Cricket

Strange day so far, plenty of boundaries, some dropped catches, some poor shots, poor bowling. Hopefully england can get up to 400

How strange it will feel today to see England striding out at Trent Bridge with neither Broady or Jimmy on the field of play.

The question for me is, will the West Indies avoid the follow on, after their dismal batting display at Lords in the first Test.

Got tickets tomorrow so kind of glad the Windies have put up a bit more of a fight this time.

Got tickets tomorrow so kind of glad the Windies have put up a bit more of a fight this time.

Their demise is over played. They have players who can bat long and quicks who are threatening.

Their demise is over played. They have players who can bat long and quicks who are threatening.

They have a knack of doing well against England (home and away) so I was definitely surprised with how bad they were last week.

No Roach is a blow for them though.

Trent Bridge a leveller too. If it ain't cloudy there the pitch plays like a road.

Day 1 or day 5 it just stays flat. Perhaps some spin on day 4 and 5 as it dusts up but even that is usually quite slow.

Windies will get a good lead here.

Good fightback by the Windies, at least they have made a game of the second test.

England just need to bat nicely until lunch and whack it between lunch and tea. Will need 4 sessions to bowl the Windies out on this pitch.

While this Test is all about Jimmy’s farewell and the heroics of Gus Atkinson in the first innings, it’s worth noting that Joe Root has got himself within a hundred runs of Mahela Jayawardne and Shiv Chanderpaul as he continues to climb the ladder for most Test runs scored in a career.

Our former captain is currently tenth on that list.

Didn’t do it at Lord’s but Rooty has passed Mahela and Shiv on the all-time list now.

He’s now chasing down Brian Charles Lara.

Nice knock from Root. Eng should be looking to bat until tea. If windies knock off 400 to win then they'll have done well abd will deserve the W

Could well go close too on this ground which is almost  painfully batsman friendly.

Windiess gone from 60/0 to 82/5. Was looking like a good game going into day 5. Now it will be touch and go if we even get a day 5.

Sinclair the next to go to a good bouncer from Wood that just clips the glove before smashing his wrist.

Limps off in pain with a sore arm...

Wow, wasn't expecting that sort of collapse.  17 wickets in a day.

Another no show from Windies. Players just don't have the mental strength or the appetite for a long innings, battling it out for a draw . Consequence of the shorter limited over game in many ways. Test cricket doesn't last 5 days any more.

Another no show from Windies. Players just don't have the mental strength or the appetite for a long innings, battling it out for a draw . Consequence of the shorter limited over game in many ways. Test cricket doesn't last 5 days any more.

Reflection of society in general...Generation Z...they literally can't hold concentration for over two minutes never mind five days.

This innings from England has been an absolute horror show. Flashing loosely at 4th and 5th stump deliveries with no ambition to get themselves in.

Root should have gone LBW too but they failed to review.

Staring down the barrel of a big defeat here.

Joe Root has passed Brian Lara on the all time run getters in Test cricket.

That is worth celebrating because Lara is one of the greatest batsmen I’ve ever seen.

Begining to dig their way out of trouble, Root fortunate review was not taken up by the West Indies, although a long way to go yet.

I know I love Joe Root an all but his last six Test innings are just F***ing immense;

56, 77, 149*, 83, 59, 118*

Six consecutive Test match 50s, including two hundreds. That ever been done before, globally or just for England? 8 runs short at the moment of 2,000 Test match runs with an average well over 50. Doing that in less than 25 matches is nothing short of remarkable either, especially when you think that not so long ago they were pissing about with his position in the side. Trying him all through the middle order when he first broke in, then throwing him at the top of the order for the Ashes then down to number 3 and then settling on 5.

I said it on here a few years ago about Cook and he's not far off proving me right, so I'll say it here about Root as well - Joe Root will eventually become England's leading run scorer in Test match cricket.

Almost ten years ago I predicted Joe Root to become our leading run scorer in Test cricket and is now just 450 runs away from doing so. A good series against Sri Lanka could very well see him take his place at the summit of English batsmen.

Got themselves out of a hole England. Will want to get a half decent lead though the pitch is very docile.

Chance for Smith to get his first Eng 100 perhaps? 

Jamie Smith looks a player.

94 lead for england.  About an hour left tonight.