That’s it for today. Please join Daniel Gallan and Taha Hashim tomorrow for the final day of this memorable match. Goodnight!
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A last word from Stuart Broad
We were pretty with how we batted. I think the intent from ball one was pretty clear! I sit next to Rooty in the changing-room actually and he said, ‘I fancy a reverse scoop for six first ball.’ I said, ‘If it’s in your gut, you’’ve gotta go for it.’
It made us smile in the changing room. Baz says he’d prefer us to get caught at long on than be out defending. For our leading batter to show that intent is really powerful for us.
In the past this would have been a draw, on this type of pitch. Us forcing the game forward makes a result possible tomorrow. We’ll turn up, see what happens. There’s supposed to be a bit of cloud around in the morning. If you can get lucky as a bowling group and get an hour of that you can break the game open pretty quickly. We feel pretty confident. And if we turn up and there’s a bit of cloud, I’ll have a smile on my face.
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A bit more from Stuart Broad
Stokesy mentioned it to us out there: was our first hour quite good enough? Were we really up and at the Aussies? Probably not as much as we could have been, so we had to get everything moving in our direction.
Any day that you’ve got Smith and Marnus back in the hut – and Warner to be honest – we’re delighted. But there’s still two results on the table.
[On the Labuschagne wicket] That was a nice one, I’m happy with that one actually. It just seamed off the dryness; I tried to wobble it with the shiny side to move away.
[On Smith’s wicket] To be honest I could have sworn he was LBW from the first ball of that over, but everyone said it hit the bat. It was slightly overpitched but on a pitch like this you don’t mind going a touch fuller.
Here’s Andy Bull on Joe Root, who started the day by trying to reverse scoop Pat Cummins’ first ball for six.
Match report
More from Stuart Broad
To be honest I didn’t go into the spell feeling that we desperately needed wickets. We know the new ball has almost been the best time to bat, because you can actually hit it, and when it gets softer it becomes harder to score. I just thought if I can whack the pitch as hard as I can, try and get a bit of movement and create a bit of theatre. In Ashes cricket at Edgbaston you can create a bit of theatre, you almost feel like something’s happening even when it’s not.
Stuart Broad speaks
I wanted one more tonight really, that would have been ideal. The ball was moving a nice amount but I thought those two scrapped really well. It’s a dry surface but it feels like if you can bash away then one will move.
That was another cracking day, with the momentum seesawing throughout. Enough of that because here’s Stuart Broad, armed with a water bottle and a bucket hat.
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The equation: Australia need 174 runs, England need seven wickets. If the weather forecast is correct, batting could be very tricky in the morning and easier in the afternoon. But then it might rain so much overnight that there’s no play in the morning. In short, nobody knows anything. Not even WinViz.
“Ian Copestake (24th over) properly made me laugh with that,” writes Liz Rippin. “I do wish people would stop griping - this is thrilling, knife-edge stuff. The Aussie in our WhatsApp group is loving it, but I don’t think we Brits are as accustomed to excitement as they are.”
Stumps
30th over: Australia 107-3 (Khawaja 34, Boland 13) Boland is on strike for Broad, which Usman Khawaja will join the short list of players who have batted on all five days of a Test. He’s doing an admirable job, and moves into double figures with an edge along the ground for four. The ball barely moved off the straight in the first 20 overs, but Broad has swung it dramatically in his second spell.
Boland survives the rest of the over, and so ends another pulsasting day’s play. Broad gets on his haunches, absolutely shattered, before being congratulated/thanked by his teammates. After an ominous Australian start, he has dragged England back into the game with another memorable spell of bowling. The consensus in the Sky commentary box is that England are slight (italicised, underlined) favourites.
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29th over: Australia 103-3 (Khawaja 34, Boland 9) Moeen replaces Anderson, presumably in the hope there will be time for Broad to have one more over. Khawaja edges the penultimate delivery wide of slip and turns down a single; he has no interest in facing Broad tonight.
Yep, there’s time for Broad to have one more over.
28th over: Australia 103-3 (Khawaja 34, Boland 9) Yes, it seems play will finish at 7pm local time, so in about five minutes. Broad is sprinting back to his mark between deliveries. Khawaja flicks an inducker off the pads for four, then Boland does likewise, although his four runs came from two twos. They turned down a third run on each occasion because Boland is protecting Khawaja.
“Can we all thank Fran Collins for that email?” says Marie Meyer. “Just what the doctor ordered.”
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27th over: Australia 94-3 (Khawaja 29, Boland 5) There are 16 overs remaining, though only in theory. I was sure play was scheduled to finish at 7.30pm local time; if so, that’s very early for a nightwatchman.
Mind you, Boland has started confidently. He knocks four off the target with a muscular cut stroke off Anderson and defends the rest of the over without alarm. I’d get Robinson back on at this end; Anderson is struggling for rhythm.
The problem with getting Smith and Labuschagne cheaply in both innings is, of course, the thought of losing to Australia when you’ve got Smith and Labuschagne cheaply in both innings
— Daniel Brigham (@dan_brigham) June 19, 2023
26th over: Australia 90-3 (Khawaja 29, Boland 1) Boland takes a single off the last ball to keep the strike, and get off the mark.
When Stuart Broad dies, he should donate his competitive juices to the MCC Museum. He’s been seizing initiatvies in big games for 14 years now, since the Oval 2009, and it’s still utterly exhilarating to watch.
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Scott Boland has come in as nightwatchman. I thought there were 45 minutes of play remaining, but that can’t be right because they wouldn’t send him in for that long.
Broad has got Steve Smith with a brilliant piece of bowling! He almost had him earlier in the over with a huge inswinger that shaved the outside edge, hit the pad in front of off stump and bounced just short of Bairstow. No matter: two balls later he produced another big inducker that found the edge as Smith lunged into the drive. Bairstow took a comfortable catch. That is just magnificent from Broad.
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WICKET! Australia 89-3 (Smith c Bairstow b Broad 6)
Stuart Broad + Ashes cricket = theatre and majesty.
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN!
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 19, 2023
Stuart Broad gets Steve Smith! Edgbaston is rocking 🔥 pic.twitter.com/do8pYBX5BJ
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25th over: Australia 89-2 (Khawaja 29, Smith 6) Just one over for Joe Root, with Jimmy Anderson returning to the attack. He bowled a shoddy first spell by his standards (5-0-23-0), but all will be forgiven if I can pinch a wicket or two here. All will be forgiven anyway; he has nearly 700 credits in the bank.
His first over is harmless, and he’s not happy with the footholes. Anderson even bowls a no-ball, which hardly ever happens. He’s got his grump on.
“Amazing to see how quickly people are jumping on Stokes - he may not have got the calls right this match, but how many times were people moaning and groaning about his predecessors’ rote captaincy, timid declarations and passivity in the field,” says Will Vignoles. “We did tried and tested and it got us extreme mediocrity. I’d much rather a captain and team who don’t look scared to win, even if that means they lose sometimes. Plus let’s not forget that the Aussies are a champion team and are allowed to play good cricket too…”
And they haven’t even lost! I can understand the criticism, and I didn’t like the declaration at all, but I still think he’s touched by genius as a captain.
24th over: Australia 84-2 (Khawaja 27, Smith 4) Broad has kept the umbrella field for Khawaja, and puts his hands to his head when Khawaja inside-edges his first ball into the leg side. This is a tricky spell for Australia, more because of the mood than the pitch. Khawaja works a single into the off side, then Smith gets off the mark with a handsome pull for four. The fielder at deep backward square lost sight of the ball, though I’m not sure he’d have stopped it.
Broad is England’s leading wickettaker against Australia, and surely their greatest Ashes competitor since Lord Beefy. And not even Ian Botham was man of the match in three Ashes-clinching victories, as Broad was in 2009, 2013 and 2015.
“I wonder how many generations of Bazball would be necessary to instil positivity into England supporters!” writes Ian Copestake. “Grind the good Aussie players out then work on the long tail. Is a tad early to be calling it!”
23rd over: Australia 79-2 (Khawaja 26, Smith 0) Well, Moeen is back on the field but he’s been replaced by Joe Root. A quiet first over, which is to say I’ve been looking up a Stuart Broad stat.
22nd over: Australia 78-2 (Khawaja 25, Smith 0) Broad whips up the crowd before his first delivery to Steve Smith. It’s angled in from wide of the crease and Smith defends confidently.
We’ve just seen a few replays of Labuschagne’s dismissal. Broad might be in his head because that was the kind of ball he ignores all the time. He was beaten earlier in the over and seemed unsure as to the whereabouts of his off stump. In this match Broad has bowled four balls to Labuschagne, conceded no runs and dismissed him twice.
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WICKET! Australia 78-2 (Labuschagne c Bairstow b Broad 13)
Stuart Broad does it again! Labuschagne feels tentatively for a full, widish delivery that he had no need to play, and Jonny Bairstow takes a comfortable catch. Broad doesn’t go wild, instead celebrating as if it was all part of the plan. I suppose it was: he’s been working on that outswinger with Labuschagne in mind.
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Moeen off with finger injury
21st over: Australia 77-1 (Khawaja 25, Labuschagne 13) Moeen starts with a low full toss that Labuschagne whacks straight into Pope at short leg. He’s okay. But Moeen isn’t: a horrible long hop is pulled almost apologetically for four by Labuschagne.
Moeen is really struggling with his finger, and he leaves the field at the end of the over. The poor guy has had a difficult match: scores of 18 and 19 and match figures of 39-5-170-2.
“Rob, you say the field for Labuschagne’s first ball was pure funk,” says Andrew Hurley. “May I disagree and say it’s all about Stokes drawing attention to himself, it’s not a field designed for anything other than for people to say ‘Look how clever that Stokes captain is’. He has already cost England probably up to 50 runs if not more, now, to use an Irish expression, he is acting the maggot with his field placements. For the good of England, or for his own ego?”
I take your point, and I do think there are times when he has got a bit carried away, but I don’t see him as an egotist at all. And we can’t ignore that a number of these funky fields have worked. Anyway, let’s save the postmortems until it’s 3-0 rather than 0-0.
20th over: Australia 72-1 (Khawaja 25, Labuschagne 8) Khawaja looks comfortable against Robinson, umbrella field or not, and gets two more with an open-faced steer. Australia are 201 runs away from a 1-0 lead.
“England have probably lost this,” says Fran Collins. “Needed a couple of earlyish wickets at least. How’s the weather tomorrow?”
Gloomy in the morning, so the lights may well be on if England bowl. As we saw yesterday, that would make life tricky for the batters. But after lunch it’s supposed to be much brighter.
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Read Simon Burnton’s Ashes diary: day four
19th over: Australia 70-1 (Khawaja 23, Labuschagne 8) Khawaja turns Moeen off the pads for a single; he’s now scored 164 from 376 balls in this match. Labuschagne pushes awkwardly at his first ball from Moeen and is hit on the pad, though he’s well outside the line. He addresses the next two deliveries more decisively, reverse-sweeping both for four. Fine batting.
“Everyone always focuses on the runs Bairstow scores in the Bairstow vs Foakes debate,” says Oliver Smiddy. “But he’s cost us an awful lot this game through missing some pretty regulation chances. Leftfield suggestion – ask Foakes to open and keep, if Jonny is too scared to bat above 7, and drop Duckett (if you want Crawley to be the swashbuckling opener)? It’s sufficiently wacky to align with Bazball. He could be the new Alec Stewart!
“Any chance of a charity plug too? We’re trying to raise £150,000 for seven charities by successfully conveying a bunch of colleagues up and down some mountains in the Chamonix valley. Any generous OBOers can donate here. If it makes any difference, I’m going to run halfway up Mont Blanc first to make life a bit harder.”
I wondered about Foakes opening but I don’t think he could do it. One point in defence of Bairstow is that this is one of his worst keeping performance for England. He’s usually a lot more reliable than this, though not in Foakes’s class, and he is coming back from a horrible injury.
18th over: Australia 61-1 (Khawaja 22, Labuschagne 0) The field for Labuschagne’s first ball is 100 per cent pure funk: slip, gully, leg slip, short mid-on, leg gully and short leg. He defends solidly and a couple of those fielders scatter.
The field for Marnus’ first ball #TheAshes #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/84xria6B3B
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) June 19, 2023
“It’s reached that time of day where my patient non-cricket-watching wife gets to have Pointless on TV, whilst I switch to the iPad in forlorn search of a wicket,” says Brian Withington. “Invited to name the Italian director of such films as ‘8 1/2’ and ‘La Dolce Vita‘ with initials ‘FF’, I’m guessing that for all you post-neorealism cinema buffs the name ‘Franz Ferdinand’ didn’t immediately spring to mind, he chuckled pompously.”
‘Yes, here it is: 9 1/2 Weeks with Mickey Rourke. That would be in the … erotic drama section.’
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Drinks The new batter is Marnus Labuschagne, who is on a king pair.
WICKET! Australia 61-1 (Warner c Bairstow b Robinson 36)
Goddim! That’s a vital wicket for England. Robinson, slammed for four earlier in the over, found Warner’s outside edge with a textbook wobble-seam delivery from round the wicket. Jonny Bairstow did the rest and Warner is on his way for a purposeful 36.
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17th over: Australia 57-0 (Khawaja 22, Warner 32) Stokes positions himself right behind the bowler Moeen, two-thirds of the way back to the boundary. After a couple of balls he walks in maybe five yards. Khawaja resists the temptation, and it’s another maiden.
“Drinking game suggestion,” says Darren Hall. “Have a gulp every time a commentator says ‘finger’.”
16th over: Australia 57-0 (Khawaja 22, Warner 32) Moeen’s pain is becoming more obvious as he gets into his spell. It’s a problem for England, because the ball is doing very little for the seamers. A shortish delivery from Robinson is belted through midwicket for four by Warner, who then beats the cover ring with a cut stroke for two more. He’s playing superbly.
15th over: Australia 50-0 (Khawaja 22, Warner 26) Khawaja skips down the track to crash Moeen down the ground for four. That’s beautiful batting, both in execution and intent, and it brings up a fifty partnership that has quietened the crowd.
It’s nearly 6pm, and it’s easy to forget that there are nearly two hours remaining tonight. Bowling conditions may well be friendly in the morning, but that won’t be much good to England if Australia are 150 for none.
“If we stick to tradition, Bairstow will play as a keeper in the next Test,” says John Starbuck. “Should he have another shocker (and continue to miss chances here), he might then be replaced by Foakes, but under B*zball, who knows?”
Injury aside, I can’t see a way Foakes gets into the team this summer. Maybe if Harry Brook has a shocker and they go back to last summer’s middle order.
14th over: Australia 45-0 (Khawaja 18, Warner 25) No umbrella field for Warner, who cuts Robinson witheringly for four. Khawaja then gets his first runs off Robinson in this innings, and his first boundary, with a classy square drive.
Since we’ve left an important part of our brain somewhere in a field in Hampshire in Edgbaston 2005, Australia were 47 for none after 12 overs when Andrew Flintoff came on to bowl the over of his life.
“Greetings from a parallel universe,” writes my erstwhile Wisden.com colleague Tom Bowtell. “Am listening on a train in Filey with dodgy reception and somehow switched to the TMS commentary replay from day 2 without knowing. Screamed with loud astonishment as history repeated with Warner playing on to Broad and Marnus going first ball. Sheepishly disappointed to discover the more mundane realty of the score. Fellow travellers, Yorkshirefolk all, eyeing me suspiciously.”
And most of them don’t even know there’s a game on, har har.
13th over: Australia 36-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 20) Nathan Lyon got a few to turn sharply, particularly to the left-handers, but then his spinning finger wasn’t seeping. Moeen gets one to turn away from Khawaja, who bats it slightly cautiously into the leg side, and then beats him with a nicely flighted delivery. Khawaja, who has now gone 23 balls without scoring, tries to cut the last ball and is beaten the lack of bounce. That was a risky shot on both line and length.
“Greetings from a parallel universe,” writes my erstwhile Wisden.com colleague Tom Bowtell. “Am listening on a train in Filey with dodgy reception and somehow switched to the TMS commentary replay from day 2 without knowing. Screamed with loud astonishment as history repeated with Warner playing on to Broad and Marnus going first ball. Sheepishly disappointed to discover the more mundane realty of the score. Fellow travellers, Yorkshirefolk all, eyeing me suspiciously.”
12th over: Australia 35-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 19) Robinson bowls another maiden to Khawaja, who is a little becalmed: 14 from his first 16 balls, 0 from the next 18. He looks secure, though, and that’s Australia need him to be at this stage. Robinson is also bowling well, with a fullish length and a bit of movement into the left-hander, so there aren’t many runs on offer.
“Speaking of people jettisoned too soon, as a neutral, I am still bemused about what happened to Steve Finn,” says Digvijay Yadav. “He was rampaging in 2015. Bowled well against Pakistan the following year, particularly at Edgbaston. And then got dumped.”
It’s a complicated story, and I really hope he writes an autobiography because he talks so well about the mental challenges he faced, but I think it was a combination of injury and loss of confidence. The interesting thing, as you say, is that he bounced back thrillingly from Finn’s Law and his Ashes horribilis; I’ve rarely been more thrilled for an England cricketer than I was for him when he came back with a six-for in the 2015 Ashes.
He also bowled beautifully when England won in South Africa that winter; I remember thinking that, at the age of 26, he had cracked it and would be an unplayable monster for the next few years. But then he had an inexplicably poor series against Sri Lanka at the start of 2016 – a cousin of Graeme Hick’s unforseeable loss of form against India in 1996 – and that was pretty much it.
11th over: Australia 35-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 19) This is a big moment: Moeen Ali, blistered finger and all, is coming into the attack. Australia will surely go after him straight away. Actually, they don’t. Warner is content to work a pair of twos and defend the rest. Moeen didn’t seem in too much pain during that over, though he is looking at his finger as he walks back towards the boundary.
“Perhaps to help calm the sphinctal motions of the faithless,” interjects Ian Copestake. “England should take a leaf out of the baseball book and assign a designated hitter to play time and drop anchor.”
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10th over: Australia 31-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 15) Warner has seen off Broad, who is replaced by Robinson after a spell of 4-0-8-0. Robinson starts with his umbrella field to Khawaja: three short extra covers, a short midwicket and a shortish square leg. After two balls, Stokes adds another man at short mid-on. Somewhere in the next life, Keith Miller has a big smile on his face.
Robinson pitches everything up to Khawaja, with a hint of shape back in. Khawaja’s judgement of what to play and what to leave is immaculate, and it’s a maiden.
“Khawaja,” says Simon Gates, “is in with a chance of batting on all five days.”
That’s a great spot. It’s a pretty short list, and I’d completely forgotten that Rory Burns was on it.
9th over: Australia 31-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 15) A short ball from Anderson, who is going at five an over for the first time in years, is swivel-pulled sweetly for four by Warner. This has been a perfect start for Australia.
Eng let 50odd runs go in that 1st inn. Big difference chasing 330 vs 281. Will it cost them the 1st Test? Too close to call now, but time will tell..
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 19, 2023
8th over: Australia 27-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 11) On Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain argues that England’s bowling has been a bit too straight. The number of runs scored on the leg side – 20 out of 25 off the bat - would support that argument.
Warner is beaten on the inside by a beauty from Broad, and England plead desperately for a caught-behind decision. It’s not forthcoming and they wisely decide against a review. It hit something, possibly Warner’s elbow, but it wasn’t the bat.
“I’m a convert to the One True Faith of Bazball, with all the zeal that comes with such a status,” writes Gary Naylor. “But even I’m having doubts about the declaration, some of the shot selections and the ultra-attacking fields. I guess I’m asking myself, ‘Is it cowardly to pray for brain?’”
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7th over: Australia 26-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 10) Two more to Warner, worked behind square off Anderson, and he repeats the shot for a single off the penultimate ball. Warner knows, with the ball not moving, he has a real chance here. From England’s perspective I think it’s time for Ollie Robinson in place of Anderson, who isn’t quite at his best.
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6th over: Australia 23-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 7) Warner’s resists a wobbling tempter from Broad. But he knows he’s safe with anything on the pads, and another crisp clip through midwicket brings him three runs. This is good stuff, a rugged arm-wrestle between three 36-year-olds and a quadragenarian.
Australia need another 258 to win.
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5th over: Australia 20-0 (Khawaja 14, Warner 4) Khawaja is beaten, chasing a wide delivery bowled from round the wicket by Anderson. The next ball is fractionally short, no more, and Khawaja pulls for four with a flourish. He is ruthless with that shot. An eventful over concludes with another play and miss outside off stump.
“Skulking in a basement in southwestern Ontario, and remembering Belly at his cover-driving best,” says Alex McGillivray. “Jettisoned at 33 - seems way too early for a batsman of his talents. Wonder why?”
I suspect that when they dropped him for the South Africa series in 2015-16, a fair enough decision on form, they expected him to be back the following summer. We all assumed Bell would score millions in county cricket, but it didn’t happen – from memory he struggled - and the door never opened again. There was a vacancy in the team in 2016 because of the shock retirement of James Taylor. With Bell not scoring any runs for Warwickshire, they gave it another glorious cover-driver: James Vince.
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4th over: Australia 16-0 (Khawaja 10, Warner 4) Stuart Broad is sticking two fingers to the data by bowling round the wicket to Khawaja as well as Warner. It’s another purposeful, accurate, aggressive over from Broad, but it’s met with secure defence from the Australian openers. There hasn’t been much movement for England.
3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Khawaja 9, Warner 4) England have four men in the covers for Warner, but he has more joy on the leg side when Anderson drifts onto the pads. A crisp clip brings him two runs. Warner is looking good, busy and light on his feet.
“If we’re even in vague danger of going down that nail-chewing route again during Australia’s fourth innings…” says Boris Starling, referring to the joyous torture of Edgbaston 2005. “I can never think of that match without remembering my friend Tom, who on that final morning as the target came closer and closer sent me a series of staggeringly offensive and beautifully inventive texts raining down invective on Australians (for obvious reasons), England cricketers (for equally obvious reasons, plus having had the temerity to invent the sport which was causing us such conniptions), Welshmen (Simon Jones spilling the catch at third man which would have won the match), and so on. A few weeks later, he and I were in the crowd at Trafalgar Square to salute Our Ashes Heroes™️.
“Tom died a few years ago, and when the Ashes come round I always think of him and his three non-negotiables for life: a cigarette, a glass of red, and laughter.”
2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Khawaja 9, Warner 2) Warner clatters Broad’s first ball into the covers, where Pope does well to save four runs. It’s also a no-ball from Broad. Australia have started with intent – but so has Broad, whose last ball kicks encouraingly Warner’s off stump.
“England have scored 666 runs in the match,” notes Christopher Phillips, “but is it enough to beast the Aussies.”
1st over: Australia 10-0 (Khawaja 9, Warner 1) A chance straight away! The ball after pulling Anderson round the corner for four, Khawaja edges straight between Bairstow and Root at first slip. They left it to each other. It was a beautiful delivery from Anderson, and it cost him four runs.
Replays show it was closer to Bairstow than Root; it was his catch. The poor guy is having a bad game with the gloves.
“The downside of England scoring so quickly in the new exciting era is the pitch hasn’t deteriorated as much as you’d expect for a fourth innings,” says Mark Hooper, “so record run chases aren’t that informative.”
Indeed. I think that applies generally over the last 20 years or so, not just to this England team. For reference, though, here are all Australia’s successful runchases in England.
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Jimmy Anderson is happy with his new new ball, and he’s going to open the bowling.
England aren’t happy with the new ball. Stuart Broad is peering at it quizzically, and a few of the players are in conversation with Marais Erasmus. Mike Atherton thinks that England chose a different ball to the one they’ve been given. Whatever the reason, it’s going to be changed.
The commentators are discussing how dangerous one of the Australian openers could be tonight. It’s not the man who scored 141 in the first innings; it’s the guy who scored nine.
Here come the players. Buckle up, buttercup.
This will be an extended evening session, just under three hours. Not quite Melbourne 1998 but that’s still a lot of cricket. There are 42 overs remaining; we should get at least 35 of them.
“Those extra runs from Robinson, Broad and Anderson might mean England get a second new ball tomorrow,” says Phil Harrison. “I reckon those two partnerships have won England the game. Fancied Aus to chase anything up to about 250. 280 feels like a lot though.”
I suppose you can argue it both ways – the relative comfort with which they got the runs will make Australia’s top order feel good about life.
As is this from Mr Bazball
Tomorrow’s weather could be a fascinating subplot. Looks like play should start on time but the conditions might stay spicy for the morning session. Temptation for Australia to go harder tonight? #Ashes pic.twitter.com/q962EqBPj9
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) June 19, 2023
This is a good point from Brendan Murphy
“England’s frenetic pace means that they spend far more time on the field than Australia, with their more methodical approach,” writes Brendan. “Australia batted 116 overs, England’s two innings lasted 144 overs. Cummings, Hazlewood etc. will be getting more rest in this series than Anderson and Broad.”
Teatime reading
Another good spot from Tim de Lisle
“Jimmy Anderson’s highest score in his past 35 Tests, since Pallekele, Nov 2018 (another 12).”
Tea
It’s 2005 all over again. In that legendary Edgbaston Test, Australia needed 282 to win; today it’s 281. Pat Cummins bowled beautifully in that innings, finishing with four for 63, and Nathan Lyon emerged from a predictable onslaught with admirable figures of 24-2-80-4.
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WICKET! England 273 all out (Anderson c Carey b Cummins 12)
Pat Cummins ends the nonsense. He comes back into the attack and rams in a short ball that Anderson can only fence to the left of Carey, who dives to take a good two-handed catch. Australia need 281 to win.
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66th over: England 273-9 (Broad 10, Anderson 12) Broad gets outside the line, negating an LBW appeal from Lyon. Two more singles add to Australia’s burgeoning frustration; this partnership is worth 17.
65th over: England 271-9 (Broad 9, Anderson 11) My word: Anderson, on the charge, smashes a length ball from Boland to the cover boundary!
Australia haven’t chased this many to win an Ashes Test since the famous Headingley Test of 1948. Those fourth-innings stats feel pretty irrelevant these days, and we shouldn’t forget there have been plenty of times when Australia’s target to win an Ashes Test has been in double figures. Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have made 280-300.
A bit of housekeeping. Tea will be delayed until the fall of the tenth wicket, although if these two are still batting at 4.40pm it will be taken then.
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64th over: England 264-9 (Broad 7, Anderson 6) This is a nice little interlude before the serious business of Australia’s runchase begins. Broad is well beaten by a ripper from Lyon that growls out of the footmarks.
“I see WinViz has been whirling like the proverbial dervish today,” says Brian Withington. “Does it have any knowledge of the wretched state of Mo’s finger, or access to the Met Office supercomputer? I’m also suspecting it knows nothing of how badly the Australians want to ram B**B*** down the collective English gullet…”
I think it takes into account the weather but not Mo’s finger unless he officially withdraws from the game. You raise a good point, though. I wonder how WinViz might have reacted when Patrick Patterson walked into the Australian dressing-room on the fourth evening at Melbourne in 1988 and promised to kill them all the next day? I suppose West Indies’ chances of victory would have increased from 99 per cent to 100.
63rd over: England 263-9 (Broad 6, Anderson 6) “That 2013 series still irks me,” says Max Williams. “It deserves to be celebrated as the final hurrah of a truly great England side. Instead the ridiculous decision to play the Down Under series a few months later – can’t even remember the reason now – means our 3-0 win has been buried beneath the subsequent whitewash. Poor Ian Bell.”
Yes, two points on that. Bell’s batting in that series was possibly the finest I’ve ever seen by an England batter across a whole series, because he made three totally different hundreds on three spicy pitches against a high-class seam attack. The other thing is that, while I agree with you, I vividly recall the negativity towards England during that series. And even before it, when they took their time to declare against New Zealand at Headingley.
Actually, three points – the reason they brought the second series forward by a year was so that it wouldn’t be in the same winter as the World Cup.
62nd over: England 260-9 (Broad 5, Anderson 4) Jimmy Anderson reverse sweeps his first ball nonchalantly for four! He walks down the wicket deadpan, looking like a gunslinger, to touch gloves with Broad. England lead by 267. Since you asked, Australia’s target on this ground in the 2005 heartstopper was 282.
“Basically in old money we’d have scraped to the same score then been blown away by the new ball,” says Dan. “By attacking relentlessly it turns bowlers from attacking lines and lengths (two innings cricket) to inherently defensive and a one-day mindset. Could’ve run more singles though!”
This is the thing – we’ll never be able to quantify Bazball, partly because so much of it is psychological. I do know that the last year has been the most fun I’ve had watching England since 2004-05.
WICKET! England 256-9 (Robinson c Green b Lyon 27)
Ollie Robinson’s fun is over. The ball after driving Lyon back over his head for two, he tried again and holed out to Cam Green at long-on. Canny stuff from Lyon, who has his fourth of the innings and his eighth of the match.
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61st over: England 254-8 (Robinson 25, Broad 5) Scott Boland replaces Hazlewood, which should mean a ceasefire in the bouncer war. The upside of this irritating partnership for Australia is that two lower-order batters look relatively comfortable against the old ball. Robinson has plenty of time to glide Boland’s last ball for a single.
“I’m sitting on an Alicante veranda, sweating bullets in 31C,” writes Joe Varley, “but am I correct to assume tomorrow’s play will be more of a scorcher?”
Not necessarily – heavy rain is forecast in the morning, sunny intervals thereafter.
60th over: England 253-8 (Robinson 24, Broad 5) Robinson charges Lyon and chips a safe single to long on, one of two runs from the over. With 17 minutes to go until tea, England lead by 260.
“Hi Rob,” says Jon Salisbury. “Robinson has superb temperament. Cheers.”
He does. I’m still not 100 per cent sure what I think of him as a bloke – he came across well in this interview with Don McRae – but he’s a fantastic cricketer. Weird that he was hiding in plain sight in county cricket for all those years. As long ago as 2018 he was taking 74 first-class wickets at an average of 19.
59th over: England 251-8 (Robinson 23, Broad 4) With Robinson backing away in anticipation of a short ball, Hazlewood slips in a surprise yorker. Robinson does well to adjust and dig it out. The next ball is short, and Robinson deftly uppercuts it to third man for four!
Robinson makes room to cut the next ball for two more, with Lyon scrambling to save the boundary at deep point. Lyon hurt his right shoulder in the process but he’s going to continue bowling. Those runs take England past 250. This is a valuable cameo from Robinson, 23 from 30 balls.
“I think Stokes is about to declare again,” says Gervase Greene. “That’ll mess with their heads…”
That would be a dreadful idea, the moment Bazball jumped the shark. But, if we’re looking to take the positives, it might just break Twitter once and for all.
IN OTHER NEWS
Not to be for the lads today as Oman take the win by 5 wickets.
— Cricket Ireland (@cricketireland) June 19, 2023
Congratulations to @TheOmanCricket and best of luck for the rest of the tournament 👏
Scorecard: https://t.co/6n6qd4MAMb#BackingGreen ☘️🏏 @cricketworldcup
📸 @GettyImages pic.twitter.com/ljCLkzX5Ec
58th over: England 243-8 (Robinson 16, Broad 3) Broad survives another LBW appeal after missing a lap at Lyon. I think it was missing off, though I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
Three from the over. Robinson, who has underachieved a touch with the bat in his short Test career, is playing pretty well and has 16 from 25 balls.
“I prefer my retreats without digital, ta,” replies J.A. Hopkin, “but winning a Test match is not about scoring faster than the other team, it’s about amassing an unassailable total. Stokes’ blokes provide entertainment, alright, but I can’t help feeling they’re gonna traipse off the ground at some point tomorrow looking like dejected morris dancers.”
You might be right – I just fancy Australia at this point – but England’s approach has brought them 11 victories in 13 games, and now they are competing with the world’s best team. It’s a yes from me.
57th over: England 240-8 (Robinson 15, Broad 2) It looks like England have decided to take on the short ball. Both Robinson and Broad miss big yahoos, then Carey saves four byes with a superb diving stop down the leg side. Robinson gets four of his own off the penultimate ball, making room to swat Hazlewood back over his head. Whatever you think of Robinson’s mouth, he’s got plenty of ticker. England lead by 247.
Robbo 🤝 Ashes cricket #Ashes pic.twitter.com/apcoXSTncK
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) June 19, 2023
“The Aussies have been outstanding since the first hour,” says John Jones. “The commentators have been overly critical of their approach. Still in the game after losing the toss on a road and in with a real chance. What a Test match.”
The momentum shifts (and DRS drama) remind me a little of Trent Bridge in 2013, the forgotten classic of modern Ashes cricket.
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56th over: England 232-8 (Robinson 8, Broad 1) “Well this is extraordinary stuff isn’t it?” says Gary Naylor. “I confess that I’ve never wanted England to win a Test more than I do right now. Yes it’s the Ashes, yes it’s the first Test, but mainly it’s to deny the millions lining up to say, ‘I told you so’. Nobody gets every decision right in sport - what matters is what you do with them.”
There’s no way of knowing, but I really hope that’s not the case. I thought it was one of the worst declarations in Test history; I’m also desperate to have humble pie for tea tomorrow.
REVIEW! England 232-8 (Broad not out 1)
Broad misses a reverse-sweep at Lyon and is given out LBW. That’s plumb. Broad reviews, more in hope that expectation, and quite right too: replays show the ball brushed his glove on its way through.
55th over: England 229-8 (Robinson 6, Broad 0) Broad is dropped by Smith! He fenced another excellent short ball up in the air on the leg side. Smith charged after it, grimacing with determination, but couldn’t hold on at full stretch. It would have been a great catch.
One thing is abundantly clear: the lower order batters on both sides won’t be getting many drive balls for the rest of the series, and I’m tempted to delete the ‘M’ in ‘many.
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WICKET! England 229-8 (Moeen c Carey b Hazlewood 19)
But Moeen has gone! He tried to pull a leg-stump short ball from Hazlewood and gloved it through to Alex Carey. That’s yet another timely wicket for Australia, who have almost taken them to order today. Every time England have threatened to get away, somebody has made the breakthrough for Australia.
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54.3 overs: England 229-7 (Moeen 19, Robinson 6) Robinson fends a vicious short ball from the new bowler Hazlewood towards short leg, where Labuschagne swoops forward to take a brilliant one-handed catch. He throws the ball up but doesn’t seem entirely sure that it’s a clean catch. The umpires go upstairs, and replays show that, though Labuschagne took the ball cleanly, he then scraped the ball along the ground as his hand twisted. Robinson survives.
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54th over: England 228-7 (Moeen 19, Robinson 5) Lyon has an LBW appeal against Robinson turned down by Marais Erasmus. That turned a long way, probably too much. Australia have no reviews left anyway.
A single brings Moeen on strike, and he clouts a sweet slog-sweep over midwicket for six. Shot! Lyon responds with a jaffa that spits past the outside edge as Moeen props forward. Carey has the bails off in a trice – he’s kept beautifully in this game, as he did in India – but Moeen’s back foot was grounded.
“Really can’t fathom why England is playing this like a one-dayer,” writes J. A. Hopkin. “Is it going to rain all day tomorrow? Three batsmen out in their 40s. Old Father Gooch must be distraught.”
Have you been at a digital retreat in the Kerguelen Islands for the last 12 months? This is England 2023.
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Blimey. Thanks to Romeo for pointing out that Oman are on course for a stunning win over Ireland in the World Cup qualifiers.
53rd over: England 221-7 (Moeen 13, Robinson 4) Moeen chases a wide ball from Cummins and slices it down to third man for four. He isn’t middling much but he’s found his way into double figures. Every little helps.
“Assuming the bowlers manage a few,” says John Starbuck, “would you care to estimate what would be a winning lead amid a rain-soaked Tuesday?”
I would not, largely because I have nary a clue.
52nd over: England 217-7 (Moeen 9, Robinson 4) There hasn’t been any sign of verbal aggression towards Robinson, just a few zesty bumpers from Cummins.
Moeen tries to slog-sweep Lyon and is beaten by a bit of extra bounce. Lovely bowling. It feels like a matter of time before he gets Moeen for the 11th time in Tests. Only one other bowler, Ravi Jadeja with seven, has dismissed Moeen more than five times.
WinViz has Australia slight favourites: 50 per cent to England’s 46, with four per cent chance of a draw.
51st over: England 215-7 (Moeen 8, Robinson 3) Cummins has bowled tremendously in this innings. He almost gets his fourth wicket with a beauty that vrooms off the seam to beat the driving Moeen through the gate. That could easily have bowled him.
Drinks. England lead by 222.
Australia review for caught behind against Robinson!
And it’s a stinker. Robinson avoided a bumper from Cummins, taking his eyes off the ball, but Alex Carey thought it might have clipped his glove on the way through. Cummins reviewed, a little reluctantly, and replays showed that it missed everything. Australia have no reviews left, a state of affairs that cost them dearly at Trent Bridge in 2013 and Headingley four years ago.
50th over: England 214-7 (Moeen 8, Robinson 2) Moeen tries to drive Lyon and edges the ball not far wide of Boland at backward point. Lyon has made himself at home in Moeen’s subconscious ever since the start of the 2017-18 Ashes, and Moeen doesn’t seem entirely sure whether he should run towards this particular danger – figuratively and literally. Four singles from the over.
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Thanks Geoff, hello everyone. It looks like Ollie Robinson’s use of the mouth has gone down about as well as Tony Greig’s bouncers at Dennis Lillee in 1974-75. “It’s like the song We Didn’t Start the Fire,” said Lillee, although he and Jeff Thomson did pour about 500 gallons of petrol in it.
49th over: England 210-7 (Moeen 6, Robinson 0) Spicier and spicier. The lead is 217. Australia are pretty bad at fourth-innings chases. Moeen could still clobber some. The Nighthawk is not called upon. Robinson gets promoted. Keeps out a Cummins yorker. Sees out the over.
That’s it from me! Need to catch my breath before working out what to write about for this evening. I have no idea yet, so much still could change. From here, the rest of the day is between you and Rob Smyth.
WICKET! Stokes lbw Cummins 43, England 210-7
The biggest blow is struck! Stokes goes, Cummins from around the wicket with another snorter, in with angle, further off the seam, beats the shot and pulverises the knee roll. Umpire’s finger goes up. Stokes reviews, he has an orange light on contact at the stumps, but it’s smashing the leg bail so it’s not exactly a close one either.
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48th over: England 209-6 (Stokes 43, Moeen 5) Stokes whacks a couple more, cutting in front of point. Lyon still has this field with two covers and a long off, so they do want him to play off side presumably. Slip waiting. Stokes finds the squarer cover, Khawaja. Then defends from the crease. Lyon bowls a rare bad ball, overpitches, and Stokes sweeps for four. Cuts two more. England’s brand ambassador is doing his work.
47th over: England 201-6 (Stokes 35, Moeen 5) Luck for England! Cummins short and nasty at the body, Moeen gloves it just past a diving Carey for four. Whose day is it going to be?
46th over: England 197-6 (Stokes 35, Moeen 1) Nip and tuck, nip and tuck. Gosh this is a good Test match. Moeen Ali to join Stokes. The hometown lad, could make himself a hero here. Might even do it with an innings of 30. The lead is 204.
WICKET! Bairstow lbw 20, England 196-6
Lyon does it again! His classic style, the straightening down the line, Bairstow goes down to sweep, reverse style, and misreads the bounce. Hit in front of middle and leg. Erasmus takes as long to give it as Raza did to get his finger up earlier, a long delay. But does. Bairstow reviews, but that ball is going on straight enough to be flush on leg stump, three reds.
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45th over: England 196-5 (Stokes 35, Bairstow 20) Frustration growing for Cummins! First gets belted through point, square of a wrong-footed Green, then he gets Bairstow’s nick off a flailing cut and sees it go just by slip. The Hollies Stand is in full voice. Bumper time, decides Cummins, bringing Smith from slip to midwicket. Labuschagne is at a striagther midwicket, Khawaja at mid on, Head at deep square leg. Plus Boland at fine leg. Bairstow evades the first one. Knocks away a single from the second. Stokes blocks. Another over goes for ten runs. This scoring rate is incredible. The lead is 203.
44th over: England 186-5 (Stokes 34, Bairstow 11) This pair still haven’t gone at Lyon. Bairstow defending, back and across. Lyon around the wicket to the right-hander, wanting to turn down the line of the stumps. Reverse sweep, single to deep point. Then Stokes is caught – or so it seems, but it’s a bump ball. Top edge, reverse sweep, looping to Boland at short third, who dives forward and comes up saying he held it cleanly. Which he did, but the umpires check the replay and find it hit ground just under the bat before looping up.
43rd over: England 184-5 (Stokes 33, Bairstow 10) Cummins replacing Boland, and after a couple of sighters, Stokes goes hard. Walks at him to whack one ball through mid on, waits back to flash a top-edged cut behind point. Eight runs. Long on is sent back, joining deep square, fine leg, and deep point. Stokes glances one. Bairstow another. Just the 10 off the over then.
Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
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42nd over: England 174-5 (Stokes 24, Bairstow 9) Lyon keeps working. The lead is 180. Australia need to break the partnership. England need at least another 70. Bairstow fiddles down the leg side and misses, but keeps his back foot down as Carey gets across to take. Only score is a Stokes single to start the over.
41st over: England 173-5 (Stokes 23, Bairstow 9) Delicate from Bairstow, reaching for Boland and guiding him just past Green at gully for four. The fates have not been with Boland today, in the way they have on other days. Twice Bairstow miscues badly, hard into the ground trying to wallop through cover. Third time he gets it, but the point sweeper fields.
40th over: England 167-5 (Stokes 22, Bairstow 4) Leading edge from Stokes to mid off, scampers a run. Bairstow seeps one. The singles off Lyon tick over.
To answer Michael Keane’s question, the session times were:
11 to 13:15
13:55 to 16:10
16:10 until presumably 19:10?
Given we can add a rain half hour as well as the usual extra half hour.
39th over: England 163-5 (Stokes 20, Bairstow 2) Boland from the Pavilion End, getting Bairstow off balance with a ball spearing into the stumps. Keeps it out, just about. Slip and gully waiting. Bairstow thrashes a cut but the deep point saves three. And there is the first big Stokes shot! Doesn’t get it cleanly, charging and thrashing at width, the ball bobbling over cover off the angled blade for two. But he does get the next one, advancing again, taking it on the up, hitting the gap straight of cover. Labuschagne moves over a little. Stokes plays a reverse sweep to the seamer, one run to deep backward point.
38th over: England 155-5 (Stokes 13, Bairstow 1) Lyon to begin from the City End. Steve Smith at slip for Stokes. Short third for the reverse, deep backward point for the cut, cover and extra cover, long off for the lofted shot, mid on, deep midwicket, short fine leg. A sweeper’s field. And Stokes does play the reverse sweep, on the bounce straight to Boland at short third. No run.
As per the old debate, wonder if you need the long off especially, before he’s even tried a big shot. Stokes is anchored to the crease in this over, hit on the pad twice, defending the rest. Another maiden.
We’re back… what will the second session bring?
Barnaby Jenkins. “Putting my son to bed here in Sydney with the cricket on in the background. Quietly singing to myself as I go. Just before lights out, he asks me, ‘Dad, what’s a shit Moeen Ali?’”
Lunch - England 155 for 5, lead by 162 in the third innings
What a session of cricket. Joe Root started with his foot pressed flat to the floor, as though no time at all has passed since he finished batting on the first day. Pope was blown away early, but Brook went with Root strike for strike. Then Australia found their way back into the contest through Lyon, extracting first Root, then Brook, to go to 493 Test wickets.
England have a lead, and have power in their batting, but have a lot of work to do between Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen. The match beautifully in the balance! Grab a snack.
37th over: England 155-5 (Stokes 13, Bairstow 1) So close, but Bairstow survives! In-ducker from Boland, seam movement, smashes the pad. Umpire Raza takes a long time, then slowly puts the finger up. Contact is high on the pad with some angle in. Looks like it might be clipping the leg bail if anything. And DRS gives Bairstow a green light by about one millimetre, at the top corner of the bail. Would have been an unlucky dismissal had a millimetre been hitting, it looked too high live. Next ball, pad again, appeal again, Raza keeps his finger holstered. Australia have one review left so they don’t chance it. England reach lunch in safety!
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36th over: England 155-5 (Stokes 13, Bairstow 1) Another quiet one from Lyon. A single to Bairstow to start his scoring day, two blocks from Stokes.
35th over: England 154-5 (Stokes 13, Bairstow 0) Boland comes back, having switched ends to have the pavilion at his back, and Stokes gives him the charge to deflect four to fine leg. Bairstow follows up by nearly getting run out, charging down and being sent back, beating the throw from point but he’s injured his hand in the process. Did that throw clip his hand? Seems so.
“Enjoying the OBO,” writes David Roche. “Agree that we need specialist third umpires, and the decision on the LBW referral for Lyon to Stokes demonstrates why. If an umpire makes the right decision but for the wrong reason, it is still a bad decision.”
I should clarify, and I’m pretty sure on this but not 100 percent, that the guidelines for DRS give the umpires no latitude. In the same way as there is a set order for looking at each piece of teach, it also says that any movement on the soundwave at the right time must be treated as an edge. Because otherwise the decision-making is too opaque, and the optics for spectators who don’t understand the difference would be too difficult to explain. If so, it’s not the right process, but it’s a compulsory process.
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34th over: England 150-5 (Brook 46, Stokes 9) So it’s Bairstow and Stokes, the Headingley duo, the ones who got that chase moving in 2019. Bairstow defends his first two balls against Lyon to end the over. The lead is 157.
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WICKET! Brook c Labuschagne b Lyon 46, England 150-5
Oh ho! Do your best Ravi Shastri voice and say, “Against the run of play!” Straightforward stuff really, Brook plays a pull shot at a short ball, doesn’t get the placement or elevation, and although he hits it hard Labuschagne dives to his right at midwicket and takes a very good catch. Five down.
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33rd over: England 150-4 (Brook 46, Stokes 9) A long delay for a change of ball halfway through the over. Hazlewood gets bounce with the new one, and after Stokes hits it to point he runs down the pitch shaking his hand, it must have jarred. Gets back on strike, then leaves a ball outside off stump. I was joking earlier about Stokes not playing shots, but it is a little odd by the time it’s 9 off 26 balls. He could hit the hammer at any moment, of course.
If you want our round-up of the county champs and the Blast results over the past week, here you go.
32nd over: England 146-4 (Brook 44, Stokes 7) England lead by 151 runs with this pair at the crease and big hitters to come in Bairstow and Moeen. Another hundred runs and they’re in a good spot. Brook punches one run off Lyon to cover. Stokes defends! Then, gets his front leg out of the way and jams a single off leg stump while half falling over.
31st over: England 144-4 (Brook 43, Stokes 6) Yep, eventually we get ball-tracking showing that the Stokes appeal from Lyon was missing off stump. Still, if that had gone to hand off the pad, he would have been given out caught on that evidence. It’s a clear flaw with the system.
Brooks has another waltz at Hazlewood and skews three runs through cover. Stokes gets a couple more.
30th over: England 137-4 (Brook 39, Stokes 3) A couple of singles, then Stokes survives an lbw referral upstairs. The ball gets under the toe of the bat and hits pad. I thought just outside the line, maybe turning away. The DRS though, says he’s hit it. Which he hasn’t. The disturbance on the soundwave graph is long and low, which is a scrape sound, not an edge. But as so often, the inability to read the technology correctly means the wrong decision is made. Any noise is held to be an edge, even though a qualified sound engineer could tell you what kind of noise it was. Resume the argument for specialist third umpires.
“I’ve just noticed that the forecast for tomorrow has improved, at least for the afternoon. Might England be being a bit more circumspect now that there’s a chance of some play tomorrow after all?”
Right this minute, Richard O’Hagan, they are. Not sure how long it will last.
29th over: England 135-4 (Brook 38, Stokes 2) Twelve balls for one run, Stokes, after blocking the last of the previous over. Hazlewood bowls to Brook, who takes four balls to put Stokes back on strike. England’s captain covers his off stump and drops the ball to backward point, no run. Finally, he charges Hazlewood but gets nothing to hit, can only bunt a run to midwicket.
28th over: England 133-4 (Brook 37, Stokes 1) Hot stat alert: Carey is now one stumping away from a share of the record for an Ashes Test. Which is four.
Those already there? Bert Oldfield, twice, what a man. From a stretcher-bearer in the First World War trenches to gloving everything that came his way. Affie Jarvis, the cheerful South Australian with the fine moustache. And Jack Blackham, the man who kept Jarvis out of the team for most of his career.
Elevate Carey to that company, and it will be a grand day for lovers of history. You’d like his chances of getting one more from this England team.
Two leg byes and a single from the Lyon over.
Ben Stokes has faced a maiden over
27th over: England 130-4 (Brook 36, Stokes 1) What doing? What are we seeing? Josh Hazlewood has bowled a very respectable over tight on an off stump line, and, well, England’s captain, he just, he blocked it out. I don’t know how else to say it. He defended each ball, solidly, getting forward.
Is this some new level of mind game? Get them expecting something and then keep changing? Ever twisting and turning? Twirling towards freedom?
The whole ground sits in disbelief.
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26th over: England 130-4 (Brook 36, Stokes 1) This is the real quiz. Stokes to the middle. Five balls to face. And he… defends four and then tucks a single? What’s this?
WICKET! Root st Carey b Lyon 46, England 129-4
He falls! It has been a joyously entertaining morning’s work, but noon has passed and Joe Root’s pumpkin has arrived. He gallops out at Lyon, isn’t to the pitch, faces serious turn, and Carey takes the ball well outside leg stump after it beats the inside edge, and knocks off the bails. Didn’t have a stumping before he went to India earlier this year, Carey, but he has three in this match.
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25th over: England 129-3 (Root 46, Brook 36) We had a later than usual drinks break there because of the extended session. At last, here’s Hazlewood. Had some errors with our block order if you were confused there, sorry. Brook lays into him just as hard. Smokes him through the covers for four!
I'm old enough to remember when Joe Root wasn't sure how he fitted into a #Bazball set up @GeoffLemonSport
— Richard Morris (@richardmorrisuk) June 19, 2023
24th over: England 121-3 (Root 45, Brook 29) More from Lyon. This is statement batting. Picks off two through point, then clouts four over cover. No one gets an easy time here.
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23rd over: England 113-3 (Root 44, Brook 22) Cummins bowling his seventh over of the spell. A Brook single. Root just keeps out a yorker, looked as good as the Pope one. Cummins goes around the wicket to the right-hander, looking for something different. Root guides a run to deep third.
If you’re interested, Joe Root today has also gone to 21st on the list of Ashes run-scorers, passing The Big Ship, Warwick Armstrong, and gone to 11th on England’s list, passing Kevin Pietersen.
22nd over: England 111-3 (Root 43, Brook 21) Lyon on to bowl, and Brook takes to him immediately! A cut shot through point, a sweep behind square, four runs from each. Two more with another sweep, two with a clip, one more with a normal shot to midwicket. Just the 13 from the over. England have been ruthless this morning.
21st over: England 98-3 (Root 43, Brook 8) Serious seam movement inwards from Cummins as Brook leaves, the ball bouncing just over his off bail. Cummins drops to his haunches for a second in disbelief. Then fires one past the outside edge as Brook charges and wafts, before staying home and leaving another very close to the off stump. Impressive burst from the bowler. Searching, gets too straight and Brook picks off one run to deep midwicket. A rare quiet over on the scoreboard.
Root has just gone past Richie Richardson into 17th spot for most Test runs against Australia. Currently 2177 at an average of 41.
20th over: England 97-3 (Root 43, Brook 7) First boundary for Brook, picking off a full straight ball from Green through midwicket. Four, then one. Root comes way across his stumps and nearly loses leg, trying to catch up with the ball and missing. Stays leg side of the next ball and glides one.
“Liked the Jonathan Liew piece, while it’s not Father’s Day in this hemisphere,” writes Eamonn Maloney. “It’s indeed so that cricket fans are usually made through their fathers, but often so also is the way they interact with the game. My brother noticed a comment I made on the OBO yesterday which led to a discussion about how dad used to call up the ABC radio’s Grandstand coverage from the rotary phone in the hallway, in a bid to have his (strongish) opinions amplified. Required more patience and commitment in those days but there’s a clear line from the dialing digits to the typing thumbs.”
19th over: England 90-3 (Root 42, Brook 1) Cummins continues, no Hazlewood. Root takes him off the pads to deep midwicket, where Head gets razzed in front of the Hollies sliding across to keep it to two runs. Same dose next ball. Scoring so easily. Then Root tries the scoop again but there’s too much pace from Cummins and the line is straighter, over middle stump. Misses. More luck with conventional play, picking off a full leg-stump error through deep backward for four.
Matt Dony has been pondering Joe Root too.
“As you eloquently explained yesterday, it’s aa fool’s errand dwelling on ‘what ifs’. If you change one thing, you change everything. But, I do wonder what could have happened had Root stepped down from the captaincy a bit earlier. He is a sensational batter, even more fluid and creative without the (cliche klaxon!) Burden Of Captaincy. My suspicion is that Stokes became captain at the perfect time for him, so any intervening period between an earlier Root abdication and now would have been played in a different style and with a different approach. But surely Root would have flourished whatever. Alas, we’ll never know. We can simply enjoy the now. It’s impossible to know whether it’s the best timeline, but it’s a million miles away from the darkest timeline.”
18th over: England 82-3 (Root 34, Brook 1) Cameron Green is the man for all jobs now. He was at first slip in the previous over, Khawaja out from there. Now he’s bowling ahead of Hazlewood. Is there a problem? Hazlewood was off the field briefly. He’s back on now at fine leg. Seems to be warming up.
Green from the City End. Root slices a single. Harry Brook does likewise. Deep third and deep backward point now for Root, along with a deep square leg and a fine leg. So Green has licence to bounce him? Slip, cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket. Runs anywhere square on the off side, and Root goes there, driving in front of point for two. Then a single square.
WICKET! Pope b Cummins 14, England 77-3
17th over: England 77-3 (Root 30) Finally one goes down! Australia get something back their way, last ball of the over.
It starts with Cummins to Root, who is taking a few breaths between bursts of freneticism, defending a couple. Cover is open for him, point and mid off now stationed, and he takes a run to deep third. Nathan Lyon fields, then does some bowling warm-ups. He’ll surely be on soon. He comes up to backward point for Pope, and that’s a mistake because Pope cuts fine, right where Lyon had just been, for four. Cummins zeroes in on off stump and Pope stays behind it.
But Pope isn’t expecting the fullest pitch. That’s the perfect yorker, right on the line, a sharp angle in at the stumps from wider on the crease, and it sneaks under the toe of the bat to flatten off stump. Brilliant fast bowling.
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16th over: England 72-2 (Root 29, Pope 10) Interesting. Cummins is usually quick with a bowling change if someone is getting tonked. But perhaps he thinks that doing so with Boland now would be some sort of defeat. Boland gets another over, and tucks up Root with two really good balls, before erring in width and being slashes for four! Leaning away from the ball is Root to make more room, such a shot. Then plays a crisp straight drive but mid on is able to stop it. Glides another single. The sun is shining. He can do whatever he likes. It must feel so good to be Joe Root right now.
15th over: England 67-2 (Root 24, Pope 10) Cummins said before the match about that there would be times when England’s approach had him under pressure as a captain, and said there was nowhere he would rather be. This is the moment. He bowls to Pope, who takes two more runs through square leg. Green back in the gully for Pope, the cordon applauding a decent ball. Making a point of keeping their own spirits up. A drive on the bounce to cover. Only two men out, deep square and fine leg. Sun shining strongly now. Pope strokes a drive for three, straight of Labuschagne again, who is lurking between cover and mid off trying to be both. Root pinches one more and keeps the strike.
“I hope you’re ready for a day of excesses!” emails Tony White. “I can’t wait to hear from the OBOers who failed their Bazball GSCE’s trying to understand JR’s rocking start to the day!”
14th over: England 61-2 (Root 23, Pope 5) This was always the question: would Boland be susceptible to a Bazzing? He overpitches here and Root drives him perfectly through extra cover. Then opens the face and dabs so fine that it goes on the bounce to Smith at second slip. Green is back closer to the action now, backward point. Head is down at deep third. Labuschagne at cover. No mid off. Then a mid on, midwicket, forward square leg, long leg, so Boland can target the stumps. He doesn’t, and Root gets the glide away for a run this time.
Pope advances at Boland and hits that gap at mid off for four! His first runs of the innings. Boland responds with a better length and draws a rare defensive shot. Then a single to point.
“I see Root has done that thing where he unobtrusively races to 20 odd runs without doing anything flashy,” writes Martin Lloyd. “I imagine once he’s in he’ll start to play some shots...”
13th over: England 51-2 (Root 18, Pope 0) Off strike with a leg bye goes Pope, so he still hasn’t scored but gets Root back into the action. Root is happy with a single tucked off his leg stump. More leg byes for Pope, four of them to fine leg. Cummins hasn’t got his line right. Australia, dare I say, rattled early.
12th over: England 45-2 (Root 17, Pope 0) Too straight for thee! Scott Boland strays onto the pads and Root whips him through midwicket with elan. Lovely. Then Boland gets his line right, and Root plays his reverse again for six. Gets plenty of that one, over the keeper who is up to the stumps. It soars away!
He enjoys it so much that he plays it again, next ball. Doesn’t get a full piece, skews the ball flatter, but just over slip and away for four.
That takes Green out of the cordon, Australia putting their tallest man back on the rope at deep third. So Root taps the ball into the gap at point for two runs.
Sensational batting.
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11th over: England 29-2 (Root 1, Pope 0) Ummmm, ok? That’s one way to start the day. Cummins bowls length, and Root tries the reverse scoop over deep third without having seen a delivery yet. Misses it by a mile, and it misses his stumps. Settles for a single to fine leg a couple of balls later.
Only three balls in the over, finishing the one that was abandoned yesterday.
Here we go.
“Appreciate the blog from Perth (Australia),” writes the helpfully specific Brendan Crozier. “Any reason why play has not started early today, given the time lost yesterday?”
They don’t do that here, Brendan. The theory is that because the evenings are light, you can play late. But that only works if the sky is clear. There’s also an old argument that it’s not fair to start play early because people have planned their arrival time and would miss that part of play. But if the overs aren’t bowled, they miss that part of play anyway.
But, yes. There is never an early start in England, there is time added to the end of the day. And we’ll have 15 minutes added to each of the first two sessions before the breaks, too.
Now, here’s the kind of email I can get behind. From Dennis Johns.
“Morning Geoff. Nice to see you here this morning, looking forward to the Aussie perspective on an absolute snorter of a Test match. But that’s not why I’m writing. I was reading Dead Lions (spy novel, part of the Slow Horses series) by Mick Heron this morning and found a reference to the OBO in it! We’re told that a character called Harper ‘emails the Guardian’s over-by-over cricket blog on a regular basis’. It was published 2013 - did we know this? Does the OBO get a shout out in any other novels? Enjoy the day’s play.”
Here’s a call out to the OBO readership. Another question, do we have a collective name for such? What is the Beyhive of the OBO?
Drop us a line
Of course you can send me an email through the day, or get in touch with Twitter, for thoughts large and small. Have at it.
I’ve just settled on an executive decision for today though. Most of the emails already have been about Robinson and Khawaja and sledging, and I appreciate that people have views on it, but I’d rather not sidetrack the coverage this morning into more back and forth on a well tilled field.
It will be the same discussion we’ve had time and again: some people are all for it, some say it’s the understandable by-product of competition, and some find it diminishes their enjoyment of the game.
Robinson has extensive form, and you would think that someone with his history might engage in more thought or tread more carefully. But he doesn’t, and hasn’t, so most likely won’t. There’s not much point hashing it all over.
And last on our list of links, one of the great mysteries of the OBO. I am only its servant, so who am I to question?
Behold, the Test Match Special overseas listening link.
Lastly, we’ve had a huge response overnight to this one from Jonathan Liew, who arrived yesterday with a pensive air on Father’s Day. “I’m going to write about my dad,” he said when it came time to discuss column topics. And, what a piece.
This is a top piece from Barney Ronay, capturing the tension of old and new, and what can be impressively irritating about Bazball for anyone not on the inside of it.
If you’re the kind of person who likes a podcast wrap while walking to the ground or making a sandwich, there’s Day 3 on The Final Word with me and Adam Collins. Here.
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I wrote about the shifting moods of an English summer and an English Test match, which is still fitting given that we’ve seen at least three of those moods in the last few hours.
And here is Simon’s Ashes Diary, throwing together the vignettes into some semi-coherent whole. Like making a quiche.
Once that’s done, check in with Ollie Robinson’s press conference via Simon Burnton. Played a few shots last night, did Robinson.
Let’s play our favourite game: Read What We Wrote on The Guardian Yesterday!
I suggest you start with Ali Martin’s match report. Be informed.
As ever for England, Joe Root is the key. Played like a dream on the first day, made his 30th career ton, and he will resume on 0 not out. So nearly could have been out three times yesterday, a couple of lbw shouts and a caught behind appeal that missed by a millimetre. It was a tough time to bat. This morning, not so much.
England are already on the field, in a big circle at the southern end doing keepy-uppy warm-ups. Some Australian players are on the eastern side of the ground doing cricket warm-ups. Cricket? Nerds.
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Preamble
Hello from Edgbaston! The sun is out, and the forecast is set fair, though there is still plenty of scattered cloud about and was the occasional cold blast of wind as we made our way into the ground. It should, overall, be a good batting day for England, but the forecast for tomorrow is awful. So, if this is the last reliable day, what does the new England philosophy demand?
They’re 28 for 2, leading by 35 runs. They have, in theory, 98.3 overs of play today. So do they go hell for leather for two sessions and then throw Australia in? We’ll see just how Baz the Ball might be over the day.
