3rd Test England v Pakistan, Edgbaston, Aug 3-7.

[Dr Cricket]

That was a stroll in the park for these two Pakistan batsmen, I suspect they could leave about 70% of the deliveries they faced so our bowlers made it very easy for them.

Yeah been quite easy progress bowled too short or wide.

[hopeforthebest]

This is where the bowling coach Otis Gibson must earn his money, getting the pace attack to focus on making the batsmen play. I doubt that there have been more than 10 deliveries that the batsmen played at and missed.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Root having a bad game too!

[alfie]

Bad luck for Anderson straight after the break ! He's been the most likely wicket taker , and really should have had Azhar
then...hope that doesn't prove too costly.

Notable that Pakistan's catching yesterday was uncharacteristically sound.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Root is our best slipper as well.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Sloppy fielding creeping in, as Woakes messes up a throw. Concentration levels in the English ranks falling.

[Arthur Crabtree]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

[alfie]

Root is our best slipper as well.

Missed a very costly one early at Lord's (Misbah) ; but he doesn't miss many , in fairness. Things not quite running England's way in this game - is their attitude a bit off or just one of those things ?

Need to work hard now to put the pressure back on Pakistan . At least the scoring rate isn't exactly tearing away yet ; so a couple of wickets would change the game a lot. But they're certainly going to have some work to do here as Pakistan are clearly very determined to get back on top after Old Trafford.

[Gingerfinch]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

I agree. Most batsmen will probably prefer to play seam than swing.

[Dr Cricket]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

Test batsman should be able to cope with swing.
Swing alone is not dangerous considering bowlers can not gurantee the ball to swing all the time.
Ie where is the swing everyone was expecting yesterday.

[alfie]

Broad bending his back...gets a edge but it doesn't carry...

Still I like the way the bowlers have come back since lunch. Testing Azhar in particular. Good contest at present.

[Dr Cricket]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

I agree. Most batsmen will probably prefer to play seam than swing.

Doubt it facing seam and swing is far more tougher considering the ball could seam one way and then swing the other.

The only swing batsman hate to face is late swing.

Anyway if the only option you got to take wickets is swing highly unlikely you will get the opposition team all out before 200 considering no bowler what so ever can gurantee the ball to swing all the time.

And if batsman can't face swing then they really shouldn't be playing test cricket or cricket at the highest level.

[sussexpob]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

Test batsman should be able to cope with swing.
Swing alone is not dangerous considering bowlers can not gurantee the ball to swing all the time.
Ie where is the swing everyone was expecting yesterday.

Considering all batsman have to make a judgement on what to play long before (in micro terms) the ball gets to the bat, any form of making the ball deviate is deadly as a person who is swinging it well is basically asking the batsman just after he picks the length to guess the line.

[Gingerfinch]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

I agree. Most batsmen will probably prefer to play seam than swing.

Doubt it facing seam and swing is far more tougher considering the ball could seam one way and then swing the other.

The only swing batsman hate to face is late swing.

Anyway if the only option you got to take wickets is swing highly unlikely you will get the opposition team all out before 200 considering no bowler what so ever can gurantee the ball to swing all the time.

And if batsman can't face swing then they really shouldn't be playing test cricket or cricket at the highest level.

Sorry, I thought you meant seam only.

[alfie]

In test cricket Seam is more important that swing since most batsman should be able to cope with just swing.

Don't get this. Swing is deadly.

Test batsman should be able to cope with swing.
Swing alone is not dangerous considering bowlers can not gurantee the ball to swing all the time.
Ie where is the swing everyone was expecting yesterday.

Sorry but that is absolute nonsense. Really good swing bowling has been an important weapon of virtually all the great fast bowlers. Have seen plenty of quite talented Test batting lineups totally destroyed by accurate swing bowling.

Of course conditions don't always favor swing...just as they don't always help the spinner , or the seam movement expert. But when they do - look out.