It's glorious again in the Midlands but a little more cloud in the air. The grey stuff is expected to hit me around 4, so I'd expect some slogging this morning with a hope to have a few hundred on the board and them back in to bat a bit after tea.
It's glorious again in the Midlands but a little more cloud in the air. The grey stuff is expected to hit me around 4, so I'd expect some slogging this morning with a hope to have a few hundred on the board and them back in to bat a bit after tea.
Why do we never start early in England to make up overs? TV?
TV plus how do you let the punters and ground staff know?
Also if you want more time you can probably just play later, although I agree 10.30 starts would make more sense seeing as the extra time is always used at the end of the day to make up the day's overs which aren't bowled.
I was standing at the weekend with a bloke who has done a lot of pro stuff / some televised games, and he said when you umpire at that level most of what you have to deal with is just the TV director barking things about timings into your ear. So the answer is TV, even if they won't admit it.
Notice that when India play here on global terms (World Cups/WTC) it always starts at 10.30 for their TV market.
Watchful start.
I feel fundamentally unsafe. Where is Jonathan Trott and Cook batting for 70 overs too long.
Root really isn't fucking around
Superb by Cummings.
With the ball now doing something you're going to need to look to get the target at close to 300 as you can.
Root coming out slogging says to me they want a bowl today, one way or the other.
They'd probably take a chance on 250 if it came to it. It's just all out attack, all the time. Goes against everything that is culturally drummed into us from birth in this country. Not just cricket-wise, everything.
Tubs having a meltdown saying Stokes hasn't hit it. As soon as he leaves the comms box, Hawk Eye shows it missing the stumps anyway.![]()
Surely Bairstow isn't going to give us one of his LBW moments now.
Heart in mouth stuff here. In big bother if we lose one soon.
Fucking hell Johnny. Sort it out lad.
Feel that’s a huge moment in the match. Need to add another 100-150 next session.
Ahsan Raza, AR, always review.
I'm picking up the online-seethe Indians breaking heavily for Australia here. Something about Bazball properly winds them up. Fucking bring it.
I could listen to Sangakkara all day. What a voice, what a man.
I think we’ve fucked it Pt. 4
250 an hour before tea? Are Aus slapping for that before end of the day or taking their chances on the weather?
Lyon will pass 500 Test wickets soon, jfc.
Barstow insta-reviewing an LBW and being wrong? Very, very surprising stuff.
I thought it was plumb like. Assumed he got a glove going off his confidence in review, even with us having all three in the bag still.
Never review Marais. 6/7 correct from him. Fucking legend, I love him.
Your problem there is he reviewed one that was very close before and was right on it. That'll tell him he was right and should do it every time.
Stokes: "My knee is fine, I'll bowl loads this series."
Also Stokes: limps after playing a sweep.
Enjoy him lads, I don't think he's long for this, especially if we win the Ashes.
Yeah this is starting to look like a pray for storms on Tuesday kind of day.
Stokes is completely fucked and I think this is the last we're seeing of Moeen as well.
I'd love for Mo to go out with a quickfire 50 here.
Given the thankless task he was given as relief bowler I think he's done well for 2 years away.
Would love a big nick, not given here.![]()
Going to be interesting to see how Australia go in their innings. Best batting conditions definitely going to be this evening. Forecast maybe not so bad for tomorrow as first thought [so we may have gone a little early on this one] but 70-80% humidity on a Day 5 pitch sounds a bit tasty.
Could be a classic, depending on how we bowl.
The Burnley Lara![]()
Tea taken before we get in.
281 is a little on the lower side of acceptable, but it can be done. Davey Warner needs skittling ASAP though.
We defended this by two in 2005 but then had prodigious reverse swing. That said, that chase included 40 extras including 18 no balls (what the fuck were we doing?) and went at over four an over which I'm not sure these Australians will manage.
Need, dunno, three tonight? Four?
Weren't all of those extras Steve Harmison?
You need at least 3 tonight for not too much damage. Really need Mo to be able to bowl some with some good turn on show.
Need 3 including Smith. Don’t think we lose that many overs tomorrow to necessitate them having to bat aggressively.
What's that, 4 edges in an over? Bairstow not even diving for that is irritating.
Bairstow has got to take that
I've long since accepted that England don't care about wicketkeeping.
This is looking a little ominous as it is.
Rain all day tomorrow it is then.
I thought Ollie Robinson would be the key in this series, but on this deck he looks completely threat-free. Pace is well down.
Gottim! My plans a lot simpler than Ben's.
Wonderful set up Jim.
Well played Jim.
Get jinxing Root. He'll be up in a minute. Mos' finger looks grim.