jim mk2

Last season's playoff near-miss won't be repeated and I expect we'll be stuck in Mowbray mid-table land for much of the season. We might have have kicked on with some decent signings but really, where are the goals coming from? They were sparse enough last season. So my expectations for the season are simple - they're low. In that way, I won't be disappointed.

I've made it clear many times why I have my doubts about Bazball and why there are other, well proven ways of winning Test matches and why playing attacking cricket all the time does not always work and why it's better sometimes to rein it in and play smart, sensible cricket. I'm delighted England won today and drew an Ashes series they should really have won if they'd been a bit more careful and the coach, captain and individual players not made so many mistakes at Edgbaston and Lord's, which again I've explained many times. Beating Australia is always satisfying and while England did not not deserve to lose this series as seemed possible a few times in this Test, and did well to fight back and level the series in the end after being 2-0 down, it could and should have been so much better. For what it's worth..... and you won't like this ...... but I have been watching England Test cricket for more than 60 years and although there are some very good players in this England team there isn't one player who would get in my all-time England XI. This isn't a great England team - nowhere near it. It couldn't even take back the Ashes against a misfiring and ageing Australia team. These are my opinions formed from decades of playing and watching the game. Some will agree and some will disagree. I don't have to keep explaining them and I don't care if you don't like them. And as someone else also told you on the football messageboard, no one has to answer your silly questions. Goodnight.

Thanks goodness for that. England didn't deserve to lose this series and 2-2 at least gives them a semblence of respectability. Hats off to Broad - what a player and what a way to end a career - but why is he retiring? He's bowling as well as ever. Credit to Mooen too on his Test comeback and retirement (again) Having said all that, England have blown a golden opportunity to regain the Ashes this summer. This isn';t a vintage convict team and we could have won comfortably this series. The mistakes in selection, captaincy, Bazball tactics and individual errors at Edgbaston and Lord's proved costly, particularly the first Test. Time to salute the old and bring in the new. Anderson cannot be first choice any longer and there's several candidates waiting to pick up the mantle. Leach can take Moeen's place when fit and there's a couple of promising spinners in the county game waiting for the call. Above all, James Rew has to come in as the new batsman/wicketkeeper.

Looks like I've jinxed England. These 2 look like they can win it.

Out all day and just tuned in to TMS.... we always do well when I don't check the scores......totally unexpected, please England finish them off Just shows Woakes should have been picked from the start of the series... a serious error Broad not taken a wicket, come on Stuart end your career on a high by knocking the last 2 convicts over

The best England captains in my lifetime have been Mike Brearley and Ray Illingworth - the first a brilliant leader and man of intellect who inspired Botham to greatness, the second a tough-as-nails Yorkshireman who wouldn't give an inch to anyone - least of all Australians. My sort of captain. Stokes looks like he's going to lose an Ashes series in large part because of his daft decisions. Not fit to lace their boots by comparison

Lads of West Indian origin turned to football rather cricket years ago. The likes of Butcher, Small and Malcom broke through years ago but very few have followed in their footsteps. Archer was an outlier and I wouldn't be surprised if he has to retire. Bazball philosophy has failed its biggest test this summer and boasting about it being a "winning approach" nothing more than hot air when you don't even get the basics right The Australian media is having alot of fun at the moment at our expense because they've retained the Ashes and look likely to win the series by playing sensible, pragmatic, winning cricket. If only it were the other way round

"Game shaken to its core". The gems keep on coming, and I was lucky enough to "read it here first". I wonder if the convicts have been shaken to the core as they contemplate an Ashes series win? Bazball is likely to be a passing fad and certainly has a short sell-by date. It's very much identified with Stokes and McCullum and there are doubts over the futures of both Stokes needs an operation on his troublesome knee that has stopped him bowling and will likely keep him out for the next 6 months or so while McCullum is like any coach or manager - here today and gone tomorrow, and will live or die by results. At the moment he's failing.

In no short order it's been described as being "England's best-ever team", and "given time could prove to be the best side ever" And this is a team that could be about to lose an Ashes series at home for the first time in 20 plus years As Michael Gove said, we've had enough of experts

There's only one form of "entertaining cricket" - and that winning cricket. Any normal England fan would tell they just want to beat the convicts and they don't care how it is achieved, whether it's at 1 or 6 runs an over. England's fast scoring run rate in this series gave them the chance to win the first Test and it could well undo us in this one too. Bazball worked against the lesser Test teams but its high-risk approach has come unstuck this summer when faced with tough and pragmatic opponents. Assuming play is possible tomorrow, we need a big session first up taking 5 wickets to make up for the poor effort today.

The "run rates", the "excitement", the crash-bang-wallop T20-style batting, ........ bleeding Bazball ...... is pointless if you don't win.

Another great thing about Garner is that he obviously loved playing football. He was still banging in goals at the age of 39 and 40 at a decent level of the semi-pro game. A brilliant Rover, up there with the likes of Clayton and Douglas. Shame he settled down south though

Is under-rating a manager a criminal offence?

You didn't hear it first? This England team could well lose the first home Ashes series in more than 20 years Far from being "the best English (sic) test side ever" (silly), it could be one of the worst

England have won 5 series in Pakistan. There was cricket before 2010 75-0 at lunch,. England praying for rain to avoid a 3-1 defeat?

I can think of 6 or 7 England teams of the past 60 years better than this one - which by the way is 2-1 down, has failed to regain the Ashes and could yet lose the series. Why would anyone post nonsense like that? Anyway rain likely later and poor forecast tomorrow. Let’s hope this best England team of all time can do this and avoid the ignominy of a first Ashes series defeat at home in more than 20 years

Broad to win the match tomorrow - what a great ending that would be. I'm surprised Anderson is carrying on too, he looks over the hill and not been at his best this series

It does. Shame about the team

Yes I agree. There's far too much negativity England just lost 2 quick wickets and need to be careful now; there's not much batting to come

And a wicket falls straight after lunch. Sometimes it's best to say nowt when England are going well

Jekyll and Hyde from England. Bowled poorly early in the innings and an excellent afternoon session spoilt by letting their last 3 wickets put on about 120. The way we bowled at Murphy was embarrassing. Only a one-eyed Bazball groupie would say we dominated England need to bat carefully and not give their wickets away and build a decent score - a minimum of 275. Is Moeen fit to play?

HMP were 178-7, now 277-8 and about to overtake England's first innings total. Murphy has a first class average of 12 and is hitting England's bowlers for sixes. Not good.

Just tuned in to TMS and England have fought back well this afternoon - helps when I go away and do something useful instead England need to win this match and square the series to justify Bazball - otherwise it's pointless And another Bairstow wicketkeeping cock-up - if there's one player who's cost us the Ashes more than any other, it's him

82 in 38 overs so far, no wickets lost, no risks taken and carefully building a score over a day or two or three that will shut England out and secure the series. I hate praising this lot but this is how to play pragmatic winning Test cricket

Which instead of declaring is exactly what England should have done at Edgbaston. Pile up the runs, make the game unloseable, demoralise the opposition, and see what happens. It’s a five day game so what’s the rush.