Oops!

Now you know what its like being a Scotland rugby fan! As Mrs TJ says – its the hope that gets you

What an absolute fiasco! Why no follow-on?

the trend has shifted away from enforcing the follow-on. There’s a school of thought that it’s better to keep your bowlers fresh if you can, rather than sending them straight out again.

Sports science as well isn’t it…..

it’s now far more recognised that fatigue rather than absolute workload is the main contributor to injuries. And with test coming thick and fast, keeping bowlers as fresh as possible reduces the risk longer term.

So in this case – the likelihood is that they’ll win anyway, there’s no time or weather pressure forcing their hand towards a 3 innings victory, but they can rest their bowlers because they can, and at the same time make the England attack go and toil again after barely 3 hours sat down.

lead nearing 500, this is a thrashing and no mistake!

Only 628 to win. Plenty of time 🙂

Only two and a half days to bat. Probably only need a few runs an over.

Anyone else get luck in the lords ticket ballot?
Day 2 of the ashes test for me 🙂
I hope it’s not like this test!

228-7 only another 400 to win.

Oh well.

I will be going to the Lords Test but very grumpy about the Wednesday start.

231-4 overnight to 277 all out is quite frankly pathetic.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/cricket/46652306

Do we have a game on at last?

Do we have a game on at last?

is that taking it to 4 days ?

I think you’ll find 231-4 overnight to 277 all out is quite normal for England for the last few years.

Sadly true.
Still – getting a bit more interesting now.

Well at least we have some bowling going on 🙂 Certainly not going to make 4 days at this rate

The consensus was 230-4 overnight was well above par in conditions!

Oof… Broad’s just taken a decent catch!

Was a stunning catch and wood gets his 5, great game for the lad!! And now all eyes on Jennings

Crikey.

Bit of a turnaround from the last test!

West Indies enjoying a holiday and the English playing better when the pressures off.

England/County Cricket need to stop producing pitches for 75mph trundlers, and concentrate on more proper pace bowlers. Wood has looked a class apart.

^ +1 – and same with the batting. Bumble’s just said, he saw Jennings score 3 big commanding hundreds last year – but they weren’t against 150kph bowling.

looking like another 20+ wicket day, crazy test cricket. perhaps not just the 16

England in April/May is not exactly conducive to preparing fast, hard pitches. And when things do dry up a bit 20/20 seems to take over.

But having fast pitches and quick bowlers doesn’t explain the current crop of Aussie batters, does it?

Players need to spend more time in other places, they need county level games in Oz and India etc. get some games under their belts and get over the novelty of being overseas

Like pretty much every sport, the season has extended so much opportunities are limited, I will be going to my first county game this year in April before Easter, a couple of weeks after the end of the Sheffield Shield. Likewise the season almost finishes in October nowadays.

Really pleased for Wood, such an enthusiast, and well done Jennings for making it to stumps after all the grief he has been getting, it is a big boost to be none down.

Well a very sedate evening here while I wait for the Newcastle game to start, few overs with the new ball to come but they look like they are after a ton each

Calypso collapso!

31-3 chasing 454!

That opening spell from Anderson was amazing. Beat the bat almost every ball!

So maybe Sri Lanka aren’t so bad, stunning performance from Perera.

Blimey – England/Jason Roy are giving this chase a damn good go.

Going to the wire, I reckon.

Seen the Scotland scores over the last couple of days?

🤣

Blimey – England/Jason Roy are giving this chase a damn good go.

Going to the wire, I reckon.

I too thought it would be a tight one but scores nowadays are easily 20% higher – I remember when 300 was big number!

(OK, we ‘still’ need 40-odd at a run a ball but the bookies have Windies at 50/1 and they still won’t be getting a pound off me)

23 off 4 overs, 7 wks in hand, should cruise this!

They made that look easy.

Yep – i know Gayle’s running is a factor and of course he ain’t gonna change now…..but WI hit I think 23 sixes, and 21 fours but at the same time had about 130-odd dot balls; England only hit 6 sixes but way less dot balls (80-odd) and as a result chased at 7 an over at a canter.

Smashing. Would love to be having a few cold ones at Oistins tonight!

Helped a bit by a few spills from the Windies. Great effort though – does scoreboard pressure not exist in the one dayers?

Yep; the hosts didn’t do themselves any favours in their fielding. Another big scoring match on Friday?

does scoreboard pressure not exist in the one dayers?

I think it depends on what you have done already, if the mindset is there is 400 runs in the top 5 anything is possible