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

[Dr Cricket]

Loads of fans from London travelling to edgebaston.

[Gingerfinch]

Have a good day. The sun is out, so could see some runs.

[sussexpob]

Am I the only one starting to think that Cook is hardly the most inspirational captain? Did not see him buoy up the boys at any point. Was just....there.

He did at one point actually gee up the boys after lunch. And his bowlers responded by getting a good bit of pressure agianst the Pakistan batsman, but they stood up to that test and didnt give anything away.

Tactically though he leaves a tremendous amount to be desired. For reasons only known to him, as the 2nd partnership started tobecome a proper concern he moved a man out of the covers into a very straight, short mid off..... to two players who between them had hit one boundary down the ground. Azhar had hit everything through the covers and took full advantage of the extra gap. Aslam had hit everything to third man or fine leg (from the spinner) using the paddle sweep.

They scored over 200 between them and only 1 boundary in that 200 runs would have gone through that channel (and I think that was Aslam hitting Moeen over his head). Neither was driving in the area down the ground.

I literally cant begin to think what the point was of putting him there.

[sussexpob]

Anderson getting some swing going this morning, Misbah not looking comfortable, close to edging Woakes, and then completely beaten by Anderson....

England need to turn these good spells into wickets if they want any chance in the game though

Be putting an extra slip in myself. The last thing you want with a batsman on 1 off 22 balls is for him to edge to a gap at third slip.

[sussexpob]

Good work reaps reward. Been a good start from England, and they get a wicket from a pretty terrible legside ball from Woakes.

Need a bit of luck sometimes

[Arthur Crabtree]

They scored over 200 between them and only 1 boundary in that 200 runs would have gone through that channel (and I think that was Aslam hitting Moeen over his head). Neither was driving in the area down the ground.

I literally cant begin to think what the point was of putting him there.

Formula funky field.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Another from the Mighty Woakes. YK looks in trouble. Maybe it's time. I was hoping we might get a farewell ton but he's struggling.

[sussexpob]

Formula funky field.

Maybe the logic is too intelligent for mere mortals to comprehend. I cant claim to be on SuperCook's level.

I love a short extra cover to a guy who wants to hit the cover drive. Have a gully and a couple of slips, bring the man onto the drive, pitch it up and force the guy to play it along ground, which often he wont be thinking about because as soon as he seens the ball at a certain length he will just be thinking "boundary", doesnt quite get forward enough, and hits it straight to your man.

But bringing in Mid off in to a no mans land area just to the left of the bowlers run up, what exactly is the point??? I dont see what type of dismissal he wanted to envoke? The only way it can be done is if the batsman literally tries to play a mow and hits it aerial, or in the highly unlikely situation that they play a straight srive and somehow hit it so badly, it goes 30 yards aerial past the bowler on his follow through and to the man waiting behind.

You may as well have told him to stand in the bar

[sussexpob]

Isnt it amazing that the ball moves in the air a lot more when you get it in the right lines and lengths..... ball definately doing more today than yesterday.

Pakistan playing like they are trying to bat out the draw at the moment. Have got very little to score off.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Didn't see it, but it's just a standard man-on-the-drive post. I accept they weren't driving there. Maybe Cook thought a false stroke might go there, off the inside half of the bat (shots going there for no runs won't show on the wagonwheel).

Not defending Cook you understand, just wondering.

[sussexpob]

Broad gets the wicket. Pressure was mounting.

England bowling very well this morning. Pakistan losing wickets and not getting away. Tail in soon, Pakistan need to come back at England

[Arthur Crabtree]

3-39 including the wicket off the last ball last night. The potential lead feels precarious. This is a situation England often seem to let slip though. I'm not hugely in favour of Rashid coming in, but he might be useful in these scenarios.

[sussexpob]

Didn't see it, but it's just a standard man-on-the-drive post. I accept they weren't driving there. Maybe Cook thought a false stroke might go there, off the inside half of the bat (shots going there for no runs won't show on the wagonwheel).

Not defending Cook you understand, just wondering.

I know what fielder on the drive is, but in this example the man was both not short enough to be a short mid off, and too square to really be on the drive a bit longer. He was in a no mans land behind the pitch, in way of the bowler's follow through, so anything hit would have go to a conveniental mid off if on the ground, and anything aerial would have to osmosis through the bowler before getting to him

[sussexpob]

And true to form, Root has a helmet on at a very short third slip, Misbah edges and of course Root isnt superman and the ball flies for four.

Short slip to a man bowling 88 mph..... Cook has lost his mind. Conventional slip gets it.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Didn't see it, but it's just a standard man-on-the-drive post. I accept they weren't driving there. Maybe Cook thought a false stroke might go there, off the inside half of the bat (shots going there for no runs won't show on the wagonwheel).

Not defending Cook you understand, just wondering.

I know what fielder on the drive is, but in this example the man was both not short enough to be a short mid off, and too square to really be on the drive a bit longer. He was in a no mans land behind the pitch, in way of the bowler's follow through, so anything hit would have go to a conveniental mid off if on the ground, and anything aerial would have to osmosis through the bowler before getting to him

Sorry, badly phrased. I was intending to imply there's a point where a funky field becomes just a standard installation of a routine plan. But maybe not appropriate in this case.