England need another 203 runs to complete a Headingley miracle to go alongside 1981 and 2001. Australia need seven wickets to retgain the Ashes, and they are still huge favourites. The new ball is due after eight overs tomorrow, and their impeccable bowling in the last hour and a half - England were 22 for one from the last 21 overs - means they still have plenty of runs to play with.
Close of play
72nd over: England 156-3 (Root 76, Stokes 2) The last over of the day. Root takes a single, which allows Lyon one last crack at Stokes. “Come on Gaz, take him with us Gaz!” drawls one of the players around the bat, apparently unaware that the batsmen leave the field at the close of play regardless.
Stokes defends very solidly and ends the day on 2 from 50 balls. Joe Root is 75 not out from 189 balls. In the context of the match, his form and his captaincy career, that’s an innings of rare mental strength. I think his 144 at Cardiff in 2015 will always be his greatest innings, but this might be his most admirable.
Updated
71st over: England 155-3 (Root 74, Stokes 2) Once more unto the Kirkstall Lane End for Pat Cummins, who could all but secure the Ashes by taking a late wicket here. He bowls a series of short balls to Stokes, one of which is given as a wide by Joel Wilson. We’ll hear more about that when England win by one wicket at 4.21pm tomorrow. That’s the only run from the over. Stokeswatch: 2 from 46 balls.
There was a nice incident off the last ball of the over. Stokes left a short ball from Cummins which didn’t miss the bat by much. Australia appealed, and Paine in particular seemed keen to review. As the DRS clock ticked down, he started talking to Stokes, trying to gauge whether he looked guilty or not. (Some players do – Joe Root has an awful poker face.) Stokes ignored him, and Australia decided not to review. It was all very playful and good-natured. I wonder if we’ll ever get to the stage where batsmen try to look guilty so that the opposition wastes a review. I digress. It’s been a long day. I thought I’d be finished by 3pm.
“Oh, the number of times I’ve been called Imogen,” laments Emma John.
70th over: England 154-3 (Root 74, Stokes 2) Labuschagne returns in place of Pattinson. Stokes gets an actual run, which takes him to 2 from 40 balls, strike-rate 5.00. I can’t be the only one who is ... stimulated by such statistics. There has been only one boundary in the last 19 overs, though England won’t mind that if they survive the last 10 minutes.
“As a Clarke, I’m in the habit of saying ‘Clarke, with an E’ when making telephone bookings,” says Damian Clarke. “Many years ago I arrived at a hotel to find they had no record of my reservation. As the hotel was full, I was left with a problem, but fortunately managed to find an alternative hotel down the road. The investigation into my later complaint to the original hotel discovered that they had a non-show on the day in question, a certain Mr. Clark Withany. I’m a bit more careful these days.”
Updated
69th over: England 151-3 (Root 73, Stokes 1) Lyon breaks the pattern by bowling a maiden to Root. It was another superb over, including a huge LBW appeal – from Lyon, anyway. It turned too much and would surely have missed leg stump.
“Having seen you in action on a night out,” says Alex Netherton, “it’s hard to believe a few bouncers haven’t aimed at your head in the past. HONK.”
Challenging them to see who can do the 9x table the quickest never did go down well.
68th over: England 151-3 (Root 73, Stokes 1) The game has been locked in a pattern for the last half an hour. Root gets a single early in the over, Stokes defends the remainder. He has 1 from 35 balls. England are 17 for one from the last 17 overs, which shows how masterfully Australia have bowled. They are just brilliant.
67th over: England 150-3 (Root 72, Stokes 1) Root drives England for a single to bring up the 150. This has been one of his best innings; certainly one of the mentally toughest, because he looked broken yesterday.
“Ten years and a day ago I was thrilled to get a mention for my work colleague Sebastian who was marrying Jules the next day,” says John Wyver. “Seb maintains - I think more than half-seriously - that an OBO nod was their best wedding present. Not sure Jules agrees. But since there’s not much going on at Headingley any chance of a tenth anniversary word?”
Well, why not. Happy anniversary!
66th over: England 149-3 (Root 71, Stokes 1) A sharp back-of-a-length delivery from Pattinson beats Root on the inside. He moves one the other way to find a thick edge from Root that scoots down to the shortish third man for a single, and Stokes defends the rest of the over: 1 from 28 balls now, a strike-rate of 3.57. It’s all strangely compelling.
“I think I can trump the submissions so far for misspellings of names,” says Peter Wood. “Many years ago I was working for an employment scheme for people with physical and learning difficulties. Part of the remit was contacting companies to see if they would take on someone. I rang a company, said I was Pete Wood from the Sheltered Placement Scheme and was put through to a bemused manager as Mr Pigwood from the Shoulder Replacement Scheme.”
65th over: England 148-3 (Root 70, Stokes 1) Lyon attacks, Stokes defends. He has 1 from 25 balls. There has been some high-class cricket today, and a lot of fight from England, but Australia are still huge favourites to win this match.
“So long as Marnus Labuschagne doesn’t start saying ‘What’s my name?’ after every boundary, in the manner of Muhammad Ali,” says Matt Kirkham.
64th over: England 147-3 (Root 69, Stokes 1) Pattinson replaces Hazlewood, who bowled an unreal old-ball spell of 7-4-3-1. Stokes continues to focus exclusively on defence. That makes sense given the situation, with only half an hour remaining, and there’s probably a bit of penance for his first-innings dismissal as well.
63rd over: England 146-3 (Root 68, Stokes 1) Lyon loves bowling to left-handers at the best of times, never mind on a bit of a dustbowl, so there is a spring in his step as he attacks Stokes. It’s a maiden, with Stokes looking solid in defence.
Updated
Thanks to all for this, the TMS link.
62nd over: England 146-3 (Root 68, Stokes 1) “Denly out because he used his hand to block a ball headed for his head,” says William. “If the cricketing authorities are serious about concussions, surely such an action should be permitted without penalty? Amend the rules so that if a fast delivery is aimed for the batsman’s head and it hits a glove, the ball is dead? Something. Anything. Right now the choice is between possible concussion or possible loss of wicket. Don’t put the batsmen in that sort of position when it comes to potential brain injury.”
Is it really a conscious choice? I thought he shaped to hook and then couldn’t drop the gloves because the bouncer was so well-directed. That said, I have never had an 85mph bouncer moving inexorably towards my noggin, so I’m no expert.
Updated
Does anyone have the overseas TMS link? We’ve had a few requests but I can’t find it.
Updated
61st over: England 145-3 (Root 68, Stokes 0) Root reverse-sweeps a boundary off Lyon, who looks entirely unimpressed. The rest of the over is excellent from Lyon, forcing a few uncomfortable defensive strokes from Root.
“My surname isn’t hard or unusual: Corrigan,” says Dominic Corrigan. “Years ago I moved house and called BT to register my new phone line. I told them my name, and was greeted with ‘Oh, how unusual, could you spell that for me?’ I spelled it out, letter by letter. They even repeated it back to me. A week later I received my letter from BT telling me my phone line was live. Addressed to ‘Mr Cogipal’. Labuschagne is easy.”
60th over: England 141-3 (Root 64, Stokes 0) Denly scrapped 155 balls for his 50. It was such an impressive innings, certainly his best for England, but in the end Hazlewood was too good. Australia’s bowling in the last 40 minutes, at a time when other teams would have surrendered to fatalism, has been awesome. The last nine overs have brought seven runs and the wicket of Denly.
Updated
It was a beautifully directed short ball from Hazlewood. Denly shaped to hook, realised he was in trouble and tried to get out of the way. But it was too late and he gloved the ball high in the air to Tim Paine.
WICKET! England 141-3 (Denly c Paine b Hazlewood 50)
A wicket was in the post - and the brilliant Josh Hazlewood has taken it!
Updated
59th over: England 140-2 (Root 64, Denly 50) An extremely eventful maiden concludes with a run-out referral against Denly. He went down the track and drove the ball back at Lyon, who picked it and threw down the stumps, Roger Harper-style. Denly was safely home. This is glorious stuff.
REVIEW! England 140-2 (Denly not out 50)
Denly survives! It turned too much and was missing leg stump, so Australia lose a review. They have one remaining. The ball has really started to rag for Lyon.
58.4 overs: England 140-2 (Root 64, Denly 50) Denly survives a big LBW shout from Lyon. He has a long chat with Paine, who starts to signal for a review and then changes his mind. It’s the right decision, as it was missing leg stump. “You can feel something is about to happen,” says Ricky Ponting on Sky.
And now there is a review for LBW against Denly!
58th over: England 140-2 (Root 64, Denly 50) Hazlewood, who struggled slightly in England four years ago, has been majestic this time round. He slips a fantastic delivery past the outside edge of Root and follows it with a few words. Root holds the pose and beams down the pitch at the bowler.
The next ball is a carbon-copy, another snorter that is followed by a few impromptu observations regarding Root’s technique. Root smiles again, and then leaves the last ball of the over with a flourish. This is brilliant cricket. A maiden from Hazlewood, which means England have scored six runs from the last seven overs.
“Is another scandal brewing?” says Ian Copestake. “There may be more tearful press conferences to endure if the Aussie bowlers are indeed found to be DRS users.”
Responsible ones, too. And these men are fast bowlers! I’ve never known such deviance.
57th over: England 140-2 (Root 64, Denly 50) “In amongst the rubble of this Ashes series, I have to say I’ve quite enjoyed Alastair Cook’s work on TMS this series,” says Guy Hornsby. “He seems way more relaxed and pleasingly honest behind the mic than when he had it stuffed under his face chin or in the middle (the latter being less of a surprise, given many of his rearguards). It’s been a tiny sliver of pleasure amongst the carnage, and he compares really well to some of the self-appointed comedians or ‘personalities’ that we’re usually treated to. A second age of Cook we can all subscribe to.”
Updated
56th over: England 138-2 (Root 63, Denly 50) Australia are building pressure through dot balls. Denly ignores a couple of tempters outside off stump before being hit on the pad outside the line. There have been four runs from the last five overs. If you are an England fan, and if you close your eyes and concentrate hard enough, you might be able to hear the first strains of the Jaws theme.
“My first name is spelled ‘Brenden’,” says Brenden Fawkes. “I once had a boss claim this was an example of me being uppity for asking it to be changed from ‘Brendan’ on the roster. I feel you brother.”
The principle of people getting it wrong has never really bothered me. As with most things, the distressing part is the human contact.
Updated
55th over: England 138-2 (Root 62, Denly 50) Lyon is bowling the classical, aggressive Australian offspinner’s line, well wide of off stump. Root is hit on the pad by consecutive deliveries, both outside the line - and then he has a very lucky escape. He charged Lyon, a slightly flustered decision, and got an inside-edge that deflected onto the pad and then onto Paine’s shin. That could easily have been a stumping chance. A brilliant over from Lyon, the kind that scrambles a batsman’s mind.
54th over: England 137-2 (Root 61, Denly 50) Denly survives a big shout for LBW from Hazlewood. Paine looks quite keen to review but Hazlewood dissuades him, suggesting it was too high. He’s right. These brilliant Australian quicks are even responsible DRS users.
“G’day from sunny Scotland, Rob,” says Paul Jarvis. “As a schoolboy in Hobart I played against Tim Paine. From memory we got him out once, the other times he belted us around the Rokeby village green then left for training for the junior state squad.”
53rd over: England 137-2 (Root 61, Denly 50) Lyon returns in place of Cummins, and Denly drives him down the ground for a single to reach a fine half-century. With the exception of a few loose drives, his approach and shot-selection have been exemplary.
“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Where are George Davis’s supporters when they’re needed?”
Updated
52nd over: England 135-2 (Root 60, Denly 49) “Geoff Lemon gives a clinic on how to pronounce Labuschagne’s name in the July 30th episode of the Guardian’s - or rather the wonderful Emma John’s - Spin podcast, from 27 mins onward,” says Michael Jenkins. “Apparently Marnus got bored quickly of correcting Aussies and instead succumbed to the inevitable Aussie Shanification of his last name. Geoff insists on using the correct pronunciation out of respect and because, well, it’s not that hard to get right.”
My surname has been mispronounced my whole life. You can’t win. If you point out the error, you’re an uppity pedant; if you don’t, you’re weak and guilty of truly despicable self-prejudice.
Updated
REVIEW! England 134-2 (Root not out 59)
It was a good ball from Hazlewood, which jagged back sharply off the seam - but there was a big inside-edge and Root survives! That was a poor decision from Chris Gaffaney, who shakes his head when he realises the error.
Updated
Root is given out LBW - but he reviews straight away.
51st over: England 134-2 (Root 59, Denly 49) A loose short ball from Cummins, well wide of off stump, is blasted through the covers for four by Joe Denly. The next ball is a beauty, in at the ribs, but Denly does well to roll his wrists and flick it wide of leg gully for four more. Hazlewood fielded the ball inside the boundary but his foot was touching the rope as he did so.
“Rob, I’ve thought of a game saving strategy,” says Kim Thonger. “Instruct our batsmen to just keep heading every ball. The Doctor will have to keep coming out for concussion checks, that should waste hours. Also, if anyone manages to head it hard enough to actually get concussed, there’s the added bonus of the time required to locate and pad up a like for like replacement. If we go hard with this approach I can’t see the Aussies bowling much more than twenty overs by close of play on Monday?”
You jest, but I bet Jardine would have sanctioned that approach if it meant beating Australia.
50th over: England 125-2 (Root 59, Denly 41) Hazlewood replaces Pattinson and gets a soupçon of inswing to Root. He walks straight down the track to Denly, presumably to tell him either a) it’s reversing or b) it isn’t reversing and that was orthodox swing. It’s a loosener-free return to the attack from Hazlewood, and Root defends the rest of the over. The WinViz predictor gives England a 30 per cent chance. I’d make it nearer 5 per cent, for whatever it’s worth. (Clue: nowt.)
49th over: England 124-2 (Root 59, Denly 41) Cummins is going to try some rough stuff. He has a long chat with Paine, after which fielders are placed at leg gully and short leg. Denly flicks a single wide of Head at leg gully; it was in the air but safe enough.
“Trust England,” says Mark Lloyd, “to start dangling the carrot of hope above the boiling soup of certain defeat...”
I’m not feeling the hope. I think yesterday deadened sufficiently that the England Test team will be unable to inspire any hope in me until at least November 2037.
48th over: England 121-2 (Root 57, Denly 40) A maiden from Pattinson to Denly, with just a leg-bye off the final delivery. Batting has been much more comfortable in the last 20 overs or so. Australia have retained control, however, which means they will not panic even if England are still two down when the second new ball becomes available after 80 overs.
Updated
47th over: England 120-2 (Root 57, Denly 40) The best thing about this Root innings has been the lack of memorable shots. It’s been nuggety and defiant, the kind of innings Allan Border used to play in the mid-1980s when Australia were rubbish. It might just be that he’s had enough; either way, a switch has gone off in his head in the last 24 hours.
“A heroic but futile 302 all out is going to be the worst kind of result here for England,” says Tanay Padhi. “It’ll paper over the cracks and spin up all kinds of misplaced optimism.”
Yes, that’s an excellent point. This has been admirable stuff, from Root in particular, but it doesn’t change the need to rip this team up and start again. (NB: OBO hack reserves the right to airbrush this out of history if Root makes a matchwinning 177 not out, followed by 271 at Old Trafford and an Ashes-clinching 166 at the Oval.)
Updated
46th over: England 119-2 (Root 57, Denly 39) “If Roy was still to come in,” says Ian Copestake, “his and our collective mood would be almost chipper.”
Updated
45th over: England 118-2 (Root 57, Denly 38) Pat Cummins, so good at taking a wicket when Australia need it most, returns to the attack. He is a rarity among bowlers - a flat-track bully - and England will surely just try to see him off rather than take any liberties. One from the over.
“Due to visitors I’m missing our cricket match today, the last one before the Brazilian National Championships in two weeks,” says Adam Hirst. “Carioca Cricket Club might not be the best cricket team in the world, or even in Brazil (and there’s only really four others…) but we reckon we could be the most cosmopolitan. We’ve got a flag count of 22 over the last few years, most of whom are still connected. Over the last few years we have had players from: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Wales, Palestine, Scotland, Brazil, Guyana, Singapore, Ireland, Syria, USA, Portugal, Canada, Bulgaria, France, Cyprus & England = 22 countries. Can anyone out there better that?”
Insert your own 1993 Ashes joke here.
Updated
44th over: England 117-2 (Root 57, Denly 37) This is a good spell for England. The crowd are making plenty of noise and the Aussies are starting to get frustrated. They won’t be worried yet but they are certainly irritated
Updated
44th over: England 117-2 (Root 57, Denly 37) Denly drives Pattinson sweetly through the covers for four to make it 12 runs from three balls, and a single off the next ball brings up a stirring hundred partnership. They get a standing ovation from the Headingley crowd, who have made quite a racket since tea.
Updated
43rd over: England 110-2 (Root 56, Denly 31) Root crunches Lyon through the covers for four to reach a superb half-century. He celebrates like Kevin the Teenager, head down as he points his bat to the crowd, but inside he will be hugely proud of the character he has shown. In context, this is one of the better innings of his Test career. He gets four more off the next ball, working a loose delivery to fine leg.
“Erm, Martin Millband’s time in the Netherlands has led him astray, because it was never a Dutch name,” says Jonah Sack. “It’s French originally, so ‘Labu-shane’ is defensible, and obviously what I’d go for if I had to live among the Aussies. But here in Marnus Labuschagne’s country of birth, Jon Blair is absolutely right - it’s ‘Labu-skugh-knee’.”
I want to hear how Kate Bush would sing it.
Updated
42nd over: England 102-2 (Root 48, Denly 31) A storming delivery from Pattinson, full and seaming away, beats Root outside off stump. Australia have upped the intensity since the tea break; for all England’s faults, they are playing against a magnificent bowling attack.
41st over: England 101-2 (Root 47, Denly 31) A grubber from Lyon to Denly beats everyone and goes for four byes. Denly then drives a single to bring up the England hundred, and reach his highest score of the series. Both he and Root have played commendably. Root survives a big, and slightly absurd, LBW appeal later in the over; it hit him well outside the line of off stump.
40th over: England 95-2 (Root 46, Denly 30) Pattinson, back in the attack, has a huge shout for LBW against Root turned down by Chris Gaffaney. I thought there was an inside edge, and it might have been outside the line as well. Tim Paine decides not to review. Replays show it was pad first - but the contact was well outside off stump. An excellent over from Pattinson, though.
“Looks like batting gets a bit easier once the ball is twenty overs old,” says Felix Wood. “England had no way of knowing this. No fault can be attached to anyone in the first innings. Talking of fault, every session you’ve been doing OBO on England have prospered. These Aussie OBOers generally bring disaster. This feels like it might actually all be your fault.”
39th over: England 95-2 (Root 46, Denly 30) Lyon returns to the attack after tea. Root drives his first ball through the covers for four, aided by a misfield from Harris. It’s an excellent over from Lyon, though, and it looks like he has switched his line to well wide of off stump.
“I think that comment in the 37th over is slight hyperbole given some of the fast bowlers Australia have had,” says Tony Harlow. “True, Cummins wouldn’t disgrace any attack they ever picked, but he might have a bit to go to get past McGrath, Lillee (who appropriately autocorrected to killer!) Thommo and others I never saw like Davison and Spofforth. Not quibbling - he’s good - just reflecting they had some aces.”
Sorry, I meant at a particular point in time rather than an all-time XI. I do think he would get into any Australian team throughout history.
Labuschagne department
“As a Brit living in the Netherlands for 20 years I dispute Jon Blair’s analysis of the pronunciation of Labuschagne,” says Martin Millband. “The trick is to join the s to Labu and separate it from the ch. So Labus – ch (as in loch) – ag – (more or less the same as ch) – ne (I would say nuh rather than knee)
“Can’t we just call him Kid Charlemagne,” says Andrew Watson, “and get on to more important topics, such as whether Jofra should be captain, PM, or both?”
“This is what the man himself says (about how to pronounce his name),” says Josh Mandel, “although he’s really sitting on the fence.”
Updated
That was a fine effort from Root and Denly. They had to work hard and ride their luck; in other words, they had to do some proper Test-match batting. The pitch has eased a bit, but don’t get your hopes up - there is enough happening to suggest Australia will still win this game comfortably. Root and Denly have restored some pride, though. And they can vouch to their team-mates that, while Test match batting can be seriously hard work, it is also extremely rewarding.
Tea
38th over: England 90-2 (Root 41, Denly 30) Denly pads Labuschagne to short leg, where Wade takes a superb catch. But Australia are convinced it came off the glove and appeal unsuccessfully to Chris Gaffaney. Replays show it came off pad and then elbow. Denly survives, and that’s tea. Lyon and Root have words as they walk off, but it all looks good-humoured and Root puts his arm around Lyon’s shoulder.
Updated
37th over: England 89-2 (Root 40, Denly 30) Cummins gets one to burst from a length at Denly, who gloves it in the air and just in front of the man running towards leg gully. That was a brutish delivery from a sensational bowler who would get into any Australian attack in the history of the game. Denly does well to survive the rest of a furious over; it’s another maiden.
36th over: England 89-2 (Root 40, Denly 30) Labuschagne switches around the wicket to Root. Nothing much to report in that over.
“I feel sad about Hameed,” says Charles Miller. “He looked the real deal in India that time. Did he just never come back properly from that injury? Have Lancashire mismanaged him? What’s occurring?”
No idea. There are suggestions he’s lost his off stump, and there have been whispers about the influence of his father. I’ve no idea whether that’s fair or not. It’s a good time for a change, I think, and I’m sure there will be plenty of takers. He’s the most impressive young England batsman I’ve ever seen, so it’s hard to believe it’s come to this. And it is, as you say, very sad. But he’s only 22, so there’s no need to give up on him yet.
35th over: England 87-2 (Root 38, Denly 30) Tim Paine turns to Pat Cummins, who should have time for two overs before tea. It would be typical of him to rip out one of these batsmen in that time. He has a full over at Denly, who is happy to play for tea. A maiden.
Meanwhile, we have our perp. “Rob, you know it and I know it,” writes Gerard Aston. “This is on. Stokes to smite the winning runs!”
34th over: England 87-2 (Root 38, Denly 30) Denly, whose series of false starts has brought to mind Mark Ramprakash’s deceptively brilliant debut series in 1991, equals his highest score of the series by cutting Labuschagne for a single.
33rd over: England 82-2 (Root 35, Denly 28) “I must admit, batting is starting to look a little easier out there,” says Ricky Ponting on Sky. What a sensational commentator he is, by the way. Denly hooks Hazlewood confidently, albeit only for a single, and Root steals a couple of quick singles on the off side. This has been an admirably determined partnership from two players who, in different ways, are fighting for their future.
Updated
32nd over: England 78-2 (Root 33, Denly 27) Marnus Labuschagne comes on to bowl some part-time legspin. With the series he’s had, it’s not a bad move from Tim Paine. A decent first over goes for three runs.
“What’s all this nonsense about the pronunciation of Labuschagne, and is he or someone else having a laugh by saying it is pronounced like Charlemagne?” says Jon Blair. “He’s from Klerksdorp for God’s sake not Queensland. As any red blooded Afrikaner will tell you, it is pronounced like this below, and any attempt to Frenchify it is just plain laughable:
- Lab - Lubb as in “land lubber”
- u - as in “ooh missus”
- sch - as in “school”
- a - as in “uh”
- g - as in “ch” when spoken by a Scot saying “loch”
- ne - as in “knee”.”
I noticed that Jonathan Trott pronounced it differently on Sky last night, and assumed he would know.
Updated
31st over: England 75-2 (Root 30, Denly 27) Root softens his hands to steer a boundary through the slips before smiling in response to the inevitable comment from the bowler Hazlewood. He’s in danger of having some fun out there. Denly thick edges four more to third man later in the over, which amuses Hazlewood not one jot.
“Dear Rob,” says Boris Starling. “There’s a great description of that afternoon (Holding vs Close) from none other than Lord Selvey of your parish, who of course had a ringside view.
“‘You have to understand the atmosphere during that game. It was a very hot summer and that day it was very oppressive. It wasn’t a blazing hot day, but it was steamy. There was a really heavy, over-burdening atmosphere by the time Saturday came around, with storms threatening. All day there had been this incessant noise from the crowd, cans banging. This rhythm going all day, all day. It started to get to you and I am pretty sure it got to the West Indies bowlers as well. It was mesmeric and quite threatening. You could feel it winding down into you, this noise, and they got carried away with it.’”
Selve was padded up as nightwatchman, which must have been quite a sight.
Updated
30th over: England 66-2 (Root 25, Denly 23) Lyon continues around the wicket to Root, who is playing almost everything off the back foot. He works another single round the corner to move England within 293 runs of immortality. Yeah.
Updated
29th over: England 65-2 (Root 24, Denly 23) Root is nowhere near his carefree best of a few years ago, and I can’t remember a single attacking stroke in this innings, but he is playing with plenty of defiance. A pulled single off Hazlewood brings up a hard-fought fifty partnership with Denly, who is then beaten playing another loose drive.
Darren Pattinson writes in: “Can we have a comedy collapse with some hope thrown in for good measure to finish this off please? Haven’t had one in a while. You know, 199-2 and then 210 all out (starting with a run out where both batsman end up at one end).”
That’s not a comedy collapse. This is a comedy collapse.
Updated
28th over: England 64-2 (Root 23, Denly 23) “That Brian Close clip is a lovely YouTube memory,” says Dave Seare. “It should be noted, though, that the Yorkshire hard man was wearing a protective plaster on his elbow.”
Updated
27th over: England 63-2 (Root 22, Denly 23) Hazlewood replaces Pattinson and immediately beats Root with a beautiful delivery. Root is playing with admirable determination, because it would be much easier to nick off and hide in a darkened room for a few hours. When he gets off strike, Denly slams a swaggering pull stroke over midwicket for four. Shot!
“I want to ignite the debate again over who could become captain if Root continues his torrid series,” says Robbie Chedburn. “Why not get Buttler in? He’s reasonably young and is a kind of solid part of the team? On his day he’s a solid batsman. Or we get someone new and fresh to do it, like Burns? The captaincy will add to his responsibility and might bolster his performance?”
The problem is that Buttler can’t buy a run, and probably needs a break for the rest of the series himself. Also, England will need him as their white-ball captain pretty soon. If Root resigns after this game – not that he will – I would give it to Stuart Broad for the rest of the series while the selectors consider what the hell happens next. It’s a rare old mess.
Updated
26th over: England 58-2 (Root 21, Denly 19) Lyon is teasing Root, following almost every delivery with a look which says: I know exactly how and when I am going to put you out of your misery. Root works a single behind square off the last ball of a tricky over;.
“I simply cannot imagine how appalled Brian Close would have been by all this helmet and concussion testing and like-for-like replacement stuff,” says Brian Close. “If one had sent in a like-for-like replacement for him it would have been a punchbag made of reinforced concrete.”
The sight of Brian Close, aged 45, chesting down a 95mph bouncer like a centre-back will never cease to make me smile.
25th over: England 57-2 (Root 20, Denly 19) Denly survives a biggish LBW shout from Pattinson - too high - before being beaten yet again while chasing a wide one. I have no idea why he keeps playing (and missing) that shot.
“Let us know when you get the first ‘can England do this?’ email,” says Ian Copestake. “The perp needs a good public shaming.”
The perp.
24th over: England 55-2 (Root 19, Denly 19) Lyon goes around the wicket and angles a good delivery past Root’s outside edge.
“Well done for fronting up and going in for a difficult OBO afternoon,” says Dave Seare. “This shellacking is painful because England are beating themselves. Previously the Australians have had the decency to do it for us.”
I think that’s a bit unfair on the Australian bowlers, who have been extremely good all series. Mind you, it’s very hard to make sense of this England team, so I’ll probably have a completely different view by 5pm.
23rd over: England 54-2 (Root 18, Denly 19) Root is beaten, feeling for a hot one from Pattinson. You can really sense Root’s determination to get runs, a matchwinning 160 not out even, but he’s fighting a losing battle. Four years ago he was the feelgood star of England’s Ashes victory; it’s been a while since we’ve seen that boyish smile, or his Bob Willis impression.
22nd over: England 53-2 (Root 18, Denly 19) Root again sweeps a single round the corner off Lyon, who generously gives Root a comprehensive analysis of the risks of such a shot on a pitch offering bounce. He is such a cocksure bowler; brilliant to play with, irritating as hell to play against.
21st over: England 52-2 (Root 17, Denly 19) Denly survives a torrid end to the over. He is beaten, chasing a very wide delivery from Pattinson, and then gloves a vicious bouncer over the slips for a couple. Superb bowling.
“The bowling was consistently faster and meaner in the 1970s and 1980s than it is now...” says Deepak. “Yet players used to rarely get hit in the head.”
Helmets changed everything. They gave batsmen an extra security which allowed many to take more liberties and/or stop watching the ball. I was talking to Robin Smith about this the other day and he said that, even while wearing a helmet, he always had an imaginary length in mind – if the ball pitched short of that, he would hit the deck as quickly as possible.
20th over: England 49-2 (Root 17, Denly 17) Root sweeps Lyon round the corner for a single, and receives a few words when he gets up the other end.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “English cricket, eh? This is wonderful stuff. It’s like 1999 / 2003 / 2007 all over again. Except this time, England have the World Cup. It came home! Maybe this Test will go to a super over..?!”
Let’s accentuate the positive, sort of: imagine how much more excruciating this Ashes shellacking would be had they gone out of the World Cup at the group stage.
Updated
WICKET! Now that’s what I call banter. Thanks Adam, hello everyone. England’s two Joes are fighting desperately to repel some volcanic Australian bowling, and will resume their labours after the drinks break.
19th over: England 47-2 (Root 16, Denly 16) Pattinson is racing in off his very long run, this time a fraction fuller to Root and doing enough to win an edge. It goes through the gap in the cordon on the bounce for four, but it is a good sign. That’s drinks, which means it is time for me to hand over to Rob. Thanks for your company this week. With it very unlikely we’ll still be here on Monday, I’ll talk to you again from Old Trafford. Bye!
18th over: England 42-2 (Root 11, Denly 16) Lyon for Hazlewood, Root gabbing one around the corner early in the over, Denly leaping onto the front foot to play a really nice shot over mid-off to finish. That takes him to 16, a new top score for England in this game. Okay, we can stop talking about that now. Unless Root overtakes him.
Avitaj Mitra has a query. “Considering the number of times the batsmen have been hit on both sides (not just on the helmet, but also the arm and upper body), how much of this is just exceptional short pitched bowling and how much is it due to really poor technique while specifically playing the short ball?”
Former players always say it is about technique in the helmet era. But it’s worth remembering that the bowling is so much quicker (consistently, before someone yells about Tyson) now compared to then. Like most things in life, probably a combination of factors.
17th over: England 37-2 (Root 10, Denly 12) Pattinson does get a go, on for Cummins down the hill, as was the case yesterday. As Michael Vaughan notes on TMS, Root doesn’t mind pushing at balls just short of a length, which is where the big quick has started. The skipper keeps the strike with one off his hip. He’s into double figures!
“If OBO readers are going to habituate in Cawthorne,” says John Starbuck, “they should make a point of going up the hill to the Spencer Arms for excellent beer and restaurant-level food. Also, the nearby Cannon Hall has a Food & Drink Festival this weekend.”
Leeds Festival here right now, Carnival at Notting Hill on Monday. Alternatively: Dulwich Hamlet hosting Slough Town, where I’ll be.
PitchViz Bounce Consistency difficult (1 is easy, 10 is hard)
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) August 24, 2019
Day One: 4.0/10
Day Two: 5.1/10
Day Three: 6.9/10
England need to watch for balls that keep low or spit from a length. #Ashes
16th over: England 36-2 (Root 9, Denly 12) Hazlewood is such a dependable bowler, giving Denly nothing. What wonderful trolling it would be if he does on to make a ton here. “Now England’s biggest partnership,” notes Simon Porter. Yep - and they’re put on 21.
Ladies & gents, your solemn reminder that today, at 14:40* on day 3 of the 3rd Test, we are exactly half way through this Ashes series. #Ashes
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) August 24, 2019
*abiding by the initial official scheduled hours of play
15th over: England 36-2 (Root 9, Denly 12) Shout for leg before... off the arm! Denly ducks into Cummins, per Tendulkar v McGrath in 1999. Not out is the call, Paine deciding not to go upstairs. Gee, it’s close too - only about four inches from the bails, the TV shows. The pattern continues for Denly, experiencing a close call early in the over but getting back on it, keeping the strike with one to mid-on.
14th over: England 35-2 (Root 9, Denly 11) More runs off the outside edge, this time Root the beneficiary of a false stroke. Played with soft hands, to be fair. He’s able to leave alone the second half of the set. Pattinson to replace Hazlewood up the hill? Do it, Tim.
“Coming home from a walk we wandered past Cawthorne Cricket Club in South Yorkshire where we sat and watched a very entertaining half hour,” says Diana Powell. “Why not send a bus down the M1?”
It’ll need to be a bus given there are no trains back to London today - or something like that. A good freelancer, I’ll be blagging a ride.
13th over: England 31-2 (Root 5, Denly 11) Ohhh, Cummins is the proverbial coat of varnish away from Australia’s third, carving back through Denly - so close to both his inside edge and bails. Earlier, he picked up four off the edge, squared up a treat. Denly is into double figures again! The only England player to achieve that in this match.
“I am doing the night shift,” begins a nice email from Ramal Zanji, “feeding my young twins (who are now asleep on the couch either side of me) whilst watching the game with the sound largely muted and your commentary my ‘wireless’. Tired enough with the demands presented by the young ones, this strange yet mesmerising Ashes series has given me a rather raggedy appearance.
As a refugee migrant to a small Australian country town as a young child, I quickly learned that sporting pursuits are largely tied to acceptance and became a pretty handy all rounder. It was Freddy Flintoff’s compassion toward Brett Lee in *that* Ashes series that made me a passionate fan of the game.
If this Test somehow ends up as a draw, do you think that England would be happy to extend a Visa and a spot in the team to an Australian from Afghanistan with an Indian mother and Persian father? It wouldn’t be all that unusual really given the past few decades.”
12th over: England 27-2 (Root 5, Denly 7) Hazlewood is angling in at Root, who plays out a maiden. What he would give for a long, meaningful stay at the crease over the next four or more hours.
“You’ll know the answer to this,” insists Pete Salmon. Let’s hope so. “Has it ever happened before that in six innings in a row a team’s top score has always been made in the same position? And that the position is number 4? And by two different batsmen, with three innings each? Where the second batsman replaced the first half way through the six innings? Has it?”
I definitely do not know that. But Andrew Samson might be able to work it out for me. I’ll hit him up at the tea break.
11th over: England 27-2 (Root 5, Denly 7) It ends up quite a long delay, Denly defending the two full balls that complete the over.
“I know it’s been said before,” emails Romeo, “but for the best seats in the whole ground, at the rugby end, to be empty is more shameful than England’s battting.”
From my vantage point, they look to all be on the second level in front of the glass rooms where the lunches/hospitality are on. I’ve been guilty of going to those events and never leaving the room.
Both of our openers have been dismissed.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 24, 2019
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/yK4bf7wbfc#Ashes pic.twitter.com/As4ppfXvb1
Cummins hits Denly. An Archer-esque bouncer follows him and he’s hit right on the front of the helmet. For the third time today we go through the formal process, now with the England team doctor. In keeping with the practice, he’s given a replacement lid. Play on.
Updated
10th over: England 26-2 (Root 4, Denly 7) Hazlewood is attacking Root’s stumps, the captain getting his blade down in time to get a single behind square. Denly gets under another bumper then flashes at the fuller ball that follows. This is tough going. Can he survive?
9th over: England 25-2 (Root 3, Denly 7) Cummins is hitting the radar up towards 90mph, beating Denly to begin with a ball that hits the seam and changes direction a treat. He’s beaten again from the third ball. This has been an outstanding spell. Denly gets under a short one then defends with a straight bat to finish. Hanging in there.
“England all-out 212,” predicts Leo Harvey. “But I still see in my befuddled England cricket fan mind Buttler hitting the winning runs. I’m in Hong Kong, must be the jetlag.” Suspect so. They aren’t reaching 200 here. My guess: they’re done here by 5pm.
8th over: England 25-2 (Root 3, Denly 7) Huge appeal! Hazlewood thinks he has Root for nothing but the noise he hears is bat hitting pad not ball. Paine wisely declines to review. Andrew Samson reveals on radio that only two England skippers - Botham and Hussain - have bagged an Ashes pair. Root won’t join them though, stroking three off the back out behind point to get off the mark. Denly gets three himself to finish, driving nicely down the ground.
“Game on!” says Geoff Wignall of the Kent veteran’s arrival in the middle at No4. “Now that there’s an England batter out there with the proven ability to reach double figures.”
Fancy a one-day game tomorrow, Australia? #theashes
— Emma John (@em_john) August 24, 2019
7th over: England 19-2 (Root 0, Denly 4) Denly off the mark through the cordon! It was the pleave at its best, the ball hitting his bat after he withdrew it. A fast bouncer follows, but he gets out of the way. Just. Tremendous bowling.
“That was a serious ball,” Alastair Cook says of the Roy dismissal. “I don’t think many people are going to be hitting that one.”
Pat Cummins produces a beauty to bowl Jason Roy!
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 24, 2019
Follow our over-by-over commentary and in-play video clips from Headingley. Watch live on Sky Sports The Ashes 👉 https://t.co/vQR0JjlNPz pic.twitter.com/0vRR1KY9WL
WICKET! Roy b Cummins 8 (England 15-2)
Phwooooar! Pat Cummins is through Roy’s defence! Beaten on the outside edge at pace, it crashes into his off-stump. It angled in a treat; the opener’s feet were nowhere. This could be over before tea.
Updated
WICKET! Burns c Warner b Hazlewood 7 (England 15-1)
Rinse and repeat! Hazlewood pitched this on the stumps but Burns had ample time to get his bat out of the way. Instead, he offered the blade with the ball clipping the shoulder of it on the way through to David Warner at first slip. Root, once again, is walking out too early.
6th over: England 15-1 (Roy 8)
Updated
5th over: England 13-0 (Burns 5, Roy 8) Cummins cuts Roy in half! There’s a huge shout for caught behind but they elect not to send it upstairs. Good decision, based on the first replay. Roy does nicely to wait on the delivery that follows, clipping a couple. The crowd are right behind the hosts here, roaring for every run. I can’t quite tell yet if they are serious or taking the you know what? Ooooh, I take back the generous words about the opening batsman: he wafts at the final ball of the over, well outside the off-stump. There’s nothing to be gained playing at those, Jason. Not now. Nothing at all.
It will be Cummins to Roy. We’re back. PLAY!
“England need more than five times as many in the 4th innings as they got in the second,” notes Jim Hart. “Anyone know what the record is in a winning 4th innings chase?”
That would be, if I recall correctly, the West Indies at the Rec in 2003 vs Australia. They successfully made 418 in that chase.
Oh, that snuck up on me... the players are back on the field!
Some emails before we return. “England,” begins Peter Piper. “Crap!” There are a lot like this, funnily enough.
“Some lunchtime thoughts for the England batsmen,” begins Kim Thonger, “adapting Søren Kierkegaard by replacing ‘life’ with ‘batting’. Batting can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. Batting is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced. Especially poignant since he wrote ‘Fear & Trembling’ and The Concept Of Anxiety.”
Off to join the lunch queue. Back in about 20 minutes. If you’re looking for something to keep you company, Geoff and I interviewed James Pattinson after the Birmingham Test. He’s a fantastic fella.
Updated
LUNCH! England 11-0 (Target 359)
4th over: England 11-0 (Burns 5, Roy 6) In an effort to maybe get another from Cummins before the break, it is Lyon on to replace Hazlewood with three minutes on the clock. They tried him briefly at Burns yesterday, but he got out too quickly - hooking Cummins - which denied the spinner a proper spell. The left-hander pushes the first, a full toss, for a couple to midwicket. There are two men around the bat on the off side and Burns splits the two of them on the front foot - solid batting. He then cuts one to deep point, leaving Roy one to keep out with less than a minute to 1pm. He takes guard, killing enough time to make this the final ball of the session. He gets on the front foot, driving one to long-on to finish. The crowd give it big as they leave the field, thrilled that England have made it to the end of the fourth over without losing a wicket. Very good.
Updated
3rd over: England 7-0 (Burns 2, Roy 5) Hard hands! Roy pushes at Cummins rather than letting the ball come to him, the result a leading edge that so easily could have ended up with a catcher. Instead, it spits away past point for four, running across the square.
“Have England gone to the well once too often with Stokes?” asks Niall Morrissey. “He’s sort of key to the batting. He has had a very physical match so far, with little chance to rest up. If England are to have any chance here, the early order has to front up and grind away while he recovers.”
Very surprised he was bowled like that. We know from the sports science types how carefully ‘loads’ are managed spell to spell.
2nd over: England 3-0 (Burns 2, Roy 1) Roy is off the mark second ball with careful clip through square leg. Hazlewood’s turn at Burns but there isn’t a lot going on, the opener dealing with it tidily.
Some news from the Australian camp, confirming that Steve Smith did bat for 15 minutes today, facing throw downs. “He will continue to be assessed with a view to playing the tour match in Derby.”
1st over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Roy 0) Good from Burns, keeping his cool and grabbing a single from the single from the final delivery of the over, turning Cummins around the corner. Due to the blow, that should mean we get four overs in before the break rather than five.
Speaking of openers. “With Lancashire letting Haseeb Hameed go and Trescothic retiring, should Somerset give him a go?” asks Vic Voronins. I doubt it will be that straightforward. But I did see Hameed’s ton at Lord’s this year. Let’s hope he finds a way through.
Updated
Cummins hits Burns! Second ball, he’s got a delivery to jump off a length at the handle of the bat. Burns cops the whack rather than taking his hand off the blade. There’s a bit of blood from his left thumb. It wasn’t far from the man at short leg, either. After some attention from the medical staff, it looks like he will continue.
The players are back. Cummins to Burns from the Kirkstall Lane End. Can England get to lunch unscathed? Let’s find out. PLAY!
Australia should get five overs in before lunch. A few emails before we come to that. “Time to get the tin hats on,” says David Seare. “What will you do with your two spare days? Maybe you could offer cricket insight on street corners as a kind of ‘crusker’”
Good vibes for a fourth day, yeah? Freelancer here.
“Labuschagne is a common Afrikaans surname (Marnus is from an Afrikaans family in South Africa),” notes Louwrens Botha. “The ‘ch’ is pronounced as a hard ‘k’ and the ‘g’ is pronounced like the Scottish ‘ch’. Have fun with that one. So it’s sort of ‘lah-buh-ska(ch)-knee’, not like Champagne (or indeed Charlemagne).”
Handy, thanks. I should not that in the UAE last year he specifically asked us to address him as Labu-shane. For what it’s worth.
“We are all hoping England can survive until tea and so a little bit of thinking outside the box to confuse the Aussies,” suggests Harshad Mistry. “We are going to be all out so at least let’s try a new tactic. Let’s reverse the batting order and open with Leach and Broad. Our lower has perfomed better than the top order. We have nothing to lose except losing so let’s lose in a different way.”
Well, it was good enough for Bradman!
“Afternoon Adam.” Hi, David Horn. “Presumably, for maximum effect, England will close today on 203-4. Thereby allowing for the proper, overnight, brewing of hope, before being scuttled for 240 tomorrow morning.”
Ala Adelaide in 2017. Lovely morning, that. Then Hazlewood decided to knock Root over with the first ball and that was that. Fun!
So, 75 runs added this morning. That’s a win for the visitors. Stokes finishes with 3/46 from his 24 unchanged overs from the Football Stand End, Archer and Broad picking up two apiece.
Archer does it again 🤩
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 24, 2019
England now need 359 to win 😬
Follow our over-by-over commentary and in-play video clips from Headingley. Watch live on Sky Sports The Ashes 👉 https://t.co/vQR0JjlNPz pic.twitter.com/mnp7NUqq8W
WICKET! AUSTRALIA 246 ALL-OUT! Lyon b Archer 9.
Lyon chops on! Archer finishes the job. England are set 359 to win.
Updated
75th over: Australia 246-9 (Lyon 9, Hazlewood 4) Whoa, Woakes has missed the bouncing ball on the fine leg rope! Should have been one, it is four instead. Stokes does close to finishing Hazlewood off with the yorker later in the over, but can’t quite get under his blade.
“So it’s November 2021: the start of the next Ashes series,” emails Paul Griffin. “I’m trying to think of the England selection. Time will have taken Jimmy and probably Broad from the bowling attack. So it’s Jofra and Stokes plus two - unless England have Michael Owen-ed the former to the knackers yard by then. I’ve no idea who will open; Root at 4, unless this series destroys him? Buttler to be in there somewhere? Any other survivors? It’s a long way back from this, and we are only just half way through this series in days played.”
Always the game to play at the end of a losing Ashes campaign, isn’t it? Australia lead by 358, so that might be a task for the pub tonight.
74th over: Australia 241-9 (Lyon 4, Hazlewood 4) The ball before Labuschagne fell might have influenced his error, only just getting out the way of another bouncer that trailed back at his lid. He was in the middle for 294 minutes - another excellent contribution. Hazlewood gets out the way of a short ball, then clips the yorker away for four! As you do! Glorious shot from the Australian No11.
"It's the end of a very brave and a very accomplished innings"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 24, 2019
Labuschange is 🏃 out!
Follow our over-by-over commentary and in-play video clips from Headingley. Watch live on Sky Sports The Ashes 👉 https://t.co/vQR0JjlNPz pic.twitter.com/EQftq9A0ft
WICKET! Labuschagne run out [Denly/Bairstow] 80 (Australia 237-9)
Urgh! They ran on the Denly misfield at third man, recovering well to fire a throw in to Bairstow who made a well-timed lunge. Labuschagne is out by about six inches, the TV umpire confirms.
Updated
73rd over: Australia 236-8 (Labuschagne 79, Lyon 4) Stokes again. What is going on with Woakes, I wonder? The lead is 348 by the end of the over, Lyon doing it really nicely - pulling a bouncer for two then hacking a couple more through midwicket. Labuschagne’s turn.
“Oh my goodness,” says Jason Ali. “Hope has reared its ugly little head. The next 3-4 hours are going to be awful.”
False hope, the worst kind. I’m sorry in advance. Pattinson is going to take 7/31, or something ridiculous. His turn to go big, I reckon.
72nd over: Australia 232-8 (Labuschagne 79, Lyon 0) Shot, Marnus! He makes a bit of room and lifts Archer over backward point, splitting the fielders in the deep for four. He takes the single on offer to midwicket from the third ball but gets the strike straight back via a leg bye. A good result, but Lyon will be at the business end next.
“I don’t get the problems people profess about pronouncing Labuschagne,” emails John Staruck, “since they presumably know how to say Charlemagne, which is almost an anagram of it.”
We’re doing a proper interview with him this week on The Final Word. I’m sure it’ll come up. Actually, let’s crowd-source. What else would you like Geoff and me to ask him about on the show? Come and watch us in Manchester with Jim Maxwell, if that’s your thing.
71st over: Australia 226-8 (Labuschagne 74, Lyon 0) Lyon is far from convincing but gets to the end of the over. Will Labuschagne try to take down Archer, mindful that he might not have long left?
Stokes gets his reward!
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 24, 2019
It's an awkward ball for Pat Cummins and Rory Burns gets down well to take a smart catch.
Watch England v Australia live on Sky Sports #TheAshes now or follow here: https://t.co/3MyJxUAwGq pic.twitter.com/Q7XYqTZY8G
WICKET! Cummins c Burns b Stokes 6 (Australia 226-8)
Stokes gets a third wicket in this tireless spell! His short ball gets big on Cummins, who can only deflect to Burns in the gully.
Updated
70th over: Australia 226-7 (Labuschagne 74, Cummins 6) They took drinks during the concussion test, which Labuschagne has to pass for the second time this morning. There will be Dr Richard Saw merchandise before the summer is over, he’s spent so much time out in the middle on camera. Another quick and short ball follows, the nuggety Queenslander up to the task lifting over the cordon for four! And again, angled at his chest, just kept out. And again, right on his armpit. Jofra Archer is in the game.
“All these negative nellies wondering whether the match will still be running later today,” writes Matt Dony. “Of course it will! At this rate, Australia may as well bat on until just after lunch on Monday, and still be pretty confident of the win.” Freelancers say YES to that.
“Is the first question Dr Saw asks Marnus in the Concussion Quiz, ‘How do you pronounce your surname?’” laughs Romeo. I know one of the questions is the name of the Australian Prime Minister, which is quite good value given the chaos in Canberra over recent years.
Ouch! 🙈
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 24, 2019
For the second time in as many matches Archer hits Labuschagne on the grille and the Australian batsman is going through concussion tests.
Watch England v Australia live on Sky Sports #TheAshes now or follow here: https://t.co/3MyJxUAwGq pic.twitter.com/DUUSMXcyGV
Archer hits Labuschagne again! Very similar to the blow at Lord’s last week, the Queenslander tries to get out of the way but is collected on the bottom rung of the grille. And just like last Sunday, he was straight back onto his feet. Nevertheless, Dr Saw is back on the field to go through the formal process. He looks fine from here.
Updated
69th over: Australia 222-7 (Labuschagne 70, Cummins 6) Stokes again from the Football Stand End. He’s now into his 22nd over on the trot, albeit over two days. He keeps charging in, too. Cummins, the new man, is off the mark with a boundary off the all-rounder, from the outside half of his bat behind point along the ground.
England at 9/2 for the win at one betting shop, Boris Starling reports. Normally, I wouldn’t put such a thing into the OBO, but, as he adds - quite rightly: “In the spirit of Headingley Ashes Tests, I’ll only stick a tenner on them once those odds have drifted to 500/1.”
On other Headingley quirks, this is one of only two grounds where 300-plus has been successfully chased three times in the fourth innings. That’s another via Andrew Samson. 1948, of course, 2001 with Butch and 2017 when Shai Hope completed his twin tons.
WICKET! Pattinson c Root b Archer 20 (Australia 215-7)
Nicely bowled, Archer winning Pattinson’s edge with a bit of extra bounce from around the wicket. It’s well taken low to Root’s left at first slip. The end of a handy partnership, worth 51. Australia now lead by 327. That’s 100 Test catches for Root, Andrew Samson says.
68th over: Australia 215-7 (Labuschagne 70)
Updated
67th over: Australia 208-6 (Labuschagne 69, Pattinson 19) Alastair Cook is kind about Pattinson’s technique on TMS, “he gets his trigger movement in early.” Of course, he would remember his work from Trent Bridge in 2013. So close. Stokes beats him in defence early in the over, but the left-hander is playing down the line - there’s nothing wrong with that, as Warner proved on Thursday.
66th over: Australia 207-6 (Labuschagne 69, Pattinson 18) Here’s Jofra, who spent some time off the field yesterday with cramp. A single for each early on, as Archer moves through the gears. Oh, now the summer of fives continues! It comes from a third single to midwicket - of the quick variety - earning him four overthows when the ping at the non-strikers’ end isn’t on target.
#Ashes19 @collinsadam England's record in the fourth innings not entirely reassuring. In five years, they've made one individual hundred (Buttler v India, 2018 – they lost by 200). Root averages 27, Bairstow 20, Stokes 18. Most consistent performer, with five 50s: Cook
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) August 24, 2019
65th over: Australia 200-6 (Labuschagne 68, Pattinson 12) Shot. Pattinson has a bit of width to work with and uses it well to cut Stokes away for four to move into double figures. A single to square leg to finish the over brings up Australia’s 200. Their lead is 312.
“I’m currently at work, will be here until 5,” reports Max Cornell “What are the chances that this match is over before my shift?”
On the evidence of the first half an hour, quite high.
“Also, hoping someone can explain something to me that I just don’t understand with my limited cricket knowledge (I love the sport but have never really dug deep enough into the ins and outs of it). How do the weather conditions affect the way the ball moves?”
Depends who you listen to. Some scientists say that the overhead conditions have absolutely no effect on the swing of a cricket ball. But every fast bowler in the world disagrees with that contention.
Ben Foakes. Best keeper in the country and averages 41.50 in Test cricket too. Just saying
— Chris Stocks (@StocksC_cricket) August 24, 2019
64th over: Australia 194-6 (Labuschagne 67, Pattinson 7) That is a BAD DROPPED CATCH, Bairstow diving in front of first slip with one glove, putting Labuschagne down. It was going straight to Root. Dear me. That’s ugly cricket. Broad is gutted it shows. Earlier, he was driven through the covers for four. That set up the (should have been) wicket-taking delivery a treat, generating a lovely amount of movement. Sure enough, Labuschagne scores off the next ball, pulling a couple, then finishes with three more off his pads. An expensive and highly-frustrating over for the England spearhead.
Updated
63rd over: Australia 183-6 (Labuschagne 56, Pattinson 7) Pattinson is looking pretty good so far today, dealing with Stokes from around the wicket without any concerns. Maiden.
“I’m no fan of Root as captain,” begins Matt Jones, an England fan in Sydney. Years ago, I knew an English Matt Jones in Sydney. The same guy? “I would much rather see him in the team as a focused batsman. But I do feel he’s not being well served by the pressure to bat at three. When do we get to put an end to the nonsense of ‘your best batsman should go in at first drop’? Look at Australia this series...over a third of their total runs this series have come from whoever they’ve had batting at four (and well over half of their runs that have truly mattered). There’s been minimal contribution from their top three and yet no obvious pressure on Smith or Labuschagne to move up to three. Anyway I’m just clutching at straws to whinge about in the face of yesterday’s batting fiasco.”
Michael Vaughan is big on this too, wanting Root back to four right away. Maybe he’ll bat there in the second dig?
62nd over: Australia 183-6 (Labuschagne 56, Pattinson 7) Labuschagne has been hit on the head again. Nothing to worry about; it has only clipped his lid when missing a Broad bouncer on the hook shot. But Dr Saw is out there doing yet another concussion test, presumably, and all is well. Four runs came from it, leg byes the signal after being being given as runs initially - corrected by Umpire Wilson. Back to it, Broad beats him with a good’un to finish. That’s the first we’ve seen it hoop this morning. Maybe some reverse?
“Loving ‘Rob Smyth later’ in the OBO cast list for the day,” says Simon Yates. “Proper optimism to think England might make it till Rob’s stint.” I thought that too. But maybe these two bat big?
61st over: Australia 178-6 (Labuschagne 56, Pattinson 6) Stokes to Labuschagne, who is into a good contest already with the England all-rounder, forced to make good decisions against a couple of sharp and accurate bumpers. I’m mindful of how much pressure Root is under, but I am a bit worried for Stokes’ body. There’s a reason bowlers who touch 90mph don’t bowl unchanged, as he did yesterday for about 15 overs before the close.
Some thoughts from Graham O’Reilly. “What I find hard to believe is that Graham Thorpe, one of the most pugnacious and technically adept batsmen of recent times, on whom you could always rely to fight it out in a crisis, is letting his charges play like that. Has he been obliged to buy into the stuff of “go out there and express yourselves” ? Does he give them the rounds of the kitchen when they come back in after another stupid and unnecessary shot ? If not, why not?”
60th over: Australia 178-6 (Labuschagne 56, Pattinson 6) Pattinson gets his first runs of the day, albeit off the edge, but along the ground for four. That’ll do. He said to me a couple of years ago that he wants to be a Test No7. Based on what we’ve seen of him at First Class level, he can definitely play. A good opportunity for him to bat for a couple of hours today, do it properly, and help Labuschagne get to 100 in Test cricket for the first time. On TMS, Agnew is on one: he wants the two divisions of the championship scrapped and some counties scrapped. Michael Vaughan agrees with him. Interesting.
59th over: Australia 173-6 (Labuschagne 55, Pattinson 2) Stokes, who was excellent yesterday in his marathon spell, opens up from the Football Stand End. Labuschagne, who copped another whack to the groin this morning in practice, is defending and ducking then tucking his second single of the morning. Pattinson leaves the rest.
I’m going to get ahead of the curve today by googling before I’m asked: HERE IS THE OVERSEAS TMS LINK.
58th over: Australia 172-6 (Labuschagne 54, Pattinson 2) Jonathan Agnew, off the top of the show on TMS, has declared yesterday the be the worst performance he has ever seen from England with the bat. Have that! Labuschagne gets Australia’s first run for the day, clipping one to square leg. Pattinson deals with the rest, employing the Steve Smith Leave. They’re all into it these days.
Let's be honest, the Jerusalem just seems like self-trolling this morning #ashes
— Emma John (@em_john) August 24, 2019
The players are on the field. Good morning to you all. Broad has the ball in his hand, running away from me at the Kirkstall Lane End. He’ll be running in at Labuschagne, who resumes on 53. PLAY!
Right, Adam Collins is here so I’m going to take my leave and enjoy the action. Thanks, as always, for your correspondence. Please redirect your emails to adam.collins.casual@theguardian.com and tweets to @collinsadam.
Steve Smith back in the nets this morning. Was on the clock and under the close eye of the Doc but it’s a start @GettySport @gettyimages #ashes @stevesmith49 #SteveSmith pic.twitter.com/9ErrSU9ni7
— Ryan Pierse (@RyanPierse) August 24, 2019
Oliver Atkinson has brought the gallows humour. “The best case scenario for England is some quick wickets followed by another innings lasting less than 30 overs, the injection of hope into this test team will only lead to more pain.”
Ben Heywood has sent in a very sensible email (I’ll come to my “but” later). “With respect, I think David Gaskell has it bum-about-face. If we somehow manage to limit the Aussie lead to 320 - and leave ourselves the best part of five sessions to attempt to chase it down, breaking all sorts of records in the process (as if!) - we must approach it with one simple mantra; Do Not Get Out. Think Edgbaston 05 from the Aussie perspective. There are overs aplenty to work with, our batsmen should try and get close enough to make them nervous as hell before we then see if we can pull off one of the biggest steals in test history. Leave the wide balls alone. Decide to score only in risk free areas. Get them in singles. Of course, we’ll subside for a flashy 150 instead, most of them from a marooned Buttler, won’t we?”
But the problem is batting in that manner is not familiar to these players. I wish I could remember the exact piece but someone wrote a story recently quoting AB de Villiers discussing batting for time and it was zen-like it is clarity that for ABdV the mindset is identical for a T20 as for dead-batting to save a Test. That’s what made him so freakish. It is now abnormal to think batting for time is a simple concept, like it might have seemed a decade or two ago.
Updated
Steve McAleer has the Journey spirit. “It seems to me the biggest collapse of yesterday is the support of the English squad. They were very unlucky not to win at Lord’s, and if not for the will of the best batsman in the world, may have won at Edgbaston despite losing their strike bowler. Yesterday was a disaster, not the cataclysm of English red ball cricket.”
Josh Hazlewood is happy.
I guess we might be starting with a few scars there. I mean, 60-odd is hard work to come back from during a Test. I don’t think many teams are winning from there. It makes it difficult, so if we start well again next innings, they might think here we go again. So it’s about creating that doubt in the mind. The way we have gone about it, it’s not letting the foot off now. It’s to keep going.
Harry Lang is an evil genius. “We laud praise with names etched into the board at Lord’s for big scores and ‘Fifers’ so why not introduce a wall of shame to remind players what happens when they capitulate with such a dearth of spirit? The engraver’s chisel would’ve looked like Andy Dufresne’s rock hammer after yesterday.” I think this idea is contrary to the spirit of cricket. But it’s hard not to picture it.
@JPHowcroft So what is the realistic best case scenario for England today? I really want someone else to answer this so I can work out how depressed to be when it's all over by tea.
— Brendan Large (@brendanlarge) August 24, 2019
Best case? Skittle Australia out inside half-an-hour. Roy slashes 50 before lunch, setting the tone for a swashbuckling run-a-ball partnership with Joe Root that leaves around 100 to chase after Tea. With shadows lengthening over Headingley Root and Bairstow scamper the winning single while white roses cascade from the sky like snowflakes. Dickie Bird, Michael Parkinson, and Mel B sprint onto the ground to chair the local heroes from the field.
Lovely email from Peter Salmon. “Quick word in praise of Tim Paine, who seems to me the forgotten man in what is looking like an Ashes win. When he was appointed the smart money would have been on Australia falling apart after What Had Happened. Instead here we are. Lots of teams have talked about rotating bowlers but none have managed to make it happen, and yet the Australian bowlers have accepted it and played their roles. It speaks of a very harmonious dressing room, where it could have been carnage. Good, quiet, positive captaincy.”
Moreover, this is a likeable Australian team. They’re winning an Ashes on English soil without rubbing anybody up the wrong way, spoiling for fights or headbutting the line. It’s been refreshing to watch a keenly fought series play out in such a positive spirit. Paine deserves praise for that also.
Gareth Frith is ready for a changing of the guard. “Well, this does seem to have an end of an era feel about it. Bayliss is on the verge of going, and with him possibly the “play our own exciting brand of cricket” mindset that Test fans have had to endure over the past couple of years. Collapse after collapse suggests something is wrong in the approach, not necessarily just the talent. As with other forms of gambling, when the fun stops, stop. And it stopped about four years ago.
Having said that, you have to pick the right players, and along with Denly and Roy I’d put a big question mark on Bairstow’s head, and that of Buttler.
England have lucked out in having Archer come in, they have to look at the next Ashes series in Australia with him, Stone and Wood possibly fronting up a very exciting attack which they’ve not had in a long time, and use these next Test series to strengthen them as a unit. Leach looks to have the right temperament as a spinner who could hold an end down and do a useful if unspectacular job, which is what is required, a job Anderson can also do home and abroad if he’s still around.
The batting needs serious work if this bowling talent is not to be squandered, and some of the senior members need to realise they’re not undroppable. It’s happened too often, and a number have had enough chances.
We’ve won the World Cup, it was a superb achievement but it’s high time the focus was put back on making county and Test cricket more attractive than it is currently.”
An email from Malaysia. “Celebrating my father’s 80th birthday this evening - warming up with a gin and tonic in anticipation of a grand evening. Asked dad just now what his wish was and his answer was for the English top three to score at least 80, ideally on an individual level; for Buttler to keep and captain, and for Joe to simply focus on what’s he’s best at. Happy birthday Arthur Rodwell (Pops) - push on to those nervous 90s. Richard, Nick & Dylan.” Congratulations on making 80 Arthur, and converting your age into a run-scoring wish. Although, I’d be happy if a similar request came in from someone on their 50th, or even 30th birthday!
Here’s your day three pitch.
Day three deck #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ZuUPscICmC
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 24, 2019
The flip side of England’s despair is, of course, Australia’s delight. Geoff Lemon salutes the tyros who bowled their side to the brink of victory.
For Australia’s fast bowlers this year’s Ashes has been all about versatility and balance. Like one of those Chinese tile puzzles, pieces have been slotted into and out of place in a careful and deliberate line of progress towards an eventual aim. The right components have been employed at the right time. The same has applied on the field, where tactical approaches have shifted with the moment.
“My 90-year old dad has come down from Aberdeen for two days of the Test and suffered through yesterday. Is it too much to hope for a comeback to salve an old mans soul?” There’s always hope, Jane MacDonald.
That topic of England’s inability to prepare for both the Ashes and the World Cup simultaneously also pops up in Andy Bull’s latest column.
In the past two years this Test team have been so completely overshadowed by Eoin Morgan’s one-day side. In fact, the two of them have grown closer together than the England and Wales Cricket Board ever intended them to. When Andrew Strauss overhauled English cricket in 2015, he imagined they would grow into two separate teams in two separate streams, but as the last four years went on they started to blend together. They could not, but simply because the one-day team has been so much more successful. So the struggling Test team has looked to them for personnel and inspiration, even though their freewheeling philosophy, sell wickets cheap, pile runs high, is desperately ill-suited to this format.
“The fat lady sends her regrets” is the title of an email from David Gaskell that I am obviously eager to read. “Reminds me of a poem during the Cuban missile crisis. On the bus to work in the morning everyone was convinced it would be a nuclear holocaust, the end of the world. So everyone on the bus made out with those they had fancied every morning. The poem ends, on the way home that night everyone was embarrassed. Same today, given a target of around 320, treat it as a fifty over match.” I can see the logic, I’m just struggling to see the execution based on England’s batting (and Australia’s bowling) so far this series.
Tim Smith disagrees with my suggestion that prioritising a home World Cup over the Ashes was worthwhile for England. “As any true cricket lover knows the long form is the pinnacle of the sport. Anything less is an accommodation to generate revenue, pure and simple. As such any Test playing authority who puts short form above long form is not worthy of their position. As an aside, I also question that England won the World Cup... Ever since short form cricket started if scores are tied the team losing the least wickets wins (i.e. the Kiwis). The super over seems like yet another contrivance to meet the needs of poorly informed cricket fans who like the bish bash bosh and need a winner to satisfy them. One of the greatest sporting series in the last few years, All Blacks v The Lions ended as a draw - there were no losers, both sides (everyone) was a winner!?”
Ali Martin has begun the process of putting another England collapse into some kind of perspective.
The point to all this, as the Ashes slip out of Root’s reach, is that, if England are to keep the tail burning on the Archer comet, they must identify and develop specialist red-ball batsmen who put a high price on their wicket and can give the guy a break.
With the widely disliked 100-ball caper crashing into the height of the English summer next year, this will not be easy.
Australian supporter Jane Evans is sounding the hubris klaxon! “Please Jonathan, don’t! Below the line several regular and knowledgeable English posters warn of the dreaded Hubris Klaxon. I have enough English ancestry in the mix to feel a cold and sinking dread seep in underneath any warm and uplifting hope for an Australian victory. No counting chickens.”
Nick Bampton is in early with his RADICAL PLAN FOR ENGLISH CRICKET. I’m sure we’ll receive plenty of these throughout the day, although I’m not convinced the concept of rotating openers is going to catch on.
“New Head Coach: Eoin Morgan. New Test Captain: Ben Stokes. Test Team: Burns, Sibley / Vince (RO - opens on rotational basis), Root (RO), Stokes (RO), Pope / Roy (RO), Bairstow, Buttler, Woakes, Broad, Archer, Leach. The idea behind rotating openers is that nobody gets lumbered with the tag of opener, it’s just your turn, don’t put yourself under pressure to play like an opener, just give it ago, next week(or inns) it won’t be you. If Sheffield United can make overlapping centre backs work, then surely England can make rotating openers work.”
Updated
Dan Read, from Essex, opens the emails with something of a melancholic haiku. “Setting off to Leeds in a few hours as I have a ticket for Sunday. Hope springs eternal.” If you go via the A1, make sure you stop off around Stamford for a pork pie.
Weather: Headingley will be bathed in warm sunshine today. Conditions will be ideal for watching and playing cricket. Expect a raucous Western Terrace long before the close of play.
If yesterday’s chaos was too much of a blur to digest, allow Vic Marks to remind you what happened.
This was the day when the poverty of English batsmanship in this form of the game was laid bare. The Ashes hung in the balance; there was scope for England to bat with hope having dismissed Australia for 179 on the first day. The sun, supposedly the batsman’s friend at Headingley, was out.
I’m around for the next hour or so before play begins. If you want to riff on England’s pain, or perhaps celebrate Australia’s impending victory, you can drop me an email or a tweet.
Using the ICC Test Player Rankings England's top seven in 2019 have an average Rating of 579 ranking points - that is the second lowest they have recorded in a calendar year since 2001. In 2014 they dipped lower at 536. #Ashes
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) August 24, 2019
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of the third day of the third Test from Headingley.
This is the midpoint of the Ashes, but it may well be the final day of the summer during which the destination of the urn is unconfirmed. After two and a half Tests Australia have earned themselves a 1-0 series advantage and such an ascendancy at Leeds it seems only a matter of when, and not if, they secure the victory required to take an unassailable lead.
When the 2019 Ashes is distilled by documentarians and diarists, yesterday’s commotion will feature prominently in the narrative arcs. Australia, skittled for under 200 on day one and missing their star player, obliterated England with sustained controlled aggression that had their hosts grasping at air. If one man was the difference at Edgbaston, something more profound flowered at Headingley.
England now have plenty of soul searching to do. How can they arrest such an abysmal run of batting form at Test level? How do they handle Joe Root? After spending so much effort (rightly, in my opinion) on the World Cup cycle, what does the next strategic plan look like and when does it come into effect? How bare is the cupboard?
By contrast, Australia have plenty of back-slapping to do. Their plan has come together superbly. In particular the rotation of the bowling attack to ensure hunger and fitness, and the acclimatisation of all squad members to English conditions. The visitors have established an edge over their World Cup weary hosts unfamiliar to Ashes contests for most of the past couple of decades.
Or have I gone too soon? Could England pull off an ‘81 style miracle again? Are we in for a landmark “I was there” day of Test cricket? Probably not, but it’s an excuse to needle drop the sound of mumsy acid wash denim.
Updated
