creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Worthy4England]

Yeah. I'm always reticent to judge a performance until both sides have had a go, but that feels like a decent first session for them (bearing in mind Crawley was out an hour earlier and they didn't appeal)

.

[TANGODANCER]

Australias morning by a mile. Their attack is just able to get wickets on a flat benign pitch and sadly I think we’d struggle.

Big shame for Crawley but that was more or less unplayable. Lyon has Pope on toast too like last time which is a concern.

England simply cannot afford to lose more wickets in the next session. Middle order has to fire.

Meantime, come on the lads. Do kettles work for cricket?

[BWFC_Insane]

Boland looks quality and Lyon is probably the most obvious difference. Spinner able to look dangerous day one just through their variations. Like when we had Swann.

Brook dropped. Big let off there. One of these two batters needs to make a big hundred for me.

[BWFC_Insane]

Brook out in the most bizarre of fashions. Incredibly unlucky.

Australia are just irritatingly able to break partnerships. England are going to have to be able to do the same. Get rid of set batsmen.

[Worthy4England]

Scrawpy wicket, but you really need to be at least trying to work out where the pill has gone, as tubs is now talking about.

Could do with this review going for us.

There's no doubt Lyon is quality, so we need to hope Mo steps up. There's no point picking him for the Ashes if he's can't do it.

But, this is a 500 wicket only if they don't gub us for 300 then we do them for 250.

[BWFC_Insane]

Scrawpy wicket, but you really need to be at least trying to work out where the pill has gone, as tubs is now talking about.

Could do with this review going for us.

There's no doubt Lyon is quality, so we need to hope Mo steps up. There's no point picking him for the Ashes if he's can't do it.

But, this is a 500 wicket only if they don't gub us for 300 then we do them for 250.

You are comparing probably the best spinner in the world right now vs a lad who hadn’t played test cricket in 2 years.

No idea what stokes was doing there.

This is falling apart at a pace. Very disappointing that those who got in managed to get themselves out.

[Worthy4England]

If we thought Mo couldn't bowl, why pick him? I' not comparing directly, Lyon is the better bowler IMO, but we've determined Mo was our best bet, so he needs to come to the party, even if his return isn't as good as Lyon. We might struggle if we does nowt but 6 an over, that is all.

[TANGODANCER]

This is falling apart at a pace. Very disappointing that those who got in managed to get themselves out.

Hisses steam and threatens to turn off. Day one of the Ashes. Give it a chance man.Negative doesn't describe you.

[BWFC_Insane]

If we thought Mo couldn't bowl, why pick him? I' not comparing directly, Lyon is the better bowler IMO, but we've determined Mo was our best bet, so he needs to come to the party, even if his return isn't as good as Lyon. We might struggle if we does nowt but 6 an over, that is all.

Yeah. The main reason we might struggle is that there is nowt in the pitch and our three quicks are all suited to different conditions. Feels like Wood in for Broad was the call here.

Thing with Lyon is he can take wickets with nothing at all in the pitch. I’d love Mo to do the same but I don’t see it.

[BWFC_Insane]

As under par as this score looks on this pitch the Aussies have bowled really well.

They’ve also dropped three sitters and missed an appeal when Crawley was out.

So I suspect our score right now is higher than it could have been.

And they have to bat last….

[jimbo]

A good days cricket so far. Seems to be well balanced, with at times us looking like we’re smashing it, and then moments later teetering on a position that is underwhelming.

[Worthy4England]

When you look at the wickets, so far, not sure there's any where you say, that was an unplayable great ball. There's nothing in the pitch for them either. Struggling to recall anyone being beaten for pace...

Anyhow, come on Mo with the bat.

[Worthy4England]

I know someone said we shouldn't mention if our guys got out trying to fo "Bazball," but there are limits...Mo.

[BWFC_Insane]

When you look at the wickets, so far, not sure there's any where you say, that was an unplayable great ball. There's nothing in the pitch for them either. Struggling to recall anyone being beaten for pace...

Anyhow, come on Mo with the bat.

Crawley was out to a peach. The Aussie bowling has been really good in that they’ve kept working out plans and always to me looked like they would break partnerships. Part is the way we play. But this is better than how we would have gone trying to play traditional cricket. We’d be 210-6. All out for 270.

[Worthy4England]

You're being a bit literal. Crawley got a decent ball, for sure. It didn't move excessively lateral, nor climb excessively steeply and it wasn't 98 mph. It was a decent ball that you might expect a test cricketer to bowl, but nowt that one of ours couldn't bowl, too.

[Worthy4England]

I'm thinking Joe on 94 with 2 wickets left, might need to get a move on if he wants to see 100...

[BWFC_Insane]

England declare………

It’s funny watching sky and listening to the TMS commentary.

Sky in tune with Bazball.

BBC will never get it will they?

[Prufrock]

Superb Rooty.

Not convinced by that declaration like but it's a brave new world.

[Worthy4England]

Err. Yeah. Well bring it on and fie with your (and my) 500 wicket. They want the last day off!

[BWFC_Insane]

In Bazball they’ve sacrificed maybe 10, 20 runs to get them in early. It’s fair enough. I’d have liked them to just keep batting as they were and get whatever runs were on offer. But it’s not how they think.

It’s a flat pitch and I think I’d not be surprised if Aussies end tomorrow on something like 350-4.

Pretty much what they said on commentary. It’s hard to see how this attack will make breakthroughs on pitches like this in conditions like these.

A lot riding on Moeen. And maybe Jimmy to get his reverse going if ball roughs up a bit.