Jason Gillespie's Diary: Gearing up for the Second Test

Since the conclusion of the Edgbaston Test Match the lads really haven't had much time off to speak of. Apart from the day at the Wimbledon Men's Singles final, we've trained and, of course, had our tour match against Somerset at Taunton.

During that tour game, Tugga (Steve Waugh), Warney and Pidgeon (McGrath) spent some time with their families away from the team. This was a good thing as it gives these guys time with their families and away from cricket to recharge the batteries for the battle ahead.

At different stages of the tour, all the lads will have this opportunity.

The team currently has a footy tipping competition covering both the Aussie Rules and National Rugby League. For reasons unknown to all and in a quite mind-boggling result to date, our fitness guru, Jock Campbell, has raced away into the lead.

The boys think he is sabotaging the count! Poor old Alfie Langer is bringing up the rear and there is an even spread between the two lads.

The Poms are shattered about the rugby and we have heard every excuse under the sun as to why they have lost.

It has been given huge coverage in all the papers here with the scribes blaming injuries and bad scheduling as reasons (the public who come up and speak to us about it) but I think that they were just beaten by a better team! After all they did have their chances too!

With the tight schedule, haven't had a chance to see my South Australian skipper Darren "Boof" Lehmann, but we saw Redback teammate Greg Blewett at our one-dayer versus Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

All the lads hope to catch up with them a bit later in the tour.

We are all in London now for the Lord's Test and I am expecting another sleepless night. The good news is that Haydos, Slats and Binger (Lee) are all fit so with that news I hope we can nail the Poms and go two-nil up.