leicsmac

Oh, no doubt this particular instance was carefully choreographed. I was talking more in generalities.

It isn't, but there are a lot of places - the US big among them - that seem to be able to get away with inflicting a lot of death and suffering by using the two terms interchangeably.

This Aussie side are vulnerable with the bat. Their bowling is likely the best pace attack in the world still, though.

If that's true then it is indeed a bit daft tbh, considering there are so many more other areas - in fact practically all policy areas at the moment - that serve as legit beating targets anyway.

Or be corrupt. That works too.

Heaven help me if they check my social media should I visit the US anytime soon... Sadly, ever since he became NATO chief Rutte has had that tunnel vision. Goes with the territory, I guess.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjqzj8rnvyo More people are buying electric cars and installing heat pumps than ever before, but those numbers need to increase even further, according to the government's climate advisers. The independent Climate Change Committee said that the government needed to make sure that households benefit from the switch to cleaner technologies through lower bills. "The government has made progress on a number of fronts, including on clean power, [but] they need to do more on making electricity cheap," Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the CCC, told BBC News. In response Energy Secretary Ed Miliband thanked the committee for its advice and said it was committed to bringing down bills. Progress is being made. Not as fast as it needed to be, but it is progress. The spectre of those who will choose short term self interest and guarantee long term disaster still looms in the background, though. The equation on this issue always has been to pay some to be ready now, or pay much, much more as a result ofthe consequences later - and as time passes, that cost only goes up.

Right, exactly. Just needs a world class spinner. We have the quicks, they're just all crocked or out of form right now. Yeah, would agree there.

I've been thinking about England lineups on that score, and the only one from even vaguely recent past is the 2010-11 team that was world no. 1 for a while. But I think this team likely surpasses that one in batting.

Another thing, Smith is rapidly becoming a most reliable option both in front of and behind the stumps. The only thing missing now is a top of the line spinner, just to add another string to the bow beyond "doesn't matter how many you score, we'll chase it down".

Amen to that, superb advertisement for Test cricket.

Perhaps this team has now earned the right to a little faith and patience regarding the way they play?

An exemplary chase. I doubt there are many England teams that would have considered it, let alone chased it down with aplomb.

But seriously, tense times.

India out of reviews. Wonder if that might end up being a factor.

How many actual overs will we get in before bad light becomes a factor? Around 30?

Knives are out on the Beeb website for the player with an average of 58 because of style issues, then.

Excellent mockers, ser.

Hopefully Root can do his usual fourth innings thing here.

Most dangerous passage of play coming up.

I swear that Covid screwed with everyone's sense of time.

2022, if I remember right.

As a commenter on the Beeb coverage has just mentioned, what other England team in the past would have even considered this target in this time limit to be chaseable and gone for it?

The weather may end up having the final say, as it often does.

One session down, two to go.