Yes I must admit Prior's form has been a disappointment but then so has that of many players over the past 18 months. If Cook were not captain he might been dropped by now. I was defending Prior from attack by the anti-England Somerset supporter but like a few others Prior must be on a borrowed time now. Bairstow might come in and although he's a good wicketkeeper his batting technique to be honest is pretty awful. I remember the photos of Close in the papers - his body covered in bruises. That West Indies side dished out far worse than Larwood was supposed to have done in the so-called "Bodyline" series (and yes they're still whingeing about it 70 years later). The point is the likes of Close and Boycott would never ever give up their wicket easily, which for old-timers makes the dismissals of Root and Pietersen yesterday even harder to take. I'm not surprised Sir Geoffrey went ape on the radio.

Um, I think you forgot Ian Bell, man of the series last summer ?

Pietersen's a walking wicket at the moment - a decent club bowler could get him out. Put three men on the leg side in the mid-wicket area, bowl at middle and leg and wait for him to hoick it in the air. Flower needs to have a stern word with him or is Pietersen above repproach ?

The trouble is Trott has not "excelled" for some time. He was a liability last summer.

Well I'm an England supporter. So watch your step. Agree about Onions though - he must have upset someone in the England hierarchy. He should have been picked last summer too.

.... and at international level ?

From your use of the word "they" instead of "we" I assume you are not an England supporter. So who do you support ?

I'm not expecting an England fightback today. The team hasn't played well for some time and several players are woefully out of form. England won last summer thanks to Bell and Broad in the main and you cannot rely on one of two players to get you out of trouble all the time. You also have to question the preparation for this tour, which seems inadequate and comes down to the management. Flower has done a great job but I sense he's had enough after a fair stint and it could be time for change - and that goes for some of the players too. This tour could well be their last. Fortunately we have some good young players coming through.

Quite right. A cricket team, like a football team is for life. You don't change sides. For an Englishman to support Australia at tiddlywinks never mind cricket is unforgiveable. And the Somerset gnome still hasn't stated why he doesn't support England at cricket. Back to the action, Warner is out to a stupid shot. Couldn't happen to a nicer chap after his comments in the first Test. Good luck to Panesar. He needs something to go right in his life after his problems this year.

Perhaps the question was too subtle for you. Which international cricket team do you support ?

You've been asked several times. What's your agenda ?

Quite right. Disloyalty. I hate it. Might as well support Burnley too.

Cricket is one of those games that's better to play than to watch. Before I got too old I played club cricket for more than 35 years and loved every minute of it. There's nothing better than playing cricket on a warm summer's day. I go occasionally to Test matches but I'm not a great watcher - I'd rather be out there competing. The one-day game holds no real interest to me - there's far too much of it. I don't like the gamesmanship and sometimes downright cheating at the top level though - before I stopped playing the top end of the club game was going the same way too. Cricket's an all-consuming sport if you are a player, very technical, much of it psychological and full of ups and downs, particularly for batsmen. When you are playing well and in good form there is no better feeling but form can disappear quickly and leave you worried and wondering where the next run is coming from. There's a great cricket tradition in the north and alot of England best players come from up here. Lancashire has a fine tradition of producing good fast bowlers - Anderson is the latest in a long line. To sum up, if I had my time over again I wouldn't play football and would devote all my sporting passion to cricket. It's a great game.

Australians started this sledging lark in the 1960s and 70s. As an Englishman yourself I look forward to you celebrating with us at the end of the series. As always we'll do it well and with a bit a style with none of the gloating Australians indulge in. If we lose we'll take it on the chin and try to come back stronger next time. It's the English way - as you as an Englishman know.

Another pearler from the land of wit. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/25166475

You haven't answered this somersetrover. Whose side are you on ?

You mentioned the war but you didn't get away with it (copywright Fawlty Towers). If a Rovers supporter moved to Burnley would he stop supporting Rovers and follow Burnley ? Never. An Englishman supporting Australia is the lowest of the low.

Reverting to stereotypes. Were they wearing bowler hats too ? The team is called England by the way. Anderson's alleged punch threat was a claim made by Warne. The BBC probably shares everyone else's view and regards his utterings as a waste of space.

Ballance has lived in England since he was 17 and Stoke since he was 12. And your point is ?

Local quickie broke my mate's arm, snapped the ulna clean in two. If he thought the bowler had meant it, the bowler would have received more than a broken arm in return.

Taunts about breaking arms "unsavoury banter" ? At least the ICC has a sense of decency.

I don't agree - there is banter and there is unacceptable abuse. The Australians have been the biggest culprits for years - Waugh's teams in particular. I agree with Frith. It's gone too far.

I suspect there is some underlying problem with Trott; cricketers often have marital difficulties. David Frith said on Radio 2 today the hostility in the Test was the worst he has known in 60 years following the game (which shows the depths the convicts will stoop to) and thinks the international cricket authorities will act. As for Warner if I had the ability to bowl at 90mph plus like Steve Finn I'd aim it straight at his big mouth.

Australians started "sledging" in the 1970s. Most of it is way over the top and unacceptable. I see Clarke has been fined for making stupid comments to Anderson. Trott coming home according to the Beeb because of a "stress" condition. Now stress can mean anything but if he were that bad like Trescothick why did he go on tour in the first place ?