creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[bwfcdan94]

8 runs in 14 overs. 193-7. I blame BWFCI, he's jinxed us.

Jinxed? We've been shit today. Our batting has been poor all series.

And our bowlers have saved the day.

However, will be interesting what Australia score on here. Just had the radio on and Michael Vaughan has slaughtered the performance today.

Batting been poor for a bit longer than that........... Not sure when we last made 400 first up

Ashes in Australia I think, but I could be wrong.

[Montreal Wanderer]

8 runs in 14 overs. 193-7. I blame BWFCI, he's jinxed us.

Jinxed? We've been shit today. Our batting has been poor all series.

And our bowlers have saved the day.

However, will be interesting what Australia score on here. Just had the radio on and Michael Vaughan has slaughtered the performance today.

Batting been poor for a bit longer than that........... Not sure when we last made 400 first up

Ashes in Australia I think, but I could be wrong.

You are wrong I fear. England scored 465 against New Zealand (March 14 and 15) this year. So not that long ago BWFCI.

[thebish]

Usually rely on Bell to steady things. Gone. 172-5. Not too rosy looking right now but we're not in big trouble yet.

Win the toss and choose to bat. 170 odd for 5 after tea. I'd say that's big trouble. If not then I don't know what is!

FWIW I think it's usually wise to have a little look at how the other side cope with the wicket before rushing to judgement on how good it is and how many we should have scored...

[BWFC_Insane]

Usually rely on Bell to steady things. Gone. 172-5. Not too rosy looking right now but we're not in big trouble yet.

Win the toss and choose to bat. 170 odd for 5 after tea. I'd say that's big trouble. If not then I don't know what is!

FWIW I think it's usually wise to have a little look at how the other side cope with the wicket before rushing to judgement on how good it is and how many we should have scored...

It's not the wicket getting us out. See Trotts interview after the day yesterday 'we are annoyed because we've given them our wickets'

[thebish]

Usually rely on Bell to steady things. Gone. 172-5. Not too rosy looking right now but we're not in big trouble yet.

Win the toss and choose to bat. 170 odd for 5 after tea. I'd say that's big trouble. If not then I don't know what is!

FWIW I think it's usually wise to have a little look at how the other side cope with the wicket before rushing to judgement on how good it is and how many we should have scored...

It's not the wicket getting us out. See Trotts interview after the day yesterday 'we are annoyed because we've given them our wickets'

we'll see... my opinion remains the same... best to see how the other side cope before rushing to judgement...

[BWFC_Insane]

Usually rely on Bell to steady things. Gone. 172-5. Not too rosy looking right now but we're not in big trouble yet.

Win the toss and choose to bat. 170 odd for 5 after tea. I'd say that's big trouble. If not then I don't know what is!

FWIW I think it's usually wise to have a little look at how the other side cope with the wicket before rushing to judgement on how good it is and how many we should have scored...

It's not the wicket getting us out. See Trotts interview after the day yesterday 'we are annoyed because we've given them our wickets'

we'll see... my opinion remains the same... best to see how the other side cope before rushing to judgement...

You are right with regards to match situation. But of course you can judge the quality of the shots that get people out and subsequently the quality of the batting.

And as jimbo (and not myself, think Monty got confused) points out our batting has been an issue for a while. We haven't made good first innings scores on even a semi consistent basis for a long while.

[thebish]

by rush to judgement - I mean the judgement that we are in "big trouble" - i don't think we can even really begin to know that until we have seen the aussies bat on this wicket.

[thebish]

and we have an early opportunity to see Oz bat!

[thebish]

aaaaaaaaand they are 12-2...

[Bruce Rioja]

Oh but Citizen Insane will call upon his usual circular counter that this is now all to do with our excellent attack and how they're bailing the batters out again.

[TANGODANCER]

76-4 as Bresnan gets an early strike in. Looking not half so grim now.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Win the toss and choose to bat. 170 odd for 5 after tea. I'd say that's big trouble. If not then I don't know what is!

FWIW I think it's usually wise to have a little look at how the other side cope with the wicket before rushing to judgement on how good it is and how many we should have scored...

It's not the wicket getting us out. See Trotts interview after the day yesterday 'we are annoyed because we've given them our wickets'

we'll see... my opinion remains the same... best to see how the other side cope before rushing to judgement...

You are right with regards to match situation. But of course you can judge the quality of the shots that get people out and subsequently the quality of the batting.

And as jimbo (and not myself, think Monty got confused) points out our batting has been an issue for a while. We haven't made good first innings scores on even a semi consistent basis for a long while.

At my age confusion is a normal state. Apologies.

[thebish]

76-4 as Bresnan gets an early strike in. Looking not half so grim now.

looking a little bit grimmer now...

[BWFC_Insane]

The bits I saw there was much more movement off the pitch than yesterday. But the Aussie batsmen dug in and fought unlike ours who gave cheap wickets away.

Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

I also think for Australia we need to find a way of maybe getting a 5th bowler in to the side because it will be hard work for just the four out there given Cook seems reluctant to use part timers much.

[TANGODANCER]

The bits I saw there was much more movement off the pitch than yesterday. But the Aussie batsmen dug in and fought unlike ours who gave cheap wickets away.Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

I also think for Australia we need to find a way of maybe getting a 5th bowler in to the side because it will be hard work for just the four out there given Cook seems reluctant to use part timers much.

Those same batmen suffered an amazing degree of luck with put-down catches and near misses. On another day they'd all have been out for 150. Just the way the game goes.

[thebish]

Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

what do you propose they do to achieve that, then?

[Bruce Rioja]

Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

what do you propose they do to achieve that, then?

Well it's simple. You just fire off the top order and bring in new, better batsmen.

Do you not know anything?

[thebish]

Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

what do you propose they do to achieve that, then?

Well it's simple. You just fire off the top order and bring in new, better batsmen.

Do you not know anything?

ahh - I see!

[BWFC_Insane]

Time to address our batting one way or another. It is letting us down on a consistent basis.

what do you propose they do to achieve that, then?

Ideally push Root down the order to let him learn a little more before asking him to open.

I'm certainly not going to pretend I watch enough county stuff to be able to select our side. If there isn't a better option for opening then that is the situation.

You have to assume that Cook and Trott will regain form and Pietersen for me is always going to be an all or nowt player.

I agree with Vaughan that we don't seem to be able to decide if we are trying to be an aggressive batting side scoring quickly and taking the bowling on, as we did in 2005, or a more classic test batting side playing everything on its merits and slowly accumulating. We seem to fall between two stools and do neither as a whole. And last innings too many got stuck not scoring and just waiting for the unplayable balls to get them out.

I think on paper this is a good group of batsmen who are underperforming. Whether it is focus, over confidence or just a collective loss of form I don't know.

I do think that if we are going to be aggressive then let's play that way and commit to it. If we are going to be more 'steady' then we can't do that for 10 overs then get bored and throw the bat at it as so many did yesterday. Equally we can't get as bogged down as many did yesterday.

I have a suspicion that we are a bit too overconfident and bit too cocky and the batting is suffering from that with a lack of focus from a number. Just my hunch.

[Dujon]

Yet another poor performance from top order batsmen. Yet another mediocre performance by the fielding team. Yet more confusion in the referral system. It's good, innit?

Broad cuts a swathe through the Australian line-up and a decent, even if lucky, partnership once again saves the Australians from the hounds known here as the 'sporting press'. After the debacle at Lords they were reasonably muted in their negative comments but I cannot imagine them reining in those should this game finish in another comprehensive defeat.

When this series started I was hoping for a close contest. It seems (so far) to have been just that - but not as I had envisaged.