Live updates from the Bay Oval as
England look to mount recoveryImperious Watling frustrates England in first TestEmail Daniel | or tweet @DanielHarris 9.43pm GMT
“Evening Daniel,” emails Finbar Anslow. “From sodden Piedmont, I’ve been doing a bit of research about tailenders’ batting order; obviously runs are important but more so the ability to stick around. Either way if we take the Ashes averages I reckon it should be Leach (Ave 13.5 runs. Ave 40.7 balls faced) before Broad (Ave 12.2 runs. Ave 27 balls faced) and finally Archer (Ave 6.8 runs. Ave 12.7 balls faced) or is there some other determining factor I’m missing here?”
Piedmont! I feel like I’m back in History A-level, albeit considerably less state-altered. It might depend on circumstances – if you want someone to have a swing, Leach comes in last. But if you want someone to stick about while the batsman tries to bat, it makes no sense to have him below Archer, whose batting is not all that much like batting. 9.40pm GMT
BJ Watling tells Ian Ward that England’s bowlers “asked some pretty good questions of us”, and that he had to work hard for his runs. He says that there are some crack appearing in the pitch and it wasn’t easy to score runs. Ward then tells him that his team-mates say he’s useless at 400-4, but great at 140-6 – I can scarcely conceive of a greater compliment.