if it was my call today i would be looking to bowl as close to 80 overs today as possible so if we need it there is a new ball available first thing tomorrow morning when my bowlers are fresh

so that means batting around 18 overs this morning with there being 98 overs in the day to make up time

Oh gosh... I have read your post. Why do people feel the need to say that? If you don't understand/like/agree with the point I'm making, it doesn't mean I haven't read your post. I don't feel much inclined to repeat my other posts, as all the points you could have responded to are in there already.

The decision not to enforce the follow on was absurd IMO, for the reasons I've already given.

Your opinion that 'absurd' is an over-reaction is also fine, but if you don't back that up, I am left wondering how to respond properly and not just challenging you to a handbags at dawn duel.

Bold declaration inside the first hour.

a little earlier than i expected but it was never really about runs, they will have made a judgement on how many overs they wanted to bowl before lunch and in the day as a whole

And yet again despite giving Root the time at the crease, he failed to make a century batting third.

i'm going to assume thats a poor attempt at a joke ...

Root's TM average is now 56.15 and he takes a lovely * back to the dressing room with him!

I know. Root has once again let the country down. The sooner he is dropped from the team the better

I dont have a handbag. I have a man bag if i am allowed to use that

The reason i asked if you had read my post was because you said i had gone against every captain etc but i hadnt because i actually said i would have done that too.

My beef is with the over reaction to it. It's happened so lets leave it and move on but some people on here, and social media, are making out that Cook has cost us the world when he hasn't lost us a thing.

I don't think there was anything bold about it, the 391 lead they had after the first innings would in all probability have been enough

Satchels it is, then!

Thanks for a nice reply - I'm glad that this didn't blow over into 'politics thread' style personal arguments.

Probably my fault for not being clearer, but I didn't say that you'd gone against every captain, but rather all the commentators, and that wasn't about the follow-on itself, but that they were also saying it was the wrong decision in 'robust' terms, as I was.

I do agree that chances are Cook hasn't cost us a thing, but I also agree with Vic Marks' evaluation on that point, which I mentioned earlier.

Thanks again.

England Lions going well against Sri Lanka A. 300/1 - 151 for Ben Duckett and 116 for Daniel Bell-Drummond

Sometimes it's prudent to change the subject

No worries Makeba. We are both sort of singing from the same hymn sheet, just in different keys

Oh god, you've heard me in the shower, haven't you?

What chances do people here give of England being the number 1 ranked test side by the next ashes series? (i.e. November 2017)

If they win this series, win/draw against India, surely they must be on target?

One wonders though how long Jimmy has got left even if they get there, he'll be 35 next year. Still performing brilliantly though.

Stokesy's calf has gone will probably miss the rest of the series if it's a tear

Anderson apparently is struggling too.

England victory suddenly not looking so nailed on as did at lunch.

1% maybe less than than since I can't see them winning any game in india.

been a few big scores by the lions this summer , malan and billings made big 100s in the last couple of weeks as well

edit : lions finish on 425-1 with duckett making 220* and bell-drummond 171*

Surprised me as well since I thought England lions didn't pick the 2nd best squad available and generally picked players they liked the look of in the next 2-3 years and to cause the least disruption to the counties.
Thought it would be a close series since pakistan/sri lanka picked a really strong squad so too thrash both teams says a lot in the talent England got in the white game.

Think England lions needs to organise more first class games in england and concentrate more on that format since that probably the format where england are struggling to find cricketers at the moment.

.

Oh no - I turn off for a bit to do some work and come back to this? What happened?

big gamble by younus to try and put pressure on ali with england nursing a couple of injuries goes very wrong

So moving onto the next test. Any ideas about our squad for the Brum one. Vince and Ballance can continue on with their mediocre batting in my sympathetic and benificent view.

I'd then select Ball and Finn and see which has the strongest case for getting into the attack.

Are we presuming that Stokes will be fit?