2nd Ashes Test: Edgbaston, 4-8 August: Day Two

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Cover_Driver

Well Done Freddie but England Should really have done that 10 overs and 40 runs ago........

LOL you don't want much, bloody good show bowling Aussie out, survive tonight, and who knows .

[John]

I was just about to congratulate England and Warne bowls this incredible ball to dismiss Strauss.

[English_Al]

Strauss bowled by a mindblowing ripper by Warne - speechless

[English_Al]

Looking again at Strauss getting out, although it was a mega spinner by Warne, I do think Strauss will feel it was a bit naff to have not covered the stumps properly.

A great day for England though. They must be watchful with Warne tommorrow, as I was saying a bit earlier, I reckon he is going to be a huge handful tommorrow with that rough...

[Trescothick]

People say that Aussies will get around 600! Now we bowled them out for 308, everyones saying that we've failed and took too long? Today couldnt have gone much better, aside from Strauss getting out, so please for once accept that England have done a very good job in these first two days of cricket!!

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Yes apart from Strauss's faux pas, we've done pretty bloody well. OK, it was a bit self inflicted by the aussies, but by the same token KP and freddie hardly batted sensibly did they ?

[Lemming]

This was an excellent day for England today. If we listened to others Australia were going to get 600+, if we listened to others they should have done it at 5 an over and if we'd listened to others Gilchrist would have scored a double century batting with the tail to give the Aussies a lead.

The fact is England have batted aggressively and bowled with both discipline and aggression at times, all culminating in a 99 run lead. The only thing to save Australia - I think - is if Warne rips through us and bowls us out for less than 200. It will be difficult for any team to chase down anything much more than 350 to win a test match, whatever the conditions.

England really need to keep their foot on the gas and not give Australia a sniff. Ideally by batting all day tomorrow - and even another session or session and a half if we can - for a start. The quicker bowlers look like pussy-cats and should give enough opportunity to score easily on what is still a flat pitch. Warne will be a different prospect, but should not be able to bowl all day without having to set defensive fields and hopefully the rough shall only really trouble Trescothick from now on in with him being the only left-hander, that's if the right-handed batsmen play him well.

I think England have showed over the past two days that they can compete with the best team in the world and even get the better of them. Today the pitch was still excellent to bat on and England bowled really well to field plans and specialist tactics and I think the Aussies were shook up somewhat.

I really hope England can capitalise on such brilliant work over the next few days and am pleased that my national team is showing signs of a bright future at the top of the international game.

Australia have the better batting line-up and England the better bowling line-up, it's going to be a roller-coaster ride, but one I'm currently and looking forward to enjoying.

[greg]

If we bat sensibly tomorrow we should win the game.Simple as that.The pitch is getting worse and to chase anything over 300 will be tough.We need Vaughan to play like Langer did today and let the others play round him.

[Aussie-Yank]

Well, a lead of 124 runs with 9 wickets in hand on a wicket that spin will trouble batsman.

When Langer was asked how many runs would Australia like to chase his reply was, "they have 124 now, say 150 then".

England should only need 200 on the board this innings and bowl like they did in the 1st to win the game. 300 is enough and Warne will show why in the morning, the pitch is going to be a turner. Which means Giles will earn his keep next innings. I don't think the fact that there are 3 days left in this test matters, as I don't think any team will bat the full day.

But I will still be there hoping Warne can run through the English with some brighter bowling from the Seamers and roll England out for about 150, giving England a total of 249. I think even that will be a big ask, but I will still think Australia can make it, all the way until the 10th wicket falls. Never given in.

Probably give England 7/10 over the 2 days while Australia was about 5.5/10 (The half point was for Warne's wicket of Straus)

[Trescothick]

Australia Batting and Fielding

Name Mat I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St

MJ Clarke 2 3 0 142 91 47.33 0 1 0 0
JL Langer 2 3 0 128 82 42.66 0 1 1 0
AC Gilchrist 2 3 1 85 49* 42.50 0 0 7 0
RT Ponting 2 3 0 112 61 37.33 0 1 0 0
SM Katich 2 3 0 98 67 32.66 0 1 1 0
DR Martyn 2 3 0 87 65 29.00 0 1 2 0
ML Hayden 2 3 0 46 34 15.33 0 0 3 0
SK Warne 2 3 0 38 28 12.66 0 0 2 0
JN Gillespie 2 3 0 21 13 7.00 0 0 1 0
B Lee 2 3 0 17 8 5.66 0 0 2 0
MS Kasprowicz 1 1 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0
GD McGrath 1 2 2 30 20* - 0 0 0 0

England Batting and Fielding

Name Mat I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St

KP Pietersen 2 3 1 192 71 96.00 0 3 0 0
ME Trescothick 2 4 1 157 90 52.33 0 1 0 0
SP Jones 2 3 2 39 20* 39.00 0 0 1 0
A Flintoff 2 3 0 71 68 23.66 0 1 1 0
AJ Strauss 2 4 0 93 48 23.25 0 0 2 0
GO Jones 2 3 0 37 30 12.33 0 0 6 0
AF Giles 2 3 0 34 23 11.33 0 0 1 0
MP Vaughan 2 3 0 31 24 10.33 0 0 1 0
SJ Harmison 2 3 0 28 17 9.33 0 0 1 0
IR Bell 2 3 0 20 8 6.66 0 0 0 0
MJ Hoggard 2 4 1 16 16 5.33 0 0 0 0


Live series averages!! Pietersen and Tresco doing well.. Aside from that we're doing poorly!