Aus effectively -15 for 3. Looking good but as long as Smith's still batting they're in with a shout.
Had Anderson been fit I'd be reasonably comfortable but without him our pace attack looks a bit one-dimensional and will struggle. Ali must come good soon, surely?I'm not particularly confident at the moment. Without the new ball on a slow wicket, our pace bowling looks worryingly innocuous. Ali's big chance and he's looks poor.
Looks like we'll lose a lot of time this afternoon, which reduces Aussies chance of building a score, declaring and Lyons bowling us put.
It's odd, nobody has mentioned Woakes's absence during the commentary.Smith at it again, just short of his 100 at lunch, 231-4, which is 141 ahead. Don't know why Woakes hasn't bowled today, that is a bit worrying with Anderson already out?
Woakes bowling now!
Woakes just got Smith, with the new ball!Must have been saving him, but seems odd, it would have been better to use the seamers when the ball was new.
I fear you're right.Not sure that this side has the bloody-mindedness to bat all day. Hope I'm wrong.
Root's captaincy was naive at best today. Yes I know we'd lost Jimmy early doors but still, some odd decisions.
Oh, and I'd have umpired better than those two clowns, without my glasses on.
I fear you're right.
Also I read that one spectator walked out declaring 'I haven't paid hundreds of pounds to watch Root bowling with a ball that's 8 overs old'.
Umpires have been shocking all match. Having said that when I retired at age 62-ish I took my umpiring ticket. Did a handful of games but decided that it was just too easy to make mistakes at my age, failing faculties and all that. It is hard but even so these fellas should be doing better.