Here’s your day two episode of The Final Word podcast:
Geoff Lemon on Usman Khawaja’s triumph:
If you’re just waking up - here’s a report on today’s play to sustain you.
That’s it from me, time for more coffee and a stretch. Thanks for all the messages and sorry I didn’t have time for them all. See you, I hope, on day four. Have a peaceful Twelfth Night.
Stuart Broad is freshly showered and in a blue polo shirt:
“It was nice to get five, I think we stuck at our task pretty well as a group, when Stokes was ruled out. I think all the seamers kept running in well, MArk Wood deserves more.... Test bowling is about character, and we kept trucking in, We could have bowled them out for 350 but... I think 400 is always that psychological thing on the scorecard.. it wasn’t the nicest Nathan Lyon pumping me into the stand, the first five-fer ball I’ve ever had to have sanitised.
“The pitch isn’t doing too much, you could see it today, Khawaja applied himself, there is nothing wrong with taking time to get in, and when you do you can score some runs. {unsubtle hint to batsmen]
“I think when you haven’t been playing, particularly at 35 years old, you value it so much. It’s frustrating when you miss out, particularly on pitches where you feel you could have a positive influence, but nobody has a right to play in the side. I ran in all day. Nice to get a five-fer, but would have preferred it to be when bowled Australia out in 250 to make more of a statement.
“I would love to have taken five-fer in the first Test match at Brisbane but that’s top-flight sport. I can’t do much about that, but I haven’t particularly grabbed this chance, 5 for a hundred and something isn’t something to write home about but I felt I worked pretty well within the plan of the team.”
Zac Crawley is a lucky, lucky, lucky man. Starc’s misplaced size giant foot gives him another life going into tomorrow and a chance to bring to life that pre-match century fighting talk. Australia dine on top, after that beautiful fluid century from Osman Khawaja, but England - they’re not comatose.
Stumps - England 13-0 trail Australia 416-8 by 403 runs
5th over: England 13-0 (Hameed 2, Crawley 2) Hameed lets by, defends, defends, defends with style, defends with not so much style and ball outside edges away to Cameron Green in the gully, defends, survives! And England’s opening partnership gets to walk back together at the end of the session for the first time all series.
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4th over: England 10-0 (Hameed 2, Crawley 2) Crawley prods back Starc’s last ball, surviving against all the odds. Just one over left now for Hameed to play through against Cummins.
REVIEW - Crawley c Warner b Starc 0 (England 10-1)
A gorgeous ball , swallowed by Warner at slip, but hang on- Starc has overstepped! Not out!
3rd over: England 10-0 (Hameed 2, Crawley 0) Hameed leaves a succession of balls from Cummins, one which jags back and just glazes his off bail. Still, he survives and so far this doesn’t have quite the menace of the penultimate night in Melbourne.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Hameed 2, Crawley 0) Hameed again takes a quick single, off the second ball, to book his berth up the other end. Starc isn’t quite as menacing as Cummins and England pick up four leg byes.
“England to bat for 20 mins,” muses Peter Kelly, “So Root will be batting in 10…..”
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1st over: England 5-0 (Hameed 1, Crawley 0) Cummins takes the new ball and immediately beats a prod of indefinite certainty from HH. He scampers a single and Crawley survives the over - just - leaving a scorcher which thuds into the front pad, then urgently pulling his arms out of the way and nearly overbalancing against one that rears off the surface and the keeper can only parry the ball down to the boundary.
If you’re just waking up, you might want to take the dog for a walk. Australia have declared leaving England a “testing”final flurry. I actually didn’t think England bowled too badly in the last two sessions, especially without Stokes to call on: Broad was excellent, Wood unlucky, Anderson parsimonious. Anyway, here we, Cummins has ball in hand.
Australia declare 416-8!
134th over: Australia 416-8 (Starc 34, Lyon 16) Lyon smacks Broad down the ground for four, heaves him for two, then shovels him up, up and away for SIX. And that, my friends, is the declaration. Let the agony begin. Cummins rushes onto the field to warm up in the middle as England meander off. There will be about 20 minutes for Crawley and Hameed to endure.
“Regarding your earlier discussion about needed to be introduced to cricket early I actually started enjoying it an adulthood,” taps Jakob Mathiszig-Lee. “I remember being taken to a county game at Lord’s in primary school and was bored stiff and disregarded cricket as a game from then on.
“For whatever reason watched a bit of the 2019 ashes (at the age of 31) and suddenly found myself enjoying it, the 2020 visit from the West Indies cemented it and now love the longer form.
“As for the game, it’s over isn’t it? At least we made it last till day 2 this time.” Jakob, do you have doubts about the solidity of our top-order?
133rd over: Australia 403-8 (Starc 33, Lyon 4) Lyon, with ungainly bent-kneed stance, heaves Wood’s bouncer through midwicket for four.
132nd over: Australia 398-8 (Starc 32, Lyon 0) Broad holds up the ball between his fingers and gets a goodly amount of applause from the Sydney crowd. It is his eighth Ashes five-fer and the 19th of his career. Excellent work.
WICKET! Khawaja b Broad 137 (Australia 398-8)
At last! Broad picks up his five-fer with an inside edge onto the stumps, pretty much his first false shot I’ve seen on my shift ( though he was dropped earlier on 28). Khawaja pulls off his helmet and raises his bat, turning to face the stadium just before he crosses the rope. What a smashing innings - talk about taking your chance.
131st over: Australia 393-7 (Khawaja 133, Starc 31) Wood beats the outside edge, of course he does.
Love all these falling-for-cricket stories:
“Growing up in Ireland watching the West Indies terrify the English in the late 70s/early 80s was where my interest was sparked,” taps James Cahill. “Very useful as I later moved to Australia where I can still see this happening, just swap out Windies for Aussies.”
130th over: Australia 392-7 (Khawaja 133, Starc 30) Broad’s back, which should lead to events. But just a couple of singles from the over. There is a rattle and the dog briefly raises her head from the sofa as the paperboy pushes the paper through the letterbox. Not too long now till dawn.
“Thanks for your entertaining commentary.” Thank you Jean Turner Chapman! “I’m sitting at home, not feeling 100% with what may or may not be CoVid as we are still waiting for our PCR test results three days down the track. Looking forward to the Aussies squeezing in a session with the ball before stumps. And as for the cricket bug, I love listening to the radio (ABC) or reading the OBO, but watching the telly and listening to the blokey banter leaves me a bit cold. Though I do think Ricky Ponting is worth listening to and Skull is always good for a joke.”
Get well soon! Hope you get good news with a negative test.
129th over: Australia 390-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 29) An almost-grimace passes over Wood’s bonny face as Starc has a swing and Bairstow on the boundary loses sight of the ball completely as it flies for four. A 91mph bouncer follows which Starc fends, safely, away.
128th over: Australia 384-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 23) Anderson bowls the first ball after drinks as clouds start to build around the SCG, the flags jagging in the wind, the floodlights switching on. It’s a maiden from the penny-pincher and he and Broad chew the fat at the end of the over as Anderson puts his sunglasses upside down on the back of his cap.
“England have dealt reasonably well with the top order but the game is moving away from them again,” muses Matthew Petch. “Starc and Cummins can both bat and are dragging us inexorably to 400 with Khawaja. The advantage was with England 321-6 at tea.” Yes, the Australian tail is proving a great irritant for England.
127th over: Australia 384-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 23) Mark Wood deserves more - first Starc fends a short one past Buttler for four, then Starc is given out caught behind, only to be over-turned on review because it hit the arm guard. And with that, they take DRINKS.
An email pings in from Karen O’Connell. “My mum, Rose O’Connell, a Canadian immigrant to Australia, and the least sporty person you’d meet, caught the cricket bug – and a crush on Shane Warne – in her 70s, after never watching a game in her life. Never too late to develop an obsession… or two!”
Brilliant! I took some friends to a World Cup match at Headingley in 1999 in an attempt to win them over to cricket. It completely failed except in one respect, they too developed Shane Warne obsessions.
126th over: Australia 380-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 19) You feel for the bowlers, going through the motions now after a long day, just waiting for the declaration. Having typed the figures for a few overs with a tired brain, it is only striking me now how effortlessly Khawaja has moved towards 150. A military maiden from Anderson.
“Why can’t you provide a link to the score sheet, or at least show a photograph of the score board. It’s impossible to get a quick summary of what happened in the game so far. And it’s even worse in the regular articles.” There should be a link Gareth Thomas, at the top of the page under the score? It says View Full Scorecard, at least on my page?
125th over: Australia 380-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 19) An admirable maiden from Wood, as we watch Cameron Green on the Australian balcony being schooled in the ways of the baggy green.
This sounds like the plot of an arthouse film.
@tjaldred I know a French bloke who started in his mid-forties. Became obsessed with Inzamam-ul-Haq. Dedicated a poetry collection to him and got into a lame fistfight with an Indian fan in a Paris supermarket. So never too late.
— Robert McL Wilson (@Parisbob2001) January 6, 2022
124th over: Australia 380-7 (Khawaja 132, Starc 19) Khawaja’s drives are full dream boy. Here Anderson gets the treatment, as he kisses the ball away through the covers. Mark Butcher pays them due reverence: “Goweresque,” and they are.
123rd over: Australia 376-7 (Khawaja 129, Starc 18) Root sends down a stinker, which Khawaja treats with deserved disdain.
@tjaldred Catching the bug young? True, I spent the summer of '92 watching cricket on the BBC rather than studying for my GCSEs. I now remember Laurie Potter and John Childs but absolutely no French verbs. I think this is what today's kids are missing with no free-to-air cricket.
— Seeing The Lizards (@seethelizards) January 6, 2022
122nd over: Australia 369-7 (Khawaja 123, Starc 17) It’s Jimmy, to do things.Needle-point accuracy from the off. I probably should know this, but don’t - can anyone help? How did Khawaja get to inherit the magnificent No. 1 shirt?
Up on the wrought iron balcony, in the shade of the pavilion, one of the Australian bowlers is looking at cricket balls, trying them out for size.
121st over: Australia 367-7 (Khawaja 122, Starc 16) Root looks around his men, and turns to himself. Innocuous fare mostly, and Australia pick up four. Someone is playing Waltzing Mathilda on the trumpet.
“I’m a bit unsympathetic to the plight of English supporters back home having to endure the ignominy of all this,” harrumphs Chris Walsh. “You need to think of those of us resident here (Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in my case) who hear about it day in and day out in every interaction with a local.
“In any event, I have a plan. We bowl Australia out for around 400 which gives us 3 days to score 600 and bowl them out on the last day. Victory by an innings and a few. Couldn’t be simpler.”
But Chris, you have sunshine. That makes everything, everything more bearable.
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120th over: Australia 363-7 (Khawaja 121 Starc 13) Starc throws the kitchen sink and the sticky rice pan at a wide one from Broad but only picks up two. Has he instructions? Does Cummins want the ball this evening? Broad goes off the field - for a rub-down? - to appreciative noises from the SCG crowd.
Looking for cricket fans in a desert? Jonathan Horowitz found his through, “Twitter and Discord! You know the one good thing social media is for, finding the weirdos like you.”
119th over: Australia 356-7 (Khawaja 117, Starc 10) A reverse-sweep, an edge, a drive - they all count as Australia ease towards 400.
118th over: Australia 348-7 (Khawaja 112, Starc 7) The ball after a beatified straight drive for four, Starc does well to survive a review off Broad’s bowling, a grenade that nips back and hits...something? Root gambles on a review and it turns out to have avoided the bat but hit the pad - but it is umpire’s call. Broad deserved that wicket for sheer force of effort and skill and good humour.
117th over: Australia 343-7 (Khawaja 112, Starc 2) There’s another one of Khawaja’s square drives, charmingly elegant, stopped from going to the rope by the fawn-like HH. Another wicketless over for poor Jack Leach. Someone lend him some of their luck, please.
“Greetings from Singapore!” Lovely to hear from you Kevin Tong. “Speaking of the cricket bug, I have to say it isn’t true that the golden years are in the pre-teens. I’m 23 this year and have only been following cricket for the last 3 years or so! I can’t be the only one who got absolutely hooked by the 2019 World Cup final and that astonishing super over. I remember I was in a hotel room in Thailand reading every over of the OBO while the rest of my mates were drinking. I’m sure I had more entertainment.” I’ll tell Rob Smyth and Tim de Lisle that, they’d be tickled!
116th over: Australia 338-7 (Khawaja 109, Starc o) Stuart Broad stretches out those long, long legs for another over of sweat and toil. Just a run and a leg bye from it. 29 overs left in the day
Hello Jonathan Horowitz! “To respond to Finbar earlier, I’m a Chicagoan with no cricket ancestry/experience and started getting into the game at age 27. I think the most exciting sporting event of this year so far was the Bangladesh victory over NZ and I’ve been watching the Ashes instead of American football. I’m also in contact with a bunch of other Americans about cricket, most of whom learned the game as adults. It’s never too late if you find the game interesting!” That’s great. Being nosy, but how did you guys find each other?
115th over: Australia 336-7 (Khawaja 108, Starc o) Khawja still making it effortless as he drives Leach through the off side.
114th over: Australia 331-7 (Khawaja 103, Starc o) Just reward for Broad, who had tried a couple of short ones earlier in the over.
WICKET! Cummins c Buttler b Broad 24 (Australia 331-7)
It’s that man Broad again! It goes to review but he gets one to rear up - nasty, nasty - and it seems to fly off Cummins glove as he protects his face. The onfield umpire says not out but England review and despite there being no hotspot, the third umpire goes with the balance of probability. A nice catch by Buttler, stretching above his head.
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113th over: Australia 331-6 (Khawaja 103, Cummins 24) Leach, tis. Rattles through an over, they take two, thanks very much ma’am. Are there, incidentally, many simpler pleasures than a hot water bottle on a cold winter night?
“ Morning Tanya and a Happy New Year.” Hello Finbar Anslow. “I was wondering if there is a cut off age for loving/understanding cricket? I was fortunate enough to have been taken to the county ground in Taunton by my mother at 7 years old, but my older siblings were presumably all too immersed in the Pretty things and Herman’s Hermits to be interested. Could it be that if you haven’t caught the bug by your teens then it’s simply not going to happen? My wife, bless her, dutifully tries to make the right noises when I try to enlighten her - “Butler’s gone berserk” “Oh dear!” - We’ve even watched Lagaan twice, but yesterday’s comment was the cherry on the ageing Christmas cake; “He clean bowled him, shattering the stumps, but No Ball!” “Where was it?”
I think it is often a chore if you don’t get the bug young. Not just cricket, but especially cricket.
112th over: Australia 329-6 (Khawaja 102, Cummins 23) Cummins creams the first ball after tea through extra cover for four, Broad thinks he’s got his man second ball. He’s wrong. Cummins provides further irritation by dabbing him through the slips down to third for another four.
Well, yes:
for all the talk of prep, or lack of, this is Usman Khawaja's first knock in nearly a month (scores of 11 & 5 v England Lions .. and match England's reserve bats didn't feature in for some reason)
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) January 6, 2022
NOT OUT! Nah, missing off stump. Wise call by Cummins.
Review! Cummins lbw
Broad is sure, but Cummins reviews straight away...
Out the teams come for the last session, Khawaja and Bairstow share a joke. England need their bowlers to find a breakthrough rapidly or the next couple of days look very sticky.
TEA: Australia 321-6
Beautiful batting from Khawaja, whose wife/partner and young baby were delightedly watching from the stands. Time for coffee here, back shortly.
How apt that two Queenslanders who really look up to their captain Usman Khawaja & who attribute a lot of their success in first-class cricket to him since he moved there, Neser and Swepson, are the ones in the dug-out waiting to welcome him in post his century #Ashes pic.twitter.com/7JINbBdM2j
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 6, 2022
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A hundred for Usman Khawaja!
111th over: Australia 321-6 (Khawaja 102, Cummins 15) It’s Leach to whom Root turns, to ruin the fairytale. Cummins finds a single and Khawaja has three balls to get a run. He squeezes the ball, through the gap at square leg, and that’s it! He leaps in the air, pulls off his helmet, marches on the spot like an ecstatic drummer, raises his bat and gets a hug from Cummins and rousing applause from his home crowd. His ninth Test century, and what a return to the Test side after two years out. The teams stroll off for tea, Khawaja leading the way up to the lovely green-roofed pavilion, slaps on the back every step of way.
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110th over: Australia 314-6 (Khawaja 99, Cummins 11) Root turns to his joker, Dawid Malan, and Cummins slogs him for two fours back over his head before taking a single off the last ball of the over to steal the strike. Pat! The crowd boos their dear captain. One over till tea.
109th over: Australia 305-6 (Khawaja 99, Cummins 2) On the brink of tea, Khawaja cuts a juicy wide one from Root and is within just a sprint of three figures.
108th over: Australia 297-6 (Khawaja 93, Cummins 0) Khawaja pivots on his perfect axis and hooks Wood’s first ball for four, and he’s thrillingly coming out his shell as he approaches three figures. Interestingly, Geoff Lemon on the radio is talking about what a rotten time all spinners, not just English spinners, have had in Australia recently with only Ravichandran Ashwin breaking the mould. Anyway, Wood bounces Cummins who sways out of the way.
Worries for Travis Head, but I think Khawaja would be in the selectorial minds regardless because of his form in Asia and three tours of the sub-continent coming up.
@tjaldred it will be awful for Head, if, after being so consistent, he gets dropped for a flashy NSWer scoring a ton on his return
— Part Time PM (@Roscommon_Cat) January 6, 2022
107th over: Australia 292-6 (Khawaja 88, Cummins 0) Khawaja rocks out another of his wristy, glorious, off-side strokes but only picks up a single this time.
106th over: Australia 291-6 (Khawaja 87, Cummins 0) Wood, forever smiling, tickles Cummins with a bouncer then beats him with a beauty at 90mph plus.And another: Cummins shakes his handsome helmeted head and purses his lips in something - profession admiration?
105th over: Australia 290-6 (Khawaja 87, Cummins 0) An uneventful Root affair.
104th over: Australia 289-6 (Khawaja 85, Cummins 0) Wood replaces the forlorn Leach and tests Cummins with an over of fast ping pong.
“Given the weather,” ponders Tanay Padhi, “I think Australia should declare soon and then enforce the follow on.” I think they’ll want a few more - and such is the fragility of England’s batting that they don’t really need to think about putting the openers in for a dodgy half hour before the close.
102nd over: Australia 289-6 (Khawaja 85, Cummins 0) After the joy of the wicket, Khawaja unfurls another beautiful shot, a drive square and handsome. He accelerates towards that hundred on his return.
Matthew Ayre has been inspired by Paul Harrison.
“England, I still love you, when you collapse like pawns
Like a flag-bedecked ape
Playing The Great Escape
Cos you’re still the one team who’ll get me up before dawn”
WICKET! Carey c Bairstow b Root 13 (Australia 285-6)
Carey tries to bellow a huge sweep but just top edges and Bairstow scurries backwards towards mid-off and holds on to a tricky steepler from over his shoulder.
101st over: Australia 284-5 (Khawaja 80, Carey 13) Leach switches ends, to ply his wares from the Paddington end. The first is a tasty morsel, full and wide and Khawaja drives hims stylishly for four. Two more come in a similar manner, and then another dumpling of a half volley which Khawaja dismisses with similar style for another boundary. Eleven from an over he’ll want to forget.
101st over: Australia 273-5 (Khawaja 69, Carey 13) Toot, toot, it’s time for Joe Root, and Carey sparks a bit of life into proceedings by lofting him back over his head for four.
100th over: Australia 268-5 (Khawaja 68, Carey 9). These Australians they just dig in, and this is starting to develop a bit of an ominous feel as one comes off Anderson’s over. My bones are telling me Australia trudge to 375 and then put in England on a worrisome pitch as Pat Cummins snorts up dust at one end, Mitchell Starc at the other. As Ben Grant says:
@tjaldred this pitch is a bit up and down already, wouldn't want to be the team batting last...
— Ben Grant (@benjaminagrant) January 6, 2022
99th over: Australia 264-5 (Khawaja 65, Carey 8) Signs of frustration from Khawaja who attempts a swing at Leach but misses. Three singles. Cricket Australia have published the revised dates for the Women’s Ashes which starts on Jan 20 with a T20.
🗓 A revised set of dates for our long-awaited series against England.
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) January 6, 2022
Pencil these in, it's almost time to retain the #Ashes! pic.twitter.com/xaqA18ykD6
98th over: Australia 264-5 (Khawaja 65, Carey 8) The sun is showing its wares out there at the SCG, and Anderson’s arms are turning a reddy-brown. Another maiden as the crowd bubble on the edge of restlessness.
97th over: Australia 264-5 (Khawaja 65, Carey 8) Another careful over, another maiden, no particular dangers. And the cameras pan to Mark Wood climbing the stairs off the field as Overton comes on as replacement.TBH, I’d forgotten he was there.
96th over: Australia 264-5 (Khawaja 65, Carey 8) A couple from a typical Anderson over of exactitude.
Paul Harrison is wallowing.NYC
“Humming this sitting in the bath here NYC during the lunch break, to this tune
“Welcome any OBO-er additions!
England, I love you
But you’re bringing me down
England, I love you
But you’re making me frown
Burns out for that duck
Our tactics that suck
Our head on a plate
Stokesy bowled through the gate
Two years’ plans unfold
Leachey still underbowled
Broad put to the sword
Jimmy toils, no reward
Baggy Greens up on high
I’m asking you why?
England, I love you
But you’re bringing me down
Like a death of the heart
OBO-ers, where do we start?
Marcus endlessly chirps
Giles falls from his perch
Roots alone on his throne
Silverwood on his way home
They make the Kookaburra sing
But for us there’s no swing
Smith running for rain
Oh, I can’t take this pain
England you’re losing
And you’re wasting our time
All records do show
Batting averages’ too low
Cummins can do no wrong
Scottie Boland gets a gong
England, I love you
But you’re bringing me down
But the Ashes are still the one pool
Where I’d happily drown
And oh, take me off your barmy army mailing list
For kids who think it still exists.”
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95th over: Australia 262-5 (Khawaja 64, Carey 7) It’s Jack Leach - Root doesn’t have much choice with Stokes unable to bowl with a side strain. Leach fiddles with the ball in his hands: long sleeves, collar up. Ooof, one goes on with the arm and just evades Khawaja’s outside edge. Keeping it tight.
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94th over: Australia 260-5 (Khawaja 62, Carey 7) TheTV replays are showing the variable bounce England’s bowlers are getting on this SCG surface. It’s not great news for England’s batters. Jimmy Anderson takes over from Broad: a lbw appeal and a single.
93rd over: Australia 259-5 (Khawaja 61, Carey 7) Carey squeezes a couple away.
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92.4 overs: Australia 257-5 (Khawaja 61, Carey 5) There’s a wind at Sydney which is ruffling Wood’s trousers as he waits at the top of his mark. Carey inside edges with a huge slice of luck and the ball slices down to the boundary. Wood is really hurtling in; wow, that one keeps low and bounces in front of Buttler, in fact it hits him on the back of the hand. They’re taking drinks midway through the over while Buttler gets treatment.
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92nd over: Australia 253-5 (Khawaja 61, Carey 1) Thanks Jonathan. Morning/afternoon everyone, it’s a chilly old middle-of-the-night here but. Broad, who has done the damage with the new ball, is looking toothsome and Khawaja tempted, all squared up.
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91st over: Australia 249-5 (Khawaja 57, Carey 1) Wood bowls the first over with England’s fourth ball of the match so far, and four deliveries in beats the edge of Khawaja’s bat for the first time in an age. Not much else doing as I take my leave and hand you over to Tanya Aldred for the remainder of the day. See you tomorrow!
There’s another ball change for England at the SCG. Not sure what was wrong with this one. It bagged them two wickets after all.
90th over: Australia 248-5 (Khawaja 56, Carey 1) Khawaja now looks right on top of his game and he calmly defuses the latest over of Broad’s menacing spell. After a single, Carey is drawn tentatively forward, but not enough to induce a chance.
“The decision to omit Broad at the Gabba looks sillier than ever,” emails Mark McNamara. Yes, it does. For me, Chris Woakes is the great enigma of this England team. For a while he looked like Anderson’s natural new ball swing bowling heir, and at other times he’s looked a possible No 7 bowling allrounder. Yet, despite all this potential he’s still not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, and when he is selected ahead of Broad and Anderson it feels wrong somehow.
89th over: Australia 246-5 (Khawaja 55, Carey 0) Wood strays onto Khawaja’s pads and is glanced finely for four. The rest of the over is defended calmly from the crease.
Poor England fans. They can’t win either way.
@JPHowcroft OH GOD HERE COMES THE HOPE
— Robert Wilson-Fry (@robwilsonfry) January 6, 2022
88th over: Australia 242-5 (Khawaja 51, Carey 0) Four overs 2/13 this new ball spell form Stuart Broad. Almost in spite of themselves, England are still in with a shout here.
Stuart Broad goes level with Bob Willis on 123 Ashes wickets.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) January 6, 2022
Second on England’s all-timer list.
Just Botham left in front on 128.
WICKET! Green c Crawley b Broad 5 (Australia 242-5)
Broad does it again! The drop from the previous over counts for little as Green again gets a thick outside edge not coming forward decisively. This time the ball carries low to Crawley’s safe hands at third slip. England are making inroads with the new ball.
87th over: Australia 241-4 (Khawaja 50, Green 5) Mark Wood gets an early look at the new ball, and after four dots he finds Green’s outside edge but the ball doesn’t carry to first slip, and Stokes, more advanced at second, doesn’t dive across. Drop? Wood will surely mark it down as one. Oh England.
Dismissing Steve Smith in Tests
— Swamp (@sirswampthing) January 6, 2022
1x: 28 bowlers
2x: 7 bowlers
3x: 7 bowlers
4x: 5 bowlers
5x: Rangana Herath, Neil Wagner
6x: Ravi Ashwin
7x: Yasir Shah
8x: James Anderson
9x: STUART BROAD
#AUSvENG
50 to Usman Khawaja
86th over: Australia 237-4 (Khawaja 50, Green 1) Broad has his tail up - not full KNEES PUMPING BROAD - but he’s definitely into the contest and the ball is coming out very nicely in the direction of a tentative Green. The big allrounder holds his nerve and gets off strike, and a duck, with a simple push into the covers. Khawaja then uses his time at the crease to squirt a couple behind square leg - the second not a guaranteed run - to bring up a hard-earned comeback 50. Lovely stuff.
Brian Withington has emailed in some curmudgeonly greetings. “I’m in two minds here whether to join in with the pile on or launch a contrarian defence of the England team, but I don’t think I can summon the necessary bile or energy.
Instead, can I just opine that in relation to the captaincy side-show question, Ben Stokes (and heaven forbid, Eoin Morgan) are most certainly not the answer. However, the sooner Andrew Strauss replaces Ashley ‘what’s irony’ Giles the better in my dog-eared book. Well bowled Broad by the way.”
85th over: Australia 234-4 (Khawaja 48, Green 0) Can England prise open this Australian middle order? The slow run-rate means they’re only a couple of wickets away from being right back into this contest, despite such an awful morning session.
Not this over. Khawaja is dialled in and defends Anderson from the crease, pulling handily for a couple in the process.
“Does anyone know what the third umpire does while waiting for reviews to occur (or not)?” asks the delightfully tennisified Murray Henman. I think they read Lord of the Rings and practice telling batters to walk.
WICKET! Smith c Buttler b Broad 67 (Australia 232-4)
Broad’s second over with the new ball begins with a superb square drive from Smith, the kind he plays so well, seemingly neither on the front or back foot. But then, he inexplicably offers no shot to a delivery angling into his pads. Broad appeals in trademark fashion, the on-field decision is not out, England REVIEW, and DRS shows the delivery was just, only just missing the top of leg stump. Very very odd decision from Smith. Perhaps he was as post-prandially drowsy as many of us watching and wanted to liven things up a bit?
Broad follows up with a jaffa, spitting and seaming away from the outside edge just short of a length. Smith responds with a swivel pull for four. Broad fancied it as a chance for the leg gully, Hameed in that position was nowhere near it.
THEN BROAD GETS HIS MAN! What an over! Back on the fifth-stump line, a bit of wobble, and Smith nicks the new ball through to Buttler. A session’s worth of incident in one over, and Broad is the man to make something happen.
84th over: Australia 232-4 (Khawaja 46)
Updated
83rd over: Australia 224-3 (Smith 59, Khawaja 46) Even in the hands of James Anderson, the new ball is doing nowt. Khawaja and Smith effortlessly nudge singles to keep the scoreboard moving.
82nd over: Australia 222-3 (Smith 58, Khawaja 45) Just as it has been since the time of the Flintstones, Stuart Broad shares the new ball with James Anderson. He comes around the wicket to Khawaja, targeting the top of off stump, but a slight misfield allows a rotation of strike. Smith looks to score from his half-over but can’t beat the ring fielders.
“What a horror session for England,” surmises Nick Parkinson, accurately. “After sharing the honours yesterday, England have dished up a pedestrian session and allowed Khawaja and Smith to get their eye-in. Once again, English hopes rest with the Anderson-Broad cartel with the new ball. Seems to me that if Khawaja/Smith can see off the first 4-5 overs, a hard new ball on a green pitch might see them score runs very quickly. As an Australian who was nevertheless hoping for some competitive, knife-edge Ashes cricket, how disappointing.”
81st over: Australia 221-3 (Smith 58, Khawaja 44) Anderson doesn’t get a whole heap of lateral movement, or extra zip from the new ball. Smith is happy to leave a lot alone and watch through a sighter of a maiden.
Some encouraging news for England.
Ben Stokes returning to the field shortly, but unlikely to bowl today.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 6, 2022
England take the new ball straight away. James Anderson is back into the attack. The next hour is critical.
80th over: Australia 221-3 (Smith 58, Khawaja 44) Now it’s time for some Joe Root part-timers, replacing the part-timers of Dawid Malan. England really coming out all guns blazing after the lunch break. And of course Root gifts Khawaja a long-hop to slap through midwicket like he’s playing backyard totem tennis.
100 partnership up (from 235 balls).
79th over: Australia 216-3 (Smith 57, Khawaja 40) Rank from Leach first ball of the session, short and wide and clarted to the cover boundary by Smith. Seven runs in all come from a soporific over.
We’re back after lunch interval, by the way. Hang onto your hats, it’s Jack Leach with the ball, anything could happen!*
*Nothing will happen.
Eamonn Maloney has logged on in the lunch break with the funnies. “’Runs hardly flowed, but amongst the showers Smith and Khawaja were largely untroubled...’ Heard it rained a bit too while Smith and Khawaja were amongst the showers. Of which Root was the dampest with his fields.” Boom, and indeed, tish.
Lunch: Australia 209-3
That was all too easy for Australia. Runs hardly flowed, but amongst the showers Smith and Khawaja were largely untroubled as they built a platform from which to attack later on.
It was a nightmare session for England. Toothless with the ball, Buttler and Root conspired to drop the only chance on offer, Stokes limped off with a side strain, and the general tone was one of malaise.
@JPHowcroft given the dropped catches and the lack of plans and the ill-preparation and the poor technique and the making-it-up-as-you-go-along tactics - this is all comfortingly reassuring.
— Robert Wilson-Fry (@robwilsonfry) January 6, 2022
Updated
50 to Steve Smith
78th over: Australia 209-3 (Smith 51, Khawaja 39) Malan with the last over before lunch, and Smith treats it respectfully, until he can’t help but bring up his half-century with a single into the covers. Khawaja then gets the part-timer’s beamer, which he bunts through the covers.
Smith has batted 13 times at the SCG and gone beyond 50 on ten occasions (with three tons). Averages 79 here. #Ashes
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) January 6, 2022
Updated
77th over: Australia 206-3 (Smith 49, Khawaja 38) Leach bowls, Australia add three to their score. Lunch imminent.
76th over: Australia 203-3 (Smith 48, Khawaja 36) Wood didn’t last long, replaced by Dawid Malan’s part-time leggies. Malan lands his first couple to Smith very nicely, although without huge revs, then the Australian batters calmly milk a series of easy singles.
@JPHowcroft I admire Catchlove's selflessness, but you heard it here first: Canberra test. Let chaos reign. (Also with a name like Catchlove he certainly wasn't going to be on the England squad, was he? Heyoooo, I'm here all night.)
— Dr Meghan Purvis (@meghanpurvis) January 6, 2022
Updated
75th over: Australia 200-3 (Smith 46, Khawaja 35) Finally, after an hour of bowling, Leach gets an orthodox field to bowl too. It keeps Khawaja honest and encourages the batter to improvise, which he does on the second occasion, using his feet to time a shot through the covers for a brace.
England are not trying to take a wicket are they @JPHowcroft? They're trying to be there when a wicket falls.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) January 6, 2022
Not quite the same thing.
74th over: Australia 197-3 (Smith 45, Khawaja 33) Wood remains in the attack after mopping up Stokes’s over but Australia rotate the strike neatly and continue on their merry, if not very urgent, way towards lunch.
Steve Rose has gone hyper-local with his reasoning for any booing caught on the TV mics during the rain breaks. “Randwick wear green,” he emails. “The groundstaff at the SCG wear green. At the Randwick End, some of the booing may well be parochial, never mind the weather.”
73rd over: Australia 195-3 (Smith 44, Khawaja 33) Bleurgh. Buttler and Root combine to drop a catch. Stokes does himself a mischief. Leach is into the tenth over of the most uninspiring ten-over spell you could imagine - one that contains a Hameed misfield. Time for bed, England.
John Catchlove is fishing for some Victoria-NSW beef. Frankly, I’m here for it. “Given that Sydney tests are washed out on a 1/4.5 ratio, he emails, “why does Cricket Australia persist in scheduling tests there? It always bloody rains in Sydney!! I believe Melbourne with a 1/11.5 ratio would be a better venue and deserves two Tests a summer. Sydney fans, few as they are could easily travel down here as they are all rich. That I am a long term Melbourne Cricket Club member has no bearing on my proposal.”
Ben Stokes leaves the field injured
72nd over: Australia 191-3 (Smith 42, Khawaja 31) Ben Stokes is done. Side strain. Five deliveries into the fourth over of his spell of nothing but bouncers. Mark Wood completes the over.
England's 16th drop of the tour - 17th as well, if you want.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) January 6, 2022
Absolutely textbook five minutes of England-in-Australiaing.
— Dave Tickner (@tickerscricket) January 6, 2022
71st over: Australia 189-3 (Smith 41, Khawaja 30) DROP! Leach found the angle across Khawaja, kissed the edge, Buttler’s gloves were nowhere near, the ball bounced off his thigh and just to the right of Root at a very catchable height, but the England skipper couldn’t react and hold on in time. Those chances simply have to be taken in a match as attritional as this.
“Morning Jonathan, Gervase Greene here.” Hello! “With Leach bowling old-fashioned darts and Stokes to someone invisible around backward square, I am assuming they are looking to bore the Australians out. Or is this a cunning plan to have the lynch mob assembling at Gatwick to turn off the telly?”
Updated
70th over: Australia 185-3 (Smith 39, Khawaja 28) Stokes lands a blow on Smith! After both batters navigate the opening few deliveries with some strike rotation, Smith takes his eye off a ball lasering into his chest from around the wicket. The impact was flush on his gloves, but it could have been much worse.
69th over: Australia 182-3 (Smith 37, Khawaja 27) More rapid ‘meh’ from Leach. Australia nudge a couple of singles. Khawaja almost invites catastrophe with an unnecessary stab at a delivery outside his off stump that almost turns into a play on.
68th over: Australia 180-3 (Smith 36, Khawaja 26) Stokes continues his Wagner tribute act, and after an over and half of searching for the line and length he gets a delivery to climb awkwardly at Khawaja’s front armpit from around the wicket.
@JPHowcroft It's 178-3 but England are bowling like its 378-3.
— Polemikos (@IPolemikos) January 6, 2022
Have you ever seen a team so quickly go from being "the best prepared" to resorting to left arm round the wicket one end and fast medium bouncers the other?
67th over: Australia 179-3 (Smith 36, Khawaja 25) Better from Leach, bowling around the wicket across Khawaja, and then getting one to bounce and grip at Smith. Still, Murali in a dustbowl it is not.
66th over: Australia 178-3 (Smith 36, Khawaja 24) Ben Stokes replaces James Anderson in the attack. What is the plan here? Oh boy, the field is wild! A short leg, no slips, a short third man, a gully, plenty out on the leg side... Are we in for some Neil Wagner chaos? Yes! Stokes runs in and hurls down bouncers to Khawaja. The first two are too short and loopy, then the third is hooked off the glove! But it doesn’t carry to fine leg. He continues around the wicket to Smith, but the superstar has all the time in the world to dab a single into the on-side. Finally, some out-of-the-box thinking from England. The execution not yet spot on, but at least some innovation.
Updated
65th over: Australia 175-3 (Smith 35, Khawaja 23) Couple of singles from a nondescript Leach over. England just seem to be going through the motions and the game is drifting away from them.
As an aside, the coverage of the groundstaff sprinting into the middle every rain delay - and their jostling for position in the dash - is joyous.
64th over: Australia 173-3 (Smith 34, Khawaja 22) Despite the interruptions Australia have batted with control all morning, picking up runs when they’re on offer. Khawaja gets one when Anderson loses balance in his delivery stride and drops short, then Smith eases into a sumptuous cover drive for a couple. England are in need of inspiration. Smith is running the show.
63rd over: Australia 168-3 (Smith 30, Khawaja 21) Smith nudges Leach for a single to move above Justin Langer on the all-time run-scorer’s list for Australia. Khawaja then enjoys a bit of good fortune when he cuts uppishly, just wide of gully, after the ball skidded off the surface more than he expected. Still, the outcome is four runs.
And there’s more rain... and Smith pelts off the pitch like he’s Renton evading the rozzers through the backstreets of Leith. England are standing their ground, waiting for the drizzle to pass. And Smith is ushered back onto the field before the groundstaff can even lay the hessian. This is not doing much for Smith’s reputation, I can tell you.
Play resumes with a dot ball.
7 rain interruptions to the match so far. This last one the shortest. England not even leaving the field #Ashea
— Daniel Brettig 🏏 (@danbrettig) January 6, 2022
This is genuinely pathetic.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 6, 2022
62nd over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 29, Khawaja 17) Khawaja defends Anderson and the 62nd over is completed.
Play will resume shortly.
Only the light covers are on, and there are plenty of people still out in the middle, including the umpires. This delay shouldn’t be long.
Umpires stood up to Steve Smith for a moment there. But he sprinted off like there was an incoming tsunami one ball later. England players are still outside because it's barely raining. https://t.co/SqCB51ee5M
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 6, 2022
Steve Smith managing to be an elite Test batsman while also umpiring the Test is remarkable. Nothing he can't do.
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) January 6, 2022
Rain stops play
61.5 overs: Australia 163-3 (Smith 29, Khawaja 17) Anderson thinks he’s a chance when Smith plays around his front pad in front of his stumps, but like he has on so many occasions Smith gets wood on ball and glances a couple of runs to fine leg.
There’s an odd moment mid-over, as drizzle drifts over the SCG and Smith begins to walk off, only to be recalled by the umpires and told to play on. Smith has been very quick to get off the ground at every possible rain break opportunity.
And then two deliveries later he gets his wish and the groundstaff charge on like it’s a royal rumble.
Updated
61st over: Australia 160-3 (Smith 26, Khawaja 17) A rare maiden from Leach. Khawaja unable to pierce the field with the ball spinning into him from outside off stump.
Updated
60th over: Australia 160-3 (Smith 26, Khawaja 17) Smith calmly defuses another Anderson over, nurdling a couple of runs behind square leg for his troubles. Australia are an hour into the day and cruising.
Leach is also bowling a lot quicker than he usually does. He's averaging 87.2 kph this series - the quickest he's bowled in a series by far. In comparison, he's bowling 3 kph quicker than his career average speed of 84.1 kph before the start of the series. #Ashes https://t.co/mSkE4Cef6A
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) January 5, 2022
Updated
59th over: Australia 158-3 (Smith 24, Khawaja 17) More who-knows-what from Leach and England. Neither attacking or defending, Australia are milking runs at will, and showing how much confidence he has in the match-up, Khawaja reverse sweeps extravagantly for four.
Updated
58th over: Australia 152-3 (Smith 23, Khawaja 12) Rain delay, what rain delay? After the brief interruption Smith straight drives Anderson for four. He looks in good order today.
Andrew Benton is online. “‘It’s really not obvious what England are trying to achieve...’ Jonathan, you must know by now that everything England does is one big learning experience and that they’ll take that learning and apply it next time. See if they don’t.” Ahem.
Updated
Jack Leach has tried to bowl a very defensive line this series straying down leg 45% of the deliveries so far. This is significantly higher than his Test career average of 14.6% before the start of the series. #Ashes @IGcom pic.twitter.com/uw0CejsmvC
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) January 5, 2022
The shower has just about blown through, and we’ll be back on shortly. No overs lost.
@JPHowcroft If that one groundsman (you know the one) doesn't get man of the match for this, I swear to god. Pretty sure I've had nightmares where I have to jog in front of people describing me as "sturdy".
— Dr Meghan Purvis (@meghanpurvis) January 5, 2022
Rain stops play
57.3 overs: Australia 148-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 12) A squally shower has just blown across the SCG. It doesn’t look set in, but the players are jogging off for the time being.
Updated
57th over: Australia 147-3 (Smith 19, Khawaja 11) More Leach. more easy runs for Australia. It’s really not obvious what England are trying to achieve with their spinner with gaps all over the place for the batters to pick at will, and no clear plan of attack for taking wickets.
56th over: Australia 145-3 (Smith 18, Khawaja 10) Anderson is settling into his work to Khawaja, slanting the ball across the left-hander, but he’s yet to find a penetrating line and length. Australia have settled into the day nicely.
55th over: Australia 144-3 (Smith 17, Khawaja 10) Jack Leach has been thrown the ball early on day two. From an England perspective there’s not much to get excited about - not helped by an ultra-defensive field - and Australia advance their score by four with the minimum of fuss.
54th over: Australia 140-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 9) After his early burst, Wood makes way for Anderson, and the veteran shows he’s still got some spite, rapping Khawaja on his knuckles with a delivery that launched off a length. Haseeb Hameed’s heavily strapped fingers must be quivering in the field. After the strike is rotated Anderson beats Smith’s outside edge (around a sixth-stump line). Good start from the record breaker.
Colum Fordham has joined in. “It’s all very well to pick out Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root as our Test stars – and they are undoubtedly are – who do not feature in white ball cricket (although Root does play in ODIs). But Australia have just won the T20 World Cup with Hazlewood and Starc as their strike bowlers and many of the Aussie team play equally well in all formats (Warner is a shining example as a batsman). How do India, Australia and New Zealand, to name just a few cricket-playing nations, manage to play so well in all formats of the game?
I think one of the ECB’s many mistakes over the last five or so years has been to focus almost entirely on white ball cricket, neglecting Test cricket (and county cricket along with it) but still try to milk test cricket for the kudos and the filthy lucre (Ashes tours), inviting Pakistan, West Indies and South Africa to tour England in difficult circumstances, but backing out of away tours at the first opportunity (noticeably Pakistan).”
Updated
53rd over: Australia 139-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 9) Broad fancies his chances to Khawaja, with that Warner-wicket line from around the wicket, but his attempt to build pressure is undone when the batter does well to rotate the strike midway through the over. Broad then sends down a rank delivery miles down the legside that Smith takes the P out of with an exaggerated front foot leave. Smirks all around. A nice reflection of the spirit of this series.
52nd over: Australia 138-3 (Smith 14, Khawaja 8) Wood offers Khawaja some width to drive and the Australian takes advantage, striking crisply square for his first three runs of the day. Smith then pulls with great control a very well directed bouncer. It only results in an easy single, but that was excellent cricket all round. Wood adjusts his approach to around the wicket to Khawaja, but he loses his line and concedes an easy leg-side run.
Updated
51st over: Australia 133-3 (Smith 13, Khawaja 4) A couple of thick edge squirts behind point earn Smith four runs and a bonus Broad teapot. A vintage Smith step to off and easy push to leg earns a couple more. Then he signals to the pavilion for more gloves, 18 minutes into the day.
Tim Lane on the Channel 7 commentary just said that Steve Smith is breathing down the neck of his coach, talking over a graphic showing the leading run-scorers in the history of Australian cricket. Now I cannot rid my mind of the Ghost pottery scene playing out in the Australian dressing room.
50th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood is coming over the wicket to Usman Khawaja, trying to slant the ball across the left-hander. Khawaja leaves smartly and defends from the crease with soft hands to see off a maiden. Australia starting the morning conservatively.
49th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Broad, after his solitary delivery warm-up, sends down a tight over to Smith, doing his best to bowl full and straight.
48th over: Australia 127-3 (Smith 7, Khawaja 4) Mark Wood is entrusted with the first full over the day, which pleases Ricky Ponting. And his extra pace tests Steve Smith, his third delivery beating Smith’s attempted pull and inducing an ungainly deflection off arm guard and thigh pad. The fidgety run machine then rotates the strike neatly, and Khawaja sees off the rest.
I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with lost overs just yet.
@JPHowcroft Morning. Despite the chances of rain, surely Australia can still win, given they only need 2 and a half days to win a test match?
— William Key (@WilliamTmKey) January 5, 2022
47th over: Australia 126-3 (Smith 6, Khawaja 4) Stuart Broad sends down a decent delivery to complete the 47th over that was curtailed by rain last night, and we’re underway.
Right, the players are out, day two will be underway in a jiffy.
Updated
“Where do you come down on the idea of having a multi-format Ashes?” asks Ben Mimmack, no doubt prompted by Jonathan Liew’s comment piece on the idea. “Granted, I’m a middle-aged fogey but I just don’t enjoy watching any other format as much as I do Tests, so a multi-format series would be inherently less interesting for me. Plus, I can’t help but feel it would end up hastening the end of regular test series.”
I am open minded. I am concerned we might be trying to fix something that isn’t broken, and end up in a world of disastrous unintended consequences. But also, the logic of Jonathan’s argument is difficult to refute. In an age when cricket’s global calendar must surely be up for revision, is a standalone five-Test series with no preparation fit for purpose?
“Hi Jonathan,” hello Peter Salmon. “The question I have at this point is does Australia already have enough runs?” Ooh, you cheeky scamp.
And yes, probably, for their first innings. Although maybe not for an innings victory quite yet.
It’s warm, humid, and gusty at the SCG. There is a small risk of showers, but the odds are on our side for a full day’s play. The excellent pitch, with pace, bounce, and plenty of grass, is getting a heavy roll.
Andy Bull has had enough of Ashley Giles.
If Giles is right and more systemic change is needed, the pressing question is whether, given his track record in the job, he is the right man to lead it, given that he made such a mess of the (well-intentioned) rotation policy, and the mistake of binning the head selector to load more responsibility onto the coach.
Ramaswamy has dropped by with a conspiracy bomb. “Pat Cummins chose to bat after winning the toss only to extend the Test into day 4, to maximise the McGrath Foundation’s fundraising. The showers will help, of course. This is one ‘fix’ that I have to applaud.” I wouldn’t put it past Post-Tim Pat to even be in control of the weather and dose out showers at an appropriate gap to ensure the Test reaches the final session of day five with all results still on the line.
Andrew Biggs wins the Academy Award for the first email of the day, commenting on the relationship between England’s standout red ball performers and their lack of white ball exposure. Coincidence? He thinks not. “England’s two best cricketers have for different reasons not played white ball cricket. Jimmy took a decision not to, to prolong his career and Root has been overlooked.”
That is clearly going to have to be central to England’s debrief. As Mike Atherton’s masterplan for the way forward indicated, surely it’s time for specialist coaches for each discipline, and I suspect, as a pathway for almost distinct identities for each category.
Mark Wood bowled with raw pace at the SCG yesterday, but he was no guarantee to line up in the England XI after a “rough night” with illness.
Geoff Lemon has looked at the latest episode in the Stuart Broad v David Warner epic.
Here’s Barney Ronay’s take on a 24-hour period in which Test cricket flourished in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
Start your day of cricket by listening to Geoff Lemon, Adam Collins, and Emma John chew the fat.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live over-by-over coverage of the second day of the fourth Ashes Test. We’re underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground at 10am local time (11pm UK).
That’s right, we’re underway half an hour earlier than usual today - although it might feel like an hour earlier, considering how many delayed starts there have been this series for one reason or another.
There wasn’t a whole heap to wax lyrical about yesterday because the many showers floating around Sydney prevented any rhythm to the play. The pitch looks good for batting, but there’s enough assistance for the bowlers if they put the ball in the right areas often enough. David Warner looked in good nick before his nemesis Stuart Broad did what he usually does. James Anderson found some swing but lacked precision. Mark Wood was quick. Marcus Harris consolidated his status at the top of the order after his runs at the MCG.
Here’s how Ali Martin saw things from the SCG press box.
The forecast today is still showery, but there is far less risk of any interruptions to play. The Test should move forward considerably in the extended sessions.
If you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
