Second Ashes Test. Lord's.

[Donny]

Wednesday.

Australia v. England.

Will the Aussies go in with the same XI ?

[K]

"After England spinner Moeen Ali’s sub-par performance with ball and bat at Edgbaston there has been speculation Somerset left-arm orthodox spinner Jack Leach could be recalled after making an eye-catching 92 as a nightwatchman against Ireland at Lord’s a fortnight ago.

Not for the first time, Smith’s modest statistical record against such bowlers has gained attention...

CricViz statistics show that Smith averages 34.9 against left-arm orthodox bowlers as opposed to 119 against left-arm wrist spinners, 92.85 against off-spinners, 68.38 when facing right-arm pacemen, 65.28 against left-arm quicks and 48.77 against leg-spinners. ...

"I think I usually go OK, outside of Rangana Herath and Jadeja. Those guys have probably got me the most. I feel like I’m a good player of spin and it doesn’t give me too many worries,” Smith said in South Africa last year."

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/australia-unconcerned-about-any-left-field-england-plans-for-smith-20190807-p52ekd.html

[K]

"But when asked if he was concerned about the wicketkeeper-batsman's position ahead of next week's second Test at Lord's, Bayliss said: "I wouldn't have thought so."
...

One option England are reported to be considering is promoting Chris Woakes up the order ahead of Bairstow to ease the pressure on their Test gloveman.
...

One obvious up-side in England's losing cause was Rory Burns, who ground out a maiden hundred in Birmingham to lay down a marker at the highest level.

"We knew he was a fighter. He's got a good style about him as a bloke so I'm very happy for him," said Bayliss.

"He'd probably be the first to admit he hasn't got the copybook technique but neither has the number four in the other team either and he scored plenty too.

"That just proves you don't have to have the perfect technique to be able to score runs. It's about understanding how your technique works and trying to make the best of the positions you find yourself in." "


https://www.cricket.com.au/news/jonny-bairstow-jason-roy-england-second-test-changes-trevor-bayliss/2019-08-07


[Hmm... You know a guy's not batting well when they're seriously suggesting promoting the first-change bowler ahead of him.

As for Trevor's comment about technique, how imperfect technique "works" is by "working" on slow flat pitches that give bowlers nothing.]

[K]

The Lord's square: Ex-skippers call for green pitch

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/lords-pitch-second-ashes-test-australia-england-edgbaston-joe-root-ireland-nasser-hussainvaughan/2019-08-06

"... Nasser Hussain says England will need a pitch conducive to seam and swing bowling if they are the level the series. ...

"They won't beat Australia in conditions like that," Hussain told Sky Sports. "That's like playing them abroad in Australia.

"If there's no lateral movement, as we've seen in the last few days, Australia on exactly the same pitch have got so much more out of that surface than England got.

"It's a real problem now for England; they're going to have to go to their next ground and ask for a bit of grass on it...."
...

Michael Vaughan conceded a green pitch could backfire on the hosts ... but added it's a gamble England have to take.

"If the ball doesn't move laterally and there's a little bit of swing and seam, this has got mess written all over this series for the England side," Vaughan told the BBC.

"If the ball doesn't do a great deal or there are slow wickets, I think this series could be one where Australia completely wipe the floor with England. They've got a better spinner and they've got a batsman at number four that you can't get out on slower wickets.

"They need a little bit more action out of the wicket … they'll have to gamble. They still might get beaten because of the likes of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and co.

"But this (England) team, when the wickets get a bit flatter and slower and you require your spin, they're not that competitive." "

[K]

Ian Chappell, 4 Aug:

Should Smith move up to No. 3, like Root?

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/27317330/steven-smith-move-no-3-joe-root

"Smith may no longer be captain but he has made it clear that his preference is to bat at four. He underlined his feelings by playing a great Test innings, which eventually blossomed into a dominant one. In employing his quirky, ugly-duckling (but highly successful) technique to amass more than half of Australia's team runs, he also amply displayed his grit and mental toughness. Smith is a highly successful international batsman because he understands his own game and sticks to his guns no matter what anyone else says about his style.
...

Like England so many times before, Australia were quickly 35 for 3 in their first innings. Might they be better off with Smith at three? Undoubtedly. It's far better to avoid early collapses by short-circuiting them quickly.
...

There is no doubt that both batting orders in this series are flawed...

... it could be crucial to get the batsmen in their right order to maximise the team's chances of victory."

[piedys]

[Pies4shaw]

We cannot lose this Test. We won the last one with two bowlers. We're likely to have three or four this time around.

Australia by an innings and 436 runs.

[K]

England had at best two bowlers in the first Test.

If this is a greentop and both sides have enough bowlers, this could be a three-day shootout.

[K]

Early Test odds:

Oz 42%
England 41%
Draw 17%

[Pies4shaw]

Those odds are ridiculous. Has England beaten Australia in a Trst at Lords since Grace retired?

[K]

Should we form a Nickster betting syndicate then?

[piedys]

[K]

Here's the scorecard from Lord's, 2015:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/11371/scorecard/743965/england-vs-australia-2nd-investec-test-australia-tour-of-england-and-ireland-2015

[Pies4shaw]

Who was POTM? Paine, maybe?

[K]

Yes, but what can Smudge do against good bowling?

(And Paine's technique in his main job is good, but he was in the injury-caused wilderness back then and that was Nevill's Test debut.)

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Back in the present: Moeen out, Leach in.