The Ashes 2019!!!!!!!

[JeMeSouviens]

Nervous moments as Burns dropped in the gully and Denly survives a close lbw review.

Since then they have stabilised, 72/2

Honours even I think, if they can get through to lunch unscathed.

[JeMeSouviens]

Lunch 76/2

Burns 34 & Denly 27. 50 partnership between those 2.

[lord bunberry]

Pitch looks slow, if these two can hang around there’s a runs to be had.

[lord bunberry]

Denly goes for 30. Hazelwood is bowling really well.

[lord bunberry]

Burns goes for 53, great catch from Bancroft.

[JeMeSouviens]

Buttler & Stokes only get 12 & 13 respectively.

Eng in deep trouble now: 146/6

[BroxburnHibee]

This is gonna be a 5-0 whitewash.

[JeMeSouviens]

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This is gonna be a 5-0 whitewash.

Bairstow & Woakes have rallied somewhat - 201/6 at tea.

The weather looks crap tomorrow. If England can get to 300 and take up all or nearly all of today's play then I think the Aussies will be struggling for time. On the flipside, Australia would have to collapse twice for England to have time to get 20 wickets. The draw would be favourite I would've thought.

[JeMeSouviens]

Bairstow gets to 50 but is running out of partners.

If they get to the new ball (7 more overs) they won't get much further!

246/8

[marinello59]

A wee aside. The Euro T20 slam was cancelled yesterday. Shame, I was looking forward to the games at the Grange.

[Mibbes Aye]

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A wee aside. The Euro T20 slam was cancelled yesterday. Shame, I was looking forward to the games at the Grange.

I had lost track of that but was thinking about attending too. Might check out a wee away trip for next year too, if it is to continue.

[Zazu62]

Anyone think Buttler looks a bit lost if he isn’t wicketkeeping? I would have kept it the same as the World Cup.

[BroxburnHibee]

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Bairstow & Woakes have rallied somewhat - 201/6 at tea.

The weather looks crap tomorrow. If England can get to 300 and take up all or nearly all of today's play then I think the Aussies will be struggling for time. On the flipside, Australia would have to collapse twice for England to have time to get 20 wickets. The draw would be favourite I would've thought.

You're right the weather may well influence the final result.

I still think England - 0 is a correct score though

[Mibbes Aye]

Good day today I thought.

The commentators talk a lot about what a par score is and with good reason - they are generally ex-Test cricketers and can read a pitch and conditions, especially without the pressure of conjuring up tactics to deal with it!

England seem to have done just below par in their first innings. Bairstow got a much-needed decent score and Burns clung on. Everyone else, at least in the batting order, seemed to get set then lose their wicket.

Apart from Jason Roy. He is a fantastic white-ball cricketer but he is surely struggling as an opener, it is not his natural technique, and while he may prove an excellent four or five, it is merely delaying England yet again trying to find a Test opener.

Credit to Cam Bancroft for a tremendous catch at short-leg for Burns wicket of a remorseless line from Paddy Cummins.

The Australian bowling was very good, Cummins was very strong and got such lift off the pitch, Siddle was persistent, Lyon was a superb presence, holding down an end and taking wickets. Hazlewood was obviously the star, teasing swing out of the ball and suffocating his end but also picking up wickets.

As regards the Australian batting, oh dear, David Warner really is becoming Stuart Broad's bunny. Three times in three innings, but Warner is due a big innings and pound-for-pound is better than Broad. It's been good bowling by the Englander though. And Jofra Archer has certainly lit up the scene, with some very quick bowling, he should pick up wickets in this innings.

A result in this game will all depend on the weather. The forecast has actually improved though it looks like there will still be decent showers later on tomorrow. Hopefully it has improved enough to allow a game though!

[Sergey]

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Good day today I thought.

The commentators talk a lot about what a par score is and with good reason - they are generally ex-Test cricketers and can read a pitch and conditions, especially without the pressure of conjuring up tactics to deal with it!

England seem to have done just below par in their first innings. Bairstow got a much-needed decent score and Burns clung on. Everyone else, at least in the batting order, seemed to get set then lose their wicket.

Apart from Jason Roy. He is a fantastic white-ball cricketer but he is surely struggling as an opener, it is not his natural technique, and while he may prove an excellent four or five, it is merely delaying England yet again trying to find a Test opener.

Credit to Cam Bancroft for a tremendous catch at short-leg for Burns wicket of a remorseless line from Paddy Cummins.

The Australian bowling was very good, Cummins was very strong and got such lift off the pitch, Siddle was persistent, Lyon was a superb presence, holding down an end and taking wickets. Hazlewood was obviously the star, teasing swing out of the ball and suffocating his end but also picking up wickets.

As regards the Australian batting, oh dear, David Warner really is becoming Stuart Broad's bunny. Three times in three innings, but Warner is due a big innings and pound-for-pound is better than Broad. It's been good bowling by the Englander though. And Jofra Archer has certainly lit up the scene, with some very quick bowling, he should pick up wickets in this innings.

A result in this game will all depend on the weather. The forecast has actually improved though it looks like there will still be decent showers later on tomorrow. Hopefully it has improved enough to allow a game though!

I'm not too far from the ground. It's very breezy and the clouds are high and I fancy it will stay dry for the morning session. With the wind, any rain will get blown through fairly quickly so we could well have 90 overs (if England care to play at a decent over-rate).

As I type, the wind is really picking up.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

Aussies 60-3, let's see if Archer can have a bash at Smith.

[JeMeSouviens]

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Aussies 60-3, let's see if Archer can have a bash at Smith.

They were toiling at 60/1, I go to make a cup of tea, come back and it's game on!

[Pretty Boy]

This is better from Archer. He's got the Aussies a wee bit rattled.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

71-4

[JeMeSouviens]

As ever, Smith is the key!

[Mibbes Aye]

The good news is that the forecast has improved massively, with a decent chance of uninterrupted play tomorrow and maybe just the odd shower on Sunday.

In usual circumstances this morning’s session would be seen as a triumph for England but one can’t help feeling they needed more. Still, early wickets tomorrow and they will fancy their chances. As is predictable, so much comes down to that man, Steve Smith, and his journey of redemption by the means of just scoring ridiculous amounts of runs.

If the weather holds, then we have room for ten sessions of play in the match, which is more than enough time for a positive result given the strength of bowling on both sides. If Australia can win the morning session then I struggle to see how they lose the match and they set themselves up for building towards a victory. If England win the morning session then they will have the equaliser in their grasp.

I have to feel a draw is still likely, especially if the showers disrupt play on Sunday. More importantly, a match that looked like it might die a death thanks to the English August rains now offers a glimmer of hope that it might come down to a barnstorming finish, with either side in contention.

[Northernhibee]

Smith doesn't look entirely comfortable today.

[lord bunberry]

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Smith doesn't look entirely comfortable today.

He’s just been whacked on the arm, he looks like he’s struggling to continue.

[Pretty Boy]

Unbelievable that Smith has come back to bat after that hit on the neck.

I'm following on my phone at the game and thought I'd read it wrong. It was a sickener.

[Tobias Funke]

If you were looking for a reason the England and Wales cricket board changed the rules so Archer could play for them sooner than 2021 then today was one (the WC being another!) As potent a weapon as you’ll find at the games highest level. Accurate, aggressive, probing and in possession of extreme pace at consistent and regular intervals.

The blow Smith took to the neck was awful, scarily reminiscent of the hit poor Phil Hughes took. I was genuinely fearful for him and was relieved when he got back to his feet.

[Mibbes Aye]

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If you were looking for a reason the England and Wales cricket board changed the rules so Archer could play for them sooner than 2021 then today was one (the WC being another!) As potent a weapon as you’ll find at the games highest level. Accurate, aggressive, probing and in possession of extreme pace at consistent and regular intervals.

The blow Smith took to the neck was awful, scarily reminiscent of the hit poor Phil Hughes took. I was genuinely fearful for him and was relieved when he got back to his feet.

It hit him exactly like Phil Hughes and the way he went down straight away was heart-in-the-mouth stuff. Just a relief to see he started moving not long after he hit the ground. When the doc was telling him he had to come off, he looked a million miles away.

[Mibbes Aye]

An intriguing and compelling day’s play at Lord’s today. We are pushing on for being through a third of the series play by the end of this Test (more, were it not for the rain) and it has been utterly enthralling so far.

Obviously today was dominated by a certain half-hour or so, that saw Steve Smith take a potential arm-breaking delivery from Archer that could easily have led to him retiring hurt. The pain on Smith’s face was obvious in the aftermath, and for no short time.

That paled into insignificance when he was hit on the neck as he sought to duck down. The delivery floored him almost instantly and for anyone who witnessed or has seen Philip Hughes’ death it was horribly similar. Palpable relief when Smith reacted on the ground and moved himself and took off his helmet, though it was clear he was still very hurt. It took a long time in the middle to get him off but he didn’t look like he was able to debate or argue with the Aussie medics, so the right decision was made.

To see him come back out after Siddle went was incredible. He had the all-clear from the Aussie staff and hit a few boundaries without ever looking quite right. His dismissal was of the kind that Steve Smith doesn’t suffer, so I think it is fair to say he was still suffering some consequences of what had happened before.

As to today’s play in general, it was classic Test cricket for me. Test cricket is a team game ultimately, but it can still be shaped by individuals as per Smith at Edgbaston. But it also offers the scintillating, spectacular and spicy offer of the battle between a bowler and a batsman.

Notwithstanding the two balls that caused serious harm to Smith, we saw that with the tussle between him and Jofra. Archer bowled a huge amount of overs for his country yet still had the reserves to keep firing it in at 90mph plus, with a great line. England have got a good ‘un there and will be able to build a replacement attack for Anderson and Broad around him, though one has to worry about wear and tear if he is consistently trying to bowl at that speed.

The cat and mouse between him and Smith was as good as it gets in Test match cricket, thoroughly enjoyable. We got a slighter shade of it with Nathan Lyon bowling to Ben Stokes. A very good batsman having to deal reactively with a bowler on great form and a great pitch. Lovely stuff.

Australia did well today but will rue dropped catches (David Warner please stand up) and a couple of spurned reviews that would have seen the umpire’s “Not Out” overturned.

If the weather holds tomorrow - potential early morning showers but dry for play - then there are certainly enough overs for a positive result. As it was ever, the morning session is crucial. If Australia can wrap it up by lunch then they should be able to knock up the runs for a victory. Yet England still have some dynamite in their batting and if they were to go all out for it in the morning, it could offer an adventurous decision to put the Aussies in at lunch or shortly after and try and bowl them out.

I suspect pragmatism will rule, which indicates a draw. But a victory in this Test feels more likely for Australia than England at this stage. Notably, if it is a draw tomorrow, Australia only need to win one of the three remaining Tests to retain the Ashes.

It is curious and you can never really tell until you see teams play the Tests for real but Australia do feel stronger, though that is very much due to the bowling attack and the ubermensch that is Steve Smith. England’s pre-start strengths were the batting in the middle order, which Australia have negated, and their bowling attack which was weakened as soon as Jimmy Anderson got injured and as soon as it turned out Moeen wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Jofra has certainly stepped up to the plate though and Woakes is a very good bowler too.

[Sergey]

It's currently raining in North London

[lord bunberry]

England lead by 165 at lunch. Smith is out of the game, will England go for the win and declare around 220?

[lord bunberry]

Stokes on 85, I think they’ll let him get a 100 and declare.