Edgbaston

[Ted Maul]

Great knock from Smith but is..and always will  be...a cheating Aussie gobshitc

Cant help thinking we've let them get 50-75 more than they should

Cuzer

We let them get 150 more than they should have.

274 batting first doesn't seem great but with the standard of batting on show I'd be surprised if we can make a first innings lead.

[Toby Jugg]

Had a foot on their throat earlier but let it slip.

[KratosBaggie]

I'm as guilty of this as anyone else, but sometimes it's not always your team that is poor, and you have to give credit to the opposition for being brilliant. 

I can't stand Smith for all the obvious reasons. But that was some knock, and he was aided brilliantly by Siddle and then Lyon. Hats off to the cheat. 

I thought England bowled brilliantly for the most part. However there was a 20-30 min spell where Root completely lost the plot and seemingly gave up in getting Smith out. I have no idea what he was trying to achieve. But, other than that madness, it was a good day from England, spoiled by a top class knock from the opposition. Fair play to Smith. 

If we manage to bat all day today, we should have a lead. Especially if Roy, Bairstow, Stokes or Buttler occupy the crease for any length of time. 

Both batting lineups are suspect, but we bat deeper and have a far stronger middle order. If Roy, Burns or Root survive we should have a good platform to post a good score.  

Today should be another good day of cricket. Test match cricket really is the best format of cricket. I can't wait to get there and have a couple of pints of 61 deep.

[Cheshire East Baggie]

Anderson was the key to yesterday. Bad management all round (by him and the selectors) letting him come into such an important match with a doubt over his fitness. I know the options were limited, Wood can't seem to stay fit and Archer had only played one T20 since injury. We'd have been better with Sam Curran to bowl 20 overs of left arm nothingness to keep Broad and Woakes fresher for short bursts. At least Broad had one of his good days. Maybe Stokes will click in the second innings.

I'm uninspired by Root's captaincy, and if I am the players probably are as well. In my whole lifetime I can only recall three long term England captains who were inspirational and generally successful - Brearley, Vaughan, Strauss. Peter May was before my time and Brian Close only captain for a handful of matchs (won 6 and drew 1). Maybe the next in that sequence is somewhere around, but I fear Root will be captain for at least 6 more mediocre years. It's interesting to check the win ratios of England captains over the years. Big names like Cowdrey, Dexter, Greig, Gooch, Gatting, Botham, Gower not getting up to 33% win ratio.

Joe is doing well on the stats so far, but when you see the Aussies putting on 160 for the last two wickets, you wish Mike Brearley was there to think of a plan, or Andrew Strauss to gee the players up a bit.

[MassDebater]

I'm as guilty of this as anyone else, but sometimes it's not always your team that is poor, and you have to give credit to the opposition for being brilliant. 

I can't stand Smith for all the obvious reasons. But that was some knock, and he was aided brilliantly by Siddle and then Lyon. Hats off to the cheat. 

I thought England bowled brilliantly for the most part. However there was a 20-30 min spell where Root completely lost the plot and seemingly gave up in getting Smith out. I have no idea what he was trying to achieve. But, other than that madness, it was a good day from England, spoiled by a top class knock from the opposition. Fair play to Smith. 

If we manage to bat all day today, we should have a lead. Especially if Roy, Bairstow, Stokes or Buttler occupy the crease for any length of time. 

Both batting lineups are suspect, but we bat deeper and have a far stronger middle order. If Roy, Burns or Root survive we should have a good platform to post a good score.  

Today should be another good day of cricket. Test match cricket really is the best format of cricket. I can't wait to get there and have a couple of pints of 61 deep.

Careful lad, talking sense and acknowledging that the opposition can actually do things that mean our team don't achieve, that isn't allowed on here!

[KratosBaggie]

I understand umpiring is very tough, but this is beyond a joke now. Utterly useless.

[ChamonixBaggie]

5 of 9 decisions overturned in this game. Might as well review everything as it's probably wrong!

[SausEggBaton]

5 of 9 decisions overturned in this game. Might as well review everything as it's probably wrong!

"Same old Aussies always cheating"

[oldun]

5 of 9 decisions overturned in this game. Might as well review everything as it's probably wrong!

"Same old Aussies always cheating"

Proper test match this, not for the slogger fans

[Solihull Throstle]

I'm there Sunday. At least it now looks like there will still be a game left by then! Hope any Pears fans aren't too daunted by a stadium rather than a glorified village green!