Predictions by lunch? I'm going 262-8

Buttler needs a score, I`m not sure he has the technique for test cricket and there are plenty of others waiting to take his place, Bairstow, Foakes, Pope can take the gloves also

Excellent test match batting from Stokes and Sibley yesterday. The Windies didn't have a great day and they'll be looking to come back hard this morning with the new ball.

Sibley just needs to keep doing what he's doing and a big hundred could be on offer for him. There's plenty of batsmen to come who can bash the ball to the boundary.

In theory this is the exact scenario Buttler is in the team for, so there's a fair bit of pressure on him to perform today considering he can't be far off last chance saloon. Billy suggesting Bairstow as a replacement though behave.

It clearly wasn't an easy day to bat yesterday. The ball was wobbling quite a lot and Holder, Roach and Joseph were putting it on a spot. Stokes and Sibley did superbly to ride out the storm and push things on a bit through the evening session. I'd love to see both make hundreds, though we all know how quickly wickets can tumble. If the Windies get a good head of steam early, this could easily become a very underwhelming total.

I'll go big though and predict:

- Ton for Stokes, 150 for Sibley
- Pope out in the 40s
- Buttler out cheaply trying to attack, rendering his inclusion completely pointless
- Disappointingly minor contributions from our long tail
- All out around the 370 mark, leaving us probably a touch short and needing a good bowling performance and decent second innings

Sibley out for 99
Stokes with 70 odd
Pope and Buttler out for consecutive balls.
Broad pushing us slightly over 300.

Really hot day out there, perfect for batting.

The type of weather you really want to grind your opponents into the earth and get them toiling in the field.

Let's see if our batsman can apply themselves for a change and make the best of a good position.

Best thing about yesterday is the Windies' bowlers look knackered already, especially Gabriel who you can't imagine will bowl much today.

Really need to cash in and go big today.

comment by Neo- PL CHAMPIONS (U9135)
posted 22 minutes ago
Really hot day out there, perfect for batting.

The type of weather you really want to grind your opponents into the earth and get them toiling in the field.

Let's see if our batsman can apply themselves for a change and make the best of a good position.
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What's happened to turn you so bitter Neo

Stokes and Sibley applied themselves pretty dang well yesterday, I would say

comment by The Welsh Xavi (U15412)
posted 1 minute ago
Best thing about yesterday is the Windies' bowlers look knackered already, especially Gabriel who you can't imagine will bowl much today.

Really need to cash in and go big today.
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Yeah, Gabriel looks like he's got no cartilage left. Running looks very uncomfortable. Speaking as a big lad with joint issues myself, I definitely wouldn't want to spend a day charging in over and over

comment by Phenom (U20037)
posted 26 minutes ago
Sibley out for 99
Stokes with 70 odd
Pope and Buttler out for consecutive balls.
Broad pushing us slightly over 300.

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what i saw of sibley i was impressive with but watched the highlights and bits i missed where he should of been out a couple of times. not many chance free centuries these days though tbf.

He's got holes in his game, definitely. Doesn't look comfortable with the ball banged in above his hip, which is weird when you watch him play and he looks so much like Ali Cook, because Cook's bread and butter was short stuff and tucking off his hip.

Sibley is only 24 though, and as of stumps yesterday he's averaging 45.27 in Tests. He can work on his flaws, and they're clearly not stopping him scoring decent runs anyway.

Sibley seems to be a mentally tough and ambitious cricketer. He's got weaknesses but he seems like the kind of player who will work hard on them.

Oh and Stokes has got to be our best batsman at the moment. Seems to have the technique and the mental aptitude to bat in any situation.

What Phenom said. I expect us to get 300.

Amanda- we've been in this sort of position several times before starting a new day. Suddenly bang-bang quick wickets, the collapse begins.

Yeah I'd rather have a mentally tough player with limited stokes like Sibley than a guy with all the shots but is too impatient.

Much easier to learn shots than it is to learn mental fortitude.

Agreed. Sibley's been quoted enough times saying he's happy batting all day for 50 runs, he just enjoys the grind. That's the sort of mindset you can't really teach, you're either born with that nuggety attitude or you have to gain it by having success with it over time.

Ben Stokes though just an utterly outstanding cricketer. His batting has always been technically superb but his mentality has gone up several levels since his court case, and his bowling's actually improved too. Far tighter and picks up more wickets too, and he doesn't seem to have sacrificed any pace in the process either.

I'm a fan of our current top 3 staying where they are for the long-term, but if something really weird happened and one of them fell out of favour, I'd say Stokes is the best candidate to move up to 3 to fill the gap (with Crawley moving to open if it's an opener who falls away).

best commentary duo on this morning too

Full toss outside off there, Sibley didn't know what to do with it

If Buttler got a delivery like that, the ball would still be sailing towards Wales

Well, either that or he'd have nicked off anyway

Alzarri Joseph is annoyingly consistent, must be a pig to try and score off him.

As I say that Stokes edges through gully for four

thinkings mans crumpet, ebony

comment by Amanda Hugginkiss (U11574)
posted 2 minutes ago
Alzarri Joseph is annoyingly consistent, must be a pig to try and score off him.

As I say that Stokes edges through gully for four
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rusty first over i thought

comment by Phenom (U20037)
posted 1 minute ago
thinkings mans crumpet, ebony
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Yeah, Isa Guha on the Beeb too

speaking of rust, that ball from gabriel was a stinker