[Cricket] 3rd Investec Test: England v Pakistan at Edgbaston, Aug 3-7, 2016

[Titanic]

Tea, day four

England 262-4 (89 overs), leading by 159

Ballance 21*(44) Bairstow 2*(16)

36 overs remaining in the day.

Crucial session ahead.

 

[Triggaaar]

Pakistan batsmen showing exactrly hiow to do it when undser pressure. In a similar situation we would probably be about 7 or 8 wickets down.

I guess not.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think another 100 runs could swing it our way.

 

[Mackenzie]

Tea, day four

England 262-4 (89 overs), leading by 159

Ballance 21*(44) Bairstow 2*(16)

36 overs remaining in the day.

Crucial session ahead.

It is going to be a tremendous last day. In some ways it'll be better if we're bowled out 240ish ahead, it'll take the declaration decision off of (cautious) Cook.

 

[BensGrandad]

Cook wouldn declare until it was virtually impossible for them to get the runs and thus not leave long enough to bowl them out.

 

[Triggaaar]

It is going to be a tremendous last day. In some ways it'll be better if we're bowled out 240ish ahead, it'll take the declaration decision off of (cautious) Cook.

Who does the draw suit the most? Who's most likely to win at the Oval?

 

[BensGrandad]

I would think that the odds are against us winning this test at the moment and it is heading towards a draw but who knows what will happen after tea. A good session for either team could change this dramatically.

 

[Mackenzie]

Who does the draw suit the most? Who's most likely to win at the Oval?

Good question, I don't know.

 

[Triggaaar]

Good question, I don't know.

If England are confident of winning there, they might just think of playing a little safe here. Don't want to lose and throw away the chance of wining the series.

But saying that - do the 4 tests stand alone, or are they lumped in with the ODIs and T20 game?

 

[Titanic]

Ballance gone... caught round the corner, flicking rather than sweeping

GS Ballance c Asad Shafiq b Yasir Shah 28 (70b 4x4 0x6) SR: 40.00

England 282-5 (97.3 overs), leading by 179... 27.3 overs remaining in the day.

 

[BensGrandad]

5.30 and England still in bat but with not as big a lead as I had hoped. Would have liked 30-40 more edging towards a draw now I feel.

 

[Titanic]

50 partnership Bairstow and Ali, scoring at 4+ and over

Current partnership 50 runs, 11.3 overs, RR: 4.34 (Ali 17, Bairstow 32)

England 332-5 (109 overs), leading by 229 with 16 overs remaining today.

A win for either side will need something special from the bowlers... a flurry of wickets for either side coud make it an interesting finish.

 

[Titanic]

Jonny Bairstow 50* (83 balls, 5 fours)

 

[Titanic]

Cook wouldn declare until it was virtually impossible for them to get the runs and thus not leave long enough to bowl them out.

Are you suggesting he should declare when they have a decent chance of getting the runs?

England have show how easy it is to bat on this wicket... scoring 345-5 and counting in this 3rd innings.

The best chance of an exciting finish is Pakistan getting several wickets in the last 45 minutes this evening.

 

[BensGrandad]

Are you suggesting he should declare when they have a decent chance of getting the runs?

England have show how easy it is to bat on this wicket... scoring 345-5 and counting in this 3rd innings.

No I would like us to move on this evening and leave a total of 300 + to get and then start in the morning and see how it goes and hopefully have an hour at them before lunch to take a couple of wickets. He will probably keep going until about 2..30 or later

 

[Triggaaar]

You've all wet yourselves about how exciting this proper test cricket is, but the pitch is just too flat and it's going to be another bore draw. The only thing that gave us hope of a result was a poor performance by our batsmen on day one, but that's not enough to make a result.

 

[Titanic]

No I would like us to move on this evening and leave a total of 300 + to get and then start in the morning and see how it goes and hopefully have an hour at them before lunch to take a couple of wickets. He will probably keep going until about 2..30 or later

England are piling on the runs... 61 from the last 10 overs.

If we can carry that on this evening and early tomorrow morning, you will get your wish... and England will have an outside chance of bowling Pakistan out in 75-80 overs or so.

 

[Titanic]

100 partnership for Bairstow and Ali from 117 balls

Current partnership 100 runs, 19.3 overs, RR: 5.12 (Ali 44, Bairstow 55)

England 382-5, leading by 279

 

[dazzer6666]

England are piling on the runs... 61 from the last 10 overs.

If we can carry that on this evening and early tomorrow morning, you will get your wish... and England will have an outside chance of bowling Pakistan out in 75-80 overs or so.

Excellent from England in the last hour or so. Bat an hour or so tomorrow morning and then in with a shout of pushing for a win with no chance of losing (in reality already pretty safe)

 

[Titanic]

England 388-5, leading by 285

Pakistan will now need a record Edgbaston chase... the current highest 283 by South Africa in 2008