posted Jul 14, 2009

I'm looking forward to this match too. Don't know who to believe on the state of the Lord's wicket. Some say it will be a batters paradise and others are adament it will have more pace and bounce + the hill factor to interest the bowlers. To be honest the history of wins and losses at Lords thus far really shouldn't have any bearing on this match. What wil be more important is the winning of the toss and making the right decision (whatever that is I dunno???). If Australia keep the initiative early on they'll win easily probably but I think England will be harder to muscle over this time. They have some players who can really do the business on their day so things could change around quite a bit from what we saw in Cardiff.....Basically no-one knows for sure which is why I'm looking forward to it.... Lets get ready to rumble !!!!!!....

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Strauss
Cook
Bopara
Peitersen
Collingwood
Prior
Flintoff / Broad
Swann
Harmison
Anderson
Onions

(Broad would appear to be a bit of a weak link at 7 but who's to say he couldn't get a ton...Boycott thinks he could !) England are gonna have to be bold and gamble a bit here and there with selection if they want any chance of victory.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

hollywolly, I was going to say the tail looked a bit long, but then we've trouble getting Monty and Anderson anyway.

I still think it looks to bowler heavy, but if the pitch is flat-ish as expected wickets could be more of a problem than runs anyway.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

I am not too confident that oz will win this, I see a draw and rain again. Australia was in the box seat and the better team at cardiff but I think England will step up in this next match after their lucky let off

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posted Jul 14, 2009

I've been thinking the same thing. With heavy rain forcast for Friday, neither teams' attack looking particularly dangerous by international standards and on a decent batting pitch it is likely the only way either side will lose is if their batting line-up capitulate.

Australia aren't unbeatable but neither do they seem likely to just give up thier wickets. So, so long as England don't repeat their first test batting display it looks like a draw.

But in the end it's all speculation, I'll still be listening in hope

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posted Jul 14, 2009

I think that if Flintoff doesnt play then it has to be swann over Panesar due to the extra runs that Swann is capable of getting. Harminson has the pace and bounce to trouble the poms and if the ball is swinging then Anderson comes into play. That leaves 2 spaces open and I would suggest that the selectors would go for Broad and Onions unless they decide to only have 4 bowlers but i think that would be a big mistake.
I would like to see sidebottom in the team as swing is always a useful weapon to have.

Lets just hope the batting is good. The lower order has some good batsmen and I think they can make a few runs. The middle order with collingwood and prior seems solid. Pieterson is always dangerous and Bopara is too.

My two major concerns are the openers they just dont seem to make big scores and when both are out early on it puts the pressure on the likes of bopara and peterson. These 2 could do with coming to the crease with a good foundation built by the openers so they can attack the ausies.

Australia arent anything special like they use to be, they are beatable if England bowl well and bat sensibly.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

If Freddie doesn't play then 5 batsmen plus a wicketkeeper(?)/batsman will likely weaken the team further. None of the names suggested for bowling seem likely to be match winners - Harmison is past his peak and fragile mentally and physically.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

ben28wales,

Yes, sadly 'Australia arent anything special like they use to be'. Yet much the same has been said over the years for most transitory teams.

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posted Jul 15, 2009

Neither side is anything to write home about. If England bowl well and get swing I can see the Australians losing their top order very cheaply. If there is no swing and they don't pick Harmison they will struggle as they did at Cardiff. Swan must play instead of Monty, spin bowling won't win a match at Lords so we need someone who can contribute with bat and ball. Personally I'd drop Flintoff, he isn't anywhere near fit and when he plays Anderson bowls like a drain.

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posted Jul 16, 2009

it would seem to me that Andrew strauss wants to lead from the front good on him (team player) as four the rest of the selection who else (collingwood excluded ) seems to be stepping up[ to the plate to the benifit of England NOBODY

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