Who is popular today?

Over-by-over updates from the match at Old Trafford
The Spin: Ian Bell the prodigy who finally came of age
Get in touch! Drop Tim an email or tweet @TimdeLisle

12.08pm BST
Afternoon everyone and welcome to yet another international series, England’s sixth and last of this peculiar summer. So far, they’ve won four (both Test series, ODIs v Ireland, T20 v Australia) and drawn one (T20s v Pakistan). Is it time for them to lose?
The Aussies, after winning the final T20 match, go to Manchester with a modicum of momentum. They may pick all three of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins – a trident if ever there was one. And their ropey middle order will be suddenly steelier for the arrival of Marnus Labuschagne, who sounds like something out of Harry Potter and makes runs like a machine. He only won his first baggy yellow cap this year, but already has 300 runs at an average of 50, and has made it to 40 every time he’s got off the mark. Continue reading...