Cricket

Certainly better entertainment for cricket fans, than a bore draw. It was a pity England lost, especially the positive manner the game was played.

There is all to play for still, with the second Test starting at Lords next week, where hopefully England can level the series.

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!

Proper nail biting stuff at the end and fair play to Cummins and Lyons, thought they hung on brilliantly.

I don’t think we should change our tactics at all as struggle mainly playing more conservative.

Couple of player changes and keep f**king going for it 👊🏼

It's finding the balance.

We can still be aggressive with bat and score quickly but we can also not be stupid and declare early and leave 50 runs out there.

Almost to the last ball the result could have gone either way.....Can't understand some of the criticism of England...All sport is if's and but's...there was very little between them.

Go f**k yourself with a can of fosters you Crocodile Dundee wannabe (though in all honesty you are one of my fave posters as you know)

In reality mate, I think we lost this Test because we made too many mistakes in all three basic disciplines of the sport.

With the bat, other than Root, nobody kicked on in the first innings to make that big telling score the way Khawaja did for yous. And in both innings we kept giving cheap wickets away.

With the ball, we were poor as a unit throughout. But it doesn’t help when sixty percent of your attack is carrying an injury. Even Robinson has been struggling before the Test with his ankle. And how the f**k our second choice spinner for the national team can be a lad who hasn’t played red ball cricket for nearly 2 years is beyond me. I’m not getting into the debate of too much limited over game to the detriment of how much first class four day county games we play but something needs to be done because surely there’s a spinner out there who can replace Leach that isn’t retired from red ball cricket.

And in the field we missed too many chances, which I think, more than the early declaration in the first innings, is what cost us. If we take our chances then we win. And it’s not all down to the keeper, though he was at fault for a fair few.

Your lot started the Test negatively when the result was so far away from being decided, the closer to the crunch it got the more and more we went into our shells. How the f**k we can be bowling at numbers 9 & 10 with a new ball and only have one or two people in catching positions is beyond me. And throughout that final day, we were just happy to give away cheap runs. We never looked like we were trying to get the batsmen out but rather just hope they gave their wicket away.

Needing over 50 runs to win when Lyon got to the crease should have been the time we attacked but we were still happy to concede easy runs.

I think “Bazball” works well when we’re chasing a big score because we can just go out and slog it. But when we’re the ones defending a total, it looks like we’re unsure of what to do.

But anyways, onto Lord’s. Level the series up there and send Merv, Swampy and all the Fanatics back down under with their tails firmly between their legs.

And you know mate, i love you right back.

I have to say was stunned, it took you guys 5 overs to take the new ball and when you did, you had no fielders up close. Was expecting two on either side of the stumps and constant bouncers at the throat, our players to fend off and give you guys simple catches but Stokes seem to put everyone out saving boundaries instead of attacking.

Couldn't figure it out but glad he did.

Ready to go 2-0 at Lords now!! 

And you know mate, i love you right back.

I have to say was stunned, it took you guys 5 overs to take the new ball and when you did, you had no fielders up close. Was expecting two on either side of the stumps and constant bouncers at the throat, our players to fend off and give you guys simple catches but Stokes seem to put everyone out saving boundaries instead of attacking.

Couldn't figure it out but glad he did.

Ready to go 2-0 at Lords now!! 

The fact we managed to bounce the lower order out in the first innings made it even more of an odd choice to be play the way we did.

I think it was the first real backward step we've taken under this new regime. We went on the defensive rather than play the way we have done since McCullum walked through the door. But I felt we were too defensive for most of that final innings. Once we got rid of Smith we should have went all out attack on both Boland and Khawaja but instead we kept giving easy runs away to Khawaja and didn't even threaten to put any pressure on Boland.

the close defeat hopefully will give the lads that extra bit of determination and concentration to stop silly mistakes but it was a really good test.

Almost to the last ball the result could have gone either way.....Can't understand some of the criticism of England...All sport is if's and but's...there was very little between them.

Well all pro sports people are obviously open to criticism. Cricket obviously is a very tactical game and hundreds of on field decisions are made. Yes there wasn't a lot in it at the end but I thought Root was left on too long. Could've brought on Broad earlier, I mean he delayed taking the new ball anyway.

Didn't pressure them, gave them easy runs. As I said give the Aussies a window and they'll go for it. I would expect a debate within the England set up over that last session. Do better next time.

Ali dropped and replaced by Josh Tongue.

Very risky going into a Test without a front line spinner.

Ali dropped and replaced by Josh Tongue.

Very risky going into a Test without a front line spinner.

Looking at the weather ahead it’s not going to be a dry dust bowl so hopefully a wicket for the seamers - Root will have to find a way to hold an end down for a bit though

Second due to start today.

Off work so will be able to enjoy most of the days play (weather permitting of course)

Talking about the report that came out yesterday and Nasser has just said it's £180 a ticket for the Lord's Test match.

F**k me!

England win the toss and will bowl first.

Conditions look ideal for our bowlers. So fingers crossed we can get the ball swinging.

Protestors getting onto the pitch. Jonny Bairstow was there to carry one of them

Looked like the same sort of orange smoke that they fu**ed up the Crucible with. Ban Oil protestors they were, not sure about these.

First chance dropped.

Difficult chance at first slip with the ball dying after taking the edge of Khawaja's bat. But it did carry to Root, who couldn't get his hand underneath it.

Protestors getting onto the pitch. Jonny Bairstow was there to carry one of them

Looked like the same sort of orange smoke that they fu**ed up the Crucible with. Ban Oil protestors they were, not sure about these.

Broadly speaking I support anyone's right to non violent protest but I'm not sure JSO are gaining any support with these actions. 

Broadly speaking I support anyone's right to non violent protest but I'm not sure JSO are gaining any support with these actions. 

I think the biggest concern is how easy they're finding it to distrupt elite sport.

Being able to get onto the tables at the Crucible and "the home of cricket" at Lord's, where security should be at it's tightest, is just unacceptable. Fair enough these are non-violent protests but it shows that somebody with a more dangerous motive could easily prevail to more deverstating effects.

Meanwhile, the players are off thanks to a light rain. Doesn't look like we'll be missing too much play as the umpires are already on their way back out.

Play resumes.

Pope drops Warner off the bowling of Broad.

Two chances, two drops.

I think the biggest concern is how easy they're finding it to distrupt elite sport.

Being able to get onto the tables at the Crucible and "the home of cricket" at Lord's, where security should be at it's tightest, is just unacceptable. Fair enough these are non-violent protests but it shows that somebody with a more dangerous motive could easily prevail to more deverstating effects.

Meanwhile, the players are off thanks to a light rain. Doesn't look like we'll be missing too much play as the umpires are already on their way back out.

Play resumes.

I suppose they have to attack prominent live events to have any publicity. As we sadly know there's no such thing as total security, it's a case of cost of personnel relative to threat perceived.
Back to the game...slightly surprising no breakthrough under these overcast conditions.....what the F......Another dropped chance!!!

Warner hooks for six to take him to 50.

70-0.

Josh Tongue gets the breakthrough, clean bowled Khawaja who leaves one that nips back and hits the off stump.

73-1

And that'll be lunch.

Needed that.

Need to sharpen up a bit in the field - Warner will always give you a chance in these conditions but the way he plays means that if he survives he'll get you quick runs and that's what he's done so far.

After a really good, testing over from Tongue we're back inside as the rain falls again.

And we're back out!