England vs Pakistan 4th Test 11-15 August at The Oval

[Pavilionaire]

So did Boycoot.

And Grower. And Goosh.

 

[vegster]

The more test you win the more points you get., and with Australia losing the series to Sri Lanka but India winning vs West Indies a win in this 4th test would really bunch up the top three. Before the series started the position was this:

England, which recently prevailed 2-0 over Sri Lanka in a three-Test home series, is only three points behind Pakistan’s 111 points. This means that margins of 2-1 or 1-0 win will be enough for it to go past Pakistan in the points table, currently led by Australia at 118 points. Either of these results will see England lift to 110 points and Pakistan slip down to 107.

If England prevails 2-0 or 3-1, it will tie with second-placed India at 112 points, which is due to take on the West Indies in a four-Test series that ends a week after the England-Pakistan series. In case England is able to capitalise on the home advantage even better, it can rise to second position to 113 points with a 3-0 win and to 114 if it blanks Pakistan 4-0.

The small difference in points between India, Pakistan and England throws up a number of interesting scenarios.

A win for Pakistan in the series, by a 2-1 or 3-1 margin, will help it leapfrog India into second place, a position it has reached only once since the officials rankings were launched in 2003. That was in November last year when it beat England 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan even has a chance to surge to the top of the rankings, but to make this happen it will have to win 3-0 or better. Pakistan’s best performance in England has been a 2-0 win in a three-Test series in 1996.

Some of the permutations are:

- If England wins 2-1 = England 110 and Pakistan 107

- If England wins 3-1 – England 112 and Pakistan 105

I fear many of those scenarios have gone out the window in the first session.

 

[Pavilionaire]

I fear many of those scenarios have gone out the window in the first session.

Pakistan will have to bat last. Anything over 250 will be very tough to chase down. Therefore, if we can reach 250 in this 1st innings we're very much in the game.

 

[pasty]

Pakistan will have to bat last. Anything over 250 will be very tough to chase down. Therefore, if we can reach 250 in this 1st innings we're very much in the game.

Pakistan thought that in the last test.

 

[vegster]

Pakistan will have to bat last. Anything over 250 will be very tough to chase down. Therefore, if we can reach 250 in this 1st innings we're very much in the game.

Setting the bar a bit high there surely ?

 

[Titanic]

Moeen Ali gets a life on 15... could and perhaps should have been caught at short leg.

141-5

 

[Titanic]

England 151-5 (38.4 overs)

Bairstow 44* Ali 19*

Great to see these two pushing hard for the 2nd run

 

[Pavilionaire]

Setting the bar a bit high there surely ?

This is not Sussex we're talking about!

Paddy Power in-play have 316.5 runs as par score from here. I'm surprised it's that high myself.

 

[Titanic]

50 partnership for Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali

Current partnership 53 runs, 13.4 overs, RR: 3.87 (Ali 27, Bairstow 21)

England 163-5 (40.5 overs)

 

[Pavilionaire]

Over rate is still 12 even though Yasir's had 5 overs.

3.10pm and we're not even halfway through the day's play.

 

[BensGrandad]

Er, you've got the name of England's greatest ever cricketer wrong.

sorry typing error too many o

 

[pasty]

Bairstow 50*

Balls: 73
Four's: 7
Six's: 0
S/R: 68.49

 

[Titanic]

Moeen Ali 51* (77 balls, 1 six, 7 fours)

 

[Titanic]

England 200-5 (49.4 overs, RR4.03)

 

[Titanic]

Tea, Day One

England 200-5 (50 overs, RR 4.00)

Bairstow 55* Ali 52* (partnership 90*)

26 overs 108 runs 1 wicket in the session. Good rebuilding by Bairstow and Ali, much better session for England.

40 (FORTY) overs remaining for the evening session!

 

[Pavilionaire]

England's session that.

108/1 off 26 overs. Critical session for Pakistan now, they'll have to bowl us out in this final session or I fancy they might be done in the series.

 

[Titanic]

Bairstow gone for 55... airy drive... inside edge... good tumbling catch from the keeper

203-6 (52.3 overs)

 

[Titanic]

Pity Bairstow got out... batting seems to have got easier and I fancied him, Ali and Woakes to make a decent fist of it...

England 232-6 (60 overs), Ali 65* Woakes 19*... still 30 to be bowled this evening.

 

[Titanic]

England 251-6 (62.2 overs, RR4.03) Woakes 30* Ali 72*

 

[pasty]

Starting to get towards a "respectable" score now

251/6

Once again, the middle order getting us out of jail.