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

[alfie]

Bairstow going up a gear ? Rahat has bowled 21 overs now ; and the other quicks more...

[hopeforthebest]

Pakistan's tactics have paid off, start off bowling dry and testing the batsmen's patience, once Root and Vince succumbed they started to go on the attack and seek wickets. Bairstow and Moeen are the last experienced batsmen, Woakes is very much a rookie at this level

[yuppie]

Few welcome boundaries, lead over 200.

Question is will either team take a risk to win the game, or both happy with the draw?

[alfie]

Few welcome boundaries, lead over 200.

Question is will either team take a risk to win the game, or both happy with the draw?

Well I doubt Cook would be willing to offer Pakistan under 300 to make in a day.

I know you are recalling the great Australian teams , Yuppie : and I'd suggest that if he had Warne and McGrath instead of Moeen and Finn tomorrow he might be a bit more adventurous

[yuppie]

Few welcome boundaries, lead over 200.

Question is will either team take a risk to win the game, or both happy with the draw?

Well I doubt Cook would be willing to offer Pakistan under 300 to make in a day.

I know you are recalling the great Australian teams , Yuppie : and I'd suggest that if he had Warne and McGrath instead of Moeen and Finn tomorrow he might be a bit more adventurous

This is true.

But you would have to think that Cook will need to give Pakistan a bit of carrot to at least get the Pakistan batsman risking a few shots.

This could all be academic though, Pakistan could collapse to 100 all out tomorrow and we will all be wondering why we thought England needed to push on with the game.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England won't risk being 2-1 down with one to play. I don't even think they should. If they have the choice, they're more likely to set 300 at lunch tomorrow than have a hit tonight and declare overnight. I think most captains would.

[pompeymeowth]

Lovely 50 from 007, that reminded me of Matt Prior at last.

[Arthur Crabtree]

They're having a hit now anyway, 55 off the last ten. Maybe they have got a plan.

15 overs left! Who says moaning on thee internet is a great way to bring about change.

[pompeymeowth]

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.

He should get the last test, it hasn't been a great summer for him, he seems to love the 2nd/3rd slip area, if only he was fielding to himself, he'd have a lot more runs.

[Aidan11]

Too nice outdoors to watch cricket so I've been following it periodically while I was out.


Although we are close to setting a target never successfully chased down at Edgbaston I still don't think we have enough yet.

[Aidan11]

Strange that only two scores of over 200 have been successfully chased - the highest being 283.

[hopeforthebest]

Tremendous play by Bairstow and Ali, they've put England in a position to win this game by excellent batting. So far 85 runs at 4.9 R/R is just what the doctor ordered.

[dan08]

Probably bat for around 45 mins tomorrow and then declare.

[KipperJohn]

England could have easily thrown this away after those two early wickets. They're in a fairly strong position now, with possibly a record run chase required by Pakistan.

So far the first 2 days were Pakistan's, the next two England's.

Who will win the fifth?

Excellent game of cricket.

[Aidan11]

The draw might be the favourite now.