creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Prufrock]

Stuart Broad with the good grace to look embarrassed by the luckiest wicket you will ever see.

Dropped Braithwaite c&b, off his thigh into the stumps at the non-striker's end for a run out.

[BWFC_Insane]

I was a bit surprised England didn't bat through yesterday. We don't normally give sides a chance to win in these scenarios.

[Prufrock]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

[BWFC_Insane]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Pure runs per over we did. If they are say 4/5 down at the end of today they've probably won. Or close to it.

[TANGODANCER]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Pure runs per over we did. If they are say 4/5 down at the end of today they've probably won. Or close to it.

Ever the optimist hey Insaney. Come on you (cricket) Whites...

[Prufrock]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Pure runs per over we did. If they are say 4/5 down at the end of today they've probably won. Or close to it.

I think somebody's got confused by the bank holiday !

[BWFC_Insane]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Pure runs per over we did. If they are say 4/5 down at the end of today they've probably won. Or close to it.

I think somebody's got confused by the bank holiday !

Under 3.5 an over. Not by any stretch of the imagination impossible. If they have wickets left and the end they can go for it. England once scored 405 in a day vs Australia.

317 by no means impossible.

I was just surprised England took any sort of risk. Not complaining. Just they normally are very, very cautious.

[Prufrock]

Ah you don't men at the end of the day.

This has been v expensive by Jimmy and Broad standards going after them. Think most of this afternoon will be Moeen keeping one end tight. They'll go much more defensive if it looks like they'll get anywhere close.

[BWFC_Insane]

Ah you don't men at the end of the day.

This has been v expensive by Jimmy and Broad standards going after them. Think most of this afternoon will be Moeen keeping one end tight. They'll go much more defensive if it looks like they'll get anywhere close.

Easier said than done. 3 an over is easy with singles. Hard to close the gate once the horse has bolted. Wickets best way to control it.

[Prufrock]

Yeah, we'll see, Eeyore

[jimbo]

Getting interesting this with Broad and stokes starting to lose their heads a bit.

Should be an interesting finish to today. Getting to tea with 7 or 8 wickets still left would give them a real shout, especially as England haven't really looked that threatening all day.

With wickets in hand it'll become difficult for England to shut up shop

[jimbo]

However it finishes it'll be exciting. First proper finish to a test match here for a long time. Lovely to have a game where all 3 results possible (and arguably equally likely) approaching tea on the last day.

[TANGODANCER]

Ah you don't men at the end of the day.

This has been v expensive by Jimmy and Broad standards going after them. Think most of this afternoon will be Moeen keeping one end tight. They'll go much more defensive if it looks like they'll get anywhere close.

Easier said than done. 3 an over is easy with singles. Hard to close the gate once the horse has bolted. Wickets best way to control it.

They are human beings; anything can happen...and probably will....

And thus, Braithwaite gets out on 95......

[Bruce Rioja]

To be honest, yesterday I thought the declaration came at just the right time. Not looking like it now though.

[jimbo]

Hindsight is wonderful. With that declaration you'd expect to win 95% of the time. Looks like this will be the exception - pitch looks pretty flat and they're batting well. Don't think we should change the policy going forward based just on today.

[jimbo]

Oh well, Broad has just pissed away the last review with one going 2 foot down the leg side. Not clever.

[BWFC_Insane]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Course not....

Declaration has to be in context of the pitch and game. Wicket was good for batting and hadn't deteriorated. It was slow and whilst it offered turn it wasn't threatening.

Whilst I'd not blame Root for declaring, I did think it odd we left them a very gettable target.

Full credit to the Windies though for pulling it off, remarkable.

I come back to our bowling attack. When the ball swings or spins we are as good as there is. When it doesn't we are the most pedestrian toothless attack going. We don't have a world class spinner who can get wickets on a flat track. We don't have anyone with threatening pace who can eek them out on a flat wicket. It's a joke that our two second line seamers are hardly trusted to bowl. We have some issues batting for sure. But our even bigger issue is that we don't have the attack for Australian conditions. At all. Going to be a very tough tour.

[TANGODANCER]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Course not....

Declaration has to be in context of the pitch and game. Wicket was good for batting and hadn't deteriorated. It was slow and whilst it offered turn it wasn't threatening.

Whilst I'd not blame Root for declaring, I did think it odd we left them a very gettable target.

Full credit to the Windies though for pulling it off, remarkable.

I come back to our bowling attack. When the ball swings or spins we are as good as there is. When it doesn't we are the most pedestrian toothless attack going. We don't have a world class spinner who can get wickets on a flat track. We don't have anyone with threatening pace who can eek them out on a flat wicket. It's a joke that our two second line seamers are hardly trusted to bowl. We have some issues batting for sure. But our even bigger issue is that we don't have the attack for Australian conditions. At all. Going to be a very tough tour.

We don't have a divine right to win either. Occasionally, we don't.

[BWFC_Insane]

We didn't leave them a chance to win!

Course not....

Declaration has to be in context of the pitch and game. Wicket was good for batting and hadn't deteriorated. It was slow and whilst it offered turn it wasn't threatening.

Whilst I'd not blame Root for declaring, I did think it odd we left them a very gettable target.

Full credit to the Windies though for pulling it off, remarkable.

I come back to our bowling attack. When the ball swings or spins we are as good as there is. When it doesn't we are the most pedestrian toothless attack going. We don't have a world class spinner who can get wickets on a flat track. We don't have anyone with threatening pace who can eek them out on a flat wicket. It's a joke that our two second line seamers are hardly trusted to bowl. We have some issues batting for sure. But our even bigger issue is that we don't have the attack for Australian conditions. At all. Going to be a very tough tour.

We don't have a divine right to win either. Occasionally, we don't.

No. And fair play Windies. But if they can beat us, and let's not pretend they aren't a very poor side indeed, the Aussies on home soil will be absolutely salivating. Our deficiencies shouldn't be ignored. They need addressing somehow.

[jimbo]

Everything's not all rosy in the Aussie garden either - they're making hard work of it against Bangladesh at the moment. Back on home soil though their fast bowlers will be devastating. Also worry that smith will score thousands against our attack in home conditions.