2nd Test: England v Australia at Lords Jul 18-22, 2013

[barmyarmy]

Probably cos there are 7 sessions left and sun forecast.

 

[Aalay]

I am pretty sure they will bat till the end of the day or might give an hour to Australia to bat but sure they are not going to declare right now. 2 days are enough to get Australia out on this pitch.

 

[ferg512]

Completely agree with what England are doing here, basically force the aussies into submission may as well give them a target of 550+ or just keep batting until they're all out. I mean lets be honest its very difficult to see this Aussie side batting for a day let alone two.

 

[barmyarmy]

Strauss still talking on commentary about batting for an hour tomorrow morning. Complete madness if you ask me.
Watson/Rogers has actually been Australia's most solid partnership so get them in for an hour tonight; run in full steam and then have another bite of the cherry tomorrow.
Strauss ultra-conservative as ever.

 

[Owzat]

Why are England not declaring or attacking the Australian bowlers, Root has already reached his century.

Michael Yawn was a bad bugger for this, worrying about the rate and "making sure" England couldn't lose. If you get very paranoid you worry about 80-100 runs per session over the remaining sessions and tie yourself up in a knot.

It makes me laugh as it may even have been Yawn trotting off the record for run chases, something like 500 targets of 300+ or 400+ set and achieved half a dozen times. Unfortunately I don't remember the exact stat, but I do know it is highly improbable a side will do it - with or without statistical evidence.

England lead : 433

Highest totals winning batting last :

418/7 WIN vs AUS (09/05/2003)
414/4 SAF vs AUS (17/12/2008)
406/4 IND vs WIN (07/04/1976)
404/3 AUS vs ENG (22/07/1948)
387/4 IND vs ENG (11/12/2008)
369/6 AUS vs PAK (18/11/1999)
362/7 AUS vs WIN (31/03/1978)
352/9 SRL vs SAF (04/08/2006)

Records | Test matches | Team records | Highest fourth innings totals | ESPN Cricinfo

Might have been 350+ to win Tests, eight instances in unknown number of times set. But even considering four have come since 2000 it is still a rare occurrence and England have more runs than the highest ever successful chase.

Pretty soon we'll pass 452 and only one side has ever scored more than that batting last according to the list.

The Home of CricketArchive

I like this one, bar the English :

Over 2000 test matches so far, only four teams have went on to chase a total of over 400 to win the game. The record, of course, remains with West Indies who scored mammoth 418 for 7 wickets at St Johns in May 2003

Record list : Successful 4th Innings chases -> Itsonlycricket, is only cricket!

Despite the evidence, statistical or otherwise, England still edge on the side of caution. I don't doubt they want 500+ before they declare, the fear of the two days left will weigh so heavily on the feeble minded, those who fear the one in a hundred instance they'll come to regret it and not the 99 they won't..................



Shame to see the "clean catch" incident rear its head so soon in this series already marred by controversy. Batsmen should accept the fielder's word, but then is this a free "review" and a chance to carry on batting because of the lack of clarity? I don't agree with the mindset of the pundits on TMS that it will be out but not given, perhaps the evidence needs to show it touches the ground or it is out rather than 'if in doubt, not out'

 

[Nikhil V]

I hope faulkner gets a chance in next game..As much as a big fan of kp I still wanna see Aussies go over..they are looking helpless & like ultimate undergoes here.

 

[Owzat]

Strauss still talking on commentary about batting for an hour tomorrow morning. Complete madness if you ask me.
Watson/Rogers has actually been Australia's most solid partnership so get them in for an hour tonight; run in full steam and then have another bite of the cherry tomorrow.
Strauss ultra-conservative as ever.

It's been passed down from captain to captain, you learn from the previous captain but that doesn't prohibit bad habits and mindsets. Yawn is giving off the impression of being ultra positive, but he's had his batsmen wasting time before declaring just like our batsmen seem to be here.

It's all in the hypothetical rates I'm certain, 450 over more than five sessions would make Strauss feel impotent, he'd want the extra 100+ runs that should come over tonight and tomorrow to make it about 100 runs per session.

And yes, it is complete madness. Gives the aussies more chance of saving the game while not increasing our chances of winning, or indeed of not losing.

 

[barmyarmy]

With this Aussie side we had enough runs at this time yesterday.

 

[Owzat]

I am pretty sure they will bat till the end of the day or might give an hour to Australia to bat but sure they are not going to declare right now. 2 days are enough to get Australia out on this pitch.

2 sessions might be enough to get the aussies out, but why wait when they're extremely unlikely to make 400 let alone whatever England declare/are all out for................?!?!?!?!?!?

You bowl when you have enough runs, England have enough to win - 470 is way more than the highest ever total to win a Test, and batting sides chasing these 350+ targets down have been way better than this aussie side

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With this Aussie side we had enough runs at this time yesterday.

We shouldn't have enforced the follow on, but England are now making we wish we had since they are largely poncing about crawling towards a theoretical point of safety which they seem to think is about 100+ runs beyond where it actually is.

We can laugh at the aussies not knowing when to review, they can laugh at us not knowing how to go about setting a target.

 

[Aalay]

2 sessions might be enough to get the aussies out, but why wait when they're extremely unlikely to make 400 let alone whatever England declare/are all out for................?!?!?!?!?!?

You bowl when you have enough runs, England have enough to win - 470 is way more than the highest ever total to win a Test, and batting sides chasing these 350+ targets down have been way better than this aussie side

The only question I have is why England did not send Matt Prior after Tim Bresnan got out? KP and Prior are the only ones who have not got enough runs. And I agree on the part that they have got enough runs and they should just declare about now with 15 overs remaining in the day.

 

[barmyarmy]

I would declare at 5.20 and get an hour at the Aussies.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I can see why you'd have a little bat tomorrow, can't be pleasant out there in the heat. cook them a little in the field for an hour then give the bowlers a few overs to have a go at them. runs haven't been an issue since tea so surely england have an idea when they want to declare already.

 

[barmyarmy]

It's just so negative though. Might work against Australia but won't work against better sides where you have to be ruthless and take your chances.

 

[Ahmad94]

England should have had a crack at the Australian openers.

With a lead of 500 odd, the feeble and out of form Australian stand no chance.

 

[barmyarmy]

Only possible justification is to allow Root to score 200.