My dear old things, it's STW TMS!

Joe Root and Zak Crawley have just brought up their 200 partnership in 30.2 overs!

Errrmmmm – thats not right 🙂

Crawley misses out on a double hundred, but a fantastic innings.

Bugger.

Oh well, at least Harry Brook gets his chance to play T20 😀

Root bowled by a pea roller from back of a length. Totally unplayable, hopefully the pitch is starting to deteriorate.

looking to score 200 in the morning session ?

I’m at OT tomorrow looking forward to some T20

stand and deliver 🙂

the short ball cafeteria is well and truely open 😀

Jim Maxwell is not happy 🙂

Think Stokes could go for broke here and declare with a lead of 150 or something. They need to maximise time for the bowlers and if they can bowl them out for <200 they could come in and thrash their way to 50ish in a few overs.

nah. bat till the sun goes in.

Jim Maxwell is not happy

I turn TMS off when he’s on, such a dismissive arsehole.

Stokes bowled. Would be nice to get over a 200 lead before they come back in. Still think this one will end up a draw though….

lead upto 150

Brook gone now as well. Reckon they need to ramp it up now. Bairstow, Woakes and Wood to just go for it. Get as many runs as they can and then get them back in before the rain starts tomorrow….

Now Woakes gone for a duck. Will we get a 200 lead….

Nearly lunch, 500-up in 95 overs, and 122 runs in the (short) session

As we talk about Bazball being necessary otherwise Test cricket is dying on its arse as entertainment, AUS have slowed the game to the extent that there’ll be 24 overs in two hours.

That is a bigger disgrace than a disputed stumping in my book. Umpires need to stop it happening.

dragging out the declaration so Billy can get his 50 :/

seems not, maybe they think theres going to be play sunday

Beginning to wonder if someone’s told Stokes that it’s going to rain all weekend 🤔

can only assume it’s to rub it in, dishearten them.

Declaring when we have a 250 lead do you think (unless the last wicket falls before obviously). Or waiting for Bairstow to get his ton?

EDIT: Well, we’ve passed 250…

the crack coming off billys bat is amazing

ton

4751 for the last wicket so far 🙂

this is embarrassing 😀

This is brilliant 🤣

Please Jimmy, don’t get out…

The running between the wicket on short balls is hilarious. Taking the absolute piss out of them. 😀

Sorry chaps – I just put the telly on

Please Jimmy, don’t get out…

🤣 99 no for Bairstow!!

Ahh well, I’m sure he won’t really care.

what a pair of ****!

1 down!

Edit: I’ve Anderson give Bairstow a hug about 3 times now, he’s well gutted Bairstow didn’t get his ton.

bye bye warner! 🙂

That’s weird, Broad didn’t get him.

That is closer than it looks. It hasn’t ‘bounced’, it’s gone straight in but the mere act of splaying the fingers means it has to have touched grass at the same time. But if the fingers had web between them, it might not have done.

[yeah, like what Ricky said]

I think Root probably caught that, but can undertsand the decision……

Yeah I reckon if the slip fielders leg wasn’t in the way that would be out.

Totally understand the umpire not giving it though.

should have given it anyway. Because it’s Steve Smith, and he would have been filthy about it. I could live with that…..

Very confused about Stokes’ tactics today. First he bats on far too long, then he keeps Anderson on when we need wickets. Unless there’s a miracle with the weather this test is going to fizzle out.

oh dear, that was a bit too tail end rabbit for middle order 😀