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

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

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

Ugh what are these 2 doing? Playing to stumps?

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

Come on oz attack

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

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

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

siddle to open the bowling

Pattinson surely has his tail up rearing to go though

lyon to open at the other end

control at 100% after 2 overs

good intent from England

not attacking the stumps enough siddle. Not a great couple of overs

lyon causing some headaches

still would prefer specialist new ball bowlers to start...

bold font every 2nd ball for lyon on cricinfo

need some bold font at the other end

0/10 off 4

pattinson on
phew

reckon England have a 30% chance of a draw with at least some overs in the morning likely lost due to rain

spewing we didn't declare when we led by 350. We must have thought they had 6 brian laras in their top order...

Congratulations to S Smith on his tons in both innings in an Ashes test. In the last 50 years that has only been done by Hayden at the Gabba and S Waugh at Old Trafford. He just fell short of Hayden's 300 runs in a test as the most runs in an Ashes test, but it is the 2nd time he has past 250 runs in an Ashes test, the first Australian batsman to do so in the last 50 years. The only other recent batsmen to achieve 250 in an Ashes test are Ponting and Langer. He has officially joined the legendary class IMO. What a top 4 that would make Langer, Hayden, Ponting and S Smith.

Wade with his ton probably secured his spot for the next test, I had my doubts about him but I am happy he proved me wrong. There were a lot of rumours saying M Marsh may play the next test, now Wade has thrown a spanner in the works, Maybe Khawaja and Harris could open and everyone moves up 1, as they can handle it afterall Warner only has lasted 2-4 overs and M Marsh comes in at 6. And with Pattinson's and Cummins performance with the bat we definitely have the right side, as long as our batsmen give some opposition in wearing the bowlers down, we can capitalise. 

The 7/487 shows us how well Australia's bowling attack performed as a unit with the wickets all shared and keeping England under 400 on a batting friendly wicket. Still it will be hard to take the 10 wickets on this wicket in a day with rain about, unless Lyon spins some of his magic that he is capable of. But to come out with a draw at Edgbaston especially after the start Australia had being 8/122 is a great result by the bowlers and most of the batsmen. Lord's next a very successful ground for Australia especially with the bat with Smith and Rogers putting on nearly 300 in the last test there.
Rumours are that Starc is bowling well currently in the nets and will replace Siddle, a brave move by selectors to do this after Siddle's performance this test.

Gday Dc,
jaszyjim - ah well, said I wouldn't comment again for the rest of the the ashes & I won't!!!!

Gday gb,
jaszjim - Wonderful to see Wade crack a hundred & very happy he proved me wrong.
Congrats to him & that has secured his place.

Good day, JJ. 

I will leave it alone now too. 

Smith batted superbly. So did Wade. 

Sangakarra last  night also provided analysis on how Paine’s keeping was superior to Bairstow’s. 

Look forward to hearing your other comments on the game, mate. 

You and Mike should comment during the live action, JJ. 

Mike, I’m on my IPhone, so can’t isolate your comments. 

I think the notion of moving all batters one up and dropping Warner to accommodate an all rounder has a lot of merit. 

In this last year’s Shield both Marsh and Neser have bowled very well at Bellerive. Neser also bowled well for the Aus 11 against Sri Lanka. 

I have never seen Neser bat, but I believe he deserves his chance. 

Marsh has bowled well well for Aus in Tests, but is injury prone. His batting has been inconsistent though. I think his footwork is too cumbersome and he struggled with the extreme pace of Riley Meredith. 

Like I said to JJ, you should join us in the live action of Tests,  mate. 

Woke to what I had dreaded was another collapse after Smithy went. Huge surprise to see we had put ourselves into a strong position. 
Smith amazing with double 100s.. only four other Australians have score that in Ashes Tests. Wade scrapped but survived. Batted himself into a Lords start. Good contributions from the skipper and the bowlers. 

This is a dying track for the quicks so expect Lyon and our part time spinners to do the bulk of the bowling. Smithy with his big turning leggies cud be a surprise packet.

Dropping your second best batsman to fit in Mitch Marsh is madness. Every batsman bar the openers has contributed with a knock I wouldnt be making big changes. 

Rumours are that Starc is bowling well currently in the nets and will replace Siddle, a brave move by selectors to do this after Siddle's performance this test.

Please tell me this is a dream. Bowling well in the nets does not mean he will bowl well in a game. He is a liability even tho we have plenty of runs to play with. Starc took a paltry two wickets in the Lords Test in 2015. Johnson 6-Hazlewood 5. I know who I want bowling down the slope.

Wade didn't  just scrap.

He, and Paine, for a while, flayed the English attack.

It was a pleasure to watch the old  enemy chasing so much leather!

Outside Smith, I'd contend Wade's innings was  the most dominant by an Aussie batter for some time.

What was Wade's strike rate?

My opinion is Starc needs to replace Patto.

Patto lost potency as the innings progressed.

At our TCA party on Friday  night, all of us thought from what we've seen of Siddle,  in recent times, where he has been  dropped to 12th man for Vic, that he was finished. It just shows what the Dukes ball and English county cricket can do to resurrect a career. 

Red ball cricket is different from white  ball cricket, RK.

ATM Warner and Starc may be our best white ball cricketers. It often  does not extrapolate  to red ball cricket.

Also, look at Broad. He didn't play in the WC, but he is still a potent red ball bowler.

Smith does get  a lot of turn.

So did wristy Denly, but he  could not land them enough.

Warners the second best bat in the side white red or pink ball cricket and dropping him for Marsh and playing our best and third best batsman out of position to accommodate that is such a crazily destabilising idea. Warner posted his third worst return in a test. He'll be back with runs soon. 

If we make any changes it would probably be Hazlewood in for Siddle. Hes a far better bowler in English conditions than Starc. 

Everyone is entitled to an opinion but in the last 4 years has Warner been our 2nd best batsman away from home? At home he's the 2nd picked no arguments from me

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?batting_positionmax2=2;batting_positionval2=batting_position;class=1;filter=advanced;home_or_away=2;orderby=batting_average;spanmax2=31+mar+2019;spanmin2=01+jan+2015;spanval2=span;team=2;template=results;type=batting

To me he has been given many opportunities and apart from Renshaw has failed when compared to his batting partners, but gets off with no criticism, whilst the others get the flick.eg Burns this is the last 6 tests home and away leading up to Burns dropping

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=batting_average;spanmax2=10+Aug+2016;spanmin2=26+dec+2015;spanval2=span;team=2;template=results;type=batting

Personally I think dropping a batsman with a 43 av from his previous 6 matches is a bit harsh, made a bit questionable by not dropping the 32 average batsman. Old saying is you're only as good as your last game, in Warner's case last 21 games away from home haven't been spectacular by any means.