Steve Smith has been ruled out of the next test match at Leeds on medical grounds.

A massive plus for England.

A sensible decision, it was unwise to allow him to return to bat on Saturday.

No excuses left for England now we win the Series 3-1.

Lets hope the Yorkies have produced a decent pitch. They have been a tad slow this summer.

Quickenthetempo wrote:Lets hope the Yorkies have produced a decent pitch. They have been a tad slow this summer.

Yorkies are always a tad slow - it's in their genes.

kentonclaret wrote:No excuses left for England now we win the Series 3-1.

Depends if he plays in the last two tests.

Yorkies a tad slow? Including Johnny Wardle?

Got tickets for Thursday, looking forward to it. Weather forecast looking good for all 5 days at the moment.

jrgbfc wrote:Got tickets for Thursday, looking forward to it. Weather forecast looking good for all 5 days at the moment.

There's a few still available in the new Emerald stand, but at £130 a do I will watch it on the telly.

I might go on the last day if it lasts that long.

£130!!!!! Hellfire.

Quickenthetempo wrote:There's a few still available in the new Emerald stand, but at £130 a do I will watch it on the telly.

I might go on the last day if it lasts that long.

We've paid 80 quid to go on the Western Terrace. Think they're trying to cash in on the fact that they haven't had an Ashes test for a long time.

There have been cheaper tickets on sale but the restricted view and severe restricted view does nothing to tempt me to the ground.

Not a ground I like.

Once got stung by a wasp when I was running in from the kirkstell lane end

Local cricketer wrote:Not a ground I like.

Once got stung by a wasp when I was running in from the kirkstell lane end

streaking ?

Marney&Mee wrote:streaking ?

No channelling my inner Bob Willis

I'm there with mates on Sunday for day 4.

Even less convinced I will see a lot of action on day 4 (if any) with Smith now being ruled out. An England and Australian batting collapse is almost customary, but at least the Aussies could rely on Smith to stay in for a long time. I'll pray for Root to pick up some form!

Im there for Day 3. £100 but decent view (NE Stand I think). Only live 5 mins up the road so no costs or hassle around travel and transport makes £100 not seem as pricey.

Weather forecast looking good for the 5 days so without Smith hopefully we'll be in control and on our way to equalising the series come Saturday

jrgbfc wrote:We've paid 80 quid to go on the Western Terrace. Think they're trying to cash in on the fact that they haven't had an Ashes test for a long time.

That new stand they have built won't pay for itself.
Lots of grumbles and cries of 'ow much?' from the Yorkshire folk I know when the ticket prices were announced.

Looking forward to going on Friday. Weather looks set, should be a good test match.

Rileybobs wrote:Looking forward to going on Friday. Weather looks set, should be a good test match.

I see there are still a few tickets left Friday I am weighing up going last minute myself.

Believe it or not it's raining in Leeds ATM,it is forecast to improve but after the disruption at Lords who knows.

Toss delayed- there is obviously no confirmed team news yet but Australia look set to drop opener Cameron Bancroft and replace him with Marcus Harris, while they may also bring back James Pattinson for Peter Siddle.

Australia have already confirmed Marnus Labuschagne will come in for Steve Smith.

Assuming Roy's fit England will be unchanged i presume.

Surprised at the Aussies considering dropping Siddle,but maybe back-to-back tests are an effort at his age.

Covers being removed,toss due at 11:05,and play will hopefully commence at 11:20,looks like a bowling day with the cloud cover,so difficult decision for whoever wins the toss.

England win the toss and bowl

tybfc wrote:England win the toss and bowl

On balance and with Smith's absence that's probably the right call,Broad and Woakes should find these conditions helpful,and 3/4 wickets before lunch could really put England in the box seat,of course that means potentially facing Lyon in the 4th innings,but it's worth the risk if we can roll them over for less than 200,which without Smith we would have done twice already.

OH! bullocks it's raining again another delay bloomin English summer.

Weather doing exactly as predicted. Wet this morning and chance of the odd bit of light rain this aft but after at that 4 dry days.

In normal circumstances its a no brainer to bowl but with the fragility of both teams batting any second innings lead is gonna be tough for either team to chase down batting last. As the Aussie guy said, not a bad toss to lose.

Need this rain to move on quickly else out early advantage will be gone

Should never have had the toss if it’s forecast to rain so soon after. England could lose this game before a ball is bowled if Australia now get to start in sunshine.

Play due to start at 12:10

3 day test. Max.

Better pitches down dog-sh1t drive than the Yorkies know how to prepare.

Archer strikes with last ball before going off for rain

Arghhh! Keep that iron hot, England.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote:Archer strikes with last ball before going off for rain

Impeccable timing from Jofra,there was only 4 overs in that spell of play,but the Australians didn't look comfortable whatsoever,Warner will be relieved to still be not out,Broad's tormenting him again,just can't find the edge.

25/2 Broad gets Khawaja

Off for rain again 39-2,Warner worries me he's played and missed loads,and yet he's still there 18 not out,also he's due a score at same stage,amazingly he's never scored a hundred in England,hope i've not jinxed it now .

If you were nit-picking,England have bowled slightly too short,need to pitch a yard or so up inviting the drive,sure you might concede a boundary or two,but you've got more chance of a nick,5 slips when Warner was facing good aggressive captaincy from Root,more of the same please Joe.

Local cricketer wrote:No channelling my inner Bob Willis

Thats what he said streaking ... shaking your Bob and Willy

Off for bad light
Crazy

as a non cricketing fan who has just seen they've been taken off because of the light - why don't they swap the red ball for a white one ?

Today's weather is bittersweet for me since I'm going on day 4, so I might get a full day's action, although it's obviously not doing England any favours...

Vegas Claret wrote:as a non cricketing fan who has just seen they've been taken off because of the light - why don't they swap the red ball for a white one ?

Then they would have to change the sight screens to black ... then they would have to change the clothing for colours instead of whites....

Crowd not happy and i don't blame them,England were happy to go on,the cheating convicts couldn't wait to get off,as it happens if England were batting they should still have been playing,apparently the batsman can't see the ball,yeah right that's why he's just clipped a lovely 4 through mid-wicket,and to cap it all they wait for 10 minutes and then announce tea,why not just go off for tea straight away,they're obviously not coming back until after the interval anyway bonkers!,how are you going to engage new cricketing fans,of which they're are many after the WC,if they go off at the drop of a hat,it's incidents like this and the constant messing about between overs,sometimes even between deliveries that turn many people off,the over rates have been abysmal for most of the series,and that's often with one or sometimes even two spinners bowling.

It’s fair to say the crowd are not happy about this. "This is what will kill Test cricket," one guy says to me. Slow hand claps, boos, shouts of "I’ve paid for this umpire."

The umpires have have been ridiculous today. Too long to come out to start, too long to decide to come back out from the small shower this afternoon. Now this. Need to sort it out. Fans in the stands paying money to sit around and be messed about.

Taking players off while conditions are like this is just yet another example of cricket shooting itself in the foot. We talk about getting kids into watching cricket, and then we see the umpires taking the players off at the drop of a hat. What a joke.

Be time for tea soon, I'd imagine? Hard graft, that Test cricket.

That's a snippet from the Beeb's text coverage,test cricket doesn't help itself,it really doesn't.

This made me laugh to lighten the mood.

The umpires are less popular in Leeds today than Lanky the Giraffe, wearing full Lancashire gear, shouting anti-Yorkshire chants in the middle of Kirkgate Market.

Now come on own up who's the guilty party.

Jimmy Anderson update he'll play another 2nd XI match on 27th August at Chester Broughton Hall CC against Durham,i still have reservations he'll be ready for OT,but he'll be desperate to play if possible.

I see they're back out after tea and the batters are seeing it well enough now,absolute farce them coming off earlier.

The good news for England is the ball is swinging more then it was doing,they just need to put it in the right areas often enough and the wickets will come.

91-2 not looking the best ideals to bowl first now. Especially with good weather tomorrow.

Hopes to curse it

Poor from England this session so far, gifting them runs.

tiger76 wrote:Crowd not happy and i don't blame them,England were happy to go on,the cheating convicts couldn't wait to get off,as it happens if England were batting they should still have been playing,apparently the batsman can't see the ball,yeah right that's why he's just clipped a lovely 4 through mid-wicket,and to cap it all they wait for 10 minutes and then announce tea,why not just go off for tea straight away,they're obviously not coming back until after the interval anyway bonkers!,how are you going to engage new cricketing fans,of which they're are many after the WC,if they go off at the drop of a hat,it's incidents like this and the constant messing about between overs,sometimes even between deliveries that turn many people off,the over rates have been abysmal for most of the series,and that's often with one or sometimes even two spinners bowling.

It’s fair to say the crowd are not happy about this. "This is what will kill Test cricket," one guy says to me. Slow hand claps, boos, shouts of "I’ve paid for this umpire."

The umpires have have been ridiculous today. Too long to come out to start, too long to decide to come back out from the small shower this afternoon. Now this. Need to sort it out. Fans in the stands paying money to sit around and be messed about.

Taking players off while conditions are like this is just yet another example of cricket shooting itself in the foot. We talk about getting kids into watching cricket, and then we see the umpires taking the players off at the drop of a hat. What a joke.

Be time for tea soon, I'd imagine? Hard graft, that Test cricket.

That's a snippet from the Beeb's text coverage,test cricket doesn't help itself,it really doesn't.

This made me laugh to lighten the mood.

The umpires are less popular in Leeds today than Lanky the Giraffe, wearing full Lancashire gear, shouting anti-Yorkshire chants in the middle of Kirkgate Market.

Now come on own up who's the guilty party.

Jimmy Anderson update he'll play another 2nd XI match on 27th August at Chester Broughton Hall CC against Durham,i still have reservations he'll be ready for OT,but he'll be desperate to play if possible.

I see they're back out after tea and the batters are seeing it well enough now,absolute farce them coming off earlier.

The good news for England is the ball is swinging more then it was doing,they just need to put it in the right areas often enough and the wickets will come.

Rules are rules and the light meter doesn't lie
But like the comment said cricket doesn't half shoot it's self in the foot
ICC should at least turn the sensitivity down a notch or 2
As I'm typing Warner never saw that one

Bosscat wrote:Then they would have to change the sight screens to black ... then they would have to change the clothing for colours instead of whites....

good explanation ! cheers

Great last couple of hours or so.
Stokes gets the main man. To a full toss!!

Last time I looked 132 - 2 BLOODY HELL

31 runs scored by 9 of the 11 batsmen for the Ozzies

Archer takes 6.
Aussies out for 179.

Archer was fantastic looks like taking a wicket every over never mind every spell he has

And to think a lot were complaining this afternoon....

Now we have to bat like we want to win this bloody series

Archer will be the world's best in no time at this rate.

He's unplayable.

Bosscat wrote:And to think a lot were complaining this afternoon....

Now we have to bat like we want to win this bloody series

What's the weather forecast for that backwater tomorrow?