jim mk2

His Test record is poor compared to Root's but then most batsmen's are. That doesn't mean he's not entitled to comment. One of the best commentators I enjoy reading is Steve James in the Times. He had a long county career and played only a few Tests but his writing about batting techniques and the difficulties facing top-class bowlers is excellent. A must-read for me over the likes of Michael Atherton

Top player in his day, a bit more than decent. He's right though isn't he? Playing "exciting" cricket is pointless if you lose

Long tail as stated and Bairstow fumbling more catches and stumpings Woakes has an excellent record at Lord's and would have been my pick instead of Tongue Not good.

Robinson's a twerp. He was at it again in the papers today, describing the other lot's method of play as "meek", as if the only way to win games is with Bazball. Silly quotes have a habit of coming back to bite players - I don't know why they do it.

I'll have a look. Souness was his own worst enemy at times, allowing personal issues to get in the way of the best interests of the club. He had well-documented fallings-out with other players too. Allowing a top player like Sukur to leave Rovers like that was poor

Hakan Sukur was in the Rovers team the day a family relation was the club mascot. Unfortunately Sukur broke his leg soon after arriving at Ewood and went on to score 2 goals in only 9 appearances. He was only 31 at the time but he went back to Turkey and scored 55 goals in 146 for Galatasary over the next 5 seasons. A very good player - don't know why we didn't retain him.

It’s the Bazball mindset that led to the declaration and Root and Brook giving their wickets away with silly shots. As a player I never gave my wicket away - ever. McCullum says England are going to double down on their approach. If he comes unstuck in this series he should resign

It’s all about winning - nothing else. Same with Rovers - losing but “playing well”. That’s what losers say I don’t see how anyone could enjoy what happened at Birmingham yesterday. Anyway we move on and hope Stokes doesn’t make any more stupid decisions and the coach reins in the Bazball stuff for a more pragmatic hard nosed approach Bairstow should lose the gloves after that dire showing but probably won’t

A lifetime of football experience Yours?

Yeah right, show us yer medals Just because he was a fine player and good manager for Rovers doesn't mean he doesn't talk sense at times. And fans as paying members of the public and football supporters are just as entitled to their views as ex-players and managers

The only entertaining cricket is winning cricket. The tripe is your insistence that "Bazball" is the only way to play

Sums it up. They did a professional solid job against all the Bazball hype - and away from home too on England's "favourite" grouind too. Lord's next - and England rarely win there in the Ashes Cannot stand the convicts and handing them a win like that really grates. They'll be lapping it up - and that really grates too Should never have happened, we should have made 450-550 and put down a marker and put them on the back foot, but we threw it away. But it's "theatre" apparently.

Horse manure. Test cricket lasted 5 days and was entertaining long before this Bazball nonsense came along. It was the silly Bazball mindset that led to the silly declaration and Root and Brook and others throwing their wickets away with daft shots England lost and are 1-0 down against the unspoken enemy when they should be 1-0 up. Unforgiveable

Cricket "theatre" bollocks and Bazball bollocks That was a match England should never have lost. You don't give that lot an inch and we let them into the match with the reckless declaration

Bairstow missed another apparently

Even if England win it was still a daft decision

273 all out Hope I'm wrong but the other lot will fancy getting that. And they've plenty of time to do it

Nine down, still 100 runs short IMO

And they've both gone. Seven down with not much "batting" left The other lot could have 4 sessions to knock it off in singles

And almost 6 down. Bairstow escapes by a whisker England on the golf course before the end of play?

Reverse ramp attempt by Root on the first ball of the day - which went over the top of the stumps Entirely pre-conceived shot and totally reckless This isn't bold, attacking cricket - it's stupidity

Backs to the wall today ...... England need to bat all day to avoid defeat. Three wickets down in the first session and it could be curtains. No Bazball bollocks. Proper fighting Test cricket please

This Song - The Stranglers

World in Motion - New Order

And 27-2. Here we go