All out for 60

Can England do better?

Holey Moley

Wha'ppen?

Radio now switched on

I'm sure England can still snatch a defeat!

Bell falls short again. Now I know I give him some stick and he played OK in the last game but he has scored so many singe figure innings that it looks silly I'm still being in the team.

England 2 down now but no panic yet. Anything over 200 will be great lead.

214 lead after the first day! Someone tell me what the hell happened:)

Worst "batting" performance I've ever seen from Australia. Absolutely pathetic stuff.

82/0 so far in the 2nd dig. If Australia come to their senses and bat for a day and a half, England could face a tricky 200-run chase for victory.

Maybe.

The catalytic comment

Will all be over by tonight at this rate....

So just 3 wickets in the morning and a nice long lunch down the pub to watch re runs of the Aussies first innings

...a bit more accurate Cooperman

Well that was a good mornings work for the lads! Make that a large bag of crisps then:)
Let's hope the next test goes as well.

Incredible turnaround for the well-drubbed lads of last year, not least for Cook whose obduracy has been vindicated. Michael Clarke is a shadow of himself atm but I hope he has a better showing in the Oval game to round off a wonderful career.

England's main aim now I would have thought is to learn how to win on pitches other than their own swinging back yards.

I have to take my hat off to Cook. He has played well, been unlucky not to get 100, but more importantly his captaincy has been excellent. I don't know what to think of the Moores era, did it start this revolution or did it just clear the old style and create a clean sheet ready for Fairbrace to prosper? Cook and other players have given credit to Moores so he can't have been all bad?

Whatever, it remains a remarkable result and with a very young team which goes well for the future. For Australia the challenge starts now they are getting rid of the dads army players.

It's been a series of (my) preconceptions being challenged.

Agree about Cook's captaincy. After months of frustration with "same old, same old", it just appears as if the shackles have been taken off and they have been given to act with a bit of flair (flair I didn't believe some of them had) even if that means failures en route - shades of 05 and KP being told to play it your way. Giving Woods and Stokes the chance to claim the final wicket was a genius captaincy move.

I have also really enjoyed the sportsmanship of this series (the gamesmanship of inviting the Aussies for a beer after Cardiff, was just about on the right side). No "broken arm" nonsense (I ended up feeling positively disposed toward Clarke and the grace he showed). NZ/McCullum should be given much of the credit.

I expected us to get absolutely tonked - and after seeing the carnage at Lords and the gulf in pace bowling on display there, put Cardiff down as an aberration. Delighted to have been proven wrong.

No way we would have won down-under, but I think one of the best things the series has done is given "belief" that we can do to others what we always fear/expect they will do to us.

Anyone else not quite feeling the intensity for this match...?!

England are clearly already on the beach, soaking up the Ashes glory, whilst the Aussies are playing for pride.

A very odd Ashes, as in the two games the Australians have won (or are about to win) they have been so dominant that you can't see how England could possibly get anything out of the series.

Unless Lyth gets a double ton in the second innings, I think his England days will be over - for a while, at least.

Yep, a tangible lethargy in recent comment, aghast no doubt at an apparent return to the not-too-distant habits of the recent past.

As ever the 'ifs' are tantalising - where has Peter Siddle been, why the strange exchange of Marshes and apparent inability of Australia's batters to adjust after the defeat in the 3rd test. Here at the Oval they've clearly learnt, but a match (and a critical Ashes-dependent one at that) too late.

Given the Oval's history of taking spin I was disappointed that with the urn on the mantelpiece England might have given Rashid a go along with a trial for a replacement opener for poor old Lyth. Moeen Ali might have been a possibility but he's doing so well down the order...

Ah...Lyth is done once more and must be contemplating a premium holiday from Test cricket....