lyon to open at the other end

siddle to open the bowling

Pattinson surely has his tail up rearing to go though

better later than never declaring 400 in front 7 overs to bowl tonight assuming lights allow it!

Not often I cheer for Australia by cheering for the opposition bowlers ...

If we don't declare by 350 it's very poor captaincy

18 overs left in the day
2 overs for bowling change and you usually lose overs from light

Come on oz attack

Ugh what are these 2 doing? Playing to stumps?

This is very poor from Australia with rain  forecast. Need more intent. 15 runs in a hurry all out or declare

Really need a move on here. This is poor intent from oz with rain forecast for tomorrow

England do Australia a favor by bowling Paine

Tell the tail to swing the bat and get a 10 to 20 runs then bowl at england

Rain forecast tomorrow

Have for get out swinging in the next 3 to 4 overs

No runs off the last 10 balls from stokes. Frustration for oz

Wade out chasing runs
Unselfish play
Australia probably want 30 as quickly as they can get here

Poor match awareness from Paine allowing a maiden

Technique can mean 2 things

1. Playing textbook mcc style
2. Having a strategy, mcc or otherwise, that negates the bowlers assets and implementing it

Smith and bradman were poor at the first and outstanding at the second. I think the 2nd is how we should define technique

We can get 40 off4 overs if we are aggressive enough
Then declare

Technique is only so much. Smith has one of the worst techniques in the game but also the best player in the world by some way. 

Wonder if Woakes is injured too. Only bowled 13 overs and had one 7 over spell today

These Tassie boys are really smacking England around the ground. 

Wade makes a ton! 

He has made a huge number of runs in domestic cricket,  but the Aus selectors refused to select him. 

Wade gets his 100!

Cracking ton!

Time for some t20 batting

Ironically the worst thing that can happen for England now is if they bowl Australia out in a collapse for 330.

Best thing is Australia try and bat to stumps so they might hope for that

Husain has deconstructed Wade’s technique where his head falls to one side. 

Conversely, many pundits, including Alan Border, have lauded Paine’s good technique, yet Wade has achieved more success as a batter. 

Paine's gone 6 and then 4 after the break

We will have 3 specialist pacemen and Lyon

Head and Smith probably are as good as root and denly and they will only need to bowl a couple of overs. 330 would be unbelievable on this pitch

They took all the luck in the world to get it on a day 2 pitch

Its a hard one to gauge. Pitch doing little but apparently day 4 is best place to bat on this ground. Approx 30 overs remaining I say bat 15 or them. If they can score around 5 thats a lead of over 330. Then give them 15 or so overs to face before stumps and hopefully get 2/3 wickets in that time. Egbaston is Englands Gabba. Them not winning is huge for the series and Id rather go a few too many and draw than go a few less and have them counter punch to a win. Theyve certainly got the batsman to just go for it. Some talk of showers though around so the above would have to factor that in and reduce it estimate.

It has been a tremendous fight back. 

England are a pleasure to watch as they expend enormous amounts of energy chasing the six stitcher! 

I’ve always worried about Patto’s stamina, but he slowed down to 130-135kph at the end of the innings. 

At that pace I’d prefer Starc and to keep surprise packet, Siddle, who bowls at the same pace,  in the team. 

Patto was potent early, but faded. 

Will we see t20 wade after he gets a ton (if he gets there)

Rivals Maxwell in his slogging abilities

Slogging is an ability and part of the full skill set of cricket. Not everyone can do it and its underrated by purists

But 60 off 30 early in the second session takes the draw out of the equation

Australia win 2 sessions and probably the match if rain or a miraculous batting performance doesn't save England

What a start to the ashes campaign for Australia!

Excellent innings from Smith .

 Two centuries make it a very good match for him, with both played under pressure.