Two new VI voting polls out today adding to the confusion – politicalbetting.com

Leon said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

Kaboom!

Er, is that in the best possible taste?

You may have to ban yourself

It is a word synonymous with Martin Boon of ICM and now DeltaPoll.

Since it seems to be a recent tradition I can report that my tesco shop arrived with all items, which is actually pretty unusual pre-Covid and pre-Brexit.

Confirmed:


Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
·
18s
#BREAKING: The Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. ambassador in Kabul has told staff there that four U.S. Marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three wounded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the briefing said. #Afghanistan

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

To be fair, the UK and US authorities in Kabul have been warning people for two days to not go to the airport, because of the threat of an imminent terrorist attack.

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Leon said:

Confirmed:


Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
·
18s
#BREAKING: The Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. ambassador in Kabul has told staff there that four U.S. Marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three wounded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the briefing said. #Afghanistan

Indeed. This is significant.

The Wall Street Journal
@WSJ
·
7m
Four U.S. Marines were among those killed in the explosions at Kabul airport, and three were wounded, the U.S. ambassador told staff, an official said

—

Very very bad for Biden

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Joe Root is great test player, but a poor test captain.

That wound be fun….

Présidentielle 2022: Michel Barnier va annoncer sa candidature à la primaire de la droite

https://twitter.com/bfmtv/status/1430885855053312002?s=21

Cookie said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm a bit puzzled that this is a suicide attack.
Normally suicide attacks are the cry of rage of the powerless. But the taliban are winning. Everyone is getting out. All their dreams are coming true. Who can be induced to blow themselves up in these circumstances?

There are ISIS units (former AQ) don't get on with the Taliban, see them a Guardianista types of Islamism. They have been fighting one another even before this.

LD on 14%?

Cookie said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm a bit puzzled that this is a suicide attack.
Normally suicide attacks are the cry of rage of the powerless. But the taliban are winning. Everyone is getting out. All their dreams are coming true. Who can be induced to blow themselves up in these circumstances?

ISIS-K want a civil war with the Taliban, apparently

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm pretty sure it is (but obviously can't be certain) because there are other videos of the same explosion which look similar, and they all hit social media today. Seems an odd thing to fake

Looks to me like the wrong time of day.

Yes, you might be right. Apologies if I have misled the forum

CarlottaVance said:

That wound be fun….

Présidentielle 2022: Michel Barnier va annoncer sa candidature à la primaire de la droite

https://twitter.com/bfmtv/status/1430885855053312002?s=21

I would be very interested to see what Barnier would be like as president. He was a hard nosed negotiator, and the snide commentary that surrounded the Brexit negotiations made lots of people look like children, but he was doing the job he was supposed to do. I'd be curious to see what his priorities and style would be when acting for France first.

Monkeys said:

LD on 14%?

Alex Cole-Hamilton effect spreading from Scotland.

FrancisUrquhart said:

Cookie said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm a bit puzzled that this is a suicide attack.
Normally suicide attacks are the cry of rage of the powerless. But the taliban are winning. Everyone is getting out. All their dreams are coming true. Who can be induced to blow themselves up in these circumstances?

There are ISIS units (former AQ) don't get on with the Taliban, see them a Guardianista types of Islamism. They have been fighting one another even before this.

That's a bit harsh on we true Guardianistas!

Also misleading since real Guardianistas are sensible middle-class lefties who love to espouse left causes but rarely man (or woman) the barricades - we're usually far too busy shopping in Waitrose.

85 deaths is the highest deatg figure this year in Afghanistan for a terrorist bombing when a school in Kabul was attacked.

ping said:

Leon said:

Confirmed:


Iran International English
@IranIntl_En
·
18s
#BREAKING: The Wall Street Journal is reporting the U.S. ambassador in Kabul has told staff there that four U.S. Marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three wounded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the briefing said. #Afghanistan

Indeed. This is significant.

The Wall Street Journal
@WSJ
·
7m
Four U.S. Marines were among those killed in the explosions at Kabul airport, and three were wounded, the U.S. ambassador told staff, an official said

—

Very very bad for Biden

What can he do? Nothing but terrible choices from here

If he retaliates (and many will demand that) who can he hit, and where will it end up? What's the point?

If he just accepts the deaths, and ends the evacuation, and scuttles, that looks appalling, and he will leave thousands behind

If he continues with the evacuation, more US soldiers, citizens and others will likely die

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Yep, give them half an hour in the fading light. A wicket or two from their top order, is worth more than a wicket or two from our bottom order.

Too late now.

turbotubbs said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Joe Root is great test player, but a poor test captain.

He’s not the best skipper, but there is no need to declare on day 2 when 333 up. Problem is who else is (a) guaranteed his place and (b) captain material? Butler? Not really fixed in the team, and not a huge fan of keepers as skippers.

Stokes when available.

Sandpit said:

To be fair, the UK and US authorities in Kabul have been warning people for two days to not go to the airport, because of the threat of an imminent terrorist attack.

One quite fierce irony (if it is true, there is so much misleading news) is this: apparently the intel that warned the US and UK about the imminent ISIS attack came from..... The Taliban

Which kinda makes sense. They would know

Leon said:

Cookie said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm a bit puzzled that this is a suicide attack.
Normally suicide attacks are the cry of rage of the powerless. But the taliban are winning. Everyone is getting out. All their dreams are coming true. Who can be induced to blow themselves up in these circumstances?

ISIS-K want a civil war with the Taliban, apparently

Of course they do. Just what Afghanistan needs right now, obviously.
Good grief, these people.
Unresolvable differences about what sort of dystopia they want?

IshmaelZ said:

turbotubbs said:

kle4 said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

There's no point even for an attacking captain, not with three full days left.

Quite. There are some very odd ideas out there. It’s not day four! You dont get the wickets back if you declare, and as has been pointed out, big runs have been made to win here in the recent past.

OK I am obviously having an unusually stupid day but what does You dont get the wickets back mean?

It means that 350/7 is the same as 350/10, if you declare. Those three wickets have gone, and with them the opportunity to score more runs.

Monkeys said:

LD on 14%?

More surprising that the Greens are supposedly on 6% and one poll has them on 8%!
In 2017 they got 1.6% and when many on the left were disillusioned with Corbyn they only crept up to 2.7%
These figures are for England and Wales because there is a separate Green party in Scotland.

IshmaelZ said:

turbotubbs said:

kle4 said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

There's no point even for an attacking captain, not with three full days left.

Quite. There are some very odd ideas out there. It’s not day four! You dont get the wickets back if you declare, and as has been pointed out, big runs have been made to win here in the recent past.

OK I am obviously having an unusually stupid day but what does You dont get the wickets back mean?

If you declare with 4 wickets in hand, and then need to chase a total you still only have 10 wickets. Better to get more runs with those first innings wickets, than have to chase them without.

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

What's the point? The Indians are not going to bat out the best part of three days There's no rain forecast; a decalration just before lunch tomorrow will be plenty early enough.

Sandpit said:

IshmaelZ said:

turbotubbs said:

kle4 said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

There's no point even for an attacking captain, not with three full days left.

Quite. There are some very odd ideas out there. It’s not day four! You dont get the wickets back if you declare, and as has been pointed out, big runs have been made to win here in the recent past.

OK I am obviously having an unusually stupid day but what does You dont get the wickets back mean?

It means that 350/7 is the same as 350/10, if you declare. Those three wickets have gone, and with them the opportunity to score more runs.

It's still only Day 2 - why wold you declare? We have probably got three days to bowl them out and a target they won't reach whenever we let them bat again.

That sub fielder is having a good day.

(Still no Gary Pratt though).

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

turbotubbs said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Joe Root is great test player, but a poor test captain.

He’s not the best skipper, but there is no need to declare on day 2 when 333 up. Problem is who else is (a) guaranteed his place and (b) captain material? Butler? Not really fixed in the team, and not a huge fan of keepers as skippers.

Stokes when available.

Stokes has lost every test he has captained.

(Ok, only one test, but I think all rounders have made terrible test captains for England, Flintoff and Botham for example.)

Can we not find a player who is a dead cert for their place but not carrying the team or talismanic, so they don't have the captaincy pressure on top of that?

IshmaelZ said:

turbotubbs said:

kle4 said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

There's no point even for an attacking captain, not with three full days left.

Quite. There are some very odd ideas out there. It’s not day four! You dont get the wickets back if you declare, and as has been pointed out, big runs have been made to win here in the recent past.

OK I am obviously having an unusually stupid day but what does You dont get the wickets back mean?

I disagree about there being no point. There is almost no danger at all in losing the game for lack of runs. Even if India recover the lead, England get to bat again. But there is a danger in not getting the wickets, particularly if Sunday is rainy. If you get a half hour to bowl at the end of the day from this position, take it.
But too late now to do that so all academic anyway.

Alistair said:

85 deaths is the highest deatg figure this year in Afghanistan for a terrorist bombing when a school in Kabul was attacked.

That was then when no one gave a fuck.

FrancisUrquhart said:

Benpointer said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

What's the point? The Indians are not going to bat out the best part of three days There's no rain forecast; a decalration just before lunch tomorrow will be plenty early enough.

I think the point is you get to bowl at them when they are tired and in fading light. Nobody likes to do that.

I don't think its a slam dunk one way or another.

I fundamentally disagree. Maybe I’m just scarred by being an England fan, but on this pitch on the third and fourth day, this Indian top 6 could easily score 400+ and then exert pressure. Not saying it’s likely, but surely on day 2(!) you maximise your runs, as time is not an issue. I repeat, if this was day 4, I’d agree.

kle4 said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

turbotubbs said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Joe Root is great test player, but a poor test captain.

He’s not the best skipper, but there is no need to declare on day 2 when 333 up. Problem is who else is (a) guaranteed his place and (b) captain material? Butler? Not really fixed in the team, and not a huge fan of keepers as skippers.

Stokes when available.

Stokes has lost every test he has captained.

(Ok, only one test, but I think all rounders have made terrible test captains for England, Flintoff and Botham for example.)

Can we not find a player who is a dead cert for their place but not carrying the team or talismanic, so they don't have the captaincy pressure on top of that?

I’d almost say Burns, but not sure of his skipper merit.

FrancisUrquhart said:

Conv w CEO last night "There is no 'return to work.' We've hired more than half our team in the last 18 months. They are all over the country, and we don't have office space. I don't know what the future model will be, but it certainly will look nothing like it did in 2019..."

https://twitter.com/jrichlive/status/1430927247192444929?s=20

Two anecdotes.

Firstly, Just:

Back in March 2020, our entire US workforce was in Los Angeles / Orange County, and our entire UK workforce was in London. Now, our US workforce is spread out across the US - we have two people in Ohio, one in Sacramento, etc. We no longer require people to be based near us. If they are, great! If they aren't, it's not the end of the world.

In the UK, we have actually given up our office space. We have more employees in the UK (and in the EU) than before, but they are all remote. This has also meant we can get people in Spain and Poland, and pay them local rates, rather than paying them London rates. Until we get really big, I wouldn't expect us to actually have a permanent London office again.

Secondly, PythonAnywhere:

PA is also going to be giving up its London office, and it's employees have "scattered". One is spending half his time in Lisbon and half in London. One has returned to Hong Kong (probably temporarily). Two new hires are in Poland. And the London based people are all working from home.

I think Covid is good for places with cheap, technically savvy young people. They can work for British (or American) companies without moving country.

It is bad for places with poor technological infrastructure. There is - for example - a massive gulf between Portugal (amazing connectivity) and Greece (dreadful).

It is good for places with good technical universities, and low cost of living. And bad for expensive places which don't.

O/T

Dex Dexter and Ted Dexter have sadly died at almost the same time. Dex Dexter was Joan Collins' boyfriend in Dynasty, real name Michael Nader.

rcs1000 said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Conv w CEO last night "There is no 'return to work.' We've hired more than half our team in the last 18 months. They are all over the country, and we don't have office space. I don't know what the future model will be, but it certainly will look nothing like it did in 2019..."

https://twitter.com/jrichlive/status/1430927247192444929?s=20

Two anecdotes.

Firstly, Just:

Back in March 2020, our entire US workforce was in Los Angeles / Orange County, and our entire UK workforce was in London. Now, our US workforce is spread out across the US - we have two people in Ohio, one in Sacramento, etc. We no longer require people to be based near us. If they are, great! If they aren't, it's not the end of the world.

In the UK, we have actually given up our office space. We have more employees in the UK (and in the EU) than before, but they are all remote. This has also meant we can get people in Spain and Poland, and pay them local rates, rather than paying them London rates. Until we get really big, I wouldn't expect us to actually have a permanent London office again.

Secondly, PythonAnywhere:

PA is also going to be giving up its London office, and it's employees have "scattered". One is spending half his time in Lisbon and half in London. One has returned to Hong Kong (probably temporarily). Two new hires are in Poland. And the London based people are all working from home.

I think Covid is good for places with cheap, technically savvy young people. They can work for British (or American) companies without moving country.

It is bad for places with poor technological infrastructure. There is - for example - a massive gulf between Portugal (amazing connectivity) and Greece (dreadful).

It is good for places with good technical universities, and low cost of living. And bad for expensive places which don't.

Estonia..... cheap, tech savvy, great English, amazing internet.

FrancisUrquhart said:

rcs1000 said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Conv w CEO last night "There is no 'return to work.' We've hired more than half our team in the last 18 months. They are all over the country, and we don't have office space. I don't know what the future model will be, but it certainly will look nothing like it did in 2019..."

https://twitter.com/jrichlive/status/1430927247192444929?s=20

Two anecdotes.

Firstly, Just:

Back in March 2020, our entire US workforce was in Los Angeles / Orange County, and our entire UK workforce was in London. Now, our US workforce is spread out across the US - we have two people in Ohio, one in Sacramento, etc. We no longer require people to be based near us. If they are, great! If they aren't, it's not the end of the world.

In the UK, we have actually given up our office space. We have more employees in the UK (and in the EU) than before, but they are all remote. This has also meant we can get people in Spain and Poland, and pay them local rates, rather than paying them London rates. Until we get really big, I wouldn't expect us to actually have a permanent London office again.

Secondly, PythonAnywhere:

PA is also going to be giving up its London office, and it's employees have "scattered". One is spending half his time in Lisbon and half in London. One has returned to Hong Kong (probably temporarily). Two new hires are in Poland. And the London based people are all working from home.

I think Covid is good for places with cheap, technically savvy young people. They can work for British (or American) companies without moving country.

It is bad for places with poor technological infrastructure. There is - for example - a massive gulf between Portugal (amazing connectivity) and Greece (dreadful).

It is good for places with good technical universities, and low cost of living. And bad for expensive places which don't.

Estonia..... cheap, tech savvy, great English, amazing internet.

Yep; alongside Poland and Portugal that would be in my tier one, with Spain and the Czech Republic in tier two.

rcs1000 said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Conv w CEO last night "There is no 'return to work.' We've hired more than half our team in the last 18 months. They are all over the country, and we don't have office space. I don't know what the future model will be, but it certainly will look nothing like it did in 2019..."

https://twitter.com/jrichlive/status/1430927247192444929?s=20

Two anecdotes.

Firstly, Just:

Back in March 2020, our entire US workforce was in Los Angeles / Orange County, and our entire UK workforce was in London. Now, our US workforce is spread out across the US - we have two people in Ohio, one in Sacramento, etc. We no longer require people to be based near us. If they are, great! If they aren't, it's not the end of the world.

In the UK, we have actually given up our office space. We have more employees in the UK (and in the EU) than before, but they are all remote. This has also meant we can get people in Spain and Poland, and pay them local rates, rather than paying them London rates. Until we get really big, I wouldn't expect us to actually have a permanent London office again.

Secondly, PythonAnywhere:

PA is also going to be giving up its London office, and it's employees have "scattered". One is spending half his time in Lisbon and half in London. One has returned to Hong Kong (probably temporarily). Two new hires are in Poland. And the London based people are all working from home.

I think Covid is good for places with cheap, technically savvy young people. They can work for British (or American) companies without moving country.

It is bad for places with poor technological infrastructure. There is - for example - a massive gulf between Portugal (amazing connectivity) and Greece (dreadful).

It is good for places with good technical universities, and low cost of living. And bad for expensive places which don't.

A friend who works for South Somerset District Council tells me that one of their planning officers is based in Alberta, Canada. You're probably not going to get a site visit if your planning applications gets allocated to him.

Counter to all this WFH, I am about to give up my long time WFHing and involved in a new opportunity that will be office based....always liked to go against the flow.

jonny83 said:

Is Biden going to do a press conference? 4 dead US Marines, surely he is going to have to speak to the nation?

Afternoon nap time....

FrancisUrquhart said:

Counter to all this WFH, I am about to give up my long time WFHing and involved in a new opportunity that will be office based....always liked to go against the flow.

Good luck!

Sandpit said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Counter to all this WFH, I am about to give up my long time WFHing and involved in a new opportunity that will be office based....always liked to go against the flow.

Good luck!

Not sure the wisest move (although I will still be working from home some of the time)...but extremely interesting opportunity and couldn't pass it up.

Mrs U probably be happy to get me out the house and out from under her feet.

DeClare said:

Monkeys said:

LD on 14%?

More surprising that the Greens are supposedly on 6% and one poll has them on 8%!
In 2017 they got 1.6% and when many on the left were disillusioned with Corbyn they only crept up to 2.7%
These figures are for England and Wales because there is a separate Green party in Scotland.

Is that right? Surely the Scottish Greens are no different to Scottish Conservatives etc - same name, same party, same vote tally.

Alistair said:

Andy_JS said:

Cookie said:

Richard_Nabavi said:

Leon said:

Footage of the Kabul Airport explosion (NB, no gore or blood or people visible)

It seems to be at least two or three different explosions? The last one is enormous. Suggests at least two or more suicide bombers. A well organised, sophisticated attack


https://twitter.com/LeakedReality/status/1430937364831035394?s=20

Is it real (i.e. really this attack) though?

I'm a bit puzzled that this is a suicide attack.
Normally suicide attacks are the cry of rage of the powerless. But the taliban are winning. Everyone is getting out. All their dreams are coming true. Who can be induced to blow themselves up in these circumstances?

It's not impossible to imagine the Taliban arranging a suicide attack in order to show the Americans they're serious about the deadline for leaving the country.

No, having ISIL-K blowong thenselves up shows that the Taliban do not have control of the country.

It is terrible for their standing and their abilty to project control over the scattered provinces.

It still seems odd to blow yourself up for essentially tactical reasons.
I mean, it seems odd to blow yourself up at all, but if you really insanely believe in something and are otherwise impotent, I can see how the pros and cons work out. But to blow yourself up so your lot of nutters get a slight tactical advantage over the other seemingly identically insane lot of nutters? It's like breaking your leg to prevent a throw-in.

MrEd said:

jonny83 said:

Is Biden going to do a press conference? 4 dead US Marines, surely he is going to have to speak to the nation?

I would imagine the risk now is that Biden feels the need to act tough by retaliating which makes things x100 times worse on the ground. His poll ratings are already sinking and this event will plunge them down further.

You then have the Harris factor. Latest poll out shows not only a very bad rating for her but also unprecedented negative numbers when it comes to people feeling very negative about her.

Not looking good.

Is Harris not even in the US at present ?

Interestingly Bidens whole argument to pull out of Afghanistan was because there hadn’t been a terrorist threat for 20 years.

And here we have ISIS-K (supposedly), looking to move in and fill a vacuum.

MarqueeMark said:

Sandpit said:

IshmaelZ said:

turbotubbs said:

kle4 said:

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

There's no point even for an attacking captain, not with three full days left.

Quite. There are some very odd ideas out there. It’s not day four! You dont get the wickets back if you declare, and as has been pointed out, big runs have been made to win here in the recent past.

OK I am obviously having an unusually stupid day but what does You dont get the wickets back mean?

It means that 350/7 is the same as 350/10, if you declare. Those three wickets have gone, and with them the opportunity to score more runs.

It's still only Day 2 - why wold you declare? We have probably got three days to bowl them out and a target they won't reach whenever we let them bat again.

Yes, batting on too long is a risk and does happen, but that's not where this match is at.

Richard_Nabavi said:

rcs1000 said:

CarlottaVance said:

That wound be fun….

Présidentielle 2022: Michel Barnier va annoncer sa candidature à la primaire de la droite

https://twitter.com/bfmtv/status/1430885855053312002?s=21

I quite like M. Barnier - he was by far the pick of the EU negotiators and AIUI, was usually sober.

He has a good, sly, sense of humour.

He's also a realist who will be motivated by what is in the French national interest...rather than the EU's.

Andy_JS said:

Some captains would take the ultra-attacking move of declaring before the end of play, but I don't think Joe Root will do it.

Nahh. Keep the scoreboard ticking over...