Bairstow surprised by declaration
More reaction and analysis
Ali Martin's day one report
Here’s Andy Bull on the first ball of this year’s Ashes:
Zak Crawley leans out and (what, surely not?) thwacks it for four through extra cover, where it clatters into the boundary like a champagne cork ricocheting off the ceiling. The fans around Edgbaston erupt, while on the England balcony, Ben Stokes does a double take as the players around him fall about laughing.
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A skim of the mailbag
… shows that most of you are torn by the declaration. My mate Tom texts me with a lot of swearwords, he’s not happy, but then, he never is.
As ever it’ll be a case of judging it when both sides have batted… the danger for England is that that might not be for three days – once Smith and Marnus have bedded in for the long, long, long haul.
I’ve got to dash, I’m spent after a double session, off to ice my weary fingers and seek out something cold to drink. That was a genuine thrill, thanks to Rob for helming in his inimitable style earlier and most of all, thanks to the good ship OBO for all your correspondence and bringing a stoopid grin to my face.
We’ll be back to do it all again tomorrow. Until then, goodnight.
Pretty much sums it up
Exhilarating, bizarre day of Test cricket to open the Ashes. Great fun, lived up to the hype. Lots of handshakes between Aussie batters and England fielders at its end. Both sides probably pretty happy.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 16, 2023
Stumps: Australia 14-0
4th over: Australia 14-0 (Warner 8, Khawaja 4) Well played Australia, they dealt with that tricksy little session in the guts of a febrile atmosphere very well indeed. Robinson wasn’t quite on the moolah there, a wide and a couple of easily left deliveries letting his opponents off the hook a bit. Still, get me, old dreary chops. What a first day of the Ashes 2023.
Genuinely shocked we're into the 4th over and Stokes hasn't given Moeen a chuck.
— Scott Oliver (@reverse_sweeper) June 16, 2023
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3rd over: Australia 13-0 (Warner 8, Khawaja 4) Nicely done, Davey. Broad goes too full and is speared away through the off side. We’ll have one more over.
Ruth Valentine speaks for all of us right?
“On a long-distance bus from New York to Boston. Can’t you keep them on the field an hour or so longer? I need more of that excitement.”
I love the OBO. We’ve had New York, Paris, Jakarta, Helsinki, County Down and Bangkok (to name just a few) on the wires today. All united by a love for this mad thing.
@Jimbo_Cricket pretty sure the Swiss Horn player here in Solothurn was signifying the Stokes’ declaration
— Emmetten Gooner (@BaselGooner) June 16, 2023
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2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 4, Khawaja 4) Robinson to take the new Dukes instead of Jimmy Anderson. Khawaja is watchful, he manages to get underway with a couple through mid-on. Robinson is hovering around the 83mph mark but fizzes one past the outside edge! Two more to Khawaja before Robinson nearly does himself a mischief, tumbling over in his delivery stride… he seems to be ok and lopes back to his mark. Could’ve been nasty that on second look. Australia punching back.
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1st over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 4, Khawaja 0) Great scenes here, the crowd wooooahing Broad to the crease with each delivery. The Hollies sound like an incredibly boozed up Coldplay chorus. Warner looks skittish, a couple of failed attempts at a single see him dive for his ground… Shot! He leans on the last ball though and punctures the noise with a well placed drive through cover for four. Australia are underway.
Broad to Warner, here we go!
The crowd are on their feet. The atmosphere is crackling like static in Birmingham. Almost like there is a storm coming…
Many of you called this in the OBO mailbag, even if a good few of you had tongue firmly in cheek. Root finished on 118* and Robinson on 17*. The England players are already out on the outfield doing some catching practice. My days.
England have declared! 👀 pic.twitter.com/phfL1X0Puk
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 16, 2023
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England Declare on 393-8!
Scenes. Abso Scenes. Ben Stokes calls his side in as he wants a dart at the Aussies this evening. This is delicious. No one really knows what to make of it! What a day. What a game!
Joe Root had spangled two huge sixes off Nathan Lyon in the last over and Stokes decided that was that.
Ben Stokes does things differently!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 16, 2023
England have twenty minutes to bowl at Australia this evening.#Ashes #BBCCricket pic.twitter.com/qK9BaKSUiA
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77th over: England 373-8 (Root 103, Robinson 12) Five runs pocketed off Josh Hazlewood.
One question worth asking @Jimbo_Cricket in assessing this score is, at 10.29am this morning, would England have taken a score pushing 400 at the close? I suspect they might have. And I suspect Australia wouldn't.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 16, 2023
Tone White want us all to chiiiiillaaax
“Hi Jim!
This is SUCH pre Buzball (sic, sick?) thinking, who are these antiquated OBOers, where do you find them, behind the wardrobe!?”
This is Root’s first Ashes ton in eight years. Deserves a jig, non?
TFW you score a hundred on the first day of the #Ashes after chilling in Jaipur for a couple of months pic.twitter.com/H9Dfjmdw7K
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) June 16, 2023
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Hundred to Joe Root!
Edgbaston rises to one of England’s all-time greats! A nurdle off the legs got him there and Root celebrates in style, removing his helmet and raising his arms to each part of the ground. Amongst all the madness of today, he’s played a consumate Test match ininngs. Albeit one peppered with reverse-ramps for six…
75th over: England 368-8 (Root 100, Robinson 10)
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(Yes he can)
Can Joe Root get to a century…
74th over: England 356-8 (Root 96, Robinson 9) Delightful late back-cut from Robinson, sliding Green away to the point boundary.
“It’s been fun, I’m not saying it’s not been fun, but England must be 100 runs below par surely?”
I’m not saying you’re not wrong Max Williams…
73rd over: England 356-8 (Root 95, Robinson 4) Three runs eked off Lyon, the sun just starting to dip in Birmingham forcing many in the press pack to channel their inner Roy Orbison and stick the shades on indoors.
If Root doens’t get the five runs he needs for a century then plenty of England fans will be left:
72nd over: England 353-8 (Root 94, Robinson 2) Stop it Joe. Root takes a single off the first ball of Green’s over to let Robinson face the next five. A single off the last means the bowler will keep strike. D’oh!
71st over: England 351-8 (Root 93, Robinson 1) Lyon sniffing a fifth wicket. Robinson resolutely keeps him out. A maiden.
“Hey Jim,
Surely time for Root to start farming the strike? He’s great at keeping the score ticking over and finding the gaps, but there’s no point him sneaking a single just for the other guys to come in and smash a six and out at the other end. He’s going to be left 94* at this rate...”
I know Ed Kay, I know!
WICKET! Broad b Green 16 (England 357-8)
Cameron Green returns and sorts Broad out with a ball that skids through and thuds into the stumps. Broad was winding up an almighty howitzer. Green then very nearly does for Robinson. Penny for Root’s thoughts.
70th over: England 351-8 (Root 93, Robinson 1)
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69th over: England 347-7 (Root 92, Broad 14) We’re into the final hour of play. It’s not going to be a quiet one. Broad slogs Lyon through the leg-side for four.
“I don’t think this test will end in a draw”
Very droll, Andrew Williams. Also, I’ve got a nagging feeling Australia might bat for three days on this custard cream NICE biscuit of a wicket. More to follow on how this develops.
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69th over: England 341-7 (Root 91, Broad 9) A bonkers field here set by Cummins. He has a slip in place and nearly every other Aussie is prowling the perimeter. Brownian Motion for the Baggy Greens.
Just a couple off it in the end. Time for a slurp of something luminous for the players.
68th over: England 339-7 (Root 90, Broad 8) Raucous cheers greet a Broad sweep for four. Fair to say it’s getting a bit bibulous in the Hollies stand.
Simon McMahon has got his bucket-hat firmly in place:
“Jim, (Even) quick(er) runs needed now before the declaration. Australia two down before the close…” Don’t bet against it – more than a few of you have emailed in about the declaration. Fully fledged nut-nuts the lot of ya.
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Joe Root now reverse-ramping actual Pat Cummins for six. It's remarkable.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 16, 2023
67th over: England 331-7 (Root 82, Broad 1) Root plays another extraordinary reverse-ramp off PAT CUMMINS for… SIX! Just remarkable and so effective. He moves to 89. Seek that one out on the highlights. Trust me. Palms starting to glisten at the thought of Root getting a first-day-of-the-series Ashes ton.
“Dear James
Basil Brush would say this is boom-boom time.
Yours
Chris Purcell”
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66th over: England 323-7 (Root 82, Broad) Stuart Broad is the new batter, he only really plays one way but England do sort of need someone to hang around with Joe Root here. I was going to say this is all very reminiscent of Edgbaston ‘05 when England racked up 407 in a day but they are in danger of not quite getting there now.
@Jimbo_Cricket Stop running down to Nathan Lyon England!!! Totally unnecessary. Agressive is fine, giving him wickets...not good!
— Brendan Large (@brendanlarge) June 16, 2023
Well, quite.
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WICKET! Moeen Ali st Carey b Lyon (England 323-7)
The fun is ended by the Lyon and Carey combinayshun. See ya later innovator! Moeen dances down and connects with a big bag of nothing, nifty work from Alex Carey behind the timbers. It was good while it lasted.
65th over: England 320-6 (Root 80, Ali, 17) Wonderful stuff from Moeen Ali! Pat Cummins bounds in at him and serves up some width that Sparkhill’s finest carves away square for four. Wait for it. Next ball is banged in short and Moeen pulls it away for SIX! Travis Head on the leg-side fence can only watch as the ball soars into the jubilant crowd.
64th over: England 310-6 (Root 80, Ali, 7) Welcome back Mo! An attempted reverse sweeps brings him a slightly streaky four but there was nothing dodgy about the next one – a hop and a skip down the the wicket to dispatch Lyon to the rope at mid-on!
63rd over: England 298-6 (Root 79, Ali, 2) Eeeeesh! Moeen nearly perishes by offering a plinked return catch to Cummins. The ball just sneaking past the Aussie skipper. A nifty single brings Root on strike and he continues on his merry way, angling a single behind point to bring up England’s 300.
62nd over: England 298-6 (Root 78, Ali, 1) Moeen Ali is the new batter! He gets a mighty reception as he strides out decked in whites once more. And he’s off the mark with a single straightaway.
“Profuse apologies to Dr Jim Harris:
Dear Jim,
Quality jinxing there in the 60th over.
Please be more down in the mouth regarding England’s prospects.
Best,
Dr Jim Harris”
Normal service will resume shortly
WICKET! Bairstow st Carey b Lyon 78 (England 297-6)
Godddim! Lyon gets his man in the end – Bairstow cracked a half-tracker away for four but the next ball sees him dance out of his crease and waft at fresh air – Carey snapping off the bails with Bairstow well out of it. The crowd give him a raucous send off but that is a big wicket, he’ll feel he’s left plenty out there.
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A poignant moment from earlier on
Amazing Grace in the 56th over for Grace and Barnaby, two cricket lovers lost way too soon in Nottingham this week ❤️
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) June 16, 2023
56 was Barnaby’s playing number and ‘Amazing Grace’ for Grace.
Our thoughts again with all involved including Ian Coates. pic.twitter.com/N9F7gfbhFM
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61st over: England 292-5 (Root 77, Bairstow 74) You could sense it… TEN off the over to Jonny B! He smites Hazlewood through cover, the ball tracing across the baize to clatter into the hoardings. More! Hazlewood bangs one in and Bairstow pounces on it, swivel-pulling the ball away behind square.
This is the 11th century stand between Root and Bairstow in Test cricket, only three pairs had more century stands for England. Proper Criggit.
60th over: England 282-5 (Root 77, Bairstow 64) Bairstow skips down the track and dispatches Lyon over mid-wicket for four. Thats the century stand between Root and Bairstow. YJB is really starting to tick, you can sense something building.
59th over: England 274-5 (Root 75, Bairstow 58) Despite looking an bit ginger at times, Hazlewood has been Australia’s best bowler. He’s got 2-46 from his 13 overs of graft and keeps England to a single off his latest.
Hello to Quentin Seik who pops up with an old Wallace family favourite!
“Hi James,
The first thing that popped into my head regarding children’s tv and Ashes players was Bertha aka Johnny Bairstow. I had misremembered her being red - hence the connection. She was actually green but somehow there is still a resemblance.”
58th over: England 273-5 (Root 74, Bairstow 58) Fifty for Jonny Bairstow – he came in with England in strife at 170-odd for five and has biffed along merrily thorughout the afternoon. A hard sweep brings up the half-ton and he follows that up with a lofted drive for four more. He’s ticking and ther England fans are in full voice.
“Is the mantra no longer “get ‘em in singles” ponders Thomas Atkins, “But ‘get them in knife-edge fifty partnerships’. Given how deep England bat I can see us getting 400+ without a single partnership of longer than an hour or so.”
57th over: England 262-5 (Root 74, Bairstow 48) Anything you can do… Hazlewood keeps it to a single off the over. I demand a refund…
56th over: England 262-5 (Root 74, Bairstow 47) Lyon gets through a positively parsimonous over, just a single to Bairstow off it.
“Stig of the Dump for Jack Russell or vice versa” offers Tim Quinn.
Brian Withington is spot on with this one too:
“Hi James,
Responding to Tim Sowula’s splendid challenge, can I offer the opening credits of this old classic children’s series, Stingray
The immortal words ‘Stand by for action!’, and ‘Anything could happen in the next half hour …’ could almost have been designed for the Stokes era of Test cricket. And what about that theme tune!”
55th over: England 261-5 (Root 74, Bairstow 46) The crowd let out a low groan of delight (calm down) as Bairstow plays one of the shots of the day, a drive threaded through the field on the off side off , wonderful hands to manipulate the ball into the gap. Scotty B has gone for 86 from his 14 overs so far today. He snaffled Crawley earliet but it has been quite chastening stuff for the Melburnian.
54th over: England 252-5 (Root 74, Bairstow 39) Lyon is worked away (more sedately) for a couple of singles.
Ian Sargent has gone down memory lane:
“Obo-ers of a certain age will recall Bod – an animated-ish kids series of the late 70’s early 80’s.
Every time Stuart Broad complains about the shape of a ball I often think that it might look a bit like the lead characters head.
Other than that, Top Cat was a favourite of mine. Stokes as Top Cat – Root as Choo-Choo the smart pink one with the white polo neck (clearly nursing a bad back) – Rob Key as Benny (the ball) - Spook, the street savvy one surely Jimmy Anderson - Fancy the ladies man, Stuart Broad.”
Matt Kirkham in County Down isn’t afraid of chiming in either:
“Hi Jim.
If putting together a team of children’s TV characters, I would suggest Postman Pat for his nifty deliveries.
And if needed Igglepiggle could go in as night watchman.”
Excellent.
53rd over: England 252-5 (Root 73, Bairstow 38) First over back after tea and it is business as usual. By which I mean Bairstow inside edges the ball past his stumps for four and then Joe Root get his reverse ramp/lift shot out and the ball sails away for six! Just when you thought Root was the normal one. Twelve runs off the over. And why not eh?
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Out come the players for the final session, buckle up *knucklehead
Pretty much sums it up:
England get to tea on 240 for 5 - Root 66, Bairstow 33. That's worse than expected from 175 for 3, but better than expected from 176 for 5. Another session of 100+ runs.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 16, 2023
I’m off to raid the buffet but will be back shortly.
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52nd over: England 239-5 (Root 65, Bairstow 32) That’s Tea. Phew. A pulsating session, both sides trading blows. The players leave the field for some sustenance to the trills of…
The Hollies Stand sings "You're just a shit Moeen Ali" to Nathan Lyon
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) June 16, 2023
51st over: England 238-5 (Root 65, Bairstow 32) Bairstow dices with death and Cam Green’s ridiculous wingspan as he cuts uppishly just out of reach and picks up four. This has been a good counter-punch from England, eight more runs pilfered from the over and Scott Boland’s Test average is ticking north.
Thanks for all your emails about Kids TV cricketers, I’ll be onto them at tea. See that, managing expectations. Isn’t that what parenting is all about? We’ve got one more over left in the session.
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50th over: England 230-5 (Root 65, Bairstow 24) You have to laugh. Root plays three reverse-sweeps in a row off Lyon. He hits the first for four. Is given out LBW off the second but reviews immediately, a flick of the glove saves him and the decision reversed. The third? Yep – four more.
49th over: England 222-5 (Root 57, Bairstow 24) Boland has looked a bit out of sorts today, he looked more threatening and was more miserly at the WTC final last week. I guess it doesn’t help when the opposition are constanty trying to bash you away. Nevertheless he strays onto the pads and Root gleefully whips him away for four.
48th over: England 217-5 (Root 51, Bairstow 19) Lyon twirls away but doesn’t get out of his over cleanly, Bairstow bunting a full ball down the ground for a bondary. Cummins is rotating his bowlers, Scott Boland has been summoned.
Colum Fordham is a bit miffed:
“Given that Stokes has more than one string to his “strong” bow, and that he is perfectly capable of defending well, that unnecessary waft after Harry Brook’s fluke dismissal was a tad annoying.
Bairstow and Root desperately need to put together a big partnership, but the Aussies will already be smelling blood.”
47th over: England 211-5 (Root 51, Bairstow 19) A single each to Root and Bairstow. It’s absorbing cricket. John Lowery is feeling a smidge melodramatic:
“Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone, Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone, Silence the pianos and with muffled drum Bring out the coffin, let the Bazball be done.”
46th over: England 209-5 (Root 50, Bairstow 18) Root and Bairstow are rebuilding after the loss of Stokes and Brook. Green drops short and wide and is clattered square of the wicket by Bairstow. YJB has got the bit between his gnashers.
This made me chuckle:
In the words of a titan....difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) June 16, 2023
45th over: England 202-5 (Root 50, Bairstow 12) Cummins does a big starfish mid pitch to try and convince Marais Erasmus of an LBW shout but the umpire is unmoved. Rightly so, it was sliding down leg.
@Jimbo_Cricket @guardian_sport I don't know what a gimlet is, but that was a fine gimlet-eyed stare by YJB after that 4. A good sign for the summer.
— John Dalby (@snoopjohnd) June 16, 2023
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44th over: England 201-5 (Root 50, Bairstow 11) Fifty for Joe Roooooooot. Edgbaston bursts into a rendition of Hey Jude Joe Root. Cool Hand Joe has got his series off to a fine start, and England need him to go on here. Crunch! Bairstow drives Green on the up through cover for four! 200 up for England.
Bazball is conceding your first maiden at 2:30 and being all out by 3. #ENGvAUS
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) June 16, 2023
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43rd over: England 190-5 (Root 45, Bairstow 6) Pat Cummins replaces Hazlewood and England collect a couple of runs.
The new Bluey episode, cricket, is a perfect homage to the backyard game, and an example to never give up in pursuit of your dreams, writes Simon Smale. https://t.co/9H7mHIxUtS
— ABC News (@abcnews) June 12, 2023
I haven’t seen this yet but plan to watch it and use it as indoctrination on my two year old daughter. She’ll learn…
42nd over: England 188-5 (Root 44, Bairstow 5) Green sends down a bouncer with his first ball. A collective oooh from the crowd and the press box. Bairstow pushes for a single and it’s a tidy first over.
Sweet Baby Tim Sowula sends in a humdinger:
“Afternoon Jimbo,
This morning, to introduce my children (8 and 4) to the wider meaning of the greatest sporting contest for teams in the world, I showed them the new episode of (wonderful Aussie children’s cartoon) Bluey that is about the Australian relationship with cricket and is apparently making even the hardest of walrus-moustachioed Australian mums and dads feel nostalgic about sepia-tinged days in the backyard with leather and willow.
It made me think what might be an English equivalent? Can Hey Duggey quickly produce an Ashes badge where Tag, Roly and chums have to go on a quest to recover an urn and listen to King Tiger reminiscing about the glorious summers of the 1980s (lets forget 89-03) and then McGrath rolling his ankle and the wonder of 05?
Which children’s icons can be utilised to explain the psychodrama of English cricket?”
Over to you OBO hivemind!
41st over: England 187-5 (Root 44, Bairstow 4) Sublime from Joe Root! He stands tall and whips Hazlewood through mid-wicket for four runs with swiss-clock timing. Cameron Green is coming on for his first ball of the day. He’s really big, it’s messing with my depth perception.
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40th over: England 177-5 (Root 38, Bairstow 3) The Stokes dismissal was eerily remiscent to his waft in the first innings at Headingley in 2019… am I trying to muster something? Joe Root clips Lyon away for a couple, he’s still there for England after being down t’other end whilst the two big wickets fell. It really was a double-whammy – remember the old Strongbow advert with the arrows? Like that. Dufff-Duffff.
39th over: England 177-5 (Root 36, Bairstow 1) Breathe. Bairstow gets off the mark with a push off Hazlewood. Hello to OBO stalwart John Starbuck!
“Jim, surely, if Australia swarm, England are in the sticky stuff?”
Yep. And it ain’t honey.
Bairstow is struck on the pad first ball and Australia go up for it! Hazlewood isn’t sure but the review is called for… Close! The ball was just sliding over leg stump. Just. This is all getting a bit much if I’m honest.
Jonny Bairstow walks out to a huge cheer…
WICKET! Ben Stokes c Carey b Hazlewood 1 (England 176-5)
Now that is a BIG MOMENT! Stokes slashes at a wide one and gets a meaty edge to Carey behind the stumps. Australia swarm and England are now in a pickle.
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WICKET! Brook b Lyon 32 (England 175-4)
GONE! Terribly unlucky way to get out for Brook, the ball looped up and then hit him on the back of the leg to trickle into the stumps. He can’t believe it but he has to go, dragging himself from the turf and the Aussies are cock-a-hoop. That feel like the first big moment of the series, Brook was looking dangerously good. Ben Stokes is the new man and is very nearly out first ball to a rank reverse sweep. Calm down everyone!!
38th over: England 176-4 (Root 36, Stokes 1)
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37th over: England 174-3 (Root 36, Brook 32) Knock me down with a bucket hat – a maiden. Josh Hazlewood bowls the first of the day, keeping Harry Brook honest.
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36th over: England 174-3 (Root 36, Brook 32) Lyon is over the wicket to Root but he’s worked away for a couple and then a single. Brook clips one to that man Travis Head and the crowd get stuck in again.
Lovely from Carlos Glover:
Hi James
"The day when cricket “got me”: the last day of the last test at the Oval, 1968. Australia were one up in the series but when that day started England had a very good chance of squaring the series. Then in the early afternoon, five Aussies wickets down, there was an incredible downpour that flooded the ground. There was no chance of resumption and the ashes were gone. I switched the telly off.
Then with about an hour left, my friend rang up to say they were playing again. I switched on to see the whole England team within a yard or two of the pitch, Derek Underwood bowling. He bowled left arm spin at about medium pace. Australia were batting out time, but every time I was about to give up and turn off, he’d get another. With five minutes to stumps he had Inverarity LBW and England had won.
It was unforgettably exciting and I’ve been an Ashes devotee ever since.”
Great to have you with us, Carlos.
35th over: England 170-3 (Root 35, Brook 29) Hazlewood replaces Boland but Mr Economical is being roughed up by England. Root crunches a half-volley to the fence through extra-cover and then Travis Head is given the biggest cheer of the day as he misfields at backward point to gift Brook another four. Brutal/Funny/Cricket. Nine runs off the over. England clattering along post lunch.
34th over: England 161-3 (Root 30, Brook 25) Just a couple off Lyon’s over as we all take a breath.
Bonjour to Jeremy Boyce tuning in from France.
“Hi Jim, I’m just in from work and catching up fast. We won the toss and elected to put Bazball to the ultimate Test. 100 up before lunch on the first day sounds ok to me, not exactly thundering along but any team that can take these Baggy Greens for 5 an over is doing ok, even on a road of a pitch. I
I’ve got plenty of memories of Boycott/Edrich/Amiss/Denness/Steele/Tavare Ashes experiences where 123 would be considered respectable by TEA ! Those 3 wickets may hurt though, that afternoon session is going to be pivotal methinks...”
33rd over: England 159-3 (Root 29, Brook 25) Blimey. An eventful over… Brook launches Boland over mid-off for four imperiously and shows his deft touch too with a late cut for four more. DROP! Shades of Simon Jones here in 2005, a long hop is cloth’d by Brook and finds a diving Travis Head at short-third, the ball dying on the fielder but does get to him on the full and he spills it! The Hollies mock as one. Woudl have been a bad way to go for Brook, it wasn’t a good ball. It is not dull.
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32nd over: England 148-3 (Root 29, Brook 14) Lyon loops it up at about 57mph and is twiddled away for four off the over.
Edward Thompson is feeling wistful…
“In 2005 I was staying in a hostel in Edinburgh with a mixture of English and Aussies. We’d stolen a green piece of carpet and made a Wicket in the middle of the room for occasional grudge matches during lunch and tea etc.
When we finally got that glorious light reading one of the Aussies smashed up the whole room with the cricket bat and it honestly made the whole experience even better.”
31st over: England 144-3 (Root 26, Brook 13) Thanks for your emails, I can see them spooling into my inbox out of the corner of my eye. Will delve in soon. Boland has clicked into the mid 80s on the speedo but is picked off either side of the wicket to bring five more to the total.
Right then. *Greases knuckles*.
Hello to Simon Barton.
“Hi James,
I’m an expat living in NZ, currently on an overnight flight between Tokyo and Auckland. Following the OBO when I should be sleeping. Can you confirm that England are likely to be rolled by the time I land? In about 4 hours.”
Might well be Simon. But then they might have racked up 500 odd by then too.
30th over: England 138-3 (Root 22, Brook 10) Here we go! Harry Brook saunters down the track and plops Nathan Lyon for four over mid-off. Oozing confidence. Yeeesh! A thick edge from Brook flies past slip off the next and it’s a spawny two. The scoreboard ticking.
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29th over: England 127-3 (Root 22, Brook 3) As has been the way today so far, two more singles milked off Scott Boland and it all looks very easy until he beats Root with one that jags off the last ball. Complacency be damned.
28th over: England 127-3 (Root 21, Brook 2) Lyon gets down on one knee and implores Umpire Raza to raise his finger but there’s nowt doing – it was headed down leg Nath.
“That wicket just before lunch has tipped the balance in favour of the Aussies” writes Michael Galvin.
He’s not wrong.
“Big responsibility on Root and Brook.” Do this side feel responsibility anymore, isn’t that old hat Michael? Who knows. But yes, the Yorkshire pair need need a decent partnership here or England might start to teeter. (Do they believe in teetering… and so on and so on)
27th over: England 125-3 (Root 20, Brook 1) Harry Brook gets off the mark with a glide into the gap at lunch. The young tyke was delightfully punchy in his pre-game presser:
"Have you thought about how you might play against Nathan Lyon?"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 14, 2023
"What do you think? I'm going to try and take him on!" 👀
Harry Brook speaking ahead of his Ashes debut 👇pic.twitter.com/HnhLvpfEBf
Nathan Lyon is coming onto bowl…
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Thanks Rob, masterly stuff as per. Hello everyone, exciting this isn’t it? Welcome to Edgbaston where there’s a slight build up of fuzzy cloud, the sort that might get Huw Swanborough musing on ball movement…
“Calling it now, this ball will start to reverse earlier than we expect (next 15 overs) and to quite a decent degree as the evening goes on.
I’d like to see a better look of the ball, but I suspect this pitch is scuffing it more than usual, and the Duke is prone to reverse…. I think we’re going to see batting get substantially harder.”
The Aussies would be happy with a bit of cloud or reverse swing this afternoon, saying that, they’ll be quietly pleased with their morning’s work. This pitch looks FLAT and they’ve prised out three of England’s top order.
The players are on their way out, Scott Boland has the ball in his mitts. What a flippin’ thrill this is.
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Time to hand over to the brilliant James Wallace, who is making his Ashes OBO debut. Give him a good hand – and, if you want to get in touch, you can email him or tweet @jimbo_cricket.
Thanks for your company and emails, sorry I couldn’t round to them all. I’ll leave you with this from Marcus Abdullahi.
“Laura Cooney writes that she used to watch cricket in the sixth form during lunch breaks and free periods,” writes Marcus. “They weren’t free periods; they were study periods. No wonder the country is going to hell in a handcart.”
And that was 18 years ago.
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“Sat doing admin in an empty physio office,” says James Brotherton. “My last three patients have not attended their appointments. Are they feet up following the OBO? No complaints from me, as this has allowed me to tune the radio towards the cricket.
“My only gripe is the constant mention of Bazball and it’s apparent synonyms. Every other word is Bazball-aggression-front-foot-taking-it-to-them look-at-all-the-fast-scoring-ness and intent we’re showing...
“Aussies protecting boundaries in the third over of a first Ashes Test is lovely and all, but all Bazball and Bazball Bazball makes Bazball a Bazball Bazball. Keep up the good work!”
It’s time the clown who coined such an egregious term was brought to justice. People have been cancelled for less.
Some more Ashes memories
“I was 17 in the summer of 2005, and started my second year of sixth form that September,” writes Laura Cooney. “My A-level politics teacher was an avid cricket fan and when he wasn’t teaching would have the game on patchy signal on the TV in his classroom, so during lunch or free periods those of us students who were cricket fans would head up there to watch an hour or two and chat about the game.
“I bonded with another girl in the group whilst watching the final Test, and we would talk about the series (we’re also both from Preston so obviously Freddie Flintoff was a massive local hero then) and before long that quickly evolved into talking about everything else. Eighteen years later, she’s still my best friend and we’ve been through a ton of ups and downs together, but it was that Ashes series that brought us together and I’m immensely grateful to cricket for indirectly bringing her into my life.”
What I like about this is that it was pre-Twitter, so those relatively niche shared interests were even more precious.
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Lunchtime reading
And I recommend this with a heavy heart, because I’ve only just heard the news. Jeremy was a near flawless sub-editor, one of those unsung heroes who save writers from typos (and from themselves) day after day after day. No ego, no byline, just standards, professional pride and love of language. And he didn’t have a mobile phone, which made me admire him even more.
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Lunch
That was a snorter from Boland, which seamed and lifted to hit Crawley’s thumb on its way through to Carey. Crawley goes for a fine, tone-setting 61 from 73 balls, but I reckon that third wicket makes it Australia’s session.
It was a fascinating start to the series, both eventful and a little cagey. Australia’s defensive tactics were questioned throughout, especially when England were milking singles with ease, but three wickets before lunch on a featherbed is an admirable effort. Duckett and Pope will feel they got themselves out; Crawley was jaffad by Scott Boland.
England won’t be too worried, especially as they are scoring at 4.65 an over and still have a lot of batting to come. Joe Root will resume on 20 not out, with Harry Brook the new batter. I can promise you it will not be dull.
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WICKET! England 124-3 (Crawley c Carey b Boland 61)
He’s gone! A rare howler from Marais Erasmus – not even he is perfect - and a brilliant way for Australia to end the session.
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Australia appeal for caught behind against Crawley! This looks like a straightforward nick – but Marais Erasmus didn’t give it on the field.
26th over: England 121-2 (Crawley 61, Root 17) An intriguing move from Cummins, who brings Lyon back for a single over before lunch. It’s a low-key over, from which Crawley and Root milk five low-risk runs.
25th over: England 116-2 (Crawley 58, Root 15) Boland got Root four times in the Australia 18 months ago, which I must confess had passed me by. In my defence, the darts world championship was really good that year, and I’ve had a lot of therapy about the 2021-22 Ashes
The fourth ball of Boland’s over is a bit too straight, which allows Root to work his first boundary behind square on the leg side. He has 15 from 26 balls; Crawley has 58 from 70 Bazballs.
“I write to you from Oxford, where (little more than 12 hours after my final Final) I’m sitting in a pub garden with my mates, nursing a hangover — and a Stella — and jittering about Crawley’s tendency to waft merrily down the corridor of uncertainty,” writes Felix Kirkby. “Things couldn’t be any better.
“(Isn’t it funny, by the way, that Ashes series run like a thread through every cricket fan’s life? I still remember languishing in the garden with my mates, aged 13, as Broad plus Trent Bridge turned the Aussies inside out and wore them like one of Stokes’s bucket hats. Scenes.)”
You have no idea how lucky you are to be this age at this moment in Ashes history. Savour every last Stella minute.
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24th over: England 111-2 (Crawley 58, Root 10) Root is sporadically walking down the wicket to Hazlewood, which usually takes the LBW out of the equation. There is definitely some swing now, which will change the balance between bat and ball.
Five runs from Hazlewood’s over, including a pull for two from Crawley.
“So the main story in the first session is that Australia didn’t appeal aggressively enough?” says Thomas Atkins. “I bet that wasn’t on anyone’s bingo card.”
23rd over: England 106-2 (Crawley 56, Root 7) Okay, Tim de Lisle (17th over) isn’t at Glastonbury, mainly because the festival isn’t till next weekend.
Boland replaces Cummins; you’d expect him to bowl well to Root as well given his ability to nick the ball back from a length. Root, who has made an entirely orthodox start to his innings, cuts a couple and then works a single behind square on the off side.
Crawley is then beaten on the inside, driving extravagantly at a big inducker. There has been a hint of movement in the last couple of overs.
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22nd over: England 103-2 (Crawley 56, Root 4) Smith shrieks for LBW when Root, pushing forward to Hazlewood, squeezes the ball between bat and pad. I’m pretty sure it was pad first, but he looked outside the line. Nobody else seemed too interested, and replays confirm Root was indeed outside the line.
It was good bowling though, and that is how Hazlewood will try to get Root, by working him across the crease and then nipping one back. Later in the over Root’s head falls over a touch and he gets a leading edge that lands safely on the off side. For a man who has played so little Test cricket in recent times, Hazlewood’s rhythm looks absolutely fine.
21st over: England 102-2 (Crawley 56, Root 3) A short ball from Cummins is slugged to the midwicket boundary by Crawley. Doesn’t look like there’s much value in the short ball on this pitch. Cummins has been pretty expensive: 7-0-32-0. Only once in his magnificent Test career, at Dharamsala in 2016-17, has he had a higher economy rate. Long way to go, I realise.
“Hi Rob, thanks for the reply, but I feel a bit of a seamer would be a real worry for some of our batsmen,” says Scott Campbell. “And I absolutely agree some of the pitches in Australia have not been a real bat/ball contest. (Hobart last ashes, Brisbane versus SA last season).”
I agree. But, as the last Ashes showed, they’d be an even bigger worry for the England batters! In 2015, slow seamers made perfect sense and helped England win the Ashes. This year it feels different; I’m not sure England can beat Australia on such pitches.
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20th over: England 96-2 (Crawley 50, Root 2) Pat Cummins hooks Nathan Lyon, who took the wicket of Pope with the last ball of his previous over. And with good reason. Josh Hazlewood, who along with Cummins has a fine record against Root, is back in the attack. Eventually he’ll try to trap Root LBW, but for now he’s working him across the crease. Root opens the face to steer another single.
It’s an odd thing to say when the run rate is nearly five an over, but this has been a fairly cagey morning session. Fascinatingly so, I must stress.
“Glorious weather, exciting cricket, and I’m enjoying it parked in front of the telly in London,” writes Sarah Bacon. “Australia DO need a wicket right now -- thanks, Tubs -- but I’m just letting all this Bazball vs Aussie-tactics deliciously wash over me. I’m in for the long haul though! Sarah, Aussie in Ingerland. Still.”
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19th over: England 93-2 (Crawley 50, Root 1) Root is beaten by his first ball from Cummins, almost yorking himself as he walks down the pitch. Mark Taylor wondered if there was an edge but I don’t think so. There was a similar incident at the start of his innings on the first day in the 2015 Ashes, when he edged Starc and was dropped by Haddin, except nobody noticed the edge.
I’m rambling. Root gets off the mark with a steer to third man.
Fifty for Crawley!
18.2 overs: England 92-2 (Crawley 50, Root 0) Crawley pushes Cummins for a single to reach a charming half-century from 56 balls. He’s had a couple of moments of fortune – of course he has – but he has also played some storming shots. And if England do win this series, his belting cover drive off the first ball of the series will go into Ashes folklore.
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18th over: England 92-2 (Crawley 49, Root 0) “Why has England served up an Australian pitch/road in England?” says Scott Campbell. “Us Aussie fans like to see conditions where batters are challenged by the moving ball not having the keeper stand up to a fast/medium bowler on the first morning of a much anticipated Test match!”
They think it’s their best chance of winning/entertaining. It’s notable that the pitches in the last two Ashes series have almost been the wrong way round – some very lively seamers in 2021-22, and now a load of roads.
WICKET! England 92-2 (Pope LBW b Lyon 31)
Three reds and Pope is on his way, swishing his bat in disgust because it was an avoidable dismissal. Australia needed that wicket. It was a really good ball from Lyon though, which turned a fair way and skidded on to hit the pad.
Pope, who had driven the previous ball through mid-off for four, goes for 31 from 44 balls.
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Lyon got one to straighten sharply from round the wicket to Pope, who missed an attempted work to leg. I can’t see much wrong with this.
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Australia review for LBW against Pope! This looks really close to me.
17th over: England 84-1 (Crawley 46, Pope 26) Cummins replaces Boland, whose figures of 4-0-23-0 should have a one in them, and I’m not talking about a maiden. The defensive fields continue, and Crawley plays a couple of confident drives for two and one. The first was made possible by a misfield from the sub Josh Inglis (I think).
Tim de Lisle, who will be part of our coverage later in the series (I think he might be at Glastonbury) points out that this is already in the top 25 per cent of Crawley’s Test innings.
In other news, this pitch looks seriously flat.
16th over: England 79-1 (Crawley 43, Pope 24) A few more low-risk singles off Lyon. It was worth a look from Cummins, but I’m not sure it’s working.
“Can I just say,” begins Romeo, “that Brian Withington is not only an old friend to the OBO, he is a very kind, generous and good person.”
You can indeed. That County Cricket Live! community you have is in danger of giving the internet a good name.
Hang on, Crawley was caught behind but Australia didn’t appeal! UltraEdge shows that he nicked that jaffa from Boland in the previous over, but nobody appealed. Crawley turned straight on his heels and smiled broadly.
15th over: England 75-1 (Crawley 41, Pope 22) Carey stands back again for Boland, so Pope charges him and carves the ball past point for a single. Boland digs one in to Crawley, the first short ball of the match from memory, but Crawley has plenty of time to sway out of the way.
It’s a flat pitch, I know, but Zak Crawley is batting delightfully at the moment. He slams a back cut for four more to bring up the fifty partnership, his first with Pope apparently, in 10.5 overs. But then he gets a big carried away, trying to whip Boland to leg on the walk and missing completely. It was a cracking delivery which bounced more than expected. Funnily enough, that extra bounce might have saved Crawley from getting a leading edge.
“On the subject of first days, in 2006 at the Gabba my wife and I had a great one,” writes Dan Johnson. “We managed to miss Harmy’s first ball due to the usual faffing around with getting through the turnstiles (so that was good) then heard about a local brew-your-own place doing free beer, which we spent the lunch break drinking (even better). Then, likely due to the free beer, we found ourselves in a sort of chant-based Barmy Army ceilidh in the car park at some point after the match, which ended up on local TV.
“We went back to the brewery for liquid lunch on days two and three, but then they asked us if we were actually going to BUY anything; we hadn’t realised it was only free to try if you committed to brewing 72 bottles of the stuff. Bit difficult to take back to our apartment in Sydney so we had to go and buy some beer after that, terrible.”
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14th over: England 69-1 (Crawley 36, Pope 21) “It’s fantastic to see Australia so defensive,” says Kevin Pietersen, starting his stint with the commentary equivalent of a slog-sweep for six. A Red Bull single would’ve sufficed Kev! In fairness, his fellow commentator Mark Taylor concurs that Australia went on the defensive too early and that England have adjusted their approach well. Three more singles from Lyon’s over, including a confident reverse-sweep from Pope.
“Knocking off singles against the spinner,” says Jonathan Wood. “I do hate these boring middle overs.”
13th over: England 66-1 (Crawley 35, Pope 18) The first bit of swing for Boland, though Crawley offers no stroke outside off stump.
Both sides have taken a backward step of sorts, which in many ways has made the first hour even more intriguing. England haven’t hit that many boundaries of late – three in the last nine overs I think – but they are milking the bowlers well enough to still be going at five an over.
Hang on, make that four boundaries in the last nine overs: Crawley has just driven Boland’s last ball magnificently through extra cover. That’s drinks.
Australia have four men on the boundary in the 12th over and England are happy to just milk them.
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) June 16, 2023
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12th over: England 59-1 (Crawley 30, Pope 17) Lovely bowling from Lyon, who gets one to turn sharply into Crawley from around the wicket. Crawley inside-edges onto his pad, with the ball rebounding past off stump and between Carey’s legs. He almost caught it in his pads, but he had no chance of taking an orthodox catch.
“It’s all very well to call for off-the-wall discussions in the OBO,” says John Starbuck, “but if the A.N. Onymous Whimsy had had his/her name included, we wouldn’t have to debate the probity or otherwise of nameless contributors.”
Ach, it was our old friend Brian Withington. I’ve amended it now.
Apologies for the absent scoreboard, which has now been digitally erected. You may have to press F5 though.
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11th over: England 55-1 (Crawley 28, Pope 15) Pope charges Boland but is unable to do much with the ball. A single to third man brings up the fifty in the 11th over. “Slow going for them…” deadpans Nasser Hussain on Sky.
Carey comes up to the stumps for Boland to stop England’s batters walking down the pitch. Crawley stands tall in his crease and bashes the next ball to the extra cover boundary. He’s playing ever so well and has reached 28 from 31 balls.
At this stage in 2005, since you asked, England were 50 for none.
10th over: England 47-1 (Crawley 22, Pope 13) Nathan Lyon is coming on for a bowl. I really like this move from Pat Cummins, because Pope has had trouble with offspin in his Test career – especially Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Lyon starts around the wicket to Pope, who does well to keep out a grubber. “Just like Adelaide boysssss!” barks somebody behind the stumps. After a few singles, two of them reverse swept, Crawley drives through extra cover for four. That’s another beautiful shot from Crawley, who has started very fluently.
“John Dalby mentioned Edgbaston 97, and that brings back fond memories for me,” writes Steven Pye. “I was young, I was in love, I had hair, and the Ashes were coming home!”
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9th over: England 40-1 (Crawley 17, Pope 11) This is a big moment: Scott Boland (Test average: 14.57; Ashes average: 9.55) replaces Pat Cummins. He doesn’t do looseners, so Crawley has no chance of hitting his first ball for four as he did against Cummins and Hazlewood.
Crawley does crash the fourth ball through extra cover, with the sweeper Head running round the boundaries to save two runs. Boland responds with a textbook delivery that straightens to beat the edge. He’d find seam movement on the M4.
“Amongst all the analysis of the strengths and potential pitfalls of the Brave New World order, I have seen no recognition of one of the sadder casualties of unrelenting all-action Test cricket,” writes Brian Withington. “I refer of course to the demise of the occasionally heated OBO threads of yore on esoteric topics like number theory (and cricket-themed cocktail design). These helped to while away the quieter passages in play that were such a feature of cricket in the BB era.
“When again will we be able to discuss at length why 0.999… recurring and 1.0 are exactly the same number? Or explain that the range of potential cricket averages is countably infinite, whilst between any two such averages, however close together, there exists uncountably infinitely many other numbers that can never be expressed as an average? I ask you (for a friend).”
Can’t you save these emails for a more sedate format? England start their 50-over series against New Zealand on 8 September.
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8th over: England 38-1 (Crawley 15, Pope 11) This is a really interesting struggle, with Hazlewood in particular trying to tempt Pope to chase slightly wider deliveries on an awkward innings. Pope has probably left more balls in this short innings than Ben Duckett has since his recall last year.
Pope, who doesn’t want to be hemmed in, runs down the track but is unable to beat midwicket. Hazlewood tarnishes an otherwise fine over with a slightly short ball that is back cut for four by Pope. That’s his first boundary, and he follows it with a confident flick through square leg for two.
“1997, also at Edgbaston, is the first day of an Ashes series that sticks in the mind,” says John Dalby. “I was at Uni and about 20 of us bundled into a single halls common room to watch on the biggest TV any of us had - a portable 20in job. Half still in pyjamas, all hungover, the uproar as an Australian collapse played out was sublime. One chap, Graham I think, missed two wickets while making breakfast because he assumed our cheering was fake and didn’t want to get gotcha’d.”
Were the two wickets Blewett and Blewett? (13m 15s if it doesn’t open at the right bit.)
7th over: England 32-1 (Crawley 15, Pope 5) Crawley edges Cummins short of slip! He felt for a channel delivery, and on a faster pitch that would have gone straight into the hands of Smith at second slip. This time it landed well short.
Australia have had reasonable control of the scoreboard since the wicket: 20 balls, 10 runs, no boundaries.
6th over: England 30-1 (Crawley 14, Pope 4) Cummins and Hazlewood are into their work now, bowling with the usual control of line and length – if not, so far, of the scoreboard. Pope receives a few good deliveries in a row and plays them respectfully, culminating in a flick for a single. He has 4 from 10 balls, Crawley 14 from 16.
Thanks again for all your emails. There are loads I haven’t had chance to read, never mind publish, but we do appreciate them.
5th over: England 27-1 (Crawley 12, Pope 3) Australia have a very defensive field for the first morning of a Test match, though I keep coming back to how well that counter-intuitive approach worked for Michael Vaughan in 2005. What was it Shane Warne said about the start of a legspinner’s spell: attack with the ball, defend with the field.
The defensive field allows Crawley and Pope to work three singles and then a two on the leg side. That’s clever cricket, a reminder – not that it should be needed – that Bazball does require a decent IQ.
“Surprising pitch so far from my eyes,” says Huw Swanborough. “Those first two overs had a lot of deliveries relying on some seam action, but the bounce has been lacking. It almost seems like it might be spongey.
“If this pitch doesn’t turn into a dustbowl within three days, we’re going to be looking at a very high scoring draw I suspect as I don’t think spinners or paces will get much at all here.”
I suppose England’s plan is for scoreboard pressure and funky fields to do what the pitch can’t. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
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4th over: England 22-1 (Crawley 10, Pope 0) The new batter is Ollie Pope, who had a grisly Ashes 18 months ago but has re-emerged as England’s No3 and vice-captain.
“Re: Dave Adams (10:47) and memorable Ashes first mornings,” says Si Williams. “In November 2006, after playing (and losing) at the world frisbee championships in Perth, I was in NW Australia at a place called Monkey Mia. With the timezone difference to the Gabba there were seven of us packed into a Toyota listening to the radio at 7am in a baking hot car park... After Harmison’s first over, we gave up and went paddling with the dolphins.”
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WICKET! England 22-1 (Duckett c Carey b Hazlewood 12)
Goddim! The ball after inside-edging past off stump for four, Duckett edges Hazlewood behind. It was a good delivery, with a tight line and length, and Duckett edged an attempted cut. The ball started to die on Alex Carey, who dived forward to take a fine low catch. Duckett goes for 12 from 10 balls, and he’ll be annoyed to fall to one of his favourite shots.
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3rd over: England 18-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 8) Ben Stokes asked for fast, flat pitches in this series. One out of two ain’t bad: the pitch looks slowish but an absolute belter. Duckett, who has a strike rate of 97 since his recall last year, times Cummins off the pads for his first Ashes boundary. Three overs, three boundaries for England.
Pat Cummins is already fiddling with the field. Mike Atherton wonders whether Australia have been “spooked” and are being too defensive, certainly with the new ball: the only close fielders are two slips and a gully. It’s a fine balance, especially as the ball is doing absolutely nothing.
“Hard to convey just how febrile the atmosphere is here - expectations are sky high!” writes Gary Naylor. “Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, I don’t know. But Test cricket does not look like it’s in the midst of an existential crisis, that’s for sure!”
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2nd over: England 11-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 1) Josh Hazlewood takes the new ball ahead of Scott Boland, who can take the new ball but is a perfect first-change bowler. He has played very little Test cricket in the last two years because of injury, just four Tests since January 2021.
Hazlewood’s first ball is a real loosener, on the pads and pinged through square leg for four by Crawley. It was beautifully timed, even if it was a bit of a freebie. Ricky Ponting, commentating on Sky in England, doesn’t like the field – he thinks they should have a deep square rather than a deep point to Crawley.
The deep point is in action later in the over when Crawley clouts a wide ball for a single. Michael Vaughan used a similar tactic to great effect in 2005, most crucially when, with three needed to win on this ground, Brett Lee creamed a Steve Harmison full toss to the cover sweeper.
Back in 2023, Duckett gets off the mark with a work round the corner for a single. Australia are already bowling a really tight line to Duckett, which makes sense because he is so good between backward point and mid off when he can free his arms.
A technical note (with thanks to OBO regular John Starbuck): if the preamble is still appearing at the top of the page, press F5 and it will magically disappear.
1st over: England 5-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 0) Crawley leaves the next two deliveries, then thinks of a single to the right of Green at gully. Duckett wisely sends him bad.
Crawley gets his single next ball with a push to mid-on. Cummins’s first ball to Duckett is on leg stump and pushed to midwicket. Was he trying to bowl him round his legs there?
“England’s brave new style is making Test cricket interesting again,” writes Philip Sutherland. “Many cynics here Downunder. Love to see England’s way triumph because Test cricket is otherwise doomed in modern society.
“Spent ten years in Yorkshire at Ampleforth in school days. Loved our cricket. Fred Trueman bowled an over to me one day in the nets. Such a gentleman; he missed my stumps! Lovely man.
“Best of luck with your commentary during the series. Watching with great interest. Postscript: can’t stay up all night watching because tomorrow Saturday my wedding anniversary and we have 6am start.”
0.1 overs: England 4-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 0) Zak Crawley wallops the first ball through extra cover for four! That was so reminiscent of Michael Slater cutting Phil DeFreitas to the fence in 1994-95, and a thumping statement of intent. Even Ben Stokes looks a bit shocked.
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Pat Cummins will bowl the first ball to Zak Crawley, and his field includes a deep backward point.
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“A ain’t got nuffink to say, Rob,” says Peter Gibbs. “Just that it’s good to be back with the gang.”
Amen to that. Often when journalists talk about their work being a privilege, I instinctively cringe. Today, I get it.
The anthems have been sung with abundant gusto, and now the 13 active players are getting ready for business. That drum-and-bass track you can hear is Zak Crawley’s heartbeat. And yours.
Overseas radio link (part 2)
“Just to let folks know that Aussie station SEN Sports 1116 radio have full Ashes commentary and it’s not geo-blocked,” writes Nick Varley. “It’s what I normally use to listen to Aus Tests, living here in Manila, Philippines.”
And their team includes our very own Adam Collins.
"It's here, at last, it's here!"@collinsadam and @GerardWhateley welcome you to SEN's #Ashes coverage with a spine-tingling opener.
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) June 16, 2023
Listen to every ball thanks to Henley Homes 🏡
📲 https://t.co/pl13cyP5It or https://t.co/chXJ4N4VdH#Ashes #ENGvAUS pic.twitter.com/ISoezjm0JT
I’m off to grab a coffee and give my eyes a little break. I’ll leave you with this lovely analogy from Dave Adams.
“One of the almost infinite number of things I love about the first day of the Ashes is that where you were for the first ball serves an amusing personal fossil record...
“For example, for 1990/91 I was 12 and tucked up in bed, listening to Radio 4 longwave on those headphones with the foam outer, hoping to avoid a parental brollocking. For 1997 I was sat in a student union bar. In 2002/03 I heard about Nasser’s brainfade at the toss on the radio in a mate’s car coming back from Wolves v Pompey. In 2009 I missed the first few balls because I was outside the Walkabout hammering on the door to get them to open up. By 2010/11 I had a small baby son (who gets a mention in ‘766 & All That’) and I watched the opening exchanges with him sat on my lap.
“Do other people know where they were at the start of every series?”
I do with the exception of 1998-99. I mean, I know where I was in life – straight out of university, temping in the civil service, dreaming of writing about sport – but I can’t remember anything specific about the first day.
“Rob, I am surprised to find you local to Pylle and its animal shelter,” writes Dan Catton. “This email comes to you from sunny Evercreech, where the pre-Ashes excitement level is only subdued by the thought of the impassable roads that await us next week, thanks to Mr Eavis’s little gathering...”
This is my first year living close to Glastonbury during the festival. I haven’t really noticed it yet, apart from all the people wearing bucket hats on my TV.
Moeen Ali speaks
"I've got the freedom to play how I want"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 16, 2023
Moeen Ali says he's excited to be back 😍 pic.twitter.com/0ChdyKlZPh
“My concern with Hazlewood is fitness,” says Robert Speed. “He hasn’t been able to get through a Test match unscathed for a while now. I would have stuck with Starc instead.”
Yeah I can understand that, though Green (and Lyon) give you enough insurance I think. The conditions, and the potential for reverse swing, is another reason why I thought they might play Starc.
“First, let’s get one thing straight,” says Matt Dony. “The bucket hat has never not been fashionable. (Possibly the Welsh football fan in me talking…). Second, English cricket has often gone in cycles, focussed on Ashes series. What if the whole Bazball thing has actually been a fantastic ploy to confuse the Australians? Really playing the long game? What if Crawley and Ducket come out and put on an obdurate 37-0 in the morning session? Admittedly, it’s not likely, but it would mess incredibly with Australian heads.”
You do realise only two 1.5 overs will be possible in the morning session because of an unexpected storm?
What do you think of Hazlewood over Starc? I suspect England would have preferred to face Starc, simply because he is more hittable. Hazlewood’s Test economy rate is 2.71, Starc’s 3.32. It probably comes down to that.
Ian Ward’s last question to Pat Cummins is simple. “England will come at you, is that okay?” Cummins smiles broadly. “Ah, I think so. Yeah.”
Team news: Hazlewood replaces Starc
“Tough call on Mitchy,” says Pat Cummins, “I thought he was really impressive last week. The squad mentality… it’s a good problem to have. Managing the bowlers and conditions will be important.”
England Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (c), Bairstow (wk), Ali, Broad, Robinson, Anderson.
Australia Warner, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey (wk), Cummins (c), Lyon, Hazlewood, Boland.
We’ve been informed it’s the 56th over instead 🙏 https://t.co/R3gyiDHeJH
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) June 16, 2023
England win the toss and bat
“Looks a really good cricket wicket,” says Ben Stokes. “Good toss to win, now we’ve gotta put some runs on the board.”
Pat Cummins says he would have batted as well.
England have won the toss and choose to bat first 🏏🏴
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 16, 2023
🗣️ "Now we've got to go and put some runs on the board!" pic.twitter.com/bbybxfJxDe
Updated
“Morning Rob,” says Dom Besley, though it’s anything but in his part of the world. “9:15pm in New Zealand and the family are in bed. I’m getting ready to pull an all-nighter. My first energy drink is open and the coffee machine is ready. When my four-year-old wakes, I’m likely to be as bouncing off the walls as he is.
“I’ve not been this excited for an Ashes since 2005. I’m really looking forward to seeing how England’s aggression fares against this Australian attack and how the plan goes if they find themselves in a spot of bother.”
If in doubt, go even harder. I don’t know if it will work, but I’m 99.94 per cent sure England won’t change their approach.
“Mornin’ from a chilly Southern Highlands NSW,” writes Jon Greig. “Despite wishes to the contrary... Can see Eng being three down within an hour... or, Oz 90 for one at lunch. Forever optimistic. Ahem.”
Ricky Ponting on Steve Smith
Hopefully this isn’t geoblocked in Australia.
"He's not finished yet either!"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 16, 2023
Michael Atherton and Ricky Ponting discuss what makes Steve Smith stand out 🌟 pic.twitter.com/giiLXIWj0Z
"We're all about the here and now"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 16, 2023
Ben Stokes talks leadership with Athers and Morg 😤 pic.twitter.com/0nH0WwVwxV
Here’s Geoff Lemon on David Warner, the great survivor who wants to land one last haymaker on England. If the pitches are generally flat, I fancy him to have a good series.
“Regarding whether England were better than India in 2005: worth remembering that England went to India a few months later and held them to 1-1. Though that was admittedly after the 0-2 drubbing in Pakistan, so maybe England were actually behind Pakistan, not India.”
Ah but Pakistan were Pakistan: they hadn’t won a series for two years before beating India. For reference, these were the rankings at the start of the English summer: 1 Aus 2 Daylight 3 Eng 4 Ind 5 Pak.
“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says David Clark. “The Aussies always try to pick off the English captain. Ben Stokes will know this. Presumably, he will fight fire with even more fire than usual. Is that possible?”
I’m sorry I assumed that was a rhetorical question.
“Last night I dreamed that I logged into the OBO this morning, only to discover that the Ashes had started yesterday,” says Richard O’Hagan. “Fortunately, it was displaying the close of play score as 275-4, at which point I knew that it must be a dream. Gone are the days of so few runs being scored on day one of an England Test.”
You do realise only 34 overs were possible because of an unexpected storm?
Win the toss and bat win the toss and win the toss and bat win the toss and we’ll have a bowl
Set fair! pic.twitter.com/v6lHjyCuXg
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) June 16, 2023
Talking of good causes, my local animal shelter Happy Landings does the most wonderful work and is always in need of donations – whether it’s a box of grain-free dog food or a contribution towards Travis the pug’s eye operation and dental work. If you’re feeling generous, or unfairly pressured by this post, you can donate here.
“Rob! A Very Good Morning!” writes Kim Thonger. “May I ask you, on the first day of what we all hope will be a wonderful series, to mention a good cause? We long-suffering sixtysomething cricket watchers have huge admiration for the exciting changes brought about by Bazball, but there is a downside. The constant excitement is affecting our ability to take our traditional after lunch forty winks. I therefore announce on behalf of silver snoozers everywhere a global campaign called Preserve Elderly Naptime In Sport.
“We demand that this summer, with a window of tranquility the objective, batters should observe a half hour of deliberate shouldering of arms outside off stump from 1430 to 1500 BST every match day. Straight balls must get the full forward defensive. Short balls are to be evaded, by swaying or ducking. Leg side half tosses to be disdainfully ignored.
“I do not need to spell out the obvious acronym for this initiative. It may be short, but trips off the tongue nicely. I do hope you can provide rigorous editorial agitation so we can get the thing out and in front of the general public and make it a towering all conquering success. Cricket club members globally need the Guardian OBO writers to step up and deliver hands on active encouragement.”
This is a very longwinded way of pushing for Dom Sibley to be recalled. (And hats off to Dom, so unfairly maligned in recent years, for showing there is more than one way to skin a target of 501. In a Bazball world – and I’m not being flippant - he is now the maverick.)
It looks like Josh Hazlewood will play ahead of Mitch Starc (and Mitch Marsh)
Mitch Marsh got us good.
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) June 16, 2023
Hazlewood is playing by the look of it. Starc is out. https://t.co/sdqjF2aKhQ
Test Match Special overseas link
Don’t thank me, thank Simon in Luxembourg, who has sent in the link below.
“Surely 2005 was the last Ashes series involving the two best sides in the world,” says Matt Hipkiss. “Australia go without saying, but England leading into that series had won all seven tests at home the previous summer, and won away in both South Africa and the West Indies in the preceding 12 months.”
I agree, though I suppose the argument is that – a bit like this team – they were a nose behind India. I can see both sides. Ultimately I think that if England and India played a 10-Test series, five at home and five away, India would edge it.
This entry is for England fans only
Let’s get this out of the way, shall we
Thanks for all your emails this morning. I won’t have time to read them all, but I’ll do my best. So far they all have one common theme: everyone feels like they’re 25 years old again.
“Happy Ashes morning Rob!” says Patrick Connolly. “I’m delighted you’ve got the OBO open nice and early as I need somewhere to direct my excitement this glorious morning.
“The sheer beauty of a five-Test series is that it condenses so many dramas on so many levels into a short period of time that also happens to be a long time. It’s a short period of time relative to, say, a whole football season, but a long period of time relative to any other sporting contest in the world. Yet it has all the drama (and more) of a full sporting season, and hundreds of mini-contests within it.
“Like a soap opera we get to know the participants and see their story develop over the series and we get to watch the most joyous part of sport - momentum shifts - play out in something like slow-motion. The momentum of a spell, a session, a day, an innings, all wrapped up in the momentum of a test and the momentum of a series. And even if we have to go do something else, it’s always there in the background, from 11am-6pm, the gradual moving of the dial back and forth.
“Other series are great, but the Ashes and the five-Test format just pushes it into the sublime. (And for those of us lucky enough to get a ticket in the cheap seats for a day, we also get to stack our empty beer glasses into a giant snake construction to be passed between the congregation like a collection at mass.)
“It’s strange to think too that in the time I’ve been reading the OBO people have been born, completed their schooling and are now actual adults....
“Anyways, I’m probably a bit over-excited. Enjoy the cricket!”
Updated
“Morning Rob, morning all,” says Matt Turland. “Well, here we are again. But it feels different. A whole lot of different. Don’t get me wrong, I think Australia win the series 3-2. But, and maybe it’s because I’ve been brainwashed by all the “good vibes”, It almost doesn’t matter what the result is. Almost. But that’s still a long way removed from years gone by
“If England give it a go and stick to their guns, glorious failure will be accepted by me. Much more enjoyable going down swinging than some of the dross we’ve been served up in the past.”
Admirable sentiments, and I completely agree, but the mood will change quickly if they score at 5.5 an over and lose 5-0.
There were so many encouraging signs for Australia in the WTC win over India. The greatest of them all was the rhythm and form of Steve Smith (second-innings yahoos notwithstanding). There are great players on both sides, but only one of them has won an Ashes series almost single-handedly.
Mitch Marsh marking out his run-up must be a red herring, surely. He’s a fine cricketer and all, but it would only make sense if Cam Green has picked up an injury.
“Morning Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Come on then, prediction time. Mine? Not a bloody clue. I think anything, literally anything, could happen. Though maybe not five draws, eh? Let’s hope the Hundred Test cricket is the real winner...”
I’ve never felt less confident in predicting an Ashes series, and not only because I’m subconsciously terrified of being cancelled. Could be 4-0, 0-4 or anything inbetween. And for that expertise, you are most welcome.
Mitch Marsh to play?
To mix metaphors in a frankly egregious way, this would be a helluva funky tank to park on England’s lawn.
STARC and HAZLWOOD nowhere to be seen.
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) June 16, 2023
If this is as it seems it is a stunning move. https://t.co/sdqjF2aKhQ
Musical interlude
There’s going to be a lot of noise in the next six weeks, so let’s enjoy eight minutes of peace.
“How exciting is this?” says Pete Salmon. “Just spent the night gaming every possible first day scenario in my mind while trying to sleep, from England being 8/540 at stumps to Australia being 3/298, and everything in between. My question – when was the last Ashes series between the two best teams in the world? It wasn’t 2005 – I suspect it may have been 1974-75? Any other possibilities?”
At the risk of sounding like, well, me, I’m not sure it’s 2023. India are actually top of the ICC rankings and, though those rankings aren’t gospel, I’d still India them above England as of 9.40am on 16 June 2023. That said, I wouldn’t abuse you on the internet for having an alternative view.
I think there’s a decent case for 2005, personally, as India had just lost at home to Australia and, though much better than in the 20th century, could still be vulnerable away from home. Before that, goodness knows, probably 1974-75 as you say. It wasn’t 1989, I’ll tell you that for free.
Updated
“Here we go,” says Guy Hornsby. “Morning Rob, the day is here. Six weeks of uber-cricket, and whatever happens, it won’t be boring. The subtle fluctuations of form and fitness has meant while Australia have the usual suspects, we don’t have the team we hoped we would a year ago. But that’s not pessimism (no more than any 90s England fan) it’s just a slight readjustment of the Stokes protagonists, but the ethos won’t change. And that’s the big hope for us. Because we all know that other way didn’t work. But mainly, we can stop talking about two winters ago. I wonder if Rory Burns will be watching? Come on England!”
Poor Rory Burns, to be forever remembered for one ball rather than a pretty strong series in 2019.
Ben Stokes was almost comically laid-back at his press conference yesterday. If he’s bluffing, a career in poker awaits because he is seriously good at it.
Mark Ramprakash’s column
What to do at the toss?
“If England win the toss, they’ll bat, right?” says Francis Barton. “Dry, hot, good pitch, possible cloud on Sunday, possible fourth-innings turn. You’ve got to bat... right? But Stokes loves to chase. Cummins would definitely bat first. What do you think? Ridiculously excited about this series.”
All logic says bat first, so I fully expect Ben Stokes to … bat, actually, as he went away from chasing over the winter and it would feel damagingly ostentatious to bowl first on a dry, flat pitch – especially given what Nathan Lyon did on the final day at Edgbaston in 2019. But I don’t say this with complete confidence.
Many of us fancy Ollie Robinson to be England’s leading wickettaker in this series. He’s also an endearingly straight talker, and this chat with Don McRae – the best sports interviewer in the business IMO – is particularly good.
It's the first day of the Ashes and here is another run for an interview I did last week with Ollie Robinson. Amid an early death and a public shaming he made mistakes and suffered dark days but his desire to improve as a person and cricketer is heartfelt https://t.co/5GYXnFkQBZ
— Donald McRae (@donaldgmcrae) June 16, 2023
Bazball by numbers
Trust me, this is one euphoric statgasm after another.
“Morning Rob,” writes Jim Wallace, who I’m very glad to say will be covering the second half of the day. “On the rattler to Brum. (John Snow Hill station.) Will send over a few ‘vibes’ (urgh) from the ground. I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be good.”
At my age you don’t get too many Friday feelings, but I’d happily experience this once a week. Also, good idea to get the train after 7am so that you could pop into M&S.
Early team news
England named their XI on Wednesday, as is their wont, with Stuart Broad preferred to Mark Wood. Australia also have a choice between scalpel and sledgehammer: Josh Hazlewood or Mitchell Starc. The remarkable Scott Boland is no longer in that particular conversation.
England Crawley, Duckett, Pope, Root, Brook, Stokes (c), Bairstow (wk), Ali, Broad, Robinson, Anderson.
Australia Warner, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey (wk), Starc/Hazlewood*, Cummins (c), Lyon, Boland.
* Hazlewood will bat below Cummins and Lyon if he plays.
It’ll be interesting to see who takes the new ball for England. It’s usually James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, but one of the reasons Stuart Broad has been picked is to take care of David Warner. I suspect Robinson will revert to first-change, with England hoping he can crack the Labuschagne/Smith code.
Updated
There’s plenty to do before flip gets real – just over two hours to go - so for now I’ll leave you with Ali Martin’s series preview.
Updated
It’s the Ashes!
Classic Ashes scenes as disbelieving man discovers you can’t buy 12 cans of Stella at Euston M&S self scan because “it’s not yet 7am sir”
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 16, 2023
And a tip of the hat to this tinder-dry response.
Hope you find a shop later
— Ed Cumming (@edcumming) June 16, 2023
Usually in this thing, only one team has to win the series. A draw will be enough for Australia to retain the urn they have held since December 2017, but they are aiming higher than that. They are desperate to cement their legacy by becoming the first Australian side to win a series in England since 2001.
Fantasy Ashes!
The folks below the line on our County Cricket blog have set up a fantasy league if you want to get involved. I’ve picked my team, with Moeen Ali ahead of Ben Stokes. It’s a budget thing, I’m not an idiot. I am an idiot, but it’s still a budget thing.
The CricketXI link is here and the code is YOZYDMWJ.
Preamble
Well that’s the next six weeks sorted. From WhatsApp to the watercooler, the dinner table to the dive bar, one thing is going to dominate conversation between now and 31 July, and it’s not peerages. In three hours’ time, at a roastingly hot Edgbaston, the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series since 2006-07 will begin.
That anticipation is easily explained: it’s the most exciting team in the world versus the best team in the world. Cricket could do with a classic Ashes series, given the existential crisis about the future of sport’s greatest format. But while both teams have a shared purpose to advertise Test cricket in all its abundant glory, they disagree on how it should be played in 2023.
The Ashes has always been a clash of cultures, yet England have never parked so many tanks on Australia’s lawn. They are enjoying a Bazball epiphany, playing perhaps the most attacking Test cricket in the 146-year history of the game, and have won 11 of their 13 games under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. But Australia are the new world champions and look as formidable as they have in many a year, maybe since the retirement of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in 2007. They aim show that their brand of cricket – relentlessly aggressive, just not hyper aggressive – will always be the best way, as it was when they shattered the first incarnation of Bazball at the 2015 World Cup.
There’s little doubt England can score big, fast runs against bowlers as good as Australia’s, because they did it against South Africa last year. The question is whether they can do so amid the brain-scrambling, sanity-questioning intensity of an Ashes series. But the same is true of Australia’s bowlers. In an otherwise dominant series four years ago, when they had England’s batters in a vice most of the time, a great attack lost the noggin when Ben Stokes went berserk at Headingley.
Australia would love to puncture England’s new-age serenity by inducing a few old-fashioned collapses, and see how their bohemian vibe survives being plugged by 300 runs at fortress Edgbaston. Both teams are world-class at riding the wave; the ability to respond to the choppier stuff will probably decide who wins the series.
England have spoken about the result being secondary to the process. Yet it was abundantly clear from Stokes’ press conference yesterday that his team are determined to do something astonishing this summer: make the bucket hat fashionable.
But seriously folks. England have scored at 4.85 runs per over since Stokes became full-time captain last summer. Their overall run-rate under him (including a Test in 2020) is 4.65. The next highest of anybody who has captained more than two Tests is Steve Waugh with 3.66. Under Cummins, Australia have gone at 3.52 per over. Admirably aggressive by any measure, except Bazball.
A recurring theme of the most exciting Ashes series is aggression: sporting aggression, that is, be it paint-stripping pace bowling, extravagant wristspin or, most crucially, the once rare sight of English batters trying to hit sixes. There will be no wristspin genius this summer, on the pitch or in the commentary box, but the other ingredients are all there. It could – sod it, should – be a classic.
It’s hard to recall an Ashes series in which both teams have been so comfortable in their own skin beforehand. We know from experience that there is always plenty of bluff when England play Australia; we’re about to find out just how much.
The match starts at 11am BST (8pm AEST), with the toss at 10.30/7.30.
Updated
