Another drop from Bairstow but thankfully not an expensive one this time. Bairstow's performance with the gloves this series has been embarrassing he cannot continue with them.

If England are chasing 250 then they will win this test.

57 Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

Steve Waugh used to talk about mental disintegration. Well we've certainly seen that from Warner whenever Broad is bowling and the whole Aussie team when Stokes is at the crease.

Whatever England have to chase second innings here Stokes will fancy it. Australia look a shambles in the field when Stokes is at the crease.

Australia are terrified of Stokes they have no clue how to get him out and are basically just hoping that he miss hits one in the air. The problem is the tail starts at 7. They lost 6 wickets for 23 runs yesterday.

And yet here you are below talking about the spirit of the sport/game in the cricket thread when talking about cricket. Which sport were you talking about then tiddlywinks?

The player I'd call up is Sam Hain been has a good solid technique, scores at a decent rate which they like and has been scoring runs in County cricket for a good few years now in all formats. It staggers me how he has never in any format been called up to a senior England squad even when they had to select a 2nd XI against Pakistan a few years back he did not get a look in.

Firstly I don't think it has any relevance whatsoever, secondary I am not particularly passionate about the National Football team so I wouldn't be bothered either way. Although I do seem to remember Raheem Sterling diving to win a penalty to take England to the final of the Euro's, I can only assume that you were outraged by it and cheered for Italy in the final in order to protect the spirit of the sport. Thirdly I would cheer Rovers winning anything. Some would say as we have already seen from one poster on here for example that bowling short to Lyon was not in the spirit of the game. Nor would some think that targeting a players injury is in the spirit of it. Some would also say that both sides continuously peppering tailenders with short balls was not in the spirit. That never used to be a part of the game If you read my posts correctly (which evidently you haven't) you will see I said multiple times that I had no problem with bowling short to Lyon (from a moral/spirit stand point at least). You talk about it being top level sport but are then outraged that a player is fairly dismissed because he rather dopily goes for a walk out of his crease before the ball is dead. Would you like Australia to have said 'You've been fairly dismissed Johnny but come back and have another'. This is where you end up tying yourself in knots when talking about the 'spirit of cricket' because it is a mythical thing and all it really is, is individual opinions.

For me he's the finest sports writer in the country, one of the few who is always worth reading.

I certainly agree with your first bit I couldn't understand the sense in bowling short to Lyon. But I had no moral issue with England bowling short at him if he chooses to go out and bat then he is just another batsman to my mind. But this is where the spirit of cricket is such a clouded thing as it is basically just someone's opinion. I have no problem with bowling short to Lyon or Carey's stumping, you have issues with both, whereas Ben Stokes thought the stumping was not in the spirit but that bowling short to Lyon was. Three different people 3 different positions and in the end we are all right because the spirit of cricket isn't a real thing.

This is a great piece from Jonathan Liew. Our shared values deserve better than a pointless term like ‘spirit of cricket’ | Cricket | The Guardian

But what is the spirit of the game? It is nothing more than opinion and usually brought up by people on the wrong side of something. I notice you are moving before answer my question about whether bowling bouncers and an injured tailender batting on one leg is within the spirit of the game? As I said I have no problem with it just like I didn't with the Bairstow dismissal but some people would take issue with both and that is where the spirit of the game becomes nothing more than a myth because it is simply peoples opinions.

Your comparison with someone breaking their leg had no relevance whatsoever to what happened at Lords on Sunday. Bairstow wasn't injured, he didn't break his leg he just dozily walked out of his crease (and not for the first time) thinking that the ball was dead had he looked around to see if it was he would have seen the ball coming towards the stumps because Carey released the ball whilst Bairstow was still in his crease. I mean I had no problem with England bowling bouncers at Lyon for me if he goes out to bat he is fair game but given that he was actually injured and basically batting on one leg can I assume that you think that England were not bowling within the spirit of the sport? Because some would say that.

You are comparing two separate sports and completely different scenarios. Johnny Bairstow didn't have his leg broken he just wasn't paying attention and dozily walked out of his before the ball was dead.

I have no problem with Makading. The only player cheating there and not playing within the laws of the game is the batsman who is trying to steal ground.

I offered you an explanation of why I mentioned them if you can't comprehend that explanation that's not my problem. I'm not defending Carey because Carey doesn't need defending he did nothing wrong if he did the then Bairstow would not have been given out. I think I've been quite clear that I think that there was nothing untoward with the wicket again if you have not been able to comprehend that from my posts that is not my problems. The only person to blame for the dismissal was dozy Bairstow and the wicket rather summed up England's attitude to batting in this series, lax. I think the spirit of the game is a myth personally because surely if something is within the laws of the game then it is within the spirit. Surely playing by the laws of the game is upholding the spirit of it?

But it is in this country now. Bar a few grounds over the last decade Test cricket has become terrible to watch live in this country, as it is in Australia on the whole.

It's not whataboutery because I don't think Australia did anything wrong as I have clearly said on here. You say two wrongs don't make a right but I have no problem with McCullum's run's against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, for me there is nothing wrong with them the only players to blame just like with Bairstow on Sunday is a dozy batsman. I'm am just pointing out McCullum's hypocrisy. On 32/33 I used that in response to a poster saying that it was always Australia who were guilty of I think the phrase was 'bending the rules' or something like that and I was just saying that an Australian might point to England bending the laws first when they used leg theory. I personally have no problem with leg theory bowling I think it was a piece of tactical genius from Jardine that got the best out a genuinely fast bowling attacking, limited the greatest player the game will ever see, beat a very very strong Australia team in their own backyard and delivered perhaps England's greatest ever series victory. As for MCC members I was just pointing out to someone who was championing the spirit of cricket when criticising Australia that it was rather at odds for him to also be championing MCC members shouting abuse at Australia players in the long room. Is that really in the spirit of the game? It's certainly not in the spirit of crowds that I have sat in for 60 odd years. It's good of you to tell me I'm welcome to my opinion. I must have missed you becoming a moderator congrats on that.

If the regulations are still the same as when I was a member and I expect that they still are then from what I have seen online some members overstepped the mark yesterday. And Guy Lavender evidently concurs given that members have been suspended, an apology issued to Australia and he had to address the long room at lunch. No I'm just consistent which I can appreciate is a completely alien concept to you.

The booing started back in 2009 it was directed then Aussie captain Ricky Ponting who wasn't a cheat he played hard but fair and was a wonderful batsman to watch. The booing has carried on ever since, it is rather unedifying and crowd behaviour is only getting worse.

He didn't look very good in the play offs either.

The conduct of the Australian team was fine the conduct from some MCC member less so. Shouting abuse at the opposition should never happen in cricket and certainly not from members of crickets greatest institution (which they brought shame on yesterday). If you are as keen on the spirit of cricket as the poster I was responding to claims to be then I don't think you'd think that was in the spirit. It's certainly not in the spirt of crowds that I have watched cricket in for over 60 years. Not to mention that in this week of all the images were most certainly not what English cricket needed. The tribal football type support of crowds which have long attended one day games are now attending at test matches and it creates an awful atmosphere. Booing Smith when getting his well deserved man of the match award just isn't cricket. This series all we seem to have heard from the crowds is either booing the opposition, chanting juvenile songs or shouting profanities. The ECB need to get a grip of it because when it is spreading to the Lords long room it is clearly a problem. If you were attempting a run though you would be run out. Bairstow was stumped. He regretted it so much that he did it two more times after the first time in 2005. Also he has never apologised for the Zimbabwe one in 2005 he only apologised for the Sri Lanka one and only then 10 years later when he was invited to give the 'spirit of cricket lecture' and Sangakkara (whose century Murali was going to celebrate) was on the panel.

No as usual your one eyedness is tying yourself up in knots. You can't talk about the spirit of cricket and then champion MCC members shouting abuse at the opposing team in the Lords long room and perhaps even more so at the end of the week that English cricket has just had.