Cricket fred

[Digby]

Confusion again from Archer, or maybe he was just using that over to warm up

[Puja]

And speaking of Buttler having worked on his keeping, he's taken some belters today. The one off Bess in the morning was the kind of sharp one he'd not even have got gloves to a year or so back. And the diving catch off Shah was an absolute worldie - full stretch, down the legside, one handed and taking it in the tips of his glove - if he cost us runs last test by dropping catches he should take, that was the utter reverse in taking one that no-one would blame him for not reaching or not holding onto. Credit where credit is absolutely due. Plus no crowd means we got the stump mic picking up Broad laughing at it and saying "What a catch that is! Ridiculous."

Pity no-one else was catching today though. Anderson has three catches dropped off his bowling in the space of two overs, with one of them being a candidate for Question of Sport - easy catch to Broad at mid-on which he spoons, the Pakistani batsmen are trying to sneak a single, and, in frustration, Broad hurls the ball at the stumps, scoring a direct hit which gets a runout.

Still, job eventually done, follow-on enforced and you'd like to think it's only the weather that'll keep us from the win.

Puja

[Digby]

They were pointing out for our dropped catches it was really dark out there, and too the slip cordon had come in close to try and prevent chances falling short. They might not have been quite the sitters they looked.

Buttler was brilliant though, much better footwork and glove-work outside those catches, and on the chances that one off Broad was outstanding, even down to adjusting the ball in the glove so it didn't spill out, Dujon would've been proud of that

[Banquo]

If Jimmy ends his career on 599, Broads drop will be even more embarrassing.

Amazing how Buttler has gone from being not up to the job to being a heroic keeper in the space of one innings.

[Puja]

If Jimmy ends his career on 599, Broads drop will be even more embarrassing.

Amazing how Buttler has gone from being not up to the job to being a heroic keeper in the space of one innings.

I will give him credit where it's due - he has clearly worked hard on his keeping across his career and, while the flurry of mistakes last test won't stop worrying me about his reliability going forward, he's played a blinder this game so far and showed great mental strength under pressure.

Puja

[Banquo]

If Jimmy ends his career on 599, Broads drop will be even more embarrassing.

Amazing how Buttler has gone from being not up to the job to being a heroic keeper in the space of one innings.

I will give him credit where it's due - he has clearly worked hard on his keeping across his career and, while the flurry of mistakes last test won't stop worrying me about his reliability going forward, he's played a blinder this game so far and showed great mental strength under pressure.

Puja

quickest volte face in history #justsaying

[Puja]

If Jimmy ends his career on 599, Broads drop will be even more embarrassing.

Amazing how Buttler has gone from being not up to the job to being a heroic keeper in the space of one innings.

I will give him credit where it's due - he has clearly worked hard on his keeping across his career and, while the flurry of mistakes last test won't stop worrying me about his reliability going forward, he's played a blinder this game so far and showed great mental strength under pressure.

Puja

quickest volte face in history #justsaying

I adjust my views when the evidence changes! I'm not jngf!

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Buttler now back to being the worst ‘keeper in the world. Anderson could be at 700 if they’d taken all their catches.

[Banquo]

I will give him credit where it's due - he has clearly worked hard on his keeping across his career and, while the flurry of mistakes last test won't stop worrying me about his reliability going forward, he's played a blinder this game so far and showed great mental strength under pressure.

Puja

quickest volte face in history #justsaying

I adjust my views when the evidence changes! I'm not jngf!

Puja

[Banquo]

Buttler now back to being the worst ‘keeper in the world. Anderson could be at 700 if they’d taken all their catches.

yeah he's sh&t drop him. That is a really bad one to be fair.

[Puja]

Buttler now back to being the worst ‘keeper in the world. Anderson could be at 700 if they’d taken all their catches.

yeah he's sh&t drop him. That is a really bad one to be fair.

Wow, thanks Joss! Waited until after I'd praised him for maximum comic effect.

Paul Collingwood is on as a sub fielder! How does that work? Surely a coach can't just randomly decide to come onto the pitch and show everyone how it's done?

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Buttler now back to being the worst ‘keeper in the world. Anderson could be at 700 if they’d taken all their catches.

yeah he's sh&t drop him. That is a really bad one to be fair.

Wow, thanks Joss! Waited until after I'd praised him for maximum comic effect.

Paul Collingwood is on as a sub fielder! How does that work? Surely a coach can't just randomly decide to come onto the pitch and show everyone how it's done?

Puja

Probs are reality of a small bubble and MBE exemption from the rules.

[Banquo]

Looks like rain for the next day. The dropped catches may end up making the difference.

[Mellsblue]

You know what they say about dropped catches.....

[Big D]

Buttler now back to being the worst ‘keeper in the world. Anderson could be at 700 if they’d taken all their catches.

yeah he's sh&t drop him. That is a really bad one to be fair.

Wow, thanks Joss! Waited until after I'd praised him for maximum comic effect.

Paul Collingwood is on as a sub fielder! How does that work? Surely a coach can't just randomly decide to come onto the pitch and show everyone how it's done?

Puja

They released a whole load of players, and Woody was probably having a cuppa.

I see Foakes scored a ton for Surrey. I wouldn't be surprised to see England play both he and Buttler in the winter if there is a batting injury during tour.

[Digby]

yeah he's sh&t drop him. That is a really bad one to be fair.

Wow, thanks Joss! Waited until after I'd praised him for maximum comic effect.

Paul Collingwood is on as a sub fielder! How does that work? Surely a coach can't just randomly decide to come onto the pitch and show everyone how it's done?

Puja

Probs are reality of a small bubble and MBE exemption from the rules.

Can you not pick whoever you want as a sub fielder? If Collingwood is there why not use him?

It was an awful drop by Buttler, so bad it's not even really a drop given his hands don't seem to touch the ball.

[Banquo]

Wow, thanks Joss! Waited until after I'd praised him for maximum comic effect.

Paul Collingwood is on as a sub fielder! How does that work? Surely a coach can't just randomly decide to come onto the pitch and show everyone how it's done?

Puja

Probs are reality of a small bubble and MBE exemption from the rules.

Can you not pick whoever you want as a sub fielder? If Collingwood is there why not use him?

It was an awful drop by Buttler, so bad it's not even really a drop given his hands don't seem to touch the ball.

whether it wobbled I don't know, but going under the ball was very odd

[Digby]

Probs are reality of a small bubble and MBE exemption from the rules.

Can you not pick whoever you want as a sub fielder? If Collingwood is there why not use him?

It was an awful drop by Buttler, so bad it's not even really a drop given his hands don't seem to touch the ball.

whether it wobbled I don't know, but going under the ball was very odd

He does seem to want to work off a firm base with his footwork, that grants him a lot of power in his batting but at other times it denies him flexibility to correct. Or maybe he'd just nodded off, and he has in fairness given a lot of hours to this match already after the batting unit failed, some of the underlying root cause might be Root

[Banquo]

Can you not pick whoever you want as a sub fielder? If Collingwood is there why not use him?

It was an awful drop by Buttler, so bad it's not even really a drop given his hands don't seem to touch the ball.

whether it wobbled I don't know, but going under the ball was very odd

He does seem to want to work off a firm base with his footwork, that grants him a lot of power in his batting but at other times it denies him flexibility to correct. Or maybe he'd just nodded off, and he has in fairness given a lot of hours to this match already after the batting unit failed, some of the underlying root cause might be Root

Equally Crawley was likely knackered, they ran for a lot of their partnership! Not sure what Burns or Broad's excuses were

[Puja]

Can you not pick whoever you want as a sub fielder? If Collingwood is there why not use him?

It was an awful drop by Buttler, so bad it's not even really a drop given his hands don't seem to touch the ball.

whether it wobbled I don't know, but going under the ball was very odd

He does seem to want to work off a firm base with his footwork, that grants him a lot of power in his batting but at other times it denies him flexibility to correct. Or maybe he'd just nodded off, and he has in fairness given a lot of hours to this match already after the batting unit failed, some of the underlying root cause might be Root

It did just look like a complete misjudgement from start to finish - I don't think it wobbled or needed him to correct, it just looked like sheer unadulterated cockup. Mind, as you said, he's given a lot of hours to this match and it is a risk of following on.

Puja

[Digby]

I thought perhaps maybe it did a bit once it had gone past the bat, perhaps that was an optical illusion created by Buttler going in the wrong direction. Either way there's no chance he doesn't think he should be taking that

As a query why wasn't Ali opening today? I'd assumed when he walked out last night he'd walked out to bat, clearly that's not the case until when, when the umpire calls play?

[Stom]

I thought perhaps maybe it did a bit once it had gone past the bat, perhaps that was an optical illusion created by Buttler going in the wrong direction. Either way there's no chance he doesn't think he should be taking that

As a query why wasn't Ali opening today? I'd assumed when he walked out last night he'd walked out to bat, clearly that's not the case until when, when the umpire calls play?

Yeah, for openers it’s when the umpires call play.

[Banquo]

Weather looks very grim- hope they can get out so Jimmy can get his 600th wicket, given no certainty as to when next test will be played anywhere and he's not got much time left surely.

[Digby]

Congrats to Jimmy

If anyone understands why with a massive lead we've spent to much time with 0-1 slips in place then fair play to you

[Puja]

Burns, Crawley, Broad, and Buttler must be feeling quite relieved that they've been able to get back out there and Jimmy's been able to get his 600th before the end of the cricket summer. Imagine if he'd been marooned on 599, with the prospect of potentially not making it to another series, because of those 4 drops?

Puja