England test cricket

[liquidfootball2]

An alternative method for determining the number one side is the "linear" method, works just like a boxing belt, a team gains the title by beating the "holders" in a series.

Pakistan are the current holders, so that one's at stake in the current series...

Just as we thought things may now only get better they've picked just two thirds of a team to take on a probaby still shell shocked Pakistan following their mauling at Old Trafford.

We seem to have run out of options in the seam bowling department if they're going back to the hapless Finn, or is he picked for his batting nowadays as even that's possibly better than his bowling?

Together with the three musketeers Hales, Ballance and lottery winner James Vince in the top five it's almost gifting it to Pakistan.

[forestfan]

Ball had a reasonable enough debut and is unlucky to miss out on another chance. Wood is coming back to fitness as well so there's a few options in the seam department going forward.

Surely this is the last opportunity for the current batting line-up before another reshuffle though. They can't keep relying on Cook, Root and the lower middle order. Although we rarely see changes to the squad between back to back Tests I suppose.

[liquidfootball2]

Pakistan won the toss and have inserted (slightly surprising decision)

[liquidfootball2]

Hales ct keeper b Sohail gone for 17, really good bowling had to play

42-1 off 10

Must admit unlike our lottery winner James Vince, Hales has really been got out by some good bowling this series, not as culpable as the other two but does need a score.

Trouble now Root goes

48-2 Sohail gets Root a little bit of a loose shot outside off

Sohail bowling well here but Root didn't need to play that.

[liquidfootball2]

Cook was out after appealing an lbw but umpires call for 45

79-3

100-3 at lunch

Ballance 18*, Lottery Winner 16*

[liquidfootball2]

Vince ct behind 39

He goes in true Vince style, one he didn't have to play at but just hung the bat out at it to take the nick

153-4

[liquidfootball2]

A really poor shot from Bairstow enabled him to join Vince and Root in the dunces corner out for 12, giving it away rather than being got out

New boy right arm seamer Sohail has four wickets

fell at 158-5

Now 208-5 Ballance 64*, Alli 24*

[liquidfootball2]

259-7

Ballance 70 and Woakes 9 the men out

Alli has 53* and Broad 6*

[liquidfootball2]

New ball does the trick

Broad put for 10

276-8

[forestfan]

Why bother sending Jimmy out there to bat? He could nip a couple out tonight with the ball in these conditions...

[liquidfootball2]

Must admit this ball is swinging around and with a bit more pace in the pitch this score could turn out to be very useful indeed.

297 all out

[forestfan]

A few useful runs added by Finn I suppose, could make the difference in a low scoring game.

Pakistan's day overall, though England are in this if they don't concede a lead of more than 50.

[Backlash]

Thanks for the updates LF2 I had a day of paperwork it was good for keeping up to speed.

[liquidfootball2]

To be honest i'd expect England to get a lead of possibly 50-70

Looks a pitch tailor made for Anderson and Woakes

At 158-5, 297 looked well beyond them.

Always judge a pitch after both sides have batted on it.

[forestfan]

If the sun comes out they could just as easily be 350-3 at the end of tomorrow's play though. The first session will be crucial, perhaps even decisive in terms of who wins this.

[liquidfootball2]

Yes it's possible even if unlikely Forest, although Edgbaston seems to be somewhat different to most grounds such as Headingley, the ball often seems to swing more here when the sun's out a point Botham made on commentary. That certainly seemed to be the case today both with the new and older balls.

[liquidfootball2]

If the sun comes out they could just as easily be 350-3 at the end of tomorrow's play though. The first session will be crucial, perhaps even decisive in terms of who wins this.

Tbf I don't think their batting their strongest suit and I think such a score highly unlikely. They haven't looked like getting that kind of score even in their first innings at Lord's and that included Misbah's century.

[liquidfootball2]

After today's action, the bookies (oddschecker)

Give England a best price of 1/2

and Pakistan a best price of 11/4

The draw is best price 8/1

The odds have hardly changed following a day in which both sides might think could have gone better.

Pretty even day i'd say and probably why the odds still heavily favour England

[Mav3rick]

It will be an interesting day tomorrow at least. I'm kind of hoping that it's either a close first innings, or that England get on top enough to unleash some fireworks on Friday as I'm off work and am intending for the test match to be the aperitif to the Olympic opening ceremony

I missed the highlights from today, though from the score card it looks like Ballance had a good innings, did he actually look good or was it poor bowling? Even Vince's score looks ok on paper, with 39 off 65.

[liquidfootball2]

Ballance has altered his technique a little in that he's trying to push forward on the front foot more and not get caught with his feet behind the crease and bat hung out to dry like last year. An impressive and dogged knock and sorely needed.

Vince again impressed with his cover drive and just as it seemed he may be on the way to a real breakthrough score he rather gave it away again. So often a batsman's strength is also his weakness but he has to learn to be more judicious in his shot selection in tests. Pakistan clearly know his weakness and played to it angling the ball across him and he duly obliged by nicking off.

Tbf without any contribution from our mainstay Joe Root just short of 300 is very useful, the ball was swinging and there was some movement off the pitch although too slow to be a major problem. The pitch though is likely to be a little quicker tomorrow and while it may aid run scoring if someone gets in, it should also help Jimmy, golden arm Chris Woakes and Broady if they pitch it up.

I think its a more than decent position for England as they've runs on the board and Pakistan bat last on this pitch. Pakistan's strength is also very much with the ball in hand.

[Mav3rick]

Good stuff thanks liquid. If there's any movement through the air or off the pitch then surely our seam attack will take advantage. Pakistan only seem to be a 5 man team when batting (as we do too), except that once your get through their top 5 the rest seem to give way while its been the reverse for us.

Think I'll fill the cricket void with some Dave Podmore, of which I've just realised there was a new episode of last month

[forestfan]

As I said, judge a pitch when both sides have batted on it... clearly flat as a pancake, putting yesterday's batting display into perspective, and as usual our bowlers' heads drop on a day when nothing goes for them.

Looks like we need a combination of the weather and Pakistan's fairly steady run rate to keep the draw in play, then a much improved effort second time around to take it to the Oval still level.

[liquidfootball2]

Another Innings where Finn takes none for plenty, be didn't concede at his usual rate but he doesn't half weaken the side

[forestfan]

Finn was seemingly unlucky not to get wickets today... he's increasingly reminiscent of late career Harmison though, rarely puts it all together and looks innocuous most of the time. Unless he runs through them second time around, Ball (or a second spinner) has to play at the Oval.

One innings game now... this opening stand has swung the momentum of the match.

[liquidfootball2]

Finn was seemingly unlucky not to get wickets today... he's increasingly reminiscent of late career Harmison though, rarely puts it all together and looks innocuous most of the time. Unless he runs through them second time around, Ball (or a second spinner) has to play at the Oval.

One innings game now... this opening stand has swung the momentum of the match.

He's making a habit of being unlucky this series, perhaps something to do with bowling too short and his low confidence. The test he didn't play of course was the one-sided affair and slaughter at Old Trafford.

One thing that wouldn't be unlucky is if he's axed in favour of Rashid who at least can bat a bit. Finn is proving himself one passenger we could well do without.

Must admit for all his good late order batting Moeen isn't producing the goods with the ball, unless that's leaking lots of runs and easing any pressure.

Well done to Cook and Hales, at least now ten of our team have contributed in the series.

Interestingly the draw now the favoured result at 19/20 (oddschecker) just about favoured over

England at 13/10 with Pakistan possibly worth a bet as they're now a firm outsider and can be got at 8/1 at several firms

[liquidfootball2]

Aussies in real strife (as they might say)

133-7 at lunch needing about another two million runs to avoid a series defeat.

Smith, Warner, Marsh and Voges gone today new batsman Nevill and Starc at the crease.

It means that a Pakistan series win could make them world number one while quite ridiculously an England win could keep them at number four despite holding all the bilateral trophies.

Rankings a real nonsense

Live on Eurosport2 now.

[forestfan]

Pakistan would fully deserve world number one given they would have earned it without playing a single game in their home country.

England effectively 46-2 now, need something special from the middle order.

[liquidfootball2]

Pakistan would fully deserve world number one given they would have earned it without playing a single game in their home country.

England effectively 46-2 now, need something special from the middle order.

I'd agree Pakistan would deserve it but so would England who play so many away tours (and by far the most test cricket) and would hold all the bi-nation trophies. Pakistan play in the UAE in sub-continental conditions which very much gives them home advantage even if it is in a foreign country.

Tests in the sub-continent are generally played in near-empty stadia unless they play England when it's pretty much all away supporters.

To even have the possibility where anyone could hold all the trophies and be ranked as low as fourth just makes a complete mockery of the rankings.

Overall to summarise if Pakistan won of course they'd be deserved number one, if England won of course the rankings would be shown up and in fact are so anyway while that possibility exists.

(Obviously i'm not naive enough to think we stand any chance in India whatever the outcome here as our spin cupboard has been empty since Swann retired)

[liquidfootball2]

Pakistan would fully deserve world number one given they would have earned it without playing a single game in their home country.

England effectively 46-2 now, need something special from the middle order.

Effectively 311-5 now

[liquidfootball2]

That was a truly amazing all round performance. So glad to see Steven Finn get some deserved wickets at last, never for one minute doubted he'd come good.

Ali was brilliant with the bat and kept his nerve with some nice flight on the final day.

The reverse swing is a weapon England's seamers and all-rounders can take with them to the sub-continent and we're even beginning to see all the pieces coming together with the faith shown in the three musketeers Hales, Ballance and Vince seemingly justified.

There may still be question marks in the spin department but while the rankings are probably ridiculous England clearly aren't.