If that’s umpires call on pitching, he’s gone.
Huge session for England and should set them up for a series whitewash.
Gone
5 for 49
Splendid!
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What a session. Stokes and Rashid were irresistible. That is the best I have seen Rashid bowl, his body language looked sooo positive and he was really directing the field at the end, he was buzzing! Huge variation in England’s attack at the moment.
Come on openers, let’s have some solidity here. I’m starting to root for Jennings, his fielding and the way he has taken on that short leg position suggests he is very much a team man.
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Hopefully it will give him confidence to take into his batting.
Fingers crossed!
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It’s over to England’s women tonight as they go for glory in their T20 World Cup Final against the Aussies.
Good luck to them! Hopefully they can add this title to their 50 over World Cup win and hold both titles at the same time.
Pity about the midnight start, I tried to watch the semi-final against India and managed to watch the Indian innings…
then woke up at 4:30 am, having slept through the entire England innings.
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I have really enjoyed watching the games I have managed. The top teams are ace, really skilful. The West Indies play like the men’s team from the glory days, sad they are out, I loved watching them smashing the ball to all parts.
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Yes, WI are great to watch. Pity their batting imploded in the Semi. They have some good bowlers too, as do India.
Hopefully the emerging teams will improve, some of them are pretty ordinary atm, and the games will get more competitive.
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Bangladesh, Pakistan and strangely South Africa looked a bit weak…
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Still creaming myself over today’s play. It’s been a while since I have seen England take the game away from the opposition away from home like that, they still need to go on tomorrow and consolidate but blimey, this afternoon felt really quite different. There have been various innings where Sri Lanka have been winkled out this series but today England really attacked. After the big partnership was broken Stokes projected a ‘we are going to smash you’ attitude which set the team alight. The depth and variation of the bowling is really something at the moment and backed up by great fielding, the combo of Stokes and Rashid was irresistible. It’s another string to their bow, a different way of playing. Great to see that they want to take all three tests, England teams usually relax once a series is won.
You have to give a thumbs-up to Ed Smith for bringing Rashid in from the cold-and it isn’t the only selection he has got right. Rashid has been good this tour but today, he was bloody brilliant! He visibly grew as the wickets tumbled. I really hope he can bottle that feeling. At the end of his spell he was absolutely ripping it with a tight line and length. I have never seen England have a spin bowler who could do that.
The introduction of Stone or Jamie Overton for some proper pace soon (Windies tour?) is maybe another step towards the Ashes. Incidentally, Broad - with a modified run up and delivery - was up around ninety mph today and was unlucky not to take a few. He still seems to have a bit of fuel in the tank.
I apologise for gushing but I’m really excited by this lot. They are well selected and managed, motivated and talented. They need to keep it going.
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Meh!
Never mind meh, just start worrying about next summer.
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As per one of my earlier posts, I am pessimistic about the Aussie chancers. Yes that is correct. Chancers.
Australia cricket has fallen into a hole. The Academy has been underfunded and discredited. The ACB are a bunch of cunts and the States are rudderless.
For the first time in many years, it’s not about development (or lack of it), it’s about leadership.
Oz cricket has lost it’s direction. It relies too much on 20/20 and the other short form bollocks. This has been as issue for a few years, but is only now becoming a real issue to the 5 day game.
I hope that the leadership gets a shakeup but the rebuilding will take a several years.
Revel in it while you can.
I will, but it’s not just about that. You’re right about T20 cricket being seen as more important than test cricket. Simply, money talks and Oz have suffered by embracing that format.
However, England have used it to their advantage. Buttler was thrown into the 5 day game on the back of his limited overs form and that has worked. Rashid had given up red ball cricket, but has come back and looks tremendous.
You need to take the positives from T20/50 over cricket and use them to your advantage, instead of moaning that the format has ruined test cricket.
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Agreed. But the issue in Oz is the leadership not understanding that.
For the first time since the late 70s, the ECB has a stronger admin team than the Aussies.
The last time they were this weak, a media magnate (Kerry Packer) took control of Australian cricket and eventually changed World cricket forever.
Indeed, but I suspect it had more to do with making money than the welfare of Aussie cricket
Which where we find ourselves. There is no-one other than the fans who are thinking about the welfare or future of one of the greatest cricketing nations.
I despair.
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Anyway, enough of this, I’m watching the women’s WC final. England 15-0 after 2.3 atm
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I’ve gone to bed, I have a stinking cold and I want to watch the test in the morning. Fingers crossed for the women. 
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Half way stage and it’s a comedy of errors.
England’s batting has been abysmal.
Australia’s fielding has been woeful.
Umpire’s decision making has been a joke.
105 looks way short of a winning score, but you never know on a pitch like this. England need to get off to a flyer, but I’m not optimistic that they have enough runs to defend.