Harsh.
Would've been gutted if something like that had happened to Colly last week.
Would've been gutted if something like that had happened to Colly last week.
England v Australia - Second Ashes Test - Lord's
- Thread starter gaffs
- Start date
The sky feed showed a replay with that hotspot technology. Bat hit the ground. Couldn't see any edge.
I wish they'd play Panesar instead of Swann. Swann's a boring cnut.
Hussey should have gone earlier but didn't, now he has when he shouldn't.
No?
No?
I'd play Rashid ahead of Monty and Swann
Swann's been far and away our best spinner for the last year, not showing his true potential presently granted.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeees
It's wrapped up alright.
it's reversing.
you reckon we can win it by end of the day? im back to work tomorrow after 2 weeks off, so wont be able to watch it
if we are to win it today early wicket needed but i suspect we will win just before lunch tomorrow.
I think so there is still 49 overs left today problem is the light and rain.
they are going nicely at the moment
For today the forecast was heavy showers with the weather improving on Monday. I don't rule out the possiblity of heavy showers tomorrow washing the final day out.
Brilliant from Clarke.
We could really do with a wicket here, they're getting far to close for my liking.
Aye, squeaky bum time
Aussies take the light looks it for the day not such a bad thing for England could do with a break. Going to be another great final day the Aussies can get 200 but England could easily get the 5 wickets lets hope it doesn't rain.
Frustrating end to the day, still a brilliant position for England. They're 5 down needing over 200, it's still highly unlikely. Great effort though, and they'll be smashing records if they did chase it
Another problem with rejecting the follow on of course, we still have 4 wickets left when we declared in that 2nd innings. If the worst happened, those might have been 4 very precious wickets...
Another problem with rejecting the follow on of course, we still have 4 wickets left when we declared in that 2nd innings. If the worst happened, those might have been 4 very precious wickets...
As unlikely as it is, if they score another ton without losing any wickets, it's game on. Aussies were unlucky today, imagine if the decision didn't go England's way. But that's cricket. I still can't see them scoring 522, mind you, the game has changed, in the old days this type of score was unheard of in the final innings - but thanks to flat dead wickets, anything's possible.
It's going to be nervy thats for sure.
Ay true. But then virtually again any last innings run chase is gunna be 'if they score another ton without losing any wickets, it's game on'. As things stand it's still heavily in Englands favour. Lose an early wicket tomorrow and the tail needs to score 200...
Pretty mental they even have a shout mind
Yes, but they went from 120 odd for 5 to 320 odd for 5. That's a stand of around 200 - based on the wicket and what we saw today, there's no reason they can't put on another 100. Having said that, I doubt it'll happen. The bowlers will be fresh in the morning and the batsmen will have to get into their grove, again.
Am I the only one who thought we should have added a bit more to our total before declaration? The rain is a possible problem BUT if we lose this, we'll be a laughing stock (not that we're not already).
Had a look at the stats, the highest 4th innings total (excluding timeless tests, England once made 654 to draw vs Safrica in 1939 3rd March - 14th March 
) was in defeat, and made by New Zealand against England, 451 they made
Would you believe the top 4 4th innings scores were all made in defeat?
418 West Indies hold the record for a successful chase. Australia would have to knock another 100+ on that
) was in defeat, and made by New Zealand against England, 451 they madeWould you believe the top 4 4th innings scores were all made in defeat?
418 West Indies hold the record for a successful chase. Australia would have to knock another 100+ on that
We'll be fine.
Us English are far too pessmistic.
Particularly regarding the Ashes, seen it all before
And i'm only 17.
Us English are far too pessmistic.
Particularly regarding the Ashes, seen it all before
And i'm only 17.
Yep.
Had a look at the stats, the highest 4th innings total (excluding timeless tests, England once made 654 to draw vs Safrica in 1939 3rd March - 14th March
Would you believe the top 4 4th innings scores were all made in defeat?
418 West Indies hold the record for a successful chase. Australia would have to knock another 100+ on that
I've been checking the highest fourth innings totals - and the majority of them were scored post 2002. That's insane, and shows us how the game has changed. It's only a matter of time when a team scores 500 in the final innings.
http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/222199.html
Maybe, there's quite a few innings from the 70's there too, especially in the top 10
Would you not put it more down to how quickly teams are scoring rather than the state of the pitches? A trend you can imagine getting even more pronounced with Twenty20 and the one day game dying on its arse
Well, I think it's more to do with the wickets, Brad. Batsmen love the pitches with a true bounce and carry - they also love flat tracks. I have a bit of theory. The reason why we're seeing flat pitches is because sponsors want test matches to last five days. We had plenty of cloud cover today - yet we didn't see any demons in the pitch. I think we saw England play on a bit of a green top, last year - and the batsmen struggled. Which is mental, because English batsmen played seaming pitches as well as anyone - due to the nature of the pitches in this country. During the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, teams used to play on uncovered pitches and they were much harder to bat on - pitches would turn and seam. I'm not too sure about this, but I think you'll find more batsmen with averages over 50 than in the pre 90s. If true, I think that'll speak volumes.
If a team doesn't defend 522 in the 4th innings, it doesn't deserve to win. The timing of the declaration and all that shouldn't matter. 522 is a ridiculously high score.
If the Aussies chase this down, England will never declare again. Couldn't defend 384 in Chennai.
It's a very tough ask but you have 2 good batsmen at the crease. If they put another 100 between them, could be real trouble for England. The Aussie tail can wag a bit. Especially Mitchell Johnson.
It's a BIG ask, though. They might fold for 50 runs or so tomorrow. I can see them going all the way, though.
the ball is still newish. i expect england to come out all guns blazing in the morning. it'll be all over by lunchtime. 1-0. lets hope for dry, but slightly overcast conditions. perfect for jimmy anderson to mop these feckers up.
209 required, with 5 wickets in hand..
I would laugh my ass off if Aussies pull this one and win it!
However obviously England are still favs with only 5 wickets required, and on a 5th day pitch, you'd expect them to surely get them?
Ball still is relatively new as well, so hopefully that should help England?
I would laugh my ass off if Aussies pull this one and win it!
However obviously England are still favs with only 5 wickets required, and on a 5th day pitch, you'd expect them to surely get them?
Ball still is relatively new as well, so hopefully that should help England?
They still should win it but they're at risk of a draw through the weather or even a defeat, both of which were much less likely if they'd enforced the follow on.
Forcing the follow-on was a terrible decision seeing the wicket was likely to remain flat for the duration of the match. I can't imagine what the scenario would have been had England not been so lucky with three decisions today.
how so?
If they had enforced the follow on, Aussies would perhaps have racked up another 300/400 runs before England bowled them out (obviously making massive assumptions here)..
that would leave England with a 200 run or so target on a day 5 pitch, with pressure to get runs quickly..
It would have been highly unlikely that Aussies would have tumbled as they did in their first innings....
Not to mention the England bowlers would probably have been fatigued and tired a bit?
Not following on I feel was a good decision, and has given Australia a massive 500 + target to chase, and 2 full days to bowl them out. Now England not managing to bowl them out is moreso down to their own inability and lack of bowling competence I'd say.
England will win; come on guys, there is no way they will make 209 runs! One wicket is really all they need because after that it's far too much to expect from the tail to make those runs under pressure
That said I completely agree with Spoons that the flat pitches are leading to such high averages and totals. If Australia do win though it would probably be one of the biggest victories ever.
But like I said, England will win. If Australia win I'll run down my street naked!
That said I completely agree with Spoons that the flat pitches are leading to such high averages and totals. If Australia do win though it would probably be one of the biggest victories ever.
But like I said, England will win. If Australia win I'll run down my street naked!
I think the thing about debating this now is the weather today. We had 86 overs of play. The forecast was for heavy rain. Had it stayed to forecast, looking at the flat pitch and the stubborn Aussie resistance, there's a mighty chance this game would have been a draw
That we had a full days play makes the decision more acceptable, but at the time for me it was still a shocker
521 is absolutely plenty so if Australia win or bat out 2 days with little rain interruption, well they deserve the result they get of course, they'd have outplayed England
But this should be an England win. If we'd put them back in it might already be an England win. Even in your situation, 200 is a more than capable score to knock off for England, and time wouldn't have been the issue you claim, and that was getting on for worst case scenario
Still, it is what it is, as long as we have enough play tomorrow England will win this
If England manage to lose this, they should remove themselves from cricket.
Haddin'll go earlyish tomorrow and it'll be over half an hour after lunch.
Haddin'll go earlyish tomorrow and it'll be over half an hour after lunch.