The Second Investec Ashes Test, England v Australia, Lords

[Simster]

I'm not even convinced Compton is a test batsman to be honest, well certainly not good enough to get into this team.

On another note, how poor has Ashton Agar been? He hasn't looked remotely like taking wickets in this innings, except the very occasional ball that bounces strangely out of the rough. Hopefully he'll be dining out on his 98 for the rest of the series, and picked for all the remaining games.

 

[Questions]

Excellent piece of homework Springy, next weeks homework is for you to research the innings when he is out in single figures sweeping from outside off stump/ or pulling to midwicket. Should be plenty for you to find. On a personal note, suggesting someone being dropped from any team is not childish.

Having carefully studied all the statistics concerning the fors and againsts over KP I have come down to the fact that he is a annoying, selfish, wanky knob of a South African and so I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep if he ****ed off back to Natal.

 

[Simster]

Having carefully studied all the statistics concerning the fors and againsts over KP I have come down to the fact that he is a annoying, selfish, wanky knob of a South African and so I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep if he ****ed off back to Natal.

I make your assessment of him just about right. However, he remains one of the most talented batsmen in the world.

 

[hybrid_x]

very strange we did not put them in bat for a few overs tonight......anyone got a good reason for this?

 

[Simster]

very strange we did not put them in bat for a few overs tonight......anyone got a good reason for this?

Joe Root's double century?

 

[Frutos]

I ask this as a bit of a cricket novice - why the HELL are we still batting?

They aren't going to chase this down in 2 days, and we're surely only lessening the time we have to bowl them out? Am I missing something?

 

[spring hall convert]

Having carefully studied all the statistics concerning the fors and againsts over KP I have come down to the fact that he is a annoying, selfish, wanky knob of a South African and so I wouldn't lose a minutes sleep if he ****ed off back to Natal.

And that's my point. Have something personal against him by all means, that's your prerogative but you shouldn't let it cloud your judgement of both his ability & achievements.

 

[spring hall convert]

I ask this as a bit of a cricket novice - why the HELL are we still batting?

They aren't going to chase this down in 2 days, and we're surely only lessening the time we have to bowl them out? Am I missing something?

A bit of batting practice, wear the bowlers out and make them look stupid in the field in what was a very uncomfortable day for them.

Personally I would have made them follow on.

 

[hybrid_x]

I ask this as a bit of a cricket novice - why the HELL are we still batting?

They aren't going to chase this down in 2 days, and we're surely only lessening the time we have to bowl them out? Am I missing something?

totally with you on this.....and i just read we will bat for 10 mins tomorrow. massive risk of a draw......and they will never get 350, let alone 500.....i am confused.

 

[big nuts]

Well done Joe Root absolutely brilliant innings, and I can see us batting for an additional 10 overs to hopefully see him through to 200. Roughly 168 overs to bowl them out also gives us the benefit of using 3 new balls during the innings if required.

I can see Swann bowling a lot of overs whilst we rotate the seamers from the other end. I can't see Australia taking this into the 5th day personally.

Not enforcing the follow on was definitely the right thing to do, this must have been one of the most depressing, morale sapping days in Australian cricket for quite some time. And one I took great pleasure in watching.

 

[Frutos]

A bit of batting practice, wear the bowlers out and make them look stupid in the field in what was a very uncomfortable day for them.

Balls to that, we have a match to win.

If, somehow, the Aussies manage to bat out whatever time we give them, there will be much egg on face for whoever has decided this.

 

[Simster]

I ask this as a bit of a cricket novice - why the HELL are we still batting?

They aren't going to chase this down in 2 days, and we're surely only lessening the time we have to bowl them out? Am I missing something?

Theoretically, 566 is gettable in two games, but nevertheless pretty much unheard of. I think they'll bat an hour tomorrow, let Root make his 200 if he can, and then have the best part of two days to bowl them out.

The reason they are still batting is that the pitch gets worse with every passing hour so harder to bat on.

 

[stss30]

I can fully understand why we have continued batting. It gives our middle order more confidence, demoralizes the Aussies even more and because there is no risk of rain we still have virtually two full days to take 10 wickets on a wearing pitch.

 

[spring hall convert]

Balls to that, we have a match to win.

If, somehow, the Aussies manage to bat out whatever time we give them, there will be much egg on face for whoever has decided this.

Don't get me wrong I agree with you. It's just you asked for reasons, I suspect those are the reasons.

 

[Frutos]

Don't get me wrong I agree with you. It's just you asked for reasons, I suspect those are the reasons.

Fully understood.

 

[big nuts]

totally with you on this.....and i just read we will bat for 10 mins tomorrow. massive risk of a draw......and they will never get 350, let alone 500.....i am confused.

Not really if we had of declared 15 overs before the close to have a dart at them, they would have needed around 485 to win with just under 200 overs to do it in. I appreciate the chance of that happening is miniscule but so to is a completely disheartened team having to bat for 5 and a half session/170 overs.

I agree with the decision, completely bat them out of the game. As I mentioned above this must have been one of the most morale sapping days in Australian cricket.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Balls to that, we have a match to win.

If, somehow, the Aussies manage to bat out whatever time we give them, there will be much egg on face for whoever has decided this.

I wouldn't panic too much. There are a minimum of 180 overs left in the game. Australia's first innings lasted 53.3 on a far, far easier pitch than they'll be contending with second time round.

 

[Beach Hut]

Amazing 16 wickets one day then the next only 2, magnificent from Root

 

[hybrid_x]

the most demoralising thing for them is to be 0-2 down and have had to follow on.

this sounds like in football : dont score when you have an open goal, keep the ball and demoralise them, then make sure our guy on 2 goals has a chance for a hat trick.


but the pitch seems to be the reason so i get it.

after all this debate, we will probably skittle them in 1 hour for 30 runs.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I can fully understand why we have continued batting. It gives our middle order more confidence, demoralizes the Aussies even more and because there is no risk of rain we still have virtually two full days to take 10 wickets on a wearing pitch.

This.

Swann will wipe out any team on this pitch, he only needs a day. Let's get the lead up over 600 for the fun of it. I'd like to see Prior given a chance tomorrow to try and find some form.