400+ is never bad, but it has really only been possible by great performances by Strauss and Cook (and now the tail which has consistently ruined my predictions of the lack of a team effort in this series).
The English bowlers have to improve significantly over their Cardiff performance for the poms to have a chance. I’m just not convinced that they can do that.
We’ll see, it’s a different game when the ball is moving, and a swinging ball is England’s best chance of nicking a win. Lots of cloud for the next couple days. I am expecting an improved bowling performance, especially from Broad and Swann, but that won’t necessarily lead to a hatful of wickets for them. Australia have a good chance of getting a lead from here, but it’s by no means a done deal.
It’s overcast, and Hilfenhaus was getting some definite shape - it’s not as bad as it looks, as these are much more the conditions for our seamers than Cardiff. But yeah, no innings where the 1st and 10th wicket are the two biggest partnerships can be entirely satisfying.
And Jimmy strikes! Hughes gone for four! Game on.
And Nelson strikes again! This time for Freddie Flintoff’s benefit…Australia sinking on 111/4.
Good partnership between Katch and Hussey, but they are both gone now.
Oh my. Hussey is out. The Australian top-order are gone for just 111 runs. Impressive.
And another!!! 111/5!!!
More than 30 overs left. At this rate they’ll have to start the follow-on today.
North on his way. I hope Jonhson’s batting form is on a par with his bowling. As I said earlier, it’s a different game. A bit of cloud cover makes a huge difference when batting in England.
Would England nec. enforce the follow-on? What’s the better strategy there?
As I said in my OP I’m not a mad keen cricket fan so tell me, what is the follow on ruling?
If Australia are all out for more than 200 less than England (225 in this case), the England captain can choose to make Australia bat again immediately.
If Australia trail by 200 runs on the first innings, England have the option of sending them into bat again. I’m fairly sure England would enforce it in these conditions, but it can backfire if the bowlers get tired or you end up chasing a target in the 4th innings, when the pitch is worn.
Broad persisted with the short stuff, and Johnson has fallen for the trap. 148/7.
I would here. The overcast conditions are really favoring England’s bowling now–Anderson in particular is getting the ball to swing dramatically.
Well, oops, Australia have just been offered the light, so that will probably be the end of the day on 156/8. We’ll see what the conditions are like tomorrow…if batting conditions are more favorable England might bat again and hopefully set a target of 400 or more.
Australia 225 all out, giving England a lead of 210. England choose not to enforce the follow-on (what are the commentators saying about that?) and are now 57 for 0.
Cricket fans - what does left arm filth mean? When Pieterson used the phrase about Singh, is it just something funny to say, or does it actually mean something?
In the Guardian’s text commentary yesterday, a reader’s comment was Hoggard wouldn’t piss away a swinging new ball with short-pitched legside filth 
In this context, Hoggard meant rubbish; a wasted delivery. Bowling short deliveries down the leg side (ie behind the batsman’s back and over his head) is a poor choice for a bowler.
120/4, it’s looking good.
England will have to do something spectacular to lose this one 
I can’t believe the turnaround in fortunes between the two games. Amazing.
I notice some in the Australian media are calling Strauss a cheat, for claiming the slips catch.
I’m Australian and completely disagree - It’s disgrace throwing out words like that.
Those sort of catches are notoriously difficult to judge, even for the guy catching the ball, as to whether you took it on the full or not. I’m quite happy to believe that Strauss genuinely thought he had caught it. If anything the Umpy’s should be copping it for not going to the video to check.
It would be a hell of an effort for Australia to win from here, but far from impossible. If Clarke & Haddin can put on another 70-80 runs, I think the pressure will suddenly shift back onto England and we’ll see how the bowlers perform under mounting pressure.
I think that is the lynch pin, Clarke & Haddin need to hang around for a session at least I think. Both Johnson & Hauritz are capable of 50’s on a good day, but I’m not so sure about Siddle and Hilfenhaus with the bat.