I think Eng have been batting well against some pretty mediocre bowling (Cook excepted and he never got in).

I used to go to The Oval every year for the test and also for the odd county game so I know the place pretty well. Looks like the odd one will be keeping low by tomorrow (a nightmare for batsmen) and the pitch will be taking a goodly bit of spin by days 4 and 5.

A good toss to win I reckon. Eng to make 550 by tea tomorrow and the Aussies following on 20 minutes before tea on the 3rd day*.




*A man can dream!

Nice little catch by Mr H; bit of a shame for Mr S, though.

PS Is it just me or does Bell always seem to be having a bit of trouble with this box? He's constatntly fiddling with it. The odd cabinet reshuffle is one thing but it's getting close to masturbation out there!

LOL, I'm following via online commentary; now I wish I had video! Perhaps Johnson has got him more rattled than we thought.

Perhaps he's getting excited about a double century against the rubbish that's being served up right now.

Seriously though, Bell is always fiddling with himself whenever I've seen him bat.

I think SBS have pictures on their website. They did for the Tour de France.

4 for 181. The Siddler's certainly justified his plane ticket today.

So has a Johnson from an english point of view.

Well, he's just helped to get Prior out, so you may need to revise that opinion.

Not enough runs for England. I thought 400 would be good - they will be lucky to get 350.

Their advantage will come in Australia's first innings, when the pitch begins to deteriorate.

My thoughts exactly and par first innings score is 420 there. But apparently Alex Stewart was saying (and he should know) that it isn't a typical Oval pitch and is like a 3rd day one already.

So who knows, I still hang on to some hope yet If I were a betting man I'd say it was an Aussie win.

One things for sure with us not getting a massive first innings it guarantees the Aussies going for a win and there being a result one or the other.

England don't need a par score, they need a winning score, which is a different thing. And they're not going to get it.

I don't know which way to call it. I think we will know by the end of today.

Well the score (barring a miracle 150 for the last two wickets) isn't going to put any pressure on the Australians. So the chance of putting themselves in a match winning position with the bat has gone. The only thing that is left is a match winning bowling performance. If all the bowlers are on song it's still a possibility.

The Aussies don't rate Swann. That might be a mistake come the fourth innings.

However, the game is wide open at the moment. We always knew that Australia had the stronger batting and England the stronger bowling. That seems to be the way this game might play out. But England have to bowl well. They can't give Australia a first innings lead.

I liked the look of Trott when he came in. Looks a lot more secure than either Collingwood or Bell. Didn't see him after tea though.

I think Cook has to go too. Is this Denly kid an opener?

The batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willey.