Steady on lads, it's a five day test y'know!

Ashton Agar. I don't think there's much more that needs to be said really.

I'd never heard of him.

Think he will be batting higher-up in the next match!

Absolutely gutted for him. Batting 11 and out for 98. Most deserved standing ovation I've seen in a while.

Given it was his international debut, there's no likelihood you would have.

So, should Stuart Broad have walked?

The purist's answer is 'yes of course he should', the pragmatist's answer is 'There is not one member of the Australian team who would walk in identical circumstances, so why should Broad'.

One thing's for sure, he's put the match referee in an awkward position. The match referee who just happens to be his father, ex-international cricketer Chris Broad.

Hang on just a cotton picking minute. Who the hell decided to have a match referee who is father to one of the players? That's just bonkers and frankly is asking for trouble.

The umpiring team in general seem to have had a bit of a howler this test.

The match referee wasn't involved in the decision, so there's no defined conflict of interest. I assume the ICC go with the same line as FIFA - the assumption is the referee is scrupulously neutral unless there's obvious proof he's operated in a partisan way i..e they get the benefit of the doubt.


Even the replay technology has screwed up tbh.

No he should not have walked - apart from Adam Gilchrist - I can't think of another recent Aussie player who would have done.

Especially after that awful decision re. Trott.

Second test begins today - start of play delayed for 15 minutes because The Queen wants to meet the teams . I hear on good authority she bowls a mean off-break.

Oh [LIFTED]...

+1. Give queenie a bat, she can't do any worse than this shower..

Hmm England 28-3 - not looking good

Bad batting ?

Cook & Pietersen I'd say so. Decision on Root's LBW was very borderline - they appealed it but the replay wasn't conclusive enough to over rule the umpire. Looked to me like the ball hit bat & pad pretty much simultaneously but you can see why the decision stood.

Bell makes a century again to push England's total towards respectability but there's a mini collapse on in the lower order once he got out. Looks like play is going to end with England on roughly 290-7. How we're (apparently) the world's best test team with an upper batting order that's so dreadfully out of form is beyond me....