Nathan Lyon took a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket – and he's been the 'toast' of Australia ever since.
Six years ago, Lyon caused a 30-minute stoppage at a Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and New South Wales after he burnt a piece of toast in the dressing room.
When smoke alarms were activated, fire trucks raced to the Allan Border Field and the stand had to be evacuated of all players, scorers ands media, Lyon sheepishly admitting responsibility for the drama.
"The toast popped up and I wasn't happy, so I put it back down and I got carried away watching the cricket," he said. "There's a first for everything."
Burnt toast stopped play may be a uniquely embarrassing entry on Lyon's tale of the tape. But after his match figures of 8-229 at Edgbaston, England will be toast in the Ashes opener unless Ben Stokes' attack comes charging in like the best thing since sliced bread on Tuesday.
In the noisy peasants' enclosure, Lyon has been serenaded throughout a gripping contest by vulgar refrains of “You're just a s*** Moeen Ali.” As well as being an inhospitable chorus, it overlooks an unfortunate truth: To date, Lyon has taken 495 Test wickets, more or less 300 in excess of Our Mo's haul.
Five of his eight victims here were arguably gifts from Bazball disciples trying to cart him into deep backward Pershore Road. And another, Harry Brook's freakish dismissal on Friday, was a complete fluke. But Lyon's 495 wickets can't all have been lucky.
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There's a simple reason why only seven bowlers – Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Jimmy Anderson, Anil Kumble, Stuart Broad, Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh – are ahead of him in the all-time Test wicket-taking charts.
It's a matter of crust.
Only an off-spinner at the top of his game comes round the wicket and straightens the ball to the right-handers, who risked being stumped on the charge (like Joe Root) or lbw trapped in the crease (like Jonny Bairstow). To beard the Lyon in his den, England will have to bat smarter at Lord's next week – but all is not lost.
In the momentous Ashes series of 2005, England set the Aussies 282 to win at Edgbaston and they came up two runs short in a thriller. This time, they need 281 to win, so it's already written in the stars. England to win by one run... right?
