Third Test: West Indies v England, 1-5 May.

[Aidan11]

Good to see Cook get another hundred although it's a shame he got out at the end of the day.

[Aidan11]

Also I don't understand why he went for that run that did for Moeen.


A single was never on.

[Making_Splinters]

Finally Cook manages to score an innings of some substance.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Might be more action this morning with Buttler and the tail.

[rich1uk]

not sure the 3rd umpire can over-turn it

doesn't look like he hit it but its been given out onfield

[Arthur Crabtree]

Fair enough. No howler.

Got a hunch Broad will get some runs...

[rich1uk]

Fair enough. No howler.

Got a hunch Broad will get some runs...

did he have a dodgy curry last night ?

[Aidan11]

300 seems a long way now.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe that's your plan Rich. It's Saturday. We're all waiting.

[rich1uk]

Maybe that's your plan Rich. It's Saturday. We're all waiting.

is there really any need for that

maybe i'll just stop posting altogether ...

[alfie]

not sure the 3rd umpire can over-turn it

doesn't look like he hit it but its been given out onfield

Yes. I thought it looked to be off the pad , but those legside tickles are devilishly hard to be certain about. Oxenford clearly was certain ; and without any hotspot evidence he was unlikely to be overturned.

Commentators saying they have some audio Hawkeye thingie (?) which suggests it hit both bat and pad...whatever ; he's out.

Buttler probably needs to be a bit proactive now...

[Aidan11]

250 might not even be on.

[alfie]

Taylor bowling better this morning (although the wicket was a bit of a strangle)

I thought he was short of his best yesterday , but he's produced some good balls today.

[Aidan11]

Will we see Stuart Broad 2010 today?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought that Cook batted the best I've seen him since the tour of India yesterday. Which in a way is more of a comment about how bad he's looked, even when scoring his last couple of tons v NZ. I saw the one at Headingley, and it was a horrible innings. As is often said, when he scores a few runs, he more clearly exposes how awfully he has been playing.

His method worked ok yesterday. But it is a rather limited strategy, just leaving everything outside off stump. West Indies could have completely dried him up if they'd wanted. He hardly hit any runs from square on the off side to midwicket, half the ground. Leaving everything outside off means he will bat slowly, and arguably that will put pressure on his partners. But, it worked as far as it went. I don't know where he goes when he has to expand his game for the good of the team.

It felt a bit uncomfortable the way he sacrificed Moeen on the way to his ton. I know these things happen, but there was an unappealing symbolism about it.

My feeling has always been that the series v WI, SL and India offered the England players a period of respite in which to store up credit before the likely famine to come in the remainder of the year. And that's how I feel about all the players, batters in particular. These series haven't made Sydney any less real or relevant.