Thetownend.com

England have chosen to bat on day one.

England: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Chris Tremlett.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema.

I wonder which Pakistan player will over step the line...

I am going for a couple of the T20 and one dayers. Hopefully will be a few more in the crowd then!!!!

Wanted to see Monty in the side today. Placid pitch by all accounts and the quicks might struggle to take twenty wickets. Still, Andy Flower obviously knows what he's doing!

Fucking hell, just woken up and heard Pietersen get out before lunch, 46/5, Ajmal destroying us on a pitch that isn't turning.

Nice to see England back!

46 - 5 not batting well.  Most played poor shots, which is actually unlike England recently.

So much for the 'placid pitches' I've heard so much about...

From what I saw it was very poor batting on a pitch with no turn nor spin. Furthermore there has been no movement in the air:

Cook - Didn't see
Trott - Falling over going to far to off
Strauss - Poor shot selection
Bell - Played for spin that wasn't there
Pietersen - Poor shot selection

Not a good start by England.  They are up against it now.  5 down on the first morning at lunch  :doh:

Bollocks, bollocks, Morgan goes.

And Broad could easily have followed, stop padding up to the spinners with DRS on you stupid tits.

The only thing that cheered me up when I tuned in this morning was the sight of Marcus Trescothick.  This was then quickly diminished when that dried up, droning, grey dickhead called Bob Willis started talking.

94/6 after 42 overs.

Seven.

Cunting hell.

Quality review from Broady was only hitting all 3!

New year old England.

Astonishing

Pakistan 150 behind at stumps!

My Views:
England need to strike early tomorrow or it will be a long old day.  It may do a tad more early but I dont really think this applies in the sub-continent, so think England will do brilliantly to keep the lead to <100!
Alot of people will say England should have played 2 spinners but Ajmal and Rehman got 9 between them and only turned a handful a fraction.
I personally think England didnt seriously consider playing 2 spinners, as they are religious with this 3 seamers theory.  Though if Bresnan had been fit to beef up the lower order that may have tempted them a little more to drop a batter and include Panesar.
Decent recovery by England to get to 192 considering they were 50-5ish, but the ease with which the lower order supported Prior just illiustrates how flat this track is.
Surely the Strauss/Flower plan for long periods tomorrow will be to attack with Swann from one end, whilst the seamers rotate from the other holding an end.

Ajmal is the first proper quality spinner England have played in a long time.  Considering they have trips to Sri Lanka and India later this year to follow, I predict England may have started 2012 as the worlds best test team, but they wont end it as number 1!

192 isn't great but considering the start we had I'll take it.  A lot now depends on how we bowl.  If we bowl well and get Pakistan out for under 200 it's game on!  Not likely though.

the pitch has a history of getting flatter.... might need a brisbane-esque effort

Will have to be better than Brisbane IMO.  The Aussies didnt have an Ajmal.

Fucking hell you lot, one bad innings in a place they boys have never played before and its doom and gloom.

We've given nigh on everyone who we've played a fisting in recent times, we'll bounce back and win this series, I'll lay any cunt any money.

Well said, nip out a couple of their batsmen early doors and then England are well in it.  Here is hoping that overnight Gower & Trescothick lay seven shades of shit into Bob Willis so I dont have to watch & listen to him droning on tomorrow morning.

 ISOB will be happy at least....just need Ajmal to be called as a chucker and it should liven up procedings nicely. Where's Daryl Hair when you need him?

Not the best start.

Have to say with my 8 week baby meaning i'm awake at ungodly hours i'd just be happy for one of the recent tests on sky to go for more than three days!Shame its not last year in a way,i would have been able to watch loads of the Ashes live  :)

great ball by Broad, we've gone one out!

We've only gone and got another wicket! 128-2!

Need to snap up younis quickly he is there classiest batsman!

Hmm, wickets could easily fall in a pack here but it's not looking great. Just hope Misbah and Younis don't get to bat together or they'll bore the bowlers to death.

Swann! Swann will tear you apart!

Horrid shot just as haffez was looking to et on top of swann. Just to break this partnership sharpish. The batting after is a tad dubious, so all may not be lost yet!

Trott strikes! Who saw that coming then?

Naturally I was just talking to my housemate about how we'd definitely have brought on Pietersen first.

Strauss 1-0 Muppet

Trott's bowling well- we're still in this if we can take a couple more quickly.

8 overs till the new ball. Be decent if we could get misbah out before then

5 down with the new ball, and in a word of praise, hasn't Prior become a very, very good gloveman on the quiet?

Prior is high class these days nemo especially to the quicks.

Based on the first new ball it will swing for about 8 overs so need to strike again, and tremlett needs to pitch the bloody thing up! I have had a sneaky £10 on England in play at 5/1!!!

Best keeper/batsman in the world without question at the moment.

Partnership building. Need a wicket or 2 before stumps. Akmal looking half decent after a dodgy start. He's certainly a better keeper than his older brother. But then again who isn't?

He's not the best batsmen/wicketkeeper in sussex

Handy late blows for England. Just you wrap up the tail pronto then bat properly against ajmal and the drs. I think if England can ask Pakistan to chase anything over 250 I would back them against an inexperienced Pakistan batting up younis, hafeez and misbah apart.

80 odd behind. Better mop up the tail very quickly and not lose early wickets or it's goodnight for us.

Looks all over now, 26/3 in the 2nd innings.

Make that 36/4 after 21 overs.  Game well and truely over unless Trott and Morgan can produce something magical.

Pants!  We can still win the series 2-1!

What in gods name was KP thinking?  I know people will say if it had gone for 4 we would have all sat and applauded but it didnt!

I thought if England could set about 150 it might give them an outside chance but that is still 230 odd away!!!!

Still though ........ At least my beloved Indians are doing brilliantly down under .... Oh, hang on a minute!

Morgan gone 74/5.  Still 40 overs left today plus a potential extra half hour!

We have been discussing KP, and think he is turning into the teams answer to John Barnes.

He is useless for 5 or 6 games, and the calls for him to be dropped start, and then he puts in a great performance to buy him some more time.

The worry is, he does seem to turn in that performance when England are already on top, cant remember the last time he batted really well when England were struggling.

I am struggling to remember a backs to the wall KP knock away from home.  I think he played a couple in the Ashes series England lost 5-0 but to a large degree then England were getting hacked so badly it didnt really matter.  He certainly made a big ton in the Adelaide test in which Paul Collingwood got a double ton.

At home there was the obvious 05 ashes innings at the Oval, and one big hundred when India toured in 2007 I think when England were in a spot of bother at Lords against the moving ball.

On the upside however I am going for some of the India series later in the year.  Might have to get a Swindon Town flag for the occasion, though I will be backing India 150%.

Do an Indian Flag with S.T.F.C across it :)

I imagine no-one has seen one of these at a cricket match before !!!

Indian Reds.

Back to the old days of shit batting. Utter crap from England.

So Pakistan need 15, with only 10 wickets in hand...I think England will fancy this...

oh.

Pakistan 73-2 at lunch.  England playing spinners and each have taken one wicket. Fair bit of turn for pre lunch on day 1.  Which is both good as England have selected 2 spinners but a worry based on how they played Ajmal in the first test.

Tremlett going home injured however.  I would call up Briggs from Hampshire as the replacement as I think an additional sealer would be a bot pointless with Finn and Onions already there to cover the quicks.

103/4 now. All 4 wickets bowled, good start.

Yep, playing well today with no real assistance out there. Bowlers weren't the problem in the first test though so jury remains out: hopefully the batsmen will be able to make the most of the conditions tomorrow.

Back to back sixes from Misbah.

Words I never expected to type.

Loving the various accents being used by Matt Prior. Australian & South African have been my favourites so far!

Behave yourself, he's fucking gun, yes he has his howlers but he's a match winner. We might sometime be on top when he comes in but KP wins games.

Misbah dropped by Anderson at slip off Panesar.  Should have been taken and that would have been a great blow on the stroke of tea!

On the subject of Misbah and his consecutive sixes .... I have watched a fair bit of him, and even in eon day cricket he has 2 gears ..... First or Fifth!

Shocking shot!  England needed that!  Got one end open now ...... 2 or 3 more before stumps please, but the Adnan Akmal played really well in the last match!

I think we're all capable of accessing the BBC sport site should we wish thankyou

Really Nev? You don't seem to be too capable of avoiding a thread that you evidently have little interest in.

Meow.

Lucky boy Misbah.

 :)

Doing well at the moment.Another wicket just before the end would be great.

Real test will be when the batting begins.Surely we are going to improve on the first test!

Ha ha.Ace,wicket for Swann.

Been an enjoyable watch today.

Misbah with 2 sixes in 2 balls again off Panesar, but this time with just 3 mins before stumps!!!!!!

Never will I call him a blocker again!

What's the best way to watch a stream of this? Thanks

http://cricket-structured-settlements.blogspot.com/2011/04/channel-5.html

Not great but not many around.

3rd link on here is decent Boeta

http://livetv.ru/en/eventinfo/103700_pakistan_england/

They might not be the most exciting to watch but once Cook and Trott get in you feel like they could bat for days.

edit: Ha!

Good job there LR. Interesting passage of play now, our next three bats aren't in much form at all.

If they can bat till at least tea tomorrow they should have a lead of plenty!  Though I had a flutter on the draw based on the previews saying the pitch was a road, which is irritating to say the least as it has spun pretty much from the off!

Another match winning knock (of 14) by KP.   ;)

To be fair to KP, he's hardly the only person in the middle order who looks fucking mystified whenever Ajmal comes on to bowl.

Pakistan 2/1.  I am tempted.

Based on the last few overs that lead of 50 is massive and chasing anything 170+ would be a real toughie.

Disappointing to lose 5 wickets, especially after we were 170-1 at one stage, need to somehow surpass Pakistan's 250odd, and attempt to get a lead as big as possible (hopefully somewhere around 100)...1st session is huge tomorrow!

Need one of Belly or Prior to ton up, or both get 50s, and we'll be hard to beat.

Love Morgan but if he's a test match player I am a wagon wheel

Would you drop him DMR? I can't see the alternative right now really, Bopara's had plenty of chances and Taylor hasn't been on much form with the Lions.

Too early to start my "Buttler for England" campaign I suppose.

Yes. He's not good enough to bat long and hang tough. I'd pick Taylor; he's the future.

I've really enjoyed the first couple of days.Hoping we can put some more runs together,wouldn't put any money on it though!

On another note,i've not watched much of the fourth test between the Aussies and India,but every time i've put it on it seems the aussie team are giving the indian batsmen abuse.I just don't get why they have to be so agressive,they have wiped the floor with india,it just seems so unecessary.

Perhaps it's time to bat Broad at four! 66 run lead at lunch, reckon that's very handy at lunch. If we can push that to three figures then we're in the box seat.

Agree,no need for it.

As for England been up early watching Broad and enjoyed it.
A real top all rounder now and plays the way you should against spinners...swinging the bat.

i think david warner has disproved any myths about people being 'one-day' or 'test' players. morgan is early in his career and on a steep learning curve. he will make 10+ test tons in his career

36/3  Monty's tearing through them!

Chase as little as possible I think!

What flavour wagon wheel?

See what happens when to pick the Indian  :D

He's slogged one century against a wastegash attack on home soil.

Thought you knew this game a bit better than to consider that "proven"

There are a lot of question marks over the Aussie batting.  The top 3, Ponting and Hussey all have question marks next to them in addition to the keeper.  The only 1 in the top 6 likely to be there in 2 years is Clarke.  I mean some of them think Shane Watson coming back is going to be the saviour.  I do like some of the quicks they have coming through especially Cummins but they still have no proper spinners.

I think Ponting may have erased his question mark in the last few tests.

Is this a good thing though?  My Aussie mate earlier was banging on about how good is it to see him back in form, but if the Aussies had anyone half decent to take over from him at his age, he should have been finished by now.

Plenty of good young quicks coming through like Starc, Pattinson and Cummins but no real batters.  Marsh is going back to state cricket for the forseeable future.  Warner played one blinding knock but I do fancy him getting sorted out by a half decent quick on a pitch offering a fraction of movement though every now and then he will come up with a corker of a ton because his hand/eye coordination is immense.

They have been banging on about the likes of Henriques and Ferguson for a while but neither has got near the test team as yet, and a lot of Aussies are hoping the return of Shane Watson will save them (I mean has Aussie cricket got to such depths that they are praying for the return of Shane Watson?).

England will win the Ashes next year at a canter.  I wouldnt mind having a few quid on the fact that the only one of the top 7 playing in the current test v India, who will line up in the first Ashes test in 2013 will be Calrke the captain.

Agreed Taylor is a terrific player and moving to Notts will do him the world of good.

Some great young batsmen about like Buttler, Hales or Bairstow.  But it does seem Bopara is the next cab of the rank.

Well bowled Monty.  With trips to Sri Lanka and India to come later in the year, he has the chance to play plenty of test cricket this year!

Great performance by the bowlers,especially Monty.Just need the batsmen to turn up now,going to be tense i think!

Just turned on.  145 is certainly within reach.  Batsman need to keep their heads on a turning pitch.

And just as I post that we lose a wicket!  :doh:

Send Swann in to smack 20-30 and knock this target down a bit. This is not going to be easy at this rate, a lot of nerves in our batsmen.

Ferk, three down and Morgan in. Time to prove yourself son.

Nope.

Double Ferk.  Morgan gone!

Oh.....

The worst part is that we're lucky not to be five down, Strauss should be gone too.

The stage is set for Monty's maiden 50.

I'm still waiting for KP's match winning knock, did I miss it?  ;)

Oh hell.

Ha! And i thought my bet on Pakistan to win the test was at risk!

England have to win the 3rd test to keep their number 1 ranking.

I don't think they will make any changes to the batting line up though for the next game.

I would happily drop Pietersen and Morgan if we had two players good enough to step in and make a difference straight away. Some pretty serious questions are being raised about the validity of Strauss' place in the batting line up as well. Worrying times because other than James Taylor (formerly of Leics, now of Notts), there is no one banging on the door!! Ravi Bopara would be a backward step for me, tried and failed.

Thoughts anyone?

chrish nash of sussex.

Joss Buttler of Somerset?

All good shouts.  I will throw Alex Hales and Samit Patel into the mix.  The second may surprise a few but he is one of the better players of spin in county cricket.

The selectors have been consistant with their picks in recent years.  So Bopara will get first go, I am guessing in Sri Lanka in place of Morgan. 

So I think the batting line up will be unchanged for the third test.

Jos is nowhere near ready and I speak as a huge fan: same sort of issues to Morgan in that he'll get frustrated if he's not scoring. I think he'll get there, but much too early to go for him.

Difficult in the sense that there isn't a clear next cab off the rank: Hildreth took a bit of a step backwards last year. Wouldn't mind seeing Nash of Sussex or Bairstow perhaps, but there really isn't a clear front runner.

Great start by the bowlers.But they have done well in both the previous tests,really up to the batsmen to perform in this one.

Broad is on fire! 18-3!

21-5!!! Come on England! Now we need to finish off the tail and give our batsmen half a chance of securing us a lead!

39-6

92-9 - good bowling performance.

All done for 99, cracking bowling performance, particularly from Broad who is now bowling like people have been telling him to for years.

Now, time for a batsman to make 100. Not happened on either side in the first two games.

Stuart Broad is fucking gun. What a cricketer.

KP gonna go big I can feel it.

Right batsmen, this is either a partial redemption or a new low coming up.  We surely cant screw this up.  Someone has to have a decent innings.

Well, it won't be Cook.

Groan.  :doh:

Trott gone. 12 wickets 20 minutes before Tea in the pitch isn't even that bad!

And it was not out, didn't review. Oops.

Bloody hell.This is going to be all over by tomorrow the way its going.

Lets hope dmr is right about KP making a big score.

This is a very strange game of cricket.

Must be something in the air today .... Even the super Indians are handing it out to the Aussies!  :D

Though the Aussies do have a spin attack of Xavier Doherty (he who played in the first ashes test last winter purely as he was a left arm spinner and the aussies thought he would sort out KP) and Brad Hogg (3 days short of his 41st birthday)!!

I didnt realise Somerset have signed up Chris Gayle for T20 next year ... Well worth a visit .... Love Taunton!

Pietersen looking very handy. Rehman coming on, big moment.

And out to the SLA-er.

No, you don't have a problem Kevin, carry on.

Reviewing...Umpire's call, out. Just.

Cunting bejesus, thats unlucky.

As with most problems, to solve them you have to admit you have a problem in the first place.  KP needs to man up and admit he has a massive technical problem.  As that was only just clipping he will no doubt claim he was a little unlucky, but it has happened so often now that it is way more and the quicker he faces up to it the better it will be!

Bell in now with Morgan to follow ...... Certainly for Morgan a plane ticket to Sri Lanka in the balance!
 
On the upside .... India won :-)

Wish the selectors would grow some balls and drop KP. Sick of him failing every innings.

Bell literally hasn't got a clue what Ajmal is doing...

and stumped.

TMS have just given Bell v Ajmal series stats. 32 balls, 12 runs and 4 wickets. Jesus.

Heres comes Morgan ...... Good job he is in prime form and is reading Ajmal like a childs book! .... Oh hang on a minute!

Bat for your test career Mr Morgan!

Oh ..... A review here!!!

Prior to this series, where it's not like he's the only one, in the six Tests previous, Pietersen's scores were 2, 72, 85, 202*, 1, 29, 63, 63 and 175. That's 692 runs at an average of 86.50...

So in a nutshell. I really wish you would shut the fuck up you clueless prick.

All I can say is that I'm very glad Murali has retired and Sri Lanka's spin bowling department is nothing like the quality of Ajmal and Rehman.

I can see us bouncing back and remaining Test number one for a while to come, simply because the bowling unit is terrific and the batsmen really don't have a problem with anything other than high level spin: and to be honest, Rehman and Ajmal are the only two top notch spin bowlers in the world who don't play for us...perhaps Vettori also but he plays for NZ so no worries there.

Haha ....

All this series proves is that there is no real number 1 cricket team.  I expect a few to share it around for the forseeable future.  I predict England will win in Sri Lanka as they have no real mystery spinner, but they do have a better batting line up than the Pakistanis with Jayawardene, Sangakarra and Dilshan.  Plus I love love the look of new keeper they have got in Chandimal.  So they bowlers will have to work harder for their wickets.

England will beat the West Indies in the summer easy and I think will beat the Saffers too.  But unsurprisingly I do think they will lose to India :-)

Talking of India ..... Does anyone know any flag companies nearby?  I have an India flag but fancy getting STFC stuck on there .... Anywhere that could do it for a reasonable price?

Morgan's second scoring shot is a six. He is good fun if nothing else.

My dodgy box has just gone down   :(  No more live cricket for me for a bit.Probably for the best  :doh:

I feel pissed off for the bowlers.Do all the hard work,blast through the pakistan side,think they can go and take a well earned rest and the batsmen mess it up again.

Glad India finally won a game down under!I wasn't aware of it at all,baby slept from 11.30-6  :)

Morgan plumb lbw on review.

Shocking day for batsmen everywhere, but Taufel's had an absolute stinker as well and he doesn't have many of those. DRS has everyone spooked it seems...

Morgan goes and probably so does his test career!

This series has been a bit bizarre.

Rehman bowls Prior...16 for the day. This is mental.

The pitches are shit. Stupid place to play a test series.

Fact is untill you stand up and swing a bat rather than prodding away to the spinners we will struggle....i remember the days when batsmen got caught out in the deep trying to play aggresive shots,can you remember an England batsmen being caught in the deep in this series :hmmm:

DRS claims its first victim of the day.121-8.

3-0 looming!

So I think if the Saffers win the series in NZ 3-0 then they will take over the number 1 slot!

324 to win for England ... Any takers?

On another subject ..... Yuvraj Singh diagnosed with cancer ... Always shocking in one who is a similar age to me!

No chance. We cant bat for shit.

So, do England have a match winner in the batting line up?   ;)

Wonder if DRS is feeling a KP ton...

Think Morgan might get one though, England batsmen tend to get a ton just in time to avoid being dropped.

In the nick of time is Eoin Morgan playing the innins to book himself a trip to Sri Lanka in March and April?

Don't bring me down to that retards level

eurgh, ian bell

Good time this for Montys first test match 50!

time to move on...

1st one dayers today ..

England win toss and will bat ... Pakistan playing 4 spinners!

Pietersen bowled playing round a straight one and Trott bowled first ball  :no:

Should have been 3, but there is an Akmal behiind the timbers!

At least Trott getting knocked over first ball, spared us the prospect of Cook and Trott going at 2 an over for the next 25, then upping it to 3 during the powerplay!

196-4 Kieswetter in now and 10.5 overs to go.  We need to keep our heads and a total of 280 ish will hopefully be enough with Pakistan batting under lights.

Do well to scramble to 250 here!

good grief the umpire is guessing at a lot of things in this ODI

Great innings by KP today, shame he got out with 2 needed but he won us the game.