We're just a squirty flower and collapsible car away from a full on circus out there. Alex Hales rocks back and punches straight to the man at cover - Babar Azam - who seems to have hands made of fog as the ball goes right through his long barrier for four. Hasan shakes his head, just as Amir did the previous over.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special

That was a ghastly piece of fielding. Roy won't complain but Mohammad Amir is not very happy.

Well, Roy has made it past his Lord's effort. He is also helped off the mark with some shocking fielding on the edge at backward square as Nawaz and Hassan come together, both hesitate and allow the ball to roll to the rope beyond the former's despairing dive. It has been a long tour.

In contrast to Lord's, this wicket doesn't have a bit of green on it. It looks as flat as the Wicked Witch of the East. Here comes Mohammad Amir to Jason Roy...

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Alex Hales needs a big game. His knock at Lord's was one of the worst I've seen for England in ten years. A lot of people will work him out very quickly, but Trent Bridge is a tricky ground to keep everyone quiet with the ball. Today is his best opportunity.

Image source, PA

We've got youngsters waving flags of St George and Jerusalem blaring out. Two hints that we just moments away from our third England v Pakistan ODI of the summer.

Swanny wins for me.

Scorchio!published at 13:52 British Summer Time 30 August 2016

13:52 BST 30 August 2016

BBC Weather's Peter Gibbs on TMS: "The summer's left the best for last - it'll be 24 degrees in the shade at Trent Bridge. The sun will go down just before 8pm, but it will stay warm and dry. All in all, perfect cricket weather."

So, Ben Stokes is back in the bowling pool today, further strengthening an attack that has already proved too hot for the tourists to handle. Mark Wood, Liam Plunkett, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and now Ben Stokes (not to mention Joe Root's golden arm). Good luck Pakistan.

First, though, they have to figure out how to keep England's batsmen quiet.

Looks pretty good to me...

Right, here's how both sides line up:

England: Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan (capt), Stokes, Buttler (wk), Ali, Woakes, Rashid, Plunkett, Wood.

Pakistan: Sami, Sharjeel, Azhar (capt), Babar, Sarfraz, Malik, Nawaz, Wahah, Hasan, Yasir, Amir.

England are unchanged, while Nawaz comes in for an unfit Imad Wasim for Pakistan.

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali: "It looks a very good wicket, we will come hard at England and try to get early wickets to get momentum. 

"The best thing is to stay positive. Sometimes if you're not performing, heads go down, but we have good players and everyone is very positive. 

"We make one change as Imad Wasim took a blow in the last game and Mohammad Nawaz comes in."

England captain Eoin Morgan: "It's important for us not to take our position in this series lightly. it's important for us to build and take this series to a position where we can win it.

"There's always more to learn, particularly in the field. Getting that consistency is important - it's the glue that holds us together.

"Trent Bridge has been a kind ground for us and we've chased well here. Certainly it feels like a bat day and hopefully we can produce a winning score."

England win the toss and are going to have a bat first. Excellent.

Image source, Getty Images

Pakistan need to do something today. Lose today and this series is over.

Here is the toss...

Image source, Getty Images

Will Pakistan chop and change again today? They will certainly be without Mohammad Hafeez again, who missed the second ODI and has returned home with a calf injury.

Sami Aslam might come back in at the top of the order, which was badly exposed by England's bowlers at Lord's.

Image source, Getty Images

What would probably help England to wield the willow with explosive freedom again is if they get to bat first.

In the first two ODIs, the tourists - who, by their own admission, are going through a period of transition - have set a modest modern one-day score, allowing England to take their time. 

We watch the Trent Bridge toss with interest.

Image source, Getty Images

It is the sign of a good side that they are able to keep winning despite not playing at their best. It is a habit the England one-day side appear to have acquired.

The first two ODIs of this series have seen England perform well, but short of the scintillating brilliance they have demonstrated over an unbeaten run that stretches back to last April. Yes, April.