*Official* Second Test at Lords

[Hoggy31]

South Africa 0/123 at tea, on top.

 

[tooextracool]

KP you are a complete gimp.

Thought about doing it twice! Just when you thought he couldn't outdo his dismissals from last test, KP giving us some evidence that he can.

 

[Richard]

South Africa 0/123 at tea, on top.

Pietersen's only just come in, even he can't get 123 that quickly.

 

[Burgey]

If a part-timer takes 6-34-1 he's done a far better job than if he takes 10-25-0. The most important thing against a part-timer is not to gift your wicket. As a rule, they're not generally good enough to get you out, so the only chance of a wicket is mistakes, which can often be induced by complacency.

And Pietersen was soooooooo bounced out by Hilfenhaus like that in the opening game of the 2006/07 tour. Thank &%$£ that fell in a gap. Wonder if Hilfenhaus is the type whose bouncer is tricky to pick-up?

Think he might be. His yorker seems the same.

Well batted Strauss I suppose.
Then again, we made it easy for him

Actually no, **** him.

 

[tooextracool]

Well Strauss needs to convert this to a big 100. Have to say one thing impressive about Strauss is his conversion rate, has more 100s than 50s in tests which is what you'd want from your players in test match cricket. Always believed that people with 50s should be criticised more than those who have scored single digits.

 

[91Jmay]

Got to ask, the England fans on here do realize we are 255/2 not 25/2 right?

The doom mongering comments are downright ridiculous.

We have our skipper 100* and our best player 22*, they are a bowler down and IMO two bowlers lite (its a 5 bowler track). Yes they will be almost a dead cert for 500+, but we are sitting very pretty to also do so.

Bit of faith guys.

 

[tooextracool]

Got to ask, the England fans on here do realize we are 255/2 not 25/2 right?

The doom mongering comments are downright ridiculous.

We have our skipper 100* and our best player 22*, they are a bowler down and IMO two bowlers lite (its a 5 bowler track). Yes they will be almost a dead cert for 500+, but we are sitting very pretty to also do so.

Bit of faith guys.

One would think given the Australian bowling we've seen today, which has to be one of the worst I have seen ever from an Australian side, 2 wickets in 2 sessions flatters them.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

I love Mark Waugh. English commentators have been talking up there players, albeit all there success has been against the West Indies and Waugh completely puts Bopara in his place. Called him a flattrack bully and called the West Indies attack poor.

What's happened to Pete Siddle? Don't remember seeing him bowl in that session. =/

 

[91Jmay]

Last i checked Harmy has figures of:
8 overs 7 maidens 1 run for 1 wicket for Durham

Guess its a different pitch to here then.

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't know why but England have a habit of making part timers look like world beaters. We treat them with too much respect.

I think North's slightly better than a part-timer these days. He bowled in every First Class game he played for WA last season, usually as their #1 spinner (don't remember if Heal actually played at all - he might've played one game) - often a fair few overs, too - and averaged under 35. No Australian spinner took as many wickets as him at a better average in the 2008/09 FC season and he played the role as their fifth bowler really well.

He's certainly not a frontline bowler but he's a bit above part-time status these days for mine, and I don't think England have made him look any better or any worse than he actually is.

 

[.matt]

I love Mark Waugh. English commentators have been talking up there players, albeit all there success has been against the West Indies and Waugh completely puts Bopara in his place. Called him a flattrack bully and called the West Indies attack poor.

What's happened to Pete Siddle? Don't remember seeing him bowl in that session. =/

Yeah he bowled earlier in the session but after a bit looked a little flat and tired. Was bowling just before Mitch came on for his second dig.

 

[pup11]

Think he might be. His yorker seems the same.

Well batted Strauss I suppose.
Then again, we made it easy for him

Actually no, **** him.

I think the fact that he uses variations like yorkers and bouncers sparingly is what makes these variations of his seem more effective, gotta say he has been seriously unlucky to not pick 3-4 wickets by now.

Anyways, very good knock from Strauss, the captain leading from the front, always sets a good example for the rest of the team to follow, but Australia have their work cut out here, we should come after tea, and really look to attack,and take a few quick wickets, because if England dominate the next session too, then they might just bat Australia out of this game.

 

[zaremba]

Got to ask, the England fans on here do realize we are 255/2 not 25/2 right?

The doom mongering comments are downright ridiculous.

We have our skipper 100* and our best player 22*, they are a bowler down and IMO two bowlers lite (its a 5 bowler track). Yes they will be almost a dead cert for 500+, but we are sitting very pretty to also do so.

Bit of faith guys.

I'm not an optimistic watcher. 5000 times bitten, 5001 times shy. Yes it's 255/2 but we have a ridiculous capacity for collapse and I'm concerned that we may throw away our opportunity just like we did at Cardiff. Now is the time to apply foot to jugular and we have never been good at doing that.

If we're out below 500 in this innings, it's a failure. If we get 650, we put the Crims under such pressure that we might force the win.

 

[.matt]

Last i checked Harmy has figures of:
8 overs 7 maidens 1 run for 1 wicket for Durham

Guess its a different pitch to here then.

Yeah, and in the meantime Sidebottom got hammered for 64 runs but picked up 4.

Edit: not hammered actually. Did bowl 28 overs lol so only went for 2.33. Fair effort.

 

[tooextracool]

I think North's slightly better than a part-timer these days. He bowled in every First Class game he played for WA last season, usually as their #1 spinner (don't remember if Heal actually played at all - he might've played one game) - often a fair few overs, too - and averaged under 35. No Australian spinner took as many wickets as him at a better average in the 2008/09 FC season and he played the role as their fifth bowler really well.

He's certainly not a frontline bowler but he's a bit above part-time status these days for mine, and I don't think England have made him look any better or any worse than he actually is.

Personally from what Ive seen, think Katich is a better option than North tbh. North for me is more Pietersen-esque, doesnt really give the ball a huge rip and has little variations in flight or drift.

 

[Richard]

I love Mark Waugh. English commentators have been talking up there players, albeit all there success has been against the West Indies and Waugh completely puts Bopara in his place. Called him a flattrack bully and called the West Indies attack poor.

Waugh was always a master of the brash, premature statement in his playing days and I'm not remotely surprised little has changed. Still waaaaaaay too early to be calling judgement on Bopara, and whichever party turns-out to be right about him has spoken out of turn nonetheless.

 

[tooextracool]

Yeah, and in the meantime Sidebottom got hammered for 64 runs but picked up 4.

Edit: not hammered actually. Did bowl 28 overs lol so only went for 2.33. Fair effort.

Strange, think he had 1/60 odd last evening. Interestingly enough harmison has 8-7-1-1

 

[Richard]

Got to ask, the England fans on here do realize we are 255/2 not 25/2 right?

The doom mongering comments are downright ridiculous.

We have our skipper 100* and our best player 22*, they are a bowler down and IMO two bowlers lite (its a 5 bowler track). Yes they will be almost a dead cert for 500+, but we are sitting very pretty to also do so.

Bit of faith guys.

On a pitch like this, it's only right to stop the doom-mongering once England have reached 400 for 3.

Until then we're still very much in the danger-zone. England fans who take an optimistic line are familiar with the team they support, right?

 

[pasag]

Jeez, just seen Hauritz's finger

 

[Pizzorno]

Got to ask, the England fans on here do realize we are 255/2 not 25/2 right?

The doom mongering comments are downright ridiculous.

We have our skipper 100* and our best player 22*, they are a bowler down and IMO two bowlers lite (its a 5 bowler track). Yes they will be almost a dead cert for 500+, but we are sitting very pretty to also do so.

Bit of faith guys.

I'm gonna go ahead and bore you with my philosophy on England;

We are England. We are good at losing. We can lose from any position because we are England. It's what we do, it's what all England teams do. We haven't won anything until it's finished. We are England. Never ever ever forget that. Ever.

Call me a pessimist but you know that's right. We are just brilliant at failure.