jim mk2

Bairstow's technique still isn't right. Mixture of good shots and awkward defence. Root is in the form of his life. Most enjoyable day of cricket in years - England must build on this tomorrow and make at least 450. .

How would you describe Australia's batting - criminal ? At least they've got one decent batter - Extras. Perhaps he should open the 2nd innings.

Cook was playing beautifully before he was out - a ridiculous dismissal. Lyth found wanting again but Bell should be made to do 100 lines for getting himself out like that.

Managers have to take difficult decisions with maverick big name footballers too - and the ones who cause problems in the dressing room or whose egos and the circus surrounding them gets so big they think they are bigger than the team itself (eg Beckham at ManU) don't usually last long. Pietersen has only himself to blame.

Edited: I've looked at some of his other stuff. It's all puerile, schoolboy rubbish. Does that count for serious comment down there ?

Usual one eyed view. Someone should tell him England have won the last 3 Ashes series at home. Not quite so "pathetic".

3rd series here in 6 years - it's getting boring to be honest. With the way they played I'd have preferred New Zealand to be here all summer.

It's a 450 minimum pitch, very placcid with nothing in it for the bowlers. Anything less is below par. Losing Buttler near the end was a blow. Bell has been out of form for so long I don't know why he was selected.

None of you have mentioned that Harris, their best bowler, is out of the tour and has announced his retirement,.

What does your post mean in plain English ?

Gordon, if you read the reports (and do some research for once) there is no clear demand for the sort of volumes of potash that this mine will produce. There is also a global oversupply of potash at present. The technology they are proposing to use to extract it is unproven too. Sirius now have raise the billions in funding to build a 37km long by 6m wide tunnel under the North York Moors national park bigger then the Channel Tunnel - and create a market for a product which is currently barely in use - and get and retain 86% share of world sales of this wonder chemical - and maybe it'll break even , eventually. Place your bets on this thing never seeing the light of day or maybe started and then the project being found to be unfeasible unless further planning restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, a precious national park is opened up to industry - and all in the name of "growth" that may or may not be achieveable. Thankfully, the Campaign for National Parks pressure group said it could launch a legal appeal. “This is such an important test case of the protection for National Parks in national planning policy,” it said.

For the first time in your life, you're right.

Well done to LCC for putting the concerns of local people and the environment first. NYCC are a disgrace for putting allowing potash mining to go ahead - particularly in a national park. I hope the objectors take it to a judicial review. Anyone who seeks to make money out of the despolation of an area of an outstanding natural beauty should hang their heads in shame.

Buttler is going to be a big player for England this summer - good signing by Lancs.

This has to be some sort of joke. Hoping your country fails because your favourite player has been snubbed is idiotic, even by your low standards.

With all due respects to Bumble, he never saw the likes of Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton or Wally Hammond. Graves is to blame for all this. He could have put this the matter to bed months ago by saying Pietersen was finished with England but he put his foot in it by leaving the door ajar. He's got form with opening his mouth too - witness his silly statement before the Windies tour. English cricket is so badly managed at the moment - why do we need a "director of cricket" for heaven's sake ?

Great player in his pomp but more trouble than he is worth now. Strauss has done the right thing in making a clean break.

Yes they have. Like Swansea and Bournemouth and Brentford and a few others. But we don't have a future and should be looking at amalgamating with our rivals (copyright thenodrog).

Barcelona are dull as ditchwater to watch - there's more to football than constant passing. I usually fall asleep when they are on TV. Guardiola has alot to answer for in my view, and Bayern are becoming almost as bad though they still have a certain amount of Teutonic directness.

Ronaldo has a better La Liga goalscoring record than Messi - even though he has played for an inferior team during much of his time with Real - with his goals-per-game tally (171 in 159 appearances) significantly stronger than Messi's total of 233 goals in 267 outings. Ronaldo is also the Ballon d'Or holder. Not bad for a showpony.

For me, the scrum is union's achilles heel so to speak. How is the spectator supposed to know what is going on when he cannot see the ball, sometimes for 5 minutes or more, let alone know why a referee has blown the whistle for yet another technical infringement ? League is dull because it is so formulaic... six tackles then give the ball to the opposition for them to do the same. There must be a way to combine the best of both codes.

Isn't that the point though ? England v Ireland was exciting because the teams were evenly matched and it became a test of strength and resolve and who would flinch first and make a mistake. It was so tense at the end I felt drained - I've rarely felt that about league because the scoring is so free.

Is it sad or just the march of progress ? League and union players have often expressed the desire for there to be just one game known as rugby. If league is in terminal decline in this country (which it appears to be judging from research on the internet and the post above) would it not be better for the two sports to merge as soon as possible ? From an England point of view it would be most welcome.

Ahhh....the old league v union rivalry. I watched the England game and found it an absorbing contest between two very tough teams. Both defences were excellent. Union has a much higher profile now than league and more money too. Will league be irrelevant soon ? From England rugby union's point of view I hope so.

That is a very good question, and I'm surprised that the international cricket authorities have not investigated him. Do they do drugs tests? Before this winter Johnson was regarded as a joke bowler - especially in England - and his total transformation at this stage in his career in just a few short months has been nothing short of remarkable. Sportsmen do not make such vast improvements in such a short space of time without "help" - I cannot think of any athlete who has overturned his or her career in the same way. Australia also have form in this respect - Warne failed a drugs test at the World Cup in 2003 so if Johnson were taking substances it would not be a surprise.