Cricket

I wasn't expecting the Indian pace attack, (on its own a strange phrase), to be as inept as England often are against tailenders, nor for Broad to approach his innings as a batsman, rather than being content with a breezy 17.
Looking to be a defendable total.
Cue Broad holing out for 38!

Ben Stokes. What a bloke.

I read that peak-Botham was unplayable because he himself did not know what he was going to bowl as he ran up. On song Stokes has the same unpredictability.

Absolutely cracking day at the Oval.

Buttler goes from strength to strength - his stand with Broady in the morning session was very enjoyable. Seeing him marmalise one off Bumrah was hugely enjoyable (especially as I had him to score a six!)

Yeah today looked to be about as good a day of Test cricket as you could hope to see, without a result.

Jealous of you being there!

And Jadeja brings India within 50.
Another attack failing to deal with a tail.
Are you not allowed to bowl leg stump yorkers at 9,10,11?

Last innings for Chef coming up. Sad times.

Bumrah hardly faced a ball.

Glad to say I'll be there for Cookie's hoorah, with any luck he gets three figures

Got tomorrow off work for a delivery. If it turns up before lunch I might head down.

Hope Cook gets a bowl at India.

To 'buy' the final test-winning wicket?

Ton up. Well batted AC!

Get in Cookie!

how much you get back @tenderloin ?
happy for AC. great way to bow out.

That must be unique, a ton in your final Test reached with a '5'!

Go on son!

Probably. But...

https://metro.co.uk/2010/08/20/alastair-cook-makes-century-vs-pakistan-thanks-to-bizarre-mohammad-asif-overthrow-485882/

(also just mentioned by Aggers)

£20 @ 8-1

Joe Root conversion alert!

England 310-2, rattling along at more than 4 an over.
It's like the glory days of Cook, Strauss, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Prior ........

...Giles (His Majesty)

Please keep on batting England. I fancy dropping in tomorrow to see it wrapped up, but would like a good day's worth.

^ Should have gone today really. Fool.

Well some have suggested, not necessarily in the same sentence, that both Bairstow, and (post-Bristol) Stokes could be openers. Here's a sort of live experiment.