We’re no strangers to a series whitewash but this is shaping up to be up there with one of the most humiliating tours to date. Other morning about an hour in was woken so checked the score and we were 350/4 ish both on decent 100s and the new ball long gone. So I thought good tomorrow morning 480 minimum could and perhaps should be 550+. At that point went back to sleep thinking we cannot lose from here and could win. Fast forward to the end of yesterday where we could not win and likely to lose.

After 2 and a bit tests finally shown some mettle. At 130/4 I envisaged a 200 all out job. Don’t fancy us bowling them out twice here though. Didn’t hear it myself but apparently TMS were writing cook off saying his reflexes are gone. He’s scored 641 runs this year. 243 in one against WI who are effectively a county side. They were saying his fielding has been ropey this year and today he was beaten for pace on a straight one. Seems tad premature to me but admittedly he’s been terrible this series. Hopefully will have first ton of series soon. But if TMS has a point might be calling it a day before too long. If he’s milestone driven he’ll almost certainly go for 12,000 test runs (350 ish off). A vaguely decent tour from here he’ll go past Jayawardene. Next summer he should catch Chanderpaul, Lara and maybe Sangakarra.

132/6. Embarrassing again. Ability wise going in u thought we’re not massively different to them. Smith/Warner equivalent to root/cook then the rest from both sides are meh. Bowing attacks similar they edge it in their conditions but the gulf in performance is like they’re playing a club side. Only thing I can think is we’re mentally weak

I’ve not seen any. It’s a poor show if want to keep the average joe engaged in the sport. Unfortunately I have BT sports so seen a fair amount of this underwhelming series. Sky sports are doing their usual trick of practically ignoring sports that their channels aren’t showing. FA Cup hasn’t happened for well over a decade and now the ashes barely gets mentioned. They’re normally all over club rugby league but as the BBC had the World Cup that was only mentioned in passing. Plenty of NFL though.

Big session coming up if we are to make any sort of impact on this series. Let’s hope jimmy can make things happen under the lights Reckon need to win this one. 1-0 down before going to Perth where we’ve only won once anything but a win and could be series over.

England have had a pretty decent run of drawing/playing crap sides now particularly in the qualifiers. But I’m not sure it’s necessarily the best thing for England as when we eventually come across a top side even Iceland, as we’ve been used to beating lemons we struggle to make the step up. With the friendlies vs Germany, Brazil, Italy and Holland at least it seems we are preparing more suitably than Ecuador and Honduras before 2014 if memory serves.

Panama Tunisia and Belgium that isn’t bad at all. Perhaps we’ll get out of the group this time as 2nd. Surley can’t be worse than 2014 but I’m sure the class of 2018 will find a way to anger and disappoint in equal measures.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/15579635.Sale_plan_will_secure_East_Lancashire_Club__39_s_future/ Looks bleak for east Lancs but not surprised a lot of clubs struggling.

So if this is correct no hales and crane for Deirdre. Ballance will get his 4th and presumably final go if he flops before he could join the ranks of ramprakash, hick etc who failed to fulfil their county form on the international stage. Ps interesting day for Lancs yesterday with restructuring behind the scenes and a couple of signings (well net one signing having lost Jarvis sadly). Early days but perhaps the penny has finally dropped that the top teams such as Yorkshire play a core of local whilst making a steady string of decent long term signings from outside.

I'd be tempted to go with Cook, Stoneman, Hales, Malan, root, bairstow, stokes, Ali, woakes, broad, jimmy Westley didn't inspire with with massive confidence and apparently root doesn't want to play 3 again which means there's issues there but personally would like to see hales squeezed in somewhere. In terms of the rest of the squad I think England A rather than the lions are also out there touring so effectively I'd take the rest. Duckett, Browne, Westley, ballance, Clarke, foakes (seems to be getting nod over jos for reserve wk), buttler, rolland-Jones, wood, Dawson, crane. Anyone that's ever seen a cricket pitch.

Hameed has broken a finger. Sums up his pretty dismal summer.

Re Mitchell Johnson this was also a quality moment in the scg I found on YouTube few months ago. Tremlett got brad "the simple man" Haddin out then in comes in Mitch their last line of batting defence.... To say test cricket is rather gentile, compared to football, that wicket was like being in a football crowd. Beer flying everywhere, arms and legs in the air.

Excellent. We made the same call for Melbourne and Sydney in 2010/2011 tour. We were fortunate enough to see 3-1 series win with 2 wins. If you'd have told me that in the 90s I'd have thought it was nonsense. So many high points beating them basically on Boxing Day skittling them out for 98 then having big mouth Aussies say let's see you bat (why wouldn't they) only for us to put on 150/0 ish by stumps. Day started with about 90,000 fans it ended with about 30,000, 20,000 of whom seemed to be English. Then in Sydney put on 650 which is the highest England score downunder ever. And who could forget mercilessly rattling Mitchel Johnson. The power of a support to throw off an opposition player so drastically. It was a pure joy to catch any Australia news bulletin or newspaper. They make our tabloid media look like shrinking violets. Ah memories. I sincerely hope you see similar success. ps you might catch the cricket touring bug since then we've been to India, West Indies and South Africa.

Well making the right sounds but I'm not buying it. An extra 5,000 seats onto a stadium with ever dwindling support seems mad. The test match attendance was very poor on Sunday and embarrassingly didn't sell out Friday or Saturday. But at least he has realised the Lancs support is pathetic compared to what it should be and conceded they've effectively taken their eye off the cricketing side with 2 relegations in last 5 years and avoiding relegation because of results elsewhere last season, a decade of woeful 50 overs cricket and since won t20 finally not reached knockout stages. Frankly actions speak louder than words and being a cynic I reckon this wave of optimism about the future from the club was designed to purely coincided with the recent announcement of 2018 membership packages. Swell the numbers then do bugger all. Repeat. First rule of survival is when things cut up rough, talk about the future and paint a picture that some nirvana is waiting around the corner if only we sit tight. I hope he's right and it's not just empty words...

Never seen a boxer so exhausted after first 4 rounds.

Can only go one way this fight. Surely!! Unless there is a random big punch. Unless mcgregor is put on his arse (something Mayweather rarely does) he'll claim the moral victory. Win win for him really.

As a fan of boxing I want mayweather to wipe the floor with McGregor so the mma circus can pack up and leave town and no more hybrid fights happen. Even as a fan of the underdog and not a fan of Floyd will still begrudgingly route for him. Half way through the fight are we to expect the lights to go out and the undertaker to appear in ring and tombstone mcgregor then choke slam mayweather.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2017/content/story/1116188.html That would be an excellent signing. And not before time. Hopefully with Paul Allott promoted to director of cricket there's been a change of thought in the lancs boardroom.

The gate will almost certainly be the highest all season but it will no doubt disappoint by coming no where near a sell out or even what you'd hope for. I'm going for 18-20k maybe more if they sell out. Having decided I would no longer step foot in Ewood while the Venkys reign supreme I for one fully intend to stick to it and this fixture nor any other will tempt me in. Next game for me will be Bradford followed by Rochdale.

Worst draw possible. A hammering at home from our nearest and dearest. Wish Coventry dumped us out now to avoid the humiliation.

https://mobile.twitter.com/bbctms/status/892006915064115201 Class. Just wish it was true. Boycott is trying to play down his anger. Well Geoffrey it must have been quite special to you being at Headingley...you knocked out all those commemorative plates.

This year I bought my dad a membership for his retirement so invested in a one day membership for myself. I defo won't be bothering again next year with cancelled matches, last minute venue changes to host concerts, forcing you to reapply for roses ticket so they can resell it if don't want to go. Yesterday everyone who had a ticket gets a refund except the members who can look forward to the club "may reflect lost matches (think effectively 3 to date with notably the roses) in next years prices" ps nice touch from bham. Lancs were due to have a mariachi band on

I've avoided walking dead for my same I don't like fantasy stuff. So that's next up. I might have to have a rethink about that genre of tv.

I put off watching it for years because I'm not into sci-fi stuff and fantasy "nonsense". But I caved in, mainly to make small talk at work and over the past 6 months or so I'm now fully up to date. What a series I do regret not being in from day one. Technically the red wedding only happened recently for me and still reeling from that. Going in I heard the house of stark and the house of Lannister are loosely based on the house of york and house of Lancaster. So I've been routing for the baddies since day one. Not looking good for old cersi (however spell it).