4th Test: England v Pakistan at The Oval

Joe Root has 4,000 Test runs! The third player to do so within 4 years of making his debut.

WICKET! Root (39 off 46) is next to go - Eng 74-4 trail by 140

88- 4

Bairstow 14*

over in the Caribbean : 68 - 4

Bravo 39*

well..my prediction for Pak fell short by 58 runs.

however 542 is well good enough

England trail by 126 runs with 6 wickets remaining       

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Stumps - Day 3

England came into this series with question marks surrounding Hales, Vince and Ballance. The later has not been great, but will probably get one more series. Surely, it must be the end of the road for the other two. Vince has an average of 30 playing in Division One, and it shows. Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan have picked up on his weakness and exploited it relentlessly. A shame, he is such a wonderful batsman to watch at the crease, but has no business playing Test match cricket.

Hales scored runs for fun against Sri Lanka (without getting to a century, mind), but has been exposed by the more competent attacks of South Africa and Pakistan. Hales has looked tentative and unnatural at the crease. He was brought into the side to be an attacking foil for Cook. Instead, Cook has been the more aggressive of the two, with Hales bogged down at one end for overs at a time simply unable to rotate the strike. He has been so determined not to get himself out, that he has abandoned playing any sort of attacking stroke before inevitably getting himself out any way. Things have been so bad that he changed his technique mid-Test series, something that is rarely seen.

This has been a great series, and upon reflection, a draw would be a fair result.

A bit nervy today...

148/5 (48.1 ov)

Second fifty of the match for Jonny Bairstow! His average so far in 2016: 80.08

195 - 6 after 60 overs
Ali c †Sarfraz Ahmed b Yasir Shah 32 
Partnership: 65 runs, 15.1 overs, RR: 4.28 (Ali 32, Bairstow 32) 
Bairstow 71*

England trail by 20 runs