Honours almost even

To get to the field at Lord's, the players have to go through the Long Room.  Here there are honour boards commemorating each century and each five wicket haul in Lord's tests over the years.  When Ian Bell finished his innings yesterday, a piece of  tape with his name on it had reportedly been stuck to one of these boards awaiting a more permanent inscription.  As yet no Aussie in this match has earned this honour.  In this alone honours were uneven.

Both teams would have been a bit disappointed with the final score for the day.  Both teams would have been happy to reach that score at other times.  After losing the toss, and being made to bowl on what looked a very good batting strip, the Aussies would have settled for 7/289 as the closing score.  England would have wanted a couple less wickets.  However at 3/28, the Aussies would have hoped to have had at least one or two more Englishmen back in the sheds.  England would have been happy with the final score.  When Trott went, the Aussies must have felt like they were one wicket away from running through England.  When Siddle bowled Bairstow, they had it... except for the fact that the replays showed that Siddle had marginally overstepped and the decision was overturned.  For the second time in two innings the Aussies missed out on a key wicket at least partly due to their own poor play (no ball, bad use of DRS).  For the second time the reprieved batsman forged an important partnership with Bell, helping him to a hundred.  By the end of the Bell-Bairstow partnership, the Aussies were just hoping to get to five or six wickets for the day.  England would have been disappointed to lose three quick wickets at the end of the day.  More so because all three fell to the very part time leg spinner Smith.

There was one concern for the Aussies.  With Watson taking one to add to Smith's three it was the batsmen who contributed the most wickets.  I guess that is fair enough, as the bowlers have been doing their part with the bat in recent times (See: Batting upside down).  However the Aussies will be hoping that Harris puts his name on the honour boards in the first session, and that one of the batsmen follow suit in the afternoon.