I will be surprised if England reach 250.
Predictable abject batting performance thus far.

I would think England will rue the poor shots and the unlucky dismissal of Brook - who was looking good. Normally the score would be a par one but this wicket looks a bit flat. Edgbaston sometimes changes drastically throughout the match. However, sometimes the Edgbaston pitch has been known to more or less die altogether. Then you'd need a decent spinner - as a Worcestershire fan, I always think Ali isn't a top spinner, he's ok but more of a batsman. Again, he was looking good but gifted Lyon a wicket. Deja Vu that the batting is mainly Root. Probably the best player of spin.

Red and Blue Army!

356-8 much better, assuming root gets his century maybe declare and have a pop at them for the last bit?

They're justified, and they're ancient
And they drive an ice cream van

Blimey, 393-8 Dec Interesting

I'm a blind man, i'm a blind man, now my room is cold,
When a blind man cries, Lord, he feels it from his soul.
[Link]

Sublime innings from Root 118 no. including 4 sixes 2 of them ramps.

A class apart.

I disagree. In test cricket (and especially against Australia) you have to score as many runs as you can. A first-innings declaration on day 1 of a 5 day match is madness. If you don't want to bat any more, you might as well tell your last 3 batsmen to give it the old heave-ho. You might be all out in 2 balls or you might just add another 20 or 30 to your total, or even more.

On another topic; I've just watched the 'freak' dismissal. Again apologies to everyone, but the dismissal was down to carelessness. It was drummed into us by our secondary school cricket teacher that a batsman should follow where the ball is going until he is sure it is dead. The England batsman just stood there like a posing pranny completely uncaring as to where the ball had gone. Unforgivable.

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)