TOPIC:

Warner's poor form at the top of the order has become a real concern as Broad has well and truly got his number at the moment.
As it stands at the minute neither of our openers have even reached double figures in any of their 3 Innings in the series to date!

Love your optimism Senior....if Aust get 300 in front that will be game over....reckon will either get rolled for 200.....or be ahead by about 50 odd.....time will tell

The worry is that it all depends on Smith really. If he has a rare failure we will probably struggle to get to their score and then be hoping for the rain to save us. If the forecast is correct it looks like there will be more time out of the game today and we will only get the pre lunch session with the rain setting in after that. Saturday and Sunday look better with almost no rain predicted.

If that being the case mikeh....think Aust will be stoked getting to lunch 2 or 3 down....ideally would be great if Uzzie and Bancroft can knock as much shine of the new ball before Smith comes into bat.....time for both Uzzie and Bancroft to step up and deliver....

Again a demonstration of how brittle the Australian line up is other than Smith. Yes the batting conditions were tough but Smith found a way and credit also to Wade for gutsing it out. Hope he gets his reward when the batting conditions are better either later today or tommorrow. Uzzie continues to frustrate with his pretty little 30s and 40s and Bancroft's only upside at the moment is his fielding so some problems for the top order at the moment. Harris may get a go if this continues.

I suspect the weather will have the final say, Mike, but I think England is best placed to win this Test (barring another Smith century).
Warner is very much Broad's bunny at the moment, though Bancroft hasn't done much better (the pair has a collective 41 runs in six innings).
If either or both fail in the second innings, Harris surely has to come in for the Headingley Test.

You are not going to win many Tests let alone series with your openers scoring a combined 41 runs from 6 innings Arch.
Harris will have to come in for Headingly as Bancroft just looks like he is going to lose his wicket every ball and doesnt look like scoring runs to take the heat off the batsmen at the other end.

The way Archer is bowing at the moment I can see this turning into a bit of a bumper war. If thats the case then play Starc, Cummins and Pattinson in the next test and give it back to them.

Sidds double breakthrough. Well deserved. Come on Aussie Come on come on ...........

Sickening blow to Smith last night, lets just hope that doesnt effect his confidence at the crease ongoing.