First Test: England v Pakistan, Lord's.

[Durhamfootman]

nor did I doubt that England would lose their last 5 wickets for almost nothing

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cook, Anderson and Broad are all approaching the end of their careers and no where near their peak periods.

Cook and Broad certainly. Anderson is still at his peak though. Not obvious how long it will last. I take the point it can't go on too much longer.

[Arthur Crabtree]

53 runs off 23 overs for Pakistan. That won't have impressed the designers of the future at the ECB. Only one wicket though.

[yuppie]

53 runs off 23 overs for Pakistan. That won't have impressed the designers of the future at the ECB. Only one wicket though.

They have obviously not got the memo on the future of cricket.

[The Professor]

Just bet against England....not ideal

[bigfluffylemon]

Get the axe.

[bigfluffylemon]

Surprised England have only the one wicket.

Should have been two, if they hadn't grassed a simple chance.

One tiny ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal day was Cook's innings. After his dreadful run of form, this was back to the Cook of old and how he made his name - grinding out a score in tricky conditions and setting what should have been a platform for the lower order to recover. Form, class, etc. etc.

[Alviro Patterson]

Get the axe.

Bayliss
Strauss
That Harrison bloke
Ed Smith
Colin Graves
Andy Flower
The Hundred

[bigfluffylemon]

Get the axe.

Bayliss
Strauss
That Harrison bloke
Ed Smith
Colin Graves
Andy Flower
The Hundred

Everybody bar Cook, Root, Broad and Anderson.

Geez, England are *modded* when the three seniors go. I reckon post-Ashes 2019 at least Anderson, and probably all three of them, will call it a day, especially if England (somehow) win.

[bigfluffylemon]

Thank goodness we had Buttler coming in at 7 to counter-attack.

[Durhamfootman]

Thank goodness we had Buttler coming in at 7 to counter-attack.

I thought that was particularly effective

I watched the highlights and I'm sure I could see thousands of women with children piling into the ground having remortgaged their homes just for the privilege of paying to see it

[Arthur Crabtree]

Surprised England have only the one wicket.

Should have been two, if they hadn't grassed a simple chance.

Would have been a sitter for Malan if Stokes hadn't dived across him.

[sussexpob]

Thank goodness we had Buttler coming in at 7 to counter-attack.

I thought that was particularly effective

Yep. Everyone in the ground was thinking at the time, what we really need with one wicket busting the tail open and not much on the board, is a guy to come in and attempt to paddle sweep the ball in the first over.

I dont blame Buttler. If you buy lemons, dont complain they are sour.

[bigfluffylemon]

This game is as good as over. Yes, theoretically it's not over until both sides have batted twice and England could skittle Pakistan for 150 all out tomorrow then post 400 second dig. But they won't. England haven't won a game with a first innings score of 184 or less since 2000, unless you count the Oval v Pakistan in 2006. The record books show that England won that game, but it was due to deemed forfeit, and England had been 174 all out in the first innings and were heading to probable defeat if the game had continued.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... ew=innings

[GGAS]

What's the weather looking like today? It's rainy in Bristol...