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

[hopeforthebest]

Vince goes in the same old apparently dicing outside off. Pakistan must over the moon with the position they find themselves in. If Vince plays at the Oval it will be a dereliction of duty by the selectors. 34% S/R on a pitch that's a made for batting and the team is looking to set a total to try and win is pathetic. No need to race along but a crawl is too much.

[st_brendy]

Vince goes in the same old apparently dicing outside off. Pakistan must over the moon with the position they find themselves in. If Vince plays at the Oval it will be a dereliction of duty by the selectors. 34% S/R on a pitch that's a made for batting and the team is looking to set a total to try and win is pathetic. No need to race along but a crawl is too much.

He scored 12 fewer runs than Hales from 8 fewer balls. That's it. And Hales has had praised showered on him for his innings. Christ, you really have got it in for the lad. A lad who is under immense pressure, trying to fight for his place in the team (and against a side who kept on bowling some way outside of the offstump to him).

Criticise the selectors for picking him in the first place, by all means (all of his innings prior to this one have generally gone by the book. Lots of pretty 4s, not much running between the wickets, lots of starts, lots of nicking off. If the selectors didn't want that, they shouldn't have picked him). I'm totally fine with that. Even as a Hampshire fan, I'd have never selected him for the test team. But don't criticise the selectors for picking him in the last test (if they do pick him), on the basis on him averaging over 40 in this match. In the first innings, only Cook and Bairstow had better SRs, if you're that desperate to bring it into the equation.

[hopeforthebest]

Vince goes in the same old apparently dicing outside off. Pakistan must over the moon with the position they find themselves in. If Vince plays at the Oval it will be a dereliction of duty by the selectors. 34% S/R on a pitch that's a made for batting and the team is looking to set a total to try and win is pathetic. No need to race along but a crawl is too much.

He scored 12 fewer runs than Hales from 8 fewer balls. That's it. And Hales has had praised showered on him for his innings. Christ, you really have got it in for the lad. A lad who is under immense pressure, trying to fight for his place in the team (and against a side who kept on bowling some way outside of the offstump to him).

Criticise the selectors for picking him in the first place, by all means (all of his innings prior to this one have generally gone by the book. Lots of pretty 4s, not much running between the wickets, lots of starts, lots of nicking off. If the selectors didn't want that, they shouldn't have picked him). I'm totally fine with that. Even as a Hampshire fan, I'd have never selected him for the test team. But don't criticise the selectors for picking him in the last test (if they do pick him), on the basis on him averaging over 40 in this match. In the first innings, only Cook and Bairstow had better SRs, if you're that desperate to bring it into the equation.

Hales was facing the new with England !00 runs behind but still found a way to score quite freely off Yasir. Vince spent most of his time trying not to get out on a pitch made for scoring runs, a little caution was justified but a stillstand was not the order of the day.

[yuppie]

Maybe growing up watching a dominant Australian team has really clouded my judgement.

But i just cant help but think that England are allowing Pakistan to dictate this match at present.

It seems to me that England are trying to make sure that they do not loose this game. But in doing so they are still giving Pakistan a great chance to win the game.

It just does not seem positive cricket. If they continue at this rate and loose 4 wickets in this next session you would have to wonder if today's cricket has been that wise?

Great play by Pakistan, but at no time has England posed any questions.

[Gingerfinch]

England's initial plan would have been to save the game even after the end of yesterday. A good start may have changed that but......

[yuppie]

England's initial plan would have been to save the game even after the end of yesterday. A good start may have changed that but......

And now? At present it seems they are still leaving themselves open to loosing. Scoring 300 today would have pretty much made them safe. As it stands if they continue at this rate they will have scored 220-240 today which will still leave them pretty exposed, specially if Pakistan can get into the tail soon.

Also form the occasional feed i am watching the pitch does not look to bad.

[alfie]

Can't agree with posts above.

Pakistan have mostly bowled very defensive lines today ...ditto their fields. When England batsmen have tried to break the shackles , wickets have fallen. I think trying to tire the bowlers with a view to a late charge is a reasonable approach : unlike armchair pundits they don't have the luxury of free hitting and shrugging off failures

But I don't ( as Ballance falls to the leg trap) blame Pakistan for bowling "dry". It can work .

Although you'd almost think they were being coached by a South African

[hopeforthebest]

Ballance suckered out as England move into the danger zone. Pakistan looking likely winners here.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Dunno, 250+ is normally enough to set in the last innings?

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yasir on 90 wickets.

[alfie]

Another start from Vince. Maybe those starts will see him in the team for the Oval, but Pakistan have been getting praise in this game for making decisive changes.

I wouldn't pick him again ; but I don't have a vote

Not saying bin him for ever ; but let him go away and work on his game , and maybe come back a better player. Keep him in the white ball squad.
There is talent there. But he isn't nailing it yet ; and I think they need to look at some other prospects with some tough tours ahead. Not to mention trying to win this tough series...

[yuppie]

Yep where would we be with out arm chair pundits. Probably not on a cricket forum.

Fair play to Pakistan for bowling a discipline line to England. And now with 5 more wickets to go they have the chance to possibly force an unlikely win. Its almost as if England are powerless to stop it.

[hopeforthebest]

Dunno, 250+ is normally enough to set in the last innings?

which 250 had you in mind.

[yuppie]

Saying that bowling to a 200 run lead in the 4th innings is certainly not the worse position to be in.

[alfie]

England do seem unable to break the chains at the moment. Bairstow a very uncharacteristic 17 off 53.

Hasn't helped that five players have got set and none gone on. I am a little surprised they've not been able to work a few more singles - losing Root cost them there .
Root by the way didn't seem himself today. That back problem hampered him , I think. I'd be looking to rest him from the ODIs ; unpopular though that would be in some quarters.