The Ashes First Test Lords Thursday 21st July..Day 2.

[Victor Frankenstein]

ignoring the last couple of overs, we've bowled well in terms of not leaking boundaries, but they're not accurate enough to put pressure on the batsmen either, not much playing and missing because they're not being made to play at anything.

I'm not sure what i'd do, or what is best, at this rate australia will get to 130-1 by tea, but would it be better to bowl like we did yesterday and have them 100-4 but by lunch?

We don't have a glen mcgrath so i guess we should just stick to our strengths which is expensive but fast aggressive wicket taking bowling. At least i got one thing right though, australia have learnt from their first innings and are now batting sensibly, will we learn anything from ours?

Quite a few from harmison and flintoff that have kept really low, one being almost a pea roller, anyone that says it isn't the pitch needs their eyes testing (or to actually be watching rather than listening to the game).

[Ninjaman]

Originally Posted by Victor Frankenstein

Quite a few from harmison and flintoff that have kept really low, one being almost a pea roller, anyone that says it isn't the pitch needs their eyes testing (or to actually be watching rather than listening to the game).

Haha!!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Its still 4 an over though Vic. Is it slices over the slips, juicy half volley or short and wide stuff ??


Oh for a telly at work !

[English_Al]

Australia effectively 82-1 at lunch, and I dont think the ball has gone past the outside edge once. No seam movement, no swing, and none of the accurate bouncers and aggression we had yesterday. We need to eat 6 shredded wheat for lunch and get ourselves charged up again or the Aussies will be batting a long time........!

[greg]

If we don't take 4 or 5 wickets in the next session we will lose.

[English_Al]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

Its still 4 an over though Vic. Is it slices over the slips, juicy half volley or short and wide stuff ??


Oh for a telly at work !

No, no slices Richie, solid defence, good shots through covers and pulls from Hayden, Ponting hitting singles. The bowling is very average from us...

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Aussie-Yank

By the way, for all the people who thought pieterson played McGarth well - Of the 69 balls he faced, only 13 of them where from McGrath for a total amount of runs of 1.

I just meant that he didn't have too many problems when he was defending against McGrath. Ern was saying it was impossible.

[greg]

Originally Posted by Pete

I just meant that he didn't have too many problems when he was defending against McGrath. Ern was saying it was impossible.

KP didn't have much trouble hitting him round the park today either.Amazing game cricket.One day your hot the next...

[Leafy Seadragon]

Originally Posted by greg

If we don't take 4 or 5 wickets in the next session we will lose.

Why such pessimism. The wicket is playing truer (although by no means perfect). The ball is doing less for everyone. If the Aussies score 350, it'll still only be late on day three on a resonable wicket (albeit apparently turning). Surely this talk of England taking the fight up wasn't just bravado and bluff. McGrath and co will probably bowl at least as well as the English bowlers, but unless you really let the Aussies get away, even chasing 400+ should be possible with application if the wicket stays like this. Throw in the rain and a draw might even be on the cards.

If I thought the Ashes would be as easy as you guys (I use the term collectively) seem to be making it sound for us, I wouldn't be watching. Okay, so maybe I'd watch a bit for the sheer pleasure of beating you (even with years of therapy I suspect that I'll never truly shake off those early 80's memories). But its early, the cricket's fascinating and a short, sharp Harmison spell could turn the game and maybe the series on its head again.

Pep talk over. From this point I will now start revelling in English misery (and of course good cricket regardless of who's playing it) because if that's all you're going to serve up, I may as well make the best of it

[Victor Frankenstein]

Originally Posted by Richie Benauds Love Child

Its still 4 an over though Vic. Is it slices over the slips, juicy half volley or short and wide stuff ??


Oh for a telly at work !

it only went up to four an over off the last few as hayden and ponting have got their eye in, it was much tighter up till then, the runs they did get were to good shots rather than bad bowling, but we're just not making them play enough.

I agree with Al, needs the shredded wheat and an all out attack, bollocks to it, we can't do the pressure bowling stuff as our bowlers just can't bowl straight for 6 balls in a row, so why not just do what we can do, fire it into the body and mix up the pace.

Good bit on ch4 over the lunch break, interesting stuff from lillee. I loved the bit about being bowled through the gate too, if only because they showed vaughan bowling tendulkar which is one of my favourite moments in test cricket, couldn't stop laughing when it happened

Warne bowled very well, i'd be surprised if any side could get more than 200 against him in the second innings, I do love watching him bowl when he's on form, he always looks like he's thinking a player out as well as bowling, standing there with his arms crossed, chin in hand, furrowed brow. Of course, he could just be wondering what kind of pie will be on offer in the Lords canteen