Reynard

Normally it is but not on day two of a test with the weather not an issue. There is loads of time left, normally you would be well into the thrid day after having stuck a big score on the board in your first innings and then you'd judge it from there, but in this case you just need to get back out there and try and bat as long as you possibly can with a lot less pressure on you.

Pattinson was fucking minging in the first innings too.

Harris won't be liking this, he can barely string two tests together as it is never mind be out bowing a couple of sessions after all the work he put in during the first innings.

The pressure is off for England now, they can take their time, demoralise the bowing attack and get right all the stuff they got wrong in the first innings. In theory..

That's it. You really dont want to bat last on a wicket that is going to be turning and worn and maybe giving erratic bounce chasing a couple of hudred potentially if it all went well for the Aussies. England will rule out an Aussie win by hopefully batting til Sunday, and then scoreboard pressure and half decent bowling will do the rest, and ridiculously attacking fields. And the weather isn't going to mean time is an issue either, they know they have three full days and a part session left. And the hosts and sponsors won't like a short test either

Three days to go, wicket still decent, no chance of making them follow on.

There cant be many stupid ways of getting out that Australia havent investigated in this innings. Maybe a handled ball or something next?

Clarke has to stick himself in further up the order from now on, he is their best player and you could see he was in a shit frame of mind via collossal seethe at the rest of his team. Get yourself in at four and give yourself a fucking chance son.

England didn't bat well on a wicket that looked decent, but they scraped a reasonable total in the end, but THIS is fucking dire from Australia. They deserve all the pelters they are going to be getting for this effort.

Fucking hell, now a ridiculous run out to add to the comedy batting display of ridiculous dismissals. They will be thinking about whether to stick them in again FFS. Hopefully they will bat a while, then declare and humiliate them on a turning wicket afterwards.

Its too bad that England have to rely on Anderson so much and that Swann is past it.

Thats been a fucking shambles from Australia so far this afternoon. Loving it!

I doubt they will make an arse of their first innings again. They managed nearly four hundred in the second innings in spite of losing Root and Trott when they were both not out. Its the bowlers that will win them the match anyway. Not surprised to see Cowan dropped by the Aussies but I'm faily surprised that they have dropped Starc as I thought he was alright. It might be a call they have made after looking at the wicket though.

Just like someone from Trinidad and Tobago has to go with the West Indies. It really isn't a big deal, test cricket is fuckiong brilliant, they can hang whatever label they like on teams and I dont really care. I remember supporting the rest of the world against "The Australians" back in Packers day. Peter Such.. We are quite chuffed when a Scot gets on in test cricket, its a fairly rare event but its good when it happens.

If we want to watch top class cricket in the UK then we have to follow the test side. I've met plenty Scots cricket fans at test matches, and Irish too believe it or not. What are the options anyway for a test cricket fan in this part of the world? A few hours drive to Leeds or Nottingham or have you got any other suggestions? Anyone beating the Aussies is fine by me. They whinge like f**k as it happens too so it will be good fun on FB winding up my Australian chums. It was also good watching them rooting for Djokovic in the tennis and failing. Sporting failure seems to be "the thing" in Australia these days. Long may it continue.

Rubbish. If you actually go and check the bowling records of both Broad and Finn you will see they have made massive contributions to test wins. Anderson and Swann are world class bowlers. Siddle is a good bowler too, I never ever said he wasn't. You might not be buying into the rubbish that the poms are streets ahead. Fair enough. Bet your house on a close series in England then. You'll lose your money.

Its not a great English side. Its a pretty good one though and it ALWAYS starts test series badly and slowly. Australia were a shambles in India so the change of management will help them, plus its an ashes series so there will be the "well up for this" mentality. But over the course of ten test matches they wont be good enough.

The Aussie bowling line up is not in remotely the same sort of class as Englands. They have two world class bowlers, Australia have none. In reality, this is what will win the series for England, both series. Australia's best hope is that Swann and or Anderson get injured. I do think Australia have bowlers that can take twenty wickets in a test match, but it won't be consistent and it could happen in the dead rubbers and not when Australia really need it. Thats the big difference. I think England can control a test through quality bowling, never mind the fact they have a better batting line up too. I'm just looking forward to it all, even when Australia were ridiculously dominant, they were always test matches with something worth seeing. I dont see you rolling over and dying either.

I think there is a fair distance between the sides and this will be more apparent as the series goes on. Australias batting isn't good and it's bowling attack is erratic. England are always slow starters in a series and will win this series at a bit of a canter. Australia might well grow into this couple of series as it wears on, but it could also go wrong if the defeats become fairly heavy and confidence is lost and they begin to make panic changes. There are one or two good players in the Aussie ranks and there is a bit of rawness there too which could go either way really. Results and confidence the results bring can go a long way to making a good career, but England will get better, their top order can dismantle that Aussie attack, and will do in due course.

If Bresnan is playing I'd rather it was in place of Bairstow than Finn. Its Finns home wicket and his record there is very decent indeed. It might be all it takes to get him firing properly again...

Some folk really don't understand the nature of a wind up. Botham is an arch Aussie baiter, he knew he would get a reaction by saying this and Its one of the few things he is any good at. I wonder why him and Ian Chappell never share the commentary duties,that would be fairly entertaining...

Englands first inning debacle made the game good and tight as did the stumping decision when Agar was on 6. I have no idea why they always seem to start series so poorly, they did it in opening innings in India, NZ and in the home series against the Kiwis too. They got away with it here, the weather helped them in NZ too. They just need to knuckle down, take the time and play into the series properly. They are better than Australia andwill prove that over the two series I reckon, but the Aussies will definitely fight and scrap, and I'm glad they will as it makes for good cricket generally. Australias bowlers look like they will be good when they click but they have their own versions of Finn there too. The wickets will be set up to help Englands strengths and more particularly the spin of Swann. They know Anderson will extract what he can out the surface and he can make the ball swing either way anyway, regardless of the surface. Finn and Broad will just need to get on with it.

Australi will make much more of a series of it on their own patch. They will be battle hardened after this and the wickets will be suiting them. I still think they will lose both series all the same. On the Finn/Bresnan thing, I'd maybe keep Finn there and dump Bairstow for Bresnan. Its not as if Bairstow has made a ton of runs anyway and the extra bowler will be handy for when Broad or Finn are pie chucking. Finns record at Lords is actually very decent indeed though so although he had a total 'mare in the second innings it will be a big call to bin him for a match he could well be taking wickets in. I dont think England need six specialist batsmen anyway.

Its usually ok as you always used to get Greigy Benaud and co for the Aussie commentary. And NZ was good as Coney was in the studio doing the night shift for it. Anyway, what England dont have is a decent bat/bowl all rounder. That would solve a few problems for them.

Opening the batting and also being asked to bowl for hours on end as a spinner would turn him mentally ill.