coming off

Tripe from Babar to end the day, great day for us.

England just 12 behind at the close, Pakistan with 5 wickets to get assuming Stokes doesn't bat.

Good day for England... I know it may be difficult.. But stokes needs to come out and bat a little. just to hold an end up so we can score runs at the other end..

The drivel written by A14, Kash and the other one is more of a threat than Babar.

Forget Stokes, we'll beat them in their own back yard with 10 men

Games not over yet. England in a great position

100 lead. England innings victory

we only had 10 men

Not worried yet. It's a good flat track. England will need a 200 lead before we start to panic.

Flat track?

Even Samit has it turning at right angles.

I can't see either side scoring above 200 in their second innings and I dont think England will need to.

Good performance with the bat from England on a bowler friendly wicket.

Taylor was very impressive today. He seemed to pick Shah and used his feet and wrists expertly. A seriously good innings..... Only positive for Pakistan is that they aren't scoring quickly, 2/3 wickets vital in first session tomorrow

Super James Taylor

I hope England don't mess about with Taylor. Need to keep Root at 4 and taylor 5.... Need a opener and a number 3 in the long run to replace Bell..

Cook
Hales
Bell
Root
Taylor
Moeen
Bairstow
Stokes
Broad
Wood
Anderson

Would be my 11 for the opening test in South Africa,.

I wish you'd stop dropping Stokes to 8. Keep Moen at 8.

Taylor will get a run in the side now, but number 3 you;re right is a worry. Half tempted to move Root to 3 given his experience opening the batting and that he's our best batsman, but then I think why move him when he's scoring s many runs at 4. Im not a fan of Ballance.

Zaidi at 3?

Stokes is not a number 6 plain and simple... I would keep bell for SA think conditions will suit his batting.

Would you have batted Flintoff and Botham at 8 instead of 6 where they batted viirtually all their career?

Stokes bats at 8 because he has the game to score big and quickly and take a game away from the opposition.

Theres a slight difference Botham got 5000+ runs.. Stokes will take a hell of along time to get there.. Moeen is likely to get more runs at 6 than stokes..

Cook, Root, Taylor, Bell all look a good bet to be the main make up of the line up for the South Africa tour. Bairstow to keep his place down at 7, Moeen to move back down the order where he bats well against the older ball like in the Ashes.

Still a massive problem as to who opens with Cook though. Hales is not technically good enough to face a new red ball, same problems as Moeen. Bell to open with Cook perhaps

I can see Belly retiring before taking the opening slot.

Why will Stokes take a hell of a long time to get there? Botham's career Test average is 33. Stokes' is 30 and he's only just started. He's only 24 and a hell of a lot better than Flintoff was at that age.

I'm not old enough to have seen Botham but from what I understand consistency wasn't why he was in the side. He batting at 6 to bat aggressively and counter attack. I think his record shows that.

Taylor gone.. Good start. Need them all out 300 max..get the feeling their tail will wag

Samit is no mug with the bat.

Is Stokes fit enough to bat? Even standing at one end, if England have Bairstow or Samit or even Broad at the other, could yield valuable runs.

Top bowling from Zulfi..... Pakistan slowly creeping back into this one