creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[BWFC_Insane]

This is looking like a better toss to win than it did yesterday. Kudos.

End of the day to beat England most of the time all you need is one half decent partnership. In either innings. And that’s it. Done.

Such pessimism. Not done yet, but better hope our batsmen can shine; even Williamson has had a shocker in both innings.

It’s done. Bar three days of solid rain. It’s done.

[Worthy4England]

I'm certainly getting the words "uphill" and "task"....

[Worthy4England]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

[BWFC_Insane]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

Once again the attack did a good job. You’d take that. It’s the battings job to knock off what is a challenging yet not impossible total.

If in the first innings we’d got what still would be a poor but more or less minimum or 220-250 then this game would be more or less done by now.

[TANGODANCER]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

Cometh the hour Captain Stokes..Let's make it three times then. (I hear the sound of Insaney's snorts)

[Prufrock]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

Don't think that many teams have started trying on a third day pitch that only just seems to have settled it like

They're favourites but it should be doable.

[BWFC_Insane]

A novel way of batting. Watch it knock your off stump out the ground.

[Worthy4England]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

Don't think that many teams have started trying on a third day pitch that only just seems to have settled it like

They're favourites but it should be doable.

Yeah. Not beyond the bounds. That leave by Lees was atrocious

[BWFC_Insane]

Only twice has more than 272 been knocked off at Lords...

Don't think that many teams have started trying on a third day pitch that only just seems to have settled it like

They're favourites but it should be doable.

Yeah. Not beyond the bounds. That leave by Lees was atrocious

Sometimes you watch test cricket and marvel at the immense skill and resilience on display. Other times you watch someone do something you’d be annoyed at your 6 year old doing. That was the latter.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah, I'm not sure he even knew where his off peg was. I'd have been having a "coaching moment" if someone in our Sunday Thirds did that...it was that bad. I might be giving Ben Compton a go...

[nicholaldo]

Some overdue runs from Pope would be most welcome here.

[nicholaldo]

I'll take responsibility for this:

Some overdue runs from Pope would be most welcome here.

[Worthy4England]

I'll take responsibility for this:

Some overdue runs from Pope would be most welcome here.

If it's any consolation, I don't think it made a difference. Next two wickets need 200..

[BWFC_Insane]

If we are playing Pope who is utterly useless then I don’t see why Buttler isn’t in as he has a higher test average and at least shows some pretence he’s trying to play test cricket.

The mentality of the likes of Pope and Crawley is appalling. Can McCullum change that? I’d hope so. Or at least drop the buggers.

[nicholaldo]

I'll take responsibility for this:

Some overdue runs from Pope would be most welcome here.

If it's any consolation, I don't think it made a difference. Next two wickets need 200..

The uphill task is beginning to look Sysyphean...

[Worthy4England]

I'll take responsibility for this:

Some overdue runs from Pope would be most welcome here.

If it's any consolation, I don't think it made a difference. Next two wickets need 200..

The uphill task is beginning to look Sysyphean...

And quite tough, too.

[Worthy4England]

If we are playing Pope who is utterly useless then I don’t see why Buttler isn’t in as he has a higher test average and at least shows some pretence he’s trying to play test cricket.

The mentality of the likes of Pope and Crawley is appalling. Can McCullum change that? I’d hope so. Or at least drop the buggers.

Some of 'em almost seem to be pointless picks. They're like walking wickets.

[BWFC_Insane]

If we are playing Pope who is utterly useless then I don’t see why Buttler isn’t in as he has a higher test average and at least shows some pretence he’s trying to play test cricket.

The mentality of the likes of Pope and Crawley is appalling. Can McCullum change that? I’d hope so. Or at least drop the buggers.

Some of 'em almost seem to be pointless picks. They're like walking wickets.

Just said Colin De Grandhomme who bats 6/7 and really is a bowling all rounder has an average of nearly 39.

None of our top 3 average 30. Puts it into perspective really.

[BWFC_Insane]

Stokes is facing a dibbly dobbly nothing burger of a bowler and you’d think it was bloody Donald in his pomp the way Stokes is making a meal of it.

[TANGODANCER]

Effectively, we are watching England's current two greatest batsman at work here. I am confident we can win this....