I guess because England want to avoid the (very slight) prospect of batting last chasing 150 - 200 odd. This assumes the Aussies would have made a decent score second time in 😆
Is it poor form for a bit of footie style chanting?
"are you England in disguise?!"
Plenty of time, get a big lead then bowl them out. Given England's own batting frailty, if oz managed a 100 run lead in the follow on it could have been itchy bottom time...
Is it poor form for a bit of footie style chanting?
Not bad form, just outdated. We were singing it at them at 5/3 in Adelaide in 2010. Some bright spark shouted back that not even England were that bad! 😆
ffs - someone needs to show our top order some videos of Atherton and Boycott playing nice and patiently.
Wtf is going on with the top order - have they been told to "just go out there, have a bit of fun, don't take it too seriously"?
Time to drop KP ?
Maybe someone has a spread bet on the number of wickets...
We have it all wrong what it is is truly world class and utterly unplayable bowling from both sides the like of which we have never seen
FFS it is like neither side want to win
Pietersen...sometimes he needs to be told as he is often a liability when he goes in to dominate when England are in trouble and he has not even played himself in...imagine the scores he would have if he was patient as well
Well what a day.
I haven't actually enjoyed it a great deal, other than in the context of retaining the ashes. Australia batted like bloody amateurs. England bowled ok, but not really better than that. It's a shame that a game could hinge on a poor performance rather than a good one.
A lead of anything over 450, which we should achieve by tea tomorrow will be decisive, probably in the context of the series too.
I'm pleased but not really entertained.
Mind you it is v Australia so 😆
Just when we could have ground their faces in the dirt we show signs of weakness again.
Should still win this easily though.
I had the pleasure of being there today and I have to say that England's bowling was good (apart from a few loose overs from Bresnan) & the Rogers decision was roundly rubbished. Had it not been for the poor batting in the last dozen overs tonight, it would have probably been the best Ashes day at Lords since WWII.
Time to drop KP ?
Why him in particular? And, for whom?
Dear oh deary me, nice news to wake up to and digest with the morning cornflakes... I went to bed when Khawaja danced down the pitch to send some catching practice Cooks way, had a forlorn hope that I'd wake up to find Clarke sitting on a century and Haddin not far behind, not to be (wishful thinking of course!) No rearguard action to save face this time unfortunately 🙁
I think this series may well end up being the last Test series for quite a few of our batsman, if they continue to fail, too many of them have been given chance after chance after chance; and there are players in the wings that should be given their shot, even if they do fail then they'll have done no worse than this lot... Something just seems to be lacking in this squad, on the batsman's side anyway, I think the bowlers have heart, passion and determination still, though how long will that last with the continual failure of the bat?
Why him in particular?
His main job when he went out was to be there tomorrow. he did not even try to achieve this and went all Gung Ho as per usual. Aussie tails are up and a 7 over flurry was unlikely to change the course of the game. he plays one way and it is not always the best or a prudent choice.
And, for whom?
My granny with a Rhubarb stick obviously
there are players in the wings that should be given their shot
156ao vs Zimbabwe?
The other reason not to enforce the follow on which hasn't been mentioned is that bowlers get tired. Especially so in the current heat. Far better to give them a bit of rest (and let the opposition get tired in the field before they have to bat again). With over 3 days to go it's a complete no brainer to bat again - even if you do get to 31/3.
10-0?
there are players in the wings that should be given their shot
Warne, McGrath, Ponting.....
Katich, Hussey (both varieties)...
156ao vs Zimbabwe?
Yeah, just saw that scorecard, not ideal is it? Australian cricket really is in dire straits 🙁
But... having said that, there are names there that are worth a go - Henriques & Maxwell are two (though whether they're Test cricketers is debatable, but then, none of this lot appear to be either!). Shaun Marsh is another name out there as well
Katich could be a left-field recall for this series and the next, would be interesting to see him back in the team to be honest, he's been very hard done by over the years (due to Clarke I think?)
Henriques & Maxwell are two (though whether they're Test cricketers is debatable, but then, none of this lot appear to be either!)
Honestly they couldn't be any worse, there was a point where if it had been a horse they would have taken it round the back of the stands and offered everyone Tesco Burgers....
Still chin up there is still time for England to wrestle defeat from almost certain victory, would be worse if you had tickets for Day 4 though.
Katich could be a left-field recall for this series and the next, would be interesting to see him back in the team to be honest, he's been very hard done by over the years (due to Clarke I think?)
Terrible decision to discard him in the first place given how bare the cupboard is. It's hard to understand that the Australian selectors think they don't need him - hardly a left field call, more like what they should have done in the first place.
I expect to see him playing at Old Trafford 😉
The bogans should bring back David Warner. He's just made 6 and 11 against Zimbabwe.
🙄
I'm surprised Kevin Pietersen's got a calf injury - I thought it might be to his brain after last night's shot [caught at point for 5]. He's destroyed attacks all over the world but you wonder what he's thinking sometimes. You could hardly have reached that ball with a sweeping brush."
As further reasons
The two today are batting it away from Austrlai - if they ever had a chance
Good to see root getting a score.. hundred on for him and a fifty from bresnen them cut loose and play some big shots?
will be interesting to see the Bell decision
Does seem bad form to not accept the players word and another addition to the bad feelings
Will the Aussie tweet carry the same weight as the Larwood letter?
Well done Root.
Does seem bad form to not accept the players word
Like Ramdin's?
Is a player any more likely to admit they just grassed it than to walk?
Australia now require a record 4th innings chase. Clearly they have the top order batting you'd back to achieve that.
What was this tweet? Link or quote anyone?
[quote=uwe-r said]What was this tweet? Link or quote anyone?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23391621
Highest 4th innings in a 5 day test now required.
No slips. Have Australia just conceded?
Declare if Root gets 200 or is out ? Or at end of play today (last over now) ?
Like Ramdin's?
Is a player any more likely to admit they just grassed it than to walk?
I take your point and it obviously has some merit but on balance lets not go there again and just enjoy the cricket.
I would let Root go for 200 it wont affect the game one way or the other so why not young lad home of cricket 22 short ...think I would be royally pissed with my captain if he declared under these circumstances.
England to bat for an hour or so until Root is out or gets his double. I wonder if we'll have a result by stumps tomorrow?
England to bat for an hour or so until Root is out or gets his double. I wonder if we'll have a result by stumps tomorrow?
Surprised if it makes it to tea, sadly.
think I would be royally pissed with my captain if he declared under these circumstances.
Surely a double isn't anything like as big a deal as a ton - he makes it onto the same honours board whether he gets 199 or 200. It's not like he'd be left stranded on 98 (like Atherton did to Hick).
Have now seen the replays of the catch, and I have to admit it does look like it was clean, but the umpire is supposed to give the benefit of the doubt to the batsman, and you couldn't be sure, could you? It's not as if the Aussies even appealed that certainly.
Australia's deficit is only a few less runs than the number of posts on this thread at the minute.
Surely a double isn't anything like as big a deal as a ton
Given they are rarer than tons I would assume it is a bigger deal
15 at Lords and 220 test centurions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_cricket_centuries_at_Lor d's_Cricket_Ground#Test_centuries
So, anyone feeling sorry for Australia yet? It is a shame after the tension of Trent Bridge that this has been so one-sided.
10-0 still on the cards?
So, anyone feeling sorry for Australia yet?
Why should we be? They were bad winners and sore losers for so long.
Instead of looking at their failings and addressing them its just more bluster about how settled they are as a squad, the drs and walking/not walking issues are the perfect excuse to have something to moan about except the cricket they play.
Which is mediocre at best.
Given they are rarer than tons I would assume it is a bigger deal
Yes I get your point - but in the usually quoted stats a double is just another century. I doubt he will be gutted if England declare on him.
Do you reckon Australia felt sorry for England in the 90s?
I feel sorry for Michael Clarke. And Peter Siddle actually.
Both of them deserve to be in better teams.
You have to ask who in the bogan side would get in the England team?
I can't think of any player apart from perhaps siddle for Finn depending on the wicket the rest just aren't good enough to displace any of the current squad.
I am interested to hear opinions on how Australia have become so poor. (Not wanting to to take anything away from England). It appears that perhaps an all conquering team of legends has clung on too long, stifling the next generation, whilst England really have pulled their socks up. I managed to go to one of the tests in 2002 and there was a feeling it was men against boys back then. Things have come full circle.
