They sure did great 8th wicket partnership. Think they’re a team that’s improving which is great for cricket.
England trying to keep Pakistan in the game.
This is the way now. Brook just out before tea, Livingstone batting on one leg. 7 an over for the innings to date. 342 the lead.
It is many things but it is never dull.
Bruce
Stokes might have given an early Christmas present to Pakistan. They only need 4 an over. I’m not comfortable with this but hope I am wrong.
That’s a bold declaration, good on him.
This reminds me of Shane Warne on commentary, his view that you should be prepared to risk losing to give yourself a chance to win rather than play out for a tame draw. McCullum and Stokes have fully embraced this so far. Would England fans take a 6-4 wins ratio with few draws as good performance (picking numbers as examples)?
I’m not a fan of a boring draw, some draws can be exciting but generally they’re not.
Agreed Pete, watching the bowlers hunt for the last few wickets or the batters going for it to try to reach a challenging target makes for fascinating cricket, watching two sides both knowing there is no chance of a result and playing for bad light to end the misery is as dull as Test cricket can get.
There is a quite loud group of England supporters and commentators who seem (to me) to have a very defensive perspective. A knock defending 30 balls before edging a forward defensive to slip is a gritty performance, scoring 40 off the same 30 balls before holing out on the boundary is selfish ego tripping.
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Your mention of Shane Warne made me realise how much I’m missing his commentary. He could be a dck but he certainly knew his cricket.
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An impressive win, WI aren’t the great team we remember from the past, but they seemed to battle well (as far as I can tell from cricinfo) in the second knock and it took a good bowling performance to dismiss them.
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Pakistan 80 for 2 at close, plus Azhar Ali retd hurt ?broken finger. 263 more to win.
Lively final day in prospect.
Yet another stat to savour. England’s two innings totalled 921 runs at over 6.7 runs an over. Previous record over two Test innings; England last summer at Headingley at a paltry 5.5.
Bruce
Hope both England and Australia will this same go for a win attitude come the next Ashes. I do kind of think that depending on outcomes they maybe a little more conservative as the stakes are higher.
I would be surprised if England change approach. They have very much set out their intentions under McCullum and Stokes.
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I’m hoping so, but imagine a draw would secure the ashes on the last day of the last test. I’m sure that’d cause some courage, the critics would have a field day.
It looks, as I suspected, that England declared one hour too early…
Too soon to tell. An hour later might just have meant Pakistan only playing for a draw. This is still a competitive game, on an uncompetitive wicket
Bruce
Eagerly anticipating the ashes as I don’t think for one instance England will change their approach and neither should they as it’s proving to be the salvation of test cricket.
I just hope Archer, Woods and Stone are fit throughout the series as our batting is starting to look decent. I won’t mention the spin department.
You may not believe it but I do too. I’d love a good competitive test series with both teams a full strength and going for a win.
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With the current England test team leadership- life isn’t going to be dull - all for it
113 to win, worried?