Stunning stuff from Clarke. Cannot praise this guy enough, his quality speaks volumes. Loved the way he continued to attack early on despite the fall of wickets. If that was misbah, he'd have come in an created motorways of dot balls and we'd have amir telling us all he had no choice because of the loss of early wickets .

Batting pitch. Can't see Aussies taking 20 wickets though, so result likely a draw.

Boy oh boy was Bob Willis on a mad one on the Verdict Great entertainment from him I must say, but he is speaking truth at the end of the day. It's just the manor in which he does it. Dispatched.

Afridi14, big difference- Australian batting line-up is much better than the Pakistani one in any form. Plus, when Australian's captain scores, other around him follow, for Pakistan the captain continues to score and other around him continue to collapse. But you lot will never be grateful, until he retires and Hafeez comes in.

Aussie batting is better than Pakistans in tests? Do you wana check your facts and see the averages? What a load of nonsense, what you been smoking buddy. Pakistan will be ranked 4th if they get a draw vs Saffers later in winter.

Okai. Forgetting my point for a minute and going by yours. We draw with RSA, we are ranked 4th, putting averages into account etc... That means Misbah has done a good job, right? And his way has clearly worked.

Good day for Australia yesterday.. Good batting wicket.
England kept the scoring rate under control.. Interesting day ahead..

Sorry, thought this was an ashes thread? Not another India v Pakistan spat.

Stuart broads position will come under question at Durham in my opinion. Could see Tremlett being given the new ball with Anderson and maybe Onions in for Bresnan. Broad asnt been taking the wickets in recent games. He did bowl well yesterday. But bowling well means nothing with no wickets in the wicket column.

He got Smith, but the appalling umpiring cost him! Broad does seem untouchable though!

Broad will not be dropt I would bet my house on it, I think yesterday there was a number of things, the ball was doing nothing and it was a flat wicket.

But taking nothing away from Australia they batted very well, I am sure as the test goes on the pitch will bring the spinners in, but like I said yesterday depending on how England bat in the first innings will depend on the result, I feel if they get a big score to then the game will be a draw with the weather not looking to good.

So that means England retain the Ashes which presure off will see a diffrent England team

Going to be intresting day today

'tis boy...sometimes just gotta hold ya hands up....aus had a good day....


but like broad said...yesterdays play clda ended 300 odd for 1........


180-5/6 on another day.......

get them out for 420 ish and bat upto aussie score,then wipe the floor with em 80 all out

Rain Rain Rain........you have to feel for the Aussies there best start to the a test and it looks like Weather is going to kill the game DRAW on the crads

Struggle to see how England are going to get back into this game. Australia will make over 500 today and then it will be up to our batsmen to respond on what is quite a flat surface. We will need to bat long and be patient.

Whats the weather forecast for Manchester the next few days guys?

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I'd agree with that Greatteams, I think this pair will hang around a while longer yet though. If we can get them down 5/6 down within the first hour we are right back in the game. No wickets and its virtually impossible to win. We'll see though.

Very humid & cloudy in Manchester at the moment
First hour will be crucial before the sun burns away the clouds & it's much easier to bat

Of course, how Australia do in this game is now down to the bowlers and i don't see anyone in that bowling line up (maybe Siddle apart) from frightening us. If Pattinson had been available maybe it would have been interesting, but with Cook, Trott and Pieterson still to bag runs, I'd say that they are going to struggle to take 20 wickets

This should be a decent wicket to bat on for the rest of the Test. Big runs to be scored once you're set.

Clarke's wicket is key, obviously. We've seen in the last couple of years he has been turning his tons into big ones, he bats time.

They'll be looking to bat once on this pitch could be a big first hour if there's anything out there.

very flat wicket.. to flat in my opinion

whoelse you was very critical of the NZ tracks. Not seen any rant about this track? Even Lords was flat but the Aussie batting was very poor.

When a team gets 500+ and the opponents similar scores am critical of the pitch.. Lords offerd something to the bowlers.. This is a batsman pitch..

True but in a couple of tests in NZ England batted poorly but you still labelled them a disgrace?

Lords was very flat, most of the wickets to fall were due to poor shot selection.

If Aus can put a big score up we might see some England wickets fall due to scoreboard pressure.

Consider that Aus were 82-2, if Aus put on 500+ and England lose 2-3 wickets before 100 is up we may well see a collapse.

England batted poorly in the first inning of the first test .. but send innings the amassed a lot.. was the fact the 3rd test wicket was so flat Nz couldn't bowl England out to win. This wicket is to flat. Youlll see that. England will have a big partnership in their innings.. they will not be skittled.