England v Pakistan Test series

[Newportnobby]

For those like me who are tight as a duck's bottom careful with their money and have to watch highlights on the Beeb please note Thursday highlights are on BBC4.
I believe this is due to the sleep inducing sport(?) called snooker being on BBC2

[Newportnobby]

At the end of the 1st test Michael Vaughan made a comment saying he'd never seen James Anderson look so old. Did that have any effect on Anderson?
You bet it did. He was throwing himself around like a spring chicken yesterday

[port perran]

So....off we go again.
At least it appears that we should get a reasonable amount of play over the five days (fingers crossed).
Probably a tad breezy today though so maybe the lignite bails will be in action.
And at least the ECB have shown some flexibility in allowing for earlier starts if time is lost due to inclement weather so the old fuddy duddies are moving, slowly, in the right direction.
I predict a close encounter but England to win it, just.

[Philip.]

I'm staggered it's taken so long to realise earlier starts may help, but yes a step in the right direction. If ball visibilty is the problem why don't they play with a white ball in Test Cricket? Develop one that behaves like the traditional red ball, it can't be that hard, can it?

If we have to move away from white kit to compensate for the white ball then why not, Cricket needs dragging in to the 21st Century. For too long it's been run by the "old fuddy duddies" as @port perran  said.

I'm sure the Windies would love their pink 70s World Series kit back 

[Newportnobby]

Being an old traditionalist I'm all for wearing whites in test matches.
By all means play in pyjamas for everything else.
I still maintain they'll plump for a pink ball for all cricket sooner or later

[Philip.]

Excellent from England today [well, Crawley and Buttler], should be able to push on tomorrow and get up to 500.

[crewearpley40]

Wonderful batting crawley buttler. 7th highest 5th wicket partnership for england

[port perran]

Yep, great batting from Crawley and Buttler.
I guess the aim is to push on to 500 plus to put the game well and truly beyond Pakistan who looked, towards the end, that they had had enough today and just wanted to get off the field.

[Newportnobby]

At last the England batsmen roll their sleeves up and get stuck in (well, 2 of them did).
Great to see Crawley get his first century for his country.

[Newportnobby]

Wowser! Super performances from Crawley and Buttler (soft dismissal though). Poor old Pakistan had no solution and had lost 3 wickets before they could think straight. Imagine facing 2 seamers each with over 500 wickets. I hope Anderson can hit his 600 in this test

[Philip.]

Jimmy stuck two fingers up to everyone who was writing him off a week ago, superb spell of bowling. Jofra looked quick today too. Not sure about the timing of the declaration, should've done it 30-45 minutes earlier.

[Philip.]

It was a nice touch from the Pakistan players to all congratulate Zak Crawley on his innings. 

[crewearpley40]

Wonderful innings. And anderson bowled immaculately .

[Philip.]

I hope the weather gods play ball today and Jimmy gets the 2 wickets he needs for 600.

After those 3 dropped catches off his bowling yesterday, that was the closest I've seen someone come to self combusting 

Well played Azhar Ali too, a fine innings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cricket/53884251

[port perran]

Jimmy did well to control himself yesterday. He must have been incredibly frustrated.
And I agree, a wonderful innings by Ali.
Hopefully today allows time for Jimmy to get his 600 wickets and for England to get all ten.
Tuesday looks to be a complete wash out.