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Joey Woodwork 8:49 Thu Jul 16
The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

July 16-20, 2015
Start time 11am local (1000GMT)

Australia must wish the first Test had been played in New South Wales instead of old south Wales. Already Cardiff held few fond memories for Australia cricketers, from their one-day loss to Bangladesh there in 2005 to their 2009 failure to finish the job against England in an Ashes Test. After their defeat in the first Investec Ashes Test this year, their win-loss record in Cardiff across all formats reads much like the name of a Welsh village: LWLDLLL.

No wonder they didn't feel like sharing a beer with Alastair Cook and his men after the game. Of course, the post-match snub was merely froth and bubble (or not, apparently) compared with what happened on the field. There, Cook earned praise for his captaincy and was backed by a strong all-round effort from his players. They were calm, confident and patient. And, despite doubts over Moeen Ali's fitness, they enter the second Test at Lord's with a largely settled side.

The same cannot be said of the Australians. Significant changes are expected, including the withdrawal of Brad Haddin for personal reasons. That will mean a Test debut for Peter Nevill, albeit not in the kind of circumstances anyone would wish for. There is also a likelihood that Shane Watson will be axed for Mitchell Marsh, a move that has been described as potentially career-ending for Watson. However, given Marsh's history of injuries, it is not out of the question that Watson could find himself back in the side later in the series.


Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WLWLW
Australia LWWDD


In the spotlight
Things went pretty well for England on the third day in Cardiff, and not only because they skittled Australia's lower-order and set up the victory. It was also the day on which Ian Bell emerged from a batting slump. England will hope he gained some confidence from the 60 - his first half-century in ten Test innings - and Australia know how dangerous it can be to allow him to find form. Last time the teams met at Lord's, Bell scored 109 and 74.

Peter Nevill will become the 443rd man to represent Australia in Tests and will be keen to show the selectors he can handle the step up. A fine domestic batsman who scored 764 runs at 76.40 in the most recent Sheffield Shield summer, Nevill has overtaken Matthew Wade as Haddin's backup and, at 29, he could have many years of Test cricket ahead of him if he eventually becomes the full-time successor.

Team news
England named an unchanged 13-man squad for the Lord's Test and hope to keep the same XI from Cardiff but Moeen Ali is carrying a side strain that has limited his ability to practise. If he is ruled out, then Adil Rashid is in line to make a Test debut.

England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Adam Lyth, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Moeen Ali/Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson

Marsh and Nevill appear set to replace Watson and Haddin, but a third change looks unlikely. Mitchell Starc battled an ankle injury during the Cardiff Test but has bowled well in the nets in the lead-up to the Lord's Test and should retain his spot ahead of Peter Siddle.

Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions
The Lord's pitch should have more pace and carry than what was offered at Cardiff, where even on day one some deliveries were staying low. Rain has hampered preparations slightly but the forecast for the match is for fine weather and temperatures in the low 20C range.

Stats and trivia
Nevill will become the first Australian to debut in a Lord's Ashes Test since 1977, when Richie Robinson, Craig Serjeant and Len Pascoe all debuted together
Mitchell Johnson needs 16 runs and seven wickets to join Shane Warne as the only Australians with the double of 2000 Test runs and 300 Test wickets
The last Lord's Ashes Test was just two years ago but only three Australians and five England players from that game appear likely to take part this time
Quotes
"When we win, the captain gets the plaudits; when we lose, the captain picks up the negative bits as well. That is part and parcel of the job."
Alastair Cook is not getting complacent after a week of good reviews

"Generally here at Lord's the first session of the first day is a bit tough, it seams around a bit, but once you get in as a batter it can be beautiful to bat on."
Michael Clarke will hope for longer in the middle this Test

Eerie Descent 8:58 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

COME ON ENGLAND

Banjo 9:01 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

COME ON AUSTRALIA

SQUARE THE SERIES AT LORDS

(I bet ED has conniptions about now and loses the plot as per)

Eerie Descent 9:05 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Don't be silly Banjo, all that from the first test was just jolly good patter.

At the end of the day, it was nice to eventually rejoice with you, my fellow Englishman.

stewie griffin 9:09 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Morning W00ders

Sven Roeder 10:07 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

To be honest games like this are what Test cricket are all about.
From an Australian point of view you learn more about players in this situation than you would in 100 Tests playing at the WACA or Gabba on bouncy surfaces against batsmen with SCARED EYES.

Time for people to step up and show what they are made of.
First step is the Alistair Cook has given up and pronounced Australia as favourites.

Still not a great Aust team obviously but happier if its Mitchell Marsh and Peter Nevill instead of Watson and Haddin. Though that gives the middle to lower order of Voges (4th Test), Marsh (5th Test) & Nevill (Test debut) a fragile look.
All a consequence of not dumping Watson & Haddin 12 months ago.

Northern Sold 10:08 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Well done Wooders... as the late great Richie would say....

"Morning Wooders.... Morning everybody"

stewie griffin 10:09 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

haha...I knew you'd caught my SCARED EYES reference the other day, Sven son...

A lot of those about last week.

Banjo 10:12 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Soldo

Followed by

"It'ss a beautiful morning today here at Lordsss, and the sun is sshinning. A great day for cricket eh Geoffery?"

Sven Roeder 10:12 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Came down the Jubilee Line this morning and lots of gentlemen of a certain age in chinos, linen jackets and ties carrying cooler bags full of a crisp WHITE WINE getting off at St Johns Wood at 7.30am.
They all looked very excited. In an English stiff upper lip sort of way.

Sven Roeder 10:14 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Give us a pitch with some bounce and we'll show you some SCARED EYES again, SON
* shakes fist*

Joey Woodwork 10:14 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Morning All.

stewie griffin 10:30 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Intriguing one, this one, Sven SON.

All joking aside, I didn't think MitchLOL bowled too badly at Cardiff. There's normally a bit more ZIP about Lords, and the slope looks ideal for a line bowler like Hazlewood (if he can figure it out).

We've had a habit recently of following outstanding Test match wins with terrible performances, so it's a huge game for us. Especially since you'd imagine whoever wins the toss will bat, and that first hour or two is very tricky at Lords, whatever the conditions.

Ronald_antly 10:30 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Whatever the pitch is like, it will be the same for both sides, Sven SON.

Have Australia been working on excuses in training?

Guinness Shandy 10:41 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Be heading down there in a bit.


Bastards made me come to work this morning. Losing out on some drinking time......

stewie griffin 10:43 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

I feel confident you'll manage, Guinness son?

Guinness Shandy 10:48 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Should be enough catch up time left in the day, griff

Mr. Burns 11:00 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Is there to be a H. Trick of Mitchy's is the CONS team?

Northern Sold 11:26 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Ronald_antly 10:30 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Whatever the pitch is like, it will be the same for both sides, Sven SON.





Yeah I remember us trying that with the West Indies in the 80's... only thing is we forgot they all played county cricket and had learnt to bowl on all sorts of English type wickets... BLOODBATH

Ronald_antly 11:31 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

It has always irked me that the county game is full of foreigners honing their skills for when they play against England.

Eerie Descent 11:40 Thu Jul 16
Re: The OFFICIAL 2nd Test Thread - England vs Australia - Lords

Don't let it trouble you, Antly. We invent sports, everyone else picks them up to try to be better than us. A lot succeed, but that's because they pretty much concentrate solely on the one sport, on the odd occasion a couple. We, England, invent and compete at everything.

It's what makes us the only true great sporting nation.

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