its a game of fine margins. If head survives another 3 overs we probably make 400 with anderson injured. Head gets out and we'll be lucky to make 150

still we have a delicious attack. Lets hope they fire!

6th stump line, long hop - stokes at 85mph - Smudger says I will pulll it - from 6th stump - 4 any day of the week - freak. Just a freak.

He plays tennis - not cricket...

154-8

well we will have something to bowl out, but not much! The lack of Anderson and the talent of our bowling line up gives us a chance

who knows, we might get another 50 as well

I have been watching the match. Enthralling stuff for a purist like moir. Coupla of our blokes threw away their wickets. Others looked all at sea against the movement. England has bowled excellent areas and let the Dukes do its thing. How many LBWs has there been? More seam than swing today despite the overcast. Smith the magician ensuring our bowlers have something to target.

Smith has been magnificent. Someone needs to bat with him, though.

Only Siddle and Lyon left. Then we need something from Cummins and Pattinson to also have their top order in disarray by stumps..

Steve Smith is just so unorthodox, I think he stuffs up the bowlers technical mindset.

The bowlers have to aim for stumps with a leg side field. But they keep trying orthodox fields to him, when he is an unorthodox batsman.

I;ve said this for years...

Dont try to nick him off. Cramp him.

England missing a lfm here....

Sids has put Aus in the game. With the bat...

222-9 so far

defendable score batting last, especially if we get another 30 odd

reckon if head lasts 4 more overs we make 500 with anderson injured

bowling has really deteriorated

big boos for steve smiths 100!

What an innings in the circumstances!

Australia at 9-233. Its not a terrible score since the pitch looks like it has something in it and is already deteriorating. Another 30 is probably par in my opinion, but we will see!

Great by Siddle, marvellous by Smith.

Hat's off...

267-9
I actually reckon this is par actually

England is batting last and pitch is already turning!

Aus on top now... well done Smith...

broad and woakes deteriorating and wayward bowling at the other end

I think Australia might be par or in front here. We'll see tomorrow I guess!

Was Smith giving it to the crowd there?

Good on him if he was... And I am supporting England.

Brilliant player. One of the best ever...

all out for 284 australia

I think its maybe slightly above par. If we got another 50 or so could of really hurt England as it would mean broad and woakes have to use extra juice tomorrow morning and wear out quicker in the 2nd innings

But the pitch is showing some signs of deterioration and Engladn will be a bowler short....

0/10 off 2 overs for England

Masterstoke playing Siddle over Hazlewood, Hazlewood playing we're all out for 130 and we lose the test. To make nearly 300 on that wicket is an excellent effort. Siddle has probably held his position for the next 2 tests with just that innings. He should bowl OK on this wicket.

Someone passed a comment about playing a batsman "out of position" is a stupid thought. Hands up who thought that when Warner went in the 4th over, wouldn't it be good to have another opener in Harris playing at 3, considering that Warner also got an edge to Stuart Broad's first delivery, lucky for him Eng didn't review that one could have been 1/0 in the 2nd over. That's the problem with an opener like Warner when he hits a purple patch he'll win you the test, but when he fails he does so very early in an innings and it puts a lot of pressure on the following batsmen. There's no in between performance with Warner especially playing away from home where his average drops from 60 down to 36.

Also considering that Bancroft failed again (should have left that delivery go through to the keeper just fishing at it with no technique and edge to slips), as did Khawaja, a player that averages 18 in England tests, when he faced fresh new ball bowlers coming in the 4th over (very poor defensive shot something a quality opener such as Harris does have). Wade offered nothing at 6 and wouldn't have been selected if Harris was at 3. I personally don't consider playing a player "out of position" a stupid idea, but maybe that's just me. A lot of players change position with a great deal of success, Allan Border batted anywhere from 3-6, Greg Chappell batted anywhere from 3-6, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Michael Hussey, Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid etc etc. If they're good enough they can move around, so if Khawaja batting at No 3 in England can only manage 18 average maybe a shift away from No 3 to No 5 may give a better result, you don't know till you try, If he fails you question his place in the side. This batting position theory was only introduced because Michael Clarke failed miserably as he moved up the order Batting No 5 av 60, No 4 av 30, No 3 av 13, that says something more about Clarke than being a general rule.

Baggers I think Bancroft proved that runs scored playing Div 2 county cricket is nothing to take into serious consideration as he has scored 726 @ 46 in 9 games but looked all at sea against international England bowlers. I think your Pommie mate is exaggerating the quality of Div 2 county cricket.

Great innings again by Smith, he is definitely an Australian batsman that loves playing in England, 5th century in 14 tests over there, his technique though not a classical approach, negated the swinging ball, maybe they should re-write the batsmen technical textbook.

I can't believe some still question Head's selection, reminds me a lot of a young Ricky Ponting, lets hope he continues his development, at only 25, many years of cricket ahead for him.

I just don't believe what has happened?

When I went to bed Siddle was struggling with the bat. Australia were about 112.

We end up with a competitive score!

Incredible score from where we were!

Paine got out to a loose hook, after just surviving some very close outside edges.

Some of the other dismissals were to very good balls though.

I'm not sure Head played well in lead up games, but he looked like our best batter until he was surprisingly dismissed, Mike.

Even though I'm biased,  as a parochial Tasmanian, Wade looked awful and could  have been dismissed many times before he was out.

I'm still of the view we should play with the Dukes ball all time time in Aus, because we are only making ourselves good in our own home conditions that few other  rivals experience at home. 

This is also one of the only Test series that Aussies view free to air. Few Aus cricket fans see what we are really like away from home - mediocre to poor. Out of sight , out of mind.

Smith still a weak captain who agreed to look the other way to cheat.

I still want Warner replaced on merit, for bringing the game into disrepute.

I think the likes of Atherton and Du Plessis have been leniently dealt with for ball tampering.

sheesh they did their time. 1 year is 51 weeks longer than the icc wanted.

There has to be some path to redemption! we are land of reformed convicts after all!

combination of smith brilliance and the bowling got tired and wayward. If head lasts another few overs we would have put on plenty and cashed in on the injured anderson. Might get a chance in the 2nd innings

Siddle averages near 40 with the bat in county! Shows how much experience there can help you!

Siddle showed up some of his specialist batters.

There was some worse bowling from Stokes and Ali that Head capitalised on, but early on Anderson, Broad and Woakes bowled some very potent deliveries. 

Siddle was great. Smith was just excellent. Just excellent.

Truly a class player. 

LOL!

Too funny. 

I don't like  the calls for Smith to be reinstated as captain.

Paine is a vasty superior leader of men to Smith, an much more mature, but may lack tactical experience and nous at Test level. The likes of Smith may be able to provide useful tactical advice. However, Paine is our best leader of men, and statesperson, since Mark Taylor. 

Waugh fell out with players like Warne and Slater. Clarke and Ponting had too many tantrums in action. 

Because of injuries to fast bowlers it precludes them as future  leaders. Lyon doesn't have what it takes - too much of a clown and one of the boys. If Head succeeds he is our best captaincy option to replace the ageing Paine.

If you live in NZ, do you ever sleep, Paddles?

I wish I had seen more of the partnership. 

England was right on top when I watched , apart from when Head was at the crease.

There are no sufficient superlatives to describe Steve Smith. When I went  to bed well into the last session he was on 70.. having dragged us out of the mire with help from Sids. He musta then led a brutal assault on a tiring attack to finish unconconqued on almost 150. That knock shud move him back to #1 on rankings and keep him there. The man is a phenomenon. 

I watched the full day to be honest. Havnt slept :P

It's the weekend soon. I'll catch up ;)