The Ashes; Second Test, Lord's, July 16-20

[Aidan11]

Faulkner is out of the one day series due to his drink-driving charge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/33523446

[Dr Cricket]

I see Ashes bully Haddin will miss the 2nd test.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Poor Brad. Normally if you're out for personal problems, you get a bit of sympathy.

[hopeforthebest]

Poor Brad. Normally if you're out for personal problems, you get a bit of sympathy.

I'm very sorry to see him go as I shall be to see Watson lose his place. England bowlers will have similar feelings I'm sure.

[Dr Cricket]

Poor Brad. Normally if you're out for personal problems, you get a bit of sympathy.

Hard to sympathise with someone like brad haddin that acts like a twat behind the stumps.

Although in a serious note isn't this the 2nd time he missed a test/tour because of personal problems, hopefully his little girl is fine.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well, yes, on both counts.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I see The Guardian is claiming today that TMS got about 4m listeners during the Ashes, Bhaves. But with the means of access so fragmented it's hard to be sure.

I found Sky commentary a bit of a chore during the last Test, so I'm going back to the radio for Lord's audio (with pictures). Though Boycott and Blofeld could easily send me back the other way.

[Aidan11]

Think it was something like 270,000 the viewing figures for the last day.


Mind Cardiff is an ugly venue to look at.

[yorker_129-7]

Tough place to make your debut as a Keeper is Lord's, very difficult ground to keep at. Get your money on byes being a big scorer.

[GarlicJam]

James Anderson has said that England had avoided confrontation in the first Test. Then added the Aussies declined to come into the England dressing room for a beer... I think the Earl of Dukes needs to retake the study day.

Declined a beer? I'm not a big fan of the false pre-game handshakes etc, but refusing a beer after the game has finished is petty.

Not refusing, but declining. Big difference.

It has become standard practice for the Aus team to have end-of-series drinks with the opposition, but not after each match. I don't know why it's news really, the same happened against England last couple(?) of series.

Pretty quick for hubris to come into play?

[GarlicJam]

Poor Brad. Normally if you're out for personal problems, you get a bit of sympathy.

I'm very sorry to see him go as I shall be to see Watson lose his place. England bowlers will have similar feelings I'm sure.

I think that Haddin"s misfortune may well be Watson"s saviour. MMarsh wouldn't be making his debut in tests, but close to.

[Dr Cricket]

I see The Guardian is claiming today that TMS got about 4m listeners during the Ashes, Bhaves. But with the means of access so fragmented it's hard to be sure.

I found Sky commentary a bit of a chore during the last Test, so I'm going back to the radio for Lord's audio (with pictures). Though Boycott and Blofeld could easily send me back the other way.

4M is probably the peak figures or Reach hard to see the ashes getting 4m on TMS when Channel 4 struggled to get that on the Telly.

Reach is defined as any person listening to it for 3 minutes any time during the test.
Generally reach or peak figures are crazy high.
The 2009 Ashes winning moment was watched by 1.92 M people and at the time was the 2nd most watched channel in the country beating BBC 2 and ITV with only Song of praise on BBC 1 beating it.

Although worryingly for Sky those figures are coming down for them.

TBH no surprised the ratings are high most people will have the radio on at work/Car/plus many people choose to listen the TMS comm ahead of the Sky comms.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Siddle quotes Anderson when they had a drink at the end of the last series: 'Why do we even do this? I can't stand it'.

Hilarious. Beergate I guess.

Great headline on cricinfo: England beer offer greeted with suspicion.

It's like a cold war article.

[GarlicJam]

Winners are beer drinkers.

[Aidan11]

I'd be happy with a runners-up lager.