I’ll be up for the first hour or so.

TOJV is right and first hour is crucial

Starts half an hour early today, late start and heading down the office to watch it. Just got to get through the smashed avo first.

Anyway, England slightly up just for the time spent out there, agree it needs to be a good start and no wickets before lunch, regardless of the score if England make it to tea they have a very good chance here though I’m not convinced they will. One of the aussie commentators said the new perth ground is also a drop in pitch which got Vaughn all happy – not having to deal with a WACA deck will be a bonus for England throw in a day night and it’s an open series

Blimey, just watched the highlights. Who stole the Gabba wicket and substituted in a load of plasticine?

In years gone by it was a riot of blazing bouncers, zipping spin and shots racing across the outfield like a cannonball on a medieval battlefield. It looke more like a Rose Bowl nonentity wicket prepared for an ODI.

I’m hoping Moeen can last the initial attack with the new ball and take full toll later with Jonny.

Jimmy’s nipbacker is an underrated delivery next to all his booming swing, it might well be a principle weapon on a pitch as benign as this.

good neck training for Warner keeping it upright and his eyes at head level instead of staring at the obvious distractions!!!

Strewth mate!

A nice lovely boring session please!!

Well I’ve had to swap back to the Channel 9 commentary as TMS/ABC was about 2 balls out from the TV, worst bit of the session so far was either KP’s 15 mins or Ali sending one skywards.

Love to see those lads have to throw down 150 overs.

View from the Aussies is that they are just letting England get comfortable, which they do look. All the time the scoreboard is ticking along nicely

Good to see the Richies out there in force too

Nice and steady…
Where are the devastating spells of unplayable bowling?
Maybe we have to wait for Broad and Anderson for that, seen plenty of mouth from the bogans though.

Where are the devastating spells of unplayable bowling?

Day 3 when the pitch crisps up? Not the fault of the bowlers though, these lads are some of the fastest and most hostile in the right place so don’t underestimate them.

All three batsman who were a cause concern have got 50s – bodes well.

Starc switching to round the wkt may liven things up a little.
Malan & Moeen both looking comfortable; new ball, much the same as old ball.

and Malan has gone, at least he got the 50 up, lets keep nice and settled and get Bairstow in properly, need to get past 300 here

Ah, Malan out for 56; Bairstow now on strike.

and review for Moeen

Edit gone, Lyon gets one

Moeen leg before; appeal; umpires call – out.
249/6.

and here comes the mad half hour

And now Woakes goes – bowled by Lyon; 250/7.
All change in last 15 mins.

and here we go, lets at least make lunch here might have to lift Bairstow up the order one

Bye Bye Bairstow.

Time for the sloggers and the duckers!! Nice to see it hitting the rope a few time

Well looks like 300 is not going to happen, late lunch too so they can mop up

the new perth ground is also a drop in pitch which got Vaughn all happy – not having to deal with a WACA deck will be a bonus for England throw in a day night and it’s an open series

The ODI is at burswood, but I thought the test was still at the Waca

I stand corrected, or I’ll correct the Aussie it is the WACA, nice to see Marsh drop one there and Broad/Anderson going out swinging

Great breakthrough at the start!! Another one on the tally for broad

and still going there!! Just need rid of the Bogan

all gone to bed? Davie Warner just popped one for a catch

Woke up, ill just watch to the next wicket 😆

I didn’t last long last night.

Heard alot of cricket though LOL IGMC.

10 wickets today , crazy times. Aggers and Tufnell discussing how to talk about the day’s events with ABC haha

Dammit, why has today been full of meetings? Interesting day so far

Yeah off to the pub and the wickets have stopped falling

Now in the Qantas club and yup, seems the Aussies have annoyingly found out what a bat is for

runs a bit too easy currently……. I know Cook used to be criticised for being too negative but getting the next dozen rattled off to the close for 30-odd and leave them still over a hundred behind overnight would not be disappointing to me, and I sense the Aussies want to try to dominate; might cause them to push for something that isn’t there.

Hope so, as currently it feels like they’ll achieve and exceed our score. Only been watching the last 90 minutes.

Well, they’ve had a decent acceleration in the last hour, but it’s hardly panic stations yet. Shadows getting tricky and their tail is quite long …

Close of play came at a good time. We had our foot on the throat but alas they have been saved by Smith. Very big partnership that.

If I’d been offered that scoreline with this weather forecast two days ago, I’d have taken it.

How often do we get Aus 4 down then they get a huge score

Two days in and still not possible to say who is on top and no one career ended just yet
Not bad and what test cricket is all about and all to play for

How often do we get Aus 4 down then they get a huge score

They were talking about it on TMS this morning. Apparently, during the 2013/14 debacle, Aus were 5 down for 150 or less in 4 of the 5 tests. You know the final scoreline…

They did also say that there’s no Haddin or Johnson this time. Surely the current partnership is the key to the match, though the weather forecast could bring a draw into it, which would suit England just fine.

How often do we get Aus 4 down then they get a huge score

I’m aware I may end up eating my words, but Paine is no Haddin when it comes to batting. He may get them out of jail once, but doubtful he could do so as often as Haddin.

@zokes on the weather abc had them as QLD meto are just playing $2 each way with the showers forecast