With regards to not enforcing the follow on, I don't have a problem with it. Stokes and Anderson are just back to fitness, so there's no point hammering them when we still have two full days left and the forecast apparently isn't too bad. The bowlers may also have said that they didn't want to bowl with a wet ball. The Pakistan bowlers will be roughing up the pitch more too.
Bat this morning, get the lead up to around 550, then declare, giving them a dodgy half-hour before lunch. Then you've got five sessions to bowl them out, which on first innings evidence should be fine, they didn't really stick around that well.
Pakistan 47-2 at lunch, needing a massive 565 for an unlikely win. England have five sessions to take eight wickets. Looking good...
6 down now,just after tea. Just a matter of time,superb decision not to enforce the follow on ! he he
Great victory,and some superb performances.Notably Root,Cook and Woakes.Still question marks about Hale,Vince and Balance,and now Stokes will probably be out too.Got a feeling the next match could be decided by the toss again,so fingers crossed we win it.Shaping up into a good series,but their batting looks shot,just celebrate this victory for a few days and wait for Edgbaston !
Quite the reverse in my view. Big psychological victory. Match stats England 762 for 9, Pakistan 432 for 20. The objective isn't to keep the match short.
I think those of us that disagreed with the decision not to enforce the follow-on need to accept that it was a democratic decision by the England management (no matter how stupid) and move on.
When I posted my comment regarding the decision I didn't realise there was still two days left. I've become accustomed to Test Matches ending on a Monday.
Whoever told you that is correct. I'm sat here flicking through the channels and I can't believe that there's no sport on the tele on a Saturday night.
