onlyonejackwalker

Swann could bowl on anything and was world class. I can't remember an Oval wicket ever being prepared specifically for spin. England have played two spinners all summer. Neither suitable in the traditional sense. Both have taken crucial wickets this series however.

Al is correct. Disgraceful that KP was overlooked. Yes we have got away with it but only just. Lyth, Bell, Stokes and Butler have all struggled at times, Cook has been average and only Root and Ali have performed consistently. Lyth needs dropping due to pathetic shot selection, as Jim says about Butler get your bat and pad together. With wickets, catches and sporadic runs Stokes has contributed and Bell came good in the last test but Lyth needs to go now. You'd play two spinners at the Oval Chaddy? On the hardest, fastest, bounciest pitch in England? Righty o. Can't see it myself.

That sounds like an amazing days cricket. Credit to England. From top to bottom. Chuffed for Broad. Root is a cricketing superstar and one of the best players I've seen in an England shirt. Can only get better.

Working from 7am till 12pm. Just got back. 60 all out! :) ;) And Anderson isnt even playing!!!! :0 Useless Aussies. Come on England - 450 would be nice.

I knew of this. Didn't truly appreciate just how fast Botham scored his runs back then. Him, Viv, Clive, Grennidge etc could do it, matching the scoring rate of today's players even though modern lads have much more practice at it. I think Botham got an 87 ball century at Lords. Brilliant. 120+ catches, 5000+ test runs, 350+ wickets. Stood 2 metres nearer than anyone else at slip. I could go on.The majority had a more measured, older fashioned approach. Tavare, Brearley, Gatting etc. Gooch and Gower more fluent. Google Gower v India. Loved watching him bat. I was a bit like Boycott. Didn't like getting out. Needed to push and run more, keep the board ticking and find the gaps. It's been interesting watching cricket develope the last 30 years or so. The landscape has changed forever. I've learnt a lot. Top game.

Roots good enough to open. Technically and mentally. Might be easier finding a decent number 4 than a quality opener.

Ha ha. You love it as much as me. Can't believe I've only just found the cricket and boxing threads! Can the Scottish guy cause an upset? He's unbeaten as well. His manager wanted him to fight Joshua next year. The fighter said bring it on now.

Very good player Rogers. Do you know his story? First selected years ago, but then kept out by a plethora of world class stars for years. Haydon and Langer were an excellent opening pair. Brought back when they all retired and look how good he is! They had some team with 4 or 5 all time greats all arriving at once. Loved watching Ponting bat for example. Agree in principal with what your saying. Boycott famously scored a double hundred and got dropped for slow scoring!

Can't disagree with any of that. Agree about Groves as well, although he nearly pulled it off 1st time round. Looking forward to Joshua's next two fights. Scottish guy unbeaten in 22 with 10 stoppages. Or maybe 12 can't remember. Then Dillian White. Unbeaten in 15, big hitter, beat Joshua as an amateur.

Your quite right. Good old Eddy indeed. Rose is very limited. Paul Smith's another. 3 world title fights? Crolla? If you only watch sky you dont know half of what's happening. Some good UK fighters few know about.

Boycott was absolutely loving it. He made me laugh loads of times. He is so biased against the Aussies. He says it how it is, like it or not. Commentates now for the bbc radio service. Some of the shots played in the last test would have embarrassed village cricketers. Very poor indeed at that level. I think it's a lack of discipline created through so much one day stuff.

I'd love the variety of a quick left arm over. Think he's got a good chance of playing at Trent Bridge. Tends to do a bit there.Shows how good Anderson is when we bring two in to choose as a replacement. Thankfully he should be fit for the Oval. Worried about Lyth. No good being 20 for 1 all the time. Amd Cooks only averaging 30 this series, although he's over 50 for the year.

I watched Coyle go down three times to the body against a French kid. I knew Campbell would target him there. Cracking fight, wasn't bothered who won. Good result for Rose against a fading Carson. Watched him give Kell Brook a very tough evening and he took Rose out last time. Not sure where Rose has to go on his career. He can't knock anyone out, looks ponderous as he moves up the levels and gets put on his ass too easy for a contender.

Agreed. He's already been on his ass a couple of times from blown up cruiser weights. Still to prove his punch endurance and ability to last 12 rounds. Campbell v Coyle tomorrow. Fancying Campbell, but not writing Coyle off as his last couple of outings have been good. Think Campbell stops him to the body in 6.

Glad it lasted a bit longer to be honest. Good for the ground, crowd and players like Bell with his red inker. What has happened to Test cricket? I think Bell hit five fours in his first 8 deliveries then was dropped at slip. 20 from 8? Wtf. Playing with fire. Some of the shot selection on both sides has been disgraceful. Heads should roll. It's like they've forgotten the need to bat for long periods, take the shine off the ball, tire the bowlers, occupy the crease and build an innings. Lyth and Bairstow out. Ali up the order to 6. Stokes and Butler move down one.

Brilliant from England, well done that groundsman. Shame about Anderson, could just gave been pushing hard, but bowling round the wicket and trying to avoid running down the track on follow through puts a lot of stress on fast bowlers. Was not worried about our bowling even after the 2nd test. Matches don't last 5 days unless you can bat and that is were we are weakest. Lyth, Bairstow, Butler and Stokes frighten me to death and changes need making even though we won. Lyth needs shooting (figure of speech) let alone dropping after playing hugely irresponsible shots and Bairstow is already proven technically deficient at this level. Finns bowling was superb Chaddy. Credit to the lad after being described as unselectable by Giles in 2013. He's worked hard at his technique and his successful return helps minimise the loss of Anderson to a degree.

Shot selection an issue here on both sides. Lyth, Bell and Root all got themselves out. Time to give Lyth a breather and although he got a good ball no suprise to me that Bairstow failed again at this level.

I don't. Anticipating a good fight and hope he wins. Fury is a lot better than many give him credit for. Bummed about early in his career but has knuckled down now.

Top player is Cook. If not also burdened by the captaincy and his dalliance with the one day thrash-abouts he would be one of the few averaging over 50 in tests for sure. Opening the batting against the new cherry when the bowlers are at their strongest. One of the best we've ever had. He's out now. Amazing dismissal!!!! I was once caught at mid-on off the forehead of forward short leg. True story. Forward short leg went straight to hospital. I went straight to the pavilion.

Happy with the bowling Baz? Come on England.

It's a good venue for us. Yes the toss will be important but either way without runs we will struggle. Rogers, Smith and Clarke are top drawer and we won't knock them over cheaply too often. Finn might be recalled. Wood is struggling with a knock. Quite like Wood although 1 for 131 won't have cheered him up in the last test.

Shannon Briggs Comedy gold. Took a really hammering against Klitchko after hounding him for the fight. Briggs chased him (klitchko) harrassing him in a boat when out water boarding causing him to fall off. Nutter. Could take a punch though and had some power. Hope Fury wins the fight. 3 inches taller and a longer reach. Switch hitting and more mobile. At least size wise he matches up. Interesting fight.

Our bowling is fine. Missing a quality spinner but the seam attack is decent. Any pitch prepared however will also help the Aussie attack. They just batted much better than we did in the last test. If Haddon takes the Root chance in the first test at 40 for 4 we may be 2 zip down anyway.Need to sort the top order. Can't keep revovering from 30 for 3. Need a decent foil for Cook opening and batting Bell at 3 and Root at 4 sounds stronger without Gary Ballance. Bairstows got technical problems playing across the ball to anything fast and straight and he will be found out again. I would bat Ali at 5 and Bairstow at 6 if selecting him. Or better still just pick Pietersen at 4, leave Root at 5, bat Bell at 3. Cooks averaging 60+ this year. Root 50+ i think. Need Bell, Lyth and Bairstow to make runs or we will struggle to make 350.

No. He posts on here now. I'll let him reveal himself if he wishes. I didn't know this gent. Sad to lose a Rover / board member. Rip.

Remember when Ince said it was Men against Boys when United played Celtic? Hordes of the great unwashed descended on Rovers message boards and wouldn't leave for weeks. Anyway, Boltons debt.....