Jonny Bairstow was left sprawling, tumbling to the Oval turf with the ball snuggly inside his glove. The acrobatics of England’s much-maligned wicketkeeper, to remove Mitchell Marsh off Moeen Ali’s bowling, epitomised a wild, breathtaking 16 minutes, which helped blow Australia away on day five of the fifth Ashes Test.
The principles of Bazball have always been a little murky and have been furiously debated for months. But how can anybody detract from this infectious brand of cricket and entertainment, when it provokes such rowdy, joyous scenes in the stands. England did not reclaim the Ashes, but this 49-run victory, to square the series at two apiece, bottled up something more precious.
