*Official* Third Test (Headingley, Leeds) 6–10 July

[Bahnz]

The game really starts here. Root needs to make 50+ or I could see England falling over in a heap.

 

[ataraxia]

It was actually a ploy to fool Root into thinking he's batting 4 when he's basically batting 3

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Two wickets in the first 45 minutes.

No more please.

Only 1 and a half batsmen out though

 

[mackembhoy]

Just bizarre. Weirdest number 3 promotion since Flemo sent Kyle Mills into face Steyn and Ntini in 06.

He was a top 3 batsman before he played for England. Imagine most of his FC runs come from top 3 batting for Worcs.

Brook is never a 3 looked like a rabbit in the headlights in the first innings.

I get the decision was harsh making Brook bat 3 to be honest.

That is ridiculous from Root mind.

 

[White Ball]

Straya right back in this

 

[Burgey]

So ends the Moeen-at-three experiment.

TBF he looked better than Brook

 

[TimAngas]

Only 1 and a half batsmen out though

1 less batting partner before Stokes is left stranded.

 

[CartyDurham]

Hope the England bowlers take note for the next match, that bowling at the stumps and not ten foot over them, is a method to get batsmen out

 

[Flem274*]

Half the game is in now but the bonus runs are 27* and counting.

 

[RightArmMystery]

He was a top 3 batsman before he played for England. Imagine most of his FC runs come from top 3 batting for Worcs.

Brook is never a 3 looked like a rabbit in the headlights in the first innings.

I get the decision was harsh making Brook bat 3 to be honest.

That is ridiculous from Root mind.

Bloke averages about 15 in his last 4 years of Test cricket. He’s a hack, promoting him way dumber than just sending Brook out.

 

[KungFu_Kallis]

Lol... the sucker ball works every time... it's like a big carrot

 

[halba]

From the Australian selectors: Fast bowler Michael Neser has been released from the Australian squad to play County Cricket for Glamorgan against Leicestershire at Sophia Gardens this week. Neser will rejoin the squad ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.

He's pretty much assured of a place for the 4th test imo, given the likely loss here. He should've played this test

 

[quincywagstaff]

That wild shot first ball and then risky second run suggest Root is in a jittery, nervous mindset.

 

[straw man]

England play enough tests that this will actually serve as a decent experiment to see if you can brute force someone to a decent test record through very regular exposure the way you can in FC.

FC sides often have relatively talented guys who nonetheless aren't good enough in them for ages because they have less options than an international side, and those guys through enough brute force exposure can cobble together some results.

England are basically doing that with Crawley. Bro is gonna leave with 70 tests, two or three double tons and an average of 27.

Will finally answer the age-old question "What if Martin Guptill had played 70 tests?"

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Harry "coward" Brook

 

[Calm_profit]

Root is Cummins bunny,he got him out 10 times

 

[Burgey]

Gee there's been a lot of balls mistimed today by everyone so far. Crawley for all his faults usually times them cleanly but a stack of shots I'd expect to rifle across the ground have been run down

 

[_Ed_]

Will finally answer the age-old question "What if Martin Guptill had played 70 tests?"

I'll always blindly believe that Gup could have averaged 40-odd at number five, and no one can definitively prove me wrong.

 

[halba]

really need 2 quick wickets here. boland?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Will finally answer the age-old question "What if Martin Guptill had played 70 tests?"

He still managed to have a long enough career to play 47 tests for NZ which is about the same as playing 100 for England.