Utterly effed more like. There's a slim chance we can roll them over for sub 200 but we needed to get the deficit less than 100 for that to give us a chance. Our hopes now lie in an outstanding innings, either knocking them over for less than 150 or scoring 350+ to win a game. Pakistan 95 percent plus. ...just saw Anderson reverse sweep for four. England to win.
I dunno....I can see it being chased...I’d say they need about 200 out of this innings England back in it with the 3 wickets
It's entirely in-keeping for both teams. Pakistan will threaten to run away with it but keep giving up wickets instead of just getting a 400 lead; England will threaten to get back into it but keep drifting along and not keeping the lead below 250. England will have to chase about 325 to win, there'll be a lot of bluster about having got back into the game and how it's doable, we'll get to 100-1 and then be 180 all out. Truth is, we've been behind in the game from the moment Pakistan started attacking in their first innings and we haven't done enough at any time to get close to parity. I hope that changes, but i'mm not expecting it to.
Game has reached a fine balance here. Anything between 240-290 and it's game on surely. Agree with what Haslam is saying. On paper game on but England could fold like deck chairs at any point.
There seems to be a pattern with English cricket atm. They just don't turn up for the first test, ever.
Our only hope is that Naseem becomes embroiled in the customary betting scandal before the end of the game.
Teams always struggle to chase above 200 in the second innings at OT. That pitch was bowler friendly from day one and now it’s cracked up a bit more which will make batting conditions extremely difficult. Overcast conditions forecast for the full day at OT so the Pakistan bowlers must be looking forward to getting amongst us.
Yeh Headingley's another one where you don't want to bat 2nd. I was looking at run chases at OT over 250 and saw a couple of teams have managed it, I think New Zealand being one. Get Pakistan out for around or under 250 lead. Then just get to 150 with no more than 3/4 wickets and break the back of that run chase.
Well we're in it at least. If we can get the lead down below 200 with 9 wickets in hand ( so only another 23 runs) and slowly the pressure begins to shift back onto Pakistan.
Get our noses level and then just mess it up. 20-3 in the last half hour, heavy reliance on Pope and/or Buttler now. Hard to be confident from here, 50 runs until we're back in it.