My dear old things, it's STW TMS!

I’m just catching up on the highlights of the semi Eng vs Ind.

I know it’s all if and buts and…… we went for 32 in the last 2 overs. If we’d have done a proper job there we could have then had a total and chased it down in 14 overs! That was a seriously impressive batting effort.

Will it rain?
England won the toss and bowl first

Adil Rashid just bowled a wicket maiden. In a T20 game. A T20 final, no less. Wow.

New rule I’m instigating with immediate effect:
Rashid and Curran allowed to bowl 8 overs each in T20s 😁

I had to take son to work, turned on radio, they said Curran had gone for 12, I assumed in his fourth over. Not in total……

Still think PK have something to say about this.

Not that I was naive enough to think Eng had this in the bag after restricting Pal’s innings… but we’re now 3 down and it’s looking twitchy

for what should be a walk in the park, I’m not really enjoying this

Torture

Couldnt ask for two better batsman in this position.

And it looks like I’ll see the end before I have to leave for the rugby.

I still can’t handle the stress. Stomach feels like it did before my GCSE exams 33 years ago 😬

I’ll hold off on saying that we should be OK from here!

Stokes first T20 international 50, what a time to do it.

Pakistan players where class in the field.
Great win for England

Good controlled performance by England.

Good controlled performance by England

If you could tell my bumhole, it’d be appreciated. It’s been twitching like a bunny’s nose.

the ramp shot from Buttler for six on a big ground was just mind boggling!

The MCG is a funny shape – straight boundary’s aren’t that big, but it’s very wide square, hence the plan here is to bowl back of a length, making you hit square.

We’re gonna get a thumping here.

I really dislike Warner doing well

Morning all, a record breaking morning?

Yes, my tea tastes good this morning !! Well played Crawley & Duckett!! I felt Ben D was unlucky not to play in the T20 WC.

Just tuned in at lunch. 174-0. Ridiculous. What kind of swashbuckling voodoo is this?

lucky boy on 99 🙂

There’s a reason that established seamers have been known to pull a sickie when their team is touring Pakistan. England need 600 minimum.

Lateral movement now. Leg spin & reverse. Plus staying low.

Root and Pope – please take a few balls, have a look, get set and then extinguish the glimmer of hope that a couple of wickets brings.

332 scored by tea on the first day! That’s some fairly brutal hitting. Let’s hope they push on and give Pakistan some proper scoreboard pressure.

Indeed, but you can’t assess until both teams have had a bat. Combine this with the likely shortened days due to dusk being about 5 minutes between daylight and totally dark and you know you have to get on with it batting first.Really, this is the perfect situation for a bit of Bazball and a declaration.

With the regulations the way they are now, we won’t see another win in near total darkness – not sure if that is a good or bad thing!

400 up in 64 overs!

this is mental, ball if flying around the ground!

They are going to smash SA’s record – buying themselves alot of time to win the test, but Pakistan are still likely to score a lot of runs based on recent Australia series.

4 4 4 4 4 4

LOL

they’ve added another 50 in 4.5 overs!

Fair play Harry Brook

4 centurions in a day, and nearly 500 runs.

Daft.

highest first day score in test history 502! (and 15 overs left in the day)

fastest to 500 ever (by nearly 20 overs)! and only 3 runs short of the highest day score!

Will they drop Root ? 😉

What is Boycott going to moan about now? That’s a huge first day score.

This Pakistan attack have been very poor. Little control of line or length and very poor fielding (Ali especially!).

England can only hit what is in front of them – and they certainly have! Proper shots too – no frenetic slogging.

What is Boycott going to moan about now?

Playing a test match in a Northern Hemisphere country in December I expect!

Loss of 15 overs due to bad light is a bloody disgrace to be honest…

I suspect when allowed, Pakiston will get a half decent 1st innings total too, and we’ll be staring down the barrel of a draw if not for Englands pace in this innings so far… For me, Brook/Stokes/Jacks/Livingstone need to treat tomorrow as a 50 over game… Look to get to get to 700 by lunch, maybe 800 or so by tea, then put Pakistan in with the view to bowling them out twice in 3 and a bit shortened days… Which will only equate to about 240 overs or so.

Any thoughts of needing to bat twice should be completely removed from Stokes’ head…

England need 600 minimum.

I’d say 600 is about a par score on that pitch… If England can get 750, maybe skittle Pakistan for 500 in the first innings and then still enforce the follow on and with a wicket now starting to turn, really make use of their multi pronged spin attack, could still not be required to bat a second time…

skittle Pakistan for 500

Hardly skittled if you’ve got 500!