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

[budgetmeansbudget]

Are we back in the playground?

LOL.

He started it

No he didn't.

No returns.

Dottsies on you.

Baggsy.

[Gingerfinch]

Just seen the Root drop off Jimmy. That looked like quite an easy chance, with the nice height.

[sussexpob]

I think more than overstate conditions for bowling, the commentators and our fellow posters here were more concerned with Pakistan's batting line up turning up "a la Old Trafford" and playing utterly shambolically. What is achieveable as a par score assumes that no bowler turns up and bowls a destructive spell, or that the batters turn up to play properly and dont crumble to dust.

400-450 is certainly realistically achieveable in these conditions, but in order to do that Pakistan need still to bat to par. And in the last test they proved they hadnt.

I thought Pakistan had the advantage based on the fact that they have mostly played in the right spirit to fight for their wickets so far in the series.

[Dr Cricket]

Might be best just to let this go, rather than dig up old predictions. No one knows what will happen. No one knows what the conditions will be. It's just chat. People on the tv have played a hundred Tests and they're just guessing.

Good point thought yesterday people just wanted England to bowl well without actually having any evidence to back the point up.

Botham will basically make any pitch sound lively if England are bowling and any pitch flat when England are batting.

Yesterday really sounded like people wanted England to do well and basically expected England to thrash Pakistan again.

Not been a good game for the commentators so far, tbh they not guessing they been very biased in this game.
them being bias which has affected their judgment in reading games.

Anyway time to kill this argument and move on.

Tbh does back up a point I got at the moment which is England fans and media have become complacent at home they expect to roll team cheaply all the time which is just not possible especially when Anderson or broad retire or out of form.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Quite pleased to see Pakistan fight back in this Test, as England did in the last. We needed a good series after the SL tour.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Just seen the Root drop off Jimmy. That looked like quite an easy chance, with the nice height.

Cheers Finchy, we don't look like taking a wicket right now, and you have to remind me of Root's howler!

[budgetmeansbudget]

111/1.

Must mean a wicket coming up.

[Gingerfinch]

Just seen the Root drop off Jimmy. That looked like quite an easy chance, with the nice height.

Cheers Finchy, we don't look like taking a wicket right now, and you have to remind me of Root's howler!

Any time!

[Dr Cricket]

Quite pleased to see Pakistan fight back in this Test, as England did in the last. We needed a good series after the SL tour.

Same here should be a good days play tomorrow and oval might be a cracker.

Test cricket needed this as well considering not many series are close or tight anymore.
Could barely count 5 brillent series in the last 5 years.
Most ashes have been crap
The other big 3 clashes been awful.
Only eng vs SA and SA vs aus been good and their hardly play or if they do play it is quite short series.

Pakistan winning the series or drawing will be a huge shock.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Another 32 runs and this will become the second best partnership for the second wicket by Pakistan in England.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Actually, my experience of internet posting (which is vast) suggests that most supporters are not bullish about their side's chances, and tend to expect the worst. Indeed, that they are one session away from disaster. But aren't necessarily keen on hearing the same prediction from opposition supporters.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Pakistan winning the series or drawing will be a huge shock.

Will it?

They're higher in the rankings than us, and have a very decent record against England over the years.

[sussexpob]

Actually, my experience of internet posting (which is vast) suggests that most supporters are not bullish about their side's chances, and tend to expect the worst. Indeed, that they are one session away from disaster. But aren't necessarily keen on hearing the same prediction from opposition supporters.

Aidan makes even me sound positive.

He isnt here at the moment, I can only assume that he is having the outrage bus filled with petrol and giving it a bit of a clean before it sees service later.

[alfie]

Need one from somewhere...

Since lunch just forty runs in eighteen overs..despite some helpful overthrows ! ...but importantly no wickets. If these two continue long enough the discipline of the England bowlers will be severely tested. At the moment theyre holding it together pretty well - albeit without reward.
Cannot over emphasise how important this stand has been for Pakistan : sure it all looks comfortable for batting right now ; but a new batsman comes in and I think you'll see things aren't quite so easy as it now seems.

Might be time to try some more of Moeen ; indeed it it will be now...

[Dr Cricket]

Pakistan winning the series or drawing will be a huge shock.

Will it?

They're higher in the rankings than us, and have a very decent record against England over the years.

Doubt many people saw it though only people that actually thought Pakistan would win was the traders because Pakistan were good value in the odds.
Doubt many in this forum or most cricket supporters saw Pakistan winning the series.

Also ranking crap doesn't mean much, Sri Lanka are probably ranked 7 or 8 and Australia ranked 1st.
Australia will never be favorite to beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.