This defeat, coupled with the winter tour debacle, is ample proof for me that a bit of change is needed.

Personally, I feel Bopara and Strauss are on borrowed time.....Bopara is just another Morgan - No temprament for Test cricket, while Strauss is just running out of juice, if you get my drift.

Cook is proving a decent skipper at the One Day game, so I'd be looking for him to step up.

As for the bowling, I think if we are to continue with the 4 man attack, then Bresnan has to go - Solid and dependable, but little threat, he'd do in a 5 man attack, but lacks the edge needed for your third seamer.

As a bit of an aside, what has happened to Chris Tremlett??.....Not long back, he looked like the long lost love child of Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose, but now seems to have disappeared.....It would be lovely to have him back firing and fully fit, especially for Leeds, where he'd be mighty dangerous.

Didn't Tremlett get injured and then just vanish? I would have Finn above Bresnan as a bowler but they obviously like Bresnan as he can bat.

If Strauss goes then who opens?

I think Tremlett is still injured?

I reckon Bresnan is ahead of Finn not just because of his batting, but because he fits in with Flower & Strauss' plans of keeping pressure on after first change. Unfortunately, teams are starting to suss this out.

Not sure how many chances Bopara will get. May be time to try people like Stokes or Woakes as an all rounder, and get a pace bowler into the team for Bresnan.

I changed my work shifts last Christmas and was hoping to get to some regular games this year but they've just never fallen right. Hoping to make the Netherlands CB40 game on the 12th now that the Wigan/Wire game has been moved.

The two heroic draws in 09/10 helped disguise the fact that SA are generally much stronger than Eng. They are clearly prone to having bad days and Tahir isnt anything special, so I dont think we're completely out of the series. But I think they've got our measure.

India beaten inside 20 overs by Sri Lanka. Which wouldn't be bad if it was a t20, but it was an ODI. Thisara Perera didn't concede a run until he'd taken three wickets.

Sussex hit 38 in an over against Gloucestershire.

No doubt it will all be Bresnan's fault and the clamour for Finn's inclusion will increase from the southern based media.

Despite the fact he has better Test batting, bowling and strike rate figures than one Oakham School educated former England player's son.

And why were those England players with Home Counties teams released for the T20s but the northern ones not?

The northern ones are all bowlers and are being given a rollocking?

Enjoyable evening at Headingley. Even when the cricket flags you can amuse yourself watching what could be described as "Pointless tasks given to stewards". On one side of the ground they spent the evening trying to stop spectators moving into unoccupied areas. Slowly working their way sideways as the stand became too full. It was like watching a battle being gradually lost.

They also designated one half of the north east stand as a "Family Stand" ie no alcohol. But they only had one tiny sign indicating this fact. Hence groups would take their seats, send one of their number off to the bar, only to be told when he returned with the beer "you cant drink here". Of course by then the side of the stand where drinks are allowed was full of non drinking families.

I'm sure someone is employed by Yorks CCC with the sole task of dreaming up ways of annoying speccies.

Cracking day out at Headingley yesterday. G4S laughably inept and gave up trying to steward the Western Terrace.
Mitchell Starc unavailable for finals day though - Aus got an ODI against Afghanistan.

Think I'm in the North Stand, will PM you when I know for sure.

Bopara out (personal reasons) and James Taylor in for Headingley, so we'll either have a new man to suffer the curse of the England #6 or bring Finn in and go with five bowlers.

Looking at the forecast, draw seems a strong favourite. Can see the refund policy coming into effect and another bath taken by the club.

That's what happens when you give these Northerners international cricket.

Best to keep all the important games south of Birmingham - although judging by the organisation of T20 finals day at a small ground stuck away in the corner of the country I thought that was already ECB policy...