draw- well done Australia

Actualy they are much closer to getting it than I thought. England could be sweating on this one.

This pair has got to stay together for at least another 15 overs. They will inevitable put on 70ish runs in the process if they do so which will set up an amazing finale- 5 wickets 130ish to get 10 overs plus the hour for either side to win it. However, if the 6th wicket goes before that point, England will do it.

I am listening to TMS over t'internet. Australia on schedule to get the runs- 330 needed off 80 overs.

Just seen it is 399 off 98 overs- that has to be achievable by a great Australian side.

He has probably managed to work out that Jack Walker no longer attends games.

After all the panics about Warne turning it square on the last day if England had been in position to enforce the follow-on, Warne took zero wickets in England's second innings! Three big asks today: Manchester weather to stay fine/ no bad light. England to get ten wickets on a fairly benign pitch- this is all about taking chances. More wicket keeping melodrama and we are sunk. Australia- if this is a truly great side, 399 runs in 90 overs is very doable. Nobody has made a century yet. I wonder if any Australian has it in him to do a Gordon Greenidge and hit a fast double ton to win the Test on the last day? Get your money on a draw.

Three observations having seen the TV recording: - West Ham were smart. They saw our weaknesses and gradually played to their strengths to exploit them. There seemed to be no equivalent intelligence on our side. Where was the experience and leadership from Savage/Todd. - Savage and Reid seem to be too similar in terms of style to be effective together. All action, good runners, strong tacklers but limited otherwise. Passing from Reid was woeful and from savage very limited. - Pedersen was very lazy when he lofted that shot over the bar. The player seems to have a problem with concentrating which is the biggest failing in his game. Bellamy also missed a sitter when we were 3-1 down. Combined with the goal line clearances, we created enough chances to have beaten W Ham even though we disintegrated. This defeat is a huge wake up call for everybody at the club.

293-9 Jones 5 wickets

1-1 Fulham still have Malbranque and Boa Morte. We couldn't cope in May so why should we do so now? However, I expect Sparky will find a way of stemming the damage but finding a way of getting the midfield to make dangerous passes (dangerous to the opposition, not dangerously reckless like yesterday) from open play will be beyond the coaching staff. At least we don't have to worry about defending an unbeaten start to the season.

Mark Hughes' after match comments on the official board are one of the few grounds for optimism following yesterday's defeat. Certainly, it is very unlikely that West Ham will have another 45 minutes in the Premiership where everything will fall for them just so right as it did in the second half yesterday. We made their good breaks for them. As for Dickov- he had gone up to Emerton to give him a piece of his mind immediately after the third goal so was obviously wound up and passionate. Another interpretation is that he was an idiot. I would imagine that the Rovers appearance before the FA because of our disciplinary record will be coming up this week. All the arguments from Hughes and William of new season, new approach etc. can be chucked in the bin now. Guess the fine went up another £25K or so when Dickov lunged in.

Great day for Australia- all three sessions went their way. Fortunately, England are still in a potential match-winning position. However, we need good weather and three quick wickets or we can forget about winning this Test.

How do the Rovers manage to make me feel ashamed to be a Rovers fan quite so often? Dickov and Emerton were utterly unprofessional.

Suddenly this is a very big game for us.

or until it stops raining?

Just taken hotmail off my PC preferring Skype and MSN (Skype is brilliant- can have multiple conversations as well as chat!) but I can log in through another account.

I've just tried the chat section to see whether we can go online today but it looped me back to the forums. Is this completely dead now? I guess I'd better ring round the bars of San julian's to find out who is carrying the Rovers game- the Britannia Bar has closed to make way for a new road.

Word of warning- anyone getting into difficulty with the Old bill will not be going. Zero tolerance will no doubt catch some innocents as well.

Three London clubs in the first three games. Here's hoping we give them all a lesson in how the noble game should be played. The Guardian's writers have their stab at 1 to 20 here. two put us challenging for Europe, the rest well down the bottom half but not in trouble.

Islam in fact being the more recent religion is generally recognised as a more advanced theology and does not promote primitive teachings. Islamic philosophy, mathematics, archectural design, engineering have all been in advance of those practised by Christians at numerous stages throughout history. A very interesting poll carried out by the BBC showed a sizeable majority of British muslims in favour of islamic teaching in the UK to be carried out in English. Christianity outlawed preaching the Bible in English for centuries and within my life time was conducting services in latin. Religions and their institutions by their very nature are conservative and slow moving but I have enormous confidence in the strength of Islam to preach the message of peace and to survive the great stresses it is going through at present. Would there have been the "radicalisation" had the Soviets not invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and the West intervened by finding the only muslims willing to take up arms against the Soviets?- the small minority of nutcase clerics who promised 72 virgins to every youngster willing to go to certain death against the Russian tanks and armour.

Good first day for England helped by the Aussies having a bad one but its still very possible for England to be all out sub-400 and a couple of Aussie to make big tons on that track. No need for rain dancing by either side.

Another prediction, this time from a Spurs supporter. I think its very well argued and pretty fair. Incidentally don't moan until you get to the bottom. Then moan then realise what he is really saying.

Nelsen has told New Zealand Radio that he doesn't think his knee will be ready for this week-end.

The official site has a figure of 11,200 season tickets sold or 2,000 down on this time last year. I guess its going to be important the Rovers get off to a good start in the Prem to raise interest levels. English season ticket prices are the highest in Europe according to this report. The FA Premiership response to Lib Dem Don Foster's point about normal market forces not working is a classic piece of not answering the question put. It seems ordinary rules of supply and demand only work at Ewood

Thenodrog's Islamophobia seems totally out of control so its almost pointless explaining that stonings for adultery are so rare that the western press picks up on them from the rural back of beyond in Nigeria or Pakistan. As I've pointed out, the Bible also has some pretty outlandish punishments prescribed. This is gruesome reading. It recounts systematic murder, rape and torture perpetrated by Christians on Muslims in Europe in one town (largely unknown to the world at large) within the last ten years. I condemn this utterly as much as I abhor the executions of Iran, and the barbaric excesses of Shariah.