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

[straw man]

Then Harry Brook came in and was teeing off like it was a benefit match.

I'm lost for words - I've never seen anything like it.

Oddly only has four boundaries in his 46 despite this - hit the sweepers a lot?

 

[Bahnz]

My point above was that England were taking it on despite there being for the most part no short-leg nor slips. It’s a different situation if the fielding side are presenting a choice of risks.

There were no short legs or slips because England were taking it on. If every England batsman had approached Wagnerball in the manner Stokes did, then they would've received the same aggressive fieldsets that Stokes had.

 

[Spark]

I listened to from Duckett getting out through to close on TMS trying to navigate my way around Cheshire (lorry and car collision on the M56. No fatalities it seems so I don’t feel too bad about my indignance at the terrible journey). Maxwell was annoying as ****. I’ve usually enjoyed him but he just kept doing this American accent when talking about ‘Bazball’. Terrible

He's been past his prime for a few years alas. Turned very much into a grumpy old man.

 

[Spark]

Having a good game

Tbf his spell after tea, whilst it was... inconsistent... did very much change the tempo of the game. It was the first time the batsmen had looked remotely uncomfortable all innings.

The no balls is an issue though. As is the general sense that he's not always the best at dealing with mental setbacks.

Yeah. Root was the worst offender. He was out 3rd ball hooking, caught behind off his gloves off a no ball. Pope had already got out hooking.

Then Duckett got out hooking for 98. Root ducked about 2 bouncers then got out again hooking.

The Aussies had 3 or 4 fielders waiting for the mis timed hook and we just carried on hooking.

Then Harry Brook came in and was teeing off like it was a benefit match.

I'm lost for words - I've never seen anything like it.

Brook is very lucky that that full ball Green bowled wasn't like three inches to the off, because if he'd been castled playing that shot then the Telegraph may have been calling for his head on a spike, Bazball be damned.

 

[Qlder]

Just watched replay on 9 Now.

Eng in real trouble when Green had Pope and Root out in 4 balls. Pity it was a no ball, can't afford to do that to Root but luckily he only made another 9

 

[Burgey]

This is crazy watching, It's like everyone went bat**** ctazy for about an hour and a half or something.

Also, **** you Marnus you Smith wannabe. Shut up and just take your ****ing catches. That's straightforward at test level. He holds that and england would have been properly in the ****.

 

[Spark]

This is crazy watching, It's like everyone went bat**** ctazy for about an hour and a half or something.

Also, **** you Marnus you Smith wannabe. Shut up and just take your ****ing catches. That's straightforward at test level. He holds that and england would have been properly in the ****.

Do the highlights include like the ten or so times a ball was panned in the air but not timed well enough to quite reach the fielder? Because without those you really don't quite get a sense of just how odd that whole hour was.

 

[Shady Slim]

england needed to roll us for something less than 450 and then not themselves get gutterstomped to make a game of this and they've done that. really poised very brilliantly well, this match: a falter from england and a quick disposal this morning will see australia seize the initiative again but if they make a big fist of it then put us under pressure with the ball you never know!

 

[Burgey]

Doing a rewatch of the session so seeing a lot of it. Like wtaf was Duckett doing within sight of his ton? Brook was a lucky lad early on too.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised Aus stopped it after a set period of time. Against India they've burned themselves out doing it for hours on end.

So now both sides are going into the last three days on what looks like a pancake with no frontline spinner in either side. lol it's Keystone Cops stuff.

Also, any chance of England having to actually bat under properly heavy skies this series for any length of time?

 

[Son Of Coco]

Doing a rewatch of the session so seeing a lot of it. Like wtaf was Duckett doing within sight of his ton? Brook was a lucky lad early on too.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised Aus stopped it after a set period of time. Against India they've burned themselves out doing it for hours on end.

So now both sides are going into the last three days on what looks like a pancake with no frontline spinner in either side. lol it's Keystone Cops stuff.

Also, any chance of England having to actually bat under properly heavy skies this series for any length of time?

The way things have gone so far, we will bat again under cloudy skies and watch the ball go sideways.

 

[Starfighter]

Also, any chance of England having to actually bat under properly heavy skies this series for any length of time?

Evidently not.

 

[Adders]

Also, any chance of England having to actually bat under properly heavy skies this series for any length of time?

Evidently not.

Remember boxing day 2010 when Aus got skittled for 98 under dreary overcast Melbourne skies.......then Cook and Strauss walked out to bat in blazing sunshine and finished the day 150/0. ****ing funny wasn't it?

 

[greg]

There were no short legs or slips because England were taking it on. If every England batsman had approached Wagnerball in the manner Stokes did, then they would've received the same aggressive fieldsets that Stokes had.

Chicken and egg.

The extreme field change combined with bouncer barrage was the trigger not the response.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Remember boxing day 2010 when Aus got skittled for 98 under dreary overcast Melbourne skies.......then Cook and Strauss walked out to bat in blazing sunshine and finished the day 150/0. ****ing funny wasn't it?

This feeds into my conspiracy theory that the UK actually controls the world's weather systems. The fact they make it rain on themselves so frequently when away from the cricket pitch is either a devious plot to cover it all up, or evidence of a deep-seated self loathing.

 

[honestbharani]

This feeds into my conspiracy theory that the UK actually controls the world's weather systems. The fact they make it rain on themselves so frequently when away from the cricket pitch is either a devious plot to cover it all up, or evidence of a deep-seated self loathing.

The Lords test against India in 2018 was the same. You must be on to something.

As was @Shri when he spoke about how England are cloud seeding or whatever.

 

[greg]

This feeds into my conspiracy theory that the UK actually controls the world's weather systems. The fact they make it rain on themselves so frequently when away from the cricket pitch is either a devious plot to cover it all up, or evidence of a deep-seated self loathing.

I was at Lords yesterday. In 35 years of playing or watching cricket I can’t offhand recall a time when the weather forecast a day out was so wrong. At 4pm the preceding day I was basically resigned to spending the entire day staring at rain. Even at 8am the prospect of play until mid afternoon (based on the BBC forecast) was pretty bleak.

 

[straw man]

Do the highlights include like the ten or so times a ball was panned in the air but not timed well enough to quite reach the fielder? Because without those you really don't quite get a sense of just how odd that whole hour was.

The ECB highlights (which I do still like) didn't include any of that or the no-ball wicket. Half the time they don't include dropped catches either e.g. Bairstow's misses first test, though fortunately did include the Marnus one here. They seem to take HIGHlights literally - dammit we want the lowlights too.

 

[Spark]

The ECB highlights (which I do still like) didn't include any of that or the no-ball wicket. Half the time they don't include dropped catches either e.g. Bairstow's misses first test, though fortunately did include the Marnus one here. They seem to take HIGHlights literally - dammit we want the lowlights too.

Oh I complained about the ECB highlights yesterday - they're genuinely incompetent, whoever is doing those. The WWOS highlights are a lot better, thankfully.

 

[greg]

Ah but Duckett said just now that if they had ducked then the Aussies would have won! 2nd arrogant interview of the evening. Pig-headedly inflexible.

It’s just a very strange comment (if accurately quoted) given what happened. I know that the mantra from the management is about how they are trying to reduce the “fear” factor to allow the players to at (and bowl) with freedom. But the end objective is still that this will bring better actual results (I think...). But even if justifying the approach for its longer term effect, it still has to be conceded that in the short period of that hour there was only one winner. I wonder if anyone asked Duckett if he thought that Stokes’ batting indicated that he had conceded “defeat” after the “win” that had preceded him?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Be interesting to see if Aus replace Lyon with Murphy or just bring in Neser and follow England's 5 quick policy

Starc is just a left arm Brett Lee and no one's going to convince me otherwise. Amazes me he somehow always manages to maintain that ~27 average.

Bullying tail enders. Incredibly frustrating that he keeps getting selected, especially in conditions like this