Tom, NJ: The woodwork must be a crowded place right now with all of the "drop Ballance" commenters crawling back in...

Ed Smith
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"The England bowling unit is a terrific fielding quartet. Anderson is superb, Stokes is one of the best fielders in the side, Jordan is a excellent fielder, and Broad is a pretty good outfielder for a bowler."

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Smith looks happy to get off strike with a single, while Bravo steers a two through the covers. A funked-up version of "Rally Round The West Indies" is played between overs, they certainly need to rally in this game.

HH Rawlins: What's the deal with all these cross-armed bowlers? There are five bowlers in the current England side, all right-arm, but only one of them bats right-handed. Is this a modern phenomenon or has it always been like that and I just hadn't noticed?

Big appeal for lbw against Smith, is that the record-equaller for Anderson? The umpire shakes his head, England opt against a review, it looked a little high...

Image source, Getty Images

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"Devon Smith is one of these players who looks all right, but just doesn't get enough runs. You can't win Test matches with batsmen who only average 24."

With off-spin supposedly Devon Smith's personal Kryptonite, it's James Tredwell to continue, and Smith guides a two.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"Devon Smith averaged 5.8 in Test cricket against Graeme Swann, and against all off-spinners he averages 8.3."

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An Aussie in Wales: Is anything more fickle than an English cricket supporter?

Anderson, one wicket short of equalling Sir Ian Botham's record let's not forget, finds the edge but fortune favours Bravo as he nicks it just wide of Chris Jordan at gully for four. Reprieved, he threads a two through extra cover.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"He's got the mind for it, and a better technique about playing the quicks. Apaart from Jerome Taylor, the quicks here won't trouble you. Australia will. Ballance does sit on the back foot and then come forward, so he's better than Trott who has got out twice on the walk. Get some money on, Jonathan - KP and Cook opening against Australia!"

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

"If they don't solve the problem, they'll have a real problem going into the Ashes. It's a personal view, but I don't see Jonathan Trott opening against Australia at Cardiff. So because of Cook's form, they could get Lyth in now."

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Thanks, James. That pre-tea Tredwell over has allowed James Anderson to have a change of ends, he will open proceedings again at the Sir Curtly Ambrose End.

Time for me to hand you back to Mark Mitchener, who will take you through to the close...

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"They made the decision to keep Ballance at three and get Trott back into the team by making him open - it's backfired. So now, you either carry on with Trott, and Lyth doesn't have a go, or you have to find an opener. Trott's not an opener. I've solved the problem - the openers against New Zealand will be Adam Lyth and KP!"

Howard Horner: I criticised Broad earlier this Test match. I would just like to apologise! He looks back near to his best.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"The great players and teams in any sport have a confidence and arrogance about them. You've got to move around as if they want to win the game. You should easily get 15 overs in per hour. Show you mean business - and that has to come from the captain and the coach."

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EL in Sunderland: Back in the mid 90s, I was batting for Whitburn CC against Eppleton CC in a Durham Senior League fixture at Whitburn, which is on the coast between Sunderland and South Shields. I was at the non-striker's end when I noticed a small dot in the distance above the trees. It rapidly became a larger dot which even more rapidly turned into a Dutch Air Force F-16 which thundered over the ground at treetop height on its way to the annual Sunderland airshow. Players and spectators ducked and scattered everywhere and it took a fair few minutes before play could resume. The best part was the look on the opposition professional's face - a certain Jimmy Adams, who at the time was on the verge of becoming West Indies captain. Bet that never happened at Lord's...

Was the World Cup as much of a shambles as it appeared?

More from Alex Hales on TMS: "Ultimately, we're judged on performances and results. We're not hiding from the fact we're a bit embarrassed about what happened. But there are some talented young players around and this summer is a great chance to impress against two of the best sides in the world in New Zealand and Australia. We've learnt from the World Cup, hopefully we can get rid of that fear of failure."

Where is English cricket at now?

More from Alex Hales on TMS: "It's a rebuilding phase for us in limited-overs cricket, but we're number three in the world in Test cricket, and there's enough young talent around to lift us in limited-overs. The Ashes will be very closely contested, I think it will be a very close series and I know we'd like to put one over on New Zealand."