“It’s my wedding anniversary today,” says Gabriel Munns. Oh congrat – “This day’s play has not been conducive to romanticism.” Ah.
“When Stokes was out, I judged that Buttler would make a magnificent 36, and Woakes would carve out a brave 15. So I went out with my wife. Popping back in to collect a couple of things before continuing the celebrations, I discovered the game was not over. Broad was out as I returned to the OBO and radio, with four runs required. Perfect timing. I’m so happy. Yet hate myself for losing the faith. This is the burden we carry as supporters of England. Thank you for your superb coverage. I have to get back.”
It’s a great pleasure. Thank you for reading, emailing, stressing out in Munich and whatever else you’ve been doing. Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler have just had their finest hours in whites. Yasir Shah has bowled so well that he doesn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Old Trafford has hosted another cracking Covid-era Test. And cricket, as much as England, is the winner. If you’re still in need of a read, Vic Marks’s match report will be along soon.
In the meantime, here’s possibly the first-ever cricket piece in the New Yorker. “A Test match,” they say, “is considered by aficionados the sport’s best expression.” It sure is, buddy.
So England start a Test series with a win!
After five in a row that began with a defeat.
“I like chasing in one-day cricket,” Buttler says. “In the chase, the game lays itself out.” That’s almost poetic.
He admits that the chances he missed were “not acceptable”. Mind you, without them we might not have had that fabulous finale.
“Jos should always be in the side,” Shane Warne adds, “because of what he’s capable of, and the leadership he brings, the calmness about him.”
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“We rightly celebrate Pakistan’s mercurialness (mercuriality?),” says Max Williams, “but I think the joy of this England team is underestimated. The perfect mix of talent, grit and fragility. Bowled out for 77, chase 362 - mesmeric. I’ve seen better Englands but none so capable of both triumph and disaster.”
Jos Buttler speaks
That must feel great, says Ian Ward. “Absolutely,” Buttler replies. “Lot of relief as well... Root and Sibley got a nice partnership together, then I really enjoyed my partnership with Woakesy. Tried to break it down into a one-day chase, four an over, and got some good momentum going. After I saw that ball to Popey, bit of a sitting duck, I tried to put the pressure back on Pakistan.”
“How is it,” wonders Krish on Twitter, “Test matches played in England always produce results and keep the excitement? What can pitches in India and Sri Lanka learn from them?”
And here’s Kim Thonger. “As ennoblements are now ten a penny,” he said 20 minutes ago, “I don’t think OBEs for Woakes and Buttler would be out of place if they get this over the line, do you?”
I haven't even given the score
England 277-7 (Woakes 84, Bess 0). And Yasir finishes with four for 99, to go with his four for 66 in the first innings.
Woakes finishes with 84 not out, to go with some superb bowling. Man of the match is a shoot-out between him, Yasir Shah and Shan Masood. Maybe they should all share it: a tie would have been a fair result.
Well.
How did they do that? I’m not entirely sure.
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England win! By three wickets
With an edge for four, from Woakes. A bathetic end to a magnificent run-chase.
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82nd over: England 273-7 (Woakes 80, Bess 0) Out comes Dom Bess, determined to be sober. He pokes and prods. Dot dot dot. England need 4.
“Am listening to TMS,” says Juliet, “from my armchair in my small Munich flat. I am so stressed I have to keep getting up and doing little jobs eg hoovering, washing up. OH the stress — Pakistan just taken the new ball. Must take the rubbish out and then get a G&T . Or maybe I’ll do it the other way round!!"
Wicket! Broad lbw b Yasir 7 (England 273-7)
Broad misses the slog-sweep and goes without even reviewing. Is he feeling OK?
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Mid-82nd over: England 272-6 (Woakes 80, Broad 7) And the new ball is shared by... Yasir Shah! He gives Woakes some room, which brings a single to the sweeper. Now Broad has the strike and he can finish it with a four...
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81st over: England 272-6 (Woakes 79, Broad 7) Shaheen tries a short one and Woakes pulls for a single. What a hand he has played here. Bowls well, too. England need 5.
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Mid-81st over: England 271-6 (Woakes 78, Broad 7) Woakes goes for a big drive, gets an inside edge, but luckily for him it thuds into his pad. And then there’s a no-ball! A big one, too. Woakes gets some width, his second-favourite thing after shampoo, and he drives for two. And then for four! Straight past the bowler, sweetly timed. England need 6.
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80th over: England 264-6 (Woakes 72, Broad 7) Yasir overpitches, allowing Woakes to swish for a single off the last ball of the over. The new ball is being handed to Shaheen. England need 13. Pakistan need another twist.
“Test cricket eh?” says Sam Walker. “Bloody hell!”
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Mid-80th over: England 263-6 (Woakes 71, Broad 7) Broad sweeps again... and it thuds into the man at short leg. Painful but effective. Another sweep, a single this time. Meanwhile Shaheen is getting loose, a hint that the new ball is going to be taken. England need 14.
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79th over: England 262-6 (Woakes 71, Broad 6) A full toss from Shadab, and Broad will be rather miffed to have swept it for a mere single. Shadab recovers to bowl two dot balls to Woakes. England need 15. The tension is delicious.
Mid-79th over: England 261-6 (Woakes 71, Broad 5) Azhar keeps faith with Shadab, and Broad sweeps him for four! England need 16.
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78th over: England 257-6 (Woakes 71, Broad 1) Buttler, back in the zone now, tucked Yasir for two, then reverse-swept for two more, helped by a misfield. But then he tried one reverse-sweep too many. And England have sent in Stuart Broad, their reborn resident slogger, which (by the way) is an idea Rob Smyth floated in a text before the start of play. Broad’s Test average this summer is 102. Good move, on paper... England need 20.
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Wicket! Buttler lbw b Yasir 75 (England 256-6)
Umpire’s call!! Oof. Well bowled Yasir, and very well played Jos Buttler – a beautiful counter-attack and an innings to silence all those critics of his. England need 21. Has the twist come just in time?
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Wicket!? Buttler lbw b Yasir 75
He’s reviewing...
77th over: England 252-5 (Buttler 71, Woakes 71) Shadab drops short, Buttler’s eyes light up and that’s six! Pulled over midwicket. England need 25. Back to the fives and twos.
76th over: England 244-5 (Buttler 64, Woakes 70) Yasir turns one past Woakes’s bat as it dangles out there, doing nothing. Woakes pulls himself together and goes back to his signature drive. This is now his second-highest score for England, and the second-highest score of this match, and surely his best Test innings. England need 33.
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75th over: England 243-5 (Buttler 64, Woakes 69) Buttler miscues a pull – and it loops up and falls safely in the middle of nowhere. England need 34. Five overs to the new ball. “Gotta take it,” says Shane Warne. “Fantastic effort this from England. Lotta ticker.” Praise comes no higher from an Aussie.
74th over: England 241-5 (Buttler 63, Woakes 68) Buttler is calm enough to reverse-sweep Yasir, though he only gets a single for it. Woakes cuts for two, then squirts for one. Another single from Buttler and England need 36.
73rd over: England 236-5 (Buttler 61, Woakes 65) Azhar saw Yasir making things happen again and summoned his lesser leggie, Shadab – who very nearly made something happen too. Got to feel for Pakistan, they haven’t done much wrong here. And they can still turn it round. England need 41. The second new ball, due in seven overs, is back in the frame now.
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Not out!
It was missing off, by about three millimetres. And Pakistan are out of reviews! Tim Paine, I hope you’re watching.
Review! For lbw, Shadab to Woakes
Not given, but looks good to me...
72nd over: England 235-5 (Buttler 60, Woakes 65) Buttler is hit on the shoulder as Yasir gets one to pop – the fireworks may have returned. He decides to take charge and reverts to the reverse sweep. It’s only a single, but it’s a nice moment of self-assertion. England need 42. This is crunch time.
“I do hope,” says Andy Bradshaw, “people haven’t been conned by that conniving dastardly harlot Hope into thinking England have a chance. Beware, let her in through the door and her evil colleagues Heart Break and Despair will burst in through the toilet window whilst she has you distracted.”
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Not out!
Buttler was cutting, too close... but Ultra Edge has nothing, so that’s a fine decision from Richard Kettleborough.
Review! For caught behind, Yasir to Buttler
Not given, but Buttler looks dejected.
71st over: England 233-5 (Buttler 59, Woakes 64) Shaheen continues, and still there’s not much happening for him. Buttler spots a slower ball and clips it for a couple. If this was a story by Arthur Conan Doyle, it would be called The Strange Case of the Missing Fireworks. England need 44.
“It’s noticeable,” notes Brian Withington, “that England’s batting has understandably become somewhat more cautious as we lurch from the depths of WinViz improbability towards something approaching favouritism. Time to be very afraid.”
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70th over: England 230-5 (Buttler 57, Woakes 64) Pakistan need a wicket so badly and Yasir almost delivers, persuading Woakes to glove a leg-break that lands just short of gully. Woakes, rattled, flails at a long hop and misses. When he shovels to leg, Buttler calls him for a quick single which is just what is needed – shepherding his mate up to the other end. England need 47.
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69th over: England 228-5 (Buttler 56, Woakes 63) Woakes, facing Shaheen, gets one where he likes it, outside off, and cuts for two more. He adds a single before Buttler gets another yorker and digs it out calmly enough. The camera goes to Stokes, who has made no runs in this match – but has surely played a part in this partnership, by giving England belief that they can pull off unlikely run chases.
68th over: England 225-5 (Buttler 56, Woakes 60) Yasir finds the edge of Woakes’s bat, only to see it scoot away for two through the vacant gully. Woakes adds another single, driven down to long-off. England need 52. And Pakistan need five wickets. “A pleasing array of fives and twos,” says my daughter Laura on the sofa next to me. She’s 22, and has been a cricket lover for about five minutes.
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67th over: England 222-5 (Buttler 56, Woakes 57) Shaheen tries the toe-ball, but Buttler has seen a few of those on his white-ball travels and gets enough on it to glance for a hard-run two. England need 55. They may even be able to cope with a double Nelson.
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66th over: England 219-5 (Buttler 54, Woakes 56) Woakes cuts Yasir for a single to bring up a quite superb hundred partnership off 123 balls. This is how to counter-attack. Buttler made the running at first, then Woakes nipped past him. England need 58.
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“Has WinViz been drinking?” asks Tom van der Gucht. “It has lurched wildly in terms of its predictions today. Just before Sibley was out, England were at something ridiculous like a 70% chance of winning. It’s like an Englishman who’s spent the day tanking pints of Stella in a pub beer garden, swaying from bonhomie to truculent to tearful to philosophical in the early evening summer sun.” Beautifully put.
65th over: England 216-5 (Buttler 53, Woakes 54) It’s a double change as Azhar brings back Shaheen, much to the relief of Michael Holding, who wants to see the ball angling into Woakes, not feeding his strength on the off side. The batsmen take a couple more singles. They need another 61.
And that’s drinks, with England unable to believe what a good hour they’ve just had. There has to be a snag, doesn’t there?
62nd over: England 214-5 (Buttler 52, Woakes 53) What would you do in Azhar Ali’s shoes? Turn, I suspect, to your senior leggie. Off goes Abbas, back comes Yasir. Buttler is now confident enough to sweep him out of the rough, which yields a single. That’s the only run from the over as Woakes treats Yasir with the respect his performance has earned.
63rd over: England 213-5 (Buttler 51, Woakes 53) Before the drive that brought up his fifty, Woakes stepped away to leg and smashed a four off a bouncer from Naseem – a stroke that was half Bob Willis, half Novak Djokovic. Which may be a first in sporting history. Eleven off the over! England need 64. And WinViz gives them 61pc now, which may be overdoing it.
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Fifty to Woakes!!
Reached with his signature cover drive off Naseem – 52 off 59 balls. That is a very timely return to form from a man who couldn’t buy a run in the past few Tests.
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Fifty to Buttler!
Reached with a controlled pull, off only 55 balls. Is it safe to mention Universe Jos?
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62nd over: England 202-5 (Buttler 49, Woakes 44) Woakes lives dangerously again, almost chipping Abbas to mid-off. But Abbas is a bit rattled, for such a master craftsman – he digs one in short, and Woakes easily swivel-pulls for another single. Buttler takes a single too, with a tuck to midwicket. These two have been so positive that they’re close to taking the new ball out of the picture.
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61st over: England 200-5 (Buttler 48, Woakes 43) Another single for Buttler, soft-handsing Naseem into the gap at point. “This is not what Pakistan are good at,” mutters Nasser, “this is line and length.” Not usually a problem in Test cricket, but you know what he means. And then Woakes gets just enough width to play a late glide for four. The Pakistanis have a conference, Woakes pops a pull this close to Yasir at midwicket, but gets away with it. England need 77. WinViz now gives them 47pc, Pakistan 52. Thank God for the 1pc chance of a tie – otherwise it would be Brexit all over again.
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60th over: England 194-5 (Buttler 47, Woakes 38) Woakes plays-and-misses at Abbas, but recovers with a clip for a single. Buttler follows suit, and then Abbas, straying onto the pads for a third time, lets Woakes clip for four. That may be the most wayward over Mo has ever bowled. England need another 83.
“What a game,” says Mohammad Yasir. “If Pakistan can nick some maidens they might make the new ball with something to play with. With Broad to come, England have this in the bag.” Is it me or is it easier to agree with the first point than the second?
59th over: England 188-5 (Buttler 46, Woakes 33) Yes, it’s Naseem Shah, bursting to find the bounce that defeated Ollie Pope. He’s up to 87mph right away and Buttler treats him with respect, playing very straight – until he gets a shorter ball and pulls it for four, raspingly, to midwicket. That may be the shot of the day, even better than the reverse sweeps. The partnership is 71 off 85 balls, slowing down now, but still offering a smidgen of hope. What a shame there’s no crowd in to surf on that feeling.
58th over: England 184-5 (Buttler 42, Woakes 33) Buttler takes a quick single off Abbas and would be out if the throw from backward point was a direct hit, but it wasn’t. The Shadab experiment may be over – Naseem Shah is loosening up, as if you need to do that when you’re as outrageously young as he allegedly is. England need 93.
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57th over: England 183-5 (Buttler 41, Woakes 33) With Shadab bowling and the field back, there’s some milking to be done. More singles and a two for Woakes, who sees a full toss and tucks in. England’s win percentage on CricViz is now 36, with the tie on 1pc.
56th over: England 179-5 (Buttler 40, Woakes 30) Abbas to Woakes. We thought Woakes was Mr Impeccable, but that was before we saw Abbas’s line and length. Woakes thick-edges him, safely enough, for another single, to bring the target down to a round 100. Buttler takes a single too, with the keeper up to pin him to his crease. “While you’ve got Buttler,” says Nasser Hussain, “you’ve got hope.”
Woakes takes yet another single, which gets him to 30. There haven’t been many 30s in this Test: three in Pakistan’s first innings, two in England’s first, one in Pakistan’s second (Yasir, of all people) – and now four in England’s second. If one of these two batsmen can turn 30 into 80, they’re in with a chance.
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55th over: England 176-5 (Buttler 39, Woakes 28) For the slow stuff, it’s Shadab, not Yasir – the apprentice rather than the sorcerer. Buttler takes another measured single, Woakes a more muscular one. Then a measured one apiece. And finally Buttler brings out the big shot, a crunching cover drive for four. England need 101.
54th over: England 168-5 (Buttler 33, Woakes 26) A rare wide one from Abbas, and Buttler is so surprised that he misses it. There’s only one slip and a gully. The one kind of cricket Mo hasn’t mastered is the one-day game, which is just what Buttler has been looking to play today. He bides his time for now, clipping a single into the leg side. One from the over, so Mo has already restored order.
It’s going to be Mohammad Abbas, the medium-paced metronome who came to Test cricket so late that he had already had three other jobs – in a leather factory, a welder’s and a law firm. The last of these may explain his relentless accuracy.
“As this now appears to be a classic rearguard action,” says Kim Thonger, “and may very well soon mutate into a lost cause, I’ve taken the liberty of researching one such event. My thanks to Wikipedia for this. The Battle of Tirad Pass, sometimes referred to as the ‘Philippine Thermopylae’, was a battle in the Philippine–American War fought on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines, in which a 60-man Filipino rear guard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar succumbed to more than 500 Americans, mostly of the 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment under Major Peyton C. March, while delaying the American advance to ensure that President Emilio Aguinaldo and his troops escaped. One learns so much from cricket, does one not?”
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53rd over: England 167-5 (Buttler 32, Woakes 26) Azhar turns to Shadab – turn, turn, turn. He gets Woakes to nick one, but it’s through the vacant gully. A bit of merry hitting does spread the field. Buttler pulls a long hop, only for a single, but it brings up a fine 50 partnership off 49 balls. As counter-attacks go, that’s in the Greenwood-Fernandes class.
Time for tea, with England needing another 110. Pakistan’s bowlers were well on top for most of that session, but now there’ll be a few butterflies in the belly, besides the Custard Creams. What a great game this is.
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52nd over: England 165-5 (Buttler 31, Woakes 24) Buttler chops Yasir for a quick single, well taken. Woakes cuts too, more aggressively but with the same result. And just when things seem to be going quiet, Buttler whips out the reverse-sweep again and nails it. WinViz is giving Pakistan a 79pc chance, England 21. That feels about right.
51st over: England 159-5 (Buttler 26, Woakes 24) Another over from Shaheen, another cover drive for four from Woakes. And a pull for two, which would have been four had Abid Ali not made a fine diving save. “Still plenty of twists to go,” says Shane Warne. These two have added 42 off 37 balls, and England need 118 more.
“Another collapse for the English middle order,” says AB Parker, “but can’t blame any of the batsmen this time around. Stokes/Pope/Root all got absolutely unplayable deliveries. Sibley only one to really have thrown his wicket away. Brilliant bowling, swing and bounce from the faster men, spin and bounce from Yasir Shah.” Very true. The Pakistanis have made better use of the bounce than England’s bowlers did, with the possible exception of Ben Stokes. Who, incidentally, was picked for this match as a specialist batsman, and ended up doing better with the ball (two for 11) than the bat (twice out for 9).
50th over: England 153-5 (Buttler 26, Woakes 18) Yasir’s still going round the wicket, so Buttler, playing cat-and-mouse, tickles him round the corner for a tidy little single. He’s got the top sportsperson’s ability to stay cool even when they’re on fire. For Woakes, Yasir goes back over the wicket and instantly regrets it as Woakes pulls out that majestic cover drive of his.
“I’ve just brought my lad back,” says Geoffrey Smith, “...from nets at the Frankfurt International Cricket Academy, where there was a German Cricket Association game going on in the middle. It’s definitely taking off here and it’s all down to the sub-continent. Give it another 20 years and we’ll be losing to Germany in yet another World Cup.” Bring it on.
49th over: England 147-5 (Buttler 25, Woakes 13) When not top-edging, Buttler is middling it. A cover force makes a satisfying crack, though it brings only a single as the sweeper is out there. Woakes follows suit, later on the shot, so he gets three for it. And then he absolutely creams a cover drive. England now have more than half the runs for exactly half the wickets. They can’t, can they...?
48th over: England 140-5 (Buttler 24, Woakes 7) Buttler’s turning into Stuart Broad! He sweeps for two, then, more crunchily, for four. Yasir stays round the wicket. “There’s only one way to get him out,” says Shane Warne, “and that’s with the top-edged sweep.” Sure enough, Buttler top-edges a sweep, but gets away with it as the ball drops in no-man’s-land. This is riveting.
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47th over: England 133-5 (Buttler 17, Woakes 7) Buttler cops one in the midriff from Shaheen, who is steaming in and touching 87mph (as, by the way, Jimmy Anderson did yesterday, possibly out of sheer frustration). Chris Woakes, who’s been hinting at a return to batting form, slash-drives for four and pulls for three. The partnership is 16 off 13 balls, punchy stuff – and shrewd, because there’s probably a ball with your name on it here, and it may well be a glove-melter.
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46th over: England 124-5 (Buttler 15, Woakes 0) Buttler, staying positive, strokes Yasir for two past cover, then reverse-sweeps for four, very decisively. This is white-ball Jos. Yasir counters by going round the wicket, to exploit the rough, and red-ball Jos reappears with a couple of leaves before stroking a measured single. Wouldn’t you love to see him go down with all shots blazing?
45th over: England 117-5 (Buttler 8, Woakes 0) Pope had been driving Shaheen, which was brave as he is on the short side and Shaheen is a beanpole. And there was not a thing he could have done about his dismissal.
“First of all, keep up the smashing good job!” says Milind. Thanks, it’s all been down to Geoff today. “Speaking of Cricket in Germany, I’ve been proselytising here in Berlin along with an Aussie and a couple of English chaps I know. It’s gotten to the point that we now have 3 Germans, an Italian, a Croatian and a Polish friend joining in the fun.” There’s a joke in here somewhere. “A very close friend of mine is so enamoured, that she went ahead and bought two bats, while I’ve been busy preparing taped balls for tomorrow. Perhaps soon we can send you pictures of us in Cricket Whites.” Do! Though tomorrow may be too late.
Wicket!! Pope c Shadab b Shaheen 7 (England 117-5)
That is vicious! A length ball rears up at Pope, just as it did in the first innings, and this is even nastier. He does well to get a glove on it, it loops up and Shadab trots round from gully to take an easy catch. Pope walks off in pain as well as anguish. And England’s middle order has disappeared in a puff of dust.
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44th over: England 116-4 (Pope 7, Buttler 8) Yasir continues, as he may well do for the rest of the match. Pope takes a typical bustling single, and then Buttler cracks a cover drive. And another one! After that long vigil in the first innings, he may have decided not to die wondering.
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43rd over: England 107-4 (Pope 6, Buttler 0) So England are back down to Pope and Buttler, the pair that steadied the ship on Thursday night and Friday morning. The score then was 92 for four, so this corner they’re in is only a little less tight. Azhar Ali brings back Shaheen Afridi, a forgotten man since his opening spell. He has a big appeal against Buttler, cutting him in half with a nip-backer, but, for once, they decide not to review.
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42nd over: England 106-4 (Pope 5, Buttler 0) Thanks Geoff, classy stuff (if that’s not too condescending to a 30-something). And a hell of a moment to hand over.
Wicket! Stokes c Rizwan b Yasir 9 (England 106-4)
NOOOOOO! Ben Stokes is out. It was a bouncer, and he gloved it. That’s great bowling, out of nowhere near the coaching manual. And England’s chances, which had just crept above 50pc on WinViz when Sibley and Root were still in, have pretty much evaporated in the space of 20 minutes.
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Review! For caught behind, Yasir to Stokes
Not given...
41st over: England 105-3 (Stokes 9, Pope 4) Seeing the ball-tracking on Naseem’s ball to Root, there was a touch of movement. Maybe just the width of the ball. That’s enough. Stokes is facing him now, defending, then unable to beat midwicket. Hit on the pad by a slower ball that was high and going down leg side, but aside from that it had a lot going for it. They’ve reviewed it! Azhar didn’t really want to but he’s been convinced by his bowler. I don’t want to be condescending but sometimes you shouldn’t listen to a 17-year-old. The ball-tracker says it was missing leg stump. Not by that much in the end, but it looked bad. Stokes missed it, so you can chalk that up to the bowler. Naseem bounces him, Stokes pulls and misses down the leg side! No bat on that. Maiden.
That’s it for me. If you’re in the German city of Rostock and want to connect with cricketers there, kindly do that via Tim de Lisle, who will be your guide and your balm from this over on. Good luck to you all, and good day/night.
40th over: England 105-3 (Stokes 9, Pope 4) Well, that’s pretty much Stokes for you. Walks out into the rough and reverse-swats Yasir for four. As ya do.
Frederick Simon writes in. “The first people who I met when I moved to Berlin were the members of the Berlin Cricket Club. We had nets twice a week in the middle of the old Olympic stadium. Built by Hitler as a monument to fascism and filled 80 years later by cricketers from Afganistan, Pakistan, India, Australia and England. I am really shit at cricket and they were bloody good. Terrifyingly good. Lots of teams play regularly and in Saxony there is a very active tape ball league - which is kind of cool. It’s run by a chemistry PhD from Lahore.
“I live in Rostock now and I am get to find another cricket lover. So if they are out there and following OBO, hit me up!”
39th over: England 100-3 (Stokes 4, Pope 4) Right then, Young Pope to the middle. Gets off the mark quickly with a freebie on his pads, strokes it away for four. Gets them to tripe figures. 177 to get.
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WICKET! Root c Babar b Naseem 42 (England 96-3)
That’s huge! Naseem does the job, with the ability he has to get one to leap off the surface! No deviation there that I could see but the ball jumps at Root, much like the one that got Ollie Pope in the first dig. It takes the shoulder of the bat and so even with the slips hanging back, it carries comfortably enough to Babar at first slip. What a ball, what a moment.
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38th over: England 96-2 (Root 42, Stokes 4) How’s that from Root? A reverse sweep for four to start the over! Yasir just missed the patch of rough on the inside line. I don’t know if Root had time to spot that or if he’d premeditated the shot, perhaps it was on the line more than anything. But it works out for him, as there was no chance for an explosion of turf and a misbehaving ball, and he cleanly gets the full face to third man.
Root cuts a single. Stokes facing Yasir for the first time, who again lands straight of the patch of rough, and Stokes shoulders arms as it turns and would be going well down leg. Doesn’t make the most of the pitch in this over, Yasir.
37th over: England 91-2 (Root 37, Stokes 4) This is the match here. Stokes to the middle. He and Root are the two who’ll have to win this. Get them and it’s all but Pakistan’s game. There’s the rough outside the lefty’s off stump, the ball that might reverse away, and his recent discomfort against Mohammad Abbas. They need 191 more runs. Stokes starts at the non-striker’s end but is soon brought into the action by Root. Naseem is over the wicket, angling across him, and Stokes quickly gets a boundary via the edge along the ground.
WICKET! Sibley c Shafiq b Yasir 36 (England 86-2)
36th over: England 86-2 (Root 36) Yasir to Root, around the wicket, cut for four! That was too short, the turn took it across the batsman, and he laced it. More likely to go for that than The Sybil, silent and inscrutable. Good shot. Next ball: advantage Yasir. It explodes out of the footmarks, huge bounce and it vipers up at the gloves! Root is alive to it and drops his hands, just, letting it go through. Root sweeps a run.
But with the partnership at 64, last ball of the over, Yasir comes back over the wicket. Lands it on the right length at last, nearly full but with enough distance to let it turn, and Sibley plays a big drive. Edged, slip, gone!
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35th over: England 81-1 (Sibley 36, Root 31) Naseem is looking for reverse swing, running in hiding the ball in his hands. Perhaps gets a bit into Root’s pads but going down, and deflecting for a couple of leg byes. He goes too wide and short in compensating, and Root is able to chop it down into the gully gap for four. Gets a single square.
Julian Menz is reading along in Sweden. “I have played cricket in a few countries, with varying degrees of success. England of course, Scotland too. I spent some time in SA, and even found a team during my time in Germany. As an opening bat, I faced some terrifying stuff in SA, and was quite OK against the home counties’ ‘swingers’.
“Sweden destroyed me as a potential England opener though. Cricket is different in every country, and here, most of the bowlers are from Afghanistan. I thrived on the fast stuff, but two spinners opening the bowling was too much for me. This Old Cricketer Left the Crease.”
34th over: England 74-1 (Sibley 36, Root 26) Nope, Yasir is back over the wicket. It’s a bit of upstairs-downstairs today. Sibley keeps on kickin’, man, you just gotta keep on kickin’. Eventually he has to use the bat to stab one down off his hip, keeping the short leg interested. Then he deigns to hit a full toss for a couple of runs to the midwicket sweeper. Quite why you need a deep midwicket for Dom Sibley is beyond me.
33rd over: England 72-1 (Sibley 34, Root 26) Another edge short of the cordon! Babar at first slip takes this on the bounce as Naseem draws a genuine nick. It bounced a long way in front, but still. They do look to be standing too far back, that’s three that haven’t carried today.
32nd over: England 72-1 (Sibley 34, Root 26) Sibley kicking away Yasir again, turning to hide his gloves behind his body as it strikes his pad. Yasir loses patience with this and comes back over the wicket. So much for Benaud. Sibley picks up two runs square to end the dot parade.
“I had quite an experience last summer here in Munich,” writes James Quigley. “I played for a German representative XI, me hailing from Scotland, our captain an eccentric Englishman and the rest of the team Afghans, Sri Lankans and Pakistanis. We played against an Indian XI as it was the celebration of Indian independence day. There was quite a crowd with music and food stalls aplenty. When lining up for the anthems and being introduced to the Indian Ambassador to Germany I had a thought that the Indians were all very tall and burly.
“We got hammered! Stupidly at the eccentric Englishman’s request, at 55 I was asked to field at short cover. Took one in the eye from a full-blooded cover drive that popped off the square! Went to hospital in central Munich. Spent the next three hours explaining that they are called cricket whites, its a game. To the bemusement of German doctors and nurses. Didn’t even get a bat and that was the only reason I signed up! Got a nice gold medal and a sore head though. Never again.”
31st over: England 70-1 (Sibley 32, Root 26) Another ball that misbehaves. This could get harder and harder to bat on. Abbas pitches on a length but there’s a puff of dust from the surface and it spits up at Root’s gloves. Which is not allowed under biosecure protocols. He survives, though. Three maidens in a row for Pakistan.
30th over: England 70-1 (Sibley 32, Root 26) Yasir Shah comes around the wicket, just as Richie Benaud did at Old Trafford all those years ago to retain the Ashes in 1961. Sibley as a right-hander is happy to kick away most of the first over. This particular contest could be a grind if it continues this way.
29th over: England 70-1 (Sibley 32, Root 26) Abbas again, and Root edges short! Oh, so nearly gone. He tries to flick that through the leg side and gets a leading edge. Azhar Ali has even put in two gullies for Root, and somehow it goes square of the closer one, and drops short of the deeper one. That’s a slice of luck for England’s skip. Rattled, he plays out a maiden to the accurate Abbas.
28th over: England 70-1 (Sibley 32, Root 26) Width from Yasir again, and Sibley reaches for it and steers it away through backward point for four! He hasn’t been completely one-paced today, a run every three balls is alright for Sibley. Been a very important presence thus far for England.
27th over: England 66-1 (Sibley 28, Root 26) The cut shot from Root doesn’t work in this over, a big chop off the under-edge to gully.
David Wynne tells me that there’s a brief article on German cricket in a new online mag called Vox Cricket, here.
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26th over: England 65-1 (Sibley 27, Root 26) Yasir is still just reaching a little bit, landing wide of off-stump on occasion, full on occasion. He’s really putting some work on the ball, I’ll bet you can hear it humming as it comes down the pitch. The seam is fizzing around. Sibley squeezes a run last ball to midwicket, but it’s almost a leading edge.
The partnership is worth 43, this has been important.
25th over: England 64-1 (Sibley 26, Root 26) Another positive shot from Root, cutting through backward point with just a bit of width. Abbas gets buzzed for a no-ball by the third umpire a couple of balls later. It’s good that England and Pakistan took the initiative to get the third umpire onto that job in this series, even though it won’t be brought into other Tests until next year unless those respective boards decide to make it happen.
24th over: England 59-1 (Sibley 26, Root 22) Yasir nearly bowls Sibley first of the over, a straighter ball that turns a little but not much. Sibley leaves and it passes his off stump. Next up, a big turner and Sibley is given out. Didn’t look like he hit that, Rizwan’s appeal was more angst about how close it was. Richard Kettleborough has had a funny time lately, usually one of the best going around. He took a really long time to give that out. Rizwan was looking at the sky, Yasir was appealing, and like an afterthought Kettleborough popped his finger skyward. Sibley reviews and it’s missed his edge by a decent amount. To complete the trio, Sibley aims a big cut shot at a shorter ball and misses it completely.
23rd over: England 59-1 (Sibley 26, Root 22) Abbas to start after lunch, and he absolutely confounds Root with a beauty. So close to the outside edge. The cordon all appealed but Abbas didn’t think he’d hit it. Root tries to be proactive in response, walking at Abbas and whipping him through midwicket for four. He’s looked good today, Root.
And why not a plug from Oliver Smiddy.
“Independent sports shops have obviously been hit very hard by Covid-19. I bought some new cricket spikes from Beckenham Cricket Specialists yesterday - it’s a lovely little shop owned and run by a chap who also does bat repairs and really knows his stuff. If any OBOers in the SE are in need of any new kit, please support shops like this rather than buying from big online chains. They’ve got a sale on, and you can order via their website too. I’m in no way connected to them - I’ve been shopping there since I was a nipper though (my first bat was an SS like Gooch’s i think, and later a Gray Nicholls Scoop) and the service has always been ace.”
Cricket in Germany: Tilo has got back to Nathaniel’s question.
“As the exest of pats I cannot comment too well on cricket in Germany, but it is said to be the fastest growing sport apparently, albeit from a small base. Many articles describe how most of it is driven by the intake of refugees, amongst them many from Afghanistan that brought their passion along. I think the national team keeper was an Aussie who went to Germany for love. There were also semi-successful tries to recruit county players with German heritage, like Ollie Rayner. Also a large influx of Indians working in Tech and IT are helping the drive. In women’s cricket it is more driven by the association trying to get homegrown girls interested, so the demographic is quite different, even though a wickie of Indian background played in the recent men’s T10 league, I think. The twitter accounts are good for info.”
Lunch – England 55 for 1, needing 222 to win
They’re a full Richie Benaud from victory. Quite the session. Pakistan’s tail came out and crashed 32 more runs in three overs and lost two wickets. They’ve bowled beautifully for the most part, especially Abbas and Naseem with their spells of pace. Shaheen was a little bit off the boil with the new ball, while Yasir is shredding it but bowling too full. England have lost the one wicket but otherwise been able to buckle down and get through it.
“Thanks for keeping us in the picture, Geoff. Riveting,” writes Bill Hargreaves. Glad to be of service. “Would a first test win for Pakistan, as seems customary in these times, make for a better series, or am I being contentious?”
It would definitely light the series up. I think given Pakistan’s batting and England’s bowling, there’ll surely be at least one innings where the visitors fall over. So if they manage to go ahead at the first opportunity then things should be much more competitive. We saw much the same with the West Indies series.
Lunch. Have a sandwich. See you shortly.
22nd over: England 55-1 (Sibley 26, Root 18) Yasir is bowling outside off a fair bit, and they’re happy to push singles through cover, both batsmen. Sibley picks the wrong ‘un when it pitches short, and goes back on his stumps to flick a run square. Root just taps a run a few metres from the bat. Sensible stuff. That’s lunch.
21st over: England 51-1 (Sibley 24, Root 16) This is a rarity in modern cricket: two legspinners working in tandem. Shadab Khan comes on for his first over of the innings, after 2 for 13 from very limited bowling in the first. There’ll be more work for him this late in the match. He bowls a lot more googlies than Yasir, and employs a couple to Sibley, but also dishes him up a full toss that the batsman can just clip neatly for three. Root leaves a leg-break that doesn’t turn much and doesn’t miss his off stump by much.
20th over: England 47-1 (Sibley 21, Root 15) Lovely flight for Yasir, and drift, still pitching a bit too full to Root, dropping near the blockhole without room for turn. The real error comes second ball though when he bowls a low full toss, and Root loves the sweep shot. Four. Yasir corrects that length for the next couple, but slips again to let Root drive a single to cover. The wrong ‘un doesn’t come out right to Sibley.
19th over: England 42-1 (Sibley 21, Root 10) Good shot from Sibley, opens the face and just directs the ball down past gully along the ground for four. Root has been batting pretty nicely with singles whenever possible. Naseem has 0-10 from his first five overs.
“So far so good, but waiting for the inevitable 3 quick wickets is reminiscent of the dentist’s waiting room...”
Faith, Charles Sheldrick.
18th over: England 37-1 (Sibley 17, Root 9) Yasir again with big turn when he wants to show off what he can do, then he goes straighter to Root when he wants to test him out, make him play. Bowls a bit full for Root to dig out a single, then there’s a push back past the bowler by Sibley but he can’t score.
17th over: England 36-1 (Sibley 17, Root 8) Nicks one, Sibley, but survives! It falls short of Rizwan. The folks on the telly reckon the whole slip cordon is too deep. A proper edge there, just died in front of the keeper. Next ball nearly nails Sibley on the pad but he gets an inside edge. Good over.
16th over: England 35-1 (Sibley 17, Root 7) Huuuuuge turn for Yasir once or twice in that over when he gives it a rip. Bowling nice and slow, 50 miles per hour at times. Landing them well. Just a single to cover.
15th over: England 34-1 (Sibley 17, Root 6) What a delivery from Naseem! Produces the ball of the day for Sibley, and it nearly takes the shoulder of the bat as it seams off a length and bounds off the pitch through to Rizwan. Sensational, coming from that mini-Lillee action that he has. Sibley breathes deep and bats through a maiden.
14th over: England 34-1 (Sibley 17, Root 6) Yasir Shah on for a first roll. Three singles from the over, and Root misses a cut and nearly feathers it behind.
“A send off. At long last some spikiness,” writes Digvijay Yadav of the Burns dismissal. “Think Root gave one to Asad Shafiq after he was run out.”
13th over: England 31-1 (Sibley 15, Root 5) Pace from Naseem! Getting up into the high 80s as he warms up, zooms a ball past Root’s bat. Contrary to his last over the ball is flying through to Rizwan. Root mistimes a back-foot push, clunking it into the ground off the bottom edge. Gets a flick away for a boundary though, too straight again.
Here’s an OBO hello to Kamal Mann. “Like you, I am based in Melbourne too (Brunswick). Following your OBO report. Keep up the great work. It’s going to be a thrilling finish.” I love Brunswick, not there right now but it has been home for a lot of my life. The top of Sydney Road, before the slope down to Blyth Street – top of the world.
12th over: England 27-1 (Sibley 15, Root 1) A quick start as young Giuseppe Root ticks his first ball wide of mid-on for a run. Abbas bowls too straight to Sibley who immediately flicks him for four! That’s great batting, he’s been tied down all day but as soon as the chance came at a boundary ball, he took it.
“OBO is clearly following the England policy of rotation, which keeps life fresh and interesting. But, having had a brief exchange with Daniel on Thursday about the greatest Bob, I have been polishing my piece about Bob Dylan and cricket, and now Daniel’s buggered off! When will he return?”
I can’t tell you that, Richard Hirst. All I know is that Tim DL is the Charles to my Elizabeth today, waiting for his time at last.
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WICKET! Burns lbw Abbas 10 (England 22-1)
It was a matter of time! Abbas has been relentless today, constantly nagging away. Wobble seam again from around the wicket, seaming in. It hit him above the pad, but on the back leg which is angled down the way that Burns steps forwards. In front of middle, and the DRS review shows it as umpire’s call at the top of middle stump. Abbas gets the first incision!
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11th over: England 22-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 11) Naseem Shah arrives, the young quick, and there are tricks in this pitch! One ball almost crawls through the Rizwan. The next takes a big chunk of dirt out of the surface, pops up high, then drops as it nears the keeper. Very erratic. Worrisome for England. A maiden.
10th over: England 22-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 11) The only problem with scoring those three runs is that Sibley is back on strike to Abbas, who immediately gets his outside edge just wide of Shadab at gully. Four runs. Three slips. They’ve got an extremely short, straight mid-off now. Not near the non-striker, as is usual, but halfway down the pitch and just to the side of it. Right in his eyeline. Sibley crabs across to squeeze a run to square leg. Goes past Burns in the run chase, the race of the tortoise and the tortoise.
They need 255 more to win.
“Morning. I see Young Jonny Bairstow is now no longer batting for Yorkshire. Well done, Notts!”
Haha, oh dear. Thanks to Young Johnny Starbuck.
9th over: England 17-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 6) Shaheen continues, though Naseem is warming up. How many Shahs have we got on this ship? They’re like Australia’s Mitchells or India’s Sharmas. Sibley gets forward to drive the last of the over for three, through cover. Positive shot.
Nathaniel Goodden has a request.
“Can Tilo Fobes (2nd over) enlighten us about cricket in Germany? A few years ago, cycling along the banks of the Elbe through the outskirts of Dresden, I was delighted (no, more than that – astonished and equally delighted) to spot a group of Pakistanis (I think) padding up for some serious-looking practice. I’d never been in Dresden before so was caught between wanting to stop, watch and find out more, and hitting the city. I’m afraid the city won, and my appreciation of cricket in Germany remains tantalisingly uninformed. I think it was a Saturday, definitely August, and was beautifully sunny. Just what Saturdays are for!”
8th over: England 14-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 3) Abbas remarks his run and comes around the wicket for his first shot at the left-hander. What’s that? There’s even a little smile on his face as he runs in! He’s keen for this. The whole Pakistani cordon goes up in chatter and praise as he lands on one a postage stamp outside Burns’ off stump. A judicious leave, this time. A block the next. Abbas working him across the crease with a third, pulling the batsman wide. Another maiden.
“There’s a steely-eyed determination beneath the rim of Burns’ helmet today, somewhat reminiscent of Lee Van Cleef in those spaghetti westerns. He knows that Clint Eastwood is the star. He knows he’s going to get his comeuppance at some stage. But in the meantime he’s going to do as much damage as he possibly can.”
Dean Kinsella has clearly eaten some psychedelic mould that grew on his bread.
7th over: England 14-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 3) Shaheen against Sibley for the first time today, working him both sides of the wicket, harder for the left-armer to get a line against the right-hander sometimes. No run from the over.
“Can I just say as someone over the age of 40 how dispiriting it was to hear that 38 year old Jimmy’s misfields we’re down to age.” I feel you, Nick.
6th over: England 14-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 3) Mohammad Abbas! He allows himself a groan of frustration finally, like someone opening the ice-cream tub at 3am only to find it empty. He angles in at Sibley and seams away, the ball sailing over the off bail, then the next goes past the edge by a fraction. This is some spell on a surface beginning to look like a digestive biscuit (sans chocolate). A bit too straight from the last ball and Sibley is able to glance a run, changing up the combinations as to who will face who.
“Morning Geoff,” blasts David Horn from the battlements. “I see that YJB is at the crease already for Yorkshire today. What price a century & a recall vs. an awkward 25 from Buttler? Although I don’t know how playing for Yorkshire affects his biosecure availability.”
Young Jonny Bairstow versus Young Jos Buttler. In-ter-est-ing.
5th over: England 13-0 (Burns 10, Sibley 2) Shaheen is mixing up his delivery point, coming wider on the crease sometimes to angle in at Burns. Still getting swing. Another couple of runs as Shan Masood misfields at backward point, Burns getting his runs consistently just by reaching for the ball. He prods a bump ball next on the bounce into the cordon. Some puffs of dust coming up already as the ball lands. Maybe Yasir Shah should be bowling into that already. There has been serious turn on offer.
“I loved Nassem’s gloriously wild agricultural yahoo when he got bowled,” writes in Tom van der Gucht. “It’s the kind of shot I regularly used to play as a lad, inspired by Botham but achieving similar results to what we just saw now, but the sort of shot we rarely see in Test cricket these days where even tail enders are coached a decent defensive technique.”
It was fun this morning. My prediction that they would be out quickly was pretty accurate, it just happened to come after 32 runs.
4th over: England 11-0 (Burns 8, Sibley 2) Can’t look away from this. I mean, I’d get fired if I did, but I’d be doing this voluntarily. Sibley collects a couple of runs from Abbas touched to midwicket, but Abbas comes back with a couple of pearlers. Into the pads with just a bit of willow saving Sibley from an appeal, no idea where that was. Then the next goes the other way and zips past his edge. Abbas with that perfect length, wobble seam, going either way. What a bowler he is.
3rd over: England 9-0 (Burns 8, Sibley 0) More swing and bounce for Shaheen, this is exciting already. The gap at cover has been plugged already, only two slips. Not sure what to think about that one. Burns picks the smaller gap between cover and point for another two runs, just pushing the ball. Third umpire picks up a no-ball. Good carry from Shaheen from the replacement delivery, Rizwan taking that gloves-up from a length. Shaheen aims for the pads but he’s a bit short and it doesn’t come back, so Burns can glance a boundary fine. He’s got a habit of scrapping runs when he needs to.
A message to Kim Thonger from Arabella Lyons: “Not the same thing I know but Kim can watch the match on live stream - available when play begins either club’s website!”
2nd over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Sibley 0) Abbas versus Sibley, the pairing who in the first innings gave us one of the funniest DRS reviews ever taken. Smashed in front of off stump, hitting halfway up middle, to a player caught on the crease. “What do you think, Joe, should I send that one up?” He survives unscathed for this over as Abbas works tightly on the off stump for the whole set.
Tilo Fobes writes in, one of the foremost German cricket fans in the world (yes, there are some).
“Regarding the highest chased totals, I get that it can be meaningless from a statistician’s perspective. But, the other reached totals do not take in account the totals scored in the first three innings of those matches. What matters is that so far one team managed to score over 250 on this current pitch. So saying that there are 4th innings in which 300 was reached at OT are just as meaningless if the average innings score of those matches was higher than this. Anyway, nicely poised test, especially as I prefer a batting collapse over a bowling collapse as they are just funnier.”
I wonder who he’s supporting today?
1st over: England 2-0 (Burns 2, Sibley 0) We’re ready to go. And it is sah-wing, bowler bowler bowler. Rory Burns doesn’t move the blade to a wide one but Shaheen Shah Afridi gets serious curl away from him. Left-armer versus left-hander, Burns still getting his front foot way across outside off stump in the way that brought him undone in the first innings. Had a similar one against the Windies too, a couple of ankle-taps in front of middle stump.
He reaches for the second ball to block it, blocks the third on his stumps. Three slips, gully. Cover is open with a point and a mid-off. He picks that gap to punch two runs. Shaheen won’t mind given how far the batsman had to stretch for it. More swing from Shaheen as the ball straightens down the line of off stump and Burns is behind it.
Speaking of small sample sizes earlier, Tim de Lisle has slipped a note under my quarantine door to point out that England only ever chased once before at Old Trafford against Pakistan. Tresco made a ton, Atherton made 51, but no one else outscored Darren Gough’s 23. They made 261 chasing 370, with Wasim, Waqar, Saqlain, and Abdul Razzak sharing the wickets. Pretty handy attack for Pakistan today, too...
England must chase 277 to win
Three wickets to Broad, aptly matching figs of 2 for 11 for Stokes and Woakes. Archer and Bess one apiece, none for Jimmy who had a catch dropped yesterday.
A couple of interesting points emailed by David Murray.
“While it’s a bit difficult to complain too much about Root’s captaincy yesterday because several of his decisions seemed to come off, his underuse of Woakes remains bizarre. If Broad had come into the attack the way Woakes did yesterday, taking two wickets and looking the best bowler on the day, he would probably have been allowed to finish the opposition off, or at least brought back instead of a supposedly unfit Stokes.”
There was a lot of this during the Ashes last year as well.
David also mentions “the rampant ageist criticism of Anderson by several pundits. Just give the new ball to the best bowlers, why bring his age into it? There were several misfields on a hot day but, with dubious logic, his apparently can be put down to age. One mediocre day and suddenly he’s a has-been again.”
We’re often not very inventive with our coverage on sport, are we? The youngster, the speedster, the veteran. The underdog, the redemption tale. Hitting back at the critics. Blah, blah. You’ll never guess how old Naseem Shah is? No one mentions it.
46.4 overs: Pakistan 169 all out (Abbas 3 not out) Mohammad Abbas wants to join the party to start this final over. He has a heave so huge at Archer that he almost literally swings himself off his feet. The ball skews over cover for two runs. A much neater shot off the pads gets a single, and that’s smart running, just dropped to midwicket where there was a man stationed but the two Pakistani bowlers were both off and running immediately. A bouncer to Naseem, which he hooks and misses but gets shoulder on it for four leg byes. Archer cleans him up with the next ball.
That’s 32 runs added this morning for Pakistan, they would absolutely have accepted that for an offer. England must chase 277 to win.
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WICKET! Naseem b Archer 4 (Pakistan all out 169)
Straight and full, Naseem tries to launch again and gets nowhere near it. Timber.
46th over: Pakistan 162-9 (Abbas 0, Naseem 4) One ball to come in the over, nine wickets down, Broad with 500 and however many wickets, and Naseem first ball just shuffles to leg side a bit and smacks a near yorker straight back over Broad’s head for four! The lead is 270!
WICKET! Yasir c Buttler b Broad 33 (Pakistan 158-9)
More like Yes Sir, Shah, for the first few balls of this over. He’s absolutely smoked the first. Stuart Broad’s first ball for the day, headband tied and length a bit short, and Yasir rocks back and pounds it through wide long-on for four. He tries a similar shot over the off side but only lobs it in front of mid-off. A straighter line for the third ball, so he dumps it over square leg for six!
What is this! He had ten Beroccas this morning, it’s going to be an interesting day for him later but right now he’s bursting with B2 vitamins. He opens his front leg and swings clean through the line of the ball at his pads, getting huge elevation and enough distance to lose the ball in the seating bowl. Once they finally find it and return it to Broad, Yasir defends on off stump.
Two balls to come. Some fielders coming up. One slip, one gully, ring field. So he aims another big drive down the ground and nicks it to Buttler.
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45th over: Pakistan 148-8 (Yasir 21, Abbas 0) We’re away this morning, and Yasir Shah is away too! They’re all ready and waiting for the clock to tick over 11 o’clock. Archer has the ball but he’s rusty to start. On the pads for Yasir to work for two, then tries the bouncer and Yasir hooks for four! Top shot, got all of it through midwicket, not a top edge.
Archer tries the bouncer again, and Yasir uppercuts for four! Up periscope, the Adam Gilchrist style over-the-head waft, soaring over the keeper. Gets a ball into his ribcage and dinks the pull shot for a run.
Mohammad Abbas has two balls to survive. Plays it nicely! Attempted yorker, full face of the bat off his pads, but straight to square leg. These two must have been in the nets this morning, as Abbas blocks the last ball on off stump. Wonderful first over for Pakistan, 11 runs from it.
Some first thoughts in response to Andy: there’s a tendency for people to assume a particular point is being made when stats are mentioned, when that may not be the case. If I get online and post that Virat Kohli’s ODI average against the Netherlands is 12, and JP Duminy’s is 190, I can almost guarantee I’ll get some angry patriots demanding to know how I can justify saying that Duminy is better than Kohli. Where all I would actually be doing is offering some information, whether because it’s funny or interesting or anything else.
Talking about the chases is a bit like that. No one is saying that it’s impossible to chase 300 because the biggest chase is 294. All they’re saying is that it hasn’t happened before, which seems pretty relevant and interesting.
If we get into the likelihood of it happening, I’d say that it’s psychologically much easier for a team to make 250 while chasing 400 than to make 250 chasing 250. It’s a pressure-off kind of situation because they’re not expected to get close, and the fielding side can afford to wait them out.
There’s also this point from Geoff Wignall (rally the Geoffs): “A fourth innings score above 250 in a high scoring game (likely the case when the score was insufficient for victory) is altogether different to one in a low scoring game, where it’s demonstrably rare. So the point of very few successful attempts on 250+ targets is quite valid.”
Statsguru at twenty paces
Alriiiight, here’s some spicy stuff from Andy Cooke. I like this.
“Once again, we’ve been seeing all the ‘only once has any team chased more than this amount to win at Old Trafford’ stuff. A quick check reveals that the fourth innings of Tests at Old Trafford has seen 10 scores of over 250 (out of 46 occasions). Yes, only one of those resulted in a win - but if the target had been 250, all of them would, wouldn’t they?
“There have been six posted scores of over 300 (and the seventh, at 294/4, makes you think the chasing team would have been favourite if the target had been 300, really...). The key variables are simply runs scored and time - not whether or not any given attempt ended in a win against the target set then. It’s the target set now that’s important. Of course, if enough people misuse stats, they can cause a psychological barrier in the chasing team, though.”
Opening salvos
If I had to back a trifecta as to who would be the first three OBO correspondents of the morning, it would have read Brian Withington, Kim Thonger, Abhijato Sensarma. That was absolutely correct.
The former is of a mind with me: “I see you shared my amazement at the collective Root/Sibley DRS mind hive in first innings - a review that would have made Kevin Pietersen blush - let’s hope they are not required to repeat the exercise second time round.”
The middle has a question, to which I’m pretty sure the answer is that no spectators are allowed anywhere, but if you know differently then let me know. “My beloved Somerset are playing at the county ground in Northampton today and living as I do about 30 minutes away these days I’m tempted to pop over to watch them trounce the home side but I can’t see from NCCC website whether they are allowing spectators. My younger son’s back garden overlooks the ground but even he can’t tell because the stands he can see look empty.”
The latter is keen to see whether Pakistan “manage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat/defeat from the jaws of victory today (delete as appropriate).”
For anyone feeling irritable while the world is falling apart, Mr Engel is having an award-worthy grump today about a whole range of things. You might sympathise.
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Batting stats?
If you’re trying to gauge what Yasir and company can add this morning, I’m going to suggest not many. You can point to the fact that the leggie has a Test century, just as he certainly would do. As someone who was there to watch it at Adelaide, it did come via an awful lot of missed chances, a lot of chancy airborne clouts, and the fact that England’s favourite D. Warner had made a triple century and the Aussies knew they would win eventually.
Mo Abbas can bat a little bit, 13 not outs to 14 dismissals in his career, and four times he’s got into double figures. So, some chance he could hang around for a little while if Yasir can score.
I’ve just got that feeling, though, that England’s opening bowlers will be used, and will zero in on off stump, and find something, and nick these last two out pretty quickly. Naseem Shah coming in last has not done much batting, and there’s a reason for that, namely his ability.
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Cancel Town
Lots of moves from the ICC and the various member boards over the last few months, shifting tours and tournaments here, there, and everywhere. This one makes the least sense of all, postponing the Women’s World Cup that was due next February on the grounds that the players won’t have had enough games for preparation, and it’ll be too hard to play the qualifiers to get the three undecided places filled.
Which is, frankly, nonsense if the same boards can get the IPL and the current English summer up and running. The tournament is in New Zealand, where they don’t even need biosecure grounds as long as teams can quarantine on the way in. Roll the quallies in straight before the tournament if you have to, come on. And every team will be coming off the same base. They haven’t forgotten how to play cricket, but they might if you keep cancelling everything in sight.
Here’s Ali Martin’s report.
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Preamble
Good morning England, good other times to others. Geoff Lemon here, enjoying a brief dalliance on the OBO for this series. To celebrate putting the last words on my book manuscript today I’ve agreed to write more reams about cricket into the night, as it will be from my current location in Melbourne lockdown. Send me tidings of good cheer if you will, the winter marches on cold and deep!
What a Test match we’ve had so far. It has kept me company through the last few writing nights, much as the West Indies series did before that – an absolute joy to have the sounds of cricket, or some of them at least, coming sotto voce through the speakers on the other side of the room. No crowd noise, of course, but that could as easily happen at Dubai Sport City or a midweek county fixture. What we have had is the pock of bat on ball, the scuff of the spikes, the animation of the players themselves.
Pakistan’s bowlers! Goodness me, they were a sight to watch through that first innings. Swing, seam, pace, turn, all you could ask. The Pope and Buttler rearguard was fascinating, then the later Pakistan push. Shan Masood was special at the start, Broad and Woakes special in both innings. Anderson and Bess have had chances missed. England are a batsman light because Stokes couldn’t bowl, but he came on and bowled anyway when they really needed a wicket, and he gave them two.
We’ll start today with Pakistan 244 in front, two wickets left in hand, and England desperate to make sure they don’t add any more runs to that lead. It would already be the second-biggest chase at Old Trafford, the biggest was 294. I don’t think Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah will help Yasir Shah get that far.
You can email me as ever, geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or tweet me on the electric choir using @GeoffLemonSport.
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