As usual I was ahead of the game. I was looking at Friday's weather when I'll be at Old Trafford Apologies for treading on your toes. Making stuff up is your area of expertise

Manchester weather forecast for dull and cool with showers tomorrow ........ theoretically not good for batting and ought to favour the bowlers And England need to knock those last 2 wickets over cheaply. 300 may already be too many

Bairstow takes brilliant catch shocker.

Mmmm.... not sure about that. I'd keep them in their best positions, No 4 and No 5. Ali's promotion reflects the dearth of Test class batsmen in the domestic game. We haven't had a good No 3 since Trott was in his pomp

Bairstow has to produce in the next Test. No more dropped catches, no more missed stumpings, and meaningful runs on the board. He’s a liability at present and one reason England aren’t ahead in the series.

Ali at No 3 is Bazball thinking in extremis and just entrenches the team's T20 mindset. He hits the ball in the air too much, he struggles with the basic defensive skills even at No 8 so it's highly unlikely it will work at No 3. They tried him there a few years ago and the experiment was quickly dropped. Having said all that I'd be delighted if he scores a hundred at Old Trafford.

Last Train to London - ELO

The thought did occur....... still better than any

No.

He averages 38 at No 3 and 51 at No 4. You leave your best batter in his best position Moeen at No 3 is barmy but have to say I can't think of many decent alternatives and it's not as if if it's Pope's best position either

Blimey, I'd have Aaron Ramsey all day long to run the midfield and teach our youngsters a thing or two.

The idea should be you have a No 3 who is capable of batting No 3, not an over-promoted No 8

England looking to bat Moeen at No 3, according to the papers. Einstein is alleged to have said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results but this obviously does not apply to the England cricket team

On the face of it their faith is Bairstow is mystifying. Foakes is a more than decent bat, averaging circa 32 in Test cricket to Bairstow's 36, but by common consent is the far superior wicketkeeper. England might be ahead in this series without Bairstow's many mistakes behind the stumps. Whether it's because Bairstow has bought into the Bazball cult more than Foakes one can only guess. It's one of them decisions that just don't make any sense

Yes, that occurred to me too. This absolutely stinks if true

More than a poor do. How could they do this and why do they think it's acceptable? How about another idea, all the Tests to be played in the Midlands and north with not one in the south.? How would they like it? Questions need to be raised in parliament and the PM himself (a cricket fan for a northern constituency) should contact the ECB. . Levelling up, eh?

That was a relief. There's nothing better than beating this lot. Nothing. It's even better than beating Burnley And a whitewash has been avoided - which is another relief. We're 2-1 down and the Ashes are still alive but the fact remains we should be 2-1 up but for some of the reckless, brainless that's been on show The other lot aren't the best that's toured here by a long way and their best batters are struggling. They're eminently beatable playing positive, sensible cricket

Brook gets out to another stupid shot with victory in sight

Money rules (I've read it's all the players talk about in the dressing rooms) and "instant" cricket is the perfect game for the Playstation generation - they don't have the patience to sit through proper Test cricket

We haven't had a Test class opener since Alistair Cook retired. And we haven't had a Test class opening partnership since Cook and Strauss were in harness. This lot are just products of T20 cricket

Thanks for all your efforts in this match Jonny. Brilliant 2 days to make 250 and it could be over by tea on the 1st day ...... because we didn't play Bazball Chuffing nonsense

Root out right before lunch. Do England actually want to win this?

Crawley out to another T20 shot. 3 wickets down (with 40 minutes still left) in the first session isn't how you win Test matches. Crawley ticking himself for the shot too. He needn't bother - it's instinctlve and he does it time after time

Root looks a bag of nerves. Calm down Joe FFS and play some proper cricket shots

Root's head has gone with this Bazball stuff... why did he play that shot at the end of the over? Crazy And then he tries to run himself out. There's 2 days to go and they're taking risky singles