Broad is bowling superbly, as he did in both innings at Durham. I can't remember too many times in his career he has bowled as well as this, deserves a wicket.

I can't imagine too many bowlers have ever had such a hold over Michael Clarke like Broad currently has. Just the small matter of getting him now!

Well done Jimmy, can't help but feel Broady set that up though

Shocking catch by Cook.

Still, depsite the drop a much better session. Evens now.

You are not worth replying to.

I'd block you but you're funny not intentionally obviously just in how clueless and often wrong you are. The amount of times you've got excited when you thought England were going to lose and started saying I told you so is this thread is hilarious.

I don't agree with changing the balance of the team when it's been succesful. I don't think Woakes bowling less than 80 miles an hour is anywhere near a first change test bowler either.

As for Bairstow he's had an average series up to now but to turn up and see the first flat batsmans wicket of the series and drop him seems harsh, Watson had scored about the same amount of runs as him in the series until today. I don't see the point in sticking with someone for four tests them dropping him when you're winning.

Apart from a couple of overs when Watson went at him I don't think Woakes has been too shoddy.

I wouldn't give that Kerrigan the ball again for the duration of the match mind

it'd be funny if he got a hatrick now like.

Woakes for bairstow I can almost understand, gives more depth to the bowling and bairstow shite with the bat anyway

But playing Kerrigan is like playing with ten men, and exposing woakes who is not a first change seamer

For all people slag Watson off his record this series compares well with root, ie mainly failures and one big knock papering over that

But no-one has said Root has had a good series so what's your point?

That Watson has been labelled a clown and a walking wicket, while root has been seen as off limits for criticism

Root should be batting at 6 for now, that much is obvious

There's one key difference between the two though, isn't there?

I don't think it's fair to judge Kerrigans bowling on today he looks an absolute bag of nerves.

Totally agree.

I agree root is a good player and the long term option for England- but he doesn't look ready yet, and against Australia you should play your strongest team
Putting him at 6 lets him experience test cricket and keeps him out if the firing line while he develops

Temperament is key in test cricket- agree he shouldn't be written off, but he needs to sort it and soon

Oi! Tripledecker, in case it escaped your attention, we've already won this series and therefore we can experiment a bit whilst losing nothing. Unless of course you are of the persuation that thinks if we don't crush everyone all the time we are shite.

The series is in the bag, what's your problem? It's a perfect situation to bring players on. We don't have to win, although it would be good for the crowd.

well this match is dead on its feet in terms of an England win.

Watson AND Smith get tons.

Terrible bowling selection. Infact quite bizarre.

at least weve got Haddin now.

Trott as well.

utter shite again today.
next series only a few months away and we give Watson and Smith all the confidence they need.

lets hope we can bat out a draw but I doubt it...lets be honest this series has been a lot closer than 3-0 anyway

Over under on Root is around 14 1/2 runs is my bet

This bloke is representative of where this game will finish as there's a complete lack of a ray of sunshine.

Anyway, returning to 'clicky ba' (anyone remember The Wolf Of Kabul in The Rover?) if we can keep Cook and Root in tonight, it'll peter out into a draw.

We didn't give them anything they both played well.

People are going to play well, we are playing Australia not Bangladesh. It doesn't matter 'close' it's been England are up 3-0 and only one test has been genuinely close enough to have gone either way.

1 either way and one saved by the weather

I see root is scratching around, not looking like scoring....exactly what Compton was eventually dropped altogether for!

3-0.

all back and forth and exaggeration aside PJ--I think its a dangerous game to just look at the score and say we are 3-0 up we are doing everything right nothing to worry about....you should always be looking to analyse and improve.

Cook, Trott, and Prior are proven class players they won't stay out of form forever. Root and Bairstow have had quiet series but have lots potential, Root I have no doubt will open for a long time for England.

Someone who wasn't painfully negative to an extent that you think he's on the wind up, not all there, Australian or all of the above might say that the fact we can be 3-0 up in an Ashes with only one really 'in form' batsman is a positive as when the batters click we'll fucking mully them.

root playing well today to be fair

It was the last command that ever passed his lips. The foliage of a nearby tree rustled and a strange object flashed down. It landed with a thud on the soldier's helmet and even his steel helmet failed to protect his skull.
The object which had hurtled down was a c ricket bat, much battered and ominously stained. The blade was split and bound in places with lengths of brass wire.
'Ho! I crack skulls!' howled a terrible voice. 'Tremble, little men who serve He-of-the-Chin! The Shadow of the Wolf falls upon you.

(smileys allowed!)

not a lot of people know this.

If Cook gets out to a left hander bowler he will top the charts for test dismissals against left armers.

If Pieterson gets a ton, he will top the ton chars for the Oval in tests.

I am here all week.

or you could read the live bbc ashes page .......like me.

how come important threads like this need to be bumped up?

I see the weather forecast for tomorrow is pretty depressing.

unless we get skittled today like............bump

What's this 40 overs thing at Chester le street on Monday? I might go to that.

Cook gone and Englands run rate is quite poor yet again.

We are sleep walkng to the end of the series on autopilot.

Conkering fully. I reckon the Aussies winning this test will boost interest in the series Down Under, thus increasing ticket sales etc... Or am I just an old cycnic?

I would be shocked if the Aussies won this Test and tickets for the winter are already like gold dust!

I agree.

Especially with the weather forecast.

But our run rate is still turgid.

The Aussies weren't stupid enough to wait until they got pummelled in these Ashes before they sold the tickets for the winter so that's not an issue.

Should be a better series, the Aussies are ending the series with a better top 5 than they started with and with Pattinson back to partner Harris they'll be stronger in attack. Just need our top boys to turn up this time

Cooks had a shocker, yet we are 3-0 up.

It would have been more if Compton was in opening rather that useless Root.

Cook was due a bad run of form, I don't remember him having one previously? Not remotely concerned.

Same goes with KP, Trott and Prior.

4 of our best players haven't needed to turn up and we've still coasted through.

Cant believe Root has just got out like that. I can sense Tripledeckers laptop being turned on.

Test cricket at its worst now this.

At least the rain tomorrow will stop the boredom.

It's Test cricket why the obsession with run rates?

Clarke is partly responsible as well they are bowling very negative lines to both batsman really and the field to Trott can hardly be described as attacking they are trying to dry up the runs with fielders in his scoring areas and make the batsman do something daft, England are 3-0 up and don't need to. The Aussies haven't won a test this year and they aren't forcing the game. Lyon is trying to bore KP out, plus he's not even a real Lion. England will take a draw and a 3-0 win.

At least he got a few runs, important thing is we fucked off jonny 'village' bairstow

Could have been 4 if they gave tremlett a go instead of bottle boy Kerrigan

He had a bad one before the 2011 ashes, there were even calls for him to be dropped before he got a ton late in the summer
Not from me of course I always knew he had class and hate knee jerk reactions

Shane Warne has been an absolute bitter cock lately it's hilarious. He's having a dig about England's scoring rate today yet has just said Nathan Lyon was 'outstanding' today. He bowled 26 overs around the wicket, which is as negative as blocking. He's basically taking bowled and LBW out if the equation and just trying to bore Engksnd into playing a rash shot.

Outstanding Shane.

Woakes for bairstow has at least strengthened the batting

You can tell the cricket summer is drawing to a close

I liked Warne's criticism of bringing Bresnan back on at Durham on Day 4, a spell which along with Broad's changed the game.

I'm struggling with the criticsm of England from yesterday and pretty pleased with how we played. I'd have liked another 50 runs but it's not the end of the world