even Glenn McGrath has sais the aussies havent even bowled well, yet we are 6 down before tea on the first day.

You lot should listen to me !

If Michael Vaughan would have bowled today i'll eat my trainers.

If the crux of your argument is based on some wild hypothetical guess from Michael Vaughan then we don't really need to go on.

Err a lot of these idiots reside on the bunker !

the crux of my argument is that are 6 down yet have about 120 runs in boundries.

Just read somewhere saying that we have hit more boundries than we did in the T20.

Yes its careless batting, but its also swinging and we have the bowlers to thrive on it.

Hopefully the pitch crumbles badly on day 4, otherwise we are in trouble.

The card at tea looks awful.

Like MadJohn says, it appears to be sloppiness, both with batting and the toss.

We are not as good as some people think we are, and the Aussies not as bad- this will be a close series

Please give it a rest.

They always planned to bat first if they had won the toss.

Dominic Cork was on Talksport this morning from the ground, and he said that he would have batted until he saw the cloud cover, and so would have changed to bowling first.

His argument was that our bowlers would have taken wickets, against the weak aussie batting, whereas batting might have given them a chance.

Seems he was right.

Close of play score?

Anyone?

I am going for 289 for 7.

Broad is going to be out soon. The silly boy.

Stop it. I nearly come there.

That wasnt particularly hard to predict

aye spot on there blondie

beyond a joke now.

I bet the aussies are pissing themselves

its almost funny.

All out for 225
Bowlers try too hard Aussies 45-0 when bad light stops play

thats a fantastic prediction at 213 for 9.

By your theory though we should get them 5 or 6 down by the close of play so all is not lost

I told you 3 days ago our batting was fragile and this would be close. We have now given the Aussies momentum..... This could be a long summer !

On the plus side I haven't seen too much from this Aussie attack that worries me, as stupid as it may sound.

Why are we always so bad in the First Test though?

hey we might.

Doesnt work like that though does it usually.

Momentum well and truly lost, or handed to the aussies.

Hopefully Anderson can turn it round.

Had we bowled first though we would be batting now.....and be 50 up.

It can only be complacent and unprofessional attitudes. Starts with flower and Cook though.

Poor batting performance but a really good time to bowl now.

30 overs in conditions Jimmy Anderson would hand pick to bowl in.

Lets hope so. He would have paid to bowl this morning.

England's batting is hardly fragile to be fair it was just a sub standard performance. It happens. Cook, Trott, KP, Bell and Prior would get in most other teams in the World and Root and Bairstow have huge potential.

We'll see how the Aussies go.

The toss is not about the first innings on a dry pitch it's about the last, it will turn, we have Swann they have a young kid.

We should have bowled first

Aussie 2 /19 ... Aussie not a strong Mr dopeydicker thinks.. You're not singing anymore!

I can't believe they haven't learnt one thing from our betting earlier today. Bizarre

Cowans shot was appalling first ball, but then so was Clarke's! He was lucky to survive that.

I'd love us to get at Hughes and Smith tonight, neither will last against a swinging ball.

Booooooommmmm!!!

What a ball.

Clarke gone for 0... Looking better this could be a short test..

Double Negative, now this IS a fragile batting line up!

I think some of you need to apologise to Dibble.

Anderson actually could have bowled better here, one absolute pearler aside his lengths have been too short. Smith has no technique against a moving ball pitch it up on or just outside off stump and he'll knick one.

Agreed, we need to get at LEAST one more tonight so we can think about getting into their tail around lunch tomorrow

We are bowling poorly at Smith feeding his only strength.

Asking for trouble though getting that far across to negate the swing, the straight ball is a threat.

I have to say, it's really funny joining in at such a late stage when people have already decided the outcome based on three quarters of the first day. Another 14 overs at these in diminishing light might leave us a very tasty position.

Play finishes in 17 minutes and the floodlights are on

I thought it was umpires call as soon as it hit so was very pleased when he eventually raised his finger.

Nothing fortunate for me though. the ball would have hit the wickets had it not hit his pad so the right decision for all

The bastads ((c)ADG) It'll bloody rain next....

Any kind of lead will do me tomorrow, they can bat further down than us.

Then hopefully 350 in the next innings will set us up for victory

I can't see them getting a runaway lead and maybe the new ball will send them back for maybe 180. I can't see it going five days from here like.

80 overs bowled today.

That works out at almost a pound per over for the spectators.

If they bat until the new ball (about another 60 overs) they'll have a damn site more than 180, we'd be about 100 behind at least.

Oh ye of little faith....

I'm pretty confident they don't have the skill to bat another 60 overs but if they did it will almost certainly mean a couple of Smith, Hughes or Haddin have got runs.

None if those would bat that amount of time in adding a 100 runs, they all aggressive players. Around 4 an over is 240 putting us in trouble.

The morning session, or even the first hour, could decide the match if we bowl anything like.

215 looked awful but I'd say we are more than back in it thanks to the seamers. Losing broad was a loss and hopefully he's back today because Swann wasn't getting much out of the pitch. Can't see them getting a large lead if any to be honest. Can see it 20-30 either way then its down to our batsmen who in recent years have proved more than capable in numerous tough spots. 350 would be a very good lead to have but 300 probably would suffice. Can see Swann getting alot of turn come the end of day 3 and into day 4. Winning the toss could for that reason prove crucial