Ali Martin's day five report
Simon Burnton's player ratings
Goodbye, for now, with Australia leading the Ashes 2-1
As Headingley empties, we slowly draw the curtains around the famous old ground. Deeply troubled in recent years but still capable of hosting exhilarating Test cricket.
Another thrilling match, another tinder-paper result. Mitch Marsh came back from four years in the wilderness to play the innings of his life; Stuart Broad squeezed his bunny twice more; Mark Wood provided the fire England have been missing and changed the character of the game with his batting; Stokes was epic with the bat; Cummins with the ball; Travis Head teed off; Chris Woakes proved his all-round value; Moeen trapped the big two beasts; Mitch Marsh delivered thunderbolts and Harry Brook made Headingley fall in love with him all over again. We’ll be back for the women’s ODI on Wednesday, the Old Trafford Test a week later. Thanks for all your smart and funny messages, apologies again for not using them all. Have a wonderful afternoon, bye!
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Hear, hear to Nasser who said he would have liked to have another day between Tests. Ben Stokes, amongst others, looked on his knees.
They call it Brummie love:
Just another Villan producing the goods on the international stage.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) July 9, 2023
Well played, @ChrisWoakes. 👏 pic.twitter.com/mrsvtDiQYg
Should England play Jimmy at Old Trafford? To summarise Nasser – nah.
At Headingley, Ali Martin has found time both to breathe and write a report. Walking man miracle.
Kumar Sangakkara on England: “I think to get the results England had to go through this process of going too far over line. This is a young side too, only a few really experienced guys in terms of the batting. They will learn from their mistakes. Ben Stokes is showing them how to do it, Now the message is we’re smarter.”
And Nasser on Mark Wood: “Since his debut he’s missed 80 Tests . The stats tell you one thing but what fans love about him is his heart, someone with a massive ticker who will leave nothing out there. He’ll get injured but he doesn’t feel sorry for himself and he’ll go again.”
Thanks to Smylers for this on today’s highlights – do adjust your sets:
“The BBC have promoted today’s 7 o’clock highlights show to BBC2, not BBC4 as was shown in listings (including the Whats On section with yesterday’s paper). Good idea to bring today’s play to a wider audience, but do check if you’re recording them. I only set the PVR yesterday, and was surprised to find it’s now planning on recording Perfect Pianists.”
Chris Woakes, the world’s greatest super sub.
“There have been moments when I’d have liked to play a bit more and obviously the more you play, the more you get into the rhythm, and get used to performing at that level. But I don’t begrude the fact that Jimmy and Broady have been around as I’ve learnt so much from them…. I’ve got my head around it over the years.
“Its pretty epic being out there in front of a packed Headingley. We haven’t won the first two Tests but we felt like we had the support of the country. It gave me a little sense of how Stokes felt four years ago. Great feeling to get over the line and keep the Ashes alive.”
The eloquent and all round nice guy Mitchell Starc has the microphone. He’s going to use his off time to watch his wife Alyssa Healy in the women’s ODI at Bristol on Wednesday. But there is a warning for England. “The pleasing thing for us is that we haven’t put the full performance in yet. It is a great opportunity, two big Test matches but just one win needed for The Ashes.”
Apologies that I haven’t been able to use all your emails as we approached the denouement, but here is one in victory from a man on the ground!
@tjaldred one of my most tense days in a cricket ground - nails a lot shorter than at the start of the day! But got to say I found the Aussie tactics baffling - too many easy singles at the start of the day and at the end - where was the pressure on the batsmen?
— Dan Spicer (@spicer_dan) July 9, 2023
Ben Stokes looks exhausted. But he has no doubts.
Can England win the Ashes?: “Yep. No hesitation.”
“It’s completely different when it’s out of your control. I just sat up there thinking about what would I be doing if I was out there. Brooky controlled the game very, very well.
I’m just tired, it’s been draining.”
He lavishes praise on his team “Under the pressure and circumstance of the series, Brook got us over the line. There were some smaller ones, Woakesy, Woody going down in that blaze of glory.
“But Brooky has got a very good head on his shoulders, he’s a very talented boy, we’ve let him propel himself.”
“Mo came up to Baz and said, let me have a go at three. Free hit is not the right word, but we thought he could have more influence at three than eight.
“It didn’t work, but I loved that Mo took that responsibility.”
And on the ground where he became immortal in 2019 “Headingley day four, yet again, it’s some place to play cricket. I don’t know what it is, it seems to bring out great games.”
Pat Cummins
Boos outnumber applause as he approaches Mike Atherton with the microphone; applause outnumber boos as he leaves. “I said to Stokesy, I could do with a calm one”
“There’s a few moments that went back and forth. Day one we lost six for 20-odd, yesterday the sun was out and we missed an opportunity. There were a few key moments. Seems like a series where each sessions swings in one team’s favour and then the other. I thought getting up to 250 gave us something but it wasn’t quite enough.
“David Warner was fantastic last week at Lord’s, really happy with how everyone is going.
“On MArsh: “Good problems to have. He was awesome, four years since his last game. Great to see him back in, few headaches ahead. Few days off to recharge, people are flying off to various places but we’ll come back together excited for Manchester.”
An email:
“In the absence of a clear winner for player of the match,” writes Tim Sanders, “could they give it to Richard Robinson for the Headingley pitch ? Although I’d give it to Mark Wood for being utterly life-affirming as well as runs and wickets. An honourable mention too for Moeen, who is a hero for going to no. 3 in the order. He allowed others to bat in their best places, particularly Harry Brook at 5.”
Good call.
Player of the match, the AMAZING, Mark Wood
“It was not good in that dressing room, sweaty palms all the way, but actually much easier to be out there. First time to be getting England over the line with the bat.
“No 9 is as high as I’ll bat, any higher I’ll get a nose bleed. I felt in good rhythm running down the hill, tried to channel Bob Willis charging down the hill. Stokes very clear about my role. bowl short sharp spells. Delighted I managed to get some runs here.“
“The support everywhere we go is amazing but the support is always better in the north isn’t it.”
Ironically, England won’t play a SINGLE Ashes Test in the north in 2027.
“Eighteen years ago at Trent Bridge, with the series similarly in the
balance, England were seven down and needing ten runs. Today at
Headingley they were seven down and in need of eleven.
Eighteen years ago I chickened out and went for a walk on the beach .
Today I chickened out and started on the crossword. Delighted to find
that my absence once again coincided with no further loss of wickets and
heartiest congrats to Woakes and Wood for their channelling of Giles and
Hoggard.
Thanks as always to the OBO team.
You are not alone Janet Stevens! And thank you.
In case you wanted any more emotion, Sky are playing one of those best of the Test compilations to the soundtrack of Iggy Pop’s The Passenger.
Harry Brook is talking after that match-winning innings in front of his home crowd “I felt like they were trying to get me off strike as much as possible, I was just trying to get Woakesy on strike, he’s a good enough batter to get anything they throw at him . [what was it like back in the dressing room?]There was nobody in there, I had a little bit of a blow up, i freaking hate it when I don’t get the team over the line. We’ve got a week and a bit off now and we’ll come back harder at OT.”
And, notes Laurence Bennett: “Amazing that, despite the nerve-shredding nature of that win, England stuck to their plan to make it a 50 over chase, exactly!”
Amazing crowd shots as the stands leap into stratsosphere!
Mark Wood – what a game:
Mark Wood scored 40 runs in the match from 16 balls at a strike rate of 250. Nobody has ever scored more runs at a faster rate across a Test match.https://t.co/0qFhnQTXUk
— Nessun Dorma Podcast (@nessundormapod) July 9, 2023
So true:
. @tjaldred Well that redefined what 'tense' means. You could argue that both Marsh and Wood deserve MOTM for their allround heroics; but it has to be Wood, surely#Ashes
— Rick Foot (@rick_foot) July 9, 2023
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THE ASHES ARE ALIVE! England beat Australia by three wickets!
50th over: England 254-7 (Woakes 32, Wood 16) Mark Wood, we salute you! He faces down a thunderbolt from Starc and cover drives with fire for four. A belated wide call. A top-edge flies high but out of the reach of a sprinting Carey. And that’s the win as Woakes screams four to the rope!!! Two of England’s changes from Lord’s see their team home. Wood and Woakes embrace on the pitch, Headingley gets louder, even louder, and this time, as the team shake hands, the smiles are on the other faces.
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49th over: England 240-7 (Woakes 27, Wood 8) England need 11 to win Murphy’s return was short and sweet, plucked off after one over as Cummins brings himself back. But he pulls off an AMAZING piece of fielding on the rope, palming the ball back in mid air to turn four to one.. But Wood doesn’t need protecting – he is going to attempt to repeat his first innings heroics. He winds up and hooks Cummins for SIX! If Headingley had a roof, etc etc x 100000000.
48th over: England 232-7 (Woakes 26, Wood 1) England need 19 to win Headingley starts to sing in triumph as Cummins brings Starc back for one last hurrah. Woakes edges fine to Boland but then the WICKET! A brilliant innings by Brook has taken England within a dog’s lick of victory. One last twist.
WICKET! Brook c Cumins b Starc 75 (England 230-7)
Oh my. Brook pulls, top edges. At mid-off Cummins waits for it, Starc goes for it, Starc crashes into him, Cummins holds on. They two big men turn on each other, and anger/fear turns to relief/joy.
Before today, #HarryBrook and #ChrisWoakes had never batted together. And now they've added 50 in the most pressurised situation imaginable #Ashes @tjaldred
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) July 9, 2023
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47th over: England 227-6 (Brook 74, Woakes 23) England need 24 to win So now is the time to bring on Murphy. Christian Ryan would have had him bowling before lunch, “ very attacking, very good”. But the offie doesn’t have much to play with now, and no room for error. Brook cuts him with venom to the rope.
46th over: England 221-6 (Brook 70, Woakes 22) England need 30 to win Brook wobbles his hands before retaking his guard as if to shake off the tension. Cummins accelerates into the maelstrom, dark eyes, brows, hair, intentions (for England hearts). Woakes keeps moving outside his stumps and picks up a single off the fourth ball. Brook pulls and picks up two on a misfield then flambes for four past backward point to bring up England’s first fifty partnership of the match.
My dad decides this is a good time to sort out his collection of nails and door knobs.
@tjaldred I followed Edgbaston 2005 on a train across France, I'm following this via the OBO and feeling just as nervous!
— Sam Kelly (@CarlisleSam1980) July 9, 2023
45th over: England 214-6 (Brook 64, Woakes 21) 37 to win. Brook starts the over by swishing wildly at Marsh in a way that cause a thousand throats to tighten. He finishes the over in the same way. They take DRINKS, with England’s target now crunchable in a large mouthful.
John Davis is sacrificing his afternoon so we don’t have to:
”Currently lying on the same blanket in the garden in the same place as Headingley four years ago. Like then, I can’t leave the blanket until the match is done. Thankfully, the one year old who was crawling round the garden then and giving me palpitations when he went near the flowers is now a five year old who is sitting next to me listening to TMS and subjecting me to long lectures on dinosaurs. This is one of the days that I know I’ll look back on in years to come and remember with fondness, no matter what the result.”
44th over: England 211-6 (Brook 62, Woakes 20) 40 to win. Cummins – it is he – delivers a stinging short ball first ball and Brook hooks dangerously, but it falls short of the fielder. Woakes wriggles a single to fine leg, then DIYs another. Then a tension-relieving FOUR as Brook expertly swivel-pulls a less-threatening bouncer.
“Hi Tanya
Hope you’re well.” “Hello Peter Byrne, I am thank you!”
”Do you know if the “win predictor” takes into account that this is us, and they’re Australia.... “
Well, exactly!
43rd over: England 203-6 (Brook 56, Woakes 18) 48 to win. Magic Marsh is back, napkin from Seth Levine’s Sunday lunch hanging out of the back of his trousers. In he powers, Headingley match him in voice. Then crescendo again. On the balcony, Ben Stokes, head down in bucket hat, sighs a big sigh. The unscarred-by-history Win Viz gives England a 78 percent chance of winning.
42nd over: England 202-6 (Brook 55, Woakes 18) 49 to win. Brook plays a textbook drive, head down, but for naught. Not so good next ball as he gets beaten by one that he tries to flap away. Woakes survives the Cummins double bluff last delivery and shoos the yorker away.
“In response to Jonathan Liew’s question who can eat lunch at a time like this?” taps Seth Levine. “Try cooking a Sunday roast. This is the first time I’ve ever used overs as a unit of cooking time. Sous vide carrots? Between drink breaks. Roast potatoes? 15 overs (adjust according to your appliance / pace or spin bowler)“
41st over: England 199-6 (Brook 53, Woakes 17) 52 to win. Shall we throw a run-out into the mix, England ask. Let’s not shall we, as Brook sends an eager Brook back. But England will take that, four leg byes off Boland, down leg and past a leaping Carey.
Wouldn’t it be fun, says Rowan Sweeney, .. if we had a spot of rain about now
Prolonging the agony? I couldn’t cope!
Fifty for Harry. Brook!
40th over: England 191-6 (Brook 51, Woakes 15) 60 to win. It’s Cummins, and those boundaries mean the field has spread. Slips ripple away and we have a setting for the short ball. Woakes is nearly undone as one rips off the surface and flies off the top of his bat, but falls short. And that’s the Brook fifty off just 67 balls – an assured thinking innings.
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39th over: England 187-6 (Brook 48, Woakes 14) Thanks Jim, amazing stuff. Everyone calm out there? Good. Woakes is. He clips Boland away with style to pick up four and then four more flying foul but fair down to the rope. Square of the wicket a bunch of banana-shirted Australians sit like a gash through Headingley’s heart.
38th over: England 178-6 (Brook 48, Woakes 6) Bosh. Woakes hangs back and flays Starc over point for four. He then tries to repeat the shot next ball and is so close to being cleaned up. A meaty edge is splayed away to third for a single to bring Brook on strike. Starc is up at 91mph, Brooks plays out a dot.
Crikey. I’m off for a lie down. Tanya Aldred is here to expertly guide you through to the end of this match with the Ashes hanging by a thread. Thanks for your emails! Goodbye.
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37th over: England 173-6 (Brook 48, Woakes 1) Brook runs Boland into the gap at point and takes the single. Woakes defends four dots and then gets off the mark with a sketchy leading edge to mid-on. It is tense out there.
36th over: England 171-6 (Brook 47, Woakes 0) A deathly hush hangs over Headingley. Chris Woakes is the new batter. He plays a huge drive at his first ball and is lucky not to nick off.
WICKET! Bairstow b Starc 5 (England 171-6)
Gone this time! Bairstow chops a wide delivery onto his stumps. England in danger of losing the Ashes here, Australia have picked up two massive wickets in the last ten minutes.
35th over: England 166-5 (Brook 43, Bairstow 4) Ay carumba! Bairstow chops Boland down past his own stumps and the ball skids away to the fence. England will take them any which way and that was loose.
The partnerships in this innings: 42, 18, 33, 38 and 30. England just can't shake Australia off.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) July 9, 2023
WICKET! Stokes c Carey b Starc 13 (England 161-5)
Mitchell Starc from t’other end. Three dots are followed by a crunch through cover for four from Stokes. STOKES IS OUT NOW THOUGH. Another strangle down leg and the finger is raised. Stokes has to drag himself off, a tame way to go and Australia roar back after lunch. Do not adjust your set.
Jonny Bairstow is the new man. He strides to the crease with purpose and is given a local’s welcome. England need him here. 90 runs plays five wickets.
34th over: England 161-5 (Brook 42, Bairstow 0)
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33rd over: England 156-4 (Brook 41, Stokes 9) Brook steals a single off the first ball of the session. He’s been particularly perky with his running today. Stokes flicks Boland away off his legs for a couple to make it three off the over.
Brendan Murphy has been crunching the numbers over lunch:
“This is where England’s fast scoring rate really gives them the advantage. If they were scoring at 3 an over, they’d be on 96 for 4. They’re committed to scoring quickly regardless of how many wickets fall. Realistically, Australia have to get in England out in under 60 overs, possibly in under 50. That’s a tall order.
All England need from here is two ten over partnerships, or four five over partnerships etc. I guess this is the kind of calculation that Bazball is based on, rather than individual scores - hence the investment in Crawley, who sets this quick-scoring tempo from the top. His average of under 30 is not really relevant, because they judge him on what he brings to situations like this. There’s definite logic to it - not one I’d expect Geoffrey Boycott to understand.”
The players head out onto the field to resume after lunch. A nervy blast of Jerusalem echoes around Headingley. Scott Boland is going to start Australia off with the ball. Ben Stokes is on strike.
This is it then, England need 98 runs to stay in the Ashes, Australia need six wickets to win ‘em.
Well, quite.
how can anyone eat lunch at a time like this
— Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew) July 9, 2023
Maybe just England’s session? They scored 126 runs for the loss of four wickets, Harry Brook counterpunching and living by the sword/seat of his pants blade of his Gray-Nicolls to dine on 40 not out off 54 balls.
Australia will be pleased they’ve prised out four wickets and were ecstatic to see the back of Joe Root ten minutes before lunch. I’m off for some sustenance and a quiet stand in the sun with nothing but my thoughts. Back in a bit.
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Lunch - England need 98 runs. Australia 6 wickets.
32nd over: England 153-4 (Brook 40, Stokes 7) Todd Murphy comes on for a twirl, it’ll be the last over of the session. He kicks his back leg up at the top of his mark like Chuck Berry during a guitar solo or a toddler on the precipice of a tantrum. A nervous start, he drags down and is slashed to the boundary by Brook. Three more singles are milked off Murphy and the sides head to lunch with the game tantalisingly poised.
31st over: England 146-4 (Brook 34, Stokes 6) Cummins with his last before lunch. Harry Brook slashes at a wide ball and nearly gifts his wicket to Australia. England pick three more off the target. It is down to 105 runs needed for England and six wickets for Australia.
30th over: England 143-4 (Brook 33, Stokes 5) Ignore my witterings about lunch – this session is due to go on to 13:15pm. Starc nearly nicks off Harry Brook but Carey drops it! Was that a drop? Replays show it might’ve been a bump ball or perhaps Brook hit the floor. Either way I’ve got palpitations. Cripes. Brook lashes the next ball over the slips for four. No backward step taken.
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29th over: England 135-4 (Brook 28, Stokes 4) Ben Stokes is roared to the crease. England need him again here. He clips his first ball from Cummins off his pads for a sweetly timed four. There are no words.
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WICKET! Root c Carey b Cummins 21 (England 131-4)
HUGE moment in this run chase! Root falls swishing down the leg-side to a relatively harmless ball from Cummins. If such a thing exists. Australia needed that and are bang back in this.
28th over: England 129-3 (Root 20, Brook 27) Starc hares in for another from the Kirkstall Lane End. Brook opens the face to pick up two wide of gully. We’ll get one more in before lunch I think.
27th over: England 127-3 (Root 20, Brook 25) Close! Pat Cummins has brought himself back into the attack and he nearly nicks off Harry Brook first ball, the edge just dying before a diving Carey and first slip.
A fizzing pull from Brook is sent scorching passed Umpire Dharmasena at square leg. The official has to jump out of the way quick sharp whilst holding onto his sunhat - looking exactly like a bloke in a beer garden who has just stepped on a dog’s tail. Root drives Cummins for four! Emphaaaaatically. This has been a decent second hour for England, Australia took the first.
26th over: England 120-3 (Root 16, Brook 22) Pat Cummins goes back to Mitchell Starc but Brook isn’t mithered… he marmalises the southpaw seamer through cover for four first ball! Starc is then back on the spondoolies, four dots before Brook steals strike from Root again with a single off the last. I dare say the senior Yorkshireman ain’t mithered either.
25th over: England 115-3 (Root 16, Brook 17) Double-whammy! Harry Brook makes all of Headingley purr by peeling off two of the nicest cover drives you could wish to see off consecutive balls. Boland drags back his length to dot up three balls but a glide from Brook sees him steal the strike and make it nine runs from the over. England need 136 runs. Australia need 7 wickets.
England just need to Bazball this for two hours then Anderson at old Trafford and always do well at the oval so basically it’s 3-2, open-top baz buses Tony Blair a thousand stories behind these shades then chuck it all away with a new pay tv deal a year later job done
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) July 9, 2023
A lot to unpack in this tweet.
24th over: England 106-3 (Root 16, Brook 8) Marsh continues, Root and Brook rotate the strike to take four off the over.
“Good morning from Pittsburgh!”
Hello from Headingley, Eric Petersen.
“Listening and reading with two questions in mind at the moment: whether England has the composure to see this out and stay alive in the Ashes, and whether there is room in the OBO payroll for Stuart Howes and his rather alarming prescience regarding Zak Crowley’s fate (18th over).”
23rd over: England 102-3 (Root 14, Brook 4) Crunch! Brook clouts Boland back down the ground for four but is then cut in two by a ball that zips back. My my my. How are your nerves? The 100 is notched up from England and is met with jittery applause. Root drives handsomely to mid-off where Marnus saves a boundary with a flying save.
Come on everybody, deep breath.#BBCCricket #Ashes pic.twitter.com/RpCWXju360
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 9, 2023
22nd over: England 96-3 (Root 13, Brook 2) Root edges Marsh to the slips but the ball doesn’t carry, they take a single. Brook clips to leg to make it a couple off the over. Full sunshine now, lovely batting conditions, you’d think.
21st over: England 94-3 (Root 12, Brook 1) Australia can smell blood in the water. Bright sunshine bathes Headingley and England need all the help they can get. Boland sends down a maiden to Brook. The pressure cooker increases a notch or two.
WICKET! Crawley c Carey b Marsh 44 (England 93-3)
Gone! Crawley slaps Marsh through point for four but falls next ball! A big drive and a healthy edge to Carey. England lose their third of the morning.
Harry Brook comes out at number five, he clips Marsh to leg to get off the mark.
20th over: England 93-3 (Root 12, Brook 1)
@Jimbo_Cricket Honestly, if England don't win this it will be a major failure. I know they have to get the runs etc etc, but really, it's a modest total and the conditions are not at all diabolical.
— scott (@scottp1964) July 9, 2023
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19th over: England 86-2 (Crawley 40, Root 11) Boland to continue after a slurp of something, he hits Root on the pad and throws his arms to the heavens but there’s nowt doing – it was high and a bit leggy. It looks like Australia are swapping the ball, the old one must’ve been knocked out of shape. Root defends against the change of Dukes and then plays a fuller delivery with soft hands, it traces away through the slips all along the baize for four runs.
18th over: England 81-2 (Crawley 40, Root 7) Mitch Marsh replaces Mitch Starc. England have seen off the two Aussie strike bowlers this morning but are not unscathed. Shot! Crawley rocks back and cuts Marsh powerfully to the Western Terrace for four. They enjoyed that. One hour done and time for a DRINK.
England need 170 runs. Australia need 8 wickets.
“Would love Crawley to swish his way to a tonne here, as a fitting riposte to all of his doubters, but also just for style points.” Writes Stuart Howes.
“But I’m well aware that by the time you get round to this he will have departed for 42 having chipped one back to the bowler whilst looking rueful.” Oh ye of little…
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17th over: England 75-2 (Crawley 35, Root 6) Flash hard! Crawley plays an expansive drive to Boland and the ball flies over the slips for four! next ball is dropped at his toes and they run through for a well-judged single. Engrossing cricket.
@Jimbo_Cricket given the seesaw nature of this series, the trick here is to let go of the initiative at just the right time so that the other team is letting go of the initiative just at the end of the 4th innings.
— retronai (@retronai) July 9, 2023
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16th over: England 70-2 (Crawley 30, Root 6) Shot! Root peels off a superb cover dive to pick up four. The nervous tension dissipates around the ground for a second or two. It ramps up again with Starc stomping in for his next ball – a short delivery is well paddled round the corner for a couple more by Root. Scott Boland is coming on to replace Cummins. Wonder if that is a bit of a let off for Root. We’ll see.
15th over: England 64-2 (Crawley 30, Root 0) Crawley mis-times a drive through mid-on but collects two runs, the second a bit risky and Root had to get his skates on heading back to the non-striker’s end. Root defends to Cummins. This feels like a key battle, Cummins has Root’s scalp ten times in Test cricket.
Enjoyed this bit of light relief from Joe Meredith:
“Oh, is this the way they say the future’s meant to feel?
Or just seven waiting catchers in the deepest field?
And I don’t quite understand just what this series is,
But that’s okay, cause we’re all sorted out for sweeps and biffs.”
14th over: England 60-2 (Crawley 27, Root) Eeeeesh! Root aims a big drive to his first ball and narrowly avoids feathering an edge to Carey. England’s tactics are clear – they are going to meet attack with attack.
Cam Green in the gully a pretty handy sub - if he takes a screamer there’s going to be a huge blow-up #Ashes
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) July 9, 2023
WICKET! Moeen b Starc 5 (England 60-2)
Leg stump well and truly detonated! Moeen goes for a big drive but misses Starc’s 90mph full ball. The experiment to promote him to three hasn’t come off and English palms get a bit more clammy. Starc has his dander up here, Joe Root is the new man.
13th over: England 59-1 (Crawley 26, Ali 5) Big bouncer! Cummins slams the ball into the middle of the pitch and it soars over Carey’s head and away for a freebie four. Crawley pokes a single and Moeen defends with the full face.
Here we are @Jimbo_Cricket, another thrilling Ashes day, and of could be anything between a 7 wicket stroll for England & a 170 run loss. That's the thing at least with this team, the win is possible, and that's the big change. Listening on my Sunday shop, huge nerves already!
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) July 9, 2023
12th over: England 52-1 (Crawley 25, Ali 4) Moeen plays a languid drive through point to pick up two runs. Starc spears a couple down the leg side before beating the batter with a wobbler that zips past the edge. England’s 50 is met with a roar from the crowd.
@Jimbo_Cricket if he reaches 28, Moeen becomes just the 15th man in Test history to 200 wickets/300 runs combo. Not bad for a non front line spinner whose most common position in the England order has been TBC
— John Dalby (@snoopjohnd) July 9, 2023
11th over: England 49-1 (Crawley 24, Ali 1) A single to Crawley. Swish! Moeen lines up a booming drive outside off-stump but only connects with fresh air.
Gervase Greene is feeling cheeky yet fearful in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. “Is the first half-hour of play the earliest a nightwatchman has been sent in? Just asking.”
“We are in Lazio, it is 30 degrees and the crickets are at it with abandon” writes Michael Walsh. “Hopefully the crowd at Headingley do not indulge in any pithy booing today. Australia are a magnificent cricket team, who naturally take advantage of dim witted actions such as leaving your crease and picking a wicket keeper who seemingly drops an easy chance a game. (Ouch)
“If England win, let’s celebrate winning against the odds, against a great team, who we insist on adding to their advantage by making such obvious blunders in selection and batting tactics. It is exciting as hell though!”
10th over: England 48-1 (Crawley 23, Ali 1) Hearty applause greets Moeen as he strolls out to bat. Wonder what his orders are? I think we might know. He gets off the mark with a quick single to bring Crawley back on strike. FOUR! An edge wide of the slips brings the tall opener another boundary. You could cut the tension with a rusty spoon.
Moeen Ali is coming out to bat at number three for England.
WICKET! Duckett lbw b Starc (England 42-1)
Australia have their first! Duckett falls over a full ball and is pinned lbw! He reviews in vain, it was knocking out leg stump.
9th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 17, Duckett 21) Big Pat is around the wicket to Crawley. Ooooh! Play and a miss to one that nips away. Crawley is watchful, getting forward and defending well.
“Wife dragging me around the Netherlands on a bike (rather than lounging by a lake in Italy). Life is a zero sum game—my arse is killing me so that England can ease to victory.” We’re proud of you Simon Reeves.
8th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 17, Duckett 21) A sharp over from Starc, wraps Duckett on the pad with one that nips back but the appeal is strangled, it was heading down leg. Two more chipped off the target.
“Continuing the Britpop theme…” says Simon McMahon
“I’m in Scarborough where Pulp are playing tonight. ‘This is Hardcore’ would certainly seem to be an apt tagline for this Ashes series so far. But which side will be able to party hard tonight? We’ll find out soon enough…
Meet me at the fountain down the road, Simon?
Stuart Broad says England will chase "like a 50 over approach" 🏏 pic.twitter.com/9VjUUymWvm
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 9, 2023
7th over: England 37-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 21) Pat Cummins to star the second over of the day, he was off the boil and expensive last night – his two overs costing 17 runs. England pick up five more off this over, a confident clip through midwicket by Crawley brings him two more and they rotate the strike with three easy singles.
@Jimbo_Cricket Anne and other Nairobians can probably find the cricket on at K1 Klubhouse or Red Ginger.
— Tom Wein (@tom_wein) July 9, 2023
6th over: England 32-0 (Crawley 12, Duckett 20) A huge cheer greets a firm push into the covers from Zak Crawley. Ben Duckett gets away at the first opportunity to, Starc is in the high 80s on the speedo but England take five runs off the first over. The ground is full and fully gripped.
Here we go. The players are out there, there’s a nervous hum around the ground. Mitchell Starc has the ball and Zak Crawley is ready to face. Play!
We’ve got about ten minutes to the first ball. Conditions seem good for bowling, it’s a bit muggy and overcast, though the clouds are quite high. This morning session will go on til 13:15pm to make up for those lost overs yesterday.
Don’t think this one will be coming back for a day five… #Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/HHp4lmKOKE
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) July 9, 2023
Updated
“Hello from a blazing hot Naples.”
It’s 17 degrees and patchy white cloud in Leeds, Colum Fordham, stick that on your Pizza!
“This fourth day seems set fair for a successful run-chase by the ultra-aggressive England batting line-up. The expectancy and hope is almost too much to bear. I am so looking foward to a session which could see England claw back a vital victory in a series where they have thrown caution to the wind. I somewhat fear the threat of Starc, Cummins and co but if Crawley and Duckett put on at least fifty more runs, we could be (finally) celebrating a victory rather than rueing missed opportunities.”
Anne Inserra is in Nairobi and there’s no offence taken, none at all…
“Not that the OBO is inadequate but could you ask if anybody out there knows of a sports bar or hotel in Nairobi that’s showing this on TV?” You’ve come to the right place Anne. Anyone? Double-screening in this instance is of course fine.
Mesnil Man has Today’s TMS overseas link:
A Tender missive from Ian Rodin:
“Hello Jim. As I read your preamble, and felt a familiar nervous anticipation, The Universal by Blur was playing on Radio 6: “It really really really could happen”. Here’s hoping.”
Blur played Wembley stadium last night, I think Tanya was in attendance, BritPop pogoer that she is. I saw them play Glastonbury in 2009 and it remains one of the greatest gigs of my life. If England fail to make these runs they will have ‘No Distance Left to Run’ and Australia will be ‘feeling heavy-metal’.
I’m not sure what Brendan Jones in Sydney is up to but I’m not sure I like it:
“G’day, Brendan from Sydney here. Just want to congratulate England for winning the Third Test. Well played. The Aussies will rue throwing a few too many of their wickets away and not setting a big enough target, but England did bowl very well. It’s all set up for Old Trafford next week!”
You’re getting into our heads Brendan.
@Jimbo_Cricket morning jim
— Stuie Neale (@MrNeale92) July 9, 2023
Feeling quitely confident i think they’ll be bumps in the road but im going England hour or so after tea, just don’t need to rush this.
“So nervous!” writes Vanessa Edwards in Eastbourne.
“Morning Jim, I’ve hardly slept. I can just see us (England) losing at least one wicket, probably two, in the first over. I don’t know what this sport is, it’s not Test cricket as I recall dozing contentedly through it 50 years ago, but it is gripping stuff. Enjoy your day, come what may…” God speed Vanessa.
The players are out on the pitch going through their warm-ups. There is a real buzz at Headingley, the turnstiles positively chocka this morning and flocks of people heading down past the SkyRack pub to the ground, a few stopping en route to purchase an England crested bucket hat.
Don McRae speaks to Nick Compton:
Thanks @thecompdog Nick Compton for talking so openly & honestly about mental health & the struggles he went through as a Test cricketer. Despite so much he did so well. He sheds light on depression, the Ashes, Ben Stokes & the need for more understanding https://t.co/AzMQf4z8Fl
— Donald McRae (@donaldgmcrae) July 9, 2023
Morning reading, catch up on yesterday’s short but scintillating day three action right here:
Preamble
Good morning and welcome to a pivotal day in this men’s Ashes series. Today could be the day that Australia reclaim the urn, ten Sunday English wickets at Headingley will see the visitors win their first Ashes series in England since 2001.
England? Well they need to score 224 runs in order to keep the series and their Ashes hopes alive. Only a win will do for Ben Stokes’ side. They’ve spurned opportunities at key moments in the series so far, can they take this one?
Heading to Old Trafford in a week or so with a 2-1 scoreline would be great for the series, the sporting spectacle and my life the English summer. The Aussies don’t care about that though.
The weather is fine in Leeds this morning, hazy sunshine and high cloud. The forecast is fine until at least 4pm so we should see a result either way.
Jim here to take you through the morning session and early part of afternoon before Tanya Aldred tags in for what should be the business end. I’m off to make my way down the Otley Road to Headingley stadium with butterflies in my tummy and a heart full of hope*.
Test cricket doesn’t half put us through it eh?
Play gets underway at 11am BST (9pm AEDT)
Tuning in? Feeling nervous/confident/hungover/ - you can send us an Email here or tweet @Jimbo_Cricket.
*Whilst remaining firmly impartial you understand, I’m nothing without my journalistic integrity…
