Yet another see-sawing, captivating day’s play at Lord’s ended with England’s first Test against Ireland in the balance. England lead by 181 runs with one wicket remaining. So history still beckons for the visitors and humiliation hovers for the hosts, especially since England seemed to have batted themselves out of trouble via a most unexpected source, only to subside later in the most stifling of conditions for the fielding side.
In the morning England redeemed themselves with the bat as a cagey left‑handed opening batsman dutifully dug in, playing each ball on its merits, displaying the traditional patience and sound judgment that is associated with that role. Unfortunately the batsman concerned was not Rory Burns but Jack Leach, No 11 in the first innings, No 1 in the second.
Leach made 92, masquerading as an opener with some conviction. Indeed, the most worrying observation during the first half-hour of play was that he seemed slightly more secure than Burns, who, by his own admission, is not in the best of form at the moment. Mind you, neither has Leach been at his most convincing this year. In eight matches for Somerset in the Championship this summer he has acquired 42 runs at an average of 4.66 and he has been demoted to No 11. Last summer he was hit on the helmet by a delivery from Morne Morkel which left him suffering from concussion and there were concerns his confidence had been seriously diminished as a result.
Yet here he frustrated the Irish for almost four hours. In fact, he did more than that. The runs came freely as well. Half close the eyes and peer out to the middle and maybe the Trescothick influence could be spotted occasionally as Leach’s trigger movement back into his crease was followed by an easy cover drive.
Leach’s innings, the highest score in the Test so far, was a testament to his character and it enabled England to retain a chance of winning an intriguing match, notable for its unexpected tension rather than the awesome quality of the play. Fortunately in cricket a tight game is nearly always a good game whatever the standard, provided two identifiable teams are pitched against one another.
For all its merit, Leach’s heroics are unlikely to see him retain his place in the side next week at Edgbaston. However, after this bewildering contest the selection of England’s XI for the first Test against Australia provides quite a conundrum. In addition to Leach’s performance there have been the sparky contributions of Sam Curran, who had a vital 37 late in the day, to consider and it may now be possible to add Jofra Archer into the mix. He had a fitness test on Thursday at Hove during which he bowled “pain free” at his Sussex teammate Chris Jordan. He will play in the Blast for Sussex Sharks against Surrey on Friday evening. The implication is that Archer is fully fit, which means that he will be available for selection for the Test starting next Thursday.
So England have options or problems, depending on your mood. The form of Burns is clearly a worry though it may be too late to change horses. At Lord’s against Boyd Rankin he defended against a ball that might have been ignored and edged to the keeper. His quirky technique is none too reassuring when he is out of touch. Jason Roy began airily but was soon into his stride and alongside Leach 146 runs were added. The assumption was that order was now restored and the only imponderable was the margin of England’s victory. It is foolhardy to take anything for granted with this England team, especially at Lord’s.
Once Roy had driven carelessly at Stuart Thompson on 72 Ireland managed to find a way back into the game with some generous assistance from their opponents. Leach entered the nervous nineties for the first time in his career; he had benefited from one blemish when dropped by Gary Wilson on 72. On 92 another chance went begging but it was replicated a few balls later and this time Mark Adair at second slip made no mistake.
Now Joe Root, who had been becalmed, had an aberration. He called Joe Denly for a dodgy single; then he changed his mind and sent him back. Denly had no chance of returning to safety. The consequence was that Denly departed for 10 and was immediately guaranteed his place in the team at Edgbaston after a dismissal wholly attributable to his captain.
Next Jonny Bairstow acquired his first ever pair in Test cricket and it was not a good one. He barely laid bat on ball before he was lbw to Adair. Moeen Ali did manage to avoid that indignity but without much conviction before he was dismissed fending at a rising ball from Rankin. There will be more venomous deliveries propelled in his direction in the Ashes series, assuming he keeps his place.
The dismissal of Root, caught behind off Adair on the drive, was the one that really reignited Irish hopes of a famous victory. But there were frenetic and significant contributions from Curran and Stuart Broad before the threat of thunder and lightning sent the players back to the pavilion. Thus Lord’s retained its newly acquired reputation of being the theatre of the absurd.
