today will be the only full days play, why is draw 3.75??

Presumably when you say first 2 tests were close Clueless1 you mean the first test?

2nd test was over in 4 days

England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Joe Root, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Graeme Swann, 11 James Anderson


Australia 1 Shane Watson, 2 Chris Rogers, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Steven Smith, 6 David Warner, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 Nathan Lyon

Think we see Warner here after scoring 193 against SA a team last week.  Also think Lyon is playing.  Interesting to see if Smith is playing.  Pietersen?

Weather?  Watch T20 games with live radars, and the CMM is unreadable.  To try and predict the weather over days when we can't do it for a couple of hours, just ridiculous.  Scared market.  Draw?  Need to rely on weather, which I am certainly not prepared to do.

On the assumption that Warner plays, Australia become a back.  Off a big score, but that isn't even why.  Australia have been very unsettled.  The question for me isn't whether Warner is the answer off his own bat or not.  The way I see it play out is that Warner is a familiar face, expected to be in the team.  They will be more settled.  Maybe he makes a score, maybe he doesn't, but where Australia fall down is they have no idea their place in the team.  Familiar face could make a lot of difference to everybody batting.

Bowling?  Aus certainly not outclassed.  Lyon back in the team?  Would take Swann over him, but he isn't that far behind.  Doctor been out with the flamethrower on the pitch thinking Swann is the answer.  Now Smith in the team, I take Lyon/Smith over Swann/Root any day.
Can't predict the weather, so have to think result.  In which case, Aus are the overs here.

Long bet, back Aus hard, looking for 2.00 trade out.  Based on what happens in the game, think I get at least 2.50. 
Short bets, will look for comfort in batting, and back/lay batting team accordingly.

Good luck with which way you decide to go.

Lyon took plenty of tap in the week from James Taylor amongst others...he won't be winning this match for Aus.

hi BJT

another masterful 30 in the offing from watson

BJT majestically talking himself into a third consecutive Australia win, I see.

a whitewash has to be on the cards if he can avoid a total breakdown.

Not a personal attack at all, BJT.

I was merely pointing out that your opinion is wrong, as it seems to have been throughout the summer to date.

serious talk guys given australia need to win this match in order to win the series (no draws allowed)
at what point to the declare tomorrow?

im predicting declare at 520 and give them selves a few overs at england before tea tommorow, say england 3/90 @ stumps

Has bigjoe moved to Australia?

bad signs for england here. they are cooked.

Please point out where I suggested that Root was arguably a better bowler.

Read before you spout.

My point was that you are deluded if you would rather have Smith and Lyon in your side, as oppose to Root and Swann.

Made your point? 

No doubt you leave it there.  When you are shown up for what you are, you have little to come back with.

Just juvenile remarks that have no relevance to anything.... 

probably true, thefav. he has to - he can't be seen to surrender the ashes for the sake of a confidence building draw. I just think he might secretly prefer not to have to.

agreed viva