I Just bought two Headingley Ashes tickets for day 4 in the West stand.

Boo yar!

If Freddie and KP perform then we wil win it I feel, my only real concern is the lack of form KP seems to be at present, hopefully he is saving it all up for the Ashes.

Ockers win the toss and we'll bat.

Monty makes the team, very lucky given his form, Oz leave out Stuart Clark, Hilfenhaus and Hauritz in.

Eng: AJ Strauss*, AN Cook, RS Bopara, KP Pietersen, PD Collingwood, MJ Prior†, A Flintoff, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, JM Anderson, MS Panesar

Aus: PJ Hughes, SM Katich, RT Ponting*, MEK Hussey, MJ Clarke, MJ North, BJ Haddin†, MG Johnson, NM Hauritz, BW Hilfenhaus, PM Siddle

Is anyone watching this online?

I can't believe Clark is not playing, nearest thing they have to McGrath.

Yep.

How?

If it isn't Skyplayer, it isn't being discussed on here.

Try Cricinfo's 3D animation on their website - virtually live, looks like it's based on either the EA Cricket or Brian Lara graphics engines.

What a ca cth from Hussery to get rid of Cook. England 21-1 must say though im not that worried Johnson was rubbish they replaced him with Siddle already. A soft dismissal of Cook that hit the ball or leave it man lol

A real test of Bopara's metal this is. Been hit a couple of times, an edge, big pressure on the lad. Is he up to it?

They were always going to target him, they will try and break him any way they can.

showing a lot of grit and determination looks like he wants too battle through this early presure and doing a good job. Siddle has settled into a good rythm now bowling well. Can johnson bowl all day please?? not bowling well at all bad seam position no movement and with the lack of pace doesnt look a threat at all

Moving along quite nicely now 63-1 Strauss looks i8n very good form 1nce again

Johnson gets Strauss. Oggy, will you stop making comments about how poor he and other Aussies are, please? Thanks in advance.

Bloody jinxed him :@ and so you dont think Johnson has been poor this morning??

2 mins later






And how well the England batsman is going

A huge period coming up now, half an hour before lunch and half an hour just after.

We can't afford to lose any more wickets at this stage.

Just to balance things up, Bopara looks as if he could get out at any time.

He's not bowled at his best. But for f*ck's sake, being so bloody upfront about it and saying things like "please can he bowl all day" is just asking for it to all go wrong. Just be a bit more conservative in your judgments, that's all.




I've got to say I didn't think there was too much wrong with Cook's shot, either. It took a superb catch to get him, the idea was there, the luck wasn't.

And, as I type, guess who's just taken another wicket?

Ahem.

Wait 'til Hauritz comes on. He'll knock this lot over.

KP won't last unitl lunch.

Swings the balance of the session back in Australia's favour IMO - two down at lunch would have been pretty even, but with England's wobbly middle order another wicket either side of lunch could be fatal.

Good ball not picked at all by Bopara i would give Austrilia the session now. Lot of work for Colly too do now hasnt been in the best of form needs to turn it round a lot rest on Pieterson now

Last over before lunch I'd be peppering Pietersen with bouncers and two men back on the hook, test his ego.