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[Number4]

England going well.. 5/146

Carberry out Cheap
Root out cheap
Prior out cheap
Stokes out cheap
Ballance run out 55 off 134 balls

[smokem]

After all the hot air about facing 3rd string bowlers in their tour games...

Interesting that Ballance batted at 3 and Bell at 6. I wonder if this is any indication on who may bat at 3 for England in the 2nd test...

[Number4]

Bell out cheap

[Pendles10]

Ballance and Bairstow both looked solid, Looks like Bairstow is keeping

[cricketbadger]

After all the hot air about facing 3rd string bowlers in their tour games...

Interesting that Ballance batted at 3 and Bell at 6. I wonder if this is any indication on who may bat at 3 for England in the 2nd test...

Are you speculating that England would opt for Ballance at 3 for the next test?

I want some of what your smoking.

[smokem]

Are you speculating that England would opt for Ballance at 3 for the next test?

I want some of what your smoking.

I bet u do. It's bloody good stuff... 

[Manormanic]

The guy doesn't bat higher than five for Yorkshire!!!

[Number4]

The UK commentators were waffling on how Ballance reminds them of Trott the way he bats... Bunch of dicks

[Manormanic]

The UK commentators were waffling on how Ballance reminds them of Trott the way he bats... Bunch of dicks

well, rumour has it he can't play the short ball either...

[Alvaro]

The guy doesn't bat higher than five for Yorkshire!!!

If he is a contender for next week don't you think they put him in at three to get some time in the middle seeing as he'd faced about five balls on tour?

I doubt they see him as a three in Tests.

[joeljonno]

Although it would be odd, I could see them doing that, batting him at three to minimise the unsettling of the other players..

To be fair, if they don't play Bairstow, you really have to ask what the point of him being on the tour is.  He is possibly a future England keeper, and is potentially one of the best, but he has not had the time or opportunity to become an established keeper at county level because he keeps getting called up.

[Manormanic]

Although it would be odd, I could see them doing that, batting him at three to minimise the unsettling of the other players..

To be fair, if they don't play Bairstow, you really have to ask what the point of him being on the tour is.  He is possibly a future England keeper, and is potentially one of the best, but he has not had the time or opportunity to become an established keeper at county level because he keeps getting called up.

Agreed.  I think the problem they face is that they have settled one, four, five and seven and are shoehorning three more in; any of them could bat six but none are natural three dogs.  I would personally bat Root three and Bairstow six but who knows - it could be Prior six and Stokes seven?

[mo_town]

They should push Root to no.3 and get Stokes in..They bowling looked tired and weak. Stokes will give them options.

[Johnny]

Bowling was weak and tired due to the batters not giving them enough opportunity to rest properly

[Manormanic]

Tough call - I think England have pretty much decided that Stokes is their long term all rounder, much as they have decided that Bairstow will succeed Prior.  If that is the case, why not give him a go?  At least at Adelaide where the pitch is likely not to expose the lack of a specialist bat and would probably reward playing Monty.