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[delboy]

bring on the second test!

[pete_inthehills]

I'm not sure about bringing on the 12th man and the physio every 10 minutes towards the end. That smacks of desperation.

still. At least its not going to be 5-0 whitewash. I'm now predicting a 1-0 win to the whinging poms.

pete
inthehills

[Scorge]

Grevious Bodily Harmison might well be getting back in at Lord's! Would be a heck of a gamble that one.....

[chilli]

with all the footie gloom facing the dons.
very nice to see England bowlers doing the Aussie batsmen a good doing over.

now 8down at lunch

[Woodsinho]

Pretty classy from the england bowlers this morning. Excellent work from Onions and Anderson to whittle away at the Aussie line up. Hope we can put a decent total up over the next day and a bit and give them a real challenge for the second innings.

[davidm]

So what's everyone's verdicts so far? Any predictions for the last two tests?

I'm staying with my original 2-1 England prediction. It says something that an Australian attack as ordinary as the one just now is still causing threats to England's top/middle order! Harmison should be brought back for the next test, I reckon. But I'm undecided on who should drop out - Broad or Swann? at the moment, all that's keeping Broad in the team is his batting ability, but isn't Swann an actual all-rounder? as opposed to a bowler who can bat a bit?

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Bell
Collingwood
Flintoff
Prior
Swann
Onions
Anderson
Harmison

or if Flintoff doesn't make it then:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Bell
Collingwood
Bopara
Prior
Swann
Onions
Anderson
Harmison

I reckon. As for Australia, Watson should be straight out the team. Bring in Andrew McDonald. He took something like 4-11 off 10 overs and got two big scores against a good Northampton (?) side last week and offers something completely new, I think.

Thoughts?

[Mr Owl PhD]

I'm not too sure what will happen - I can actually see the remaining two tests being draws, especially if the weather's bad. England's bowlers need swinging conditions and Australia's bowlers need England to bat badly (which they might yet do, as they did in the 1st test). Australia have more selection problems. I find it strange that they've not picked Stuart Clark yet and their side looks a bit unbalanced. I think McDonald would offer more as a bowler than Watson (it was more-or-less Northants 2nd XI he took those wickets against though!).

[Scorge]

Both teams need a heavy revamp of their bowling attack. If I was head of selectors:

England: Strauss, Cook, Key (more experience than Trott, and in form), Bell, Collingwood, Bopara (he is a decent bat, but not a number 3), Prior, Sidebottom, GBH, Anderson, Onions. Save Flintoff for the Oval, and leave Swann out as Headingley is not usually a spinners wicket.

Australia: Katich, Watson, Punter, Hussey, Clarke, North, Haddin/Manou, Clark, Lee (worth the risk IMO), Hilfenhaus, Johnson (probably worth one more chance).

[Mr Owl PhD]

I suppose the good thing about this morning is that Australia will be really kicking themselves that they didn't pick Stuart Clark earlier in the series.

[kirkt]

Well Broad was great today, and a promising start for the England openers before it all went rong...I think Bopora has had far too many chances this series and has consistently been the worst batsman (more than Onions, Anderson and Swann)