Yoss

50/1 anyway, Gayle out to Broad.

No, I don't understand it either.

Excellent, Swann takes wickets with the first and second balls of his second spell; Nash survives the hat-trick ball. He knows his stuff, that btb.

Too early to say that until we've seen them bat. We've got rookie bowlers up against Sarwan and Chanderpaul so it's optimistic to be that confident about taking twenty wickets at this stage. I'm happy as it stands though, agreed.

Collingwood is worth his place. Good partnership here between Bopara and Swann, who has his maiden Test fifty. It's handy having some tailenders who know how to hold a bat, we might not be playing with a number seven but we've got three number eights. Hopefully that'll enable us to keep playing five bowlers even without Flintoff. (366/7)

Not confirmed yet but sounds like they've gone for it. Bopara, Ambrose, Sidebottom all dropped; Harmison still out; Prior, Khan and Panesar in. (Strauss, Cook, Shah, Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior, Broad, Swann, Anderson, Panesar, Khan) Good stuff.

so, for tomorrow. cricinfo reckons: I'd rather see five bowlers myself; Bopara out and probably Panesar in. They might think about Rashid instead but there's only so much point in dropping a batsman and then choosing the replacement bowler on his batting ability, they need to win so might as well take the bull by the horns.

There's some rightness in both sides of the argument here - if England had better bowlers then the flat pitch wouldn't matter. But given that most sides are generally pretty evenly matched most of the time and we can't often have Walsh and Ambrose, say, or Shane Warne, it's going to make Test cricket a much less appealing proposition if we have many more pitches like that one. But, that's not cricket's biggest concern right at the moment.

Lots of selection issues for the next Test, can't remember the last time there were so many different players in contention - as well as the current eleven, Prior, Harmison, Monty, Amjad Khan and even Rashid will be in consideration (the last is unlikely but still possible if they're worried about weakening the batting by playing and extra bowler). There's only so much point in speculating before we hear anything about the pitch. Pleased for Cook today.

England will not lose this, don't worry.

Yeah, fine innings under pressure. Aus haven't enforced the follow-on.

SA 85/3 at close. Caps doffed for Jacques Kallis who passed 10,000 Test runs today to go with his 250 wickets, a combination no one else is anywhere close to (though Sobers 8,000 and 235 was achieved off somewhat fewer Tests). He only needs another four wickets to reach the same double-milestone in one day internationals too. One of the greats.

Oh him? Yeah, I've seen the name here and about, hadn't made the connection. They're on top at the moment anyway, scratch side or no; Smith went in the first over and Amla in the second to leave SA 2/2. (Now 17/2.)

Johnson is left on 96 not out as the last two wickets fall in consecutive balls at the other end; not bad for a number nine. Somebody called Marcus North (one of three debutants in the team) scored 117 to take Aus to 466 all out.

122.6 Harris to Johnson, SIX, oh my word, he's just going better and better! Harris keeps it flat and wide but Johnson waltzes down and clubs it across the line, off the middle of the bat for a six over long-on and out of the stadium 122.5 Harris to Johnson, SIX, he's going the distance! This one's a dinger, rows back over mid-on 122.4 Harris to Johnson, no run, fuller of off stump and this time he leaves it alone 122.3 Harris to Johnson, SIX, even better! Its maximum! Johnson goes down and slogs this one over midwicket for six, man he's targeting Harris And that is Mitchell J's personal Test best. 122.2 Harris to Johnson, FOUR, down he skips, whipping a flatter delivery off his pads over midwicket 122.1 Harris to Johnson, FOUR, kneels down and slog-sweeps this one behind square leg

It's Ambrose not Mustard (easy to lose track given the number of 'keepers they've used in recent years) but yeah.

It's unfortunate that Prior has gone out at the same time as Flintoff. With him to bat at six they might well have gone with the extra bowler. As it is I agree with jim, they'll struggle to take twenty wickets.

301/3 at close, well played England. WI pulled it back pretty well there, took three wickets and had them pinned down before Pietersen and Collingwood had a late flurry against the new ball.

200/0 It's going to be a draw isn't it?

No way of knowing, really. He showed some good form in short bursts last season. If he can show it and sustain it for a bit in the early part of this season he might play his way into Ashes contention, but it's a long shot. England are 46/0 after twelve overs. Australia are 254/5 with rain stpping play.

Here's a stat from today's 'paper. Flintoff has played in exactly half of England's 42 Tests since the 2005 Ashes (not including last week's abandonment). In that time they've won only three Tests when he has been playing, as opposed to ten when he hasn't. Bopara looks set to take the number six spot; Swann is fit to play; so is Harmison - if they want him. Australia are 194/5 on the first day of their first Test in South Africa. Steyn has three wickets - easily the best quick bowler in the world just now, imo.

fucking hell Heathen.

Sounds like Harmison will be back in, which makes sense if the pitch is as lively as promised. It could be fun.

It's not the pitch this time (which is okay), it's the outfield, the bowlers can't trust their run-ups. Very sad.

Meanwhile, South Africa are so spoilt for choice in the batting line-up that they're able to leave out Prince, who scored 900 Test runs last year at an average of 64.something.