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Boycott and Vaughan both have Bresnan in for Finn at Lord's but then they're Yorkshire so would say that. I'd stick with Finn in the side, but pick Bresnan ahead of Bairstow.

Australia have got this in the bag, no chance of a wicket before tea.

Ton up Pattinson :clap::clap:

I think England will just keep doing what they're doing and be bowled out around lunchtime so declaration a moot point. However, as a rule whenever you think England should declare add a session and that's when they will declare.

Hopefully Agar can reach his century tomorrow morning.

Ian Bell, before this match, Eng vs Aus in England - very ordinary reading; 8 matches, 311 runs, Avg 20.73, H.S 72 at the Oval, 0 100s, 4 50s.

Lead now goes over 250. At this juncture England 3/10, Aussies 7/2. Australia will be desperate for a wicket before the close.

I had a 4 o'clock meeting and left the cricket with England 226/6 and still in a spot of bother. My meeting ends at 5.15, I click the Cricinfo tab with baited breath, half-expecting 250ao and to my amazement see the Desktop score bar showing 301/6 - marvellous scenes!! I just hope Bell doesn't...

Well clearly I wouldn't settle for that with a lead of 242 and 4 wickets still to go, but I think Australia will struggle to get 250+, so I think we've almost done enough. In terms of psychology, if Bell can reach his ton tonight that would be a blow struck for England. I think Australia would...

Not walking. Hmmm. I don't have much of a problem with not walking now that every side has 2 challenges. The moral of the story is don't spunk your challenges away like Australia have done, because 2 blown challenges is likely to cost you at least one wicket. And anyway, who's to say Broad...

Because: 1) Australia's batting isn't good (as they showed in the 1st innings - Agar won't get 98 again) 2) The pitch on Day 4 and 5 will assist Swann and it will keep low. Statistically, teams don't win tests in England chasing more than 250 in the 4th innings.

I love looking at the odds. Bell's boundary kicks the lead over 100, now the Aussies at evens, England 10/11.

I think England will get exactly another 100 runs, all out 257, so a lead of 192. I think Agar will come in on 191-9 and be out for a duck. England win by 1 run.

So at lunch we're effectively 92/4 and the bookies have us and the Aussies dead level, both at odds of 20/21. This is so close where every run starts to become ever more valuable. From this position I think the Aussies would definitely take a chase of 200, and I think we'd take 250 to defend...

Ian Bell's test stats put him up there with some of England's greatest ever batsmen. Yet I rarely get that air of confidence with him that he'll play a knock that could turn the match England's way. Great players play memorable innings at key times. This really is his opportunity to shape the...

Whilst the controversy rages on England have just batted through that session and turned the deficit into a 15-run lead. A crucial session. If even 1 wicket had fallen the Aussies would have felt they were on top. Superb discipline, especially from KP who reined in his normal game when he...

Interesting stat. Pietersen is 7 runs behind Cook. If he manages to overtake him by 31 runs then both players will have scored the identical number of runs in test cricket and have an identical test average.

Moving on, this really is a very important partnership. England's two best batsmen. They need to wipe out this lead, and one of them needs to anchor this innings with a ton. We need to post a score of 300, we have plenty of time so we need to do this 'old school', i.e. see off the new ball...

Or take him off and bowl Broad?

I totally disagree. Matt Prior is already a 6th batsman without having to play Bairstow, and Broad, Bresnan and Swann are pretty decent 7, 8 and 9. In fact you can argue that Broad and Swann are much more capable of delivering more runs that they actually do. I think Broad at 7 will deliver...