Leather and Willow

[Monty]

I think Broad will be a major player this summer.

Wouldn't drop Johnson, he can be potent with bat as well as ball.

Its just first test, however, a statement has been comprehensively made.

Monty

[Phil Carter]

Cricket being cricket... more than anything else. .I would expect there to be changes for the Lords Test Match.

For those not familiar with the actual wicket at Lords...It can be..at times..surprisingly hard to bat on.

Having personally seen up close the condition of the square and the strips..The most surprising thing is a combination of the slope towards one side of the ground with the very slight uphill rise towards the pavilion end. To the right handed batsman..bowling towards the pavilion end is deceivingly difficult to play against.

However..bowling FROM the pavilion end, slightly downhill, takes an immense amount of control..because of the slope "in" towards the right handed batsman. Slightly short bowling that drifts towards the leg side is a 4 run gift ball.

The best Australian bowler at Lords I have ever seen was Bob Massie. .who took 16 wickets during the Test Match in 1972. I fear that the control he had then..is not evident in the current line up of bowlers..Hazelwood being the possible exception.

Both Anderson, Broad and Wood all dropped their pace at Cardiff..and I can see the same happening at Lords.

Johnson needs to learn...very quickly..that controlled bowling is the essential armour in England.

There are very very few "green" patches on a Lords strip.
I personally counted only 3 tiny ones..no.more than an inch long..If that...on or near a length when I was last there.

Lords CAN be a batsman paradise in the right conditions..but woe betide any batsman..of any rank..If there is any cloud cover. The ball swings prodigiously at times. That is why control is the key.

I predict a low scoring win for either team..depending on their ability to control the ball. Or a high scoring draw.

Just some of my thoughts on the subject.


Phil

[GUT]

well done POMS.

One dropped catch held and we were home.

Phil

The headlines here in '72 were "Massie Masacres" remember them well and that was in the days when one DKL was our strike.

[GUT]

As an aside chaps, the best female cricketer of all time,

Lillian Marsh, well seemed to take a lot of wickets.

[GUT]

Here we go again.

[GUT]

That's the way to play the game.

[Phil Carter]

Have to admit that Australia totally outplayed England. Superb batting performance on a a flat..dead track..
As I feared it would be.

Notice that it was only for short periods that the new ball swung...and that was helped by a but if cloud cover. The Aussies bowled better than England too.

Edgbaston in Birmingham is next up..and this could be a series changer.. depending on what type of wicket is presented. There have been many big scores here over the years. But again. .The ball can swing a lot on this ground.

I think..and hope. .. The Aussies will have more trouble here than at Lords.


Phil

[GUT]

Have to admit that Australia totally outplayed England. Superb batting performance on a a flat..dead track..
As I feared it would be.

Notice that it was only for short periods that the new ball swung...and that was helped by a but if cloud cover. The Aussies bowled better than England too.

Edgbaston in Birmingham is next up..and this could be a series changer.. depending on what type of wicket is presented. There have been many big scores here over the years. But again. .The ball can swing a lot on this ground.

I think..and hope. .. The Aussies will have more trouble here than at Lords.


Phil

I was a little surprised how well we bowled [or how bad you batted] in that last innings, it looked like a pretty good pitch for batting in the first 3 innings.

[pinkmoon]

I think we should give the convicts some bodyline

[GUT]

I think we should give the convicts some bodyline

Not sure it's that bad for you yet, we don't have anyone like the Don now.

[pinkmoon]

Not sure it's that bad for you yet, we don't have anyone like the Don now.

We don't have anyone like Harold larwood to scare you

[GUT]

We don't have anyone like Harold larwood to scare you

And he was scary in full flight.

[pinkmoon]

Wasn't there talk of war between oz and UK over the bodyline tour.

[Monty]

G'day Mate

Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
If Jimmy dont get ya, Broady must!

Monty

[Phil Carter]

Australia. ..

Welcome to the swinging 60's.



Phil