Second Ashes Test. Lord's.

[Donny]

Gorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnn !!

Roy out to Hazlewood.

[K]

All this talk about how to get Steve Smith out...

History fairly meaningless. The greatest players have all registered ducks in Test cricket....

Well, ducks were not the thing that caught my attention, Donny. It was all the left-arm orthodox dismissals. That surprised me, because I thought (and maybe still do) that the best way to get him (or any other specialist batsman) out is to get movement and a nick to slips (or LBW). When I saw the poor recent record against S. Africa, I assumed it would support my belief! (It sort of did, with Rabada et al.) As I said, the Oz camp said it was just to two particular SLA bowlers on pitches that were "turning square from day 1". I no longer believe that excuse.

[K]

Paine won the toss and elected to bowl.

Big call, but good on him.

Probably the best way to be bold and chase victory (i.e. the most chance of being able to bat just once).

[Donny]

All this talk about how to get Steve Smith out...

History fairly meaningless. The greatest players have all registered ducks in Test cricket.

The latest ? One K Williamson.

[Donny]

Having said that, thanks for all your research and detail.

[K]

You're welcome.

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Meanwhile, two elegant cover drives from Root for boundaries.

[K]

Warne: "I would have batted first."

He thinks the pitch is quite dry, and not so many overs have been lost.

But then he concedes the bat-once advantage.

Warne: "It's not a good sign" (when the new ball is not carrying through).

[K]

If they keep getting slow and dry pitches, then Taylor's suggestion before the start of the first Test that England are scared of their feeble batting being bundled out gains more traction. Lyon won't mind.

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Of course, there's the risk of the other bat-once possibility: England bat for two days, when they are the only ones who can win.

Warne says he's surprised that both captains would have bowled first.

[K]

Athers talks about batsmen needing to "keep their hands in the box"....

But an LBW!! Root does not challenge.

I wonder if it's "umpire's call" for clipping leg stump.

England 2/26.

Replays show it hitting leg stump quite flush.

[Donny]

BIG wicket.

Welcome back, Josh Hazlewood.

England 2/26.

[K]

Nasser wants a short leg. He says it's gone out of fashion a bit. This is what they were saying last Test, when Athers said he would have been "thrilled" to walk out to bat and see no bat pad.

[K]

Denly is hit by a bouncer. They take drinks while his helmet is being examined.

[K]

Head "flinches" at short leg, says Gower.

Why is Head there (I say)? It should be Bancroft. Someone else can go in Bancroft's spot in the slips. The Oz camp talk him up as the greatest short leg ever and then he's not there when there's a half chance.


Gower is telling anecdotes... I am struggling to focus on his anecdote (which then remains incomplete as the over ends). This must be the effect of watching too much slogathon short-form cricket.

[K]

Lyon is on!

Sangakkara: "He'll bowl with the slope. ... The one that carries on."

He continues: "You can use the slope to bring the outside edge into play."

Oh... and straight away he does get Denley's outside edge. It doesn't carry. Sangakkara almost looked like a genius.

[K]

Khawaja drops a sitter. Burns lucky again.

Khawaj is a terrible fielder. Siddle was the unlucky bowler.

Gower: "It's a bad error. It's a huge error... If you're a gully fielder, that's as easy as it gets."