Here’s Vic Marks’s report:
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Thanks for all the emails, too many to open, let alone copy’n’paste. “Message for Sarah in Hoi An,” says Bernadette, picking up on the 93rd over. “Loads of places to watch the cricket. Try Hoi An sports bar or Dirty Fingers in Da Nang. I live here - never struggled to find places. Thanks Tim.” Only on the OBO. Join us tomorrow for the final act of a fascinating, fluctuating, infuriating contest.
How special was that, Ian Ward asks Steve Smith. “Yeah, incredibly special,” Smith replies. “I was a little bit nervous, don’t normally get nervous. I’ve never scored two hundreds in a game in any form of cricket... The spine was tingling a bit. It did overcome me a bit [getting to the first hundred]. I love Test cricket and I love playing against England, it feels like Christmas every morning.”
Close of play! England survive
7th over: England 13-0 (Burns 7, Roy 6) Roy tucks Pattinson to square leg for a couple, then plays and misses as he gropes outside the off stump, but he survives and so does the new, suddenly authoritative Burns. Well played those openers, but the day belongs firmly to Australia, to the superhuman Steve Smith, and his excellent sidekick Matthew Wade. There have been 376 runs today, and if there are a few more than that tomorrow, England will have pulled off a miracle.
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Mid-7th over: England 11-0 (Burns 7, Roy 4) A second successive beauty as Pattinson starts the final over by angling one into Roy and jagging it away. Too good.
6th over: England 11-0 (Burns 7, Roy 4) Lyon continues to Roy, now with four men round the bat, and suddenly bowls a big booming outswinger. That’s the new ball for you. Roy then shovels into the covers for a single. Lyon finds a much better ball for Burns, pitching near off and turning viciously, and Burns isn’t quite good enough to edge it.
5th over: England 10-0 (Burns 7, Roy 3) Paine decides it’s time to turn up the heat and replaces Siddle with Pattinson. Burns, tuned up by Siddle, keeps him out without difficulty. “Well played Rory Burns,” says Shane Warne.
On Cric Viz, the bad news for the home fans is that England’s chance of a win is 1 per cent; the good news is that the draw is favourite, on 53, with Australia on 46.
4th over: England 10-0 (Burns 7, Roy 3) Lyon is warming to the task. Roy stabs down on one that keeps low, then connects with fresh air as he shapes to cut. A better version of the same shot brings him two, before a dicey prod outside off yields an inside edge. Interesting times.
3rd over: England 8-0 (Burns 7, Roy 1) Burns, facing Siddle, punches another two past mid-on as he continues to ooze the confidence of the first-time centurion. Paine has three men saving one, which seems about three too many.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Burns 5, Roy 1) Yes, it’s Lyon, and his first ball turns sharply. Roy watches it go past his off stump, then clips the second, which is similar but straighter, into the leg side. Burns, faced with four men round the bat, works to leg too, for a busy three, and Roy blocks the last three balls, reasonably solidly. These two old friends don’t seem fazed by the size of the task.
1st over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Roy 0) Rory Burns, eyeing his chance to bat on all five days of a Test, gets England going with a push into the covers. That was nice and firm, like a good parent, to paraphrase a line from the Pajama Men.
And it’s going to be Peter Siddle, perhaps because the other two seamers have just been batting. And Lyon from the other end?
Something for the interval, from Mac Millings. “For all those England supporters - and especially my old pal of 30 years, Andy McDonald, who’s at Edgbaston today for his first day of Test cricket in a very long time - please allow me to present my all-time Hope and Despair XI: Despair Haynes, Nick Knightmare, Dream Jones, Rohan Yes We Kanhai, Ian ‘Beliefy’ Botham, Irfantasy Pathan, Peter Impossiddle, Anguish Sodhi, Abandon Shai Hope, Moeen All Ye, Bishoo Devendra Here.”
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Declaration! Australia 487-7 (Pattinson 47, Cummins 26)
One last swing for six from Pattinson, a wave from Tim Paine, and a clear imprint of Aussie boot on English face. England need 398 to win, and they will have to get through the first six or seven overs tonight, under the lights. There may be trouble ahead.
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Mid-112th over: Australia 479-7 (Pattinson 40, Cummins 25) A few more slogs off Denly, and it looks as if the declaration is imminent. Meanwhile, Eva Maaten has a theory. “I suspect Steve Smith is waiting for Tim Paine to declare and Tim Paine is waiting for the signal from Steve Smith. This could go on for a while.”
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111st over: Australia 470-7 (Pattinson 40, Cummins 16) Maybe Paine is trying to hand Pattinson a first Test fifty. If so, it won’t take long: Patto smites another six, stepping away to give Broad the sort of treatment he used to hand out himself.
“Loving the Guardian coverage,” says Tom Willoughby. Thanks. “England’s one saving grace here is that Paine is being way over-conservative with the declaration... Am crossing my fingers that the rain materialises in some substance tomorrow and Burns’s good run continues!” Personally, I’d place more faith in the Brummie weather than in a man who played and missed 40 times in the first innings.
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110th over: Australia 460-7 (Pattinson 32, Cummins 15) Denly goes for a few ones and twos, and the Australians send out gloves and a drink – ie, a message. On the balcony, where someone is padded up, they seem in no hurry.
“England bowling collapses are different from our batting collapses,” argues PS. “They reverse the order: we bat badly and then rally. We bowl well and then give it away by not having the killer instinct.”
109th over: Australia 454-7 (Pattinson 31, Cummins 10) Cummins upper-cuts Broad and Burns gets another quarter-chance as he dashes in from third man. But this is academic now. Australia are 364 ahead and the only question is why they haven’t declared already. Is Paine worried about what Jason Roy might do, in his second Test?
108th over: Australia 452-7 (Pattinson 29, Cummins 9) Joe Denly comes on and almost bags Pattinson as Rory Burns at midwicket makes a great effort to hold onto a near-impossible diving catch. “Good chance, this, for Denly to get that first Test wicket,” says Mike Atherton. Spoken like a fellow part-time leggie, with two wickets in his 115-Test career.
107th over: Australia 445-7 (Pattinson 28, Cummins 8) Pattinson, who is a handy slugger, helps himself to another six off Broad. The ball lands in somebody’s beer. Joe Root sniffs it, warily, and succeeds in getting it changed – and using up a couple more minutes.
106th over: Australia 437-7 (Pattinson 21, Cummins 7) And now Pattinson slog-sweeps Moeen for six, prompting a moon ball, which is not Moeen’s first of the day.
“Phil Sawyer is right,” says Simon McMahon. “I think we will eventually look back on the period from 14 July to 2 August 2019 as a golden period in English cricket history.”
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105th over: Australia 430-7 (Pattinson 15, Cummins 7) A decent first over back from Broad, but in this innings, unlike the first two, he’s been the Broad of the past year, rather than his pomp. And that’s drinks, with Australia still well on top.
“This surprising (but not entirely unexpected) bowling collapse from England needs a radical rethink,” says Harry Lang. “Failing that, what’s the Bat Signal for Archer? Is it too late to beam Wood into New Street? Is there a standby Harrier Jump Jet with Plunkett on board? Something! Anything?”
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Reprieve!
Cummins wafts at a short one from Broad, Bairstow half-appeals, Broad doesn’t bother, Wilson says no, Root can’t review – but it was, in fact, out.
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104th over: Australia 426-7 (Pattinson 14, Cummins 4) Pattinson sweeps Moeen for four. The lead is now 336, which means England’s only hope of winning is to try and get there in 50 overs.
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103rd over: Australia 421-7 (Pattinson 10, Cummins 3) Normal service is resumed as Pattinson glides Stokes for four. Stokes responds by trotting off the field.
“Remember when we used to win the World Cup?” says Phil Sawyer. “Those were the days.”
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102nd over: Australia 415-7 (Pattinson 5, Cummins 2) Stranger things keep on happening. Moeen has bowled a maiden, to Cummins.
“England’s only hope in this match is rain,” says Gareth Edwards. “We need changes for the second Test. Out with Anderson, Moeen and Bairstow. In with Curran, Archer and Rashid.” Agreed, one of England’s mistakes here was not picking six bowlers. But I’d have Leach right now, not Rashid.
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101st over: Australia 415-7 (Pattinson 5, Cummins 2) Cummins fends at Stokes and offers a catch to short leg, where Jos Buttler... ducks. Either he misread it, or he’s just not used to fieldng there, or both.
In other news, Liverpool v Man City is going to penalties. Permission to join Rob Smyth here.
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99th over: Australia 411-7 (Pattinson 2, Cummins 1) So Mo’s figures are looking better in the final column, but still ugly in the middle two: 26-0-118-2.
Wicket! Paine b Moeen 33 (Australia 409-7)
It’s a collapse! Moeen bowls what Shane Warne calls “the perfect off-break” – flighted, turning – and it squeezes through Paine’s defences. The only trouble is, Nathan Lyon can bowl those all day long.
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99th over: Australia 407-6 (Paine 33, Pattinson 0) I take it all back. Stokes now has two maidens in a row, as well as that wicket, and has bounced back strongly from his nadir of 15 minutes ago.
“I wonder,” says Luke in Walsall, “if Adil Rashid is even still watching?” Ha. I suspect he wasn’t considered fit for a five-day game, but it would have been worth having him in the squad just to cheer up his mate Moeen, who is right out of sorts.
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Wicket! Wade c Denly b Stokes 110 (Australia 407-6)
Matthew Wade, who only makes baby hundreds, picks out the man at deep square with unerring accuracy. And that’s the end of the most fluent century in this match, a triumph not just for Wade, but for the Australian selectors.
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98th over: Australia 407-5 (Wade 110, Paine 33) England are now struggling so badly that they’re making Tim Paine look like a Test cricketer. As Moeen replaces Root, Paine reverse-sweeps for four, then laps for two.
Not out!
Missing, and England are out of reviews.
Review! For LBW against Paine
Playing no stroke to Moeen, but it looks marginal.
97th over: Australia 400-5 (Wade 109, Paine 27) Stokes is still on too. Digging deep into his reserves of bloodymindedness, he tries bombing Paine, who does some swaying after gloving one, up in the air, but short of a lonely slip. That is at least a maiden, which is just what Matt Fordham ordered.
“If Root doesn’t want to be captain,” sighs Felix Wood, “can he just say so, rather than desperately showing everyone that he’s not up to the task?”
96th over: Australia 400-5 (Wade 109, Paine 27) The landmarks are now arriving at the rate of two an over. Wade goes to his Test best as Australia cruise to 400. And Root is still on, presumably on the basis that everyone else is carrying an injury.
“Sorry to repeat myself,” says Matt Fordham, “but still wondering why England don’t try and dry up the runs. Nothing to be gained by taking wickets now, so keeping Australia batting as long as possible is the only priority. Whilst performing some kind of rain dance.”
95th over: Australia 393-5 (Wade 104, Paine 25) Stokes bounces Wade, who swats him serenely for four. So often he gets the breakthrough, but Stokes has been poor in this spell, conceding 26 off three overs. The lead is 300 now, and England’s chances of winning are about the same as those of an orderly Brexit.
“It occurs to me,” says Brian Withington, “that Australia’s jauntily unbecoming second-innings run rate has really done the damage to England’s prospects. If they had been scoring at England’s more sedate ‘Test match appropriate’ rate then we might now still be daring to dream (with our bosom chum despair to come later, of course).” Wasn’t it only a few days ago that we were despairing of England’s inability to score at a Test-match rate?
94th over: Australia 386-5 (Wade 100, Paine 22) These two have even eased past the fifty partnership – 55 off only 8.5 overs. Root needs to take himself off now.
Hundred! Wade 100 off 131 balls
Wade, facing Root, pulls out the reverse sweep again, gets it past short third man and reaches the fourth hundred of the match, the first by a batsman who is not wildly unorthodox, and the first that has felt effortless.
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93rd over: Australia 379-5 (Wade 95, Paine 21) The runs continue to flow off Stokes, whose latest long hop is flayed by Wade for four.
“Hey Timmy,” says Sarah Helsham. “Reading from Hoi An, Vietnam.” Nice. “Loving the commentary, can’t watch, no cricket in Vietnam. Aussie girl with her English boyfriend - first 2 days were unbearable for me, but haven’t we turned a corner. And now Shaun is very quiet. Steve Smith you absolute legend!!!!!! PS it’s my birthday.” Many happy returns, but maybe you and Shaun need to have a non-gloating pact.
92nd over: Australia 372-5 (Wade 88, Paine 20) Order is restored by Root, who has now bowled ten overs. The trouble is, it’s a vote of no confidence in Moeen.
“May I make a pitch,” asks a very polite Damian Clarke, “to better Mr Ali’s most Guardian email of the day? [90th over] I’m wondering what Phoebe Waller-Bridge thinks of Joe Root’s on-field decisions.”
91st over: Australia 370-5 (Wade 87, Paine 19) It wasn’t about a change of ends: the nearly new ball is now being shared by Root and Ben Stokes, captain and vice-captain. Paine – nominal captain, actually more of a vice-captain – treats him with contempt, upper-cutting for six and straight-pushing the next ball for four. Paine’s in a hurry because showers are forecast for this evening.
“Why am I having difficulty,” asks Ron Mallon, “in seeing England at 200 for 4 at this time tomorrow?”
90th over: Australia 359-5 (Wade 87, Paine 9) Joe Root, perhaps smarting from Patrick’s appraisal (88th over), springs a surprise by giving the sixth over with the new ball to... himself. Maybe just a way of switching ends for Broad and Woakes. The Australians are watchful, except in their running: another half-chance goes begging as Jason Roy misses with a shy from midwicket.
“Concerning Smith’s ‘issue’ of falling in the 140s (over 85),” says Jason Ali, “perhaps his problem is that his brain functions with a Base 15 number system. His current innings of 142 equates to 97; his previous one of 144 converts to 99.” Jason, the prize for the most Guardian email of the day is yours.
And here’s Guy Hornsby. “I wonder how long the misplaced hope will last when England bat?” he muses. “We’ve all been here before, of course, & miracles do happen, but if Burns can’t follow Smith, where do the bat-all-day-heroics reside? My hopes-dashed timestamp is currently set to 12:45pm, when Root’s out.” At least you’re not going for tonight.
89th over: Australia 356-5 (Wade 86, Paine 7) Broad tries to get Paine the same way he did in the first innings, suckered into a pull, but this time Paine keeps it down, takes a single, and there’s an exchange of knowing smiles. Last ball, Broad strays down leg and Wade cashes in with a glance for four. And that’s tea, with Australia 266 ahead and laughing all the way to the scones.
On Twitter, there’s a good line from Rory Dollard. “The top banter now,” he reckons, “would be Steve Smith waving in Paine for the declaration.”
88th over: Australia 349-5 (Wade 81, Paine 5) Woakes is getting movement, as usual, and the only runs are two off Wade’s inside edge – until Woakes tries a slower ball, Wade picks it and pushes it back, easy as you like, for four.
“I’ve feared for England ever since they could not knock over Australia’s last two wickets.” says Patrick Phillips. “Then, and again now, we see no sign of captaincy. Just chuntering on. Why not move the field about, have the bowlers try something different. Appear busy & keep the batsmen thinking. All the captain seems to do is change the bowlers and sit and wait. When two batsmen are in, that can be a long wait. Even get the bowlers to bowl defensively. England needed Australian still to be batting tomorrow if not all out. Now England will be in this evening and could be all out before lunch tomorrow.” Interesting. To my eye, Root has tried quite a lot of things in this match – six bowlers, funky fields, plan B, C and D. But I’d agree that Root isn’t a natural captain.
87th over: Australia 343-5 (Wade 75, Paine 5) Wade’s not bothered about losing Smith: he just plays another of those crunching cover drives, off Broad this time.
“Am I sick? Drunk? High?” wonders Damian Clarke. “I’ve just heard Geoff Boycott’s theory on Australia getting all out soon, and leaving England a tantalising target to encourage going for it. And I find myself agreeing... with Boycott! Blimey.”
86th over: Australia 337-5 (Wade 70, Paine 5) So Chris Woakes lands the big one, but let’s give Stuart Broad some credit too, for changing the mood. Tim Paine comes out and is immediately purposeful, stroking a couple of twos and running straight down the pitch, for which he is quite rightly ticked off. Mate, it’s doing enough already.
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Wicket! SMITH!!!! c Bairstow b Woakes 142 (Australia 331-5)
Smith chases a wide one and Bairstow takes a fine tumbling catch. It’s the end of a fabulous innings – and now England know where Smith’s Achilles heel lies: in the nervous 140s.
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85th over: Australia 330-4 (Smith 142, Wade 69) England desperately need a game-changer and Broad gets them part of the way there. The non-LBW rouses the crowd, who had been silenced by the Smith masterclass.
Not out!
Way too high. That’s another howler from Joel Wilson.
Review!
Here is the new ball, and Broad gets Wade LBW, but it’s high...
84th over: Australia 329-4 (Smith 141, Wade 69) Smith tickles Root fine for four, as you would too, if you were finding life absurdly easy out there. Time for the new ball, surely.
83rd over: Australia 322-4 (Smith 135, Wade 68) Moeen drops short and Wade mullahs him over midwicket. Jack Leach, this could be your chance to get on that Lord’s honour board.
“Some things for Ed Smith and James Taylor to do after the Test,” says Dave Seare. “1 Go to Holland and study the defensive capabilities of windmills vis-a-vis playing the moving ball early doors. This will provide data for troubling Steve Smith. 2 Teach the team how to blag one of those extra new balls around 60 overs in. 3 Don’t get drunk the night before the Lord’s Test and pick a ten-man team.” Harsh, but entertaining.
82nd over: Australia 315-4 (Smith 133, Wade 63) It’s miserable being the fielding captain in a situation like this, but you do have to observe the basics.
Missed run-out!
Wade calls for a tight second, Joe Denly fires in an exemplary throw, and Smith would be out if Joe Root had got behind the stumps. It never rains...
81st over: Australia 312-4 (Smith 132, Wade 61) Decent from Moeen again, but he still has figures of 23-0-98-1 on a surface that’s turning big. England are missing Jack Leach.
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80th over: Australia 309-4 (Smith 131, Wade 59) Root bamboozles Wade again, drawing the edge, but Sod’s Law sees to it that the nick goes wide of Stokes at slip and all the way to the boundary.
“Viewed from the jaundiced perspective of a despairing English fan,” says Brian Withington, promisingly, “Steve Smith is taking on the appearance of one of JK Rowling’s dementors with his uncanny ability to suck all the joy and hope from our minds. And we are completely stuck without our patronus in chief, Jimmy Anderson, riding to the rescue.” That’s the spirit.
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79th over: Australia 305-4 (Smith 131, Wade 55) Moeen comes close to emulating Root, but five dots are accompanied by a straight thud from Smith for two.
78th over: Australia 303-4 (Smith 129, Wade 55) It’s off spin from both ends at the moment, and the greater threat is coming from Joe Root. He rips a classic off-break (or leg-break to the left-hander) past Wade’s prod, and even manages a maiden. A moral victory.
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77th over: Australia 303-4 (Smith 129, Wade 55) Moeen’s bowling, so strong since his recall, is now going the way of his batting. He’s reached the point where it’s a minor triumph when an over goes for only three.
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76th over: Australia 300-4 (Smith 128, Wade 53) Smith has been so dominant that it’s easy to miss the part played by his accomplices. The award for Best Supporting Actor was going to Travis Head, but now Matthew Wade has matched him for runs, and added some swagger. He reaches a very fine/bloody frustrating fifty with a reverse sweep off Joe Root. And the Australians cruise to 300.
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Thanks Geoff, and good on you for not gloating. Cricket’s eternal question, so often unanswerable, is a piece of cake right now. Who’s winning? Steve Smith.
75th over: Australia 293-4 (Smith 127, Wade 47) Smith knocks a single to backward square to take that lead to a round 200. Wade has a couple of streaky shots against Moeen, one turning past the outside edge, one taking the edge onto the ground for one. Mo stays around the wicket to Smith, who is hit on the pad as the ball straightens down the line, and Bairstow wants the review. In fact the ball did more than straighten, says HawkEye, it turned so far it was missing leg stump entirely.
Smith remains! Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.
Drinks. And stumps for me. Thanks for all your emails, sorry that I couldn’t get to most of them. It’s peak hour on the Ashes OBO. Tim de Lisle will be your driver for the rest of the day. Treat him with courtesy, and tip big. Cheerio.
74th over: Australia 289-4 (Smith 124, Wade 46) No fear for Wade punching against Denly’s turn out of the rough through cover. He does it twice in the over, once for three and once for four. The lead is 199!
73rd over: Australia 281-4 (Smith 124, Wade 39) Some internal counter in Smith’s head has clicked over to “time to go”. He pushes outside off stump at Moeen, deflecting the ball past slip on the bounce. I think there was a measure of purpose to that. Then he skips down and batters the ball over midwicket for four more! Huge gap out there and Smith took it. 11 from the over. England have no solution. Stokes? Someone has to dig deep.
72nd over: Australia 270-4 (Smith 115, Wade 37) The runs flowing. The lead goes to 180 as Wade reverses again, from outside off against Denly, for four through third man. England are seeing this Test slip away.
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71st over: Australia 265-4 (Smith 115, Wade 32) The famed Edgbaston double-spin attack. Moeen to partner Denly. Four singles from the over.
“I think you landed on the correct explanation (58th over) for the goodness of Stokes’ delivery to dismiss Head,” writes Timothy. “As you say, the Laws state:
‘21.5.1 the bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery’, and the ICC playing regulations for Tests say the same.
“The no-ball law has been about where the feet land, not where they are when the ball is delivered - hence the ‘dragging’ that used to go on under the old back-foot law; and hence DRS replays always look at the landing of the feet before moving on to the business end of the pitch. That’s good practical sense, because an umpire can’t carry on looking at a bowler’s feet for too long.”
70th over: Australia 261-4 (Smith 113, Wade 30) Now Smith is pulling out the reverse-sweep. Denly goes for three singles from the over, one of them more dramatic than the others.
69th over: Australia 258-4 (Smith 111, Wade 29) Wade is doing exactly what he was brought in to do: get the game moving from No.6. Another boundary as he works Woakes away through fine leg. The bowlers can’t settle because they know he’s looking to score fast.
Interesting thought from Geoff Wignall on Stokes and Head: “I’d say it was a no-ball, Geoff. The law as it relates to the front foot allows for only part of the foot to be behind the popping crease and the correct side of middle stump but no such allowance for the back foot on the return crease. Presumably as the legal part of the front foot can be in the air, so can the illegal part of the back foot, prior to landing in an illegal position.”
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68th over: Australia 253-4 (Smith 110, Wade 25) You can’t imagine that any England plan had Joe Denly bowling this much. He replaced Broad after that brief foray, and bowls a short ball for Smith to pull a single, then has Wade reverse-sweeping over the keeper for two runs. Fun stuff.
67th over: Australia 250-4 (Smith 109, Wade 23) Both batsmen are being much more careful against Woakes than Broad. They recognise his danger, with the ball... not exactly talking, but muttering in its sleep. A couple of singles, then Woakes angles one in past Wade’s bat and gives it the big ones with an appeal, but that looked like an inside edge.
66th over: Australia 248-4 (Smith 108, Wade 22) A single early against Broad for Wade, and Smith is not going to be so circumspect. He drives, hard, all bottom-hand whip, straight of mid-on for four. Then tries for another behind point, but finds the field on this occasion.
65th over: Australia 243-4 (Smith 104, Wade 21) Happy to take it easy is Wade against Woakes. Leaves the first half of the over alone. Defends a couple on the stumps. Only when Woakes drops short does he play, pulling crisply for a single to the sweeper.
64th over: Australia 242-4 (Smith 104, Wade 20) Lovely, Steve Smith is getting out the party-trick leaves now. The one where he comes over the ball and then whips around in a semi-circle as if to make sure it hasn’t changed its mind and started sneaking up behind him. Maiden.
63rd over: Australia 242-4 (Smith 104, Wade 20) Matt Wade, stocky short left-hander, is trying to balance defence and attack. Doing it well so far. Leaves and blocks most of Woakes’ over, but identifies the width he wants to go after, carving it square for four.
Century! Steve Smith 103 from 147 balls
62nd over: Australia 238-4 (Smith 104, Wade 16) Broad with the ball from the City End. Can he take Ashes wicket 102? Not with a ball nine feet outside off stump, that Smith glances at like he might a smear of street ordure on his shoe. The next ball he carves through the covers for four! Loose from Broad, tight from Smith, perfectly controlled and he raises twin centuries in the match! His first match for a year and a half!
Who is this man? Is he a man? How is this possible? It shouldn’t be. It can’t be. But it is. He is calmer than in the first innings, but raises his bat and his arms in a long salute to the dressing room and the Australian fans down at the grandstand end of the ground. Then he waves to the Hollies Stand, and they all join in a chorus of some derisory song or other. It doesn’t matter. There has only been one winner in that battle this match. Steven Smith, 144 and then 103 not out. Australia in control. He adds a single to cover before the over ends.
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61st over: Australia 232-4 (Smith 99, Wade 15) Woakes to start to Smith. On the pads, glanced fine for a single. Smith on to 99... Wade on strike now. Woakes full and seems to get a tiny bit of shape into the pads. Blocked. Again with some shape just outside off. A hint of it. Blocked away. Two slips, gully set deep for a full-blooded shot. Short cover and regulation cover. A heap of seam movement from a wide ball takes it almost to first slip for the left-hander. Mid-off, mid-on, midwicket, long leg. Wade leaves a ball angled across him. Hands clap, encouragements are shouted. On the pads. Wade covers up. The lead is 142.
Here we go after lunch. Chris Woakes has the ball after not bowling at all in the first session. I have as many questions as you do.
Thanks to those of you who’ve sent this in.
Sequel to my book.
Steve Smith’s gloves. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/OMsAFbryDw
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) August 4, 2019
Lunch – Australia lead by 141, at 231-4
We said it at the start of the day. If England got Smith early, they had the match. If Smith batted a couple of hours, they probably wouldn’t. And here we are, with the maestro set to return after a sanger with yet another century within his grasp, and the lead growing. Even if they got bowled out in a massive collapse Australia would have enough to make the chase uncomfortable. If they can push on anywhere past 200, it will start tilting towards the impossible.
England desperately need a lift. Wickets, fast. Smith before he can settle after the break. Wade and the tail. No respite. But England also have no Anderson, and for one reason or another this session, no Woakes. Joe Denly has bowled seven overs, Moeen and Stokes a pile, after Broad used up all his petrol tickets in a fine early spell. Yet all England have to show for it is the eventual wicket of Head after a half-century.
Match on the line now. I’ll be back once I’ve freshly supplied the temple that is my body.
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60th over: Australia 231-4 (Smith 98, Wade 15) One over to lunch, with Moeen bowling and Smith on 97. He’d like the hundred but he’s not a nervous enough character to worry about doing anything out of the ordinary to get there. He drives once straight to cover, once to the bowler, and in the end settles for a single from the last ball to keep the strike.
Unbeaten on 98 as he walks off! Huge applause for Australia’s comeback kid.
59th over: Australia 230-4 (Smith 97, Wade 15) He’s in touch, Wade! Got a beauty in the first innings on 1, but that hasn’t stopped him today. Crisply flicks Stokes through midwicket for four, then blots out of the over so that Smith can have strike.
“Am I missing something? I’ve dug back through the OBO and I can’t see a thing. Why on earth has Chris of house Woakes not bowled this morning? Niggle? I’m confused, please send help.” Sam, apparently Woakes spoke to Phil Tufnell this morning and said he was fine, but there are also rumours of an injury. I’ve asked the ECB and they say nothing to their knowledge, but we’ll follow up during lunch.
58th over: Australia 226-4 (Smith 97, Wade 11) Another cover-drive banged away from Denly for four, then Wade denies Smith the strike with a late single. Ok, I think I’ve cracked it. The very outside of the front of Stokes’ shoe lands within the return crease, then the rest of the shoe lands over it. So if you count the first contact as “lands”, then it hasn’t broken the return crease (yet). So, not a no ball. Maybe? I don’t know. Who’d be an umpire?
57th over: Australia 221-4 (Smith 97, Wade 6) Another no-ball from Stokes, another brace for Smith. I’m watching a million replays of Stokes’ foot from the last over, bear with me.
“Thanks to Gaurish Chawla for that thought-provoking email in the 45th over,” writes Timothy Sanders. “I can only plead for understanding that so many English folk can’t get their heads around the way the world is, and are desperately seeking a reference point to make sense of things. It’s like they’ve been eating with a fork their whole lives and someone’s given them a bowl of soup; or they’re Ian Bell trying to pick Shane Warne’s slider.”
56th over: Australia 218-4 (Smith 95, Wade 6) Another single flicked by Smith from Denly. Matthew Wade gets off the mark with a cover-driven four! Australia growing in confidence. He nearly drags onto his stumps off his arm with a sweep shot, before nailing another sweep for two between the fielders in the deep behind square.
The third umpire is Chris Gaffaney. Was he going by the old back-foot Law, where the foot could cut the line? The current Laws and the ICC conditions are very clear that the back foot cannot touch the return crease. Stokes was halfway over it.
55th over: Australia 211-4 (Smith 94, Wade 0) Smith facing stokes, and that is an absolute beauty of a shot. Sees some width, leans onto his back foot, opens the blade and punches through cover for four! Imperious. Degree of difficulty, off the charts. Demeanour, casual. Then a single to move within one big hit of twin centuries in this match. The lead: 122.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but on that replay Stokes bowled a back-foot no-ball to get Head out. His back foot cut the return crease in half, around the wicket to the left-hander. The third umpire looked at the front foot, but hasn’t noticed the back foot. Am I barking up the wrong tree?
54th over: Australia 206-4 (Smith 89, Wade 0) Smith is happy to spare Wade facing a leg-spinner out of the left-hander’s rough to start his day. Blocks out five balls of the over before dancing to the sixth and driving a run through midwicket.
53rd over: Australia 205-4 (Smith 88) Just a Smith single from the over before Head is chopped off by the last ball. England missed several tricks. Head looked hopeless against the full straight ball, but they kept bowling short outside off to him and he profited before his eventual undoing. Matthew Wade is in next.
Updated
WICKET! Head c Bairstow b Stokes 51
Finally, the weight of numbers tells! Head plays that cut shot one too many times and Stokes gets his man. Thick top edge through to the keeper. Head has gambled and fallen, but Head has made an absolutely vital half century to take Australia to 115 in front!
Updated
52nd over: Australia 204-3 (Smith 87, Head 51) Denly carries on, and oh dear. Loses that good length he’s been working on, not once but twice bowling full tosses. Not once but twice, Smith flicks them for four. Denly starts landing balls in the rough and turning them large into Smith’s pads. Smith is happy to block from the crease, before skipping down to flick a single to keep the strike.
Peter Salmon splashes into my emails. “Sounds an obvious thing, but a friend pointed out to me recently that the thing about Smith is he either defends, leaves, or hits the ball into a gap. He never hits to a fielder. Move a fielder, he changes where he hits it. I’ve become obsessed watching for it, and it’s 99% true. I think that might be what is unique about him when we are trying to find what sets him apart. Doesn’t help anyone get him out of course.”
Half century! Travis Head 51 from 111 balls
51st over: Australia 195-3 (Smith 78, Head 51) Smith keeps Smithing, all day long. Walks across his stumps, nudges a single to leg. Rinse, repeat. Head keeps Heading, all day long. Close to off stump, trying to scythe with an angled bat. Straight to point once again. It looks so dicey. Then he finally nails one, further behind point for four! Why must he bat in such terrifying style?
Still, as Homer said, “It means he gets results, you stupid chief!”
No, the other Homer.
50th over: Australia 190-3 (Smith 77, Head 47) Oh, now a missed stumping! Denly is bowling well, folks. He gets a ball to land in the rough and skid straight on past Head’s bat, and Head’s foot is dragged out of the crease trying to cover the line! But the ball is so zippy it cannons back off Bairstow’s pads rather than nestling into his gloves. Oof. Head gets off strike with a sweep. Smith steps across and nudges past short leg. The Australian lead is 100!
49th over: Australia 187-3 (Smith 75, Head 46) Another run for Australia as Stokes oversteps. Wides, beamers, England’s bowlers have been ragged this morning. And ragged with a short wide ball that Smith doesn’t even have to cut, he just holds his bat almost in its backlift and opens the face to guide the shot through gully for four. Just the one slip for Smith now, with a backward point, cover point, mid-off, mid-on, midwicket, deep square leg, backward square leg, and long leg. Smith gets width again and punches another boundary between the two points. Stokes loses his rag completely and bowls short a mile down leg. Gets away with it. That’s one way to avoid being smacked through the posh side. He bowls there again, not so short though, and it nearly works! Smith is nearly caught! He flicks it off his hip, and I think it was Jason Roy at backward square, diving away to his right, but the ball flies fine of him and down to the deep for one run.
Phew. Ten from the over, nearly the wicket.
48th over: Australia 177-3 (Smith 67, Head 46) Denly draws a false shot now! Smith moves back to the ball, trying to work it to the leg side, ends up squeezing it through his own legs and away behind square. The crowd gets very excited as Denly bowls to Head, who clobbers a sweep shot straight into the short leg catcher.
Also speaking of TMS, Jim Maxwell has been getting a lot of love as he tours around for the Ashes at 69 years of age. Click through for an interesting Adam Collins bit about Jim’s first shot in England, at the 1983 World Cup.
In his stint then, @jimmaxcricket discussed his first days on @bbctms in 1983 with Trevor Bailey. I went back through that with him in a piece about his special relationship with the show for @NightwatchmanXI's TMS 60th birthday edition in 2017. https://t.co/7Jpgd4GpFU #Ashes pic.twitter.com/EKErttjJ0W
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) August 4, 2019
Speaking of Test Match Special, notwithstanding Gaurish’s email, I suppose this is the time of day when I ask someone to give me the overseas listening link so that I can give you the overseas listening link. It’s the circle of links.
“Morning Geoff,” chirps Grif. “When can we play our ‘open the box of banana balls’ card? Is it now? I hope it’s now.”
Banana balls? Sounds like an especially unpleasant ailment in the tropical theatres of World War II.
47th over: Australia 176-3 (Smith 66, Head 46) Stokes loses control completely, that was the reverse Harmison. Miles outside leg stump, and he’s lucky that Bairstow is nimble enough to collect the ball. It’s called wide, which is quite a feat in a Test match. Another ball too close to leg stump is glanced by Head for a couple, and that raises the century stand! Huge for Australia, the lead is now 86. And the pitch still looks decent to bat on now that they’ve settled in. That’s drinks.
Updated
46th over: Australia 173-3 (Smith 66, Head 44) Joe Denly on for some leggies. And they’re decent! Lands them nicely aside from a short one that he gets away with. Three singles and a bye.
45th over: Australia 169-3 (Smith 64, Head 43) A change for Broad at last, with Ben Stokes coming on. Mostly full and at the stumps, though there’s one wide trash ball that Head pelts straight to the field.
Interesting email from Gaurish Chawla. “Thank you for your lovely live blog, that I read with great interest and that unfolds like a great piece of non fiction memoir with cricket itself playing the protagonist. Often this is more enjoyable than the TV coverage of gambling companies interspersed with some cricket.
“I do time to time listen to the BBC radio commentary as well and am very much annoyed at the colonial references that keep being thrown around. Yesterday an email was read out that spoke about “sending someone back to the colonies”. As a man hailing from an ex-colony (now freed, even if still within the clutches of neocolonial structures), I am disturbed at the way my country of birth is spoken about.
“During the World Cup, there was a lot of asking why people of subcontinental origin raised in Britain still support subcontinental sides. For me, it’s the unexamined structural colonialism of cricket discourse. In my local pub the punters kept shouting ‘Come on Geoffrey! Do it for the Mother Country,’ whenever Jofra Archer was on screen, and I have rarely felt so upset and angry while watching cricket. Would they say the same for Jo Konta or Ben Stokes?”
44th over: Australia 169-3 (Smith 64, Head 43) That’s better from Head! He picks up that Moeen has overpitched, gets down the track in a flash to make it a proper full toss, and drives it straight down the ground for four! Not overhitting, along the carpet and controlled. Then as Moeen dials back the length, Head does get a ball to cut for a single.
43rd over: Australia 163-3 (Smith 63, Head 38) Still playing those cut shots at balls too close to his body, Travis Head. Another dicey miss against Broad as it beats the top edge. A brace through cover is the only scoring shot from the over.
“The bowling so far has shown we miss Jimmy not just for his wickets, but his ability to build pressure” writes Chris Davis. “We’ve not bowled badly this morning but there are too many balls that release the pressure.”
42nd over: Australia 161-3 (Smith 63, Head 36) The milking continues, and Smith goes up past his Test match average with 63. First he forces Moeen away through the off side, then drags him down to fine leg, then pushes a run to point.
41st over: Australia 155-3 (Smith 58, Head 35) Broad suddenly loses his line. Down leg side to Head, who plays a simple glance away for four. Then fuller on the same line, and Head goes through midwicket for another! See what I mean? He’s suddenly up to 35.
Here’s Brian Withington. “Much discussion on Sky this morning about how on earth you get Steve Smith out, and some brief allusion to the Bradman dilemma that faced DR Jardine and co back in the day. Looking at the CricViz analysis of Smith’s average by zone (sadly not available for The Don in 1932/3) it seems quite clear that the rule about fielders behind square on the leg side needs to revert to its 1932 laissez faire condition. And Jofra Archer cast as the Harold Larwood for our times? Can’t wait for the telegrams/tweets from Canberra to Downing Street...”
On my understanding of our twinned politics, PM Morrison will telegram “How good is Straya!” and PM Johnson will be taking to hospital after rolling up the paper slip and jamming it into his ear.
40th over: Australia 147-3 (Smith 58, Head 27) Moeen Ali to Travis Head, who is trying to be proactive and shift his weight in the crease, even when blocking or leaving. He still can’t help playing one Travis Head shot though, leaning back and trying to carve a ball that was too close and too fast, missing it entirely. Head always looks like he’s about to get out, but more often than not he has a stack of runs to his name by the time that happens. Don’t blink. Gets a single from the last ball.
39th over: Australia 146-3 (Smith 58, Head 26) Smith just keeps doing what Smith does: stepping across, nullifying the line of the ball, blocking it back, finding a single. But Broad is good enough, once in this over, to land it a fraction wider, get a fraction of movement, and beat the edge! Smith may not get out very often, but when he does get out he nicks off to slip like everyone else.
38th over: Australia 144-3 (Smith 57, Head 25) Travis Head is starting to settle, and they play Moeen in one-day middle-overs mould. Single, singles, four of them in total. Milk and bilk.
Robert Grey emails in, bravely. “I was in the Hollies yesterday and have now just landed in Stockholm (bringing the hangover with me). I fear the missing strike bowler in our attack is a fatal flaw in this Test. Let’s just please build some genuine pressure against Smith. How about posting the hives, tic-tic-boom to wrap this email up nicely?”
Rob, the hives are what I have after watching Rory Burns bat.
37th over: Australia 140-3 (Smith 55, Head 23) Broad is bowling really well to Smith, full around off stump, forcing defensive shots but with just a length just short enough to move the ball after pitching. Smith waits on a couple, and then, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, plays a false shot! What was trying to do there? He whipped his wrists through a relatively full ball, and I think he may have been trying to get that to the leg side? Instead it took a leading edge and went airborne through cover, into the gap between cover and mid-off! We can’t examine the shot more closely because the TV is content to show 83 replays of England players with their hands on their heads. Great content. The lead is 50.
Jimmy Anderson out of this Test match
Whoah, Jimmy Jimmy has instead become Woe Jimmy Jimmy. No surprises here, but he officially won’t bowl again in this match.
36th over: Australia 136-3 (Smith 51, Head 23) Right, Smith might have solved the Broad strike problem for now. Gets a single from Moeen fourth ball. The off-spinner then shreds one out of the left-hander’s rough to beat Head’s outside edge, then keep low through Bairstow’s legs for four byes. Nothing to see here, spinners. Nothing to see. Australia lead by 46 and Lyon might defend that, at this rate.
Kim Thonger emails in “In all the talk about finding a way to get Smith out, we’re forgetting the thorn in our side that is Peter Siddle. I’ve got a shiny 50p piece on him getting the Aussies up to a 200+ lead even if we bag Smith for not much early on.”
Half century! Steve Smith 50 from 69 balls
35th over: Australia 131-3 (Smith 50, Head 23) Broad to Smith, and he just wheels the bat around like hands on a clock face and effortless eases the ball behind point for his 50th run. His hundred in the first innings drew him level: 24 tons and 24 fifties. Now he’s on to 25 fifties, but could invert that if he converts it. Stats, hey?
The problem with that single is that it brings Head back on strike to Broad, which is a Bad Idea officially for Australia. Head responds to the doubters by playing a horrendous diagonal heave at a ball outside off, all bottom hand. That’s exactly how to play good seam bowling on an English deck, lad.
Updated
34th over: Australia 130-3 (Smith 49, Head 23) Moeen recovers from his carnival sideshow of a first over and lands quite nicely on the spot for his second. Spins one off a thick inside edge from Smith away into the leg side. England need Mo to do a job today.
33rd over: Australia 129-3 (Smith 48, Head 23) Thanks JP! Geoff Lemon here, taking over as play gets underway. Good morning all. Adjust your email and Twitter settings accordingly if you wouldn’t mind. Tim Paine could probably repurpose some Churchill today: “Never have so many relied so heavily on so few,” or thereabouts. By which I mean to say, never have I felt that an Ashes Test has relied so entirely on one player. If England get Smith this morning, they win. If they don’t for two or three hours, they lose.
Stuart Broad – big, bad, and better than his Dad – starts his day against Travis Head, left-handed and flighty. Sears the ball in from around the wicket and there’s a huge shout! That was hitting leg stump, surely! Umpire says no. Computer says maybe. Clipping leg. I was giving it. I’m still giving it. England didn’t review. It wouldn’t have been out, but phew. Close.
Another shout next ball! This one missing leg properly. But Head can’t get bat on it when Broad bowls full and straight. So Broad bowls short and wide instead. There is a galaxy within; you will never understand his mysteries.
32nd over: Australia 129-3 (Smith 48, Head 23) My oh my oh my... Moeen Ali begins proceedings and his first ball is a rancid grubber that pitches and scuttles no more than ankle high towards Smith who is alert enough to nurdle a single. After Head calmly rotates strike Ali then sends down a wild lobbed grenade that beats Smith at head height for an awful no-ball. Smith tried to swat it away but failed to connect. An eventful start to the day.
Updated
The players are out in the middle and day four is underway!
Australian TV is broadcasting a pre-recorded interview with Travis Head and the man who will start play in partnership with Steve Smith has said Australia are targeting a lead of 250-plus. The strategy is to see off the opening hour or so and then cash-in once the ball has softened.
Are we remiss for not considering Joe Denly’s leg-spin as a serious factor in the outcome of this match? After all, he was selected in touring parties for his ability to operate as an auxiliary member of the attack on decks such as these.
How will this pitch play on Day 4?
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 4, 2019
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/bPJ6sYEb5w#Ashes pic.twitter.com/G5fcfg32te
Updated
How do you solve a problem like Steve Smith? Mark Taylor, on Australian TV, says bowl a fourth to fifth stump line and remain patient. Easier said than done of course.
Abhijato Sensarma has emailed in to ask if I would pick Bancroft for the next Test. Short answer: yes. If the Australian brains trust think he’s the right man for the opening Test then it would be harsh to hook him after just two knocks.
Clearly he can’t continue to score poorly but the solidity of his place also depends on the form of Marcus Harris, the only other opener among the tour party.
@JPHowcroft morning jp big day if England get Smith I feel we are favourites. Don’t wanna be chasing more than 200 to win. #ENGvAUS
— Stuie Neale (@MrNeale92) August 4, 2019
Morning Stuie. Hard not to think Smith is key to all of this. If he fails to last an hour you can see England racing away with things. If he’s entrenched after lunch the balance of power swings.
Should Australia set a chase of 200 I’d put them favourites. Anything under 150 it’s England’s to lose. Small margins.
Leg-side long-hops. Simples...
How do you get Steve Smith out? #Ashes pic.twitter.com/pVGdEruOSb
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) August 4, 2019
Leanne Indaimo wins the prize for the first email of the day. “I noted with interest that yesterday one of the bloggers commented that he liked to think if he grew up in a non cricketing country that he would be a cricket fan,” she emails. “I am writing to say that this is possible. My son was born in England and since he was five grew up in Italy, a cricket desert. I can say that thanks to the brainwashing of his Aussie parents he is a huge fan of the game. Obsessive even. Despite his English birthplace he is of course a dinky die true blue Aussie supporter. He is now living back in England about to experience his first Ashes series on enemy soil. He has no idea what he is in for!!”.
Lovely stuff. Perhaps your son could now throw his allegiance behind Janjua Cricket Club Brescia in the new European Cricket League?
The Australian spin on things is provided by Geoff Lemon and yesterday he was as interested in the behaviour of Steve Smith in the field as he was at the crease.
The interesting thing about this is that Smith has not finished his punishment. His year-long ban from playing has ended, but not the second year’s ban from holding leadership positions in any Australia team. So it was equally interesting to see him in the slip cordon as Australia tried to take the last few English first-innings wickets, directing traffic in the field as smoothly as he ever did while captain.
Today’s global TMS link. For overseas listeners only. If you’re in the UK, grab their coverage in the usual BBC places. Here it is, with thanks to Peter Haining for sending it through.
In Anderson’s absence Stuart Broad has led the attack manfully. Barney Ronay has reminds us how the often maligned paceman raises his game to match the stakes.
Broad has loved these contests. Unlike Anderson, whose numbers take a dive against the Aussies, Broad’s game rises to meet England’s most consistently cussed opponents, particularly in the English summer.
Jimmy Anderson update:
The latest update on Anderson doesn't take us much further: he's still suffering from tightness in his right calf, he won't field in Australia's second innings, but - if required - he will bat in England's.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) August 4, 2019
The sight of a limping Anderson hobbling the winning run late on Monday evening would be something to behold.
Mo, Mo, Mooooo, how d’you like it? How d’you like it?
Average turn by day in this Test:
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) August 4, 2019
Day 1 - 3.7°
Day 2 - 4.5°
Day 3 - 4.9°#Ashes
Nobody seems to have any idea how to dislodge the most fidgety and idiosyncratic of batsmen but Chris Woakes is a man with a plan, possibly, as Ali Martin reports.
Much has been made of the hostility from English crowds towards Australia’s players in this series but Tim Adams has sketched a much more promising scene from the Edgbaston outer where pantomime villain Smith is winning over the home support.
The stages of Smith’s 144 runs were like a fast-forward primer in theories of the tribal language of crowds. Smith’s first 50 runs were greeted with solid animosity from the home crowd; his vivid century was first booed and then almost immediately applauded, often by the same people. Detractors had wavered and then become converts. By the time the Australian’s innings closed, as the evening sun was on the ground, most of the English crowd were quite happy to give him the rich ovation his brilliance and fortitude deserved.
If you want to remind yourself of the state of play then tuck into Vic Marks’ report from stumps on day three.
Yet again Steve Smith is the obstacle driving the English to distraction. While he is still at the crease nothing can be guaranteed. In front of another packed house here England made some solid progress: a first-innings lead of 90 and three early scalps when Australia batted again. But Smith, who reminded us on the first day how he can transform an innings, remained.
Weather: There’s already more than enough tension in this contest but if you wanted some more, how about the prospect of some inclement weather this afternoon? It’s currently fine and cool in the West Midlands but there is the strong risk of a rain-related interruption or two after lunch.
In case you hadn’t realised already, I should point out I am not Geoff Lemon. He will be with you before play begins but for the time being please forward any email correspondence to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com or tweets to @JPHowcroft.
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Preamble
Good morning everybody and welcome to day four of the first Ashes Test from Edgbaston. This contest is beautifully poised with Australia resuming their second innings leading by 34 runs with seven wickets in hand.
WinViz suggests England have a 67% chance of victory, Australia just 23%, but I wonder if that takes into account the necessary Steve Smith loading. The Australian superstar will once again be at the crease when play resumes and England’s bowlers seem bereft of ideas for how to prevent him remaining there indefinitely.
With the pitch offering diminishing returns for the seamers and the Dukes ball failing to swing there will be enormous pressure on the shoulders of Moeen Ali to spin England to the brink of victory this morning. Should Australia bat on much beyond lunch the nerves around Edgbaston will be jangling loudly. A target in excess of 150 will be tricky to chase against an Australian attack containing Nathan Lyon on a surface offering plenty to the off-spinner.
The opening couple of hours today look set to shape the remainder of the series. It’s going to be gripping.
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