The International Cricket Thread

[Villan For Life]

CDGH did nothing for the Bears in several seasons. Now he’s playing for the current test world champions and is clearly a dopey fecker!

[Villa Lew]

England need to get the 3rd highest succesful run chase in all Test matches played at Lords, not just those against New Zealand. Sounds no problem.

[PaulWinch again]

Both openers gone.

[PaulWinch again]

Pope gone - got a beauty. Top 3 fails again.

[ChicagoLion]

Brain dead batting.

[PaulWinch again]

Terrible from Bairstow. Just symptomatic of England’s problems - don’t understand or play the situation.

[UK Redsox]

…..and now it’s Stokes getting caught trying to play a ridiculous shot.

This was not the time to lean back and try to flick the ball over the keeper’s head 

[Rory]

That was indeed a stupid shot from Stokes. Root looking good.

[paul_e]

Messy looking end here, the pitch has pretty clearly gone flat so all the danger is coming with the 2nd new ball. Question is do we push to finish the game before that at the start of the day or play sensibly and try to ride it out? 61 looks a simple enough target but it's still gonna be nervy.

[cdbearsfan]

If you were unimpressed by England's batting...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61689669

[olaftab]

For any other Test team, needing 60 odd runs with 5 wickets in hand and all day to bat, this would be a walk in the park but for England, this England we fear the worst.

[olaftab]

If you were unimpressed by England's batting...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/61689669

That's Nappalling. (sorry!)

[KevinGage]

For any other Test team, needing 60 odd runs with 5 wickets in hand and all day to bat, this would be a walk in the park but for England, this England we fear the worst.

Indeed.

NZ still favourites for me.

Quality pace attack and if they get Root early, it will be 6 out all out.

Good fightback though.

[PaulWinch again]

I think you’ve got to take account of who the wickets are. Root - world class (will be one of England’s greats) and Foakes is a bloody good player. But the rest - Potts (albeit judging on very little) looks a 10 or possibly a 9 at best. Broad - will have a swing, might come off but rarely does. Parkinson and Jimmy - not up to much.

So likelihood is it’s down to the two in now to get us really really close. Still a big ask.

[Rory]

If Root stays in, we'll win. There's something about Foakes's batting that I find difficult to watch. I'm no batsman, but he seems to go very hard at the ball, very little 'touch'.