE ALERT

 

[Alex0paul]

This is crap to watch

 

[Spark]

Not super surprised that's worked actually, he didn't look comfortable for the last half hour.