Ali Martin’s match report is in, so that’s enough from me. Thanks for joining!
Another thought I’d like to share into the void: I’m keen to see what Bashir offers tomorrow having been an audience member at Lord’s. It’s not really turned all that much today but it’s a good pitch to bat on and he’ll be required from one end.
Despite his struggles in India after that Hyderabad magnum opus, Pope’s overall record in the Stokes-McCullum era is pretty impressive. Twenty-two Tests have brought 1,597 runs at 42.02, with five hundreds and a strike rate of 74.
A strange day. It belongs to England, having been put in to bat before delivering 400-plus while going at close to five an over. But they certainly left some runs out there. West Indies will be grateful to their spinners, Hodge and Sinclair, who combined for four wickets. Alzarri Joseph was expensive, but he can at least point to three scalps, including that of Ollie Pope, today’s centurion.
STUMPS: England 416 all out
WICKET! Bashir c Holder b A Joseph 5 (England 416 all out)
The final over of the day is bowled by Alzarri Joseph, and he begins with a wayward bouncer. Wood digs out a yorker for a single, giving Joseph a chance at Bashir. An outside edge squirts away for four before another is gobbled up by Holder at second slip. That’ll be the end of England’s innings – and the day, too.
88th over: England 410-9 (Wood 12, Bashir 1) Shoaib Bashir, England’s new No 11, miscues through the leg side for one to get off the mark. Wood swings and misses, the ball somehow missing the stumps.
WICKET! Woakes c Holder b Seales 37 (England 408-9)
Jayden Seales takes flight from the other end and Woakes greets him with a wonderful clip through midwicket for four. It was overpitched, straight and easily dispatched. But Woakes is gone with the very next ball! Seales gets it to straighten off the seam, squaring up the batter, and the edge flies to Holder low in the cordon.
87th over: England 404-8 (Wood 11, Woakes 33) Now the West Indies captain listens; in comes Alzarri Joseph with the new ball … and Woakes brushes him down leg for another boundary to bring up 400. Sorry, Kraigg, maybe I was wrong. A back-foot punch for two follows, the fresh cherry coming nicely on to the bat.
86th over: England 397-8 (Wood 11, Woakes 26) Brathwaite has no interest in this OBO’s views; he continues with Hodge. Woakes flicks him down the leg side for a couple and a full toss is bunted for one to close the over.
85th over: England 392-8 (Wood 10, Woakes 22) Woakes and Wood are settled now against these spinners, with the former driving Sinclair through mid-off for a boundary. It’s probably time now for Brathwaite to look to his quicks for a final burst this evening.
84th over: England 387-8 (Wood 10, Woakes 17) Wood and Woakes run hard to take seven off Hodge.
Martin O’Donovan-Wright writes again:
I don’t know about others, but I’m bored already of how every English decision, every performance and every selection is discussed in terms of how it may or may not effect the Ashes, which is still a year and a half away. This match is between England and the West Indies. The disrespect to the opposition to view them merely as a glorified training prelude to a different series is staggering.
I agree with you. It also speaks to how narrow the longest format has become, where everything seems to build to either a five-match series against Australia or India.
83rd over: England 380-8 (Wood 7, Woakes 13) Brathwaite continues to employ his spinners, which is indicative of Sinclair and Hodge’s relative control but also speaks to the struggles of his quicks today. Sinclair concedes a couple.
82nd over: England 378-8 (Wood 6, Woakes 12) Paul Holmes has a word:
Hard to disagree with Ben Turpin that “We need to start building BIG totals.”
But how? I remember when England used to go at 3 an over and be all out for 200. If someone can convince me that more conservative approach would lead to higher scores, I would get on board. But from what I have seen over the past 20 years, the opposite is true: more aggression=bigger totals.
81st over: England 374-8 (Wood 3, Woakes 11) They’ve decided to keep at it with the old ball, and Sinclair should have another wicket … but Mikyle Louis drops Wood after diving forward at point.
Tom v d Gucht writes:
If I was Stokes, I’d gamble we’ve got enough on the board already, declare and have a dart with Wood and Atkinson opening with a licence to go full throttle for a few overs tonight. We’re not likely to score many more...
80th over: England 372-8 (Wood 2, Woakes 10) It’s nearly another scalp for Hodge as Wood wanders out of his crease for the big shot, but Joshua Da Silva can’t hold on to complete the stumping.
79th over: England 371-8 (Wood 1, Woakes 10) Should West Indies actually take the second new ball? The spinners have four wickets between them.
WICKET! Atkinson c Hodge b Sinclair 2 (England 370-8)
And another one! Sinclair flights one, Atkinson leans in for a drive and Hodge takes a fine low catch at slip. This is turning out to be a very productive passage of play for West Indies, the spinners doing the business.
78th over: England 369-7 (Atkinson 2, Woakes 9) Rob Turpin wrote in, just before that Smith wicket.
England are in a great position. West Indies aren’t in a terrible position - both things can be true. However, I do think England have let another chance slip to be an a dominating position in this test, and it’s something they do consistently in the Stokes/McCullum era.
We need to start building BIG totals, and while we might not need 500+ to beat this West Indies side, there’s a good chance we will when it comes to beating the Aussies. If we’re building to that end with regards team selection, surely we should be with regard to getting in the habit of scoring BIG runs.
400 at five an over in Australia on flat pitches isn’t going to win the Ashes.
WICKET! Smith c Holder b Hodge 36 (England 367-7)
Terrific from Smith, who swings Hodge for a straight six … but he’s gone next ball. The keeper tries to pepper the same area but the ball is dragged back and the shot ends up being a lob to Holder, running in from long-on.
77th over: England 360-6 (Smith 30, Woakes 8) Sinclair returns, helping improve the over rate. He beats Smith’s outside edge with the final ball of the over with a non-turner.
76th over: England 357-6 (Smith 29, Woakes 6) Hodge is partial to the occasional drag-down but he gets away with one against Woakes. Just one off it as West Indies race through their overs to get to the second new ball.
75th over: England 356-6 (Smith 29, Woakes 5) Jamie Smith’s Test average rises to 99 with a delicious cover drive off Holder. He throws in a real flourish of the arms after making contact with the ball.
74th over: England 349-6 (Smith 23, Woakes 4) Hodge is doing a decent job here while Sinclair gets a breather, conceding three singles.
Paul Holmes puts in a query:
Any thoughts on when England will put the West Indies in?
Be nice to get six or seven overs at them tonight, no?
There’s no need, is there? Though that hasn’t stopped Stokes before.
73rd over: England 346-6 (Smith 22, Woakes 2) Smith and Woakes – celebrating a 50th Test appearance, exchange singles off Holder.
72nd over: England 344-6 (Smith 21, Woakes 1) Hodge runs through his set and, once again, West Indies are not in a bad position. And here’s a random surprise: Aaron Ramsdale’s in the Sky comms box.
WICKET! Stokes c J Louis b Hodge 69 (England 342-6)
So much for a quiet period. Stokes receives a drag-down from Hodge – a delightful present – but he can’t beat the substitute fielder at deep midwicket. It’s Hodge who gets the gift in the end: a maiden Test wicket.
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71st over: England 342-5 (Smith 20, Stokes 69) Holder resumes after some hydration and, as we’re in a bit of a quiet passage, I’ll just drop in a musical interlude (what I’ve been listening to recently):
70th over: England 341-5 (Smith 20, Stokes 68) Hodge varies his pace nicely bowling to Stokes, though the batter picks up two with a strong cut off the back foot. Shamar Joseph is on the field, by the way, having been forced off earlier with cramp. Hodge ruins a fine over with a long-hop Smith swats away for six. Time for drinks.
69th over: England 332-5 (Smith 14, Stokes 65) Stokes has enjoyed the short ball in this innings, and he relishes it once again, pulling Holder for four. The West Indies all-rounder doesn’t have the pace to threaten with his bumper.
68th over: England 325-5 (Smith 14, Stokes 58) Kavem Hodge gets the nod from his skipper to bowl some of his left-arm tweak. Stokes decides to nurdle him for now, putting away the slog sweep.
67th over: England 322-5 (Smith 13, Stokes 56) Stokes finally decides to break loose: he runs down the pitch to Holder and swings hard, though doesn’t middle it. The ball lands safely in the off-side to bring him two.
66th over: England 319-5 (Smith 13, Stokes 53) These are early days, and he’s only on 13 in this innings, but Smith already looks so comfortable in this environment.
65th over: England 317-5 (Smith 12, Stokes 52) Holder returns and gets some lift and nip off the surface outside off to nearly get an outside edge off Stokes. They sneak through a quick single after an inside edge from the England captain; Sinclair took down the stumps at the striker’s end but Smith was quick off his mark and safely in.
64th over: England 315-5 (Smith 11, Stokes 51) Sinclair’s stump-to-stump mantra keeps Stokes quiet … but a maiden is disrupted by a no ball. The left-hander cuts for one to close the over. There’s some confusion if Sinclair’s actually bowled his whole over … but the umpires are eventually happy that the set is done.
Simon McMahon writes:
Some parallels, on the scorecard at least, with Edgbaston in 2005, where England made 400 in 80 overs on Day One. Duckett as Trescothick, Brook Pietersen, and Stokes Flintoff. If it ends up half as thrilling as that Ashes Test, it’ll be a cracker, but my guess is that England will win by more than two runs.
Half-century for Ben Stokes!
63rd over: England 313-5 (Smith 11, Stokes 50) Smith gets the arms working again with a drive through cover point for three. A single gets Stokes a half-century, his first in Tests since the opening match of the India series. He’s had it tough with the bat lately but this has been an innings of calm and control, recognising the requirement when he came out at 201-4, a good but not dominant position.
62nd over: England 309-5 (Smith 8, Stokes 49) So it’s not a break for Sinclair, just a change of ends. He runs through his work quickly, conceding just two.
61st over: England 307-5 (Smith 7, Stokes 48) Sinclair gets a rest as Seales sprints in from around the wicket … and he gets Stokes in an awkward mess against the short ball, the edge flying over the slips for four. Smith closes the over with a staggering stroke, pulling away with those long arms for four. There’s something more enjoyable about watching a taller man tuck into the bouncer.
60th over: England 296-5 (Smith 3, Stokes 41) Alzarri Joseph surprises everyone by finding some late swing, bringing the ball back into Stokes. Smith delivers an early on-drive, the universally acknowledged signal that he’s in good touch.
59th over: England 293-5 (Smith 1, Stokes 40) Sinclair continues his decent hold-an-end job, though he goes too straight to Stokes, allowing the left-hander to flick down the leg-side for another boundary.
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58th over: England 288-5 (Smith 1, Stokes 35) Again, this is not a bad scoreboard for West Indies, as Stuart Broad reiterates on commentary. Jamie Smith is out in the middle and in form, but he’s still just a young man playing only his second Test – the fielding side have to take advantage of that. Stokes responds to the wicket with a delightful pull shot for four.
WICKET! Pope c Hodge b A Joseph 121 (England 281-5)
Out of nowhere! Joseph angles the ball into Pope, who goes driving and gets an outside edge. It flies high and fast to the left of slip, but Hodge does brilliantly to hold on – something West Indies haven’t been all that great at today. Pope departs to handshakes from the opposition.
57th over: England 281-4 (Pope 121, Stokes 30) Sinclair isn’t getting any turn, but he doesn’t offer any flight or width for Stokes to get under for a big shot.
56th over: England 279-4 (Pope 120, Stokes 29) Stokes’ thickish outside edge brings him four behind point but he’s more authoritative at the end of the over, punching through the off side for one.
55th over: England 273-4 (Pope 120, Stokes 24) Sinclair will continue after the break with a change of ends, though Pope doesn’t mind; he leans into a drive through cover for his 15th four today. Batting looks rather comfortable at the moment.
54th over: England 267-4 (Pope 115, Stokes 23) Alzarri Joseph is back in the attack after an expensive first 10 overs … and Stokes drives him through point for four second ball. A lovely pull shot follows, Stokes swivelling nicely to run into the 20s.
On Harry Brook … I don’t want him to stop playing the odd silly shot. From a neutral audience perspective, he’s just too much fun; I’d hate to see him grow up get all responsible.
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Pope’s hundred was the highlight of that session, his sixth in Test cricket. All six have come against different sides, which is impressive but also highlights how he’s still waiting to completely dominate a series.
TEA: England 259-4
53rd over: England 259-4 (Pope 115, Stokes 15) Shamar Joseph returns to the attack and gets the seam wobbling from around the wicket to catch Stokes off guard, producing an outside edge … but the ball doesn’t carry to the cordon. Joseph is stretching out his leg; he was doing plenty of that in the first Test too.
The physio walks, doesn’t sprint on, as it’s unclear how serious it is. Well, it’s bad enough for Joseph to abandon his over as he’s clutching his left hamstring. Frustrating for Joseph, West Indies and all of us keen to keep watching him bowl. Kraigg Brathwaite’s very funky offies are called in to finish the over, and he closes out the session, too. Time for tea.
52nd over: England 255-4 (Pope 113, Stokes 13) “Oh yes, Sincy boy, well bowled,” comes the shout from one of the off-spinner’s teammates. Pope and Stokes are happy to take him for ones at the moment.
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51st over: England 251-4 (Pope 111, Stokes 11) Stokes is on the move now, pulling and clipping through the leg-side as Seales gives him some bumper treatment. All of a sudden, this is a 50-run partnership, accomplished without any real risk from the two England batters.
Gareth Wilson writes:
If you win the toss and insert the opposition, and they score 5 an over, reaching 250 with 4 down, I’d say you’re pretty obviously behind.
Kind of reminds me of the 2005 Ashes test when England made 400 all out on day one, and the question was who’s winning!
50th over: England 246-4 (Pope 111, Stokes 6) Pope’s footwork is sharp off Sinclair as he picks up a couple of twos, cutting hard both times.
49th over: England 242-4 (Pope 107, Stokes 6) Shamar Joseph pulls off a cracking stop at backward point to deny Stokes a first boundary. The batter finally gets one away with the penultimate ball of the over, punching Seales off the back foot past Joseph, all the way to the rope.
48th over: England 238-4 (Pope 107, Stokes 2) Sinclair is the key bowler for the tourists at the moment, darting in his off-breaks to Stokes … but a misfield relieves some pressure to give the left-hander a single at the end of the over.
47th over: England 234-4 (Pope 104, Stokes 1) Martin O’Donovan-Wright writes in:
Am I alone in thinking that although it might have felt as though England were almost toying with the West Indies through much of today, that the scoreboard currently shows that right now it is just about even-stevens? A strange day...
It really is a weird one to call. As expensive as West Indies have been, they ought to keep reminding themselves that they’re not in a bad position at all.
Century for Ollie Pope!
And there it is! Oh no, it’s just leg byes for four as Pope grins away. And then it comes as he pulls Jayden Seales, not entirely convincingly, through the leg side for yet another boundary to bring up his sixth Test hundred. He’s had some fortune but that will mean a lot after his post-century struggles in India earlier this year.
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46th over: England 225-4 (Pope 99, Stokes 1) Pope plays a reverse-sweep against Sinclair where he brings his head down, seemingly ducking away from the ball. A more conventional sweep gives him four later in the over, taking him to 98, and a single off the final ball moves him to 99 …
45th over: England 216-4 (Pope 90, Stokes 1) Holder goes too floaty and wide, and Pope eases into his drive through the covers. A clip through mid-wicket follows for three, with Alzarri Joseph pulling off a decent stop. Stokes continues to just get his eye in, leaving the ball alone outside off.
44th over: England 209-4 (Pope 83, Stokes 1) This Stokes v Sinclair battle should be enticing: I can see the England captain trying to go big against the off-spinner. For now, Stokes is kept quiet, playing out five dots.
43rd over: England 208-4 (Pope 82, Stokes 1) Pope receives a present from Holder: straight on the pads and whipped away for four to move the Surrey man into the 80s. He later laces a cover drive … but its beauty is limited as it finds the fielder.
42nd over: England 203-4 (Pope 77, Stokes 1) Out comes the skipper with his side in a strange position: knocking it about freely but waiting for a genuinely substantial partnership in this innings.
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WICKET! Brook c McKenzie b Sinclair 36 (England 201-4)
And the mini-passage of pressure works as Brook gets himself out! He tries to play a cute paddle sweep off Sinclair but gets the toe-end of the bat, the ball travelling forward, not behind the keeper, with short leg taking the simplest of catches. Sinclair celebrates with a wonderful somersault. Love it.
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41st over: England 201-3 (Pope 76, Brook 36) Pope’s gone a bit quiet in the last few overs, and Holder keeps him that way with a tight line to produce five dots. It’s good work from the visitors straight after the break.
40th over: England 200-3 (Pope 76, Brook 35) Afternoon, everyone. England are running away at five an over, loving life. In comes Kevin Sinclair with his tidy off-breaks and he races through his first four deliverie before Pope clips a single to mid-on. Brook ends the over with a punch through the offside to bring up 200 off just 40 overs.
39th over: England 198-3 (Pope 75, Brook 34) It's five overs since Pope scored, and I bet the returning holder would prefer to have him on strike than Brook, who takes two to cover thanks in part to a misfield. Another misfield then helps him add two more before Louis – responsible for the second of those – redeems himself with a good stop. That’s drinks, which means Taha Hahim is here to coax you through the rest of the day. Peace out!
“If Pope can give the Windies attack three easy chances,” says Andrew Hill, he’s really got to do some work to survive at number three in Australia.”
I mean that’s a tough gig, but i think he might like the truth of the bounce, and sport isn’t always like that: doing well has loads to do with mentality, form and life-situation, none of whuch have much to do with the opposition, never mind 17 months from now.
38th over: England 194-3 (Pope 75, Brook 30) Sensibly, Pope is now occupying, letting Brook get on with smiting and playing out a maiden from Shamar.
37th over: England 194-3 (Pope 75, Brook 34) Chezza Brook is just an absurd individual. Alzarri offers him width and he accepts, playing what’s essentially a shoulder-high drive to send the ball over third man for six! That was neither deflection nor scoop nor flick, rather a Proper Cricket ShotTM, played from an improbably position. England score no more runs from the over, but they don’t really need to.
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36th over: England 188-3 (Pope 75, Brook 28) It’s Joseph from both ends now, Shamar on for Seales, and he sends down five dots befoee offering Brook pad-filth, and he doesn’t miss out, turning four away behind square on the on-side. He’s similar to Root in that he scores quickly from the off, and dissimilar in that when you look at the scoreboard to see how many he’s got, it’s no kind of surprise and you know exactly how he’s done it/
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35th over: England 184-3 (Pope 71, Brook 24) I say forcing, but Stindies have bowled poorly the last 20 minutes or so; I’m a little surprised we’ve not seen Holder restored to the attack in the hope he can restore some control. Alzarri, though, responds well, sending down four dots before Brook again cuts to gully, and this time, Athanaze has to dive, again unable to hold on. He was really close and it came really hard, but that’s the third drop of the innings, not something his side can afford. Maiden.
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34th over: England 184-3 (Pope 71, Brook 24) Three dots, then Pope goes at an outswinger that straightens, edging four … then smites the next ball through cover for four more. England are forcing themselves back into the ascendancy.
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33rd over: England 176-3 (Pope 63, Brook 24) Single to Pope, then Brook plays down into the off-side and Sinclair dives, missing with his arm but saving the boundary with his forehead. No matter, the next ball is jazzed to the cover fence for four, the one after timed to midwicket, and the one after that clumped to deep third. Brook is in, but that was poor bowling, fully meriting the 15 pillaged from the over.
32nd over: England 161-3 (Pope 62, Brook 10) Seales shapes one away, it moves further so with Brook committed to the drive, and he gets it just over the head of point for four, then cuts the next ball to the fence for four more. A high wide follows, Seales trying a bouncer, then finds a better one out of which Brook pulls. In a few overs, I imagine he has a shy at those.
31st over: England 152-3 (Pope 62, Brook 2) Single to Brook, then another chance to Pope! Shamar finds movement through the air – that ball-change has worked wonders – and Pope again carves outside off, edging to Holder at two, decent height, only for him to spill it! That’s the second straightforward catch dropped, and to make things no less amusing, Pope then cuts hard for two, and again for four.
Apologies to Philip Mallett, who was first to this one:
“Back in the mid-1960s Jim Parks was regularly preferred to John Murray as wicketkeeper on the grounds that he would score more runs. In 1966 Murray was called up for the final test against the West Indies, including Hall, Griffith and Sobers, came in at number 9, and scored 112 – the first test I ever saw, sat at the Oval among increasingly despairing West Indies supporters.”
30th over: England 143-3 (Pope 54, Brook 1) It’s so unusual to see Joe Root flustered like that – looking again, he was pulling from well outside off – so you can only congratulate the bowler. Brook flicks off the toes first ball to get off the mark then, last ball, Seales finds another beauty, extracting extra bounce – is that tautology? – and ripping past Pope’s outside edge.
WICKET! Root c Alzarri Joseph b Seales 14 (England 142-3)
Perhaps scrambled from the previous delivery, Root looks to pull but the ball keeps a little lower than expected and he sends a leading edge high to mid-off where Alzarri waits under a sitter … only to spill it, then somehow cling on second go, one-handed. West Indies are rolling…
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30th over: England 142-2 (Pope 54, Root 14) Broady tells us that Jimmy is still England’s ball-picker – imagine that on a business card – then Seales hurls down a jaffa, full of length, lovely seam, late movement … and somehow misses both pad and stump! Goodness, that was a beauty.
29th over: England 142-2 (Pope 54, Root 14) Pope has a massive yahoo at Shamar and misses, consoling himself with a swipe through fine midwicket for four the, with one delivery remaining, the box of balls comes out because the current one is out of shape. A dot follows.
“You’re all too young,” says Steve Nicholson. “The issue goes back at least to the 1960s with Jim Parks (the better batter – 46 tests) and John Murray (the better keeper – 21 tests – who was often omitted). Like Foakes, Murray was also a very decent batter– I was present for his 200+ stand for the 8th wicket with Tom Graveney at the Oval against the West Indies in 1966. But Parks was a much more aggressive batter.”
Lovely stuff, and more importantly, how were the picnics in those days?
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28th over: England 138-2 (Pope 50, Root 14) Seales also continues and the batters take from him a single apiece – imagine if the first hour had looked like the second – then Pope again twizzles to leg, running one and in the process raising his fifty. But that’s what happens in sport: at elite level, everyone can play well sometimes, but the best rarely play badly.
27th over: England 135-2 (Pope 48, Root 13) This is a big period of the match. If West Indies can knock over a couple more, they’re in the match; if these two build a partnership, they could be nearly out of it by tea. Shamar, though, starts well, Pope’s turn into the leg-side for one the over’s only scoring shot.
“I like your suggestion that Duckett would be calling their child Century,” writes tom ver der Gucht, “but 71 also has a cool Stranger Things vibe to it. In terms of cricketers’ offspring, Rocky Flintoff and Archie Vaughan are both relatively unique, but I’m sure I once read that Ryan Sidebottom’s daughter was called Indiana Nell. Now that’s what I call style.”
Indiana Sidebottom, fantastic. Years ago, I was out in Brooklyn Heights and met a teacher who had a pupil with a name pronounced Abseday but spelt Abcd.
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Shamar Joseph with the ball…
Back come wa players.
Apparently Ben Stokes will play four Hundred matches, but more importantly, how on earth can Andrew Strauss, the southernest man ever, look after a team called Northern Superchargers? Yes, and also, what exactly is a supercharger? My utilities company is one, i guess.
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“Get the best price every time,” writes Just Park. “Save with Best Price Guarantee.”
I’ll level with youse, this not the riff I saw coming, even if the punctuation is classic Graun.
'We want equal opportunity' 🤝@AlexHartley93 on the development of the women's game and the impact of the legendary Rachael Heyhoe Flint. #BBCCricket #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/nb33zqIvlx
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 17, 2024
“Nice to have Bob Taylor in the conversation,” says John Swan. “As a Kent man I always preferred Knotty, but Bob’s keeping was of the ‘so good you don’t notice it’ variety. Older OBOers may also recall a Test Match in (I think) 1986 against New Zealand, where the England keeper Bruce French was injured and the Kiwi skipper, none other than Jeremy Coney, graciously allowed England to use Bob, who was working at the ground in a hospitality role, as a sub. He came on and kept beautifully for a few overs before England worked out what they were doing.”
I do remember this, foreshadowing the year of four captains that came in 1989. French got injured, Bill Athey deputised, then Taylor had a go and – I confess I’d forgotten his name – Bobby Parks of Hampshire completed the innings. French then returned on the final day.
I’m off to prep some meat; see you again in 35 or so.
Lunchtime email: “Here’s Shooglenifty and their song Delighted,” returns Simon McMahon, “which no doubt the West Indies will be to see lunch. The Peatbog Faeries also recorded an album called Croftwork, which included the song Trans Island Express.
26th over: England 134-2 (Pope 47, Root 13) It’s Seales to bowl the final over of the session, and a wicket would make things very interesting. AND HAVE A LOOK! Last over or not, Pope cuts uppishly to gully … and Athanaze shells the chance! In fairness, it came quickly, but he’s there to take those; he’s there because he’s expected to take those. But he doesn’t, they run one, and Pope enjoys some exhibition smirking. That is lunch, England in control but West Indies bowling better now.
25th over: England 133-2 (Pope 46, Root 13) Root is there now, hammering a pull through midwicket for four, then tucking two to square leg. It feels like this is a pitch on which getting him out should be a problem, no pace in it and an outfield that gives full value for strokes, the ball not needing hitting that hard to make the fence.
24th over: England 126-2 (Pope 45, Root 7) Yeah, I was saying. Pope takes another one then, facing the final delivery of the over, Root picks off a half-volley, turning it off his toes for four, and it’s good to see him batting at his own tempo. His travails in the early days of Bazball were hard to fathom because all he needed to do was bat like himself, but he’s got it all worked out now.
23rd over: England 121-2 (Pope 44, Root 3) Alzarri returns and Pope takes one into the leg-side, then after four dots, Root – who’s been unusually quiet, usually after he’s been in about this long, I wonder how he can possibly have got to 30 having seemed to play no shots.
“On the subject of keepers and batting ability,” writes Geoff Wignall, “you’re perhaps too young to recall Bob Taylor who really couldn’t bat but was ever a superior keeper to Knott. I could always see the sense of choosing Knott, with his test average of 35, yet equally felt it a pity that one of the game’s specialist skills so often wasn’t displayed by its finest practitioner. Foakes is probably the best England have had since Taylor, so a shame to be denied him. That’s no aspersion on Smith. And more incidentally, Russell averaged 27 in tests, while with the gloves Stewart was at 34: without the gloves he was in the 40s and a brilliant outfielder. I could never see the sense of leaving out Russell (to whom also the spinners always seemed to bowl better, Tufnell especially) to the detriment of Stewart’s batting (and losing him as an opener as well as a fielder). Still, yesterday’s battles and all that.”
The best England keeper since Taylor – who I am indeed too young to have seen – is also Taylor. I guess in the 90s, they wanted to sneak in another batter or bowler because those they had were largely useless.
22nd over: England 118-2 (Pope 43, Root 1) Seales, whose first two overs went for 28, returns, and he beats Root with a jaffa, moving one away. He’s a much better bowler than we saw earlier and this is a much better over – a maiden.
Alan Tuffery and Steven Wilson both email asking for the overseas TMS link; it’s here, and can be found on the main BBC coverage page.
21st over: England 118-2 (Pope 43, Root 1) Nice from Shamar, tree dots to start the over, but Pope has had enough, pulling a decent ball to deep backward square for four even though he doesn’t get all of it … then hoisting the next, looser delivery, over long leg for six! The vice-captain will have felt his side losing control over the last half-hour, so is now setting an example.
20th over: England 108-2 (Pope 33, Root 1) Sinclair was instrumental in the wicket which came at the other end, the control he’s added helping Shamar. And this is another useful over, three singles from it with its final delivery to Pope coming from around. I like the way he’s thinking his way through this spell.
“Sequestered here in Southern France and just looked in on the OBO to see how it’s going,” brags Matt Emerson. “Having read through this morning’s postings, I feel obliged to point out that Stuart Broad has two different jackets of a similar colour rather than one. The one in the earlier pics is double breasted whereas the one where he’s standing next to the plaque is single – the lapels are different.”
He must really love the colour, and rightly so – it really sets off his private school.
WICKET! Duckett c Holder by Shamar Joseph 71 (England 105-2)
Discipline! Brathwaite talked about it at the start and after a succession of tight overs post-drinks – maybe they were spiked – the pressure tells, a really good ball from around jagging in to Duckett who, following shape away, is a little square and Holder takes a fine diving catch at two. That, though, was a terrific tone-setter of a knock, 14 boundaries in it – but England haven’t got too far away, so another wicket or two before lunch and West Indies will feel they’re in this.
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19th over: England 105-1 (Duckett 71, Pope 31) Again, some solid balls, Shamar coming at Duckett from around, but when he serves a wide slot-ball, he’s clattered through cover for four.
18th over: England 101-1 (Duckett 67, Pope 31) It’s been a while, but after Sinclair’s first four balls yield just a single, when he offers Duckett a full toss on the tootsies, he drags it around the corner and, on the fence, Seales should catch up with it but doesn’t, raising the England hundred in the process.
17th over: England 95-1 (Duckett 62, Pope 30) Shamar persuades one to skid through that Pope misses, and just 15 minutes of acceptable bowling has got the batters looking for shots that aren’t there. A single from the over, Pope forcing one to deep square.
“How do opening batsmen out early (in this case Crawley) pass the time for the rest of the innings?” wonders Harvey Mayne. “Are they forced to watch, thereby tortuously reminding them of their failure, or do they have games consoles and tellies inside or some other forms of recreation?”
I’m afraid I’m going to have to drop another “KP told me”, but KP told me that at Lord’s at least, you get over being out early because it means you can properly wade into lunch. Today, though, my sense is the golf is on.
16th over: England 91-1 (Duckett 62, Pope 29) My computer crashes but England add three.
15th over: England 91-1 (Duckett 61, Pope 27) Pope takes Shamar for two down the ground, but is beaten shortly afterwards, slashing outside off and missing. A single follows, and this is much better from West Indies – but is it already too late?
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14th over: England 88-1 (Duckett 61, Pope 24) Kevin Sinclair, into the team for Motie, is into the attack and if England get after him, West Indies will really have a problem. But to being with they take a look, the over yielding just two singles. By the way, in the history of Test cricket, only six batters have made a ton before lunch.
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13th over: England 86-1 (Duckett 60, Pope 23) Better from Shamar, beating Pope who fiddles outside off. There’s still a bit of nip in the pitch – probably not for long, given the sun baking it away. This is much better bowling though, and when Pope gets caught trying to get bat around pad, he tries for a run that’s not there and ends up diving back to make his ground. Maiden, the first of the innings.
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Rocky Flintoff looks a player, but nothing is set in stone.
Rocky Flintoff, aged 16, has just reached his first century for England Under-19s in their youth 'Test' vs Sri Lanka at Cheltenham
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) July 18, 2024
12th over: England 86-1 (Duckett 60, Pope 23) Holder decides to go around, so Duckett clobbers his first ball over the covers for his 12th four. And have a look! Two balls later, he leaves a wide one! I know! In fairness, he’d not have got it with two bats, but since when has that bothered him? Pathetic, and drinks. Windies need a stiff one.
“Kim Thonger’s email sounds marvellous, reckons Phil Withall. “I’d like to offer an alternative day: I was up at four this morning, spent a day in a kitchen ill-equipped to deal with its workload, enjoyed 10 hours without a real break and have the pleasure of doing the same for the next three days. I’ve managed to watch 10 minutes of the cricket and am still adjusting to a Jimmyless world. Still love Test cricket and the OBO, a soothing balm in a chaotic world...”
If it’s any consolation, I’m cooking for 12 tonight, and the head chef is my wife.
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11th over: England 82-1 (Duckett 56, Pope 23) Shamar Joseph replaces Alzarri and three dots are fie, then Pope unfurls his Ronald special, running down to third for four like the Shermanator in his prime. Two singles follow, and with drinks imminent, my sense if that Duckett will be asking someone to get round his yard – Notts is now his club – to get the hot water turned off and the herbal supplements hidden.
“Is Duckett going to have to call his baby Century?” says Andrew Miles. “Surely it would be Tony. Ton-y. Geddit? I’ll get my sleeveless jumper.”
If he goes really big, Daddy is a nice name.
10th over: England 76-1 (Duckett 55, Pope 18) In runs Holder to begin another over and Duckett opens face to run him down to the fence; that’s his 50 in just 32 balls, and a drive into the covers adds three more. A single completes the scoring, and with just eight from it, that’s a relatively quiet over. In the changing room, Zak Crawley must be feeling a way, but terrifyingly, I’m struggling to recall the examples from my youth of all but one of a top order making ridiculous runs. Please forgive me.
“England without Anderson, or indeed Broad,” says Simon McMaon. “I’m sure I’ll get used to it eventually. More importantly, the merging of the Scottish folk tradition with elements of jazz, dance, dubstep and electronic music, by bands like Shooglenifty and The Peatbog Faeries, broadly known as Celtic fusion, is also, brilliantly, sometimes referred to as ‘Acid Croft’ or ‘Gaelictronica’.”
Love it – any recommendations?
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9th over: England 68-1 (Duckett 48, Pope 17) Ben Duckett hates leaving even more than the #FBPE lads, but this is a better over from Joseph, just a single and a leg-bye from it.
“In one of the images you’ve posted of Stuart Broad,” emails Kieran Taylor, “he is standing next to a woman who is holding sunglasses and a .... completely spherical bag/new ballcock for a cistern? What is that thing she’s holding?”
I thought it was a tennis thing, but I’ll ask my wife, formerly of Anya Hindmarch, and revert if she deems me worthy of a response.
8th over: England 66-1 (Duckett 48, Pope 16) Is Duckett going to have to call his baby Century? He slams another drive through extra for four more … then another down the ground. This almost hard to watch, Holder, the guy brought on for control struggling to exert any. But forget that, check out this segue!
“Obscure music genres and OBO, two of my faves,” says Pete Salmon. “Just thinking the other day, not enough Gqom music being played – South African hiphop that gets its aesthetic from cassettes being played by passing taxis. Spoek Mathambo covering Joy Division, that’s what’s needed this morning I think. Good message for the bowlers too.
Magnificent. Should anyone fancy, here’s a playlist of Saffer bangers; I’ll add this year’s tunes at lunch.
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7th over: England 58-1 (Duckett 39, Pope 16) Better from Joseph, ceding just a single to Duckett and two from a no-ball. I bet he’s glad his partner hasn’t yet gone into labour – though many of us will have thought yeah right, first child you’ll be fine for Edgbaston and all.
“I went to Trent Bridge for the Sri Lanka Test match in 2006,” tweets Steven Pye. “In the first hour of the afternoon session, England scored 22 runs in 17 overs. I love Test cricket, but I ended up drinking to try and ease the boredom. No such danger with this lot.”
KP told me England turned up for that match and couldn’t believe what they found: a dust bowl. Shonuff, Murali took eightfer in the second innings, bowling the tourists to a brilliant 134-run win.
6th over: England 56-1 (Duckett 39, Pope 16) Holder into the attack, which makes sense; he rarely goes for runs. So Duckett takes a single then Pope takes a stride down and checks his shot, the ball looping just over the bowler’s follow-through … the only run from the over. Can Holder also bowl from the other end?
“Wonderful day here, strolling over the valley to the Rutland Vineyard later this morning for a cooling glass of their magnificent ‘First Crush’ and a morsel of Cropwell Bishop, writes Kim Thonger. “I shall be attending at Trent Bridge tomorrow in full ‘Englishman abroad in sunny weather’ gear. Other spectators are advised to wear shades and avoid looking directly. In the meantime I’m putting a fiver on a 50 partnership against a tiring attack from Atkinson and Wood.”
There’s not much to be said for global heating, but it has exponentially improved the quality of English wine and fizz. In particular, there are some banging blanc de blancs, he said like he knows about that which he is chatting; verily he doe snot.
5th over: England 55-1 (Duckett 38, Pope 16) Another Duckett cut, another four runs, and it can’t be often a side has got to 50 quicker than 4.2 overs … and as I type, Bish advises us we’ve seen a record. What’s more surprising is that it beats, by one ball, England’s effort against South Africa at the Oval in 1994; the batters, of course were the notoriously destructive Graham Gooch and Michael Atherton. And have a look! Offered a short one, Duckett goes cannibal and eats it up, lashing a pull over midwicket, and a further single means the first five overs have yielded a bazballtastic 55 runs! Thinking to do for Kraigg Brathwaite.
4th over: England 44-1 (Duckett 27, Pope 16) A third boundary-four in three balls and an eighth in 13, Duckett slashing through point, opens the over. England being England, there’s soon a false shot, a similar effort dropping short of Da Silva, but another cut soon zooms to the fence, a single follows, and that call to field has not aged well. And that’s the thing with Bazball: there’s no side less likely to let you ease your way into a Test; deciding to bowl doesn’t mean you can hide.
3rd over: England 35-1 (Duckett 18, Pope 16) I say since Gilchrist changed everything, but Jack Russell wasn’t picked by England for a while because his batting wasn’t considered good enough; he then made 94 on Test debut. Meantime, more runs, Pope seeing off two dots before taking two twos and two fours. Already, West Indies have a problem.
2nd over: England 23-1 (Duckett 18, Pope 4) Seales to open from the other end and, well. His first two balls are too wide, so disappear to fence via pull and cut, so he goes around to the lefty and offers one on the pads, so that to disappears to the fence, then when he goes fuller he’s too full and is creamed through cover for a fourth straight four. Gosh, he’ll be feeling ill here, but finds a much better ball next up, Duckett missing with his prod, before ending the over with a shove for two. Nineteen off the over; ouch.
“Obviously I should have paid more attention in the lead up to the first Test, writes Ben Bernards. “But I am curious as to why Foakes has disappeared from the picture and this new fellow Smith magicked forth?”
Foakes is considered expendable other than on the subcontinent because the quality and style of batting others bring, whether Smith or Bairstow, is deemed more useful than the brilliance of his keeping. It’s not a new thing either – Chris Read and James Foster also played less than they would’ve done before Adam Gilchrist changed the game.
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1st over: England 4-1 (Duckett 0, Pope 4) Nice from Pope, having a look at a couple of balls before forcing a flick through mid-on for four, and England are away.
“About Trent Bridge,” begins John Starbuck. “For all the fuss about sheer speed among our bowlers, what counts here is accuracy on a notoriously bat-friendly pitch. Much like some of those in the Caribbean. Also, we who follow Notts CCC have been referring to the Stuart Broad End all season.”
Yup, Broad was clear about that: bowl how you like, just hit your length. Though Joseph is finding joy from a little shorter, perhaps the cobination of pace and height changing the rules.
WICKET! Crawley c Athanaze b Joseph 0 (England 0-1)
This is a terrific delivery, back of a length with a bit of lift and away-movement, squaring Crawley up and he looks to fend, and Athanze takes a fine catch at three, fingers slid under ball. What a call at the toss!
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1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 0) Nice loosener from Joseph, a bit of swing and Crawley moving bat inside the line; another dot follows.
Crawley to face, Joseph with the ball.
Broad now rings the bell but the players are already out, so we’ll have the anthems and get on.
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Ah, this is lovely: SJ Broad officially opens the renamed Stuart Broad end, and he’s got his favourite coat on to do it. How lucky we were, mates. How very, very lucky.
I just got a PR email talking about “Turkish psych-folk”; my favourite of the genre is “Croatian ethno-noise”, but this is nice too. Feel free to send me your own examples, imaginary or otherwise.
Our teams
England: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Shoaib Bashir
West Indies: 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Mikyle Louis, 3 Kirk McKenzie, 4 Alick Athanaze, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Jason Holder, 7 Joshua da Silva (wk), 8 Kevin Sinclair, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Jayden Seales.
As a former captain of a rubbish team, my senses are telling me one reason West Indies are bowling is to avoid getting skittled before they’re into the match. This way around, obviously they’re risking making things worse, because there’ll be scoreboard pressure if England do well, but they trust their attack more than their top order, and the likelihood of any help from the pitch coming early probably sealed the deal.
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Ben Stokes won’t say what he’d’ve done, but does think it was a decision to be made. He’s excited to see how his Brandersonless attack copes, and how Mark Wood pulls up; he replaces Jimmy Anderson.
West Indies win the toss and bowl
It looks a good pitch, says Kraigg Branthwaite – er yes – adding that his bowlers need greater discipline and his batters need to build partnerships; Gudakesh Motie is absent with flu so Kevin Sinclair comes in.
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Toss time…
Stuart Broad’s mum has been to C&A – he’s sporting another blazer of a blazer. Otherwise, he says he found it easier to get rhythm at Trent Bridge because the surface was always solid underfoot, and that length is key: you have to go fuller, and Bob Willis advised him not to aim for the top of off but for the sponsor’s logo.
Otherwise, he was happy being driven on this track because it got the batters forward which is what he was after. “You can do whatever you want her, as long as your length is good,” he concludes, noting that Vernon Philander and Jasprit Bumrah, very different bowlers, have both had success in Nottingham.
Gosh, he really likes it doesn’t he?
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Also going on…
It’s a nice day in Nottingham, and thinking about pitches here, I wonder if England’s pacemen are the right fit – often, it’s a slow seamer that suits more traditional types. Or maybe Branderson were just freaks of nature able to make all types of track look made to order.
Mark Wood feels good; who knew? He’s not bowled much lately, he says, and is expecting to feel sore tonight, but he’s looking forward to it. He hopes he’s not expected to bowl like Jimmy, and is glad he’s still in the changing room with Stuart Broad also around. Otherwise, he hates falling over when delivering, but thinks the cuts and bruises make him look a bit harder.
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Preamble
We hear the words often: “It’s called a Test match for a reason”. Well, however you slice it, last week was not remotely testing for England; though West Indies competed in moments, all across the piece they were barely present, and the fear now is that we see similar over the next five few days, then again next week at Edgbaston.
Of course, there is context: a rigged system in which the game’s biggest powers make the most money and play the most matches, the longest serieseseses reserved solely for when they meet each other. What we saw at Lord’s reflected that.
In fairness to West Indies, they bowled well in parts, and who knows how a bit of scoreboard pressure might’ve helped them. But it’s England’s Jimmyless attack we arrive at Trent Bridge excited to see, given the two quicks, Gus Atkinson and Mark Wood, who’ll be taking the new ball, with Ben Stokes, pace back and wobble-ball installed, also looking tasty; who knows, Shoaib Bashir may even get a bowl.
The thing is, this thing of ours has a habit of surprising us – just ask Australia. In recent times we’ve seen Chris Gayle, Shai Hope and Jason Holder all perform superhuman feats against England, and with the talent West Indies have, that possibility must never be discounted – it just shouldn’t be a necessity. But here we are so here we are, which is to say that all we can do is make sure to enjoy whatever it is we get, because even an untesting Test match is better than anything else the world has to offer us. Go well!
Play: 11am BST
