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[tugga_5]

Would be brilliant to watch.

[tim2000s]

If Warne returned he'd be the best Aussie bowler on show

completely agree.  Sad state of affairs though. Might as well bring Mcgrath back as well.

[Damo1583]

At this rate they will be digging up the Don!!!!!!

[tugga_5]

They need all the help thay can get!!!

[jonpinson]

They need all the help thay can get!!!

Over halfway

[Colesy]

Right, England will bat for an hour and get 75+ runs and declare. Aussies will open well being 250-4 then collapse and England will win by and innings.

[Mr Cricket]

should have declared overnight!

no way batting on will benefit us, if aus wipe out our lead then theyll go past it anyway and we'll knock it off or itll be a drawn test.

weve got the upper hand here, should be more positive and give us 2 days to bowl them out!

[Colesy]

Pietersen in for 227+?

[essexarsenal]

time for swanny to shine !

[Colesy]

Lancashire Express - Tickets please!!

[Colesy]

Saw this and you know he's in form when he plays a shot like this. 

[Riddy]

beautiful

[johan95]

Pietersen! First with the bat and now the ball!!

[Buzz]

I think the state of the game now shows that we were right to bat on - we went at 8 an over and got on with it - then worked very hard with the bowling. We really only want to bat once on this pitch and setting 375 as a notional "innings win" target was the best way.

Marcus North will have to come in tomorrow morning to face the second new ball - Clarke's dismissal was a disaster for the Aussies - well done KP!! and well done Strauss for giving him a bowl.

Journalist and inexperienced cricketers are too keen to declare to early these days - they don't consider the effects of a flat pitch and overly attacking field placings. If this had been a pitch like one of the UK ones this summer then 300 would be plenty. But it isn't and Flower and Strauss are right to take that into account.

[tim2000s]

I think the state of the game now shows that we were right to bat on - we went at 8 an over and got on with it - then worked very hard with the bowling. We really only want to bat once on this pitch and setting 375 as a notional "innings win" target was the best way.

Marcus North will have to come in tomorrow morning to face the second new ball - Clarke's dismissal was a disaster for the Aussies - well done KP!! and well done Strauss for giving him a bowl.

Journalist and inexperienced cricketers are too keen to declare to early these days - they don't consider the effects of a flat pitch and overly attacking field placings. If this had been a pitch like one of the UK ones this summer then 300 would be plenty. But it isn't and Flower and Strauss are right to take that into account.

I agree completely. If the weather is going to come in, those extra overs on a flat pitch will make no difference as taking wickets has been proven not to be straightforward.

However, the question always arises as to whether a slightly smaller target (say 300-325) gives a pschological advantage and causes the batsmen to play less sanely as they believe it is easier to get and therefore try too hard to chase it down, thereby handing the bowling team wickets.