We're back, baby, for the second Test in The Ashes. Staying up well past midnight five nights in a row was totally worth it, not just because the Aussie won, but because it was an awesome test (and also because the Aussies won). All of us cricket fans are ready and waiting to do it all again at Lords.
The Aussies have one victory in the bag, and with both Smith and Labuschagne not particularly firing with the bat in the first Test, it will be interesting to see how they overcome that here at Lords. Can Khawaja continue his excellent form? And can our apparent three number 11s continue to prove England wrong?
Australia is off to a great start and have been holding onto The Ashes since 2017. They will also be committed to make up for their mistakes in the 2019 series in England, which saw them draw the series to retain The Ashes and not win outright, when they had their chance. Our cricket experts here at Dabble preview all the important details of this match and provide their best cricket tips:
Match Winner
What a great win by the Aussies at Edgbaston. Both teams dominated at times but then the opposing team would counter punch and get back the momentum. Surely, we get a better pitch at Lords. There is more life on the moon than the Edgbaston pitch. I think the Aussies win again here they have better settled team with less doubts about positions.
Damien Fleming's Expert Cricket Tip: Australia
Top Australian Run Scorer (First Innings)
If you told me Australia would win without Marnus and Smithy dominating, you could have knocked me down with a feather. They will surely get runs at Lords. With Smithy top scoring. He will be hungry for runs after the double failure in the first Test.
Damien Fleming's Expert Cricket Tip: Steven Smith
Top English Run Scorer (First Innings)
Joe Root is in the form of his life at the moment. He balances classic Test Match stroke play with T20 innovation. The ramping off Scott Boland in the second over of the day was spectacular. He was in the runs at Edgbaston, and he can get in the runs again at Lords.
Damien Fleming's Expert Cricket Tip: Joe Root
Top Australian Wicket Taker (First Innings)
After a quiet first innings with the ball, Pat Cummins dominated the rest of the Test Match with runs in both innings and brilliant bowling in the second innings. It looked to me his batting in the first innings gave him a confidence life for the second innings of the Test and his bowling rhythm looked fantastic.
Damien Fleming's Expert Cricket Tip: Pat Cummins
Top English Wicket Taker (First Innings)
The English quicks found it hard on the dead pitch. The veteran Stu Broad charged in from the first to last ball. And dismissed Marnus and Smithy which is a great effort. He has worked on his outswinger to the right hand bats and it worked. Should continue his lethal form at Lords.
Damien Fleming's Expert Cricket Tip: Stuart Broad
We told you our cricket tips were on point! If reading our preview for The Ashes Test 2 has got you all fired up, make sure you head on over to the Dabble app, get all your bets sorted and share your thoughts in the Banter channel.
