Brilliant Tour for Froome, he has a great team around him, but he's a fantastic climber, time-trialler, decent descender, (and average mountain runner). 3 Le Tour titles so far, and looks like he's more than capable of carrying on winning.

I think it was reasonably foreseeable the Manchester weather may have a say in this game and a lead of 391 seemed plenty. Still think we'll win but it's an unnecessary risk bringing the draw back into play by wasting overs adding to a total Pakistan are unlikely to reach anyway. But what's done is done.

Decent stat heard England haven't lost at old Trafford in 15 years. Winning 7 drawing 2. Last defeat vs Pakistan in 2001. Not that many games to be fair but seems like we lose at Lords every year.

Whilst I do think we should have enforced the follow-on, we are in such a commanding position in the game that with 2 days left to play, there's plenty of time left to bowl them out again.

On the Old Trafford situation, would the Aussies with such a commanding record at the stadium, only look to give them at best 1 test match per year? Time for the ECB to stop the nonsense of counties having to 'bid' for test matches, which is pushing prices up for supporters, and start awarding them earlier, and investing in increasing the quality and size of those stadia

Yeah after last seasons t20 win expected big things. But the reality is bottom of t20 group, 2nd bottom of 50 overs group, lose vs Durham today (well by Tuesday) and think down to 5th in county championship. Even if end up going from 1st not so long ago to 5th the county championship that has still exceeded my expectations but the one day stuff has been pretty pathetic. Has a similar feeling of 2012 where after winning county championship it was an unmitigated disaster pretty much ever since in that format.

Hard to pin point why but the local core of Luke procter (28), Karl brown (28), Tom smith (30), croft (31), Reece (25) should all be in their peak of their powers but all run very hot and cold and in my opinion to a man aren't good to put Lancs at the top table of domestic cricket. Then Kerrigan never recovered from that ashes oval debacle

There are reasons to be hopeful livingstone and haseeb hameed both around 20 have looked class at different points I'd just like them to learn along side a better calibre of senior player.

To be fair to Giles, he's done a good job since coming in. And appears to be happy to give the kids a chance. The likes of Procter, Brown etc are decent county cricketers, and you do need to have some of them around, if they are too good then you can end up like Yorks where on international week you could lose 5 or 6 of your team, but Id agree that we could do with a couple of top class batsmen to blend in with the others - it's finding good players willing to play, and unlikely to get recalled that may be the issue. Similarly the same on the bowling side of things - we miss a top class spinner.

Shame about Ventoux, although I bet the likes of Quintana was very relieved too, he was dropped and that looked like a gap that was only going to grow.

Today's time trial though I think has secured the Yellow jersey for Froome, he's nearly 2 minutes in front now, and unless Quintana blows him away in the Alps, its pretty safe. Quintana looks to me to not be aggressive enough- in nearly 2 weeks he has had 1 or 2 attacks, especially since he knows he is likely to give big time away in every time trial.

Excellent Ross Kemp vs ISIS documentary on sky 1 tonight, well worth watching on catch-up etc.

Showed the current state of play on the front line with ISIS and those fighting them.

Gave it away with that headless last 3 batting overs.

167-9 Lancs

Ok....but 14 runs for 6 wickets off the last 3 overs - their heads went.

C'mon Lancashire!

Mont Ventoux tomorrow- hopefully a battle royale between Froome and Quintana.

Strong winds may forshorten the very top, but it's still a big climb.

Imagine what Buttler could have done if he hadnt fracture his thumb tonight.

I was at old trafford and yorkshire were never really in it apart from roots batting. Im not saying yorkshire should win with a full strength team, just replying to the fact that someone said lancs had a weakened team. Im an oddity anyway in that im a T20 ST holder at old trafford and like watching lancs win, except when yorks come to town. Then i remember my roots(no pun intended) and want yorks to win.

Fair enough, I was at the game at OT too, and agree Lancs where on top throughout, I also keep forgetting Middlesbrough is 'old' Yorkshire (like Barrow in Furness is 'old' Lancs).

I think if you looked at the respective line-ups last night, Lancs had a far less experienced team out there, even if Yorks didn't have everyone available.

The good thing for me, is the emergence of a generation of kids who have played T20 from the lowest age groups, and they look comfortable with bat and ball. Can't help but be good news for cricket in this country if more youngsters are playing.

Hang on. That was a yorkshire team without bairstow, Root, Plunkett, Rashid. Weakened Lancs may be but not more so than yorkshire.

They played full strength at Old Trafford, and got beat heavily.

Tough game tonight, the lads will feel that they gave too many cheap wickets away, especially that Carver over. Another 2 overs with Livingstone batting and Lancs would have won the game.

....and next game Yorks at Headingley!

The game is Friday 1st July, and is sold out - is it on tv?

Tight finish in the England game, but Roy just managed to get his hundred before Hales scored the winning runs, with only 95 balls left

Bet those boys are going out to get Sri-Lanka'd after that batting performance.

Very happy with this signing, still can't believe that given his performances at Ewood, that a bottom end PL side or top championship side hasn't taken him. For example he'd be an ideal signing for the likes of the dingles.

Maybe he's happy, having had a torrid time since leaving Swansea, just to be playing every week, and to be at a club where he's wanted by the fans and the management. He's also good mates with a few of the players, including Steele which would have influenced his decision too.

he is turning 7.. He is quite smart and like i said he enjoys Minecraft. So he seems to be enjoying the whole strategy type of thing by the looks of things. He does have the Lego games on PS3.

Theres terraria which is like minecraft and the skylanders stuff is very popular too.

Mainly for him. He likes minecraft and this plants vs zombies thing. Anything else?

How old is he?

Agreed on the lego games, good fun, not too hard and you could probably pick up some of the older releases for not much money (as a taster)

Matt Parkinson, 19yo got a five-for on his championship debut for Lancs. Got some good kids coming through at the moment.

So do I Ste. I'm going.

Enjoy your day Al, hope the weather holds up for you.

Anyone got uncharted 4? Im tempted, but may wait for the 2nd hand market.

Feel sorry for Stanley tbh, missed out on auto, then extra time in play-offs.

They never got going again after it restarted.

Hopefully Wimbledon go up, and get the derby games against MK Dons.

Floodlights have gone.

Abandoned and replayed?

Those criticising T20, get yourself along to a game, and then come back with your thoughts.

Totally different experience to test cricket, which I love, and even one-day games.

Good start to the championship campaign for Lancs too, think we are assembling a good young squad.

4 of our top order batsmen also bottled it on the day ... Jordan should have been last over.

Edit: if it been 36 required of the last over they would have got it too...imho

He'd have scored 70 off the last over if they'd needed it.

Poor bowling by Stokes, personally think there was too much chatter before the first ball, the pressure was on their man.

20 runs short of a decent score on that pitch.

Also - how lucky is Sammy -10 coin tosses in a row.

Can we start the weekend again at 12 noon yesterday?