2ND ASHES TEST: LORDS

[chelt_mackem]

He has rode his luck and if we had a good batting line up, he wouldn't stand a chance.
However, he does at least try to bat like an opening Test batsman should.
Better than anyone else we'd have for a while.
Weirdest stance I have ever seen though.

Openers need a bit of luck sometimes as well, facing the new ball with fresh bowlers is hard, that's why it's such a specialised position.

As you say, his approach is the right one, and if he can learn from his let offs, he can become a very good opener for a good while yet.

 

[Skrabble]

Play to our strengths in the morning session T20 style and post a lead of 260 and hoy them in to bat. A big ask but stokes and butler given the freedom to go big is the only way of posting a decent total quickly enough to declare and put the pressure back on the Aussies, only other option is to play for the draw imo.

 

[NorthCountryBoy]

Play to our strengths in the morning session T20 style and post a lead of 260 and hoy them in to bat. A big ask but stokes and butler given the freedom to go big is the only way of posting a decent total quickly enough to declare and put the pressure back on the Aussies, only other option is to play for the draw imo.

No coach would have us throw the bat this morning. We're far more likely to be out for 175 than rack up 300 and win.

 

[ozcat]

What has one got to do with the other? The tragedy of Phil Hughes has nothing to do with Steve Smith being a cheating bastard.

Of course it does. His former teammate and friend was killed with a very similar incident. It was shocking to see. When he returned to the field the booing of him was far more restrained than it usually is. Clearly plenty at the ground knew exactly what they were watching and reacted accordingly. An element of knuckledraggers didn’t.

English crowds have always been perhaps the most knowledgeable in the world but the brainless fuckwit Mag-type element that has crept in is undeniable. Probably the inevitable result of the Barmy Army, boozing yobs will be attracted to that.

And they’re not booing him because he’s a cheat, otherwise they’d boo every captain who’s presided over ball tampering. And there’s never a boo to be heard with any others.

 

[brandon]

England 13/2
Draw 4/9
Australia 10/3

For once, I feel like the odds are very generous for a team winning, for me, a Draw is the third most likely outcome. With England unlikely to get much more than 200 and 98 overs available for play today I do think there'll be a result today. My fear is that England will be rolled out before Lunch and the Aussies will cruise to a 2-0 lead. On the other hand, if we can get to Lunch with no fewer than 6 down, it may be worth throwing the bat in the afternoon.

 

[Far Tibetan Mountain]

Been travelling all day so just caught up with the score. Same old shite as Edgbaston, except we seemingly now have a way to deal with Smith.

Body line?

 

[Steak Pie]

Of course it does. His former teammate and friend was killed with a very similar incident. It was shocking to see. When he returned to the field the booing of him was far more restrained than it usually is. Clearly plenty at the ground knew exactly what they were watching and reacted accordingly. An element of knuckledraggers didn’t.

English crowds have always been perhaps the most knowledgeable in the world but the brainless fuckwit Mag-type element that has crept in is undeniable. Probably the inevitable result of the Barmy Army, boozing yobs will be attracted to that.

And they’re not booing him because he’s a cheat, otherwise they’d boo every captain who’s presided over ball tampering. And there’s never a boo to be heard with any others.

Ah, the Aussie victim card in play as usual.

Steve Smith was booed because he's a cheat (captain of a team of cheats, in fact), nothing more nothing less. Stop conflating the death of a player on the field with the 'leadership group' of the Australian cricket team systematically cheating, and then crying their eyes out because they were caught.

 

[Mackem DJ]

Whose that female commentator shouting (about Smith) “he has been hit on the shoulder, on the shoulder”.

 

[Liverpool Beachball]

Raining at Lords

 

[brandon]

Whose that female commentator shouting (about Smith) “he has been hit on the shoulder, on the shoulder”.

Miss Q Filler.

 

[Boo]

My fear is that England will be rolled out before Lunch and the Aussies will cruise to a 2-0 lead.

I think most of us expect this to happen and with good reason.

 

[Bri]

Of course it does. His former teammate and friend was killed with a very similar incident. It was shocking to see. When he returned to the field the booing of him was far more restrained than it usually is. Clearly plenty at the ground knew exactly what they were watching and reacted accordingly. An element of knuckledraggers didn’t.

English crowds have always been perhaps the most knowledgeable in the world but the brainless fuckwit Mag-type element that has crept in is undeniable. Probably the inevitable result of the Barmy Army, boozing yobs will be attracted to that.

And they’re not booing him because he’s a cheat, otherwise they’d boo every captain who’s presided over ball tampering. And there’s never a boo to be heard with any others.

The booing when he came back out was poor, bad sportsmanship and shameful. This is cricket, there could easily have been a tragedy and Smith showed a lot of steel in carrying on. Some need to learn that you give people credit for good things and clapping the opposition when they do good things is proper cricket.

 

[Dexter]

England 13/2
Draw 4/9
Australia 10/3

For once, I feel like the odds are very generous for a team winning, for me, a Draw is the third most likely outcome. With England unlikely to get much more than 200 and 98 overs available for play today I do think there'll be a result today. My fear is that England will be rolled out before Lunch and the Aussies will cruise to a 2-0 lead. On the other hand, if we can get to Lunch with no fewer than 6 down, it may be worth throwing the bat in the afternoon.

An England win is definitely the least likely outcome. Unless Stokes and Buttler bat through the entire morning session there’s no way we’ll be throwing the bat at anything. We’ll be playing not to lose today.

 

[mackembhoy]

An England win is definitely the least likely outcome. Unless Stokes and Buttler bat through the entire morning session there’s no way we’ll be throwing the bat at anything. We’ll be playing not to lose today.

Not sure how much morning session were gonna have like.

 

[ozcat]

The booing when he came back out was poor, bad sportsmanship and shameful. This is cricket, there could easily have been a tragedy and Smith showed a lot of steel in carrying on. Some need to learn that you give people credit for good things and clapping the opposition when they do good things is proper cricket.

As I said, most did and the booing was notably less than at other times. I think plenty of people realised. I was commenting on those who didn’t.

 

[TravellingMackem]

Not sure how much morning session were gonna have like.

Real shame this. Could have been a great finish, just feel its going to drift out to a bore draw now

 

[Mainze]

Draw.

 

[Far Tibetan Mountain]

Play to our strengths in the morning session T20 style and post a lead of 260 and hoy them in to bat. A big ask but stokes and butler given the freedom to go big is the only way of posting a decent total quickly enough to declare and put the pressure back on the Aussies, only other option is to play for the draw imo.

Playing for a draw is something we are notoriously poor at.

edit: unless it rains all morning...

 

[ozcat]

Ah, the Aussie victim card in play as usual.

Steve Smith was booed because he's a cheat (captain of a team of cheats, in fact), nothing more nothing less. Stop conflating the death of a player on the field with the 'leadership group' of the Australian cricket team systematically cheating, and then crying their eyes out because they were caught.

Rubbish. If that were the case then every visiting captain in England who’s had a ball tampering incident would be booed. They’re not.

He’s booed for the same most others are... mob behaviour. Most people are led around by the nose by tabloid media and think exactly as they’re told to. They get involved because elite sport these days is covered like a soap opera and people allow themselves to buy into it. Cricket Aust threw them on the fire in a warped PR strategy, the media got the shots they wanted to turn them into pantomime villains, and people like you just gobble it up.

If you can’t see a link between Smith being hit in the exact same spot as Hughes and the sensitivity around that, you’re fairly thick.

 

[brandon]

Rubbish. If that were the case then every visiting captain in England who’s had a ball tampering incident would be booed. They’re not.

What?

Just how many do you think there have been?