The Ashes: 2Nd Test, Lords

[ChillDoubt]

England have won the toss and will bat. Big Tim Bresnan in for Finn(no surprise there) is the only change.

Khawaja and Harris replace Cowan and Starc for the Aussies.

[ChillDoubt]

Massive psychological blow by England to reach this score after being firmly on the ropes in the first hour.
Bell is now firmly enshrined as one of England's greatest batsmen and he's shepherded Bairstow to a great score too.

[ChillDoubt]

Bell moves to 100, superb innings again under massive pressure.

[jim360]

Bell gets his second successive hundred -- and how important that one was as well, after his heroics at Trent Bridge. Bairstow still there at 66, 267/4.

[humbersloop]

and Bell makes his century, great stuff!

[jim360]

Bell's out for 109 again! Apparently a peach of a delivery though.

271/5.

[ChillDoubt]

Caught at slip for 109 again. Great innings, has put England on an even par, if not with the slight upper hand, provided we make 320 ish.

[jim360]

Incidentally in the Yorkshire match I was following instead of this one (well, sort of, I've kept track of both as well as le Tour), Yorkshire made a whopping 617/5 declared, and have Derbyshire in massive trouble at 94/5. It's a good day for Yorkshire cricket especially if Bairstow can make his debut hundred for England.

[jim360]

Oh well -- part-timer Smith has two wickets, and England are 274/6.

[ChillDoubt]

Johnny B c&b for 67, good knock.

[ChillDoubt]

If Australia get one more tonight you'd have to say it's advantage them - just.

Bres comes out next, he can hit them. Could be fun.

[ChillDoubt]

Smith gets Prior for 6, that's his 3rd. Broad enters to a few boos, I'm sure he'll be deaf to it.

[ChillDoubt]

The jeers are wasted as it's Andersdon who actually strolled to the wicket, confusing everyone including TMS.

[jim360]

In the end it's definitely Australia's day, but well done to Trott, Bell and Bairstow for rescuing England from a bad start. 289-7 at close? I suppose we ought to take that from 28-3, but perhaps a bit disappointing. Hopefully the tail can add another 50 or so runs.

[jno]

about even stevens, I think; I'm not sure Australia's batsmen will do much better against England's bowlers. Yes, another 50 from Broad would be useful

[DSJ]

Let's just wait and see. I was at TB on all five days, the advantage swung this way and that and nobody could have predicted the outcome at close of play on any day.

[ChillDoubt]

Day 2, not the start we needed, Bres gone first ball.

[jim360]

Sigh...

[jno]

so his Lord's average is now even lower. Not sure why he was batting above Broad.

[ChillDoubt]

I said yesterday I'd be happy with 320 as we move to 313-8. It should at least ensure we have enough to scrape a draw, should we need to.

[jim360]

313/9 now, Anderson goes but a decent cameo from the tail-ender. Wonder what Broad and Swann can do, if anything?