Surrey lads doing well so I'm sure we will see Surrey's 2nd choice keeper play a few majestic shots at some point tomorrow.

Play has restarted after bad light.

Pope really does have issues with the full ball.. missed out on a good start again

Pope gone for 57, Crawley 54*, 125-2.

comment by downtheplughole (U22523)
posted 8 minutes ago
Pope really does have issues with the full ball.. missed out on a good start again
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He never really seems like he's in. Fantastic player and hopefully he can calm down and become more Bell like as he gets older who was also frenetic at the start of his innings. Probably needs a coming of age series rather than the odd big innings.

Going to say 3. I bet WI are 30-3 tomorrow at stumps so all I’ll see is some swinging of the bat.

England will probably be at least 200 ahead by lunch tomorrow but could be closer to 250 ahead.

Surely gotta send Jimmy out if we lose a wicket.

Well it's the last over so it'll be the end of the day if a wicket falls. Promote Jimmy up to 6 and let him have one final chance to get a ton!

Could it be another 3 day test match? Thoghts with Sandy at this difficult time.

A fifty for Brook then out. 247-4.

Good ball, bad shot from Stokes. Now he's bowling more as well as captaining, should he move down to 7 with the keeper bat up to 6. I know they want an attacking keeper bat at 7 but no reason Smith or another can't bat at 6.

Smith with 10 off 34 balls, Foakes could bat quicker than that!

He's just cracked a couple of boundaries and he's on debut so I am being facetious. Class player who has a big future. He could easily bat in the top 4 or 5 whenever Root retires.

Oh, Root gone just before lunch. England not quite in a position of complete dominance here with just the tail to come. Woakes can obviously bat and Atkinson is pretty handy but could end up all out for about 350 here. Still a very strong position but I kind of expected us to comfortably go past 400.

It looks to me like there is something in the wicket for both batsmen and bowlers.

comment by Emile Death Rowe (TCM) (U8959)
posted 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
Smith with 10 off 34 balls, Foakes could bat quicker than that!

He's just cracked a couple of boundaries and he's on debut so I am being facetious. Class player who has a big future. He could easily bat in the top 4 or 5 whenever Root retires.
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I thought the exact same thing.

Nothing against Smith but it is rather funny he's batting at the pace Foakes got dropped for

Woakes need to just go for it now so we can see the Burnley Lara get his tonne.

Not exactly Bazzball this arvo

slowly slowly catchy monkey (no idea what that means)
But this is an ok run rate..

Atkinson gone first ball,

Smith gotta play some shots now

Smith the latest to get a half-century. 347-8.

comment by Neo (U9135)
posted 23 minutes ago
Smith gotta play some shots now
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I guess now is the perfect chance for him to show why it's him over Foakes. Batting with the tail by farming the strike and hitting boundaries in the process.

Although he should put on about 300 with Jimmy if we are going to see him get a bat. If he can hit a 6 then we have to declare and see if he can do a Broady.

5 fifties and no hundreds so far, hopefully Smith can buck the trend on debut.

celebrating like they'd won the world cup. while being 100s behind

that was Jimmys last test innings. not facing 1 bal.. Can't see him needing to bat again