I was hearing that the wicket at Lords tends to get more benign as the game goes on (i know they're hoping the current weather will cause it to crack up).

I do worry that if the Aussies skittle England out cheaply, there will be some "mental integration" - giving the Aussies hope and resolve with plenty of time to make a score.

You and me both. It's hard to believe the Aussies are as bad as they seem; surely they will pull it together at some point...

I have been listening on the radio whilst at work not a dedicated cricket fan but love the ashes just gutted its not on normal tv anymore.
Still got some of the rules to get to grips with follow on etc. and a few terms square leg short leg but I don't mind i will get it one day! we are doing well compared to the Aussies and that's all that matters
Its funny how the Aussies go a bit quiet when they are playing so badly!
we have some friends in Caloundra and Beerwah Queensland and I have not heard a peek out if them yet! Hopefully it will stay that way.

It would be nice for Joe Root to make a few runs this morning. I'm sure that Proccy will get to see some cricket tomorrow, and hopefully he will get to see the finish!

Truly woeful batting performance by Australia yesterday, although I'm not surprised given how weak our top order is. Hopefully our bowlers can do the job today and give our batsmen a second chance to pull off an unlikely victory. If England go 2-0 up then it's curtains for Aus in this series.

So now we have 230-4 Who was worried?


Aussies out for the count and Ian Bell is at last, showing the promise and faith others have had in him. Chapeau Sir for sticking one to me. Question is when do we declare? I rekon they will wait to see if Bell gets a ton.

Well, what do the next 8 tests hold for the Australians? I can't believe they will have such a combination of ineptitude and bad luck in every game. Test Cricket lasts 5 days (in theory), but a match can turn on any incident at any moment.
It does seem that when things are against you, everything goes against you, as the Aussies got on the wrong end of most of the poor decisions this game.

England would probably still have won handsomely, but it can't help the tourists' will to make a fight of it.

Joe Root; just imagine if he fulfils all his potential...

Another bonus in this game was that we didn't have to overbowl Anderson; I don't think Finn will be getting back in the side too soon. Also, as Pietersen is injured (and has hardly been on fire), we might get to blood Compton...

Result all round!

Tables turned from all those occasions England were walloped by Windies and Aussie. Tough that the latter are going through such a bad patch but, things come round and Warne/McGrath plus a number of decent batters couldn't last for ever. If Oz hadn't burnt their boats with Katich he could have been pulled in as a fighter and as someone who played spin.

No chance of that though and neither will Compton get a recall as they're not going to shift Root from opening. At 2-0 up England could afford to blood a new player as an alternative to recalling Morgan for example. Bopara is unlikely IMO, a better one-dayer than test player temperamentally. Then there was a wee guy tried out a couple of years ago - Taylor was it?....

Bresnan did well and will likely keep Finn out.

Aussie needs to give Watson a stern talking to

What a great day at Lords yesterday, even a non-cricket fanatic like me enjoyed a spectacular day's sport in stunning surroundings with good mates and great beer!!! The cricket was ok too.......

Met some old timers wandering around the grounds, like Tuffers,Glenn McGrath, Merv Hughes (ignorant git)and a few faces i recognised but couldn't name....i guess 16 pints of stout does that to you

If KP is not fit I agree with the Honourable Member from Edinburgh - James Taylor should be the next cab off the rank as he is a fine young player making runs in county cricket. If the answer is Morgan I think we are asking the wrong question. Although he is not a spring chicken Michael Carberry is in the form of his life and also another left-hander. He batted beautifully at Canterbury last week although the pitch was an absolute road.

Lehmann ought to make Shane Watson bat without pads which might concentrate his mind on his technique..... If the pitch at Old Trafford lives up to expectations maybe Lyon will get a game. Agar and Smith are promising but not Test class. I might wander down to Hove on Friday to watch the Aussies suffer some more....

The stats on yesterdays match were amazing, in reality England need only have scored 4 runs in the 2nd innings and still have won. Good decision to not enforce the follow on IMHO. The weather was going to hold and it gave the batsmen a chance to perform, and Root and Bell did not disappoint. To win the game in the last over was fantastic too.

The analysis on thee Aussie team seems to have them written off, I won't be happy till we have another win.

Can't think what might have pi55ed off the ultra-combative, pom-hating Merv Hughes. Maybe the beer was warm...? I'm quite surprised he wasn't charging round taking a swing at anyone not wearing gold and green!

I suppose you're right about Compton, Edinburgh, but it's a shame. Not that I would necessarily shift Root - he does seem to be reasonably good at opening after all...

Proccy.... Lords Cricket Ground..... never thought I'd see these words in the same sentence. You must be loaded mate at £5 a pint (unless you weren't paying). Nice to know there was an old convict reunion.

Pleased you had a good day!

Tim

^
^
Jealous

Takes one to know.....

Jim, the only circs I could see Compton being recalled are if Trott gets run over by one of Blower's buses. He is as obdurate and would be a stamina man for the rest of the batters. Shame really as he seems to have the calibre but is unlucky with his timing.

As for the DRS it was getting to be a PITA throughout this match and in its present state I can't see it getting any better. The players should be thinking more about the game than when to challenge or not. Whilst I agree with Tuffers that it's been introduced to make the decisions more accurate and to "eliminate" the howler, after all reviews have been exhausted that possibility still exists!

So? One review only may make each team be more circumspect but doesn't cover two or more howlers:-
six reviews would be a nightmare
And the on-field umpires days could well be numbered.

I think you're right about Compton; not an obvious way to slot him into the middle order. As you say, shame about the timing. Wait, maybe one of his ancestors once got, er, relocated to Australia. Possibly he could play in the Ashes after all...!

The DRS has played too large a part in the series so far. It is still new technology and - as with T20 - it is taking time for teams and umpires to work out how best to use it.

I think the on-field umpires are never going to be replaced, although as the technology improves, the basis for their decisions may be biased further away from their own senses. Surely the third umpire should automatically intervene to prevent the "howler" rather than allowing a team with no reviews remaining to suffer an injustice that is plain for all to see. I'm looking at you, Stuart.

On the other hand, once all the teams lose their naivety about allowing passion and emotion to vote to review, it should all calm down. You will obviously get more spaculative reviews at the death of a match if a team has them remaining, but I don't think that really makes too much of a dent in the match overall.

Maybe there should only be 1 review, but if a decision is so close that it remains the on-field umpire's call, even though the review is technically correct, then the reviewing side should not lose their review, just not get the decision.

.... and on to Manchester. Unless Pietersen is unfit and Taylor plays I expect England to keep the same side. Personally I would leave out Bresnan and play Tremlett, but I don't think it will happen. The Aussies will meet up in a Manchester pub tomorrow night (Joe Root keep away as Warner is back) and draw straws....

The weather forecast is rubbish after the first two days, so the draw at 9/4 looks a pretty decent bet

I think that pretty much sums it up. I'd be inclined to play Taylor for Pietersen; KP has failed to perform in this series and how many times have we seen him get picked when carrying an injury and underwhelm?
If the forecast was better I'd pick Monty for Bresnan, but if not, I think I'd stick with Brezza. He's got the big match temperament. Not that I don't like Tremlett - how could he fail to be intimidating, it's like being bowled at by a bungalow at motorway speeds.
With Cook's captaincy, I don't think England will attempt to force a win in limited time, they'll just try to squeeze the Aussies into making mistakes - after all they have to chase every game.

Good toss to lose or bat first whatever?

Agreed on Monty - his favourite Test hunting ground, although the preponderance of lefties in the Aussie batting order would render him less effective. It will be a good toss to win and bat - if it does stay dry it will turn and bounce from day one (and I will lose some money )...

I think the scenario England will hope to avoid will be the Aussies batting first and going after the bowlers. If it comes off, they could post a difficult total (maybe even as little as 250) and then put England under pressure on a degrading pitch.

Should be entertaining when it's not raining...!

I can't see an Aussie total of 250 putting England under pressure. Cook and Trott (and Pieterson if he plays) owe England a few runs and I think they will deliver this time round. With Pattinson missing Harris provides the only real threat and Lyon (who really ought to play) will only do a holding role.

Oh well, let's see in a couple of days time....

We'll see as you say. I know 250 doesn't sound daunting, but in a rain-affected game and with a rapidly deteriorating pitch it could be enough to sow seeds of doubt in England's mind.

Mind you, all the talk on the subject of poor Aussie batting centres on them being too T20 in their approach and trying to take on the bowlers, so perhaps they will change their approach and grind out a total. Not ideal for them when it's a must-win.

So Australia win the toss and elect to bat, which given Headingleys reputation is a good decision. All rests on them getting a good first innings score and then watching England struggle on a deteriorating pitch.

Three changes to the Aussie team and an England side unchanged from the last test. Peterson now fit it appears.

Old Trafford too, it seems...!

Aussie getting a good start (which they are due), so maybe we will see a different kind of match.

It would be good if England's top order could perform as well, especially Pietersen, who I'm beginning to think is only getting picked because the Australians claim to think he's useful...

I'd rather have blooded Taylor, but there you go. If Pietersen fails with the bat again, I really think we should drop him.

Could be significant that Australia won the toss.

Fairly equal first session, I'd say. Australia will feel aggrieved at Khawaja's wicket - why have a review system if it doesn't correct mistakes. There was no apparent edge, so he should not have been given out. For him to be then given out again seems to defy logic.

The problem is that DRS overall works pretty well, so to have so many failures of common sense by the operators will just add grist to its opponents' mill. England seem to have worked out how to use DRS, so surely the third umpire can as well...

Looks like a good batting wicket (today), so Australia will want to set a decent total. England will be encouraged to get 2 wickets.

Bring on session 2!

The draw is now odds-on. Hate to say this but Bresnan was by far the best bowler today. Anderson and Broad looked utterly shot when they took the new ball; thankfully not for long.

The umpires and DRS were shown again to be very poor. Hot Spot looks to be rubbish - the sooner that Snicko can be used (evidently in Oz this winter) the better. Khawaja was not out and Smith appeared to edge his ball comfortably just on the evidence of the noise. The decision not to give Smith out lbw by Broad was inexplicable.

Just pleased I got on the draw at 5/2!!

Well, it's more or less the situation I described above, although Australia are set pretty fair to post a daunting score.

Knowing they have to win and will face both England and the weather, I imagine they will go all out to add another 150 before lunch then try to get stuck into England, who will have to dig in.

If England can hold their nerve and not throw away their wickets then the draw is favourite (with the aid of some rain). Otherwise, Australia are in with a very good shout of a win.

Superb captain's innings from Clarke. Maybe they can make a series of it...?

Some were saying Aus would bat all day and go for 650-700 and hope to only bat once, but it looks like they are going for the slog now. Hopefully England can get the rest out for under 500.

Then we'll find out a bit more about our top order's ability under pressure. On current form, it may come down - once again - to Mister Bell!

Right, here we go...

527-7 dec. England need 328 to avoid the follow-on and will face a good 25 overs tonight.

Still confident about that draw, Tim...?!

Why on earth did Bresnan walk off when he missed the ball by three inches? Maybe he thought he was given out lbw.....

Still quietly confident about my draw, but a bet is always a bet! The current odds are 4-6