Stumps on day two – Australia are 168-7, leading by 23 runs
We’ll see a third day, but not a particularly long one, as England have taken control of the third Test. The two late sessions proved as pivotal as they seemed at lunch, when England had an 85-run lead, and Australia had several days of batting ahead of them.
By tea, Moeen and Broad had boosted England’s lead to a healthy 145 and Australia had lost Chris Rogers and Steve Smith cheaply. The pendulum was swinging, and Steven Finn gave it the decisive push, taking two wickets in two balls, including captain Michael Clarke, then completing a five-wicket haul with the scalp of Mitchell Marsh.
The visitors, who had embarrassed England at Lord’s, were suddenly facing the humiliation of losing inside two days. Peter Nevill and Mitchell Johnson steadied things briefly, but there is no real hope of avoiding defeat for Australia, who lead by just 23 runs with three wickets left, and a second England innings to come.
Thanks for joining me. I’m off to catch up on The Archers. Bye!
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55th over: Australia 168-7 (Nevill 37, Starc 7) Joe Root will see us out, and there’s drama as a full delivery clips Starc’s boot before his bat, but Gaffaney says no! It may have been drifting wide, but England are all out of reviews. That’s stumps.
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54th over: Australia 166-7 (Nevill 36, Starc 6) Just a couple of overs left today, and Broad wants to make the most of the first one, still firing hard at Mitchell Starc and almost clipping the off stump with an angled delivery that Starc plays at and misses. Curiously, Starc takes a single from the final ball to keep himself in the firing line.
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53rd over: Australia 165-7 (Nevill 36, Starc 5) Nevill, the only batsman to face a century of balls in this Test match so far, picks up a single while Starc punches a length ball from Finn down the ground beyond the diving Moeen. Australia have held it together and are almost at stumps, but I doubt that’ll make them feel much better.
“I was going to write in to say if the Aussies took the stark decision to drop Starc, that would allow Cummins to come in, but then I thought nah, not worth it” says John Starbuck.
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52nd over: Australia 160-7 (Nevill 35, Starc 1) Broad, closing in on 300 Test wickets, bowls out another maiden to Nevill. Perhaps only ten minutes left, so unless England can dislodge one of these two pronto, we will have a third day. Good news for The Archers fans.
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51st over: Australia 160-7 (Nevill 35, Starc 1) A single for Nevill that’s tucked to midwicket, but that allows Finn to have a bash at Mitchell Starc. Shane Warne has just suggested dropping Starc – surely not? Just one run from the over.
50th over: Australia 159-7 (Nevill 34, Starc 1) A run! Starc gets off the mark with a drive to cover point. Australia then go run crazy, with Neveill tucking the ball beyond Buttler for four, then adding a single with a stroke into the covers.
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49th over: Australia 153-7 (Nevill 29, Starc 0) Nevill has looked unflappable, seeing out a third maiden in a row, but England will have Starc back on strike now. There’s still plenty of time for England to finish this off today.
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48th over: Australia 153-7 (Nevill 29, Starc 0) A second maiden for Moeen, with Starc happy to stand his ground. He was hardly going to start flaying into the stands, was he? The crowd volume has switched from subdued beer garden to distant football ground.
47th over: Australia 153-7 (Nevill 29, Starc 0) Nevill continues his Boycottian knock, defending against the mighty Finn as he approaches a century of balls faced. Still, that’s a wicket maiden.
John Starbuck has some fine ideas about a replacement for Anderson, for Trent Bridge at least: “Harry Gurney and see how he goes. Otherwise, Liam Plunkett if fit. Rashid looks to miss out again.”
WICKET! Johnson c Stokes b Finn 14 (Australia 153-7)
Never in doubt. That’s a five-fer for Finn! A short angled ball has Johnson confused, and it’s another high top edge that Stokes can take with both hands. Now, can England finish the job before stumps?
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46th over: Australia 153-6 (Nevill 29, Johnson 14) Moeen works away at Nevill, but the intensity has dropped to such a degree that Bumble spends most of the over carousing an Australian fan in a straw hat who’s listening in via an earpiece. The modern world. So England need reinvigorating... it’s time for Steven Finn.
45th over: Australia 150-6 (Nevill 27, Johnson 13) 45 overs in, and the ball isn’t moving around too much, although Broad does find an outswinger, but it zips a long way wide of Nevill. A maiden, played out to what sounds like a beer garden in the background.
“Any thoughts on who will replace Jimmy if his injury keeps him out of the next test?” asks John Piper, one of many England fans nervous at the prospect of a Jimmyless series. The obvious choice would be Mark Wood, who has been rested for this Test, but was unlucky to be replaced by Steven Finn, who has now gone from unselectable to, well, undroppable. It’s not exactly easy to replace James Anderson, though.
44th over: Australia 150-6 (Nevill 27, Johnson 13) These two are growing gradually in confidence, with Nevill bagging five runs from a Moeen over, driving nicely through the covers for a couple of doubles. England are officially saying Anderson has a tight side, and will be assessed further. If he has a muscle tear, Beefy doesn’t fancy his chances of featuring again in this series.
“I’m as excited as anyone but lets mercilessly crush the Aussies first and then plan the rest of our weekend” says sensible Steve Birtwistle.
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43rd over: Australia 145-6 (Nevill 22, Johnson 13) Three runs for Nevill, and Australia move to dead level with England. That seems to wake Broad up, and he fires in a feisty outswinger that Nevill swings at, and misses.
“I like the idea that when Tests finish early the OBO team would switch its attention to nattering about the Archers. Why not widen the scope?” suggests Peter Salmon. “The Radio 4 schedule is a full one tomorrow. Book of the Week looks pretty good: a young woman forges her own path, Chick dwindles before his family’s eyes.’ And on The Listening Project: a townie married a farmer, not realizing a herd of Jersey cows would be part of the deal. Perfect grist for the OBO mill.”
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42nd over: Australia 142-6 (Nevill 19, Johnson 13) Sixteen overs left to play today, with an extra half hour for England to call upon if they want it, or need it. Big appeal for caught behind, as Ali sends one sneaking past Nevill’s outside edge, but there was no contact. Nevill adds three with a whip to midwicket that Stokes fumbles clumsily. A teak-tough partnership of 31 from 82, here.
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41st over: Australia 138-6 (Nevill 16, Johnson 12) Credit Peter Nevill for keeping his head, while all before him lost theirs. Stuart Broad returns, hoping to offer more of a threat than Stokes and Moeen, but after Johnson helps along an angled drive for a single, Nevill defends through the remainder of a menacing Broad over. Nevill has faved 69 balls, seven more than David Warner. who was out for 77. That’s drinks.
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40th over: Australia 137-6 (Nevill 16, Johnson 11) Moeen hasn’t been able to trouble the Australian bowlers too much in this spell, and this over gleans just one run, with Johnson driving a low full toss to mid-off. Australia now trail by eight runs.
“What does Tim Adamson have to say about the potential Archers showdown at the Test?” asks Stuart Raybould. As soon as I hear, you’ll hear.
39th over: Australia 136-6 (Nevill 16, Johnson 10) A maiden for Stokes, forcing Nevill to poke and miss at a seamed ball that’s close to off stump. The Australian wicketkeeper remains relatively untroubled, though. Apparently Anderson has a suspected intercostal tear in his side, which doesn’t sound like great news.
A38th over: Australia 136-6 (Nevill 16, Johnson 10) Moeen bowls to fellow top-notch tail-ender Mitchell Johnson, and gets sent packing for four, Johnson sashaying down the track and smashing it over the umpire’s head. Maybe we will get a third day after all...
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37th over: Australia 131-6 (Nevill 15, Johnson 6) Stokes, still relatively fresh, does continue. Johnson picks up three runs with a push through the covers, and Stokes wildly overthrows to Buttler, almost conceding seven off one ball. Let’s not get too sloppy here.
“You’ve maintained your cool credentials by apparently not following the minutiae of life in Ambridge, but it’s Charlie who has invited Adam to try to get in his pants, but Adam has contrived to bring along Ian, his life partner, to perhaps protect his honour, so we’re all on pins to see whether there’ll be a showdown” corrects Lizz Poulter.
If it’s set at a Test match that isn’t happening, I’m not sure I can truly believe in the narrative. Maybe we can live blog the Archers tomorrow. Us OBO hacks will be at a loose end too, you know.
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36th over: Australia 127-6 (Nevill 14, Johnson 3) A slip, short leg and short cover in place, but Ali can’t find a breakthrough, turning his first ball down the leg side for two byes. Australia milk another couple of runs from the over as they creep glacially towards the England total. They now trail by 18 runs.
35th over: Australia 123-6 (Nevill 13, Johnson 2) Stokes runs through the last over of his short spell, conceding just a single and a leg bye. Some of the sting has gone out of this, to be honest – and with Johnson keen to attack and capable of scoring quickly, England are happy to stifle even a hint of momentum.
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34th over: Australia 121-6 (Nevill 12, Johnson 2) A maiden for Moeen, with Nevill staying firmly on the back foot. 12 runs in 45 balls for him.
Now, I know that this potential two-day victory is a nightmare for ticket-holders and TV-watchers alike, but Lizz Poulter informs me that in The Archers, love rivals Adam and Ian were due to attend the Test tomorrow, hiring an executive box for “a long awaited showdown between husband and suitor”.
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33rd over: Australia 121-6 (Nevill 12, Johnson 2) Anderson lasts three balls, but he’s feeling his side after another swinging delivery. He’s had to go off, and Joe Root will finish off the over. Wise for Anderson to go off immediately if that’s a side strain; that could turn out to be a pretty big negative on what’s been an excellent couple of days for England.
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32nd over: Australia 121-6 (Nevill 12, Johnson 2) Only one review out of 22 has led to a decision being overturned so far in this series, and that doesn’t change as Stokes practically bullies Cook into reviewing an inswinger that strikes Nevill on the pad. The impact is outside, but the ball is swinging for Stokes, and Nevill can do no more than stand his ground, until a flick through midwicket adds a couple of runs.
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31st over: Australia 118-6 (Nevill 10, Johnson 1) A maiden for Anderson, as Australia inch towards both the 37-over mark of the first innings. They’re no closer to England’s total though, and still trail by 27 runs.
“When this game ends, will it fade to a black screen than just reads ‘Finn’?” asks Joseph Surtees
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30th over: Australia 118-6 (Nevill 10, Johnson 1) Stokes to Johnson, who gets off the mark with a defensive shot that runs behind point. Nevill, finding a bit of rhythm far too late, moves forward to drive for four.
“About the best thing Lyth has done all series isn’t it?” says Adam Andrews of the opener’s two catches. That’s not very nice, is it?
29th over: Australia 112-6 (Nevill 5, Johnson 0) Australia are down to the tail now, but they can’t do much worse than the middle order. Mitchell Johnson is next up; how much has changed since those two bouncers that did for Root and Stokes, just six hours ago?
“Who is Tim Adamson? I keep seeing his name being mentioned here with reverent awe” asks Alex Adams. What do you mean, who is Tim Adamson?! See the 16th over. We owe it all to him.
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WICKET! Warner c Lyth b Anderson 77 (Australia 111-6)
Shane Warne has spent the last ten minutes telling anyone who’ll listen that it’s all down to David Warner. Right on cue, the batsman’s excellent innings is over, as Anderson strikes! A shortish delivery leads to a regulation flick through the leg side, but he gets a leading edge, and Lyth has all day to get underneath it.
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28th over: Australia 107-5 (Warner 77, Nevill 5) Suitably refreshed, Stokes comes steaming in, and after Warner adds a single, Nevill steps forward and gets an edge, but it falls short of the slips. Anderson, who has been off the field for a few moments, will now come back into the attack. No wickets in this innings yet, but he still has 37 overs to find some.
“Hi Niall, as someone who has tickets for tomorrow, I am despairing at the current state of play.” moans Luke Stevenson. “Obviously, it’s great for England, however my dad just texted me asking if I fancy a day at the Black Country museum instead.”
27th over: Australia 106-5 (Warner 76, Nevill 5) Finn, who may have more over in him in this spell, starts with a leg bye. Nevill, then straight bats his way to 1 off 20 balls, before finally sensing a rare opportunity to strike, flicking a straight ball through square leg for four. And that’s drinks.
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26th over: Australia 101-5 (Warner 76, Nevill 1) Stokes continues, and Warner gets a sliver of bat on a full, wide ball which flies away for four. Warner maintains his 75% ratio of Australian runs, and is course for what may be the least celebrated century of all time.
“No offence to Nevill” says Alistair Halton, “but as an Englishman I’m very happy that Brad Haddin isn’t out there to back up Warner right now.” Who do you think you are, Alistair? Tim Adamson?
Plenty of you asking whether England have ever beaten Australia inside two days. Firstly, stop it; secondly, I’ll hand over to Oliver Smiddy:
“From what I can see, the last time we beat the Aussies in two days was in 1888, when a side led by one W.G. Grace hammered them not once, but twice (first at the Oval, and then again at Old Trafford) before the close of the second day. Granted, Tests were only three day affairs then, but still. I daresay this one might just stretch to a third day.”
25th over: Australia 96-5 (Warner 71, Nevill 1) Finn has been absolutely electric, particularly since tea, firing down a series of unplayable jaffas without breaking sweat. Nevill is rocking, and there’s a big appeal for caught behind – but Aleem Dar says no, and he’s right to – it hit the batsman’s back leg.
“What is it about Edgbaston and ankles?” asks Jerry Seinfeld Tom Adam. That’s two tests now which Australia have lost at least in part because a fast bowler suffered an ankle injury. I propose that this is recognised as a new medical condition, Brummius ankleitis Australiensis.”
“I’m a bit of a novice where rules are concerned but just wanted to know if we could make Australia follow on and start the first innings of the fourth test tomorrow morning?” honks Chris Eden.
24th over: Australia 95-5 (Warner 70, Nevill 1) Warner, who must be wondering what exactly is going on at the other end, tucks a single to fine leg, before Nevill gets off the mark with a flick to long leg. Stokes is letting fly in an agricultural style, sensing that it may not need much more than enthusiasm to keep Australia on the rack.
23rd over: Australia 92-5 (Warner 68, Nevill 0) Australia are now battling to take this match into a third day. Is this really happening? Finn, who has done the necessary with minimal fuss throughout, keeps on ploughing the right length, and new man Peter Nevill almost edges to fourth slip! And now Ben Stokes is going to have a bowl.
WICKET! Marsh b Finn 6 (Australia 92-5)
He doesn’t. The young batsman has looked no more assured than the old heads above him,. and he is clean bowled, playing all around a full Finn delivery. That’s four for Finn, and all within a hour of play. You can thank poorMark Wood’s dodgy ankle, and of course Tim Adamson, for this.
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22nd over: Australia 92-4 (Warner 68, Marsh 6) Broad is bowling much straighter now, making the batsmen play, which in this match so far has been enough. Marsh defends gamely, then gloves a bouncer into open space and carves out a very scrappy single. Marsh has to hang on here, somehow...
21st over: Australia 91-4 (Warner 68, Marsh 5) Steven Finn, Destroyer of Worlds, looks to have caught Marsh lbw, but Aleem Dar says no! Cook is unsure, but opts to review – it’s pitching in line, and clipping the bails, but it’s umpire’s call, and Marsh survives. Lucky boy. He celebrates with a tucked single, the fourth of the over.
20th over: Australia 87-4 (Warner 66, Marsh 3) Broad sends down a succession of deliveries that fly wide of off stump, in a rather tame maiden. Despite that, Warner repeatedly heads down the track to school his young colleague, and with good cause – there’s pressure on those shoulders, with Australia still 56 runs behind.
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19th over: Australia 86-4 (Warner 65, Marsh 3) Warner, who has taken on Rogers’ mantle of Only Cool Head from the first innings, picks up a four with another smart cover drive that has the field chasing in vain. Warner has scored more than three quarters of Australia’s runs so far.
“As an Australian I will take this as our off test in the pattern off – on – off. Based on that I just hope we don’t go this way in the fifth” says Michael Gaff. “I am off to a mate’s wedding tomorrow and by the way it is going this will be over by the time he says I do, which is before midday!” Every cloud.
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18th over: Australia 79-4 (Warner 58, Marsh 3) With Australia dazed and confused, Broad pushes ferociously at Marsh – but he holds his ground, leaving a full ball that jags low off the surface, then picking up two with a pull through midwicket. Could have been three, but the punch-drunk Australians don’t get out of the traps.
“Does someone want to get Tim Adamson a drink?” hints David Hopkins. From the state of my inbox, I reckon Tim can have his own Cask & Bottle ale challenge (see over 7).
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17th over: Australia 77-4 (Warner 58, Marsh 1) Finn fires down the hat-trick ball to Mitchell Marsh, but it’s a little too wide and Marsh can watch it go. “Get it on target” tuts Michael Holding, which is a bit harsh. Marsh does get off the mark with a push into the off side, but that won’t change much. That was a devastating over from Finn.
“Tim Adamson – you’re a genius!” hollers Ross Bennett.
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WICKET! Voges c Bell b Finn 0 (Australia 76-4)
I’m not even kidding. Steven Finn has roared back into the England reckoning, and now he’s on a hat-trick. It’s a meek waft of a shot, edged straight to Bell at second slip.
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WICKET! Clarke c Lyth b Finn 3 (Australia 76-3)
Catch! Finn gets a go from the Pavilion End, and Clarke gets an outside edge that drops low in front of the slips – but Lyth, who has had so little joy with the bat, makes a key intervention, diving low to his left and hauling it in. The captain has gone!
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16th over: Australia 75-2 (Warner 57, Clarke 3) Broad from the Birmingham end, and Australia pick up just a couple of singles, with a full ball catching Clarke high on the pads, leading to an lbw appeal we’ll file under ‘hopeful’.
“How encouraging it is that Australia have Adam Voges - and not Mike Hussey - coming in at 5. Hussey was imperious in these situations” says Tim Adamson of imminent double centurion Adam Voges. That name again, Tim Adamson.
Here we go again, with 42 overs remaining today. By the end of it, maybe we’ll have some clue who might win this Test match. It’s been another good day for #FinnsForFinn...
@niallmcveigh A bit disappointed that @finnysteve didn't have company for a quick 50, but happy to see him take a wicket! #FinnsForFinn
— Sara Torvalds (@SaraxCricket) July 30, 2015
TEA – Australia are 73-2, trailing by 72 runs
Things were very much in the balance at lunch, and it wasn’t inconceivable that Australia could have wiped out that 85-run lead by now. As it turned out, Moeen and Broad dug in, giving England a healthy advantage, and claimed the key wickets of Rogers and Smith, each for single figures.
David Warner has piled up the runs, and the pitch isn’t offering the bowlers as much assistance as yesterday, but that was England’s session. The next could be absolutely crucial. Is it really only day two?
15th over: Australia 73-2 (Warner 56, Clarke 2) With an unconvincing middle order waiting nervously in the pavilion, there’s only a David Warner shaped obstacle stopping this looking pretty, pretty good for England. He hangs on until tea, nicking a single off Finn to deep square leg, before adding a ninth boundary to close the over. Tea time.
14th over: Australia 67-2 (Warner 51, Clarke 1) Broad can’t quite find his line, and Clarke can take his time, getting off the mark with a single that sneaks past the outstretched Broad. Warner on strike now, and he plays a lovely stroke through the covers for three. That’s his half century, and after a shaky start, it’s been very nicely, and speedily done.
13th over: Australia 63-2 (Warner 48, Clarke 0) All in all, Smith showed composure and shot selection that would shame a tail-ender. He started walking as soon as the ball flew up off his bat, and Michael Clarke replaces him. Warner has also missed the chance to notch the fastest-ever Ashes fifty by an Australian. It never rains but it pours. Five minutes until tea, and right on cue, back comes Stuart Broad.
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WICKET! Smith c Buttler b Finn 8 (Australia 62-2)
Finn changes ends after a rough first over – and it pays off! Smith sets himself to pull a short ball, but he gets it horribly wrong, and it flies high in the air. Buttler shoos away the slips, the ball hangs in the sky for an age, but the wicketkeeper gloves it. Big wicket.
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12th over: Australia 61-1 (Warner 47, Smith 8) Moeen does come in, and Warner guides his first ball off the pad and away through the leg side for four. A short ball outside off sits up, and Warner pummels it to the boundary. Warner closes on a half-century, off just 33 balls so far.
“As I’m currently just doing a dissertation I can allow myself time off in the day to watch the cricket. A problem arrives though if you say “over the 5 days I’ll watch X amount” and then in day two it becomes unlikely it’ll last the distance. Do I risk letting myself make up for the probable lack of breaks on Sunday by watching more now?! It’s a predicament!” asks Ben Shephard, who should be filming Tipping Point now anyway. Just watch the cricket, Ben. You know it makes sense.
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11th over: Australia 50-1 (Warner 36, Smith 8) It may be Moeen time soon – he’s taken the dangerous Warner’s wicket three times already in this series – but Anderson is more than capable of dislodging one of these two, and continues for the time being. Another shuffling, defensive over from Smith as Anderson keeps him guessing. Smith does play and miss at the final ball which darts left at the vital moment. Jimmy has a long, hard look down the wicket. Another maiden.
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10th over: Australia 50-1 (Warner 36, Smith 8) Steven Finn, who took care of Smith and Michael Clarke yesterday, is handed the ball, but Warner pinches three runs with a straight drive that squeaks past mid-off. Smith adds three more with a clip to midwicket, before Warner, who is finding his groove, hangs back and punches through the covers for four. Warner then pulls over square leg for four more. An expensive start from Finn.
9th over: Australia 36-1 (Warner 25, Smith 5) A calm has descended over Edgbaston, punctuated only by Australian fans kangaroo-hopping along the stand, and ear-splitting exhortations to bet on the outcome. After facing 18 balls and notching up one run, Smith strikes down the pitch to the boundary as Anderson goes a touch too full.
If there’s no cricket at the weekend, how about... some cricket? “Down the road Worcester are hosting a One Day Cup game on the Sunday. Although being Worcester it is probably under water already thus doubling down on their cricket frustration” warns Bob Miller.
8th over: Australia 31-1 (Warner 24, Smith 1) Smith, much more reserved than his partner Warner, leaves anything he can from Broad, and as a result, it’s a maiden. Australia don’t have to rush here, though – it’s only the afternoon of day two, after all. Maybe Jonathan Wood should hold off on booking the boozy theatrical weekend for now.
7th over: Australia 31-1 (Warner 24, Smith 1) Warner has got away with a fair few thick edges in his innings, and with the ball swinging hither and yon, he squirts a shot to the rope at fine leg. Anderson is probing with intent, searching for a wicket that would put the advantage firmly back with England.
“I suggest getting down the Cask & Bottle in Leamington Spa” offers Tom Banks. “The challenge is eight pints of different ale in 2 hours and you get a free T-shirt to say you have completed the challenge which says: ‘Take me drunk I’m home’.” Eight pints in two hours? I’m not sure that’s worth a T-shirt.
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6th over: Australia 27-1 (Warner 20, Smith 1) Broad comes around the wicket again, with four slips in place – but Warner’s thick edge scoots past all of them, with Lyth at fourth slip cartwheeling in vain to reach it. It runs away for four, and another edge yields two more, before the batsman tries to blast a short ball over the covers. He doesn’t catch it right, but it bobbles away for three.
Re: fun to be had in the West Midlands. Mark Turner suggests “Stratford Upon Avon is just down the road and word is that the Othello they have on is toppytops.” I was going to suggest Cadbury World.
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5th over: Australia 18-1 (Warner 10, Smith 1) Another maiden for Anderson, still finding plenty of swing as Smith gets himself settled in.
What’s a good score to chase on this?” wonders Daniel Clayton. “I fear for anything above 150 which means Australia will do well to post 300 and let the pitch and Lyon work hard. This afternoon and evening session will define the series.”
I would imagine England would expect to chase down anything under 200. That doesn’t mean they’ll do it, of course.
4th over: Australia 18-1 (Warner 10, Smith 1) Smith, imperious at Lord’s, not so much yesterday, is at the crease, shuffling about in that curious style of his. He gets off the mark with a hurried single to end the over, but England have the early breakthrough they wanted.
“With both teams having completed their first innings inside five sessions, is it too early to start making contingency plans for those of us who banked on a five day classic and bought day four and five tickets? We have train tickets and a hotel room, but it looks as if there’s a strong possibility we might not have any actual cricket. Do you have any suggestions?” asks Jonathan Woods. Help him out.
WICKET! Rogers lbw b Broad 6 (Australia 17-1)
Broad comes round the wicket, and with Edgbaston expectant, he strikes – catching Rogers on his back pad. Rogers ponders a review, then asks Warner what he thinks, then ponders some more, and then calls for the review – but he’s taken too long, and is sent packing anyway! Good job in the end – DRS backs up Gaffaney’s decision.
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3rd over: Australia 16-0 (Warner 10, Rogers 6) Rogers makes his way into the history books with a slightly wild drive over backward point. That’s 45 straight Tests without a duck, the most in history. Impressive. Rogers has the field scampering back with a push wide of extra cover for two. Anderson’s last ball shapes away and draws gasps from the slips. I doubt either side will be too concerned with the state of things in this first three overs.
2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Warner 10, Rogers 0) Broad comes in for the Birmingham end, and Warner gets the second innings moving with an awkward edge that drops between the slips and bounces away for four. A more composed boundary follows, with Warner clipping a half-volley away to midwicket. Broad offers the umpire a throaty appeal as he catches Warner’s pad, but that was well outside leg stump.
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1st over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Rogers 0) It’s Jimmy Anderson’s birthday, but Alastair Cook is a cruel master, and has sent him in to work straight away. Plenty of bounce and carry, and Anderson gets the ball to swing, but Rogers reads it well, leaving one well alone and pushing the next safely away. The next cuts back in and has Rogers in a tangle – and he closes with a wide ball that Rogers lashes at and misses. Terrific start from Anderson – a maiden that offered menace in several varieties.
“Broad’s scored 46, 23, 18, 4, 21, 25, 31 in his last 7 knocks - all against good pace attacks” says Tom Bowtell. “Were rumours of the death of his batsmanship exaggerated?”
“Broad was a walking wicket two or three months ago and his apprehension as a batsman was clear. Fair play to him for this” adds David Kelsey.
I am in agreement. England’s team are mooching around behind the ropes, awaiting the Australian openers. What’s going to happen next, eh? Well?
England all out for 281 (Anderson c Nevill b Starc 3) – England lead by 145 runs
And that’s that – Anderson edges to Nevill, and England will have a healthy 145-run lead to defend when the second innings gets started. Which will be soon. Don’t go anywhere.
67th over: England 281-9 (Finn 0, Anderson 0) Anderson makes his way to the crease, and purloins three runs from Hazlewood with a square drive. This will be a matter of time, you feel, but they’ve built a useful lead so far this afternoon.
WICKET! Moeen c Warner b Hazlewood 59
It works a treat, with Moeen top-edging to Warner to end a fantastic innings, particularly after lunch. Edgbaston give the batsman a deserved ovation. Credit to Hazlewood too, for finding two wickets after an inauspicious start.
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66th over: England 272-8 (Moeen 58, Finn 0) Ali takes a single into the covers, leaving poor Finn to deal with Nathan Lyon for the rest of the over, but he sees it out in relative comfort. David Warner jogs on back to third man as Australia look to catch Moeen out...
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65th over: England 272-8 (Moeen 58, Finn 0) There are 15 overs until the new ball. Steven Finn, hero of yesterday morning, is at the crease.
“Wearing a hat while umpiring the cricket would have negated the unaccountable aura generated by Collina (the Howard Webb of calcio) in non-Italian minds,” reckons Lou Roper. I think Collina would actually look more terrifying if he were staring down defenders in a wide-brimmed hat...
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WICKET! Broad c Marsh b Hazlewood 31
Broad gets in on the boundary act, driving through the covers and beating a despairing lunge at the ropes on the off-side. It’s an 87 partnership ... or should I say, was. The final ball of the over isn’t anything special, but Broad gets under it, and it loops to Marsh at mid-on. Hazlewood’s foot was a millimetre behind the line, and the wicket stands.
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64th over: England 272-7 (Moeen 57, Broad 27) Moeen, who has hardly been shy so far, can really cut loose now, and he opens the over by sending Lyon packing over mid-off for another four. Moeen adds a couple more, getting down early to sweep towards fine leg. He’s got this field licked. 51 runs in eight overs for England since lunch, and they now lead by 136. What were you all worried about?
63rd over: England 265-7 (Moeen 50, Broad 27) Hazlewood, who has leaked over five runs an over for a single wicket so far, has ball in hand as Australia try and break up this partnership. No joy, as Moeen pushes and leaves before a cut to deep point gives him the run he needs for a half-century. Fortunate at times, but a gutsy and hugely important 50 for the No8.
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62nd over: England 262-7 (Moeen 49, Broad 25) The crowd are oafishly goading Johnson as he returns to the outfield, rather like kids flicking Vs at the school bully from the safety of the bus home. After that explosive over, Broad and Ali milk four singles from Nathan Lyon.
I set them up, Ross Bennett knocks them in: “Hmm, so on that basis you’d review Billy Bowden even when clean bowled…”
61st over: England 258-7 (Moeen 47, Broad 23) Johnson tumbles over in his follow-through, and turns his ankle, but he looks okay. Either side of that, Moeen has his eye in and pelts a full ball past mid-on for four... then pulls a short ball wide of long leg. And there’s another – Moeen cuts loose, lofting another full delivery high over mid-off!
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60th over: England 246-7 (Moeen 35, Broad 23) A maiden from Lyon, almost catching Broad’s top edge as he plays on the back foot, which encourages the batsman to move forward, while staying very much on the defensive.
John Starbuck has given me pause: “One more issue about the Buttler non-review - the umpire was Aleem Dar and, as he’s one of the best there’s ever been (certainly in the DRS period), the likelihood of overturning his decision probably seemed pretty remote to the batsmen. He got it wrong, but how often does that happen to him?”
Not sure it’s ever occurred to me that players must, at some level, consider their view of an umpire’s competence as part of their thought process, in cricket and in other sports. Pierluigi Collina comes to mind – it was rare to find a footballer gesticulating at him for too long.
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59th over: England 246-7 (Moeen 35, Broad 23) Moeen hovers on the back foot, waiting for the short ball, but then swings and misses at a short, wide effort from Johnson. The bowler doesn’t get away with it again, as Moeen controls a lovely pull shot for four. It’s such a skilful shot, the next two wild hacks at air seem almost intentional, and he finishes the over with a drilled shot down the ground that Broad has to hop over down at the other end.
58th over: England 238-7 (Moeen 27, Broad 23) The heat doesn’t stop for these two, with Nathan Lyon returning. The first ball hits Broad on the pad and leads to a half-hearted appeal. Broad isn’t cowed, smacking two boundaries in the next three balls, with a cover drive and a swing that flies wide of second slip. They run a risky two, and Lyon clears the bails with Moeen chasing back – Aleem Dar wants another look, but the batsman just got back. England lead by 102.
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57th over: England 228-7 (Moeen 27, Broad 13) So, Broad and Ali trot out to the crease, on a healthy partnership of 31. They’ve struggled a touch with the short stuff – cue Mitchell Johnson. Broad starts with a push into the covers for a couple of runs, then fires a pull shot straight at the feet of Rogers, who is very sensibly sporting a helmet at square leg. A single, then an angled ball which Moeen feathers just beyond the diving Nevill and away for four.
Hello there. Niall McVeigh here, taking you through ‘til stumps. Would Alastair Cook and crew have taken a puncher’s chance at a 100+ first innings lead yesterday morning? Probably. Would he have taken that at 10.59 this morning? Probably not. Would he have taken it at 11.09, after Mitchell Johnson had wrought fresh havoc? Probably. How about forty minutes later, when Joe Root was settled in beyond the half-century mark? You get the idea. The players will be back out in five minutes. Let’s do this.
The perils of interviewing 10 children simultaneously …
LUNCH – England lead by 85
A great first 20 minutes by Australia, who started the day knowing that the match might have slipped away from them over this session and the next. Instead two brilliant Johnson bouncers and two wickets all but ensured that come the end of England’s first innings the tourists will remain at worst competitive. Since then, there’s been some excellent spin bowling from Lyon, which suggests that Michael Clarke’s decision to bat first, bad as it seemed at close of play yesterday, may eventually work out in their favour.
56th over: England 221-7 (Moeen 23, Broad 10)
Lyon completes the first session of the day, and Broad gets a single off the last. England head to lunch with an 85-run lead. “With regards to the baseball-inspired suggestion that any ball that hits a batsman above waist height be a no-ball, I feel its only fair to point out that any quick ball that reaches the batsman above waist height, regardless of whether or not it hits him, is in fact a no-ball,” writes Phil Russell. “The only caveat being that the ball hasn’t bounced first. In the interests of fairness perhaps baseball could include this rule?”
Kudos to Broad for this innings @Simon_Burnton. Remember Mitch broke his foot with a yorker in 2013/14.
— Sebastian Kinsman (@BambouClub) July 30, 2015
55th over: England 220-7 (Moeen 23, Broad 9)
Starc bowls, and Moeen plays the best shot of his innings so far, driving the ball through the covers for four. “Greetings, Simon, from a rainy Newfoundland,” writes Richard Woods. Hello Richard. “Maybe the other thing for Buttler and Moeen to have considered is that the previous ball had involved the Australians getting very excited about an appeal that had been turned down, and the umpire’s finger seemed to go up very quickly for the lbw. Maybe a little bit of pressure/excitement had got to Mr Aleem as well?”
54th over: England 216-7 (Moeen 19, Broad 9)
Lyon yields a single to each batsman, as the game swings into an awkward period, England desperately trying to avoid the immediately pre-lunch wicket. Meanwhile in Worcester, England’s discarded batsman hasn’t played himself back into the selectors’ thinking:
Ballance gone! Skied Morris to mid-on for 28. Yorks 227-3 in the 38th. 105-run stand with Maxwell inside 14 overs.
— Yorkshire CCC (@Yorkshireccc) July 30, 2015
53rd over: England 214-7 (Moeen 18, Broad 8)
Fully 12 of Moeen’s runs – two thirds of his total, maths fans – have come from edges that have made it past the slips and gone for four. This time, precisely five overs after England’s last boundary, he sends Starc’s second delivery flying over the cordon and away. “With regards the Buttler non-review, I wonder if all the ruthless mockery of Watson’s reviewing after the first Test hasn’t got inside the heads of a few players,” writes Michael Jenkins. “It’s madness not to review when you’re one of the last two batsmen, there’s any chance of a reprieve, and you still have a review to spare.”
52nd over: England 210-7 (Moeen 14, Broad 8)
All sorts of bounce and turn here for Lyon, way too good for Moeen, who spends the first five deliveries squirming uncomfortably, before he finally gets the meat of his bat on the last, and is rewarded with a single.
51st over: England 209-7 (Moeen 13, Broad 8)
A couple of singles, and a couple of Johnson short balls survived by Broad. “Surely the issue here is that Buttler knew that Stuart Broad was in next, and we all know how many reviews he needs to have in the bank to function effectively as a batsman,” writes John Starbuck. Fair point.
50th over: England 207-7 (Moeen 12, Broad 7)
Lyon again fails to get a wicket, but he does get so much turn that the ball flies wide of the bat, surprises Nevill and goes for a couple of byes. “Reading OBO I am not able to figure out if the match is so close because Australia has fought back well or if England messed it up,” complains Naren Radhakrishnan. In brief, there was a brilliant opening over from Johnson that took out two wickets, but too many of the others – today and yesterday, from both teams – have been lost to loose shots. So, a bit of both.
49th over: England 204-7 (Moeen 12, Broad 6)
Johnson bowls, and England pass 200 with two for Broad, and then a few singles.
@Simon_Burnton easy to say with a chunk of hindsight. I'm sure it looked plumb. If it'd have been hitting 3/4 up he'd get stick #cantwin
— Tom Collins (@grease34) July 30, 2015
I don’t think it has anything to do with whether he looked or indeed was out. The nub of the issue is that perhaps England should have a policy for the use of reviews when it’s a key wicket and there’s more than one remaining, and Buttler should know when he goes in under which circumstances he should use one.
48th over: England 199-7 (Moeen 11, Broad 2)
Oooh! Moeen edges, and Lyon nearly has a fourth wicket! Instead, though, it flies just wide of the single slip and England have four runs. Then Moeen smashes the ball straight into the shoulder of a crouching Voges at short leg, who saves a boundary and gains a bruise. For the first time in this Test, Lyon bowls an over without getting anybody out.
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47th over: England 193-7 (Moeen 5, Broad 2)
“Has Daniel Jeffreys just emerged from a cryogenic sleep?” rages James Chippendale. “This isn’t 1935, aggressive bowling is compelling. Let’s stop boxers punching each other, it’s unseemly. Daft idea.” Meanwhile Twitter is abuzz with confusion about why Buttler failed to review, with Lawrence Booth summing the sensible position up nicely:
As others have pointed out, if you have two reviews left and your last recognised batsmen at the wicket, it makes sense to review
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) July 30, 2015
Essentially, there are situations where it’s worth reviewing on the off chance, no matter how plum it looked with the naked eye, and that was one of them.
46th over: England 190-6 (Moeen 4, Broad 0)
Hawkeye shows that had Buttler reviewed his lbw decision, he’d have been reprieved – the ball was clearing the stumps. Lyon’s figures so far: three overs, three runs, three wickets. Three is certainly his magic number. Until he bowls another over, I suppose. This one’s a wicket maiden.
WICKET! Buttler (9) falls lbw to Lyon but replay shows it would have missed. 190-7. http://t.co/acYdSkDx5y #Ashes pic.twitter.com/GJJGW6sxhY
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 30, 2015
WICKET! Buttler lbw b Lyon 9 (England 190-7)
But he goes next ball! Again Lyon makes a breakthrough! This one just straightens, flies past Buttler’s defensive push, and hits his pad. He looks furious, and asks Moeen Ali if it’s worth a review. He’s told not to bother.
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Nope!
Hotspot shows no spot. Snicko shows no snick. And the ball would have cleared the stumps by six inches. Not out.
REVIEW! Is Buttler out here?
Australia think he edged Lyon’s delivery into his pads, and then to short leg! The on-field umpire did not. Let’s find out!
45th over: England 190-6 (Buttler 9, Moeen 4)
Johnson returns, but with none of the venom with which he started the day. It’s a maiden, but Moeen isn’t particularly worried. Meanwhile, it has just come to my attention that it is National Cheesecake Day today. In fact, it seems to be being celebrated both here and in America, which makes it International Cheesecake Day. Does the world – or, indeed, the cheesecake – need a cheesecake day? Does it? Really?
@Simon_Burnton I hope Mr Jeffreys is aware that every other rule in the game is in favour of the batsman. We hardly need another!
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 30, 2015
44th over: England 190-6 (Buttler 9, Moeen 4)
Nice, disciplined over from Marsh, during which no runs are scored and Rogers straps on some pads, preparing presumably to position himself at short leg and wait for Moeen to fend a Johnson bouncer into the air. “Given the rules, one can’t fault Mitchell Johnson for using the cricket ball to threaten GBH, but it seems unsporting because the threat is one-sided,” writes Daniel Jeffreys. “In baseball, a pitcher who hits the batsman suffers a penalty of one base and the batter walks. Fair play demands that cricket have a similar balancing clause – if a bowler hits the batter anywhere above the belt then it should be judged a no ball. This might rein back the ungentlemanly intimidation. A man should get caught defending his wicket not his frontal lobes.” In many ways a sensible proposal, but it would totally change the game in the batter’s favour, which would be bad.
43rd over: England 188-6 (Buttler 7, Moeen 4)
Another wide down leg side from Starc, who is bowling absolute dross this morning, and is flattered by Root having absent-mindedly got himself out off his bowling. And then the next delivery, a bouncer, flies so high over Moeen that it’s called a wide as well. The last delivery is edged low, wide of the slips and away for four, taking England’s lead beyond 50 (it’s now 52, to be precise). “On the subject of scenic rail journeys (36th Over), last year I had the last leg of a 12-hour rail journey in India up the famous Shimla railway,” recalls Sam Smith. “A 5-hour narrow gauge ride through the Himalayas to the old British Summer Capital. I spent 4¾ of those hours throwing up at every single stop and almost getting left behind a few times for good measure. Oh and there wasn’t even any Wifi! By comparison British Rail can do no wrong.”
42nd over: England 182-6 (Buttler 7, Moeen 0)
Marsh bowls a maiden to Buttler, who has taken 29 deliveries to accumulate his seven runs.
Glenn McGrath as Starc runs in - 'Root's in no trouble, he's looking set'. Two seconds later he's out. Cheers Glenn. @bbctms @Simon_Burnton
— Jon Narbett (@jonnarbett) July 30, 2015
Yet another instance of Number Eight being a crucial slot in the order. 40 for Moeen here would be worth a ton on another day.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 30, 2015
WICKET! Root c Voges b Starc 63 (England 182-6)
Root’s gone, nicking a wide delivery that he really should have left straight to second slip!
Gah, soft from Root ... Starc bowling dross and he gives it away
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 30, 2015
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41st over: England 182-6 (Buttler 7, Moeen 0)
Starc repeats the delivery that brought a four in his last over – heading just wide of leg stump – and though it’s aimed at a different batsman this time, it brings an identical result. It is to prove Root’s final scoring shot. “Maybe that email came from this David Warner (the actor) who obviously knows something about high deliveries?” wonders David Griffiths. “Could it be that Mitch Johnson watched this scene before play today?” Warning: this video contains grisly scenes of fatal decapitation, and I include it only because Johnson did basically attempt to recreate it with a cricket ball.
40th over: England 178-5 (Root 59, Buttler 7)
Root hits Marsh square for successive twos, the first – a nice, controlled pull from a short delivery – stopped just short of the rope by Starc. “Why don’t Australia have Root down as a potential bumper victim?” wonders Neil Parkes. “Surely they’re not convinced by that panicked 6 off Johnson last night? I was at Lords for New Zealand day 4: “Root hooks the third consecutive short one [from Henry] into the hands of Trent Boult just behind deep square leg”. It was a blindingly obvious trap and they kept hitting him with short balls he wasn’t playing terribly convincingly. Perhaps he was playing for the team rather than his stats, perhaps he won’t fall for it again, but I’d have thought it was worth a try. Not that I want them to, you understand. I suppose they can’t afford to put three people on the hook with all the slip fielders they’ve got, but they’ve not exactly needed them this morning, eh?”
39th over: England 173-5 (Root 54, Buttler 7)
Starc returns after a change of ends, and his radar goes significantly haywire here, leading to four byes as one delivery flies way down leg side, and a couple of other much-too-wide deliveries. Buttler eventually flicks one that was heading only just wide of leg stump past midwicket for four.
38th over: England 163-5 (Root 54, Buttler 1)
Marsh bowls, Root inside-edges into his and the bowler wheels away, arms momentarily outstretched in celebration – until he realised the ball had hit Root’s back leg and bounced just wide of the stumps, which is why nobody else was running towards him with smiles on their faces. A maiden.
@Simon_Burnton The greatest trick British Rail ever pulled was convincing the world it no longer exists ...
— Edmund King (@dmndkng) July 30, 2015
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37th over: England 163-5 (Root 54, Buttler 1)
Three singles to start Johnson’s over, three dots to end it. “Is Johnson the most exciting cricketer to watch in the world right now?” asks David Warner (presumably not that one). “If not any other suggestions?” Any bowler with class and confidence is pretty exhilarating. It’s two months almost to the day since Ben Stokes looked the most exciting cricketer in the world, against New Zealand at Lord’s. It’s a title that can be shared around, I think.
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36th over: England 160-5 (Root 52, Buttler 0)
Root leaves the first four deliveries, before sending the fifth down to third man, where Australia have finally decided to station a fielder, for a single. “I’m thundering through the beautiful English countryside on one of our many wonderful and scenic train routes (sshh… don’t tell anyone that’s a lie, there might be some tourists reading) keeping up to date with the cricket using the speedy and reliable wifi and all was well until the internet died,” writes Peter Harmer. “10 minutes later and the system restores itself and Johnson has tried to kill two of our batsmen. What I’m saying is I think we can safely blame British Rail for those wickets.” Or we could, had British Rail not died nearly 20 years ago …
35th over: England 159-5 (Root 51, Buttler 0)
Australia clearly don’t have Buttler and Root down as potential bumper victims. Another Johnson over goes by without a bouncer, though there is one inswinger that is left by Buttler and flies perhaps four inches wide of off stump. A maiden.
.@Simon_Burnton Crikey. Whisper it, but this is a massive innings for Buttler. He's not had a great series with the bat and pressure is on!
— Guy Hornsby (@DropoutLondon) July 30, 2015
34th over: England 159-5 (Root 51, Buttler 0)
Hazlewood is off, and Starc on. He sends down one ludicrous wide, caught by Neville, diving full length, before it hit the toes of second slip. Then Root hits one delicious cover drive, and pulls slightly awkwardly for a couple to bring up his half-century. And here’s a tweet that popped up and disappeared again as Mitchell Johnson’s 300th Test wicket was so rapidly followed by his 301st, but that deserves to be witnessed in all its manifest monstrosity.
Congrats, @MitchJohnson398! #Mitch300 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/hw01j9qjFz
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) July 30, 2015
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33rd over: England 152-5 (Root 45, Buttler 0)
A single for Root, and no vicious bouncers this time from Johnson. “How did your interview go?” asks Robert Wilson. “Any tips or inside skinny? Or was it just all a subtle way of super-boasting that you once spoke Icelandic? Or did said Most Important Football Scout in the World find you a touch kotroskin?” It went OK, I think, or as well as any interview can when you’re supposed to be watching cricket, and you don’t understand any of the answers. I asked Udinese’s head of scouting some questions in terrible Italian. He answered them in very fast Italian. I recorded the call. At some point I’ll listen back to it very slowly and try to work out what on earth happened.
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32nd over: England 151-5 (Root 44, Buttler 0)
Hazlewood’s first delivery is too wide, and sent down to the third man boundary by Root. The second is less wide, but is also sent down to the third man boundary by Root. “Bodyline bowling?” asks Michael Gorman. “After all these years?”
That Mitchell Johnson over will live forever. Two England batsmen bounced out. Classic and expert sadism.
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) July 30, 2015
31st over: England 142-5 (Root 35, Buttler 0)
What an opening over. Breathless stuff, this. Johnson’s first delivery swings a lot, back into Root, and he flicks it off his pads and through the covers for four. Root flicks the next, another full delivery, away for a single and then stands at the other end as a brutish pair of bouncers does so much to nullify England’s first-day advantage. England lead by six.
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WICKET! Stokes c Nevill b Johnson 0 (England 142-5)
And he’s done it again! This one bouncing into Stokes’s face, and he raises his hands and gloves it behind!
Does getting out to that qualify as a "weakness" v the short ball? Liike having a weakness against being punched on the nose by Mike Tyson
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) July 30, 2015
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WICKET! Bairstow c Nevill b Johnson 5 (England 142-4)
Early breakthrough for Australia! A vicious, screaming bouncer flies straight at Bairstow’s head, and he fends it into the air and straight to Nevill! That was vicious.
Oh crikey how do you play that? That's a proper fast and nasty wicket.
— Elizabeth Ammon (@legsidelizzy) July 30, 2015
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30th over: England 137-3 (Root 30, Bairstow 5)
Hazlewood takes the ball, and his first delivery moves off the seam away from Bairstow. A vaguely proffered bat gets nowhere near the ball, but a lovely opening to the day. A few moments later the batsman belts something wide and full to the deep cover boundary.
Out come the players, bathed in sunshine, albeit with some thick cloud not immediately overhead. Let’s watch cricket!
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Looking back at Alastair Cook’s wicket yesterday (see it here), I love the way the camera goes looking for the ball, assuming it’s rocketing ropewards rather than nestling flukily in a fieldsman’s midriff. It’s the excessive camera-pan that makes it for me.
More day one reaction, this time from Chris Rogers, speaking to Sky last night:
Nathan Lyon has been chatting to Sky:
Yesterday probably wasn’t the best day for Australian cricket, but Jimmy Anderson was fantastic and probably showed us how to bowl in these conditions. We’ve had a night to work out how we can have a better day than yesterday, and we’re looking forward to it.
I think we come out, be positive with the ball and try to take wickets. This pitch has got something for the bowlers. If we bowl positive, we can take seven more wickets, get back out there and have a go.
An official weather forecast. Much the same as mine, I think:
#Ashes. A better day for it today, lighter winds, a bit warmer, mostly dry and bright but with the outside chance of a passing shower. JW
— BBC Weather (@bbcweather) July 30, 2015
If you want to know what James Anderson thinks about things, we can help with that:
“We need to lose as few wickets as possible in the next hour,” says Steven Finn. “We’re in a good position, but it’s not a done deal yet.” Yep, that pretty much covers it.
OK, he didn’t answer. I’ll try again in a minute. In the meantime I can tell you that Michael Holding is on Sky, in the middle, and it looks a bit blustery. There’s a bit of trouser-flap and jacket-whoosh going on.
Hello world!
Three. It’s the magic number. Three wickets down. Three runs behind. Third Test of the series. Three victories required to take the Ashes. Yes, no doubt about it, today’s pre-play build-up is sponsored by the number three. Welcome, boys and girls, to day, er, two!
Obviously it’s a key, massive, crucially important day, one in which England will either manoeuvre themselves into a position of obvious superiority in this Test – leaving themselves some dotted i’s and crossed t’s away from a 2-1 series lead – or, well, they won’t.
Australia’s second innings surely won’t be as hapless as their first, and from what is essentially -3 for 3 England will want a buffer comfortably into three figures before it gets under way. Even if they were to crumble this morning, however, at the very least their bowlers have enjoyed a significant and necessary morale injection following their travails at Lord’s, which even if the first-innings scores were to end more or less similar if you squint a bit (obviously England will have a lead of some sort) is, you’d have thought, still crucial to their long-term stability as humans.
Weather report: a bit chilly for this time of year, and there’s a small chance of a little bit of rain this morning if we’re unlucky, but from noon there’s no stopping us.
Anyway, sorry for the brevity of the introduction, but I’ve got to undertake an inevitably uncomfortable but actually quite important interview with perhaps the world’s most influential football scout, conducted entirely in a language I last considered myself moderately competent in 20 years ago. Back soon!
Simon will be here shortly. In the meantime here is Ali Martin on Steven Finn’s return to the Test scene:
Only the stone-hearted – or perhaps the one-eyed supporter of the opposition – could begrudge Steven Finn the two wickets he enjoyed on his comeback to Test cricket at Edgbaston after a two-year absence that, at one stage, led him to shed tears in the away dressing room on this ground.
That reported occurrence, playing for Middlesex at the start of the 2014 season, followed his early return from the tour of Australia the winter before, when the one-day coach, Ashley Giles, described him as unselectable after deciding a plane home, rather than more self-flagellation in the nets, was the more humane option.
For some Giles’s words were an insensitive public appraisal but then the truth often stings the most, with the skill that came so naturally to the 6ft 8in Finn – propelling a five and three-quarter ounce cricket ball 22 yards at high speed – having morphed into something utterly foreign. His runup and action, once fluid, suffered a full mechanical breakdown.
