Handy start made by England and Wales
A super start. Good choice to go to bat and they’re certainly milking it
Strauss not out 47
Cook not out 67
Extras 1nb 7b 4lb 12
Cook has 13 4s in that. Phil Tuffnel is on BBC Radio 5 Live and he’s surprised as Australia, whom he says do normally do their homework on opposition batsmen, seem to be bowling to the batsmens strengths and are feeding them runs.
That said, unless England’s bowling attack is much better than the 1st Test, this match looks headed for a draw already.
On the topic of Cricket :
"[FONT=“Garamond”][SIZE=“2”]Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh have put together a pet project of theirs called The Duckworth Lewis Method. The band and their album celebrate Cricket with 12 songs about the gentleman’s game, but being that The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon is involved, this is far more than just Cricket.
From the first innings, as the players introduce themselves (Hannon is Lewis and Pugwash’s Walsh is Duckworth) with the short and funny Coin Toss, this album is a treat. Mixed with music that shows their genuine love of the game and other songs that gently lampoon it, Hannon and Walsh may not convert me to the sport, but they’ve certainly given me a modicum of appreciation for it.
The first single from the album is The Age of Revolution, which could have been pulled directly from Divine Comedy’s Fin de Sicle. Telling the story of how Cricket has become a global sport, no longer for the sole enjoyment of the English gentry, this track proves that the band are taking this very seriously.
Now you’ve hit the sweet spot, it’s oh so fine,
Now you’ve hit the sweet spot like the sweetest wine,
I’m down on my knees to please you all the time.
The double-entendre laden Sweet Spot is brilliant bit of 70’s rock and Meeting Mr. Miandad, The Nightwatchman and Test Match Special stand out as particularly great music moments, but the highlight of the album for me is Jiggery Pokery. The story of Cricket star Shane Warne’s first bowl against Mike Gatting in 1993, told from the former Engalnd captain’s point of view, a first for pop music I suspect. It’s flippant, fun, smart and a song that I’ve had on repeat for days.
Jiggery pokery, trickery jokery, how did he open me up?
Robbery, muggery, Aussie skulduggery, out for a buggering duck
The Duckworth Lewis Method, so named for the complicated mathematical method for predicting cricket scores in rain-affected games, skirts the tentative line between novelty record and concept album, but those moments of light jest are always punctuated by Hannon and Walsh’s superb musical skills. Equally, the more high brow moments never take themselves too seriously. Would anyone want to sit down and watch a full gig of The Duckworth Lewis Method? Well, I sat on the ground on Grafton Street with a hundred other people last Friday, mesmerised by the band and when it was over, we all wanted more. This is far more than just Cricket.
For those already acquainted with Neil Hannon’s work, this album will be an easy addition for you. For those who are new to it, give it a few listens before dismissing it. It’s funny and silly and extremely clever.[/SIZE][/FONT]"
The closest thing to Beefy that England have had since then, in terms of play and character. Brings more to the team than just his cricket and not as much of a bad boy as is sometimes made out. The game will be poorer for his absence.
Can’t fault him on the money considerations. These guys don’t make the money the soccer guys make so they have to take it while its going.
[quote=“Manuel Zelaya”]Yeah, Ponting lecturing on sportsmanship is the best Ashes laugh I’ve had since Mike Gatting was giving Nasser Hussein some family values advice during the 2002/03 Ashes series.
A case of Ponting just trying to deflect attention away from his captaincy inadequacies.[/QUOTE]
Almost any Australian lecturing on sportsmanship is hypocricy of the highest order. If ever there was a nation that wants to win at any price and really hates losing its Australia. Never mind that they did exactly the same thing in 2005, I read somewhere that Australia actually bowled underarm to New Zealand in a match to prevent them from scoring runs and possibly winning.
The 12th man and Physio didn’t waste that much time, they had more than enough time to get out two tailenders, one of whom really couldn’t bat to save his life.
Lesson to the top order from Collingwood and the lower order. Apparantly, Collingwood was apponted as a mentor to Panesar to improve his batting. He certainly imparted the right attitude to him and it was suggested that perhaps Panesar could mentor Pieterson to see if KP can learn how to play defensively.
Australia have their 1st wicket. Cook lbw with the score at 196. Bopara is in now, but its still looking good for England at the moment :
Strauss not out 82
Cook lbw b M Johnson 95
Bopara not out 4
Extras 4nb 15b 19
Total for 1 200 (49.3 ovs)
England and Wales, you silly, silly fools.
They’ve bottled it. Neither KP and Flintoff should be playing, neither is fit.
Bar Strauss & Cook, no lessons learned from Cardiff it seems. Wickets given away far too cheaply. Bopara, Pietersen & Prior all in one day mode - Bopara 18 off 19 balls, Pietersen 32 off 42 balls, Prior 8 off 10 balls. Collingwood was completely out of sorts.
364/6 not that bad a position at stumps and Strauss still there on 161 not out. They’ll need to get up close to 500 though. The disappointing thing for England is it looked for most of the way up to tea, that they could bat Australia out of the match in the first innings. Not the case now.
[quote=“Manuel Zelaya”]Bar Strauss & Cook, no lessons learned from Cardiff it seems. Wickets given away far too cheaply. Bopara, Pietersen & Prior all in one day mode - Bopara 18 off 19 balls, Pietersen 32 off 42 balls, Prior 8 off 10 balls. Collingwood was completely out of sorts.
.[/QUOTE]
A few right jokers batting for E&W alright.
Biggest joker of the day was Mitchell Johnson. Shocking performance.
Yeah he was poor. Probably over bowled in the past year. I don’t think the Aussie middle order would have folded to 360-6 given a platform of 200-2 to play with. England will need to make 450-500 here.
Fair play to the Tans 2nd best South African for stepping up to the plate yesterday. I wouldnt worry though once he goes today theyll be skittled out for 400. I reckon the Aussies will bat then until tea on day 4.
Therell be no mistakes this time, Australia ALWAYS win the Lords test.:mad:
[quote=“Special Olympiakos”]Fair play to the Tans 2nd best South African for stepping up to the plate yesterday. I wouldnt worry though once he goes today theyll be skittled out for 400. I reckon the Aussies will bat then until tea on day 4.
Therell be no mistakes this time, Australia ALWAYS win the Lords test.:mad:[/QUOTE]
And he’s gone already!
Right on cue the rest are following suit.
:mad:
196/0 to 378/9 is shocking really. The last wicket pair have just taken the score above 400 though so these are a few bonus runs. The ball’s swinging around apparently so Jimmy Anderson will need to take advantage of the conditions.
Comical batting from England though. They’re still in there but that’s a shocking collapse.
The 10th wicket partnership is now at 43, the third highest parternship of the innings for England which says it all.
Straus & Pietersen’s 3rd wicket stand of 45 is now under mortal threat.
425 all out. That little spurt at the end could be important but that’s a dismal score considering the start they got.
47 for the 10th wicket. Second highest partnership of the innings after Stauss & Cook’s opening stand of 196.
Ball is swinging. 425 might not turn out to be a bad score, though agreed after the start England had, they should have gone past 500.
First wicket down. The vastly overrated Hughes gone for 4.
Great to see Her Majesty the Queen in the crowd following proceedings.