1st Test, ICC World Test Championship at Birmingham! The Ashes.

147 - 8 after 51

43.6
Stokes to Cummins, celebrappeal from Stokes! Outswinger, outswinger, outswinger, inswinger!

PJ Cummins lbw b Stokes 5

3.40pm .....And with just a hint of rain looming, that will be TEA. Another extraordinary session.
England appear to be in utter command, and yet, with Steve Smith playing another epic Test innings
on his return to the side, there's clearly more work to be done.
Especially if Anderson is done for the Test

154 - 8 after 53 overs

Smiff 66* Siddle 7*

a good day by england

4.01pm The umpires are out there, taking a look. No umbrellas which is a promising sign
... restart at 4.20pm

Australia are 169 for 8

193
Current Partnership : 71 runs, 18 overs, RR: 3.94

Peter Siddle 36* Steve Smith 34*

222 -9

67.2
Ali to Siddle, OUT, grips and clips the inside edge - straight to short leg! Buttler snaps it up low to the ground !

PM Siddle c Buttler b Ali 44

248

Steve SmiFF 117*

Right, what England are doing here is utter dross. Spreading the field and basically allowing Steve Smith to just tap a single off the fifth ball and give England maximum one ball at Nathan Lyon.

And then that one ball is rarely even good.

Joe Root is having a low moment as captain right now

This is dire, dire captaincy from Root. Well though Smith has played, it is criminal to allow one batsman such a free ride without trying to get him out. England did this last year with Kohli and the tail and it didn't work then either!