Report and reaction
Right, that’s enough from me, with a report from Ali Martin on its way. The summer has officially begun!
Josh Tongue speaks to Sky after his first day as a Test cricketer, clearly pretty chuffed about, well, being a Test cricketer. Thought he bowled well, at a decent lick, with Stokes using him as the short-ball enforcer. That first wicket will be in soon.
Stumps: England 152-1
Tough ol’ day for Ireland. Stuart Broad collected five wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 172, but the real punishment came with England’s batting. Crawley and Duckett tucked in right from the start, collecting regular boundaries as both celebrated reaching fifty. Crawley’s took just 39 balls, Duckett’s 53. Pope has rattled off some serene strokes and will look to join the 50 club tomorrow morning.
25th over: England 152-1 (Duckett 60, Pope 29) Campher goes up again for an lbw against Pope, but again it’s nothing more. England’s No.3 then dabs behind square on the off side to move England past 150. Pope then edges one… but the ball drops just short of Paul Stirling at first slip. Let-off for the batter. And that’s a wrap for the day – England trail by just 20. A wonderful opening day of the summer for the hosts.
24th over: England 149-1 (Pope 27, Duckett 60) Hume seems to be finding something close to resembling control from the Nursery End, but even then England are still able to rotate the strike, nicking four off the over.
23rd over: England 145-1 (Duckett 57, Pope 26) An lbw shout from Campher as he nips one back into Pope, but it’s nothing more.
22nd over: England 140-1 (Duckett 54, Pope 24) Hume gets some decent shape away from Pope, injecting a brief moment of jeopardy into the innings. A better over for Ireland, just one coming off it.
21st over: England 139-1 (Duckett 53, Pope 24) Curtis Campher is on for a trundle and Pope moves to 20 off 15 balls with a flowing cover drive. He’s hitting them sweet and easy. Campher then gifts a full toss that Pope puts away for yet another boundary. We’ve had 24 boundaries so far in this innings!
20th over: England 126-1 (Duckett 52, Pope 16) Pope guides Adair to the third-man boundary for four, and he closes the over with a pull for another boundary.
19th over: England 117-1 (Pope 8, Duckett 51) Pope clips Hand through midwicket for a couple to get his innings going. But a drive through the covers for four is what gets him really going. Shot. A fancy little leave from Pope follows, a bit like Steve Smith’s lightsaber move from the ‘19 Ashes.
“I guess you could say that that catch went straight to Hand?” writes Richard O’Hagan. Nice.
Meanwhile showbizguru, who destroyed my trust a few overs ago, has admitted to the crime. Here’s the original piece.
18th over: England 109-1 (Pope 0, Duckett 51) A maiden!
17th over: England 109-1 (Duckett 51, Pope 0) Crawley had some good fortune in that knock, but it was plenty of fun, too. Now comes England’s new vice-captain, Ollie Pope.
WICKET! Crawley c&b Hand 56 (England 109-1)
Hand gets his first Test wicket! Crawley drives straight back at the bowler who juggles away before snatching it with one hand. A rollicking opening stand comes to an end.
Updated
Half-centuries for Crawley and Duckett
16th over: England 109-0 (Crawley 56, Duckett 51) Crawley drives through the covers for four to bring up his half-century, just a couple of balls after Duckett got there himself. Crawley delivers another sumptuous boundary shot a couple of deliveries later – England have rattled past 100 inside 16 overs.
15th over: England 97-0 (Duckett 48, Crawley 47) Duckett collects another boundary and Crawley another inside-edge for four!
Nooooooo, Showbizguru, I trusted youuuuuuuuuuu:
@tahahash methinks someone Googled a 2017 article https://t.co/rkoLLRlvV6
— Emmetten Gooner (@BaselGooner) June 1, 2023
14th over: England 88-0 (Duckett 43, Crawley 43) Crawley has luck on his side, two inside-edges off Adair running away for four. You do need that when you’re gonna play your shots.
Here’s this from Andrew Benton: “How about Brian Brain, who played for Glos and Worcs in the 60s and 70s and who must be one of very few cricketers who’s first and surnames are anagrams of each other?”
Right-armer who took 824 first-class wickets at 24.5, Cricinfo tells me. Very much hope he bowled wheels and was called BB gun.
13th over: England 74-0 (Crawley 29, Duckett 43) A couple of twos for Duckett as he keeps ticking over.
“Some credit to Crawley here,” writes Richard O’Hagan. “He’s on a hiding to nothing, with people saying he shouldn’t be in the team and playing against such an inexperienced attack. He could’ve gone into his shell and just nurdled the ball around to make sure he got a score, but he’s taken the first ball, attacked from the off and already boosted his average.”
While most of you can’t get past making Willey jokes, this is some effort from Showbizguru:
“Anatomical XI (in batting order): Henry Hand, Michael Chin, Travis Head (wk), Miriam Knee, John Kidney, Archibald Palm, William Back, Don Beard, David Brain, Josh Tongue, Barry Tooth. Team umpire: Darrell Hair.”
12th over: England 70-0 (Duckett 39, Crawley 29) Crawley and Duckett seem to be calming down just a touch. Time for a few drinks.
“Hate to lower the tone but does David Willey count?” C’mon Max, you’re better than this.
11th over: England 69-0 (Duckett 38, Crawley 29) Better from Hand as Duckett and Crawley rotate the strike to pick up four from the over.
The emails are coming through and, yep, the body-parts game has descended into some Year 6 playground chat. C’mon people, let’s keep it clean and not get me in trouble. Pretty please.
10th over: England 65-0 (Crawley 28, Duckett 35) For the first time in the innings, an over passes by without a boundary.
Hand, Tongue, Head. Keep them coming, folks.
@tahahash cricketers namedxafter body parts.
— notjarvis (@notjarvis) June 1, 2023
Travis Head is a a shoe in, surely?
9th over: England 63-0 (Duckett 33, Crawley 28) Hand is too full and Crawley plays a luscious cover drive for four. Then a drive through point for four that is somehow even prettier. Tough start this for Hand, the youngster still trying to find the right spot to bowl at.
8th over: England 55-0 (Crawley 20, Duckett 33) England move past 50 as Duckett plays his signature cut shot once again. Four more.
“I’m also wondering,” writes Kim Thonger, “historically, how many first class cricketers have been named after body parts? We have Hand and Tongue in this match, for example. I think we must confine this game to surnames or some bright spark will start shortening Richard and we’ll be in all sorts.”
Updated
7th over: England 49-0 (Duckett 28, Crawley 20) Fionn Hand gets a go and his first ball in Test cricket is a beaut, nipping away from the prodding Duckett. He’s too short with his next ball though, and Duckett cuts away through point to move into the twenties. Then too straight from Hand as Duckett whips the ball off his pads to the fine-leg boundary. The Notts southpaw has six boundaries and we’re only seven overs in.
6th over: England 40-0 (Crawley 20, Duckett 19) Big lbw shout from Hume as he brings one into Duckett, who unsuccessfully tries to cut the ball. That looked a real good shout, but looks like there was an inside edge on it. Hume is then too straight to Crawley, who flicks away for four. Lovely stroke.
“I’m just wondering how many overs there are to go in this Powerplay?” asks Richard O’Hagan. England are racing.
5th over: England 33-0 (Duckett 16, Crawley 16) Crawley picks up three twos as Adair bowls too straight. The seamer then finds the right-hander’s edge, but the ball runs away to the third-man boundary for four.
Kim Thonger, here, trying hard not to look too far ahead…
“At the risk of jinxing the whole shebang, tactically, do we think Stokes should declare at 600 tomorrow teatime, or bat on into the evening session and let Harry Brook reach his undefeated triple century?”
4th over: England 23-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 16) Duckett’s boundary count continues to rise as he cuts through the off side off Hume. After debuting in Tests back in 2016, this is Duckett’s first game at home – and he’s having some fun.
3rd over: England 18-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 12) Duckett cuts hard but can only smash it straight to the man at backward point. Ooooh, well this is lovely from the lefty – he punches the ball to the right of midwicket to find four. He then hits through the same area the next ball, this time it’s a pull shot, and it’s four more. 18 off the first three – don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it….. Bazzzzzzballllllll.
2nd over: England 8-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 4) Graham Hume, the most experienced first-class cricketer in this Ireland side, takes the ball from the Nursery End and shapes the ball back into the left-handed Duckett. He’s too straight with his third delivery, which Duckett clips perfectly through the leg side for four.
1st over: England 4-0 (Duckett 0, Crawley 4) Adair is too short and wide with his second delivery and Crawley cuts away with ease to bring up England’s first runs of the summer.
Right then, Mark Adair to open up with the ball. Zak Crawley takes strike…
Brian Withington writes in: ‘Can you confirm whether the stump microphone picked up any English exhortations along the lines of “Mind the windows, Curtis” to further explain Campher’s ill-fated charge to Jack Leach? A good effort, though.’
That would’ve been a good line, alas, not sure anyone got there. In case you’re lost to the reference – here’s that special moment from way back when.
Ireland all out for 172
That’s it: Potts jags one in to get the inside edge of Hand, and Bairstow takes a good catch to his left to end the innings. Stuart Broad, the eternal warrior, walks off to the adulation of HQ, his figures 17-5-51-5. Leach picked up 3-35, Potts took two, and Tongue, while wicketless, has something about him.
Updated
56th over: Ireland 172-9 (Hand 1, Hume 0) He played well there, did Curtis Campher, but he was running out of partners and needed to try and smack a few. Still, not the prettiest the way to go.
WICKET! Campher b Leach 33 (Ireland 172-9)
Campher decides that he’s got to have a go at Leach, skipping down the wicket for a big swing – but he misses completely as the ball skids on and bowls him.
Updated
55th over: Ireland 172-8 (Campher 33, Hand 1) Potts returns, hoping to clean up at the end of the Ireland innings. Campher now has Fionn Hand, who bowled Ben Stokes at the T20 World Cup last year, at the other end for company. Three singles off it as Hand collects his first run in Test cricket.
54th over: Ireland 169-8 (Campher 32, Hand 0) Lord’s claps away and Stuart Broad acknowledges the applause. An excellent start to the summer for the 36-year-old.
WICKET! Adair b Broad 14 (Ireland 169-8)
Nicely done from Adair, who guides the ball to third man for four off Broad. That’s a very Root/Williamson kinda shot – good stuff from Ireland’s No.9.
Broad gets his revenge, though, and his five-for, going straight through Adair with an in-ducker. That’s 20 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket for the England great.
Updated
53rd over: Ireland 165-7 (Adair 10, Campher 32) Leach takes over from Tongue to twirl away from the Pavilion End. He roars in appeal after Campher gets hit on the pad, but it’s probably going down the leg side.
ICYMI: Here’s the last wicket.
Ireland 7 down! 🇮🇪
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 1, 2023
Matt Potts gets Andy McBrine for 19 ✅ #EnglandCricket | #ENGvIRE pic.twitter.com/TisM9aCeCK
52nd over: Ireland 164-7 (Adair 9, Campher 32) Broad wheels away as Adair drops one into the leg side to steal a single. The quick moves away from his outswinger to shape a couple into the right-handed Campher, with a no-ball extending the over. No trouble as the impressive Campher stays resolute.
Broad to continue from the Nursery End after tea. Here we go…
Wisden’s Ben Gardner – sat next to me with a gorgeous mullet, I should add – has just informed me that Broad has combined figures of 8-64 against Ireland since the start of their second innings at Lord’s in 2019. But it’s also a decade since he last took a Test five-for on this ground. Can he nab an extra one after the break?
Adrian Neville’s been denied some forehand practice, but it’s all good:
“Haven’t been able to play tennis this week as my doubles partner has gone over to be part of history at Lords. We’re bantering away by text so I’m getting an even closer vicarious experience than I usually do with following OBO over the years. 220 and we’re not embarrassed. Shame we don’t have Little but an Ireland test match at Lords to start the summer, we are loving it.”
The number to beat at the moment is probably 207, which is what they put up at Lord’s four years ago in the first innings.
TEA: Ireland 162-7 (51 overs)
51st over: Ireland 162-7 (Adair 8, Campher 32) A maiden wraps up the session – 84-3 for Ireland over the last couple of hours. He’s still wicketless but that was a very impressive spell from Tongue, who was rattling in the short stuff continuously after drinks.
50th over: Ireland 162-7 (Campher 32, Adair 8) Broad continues to get some shape away from the right-hander – Adair looks for the drive and gets the ball to streakily run away behind square on the off side for four.
Updated
49th over: Ireland 157-7 (Campher 31, Adair 4) Tongue gets an 86.5mph bumper through to Adair, who goes all Matrix with an impressive duck to avoid any damage. It almost feels as if Stokes is testing out Tongue’s resistance with this spell: how long can you go, how quick can you bowl, how much havoc can you cause? He’s firing them in, but still waiting for that first wicket.
48th over: Ireland 153-7 (Adair 0, Campher 31) Potts takes a breather – here comes Stuart from the Nursery End, gunning for a five-for. A bit too straight from Broad as Campher tickles it down the leg side for a boundary. And with that Ireland cross 150. Bit of shape away from the righty for Broad as he concedes four from his first over back.
47th over: Ireland 149-7 (Campher 27, Adair 0) Six men positioned on the leg side as Tongue steams in once again, with Jack Leach very fine on the boundary at third man. It all screams: short, short, short. Campher plays a nice-looking pull to get himself off strike, with Zak Crawley cleaning up behind square on the leg side – ouch, his knee digs into the surface as he makes the stop.
46th over: Ireland 148-7 (Campher 26, Adair 0) After an eventful few overs, Potts calms things down with a tidy set of six to Adair. Maiden.
Romeo writes in, perhaps dreaming of a might upset: “This game does appear to be a bit of a mismatch (as described by the UK editor of A Certain Cricket Website the other day), a bit like Leicestershire trying to take on Yorkshire.”
45th over: Ireland 148-7 (Adair 0, Campher 26) Tongue goes around the wicket to send in some more short stuff, and Campher gloves behind past a diving Bairstow to nab four. He’s got a bit of fire in him, does Tongue, and Campher’s doing his best to give something back.
The Ireland all-rounder pulls away to fine-leg for a couple. He then jumps to the leg side to make some room but is forced into an uncomfortable pull shot – has he nicked off to Bairstow? Tongue appeals but England don’t bother with a review.
44th over: Ireland 142-7 (Campher 20, Adair 0) Mark Adair – who made 62 and 85 against, um, Ireland a few days ago – is out in the middle.
WICKET! McBrine c Bairstow b Potts 19 (Ireland 142-7)
Potts moves one into McBrine to slap the pad and Stokes decides to go upstairs. Looks a bit high to me…. and it’s umpire’s call, shown to be just clipping the bails.
Oh, never mind – he’s got him now! Potts goes full, invites a waft, produces the edge and Bairstow cleans up behind the stumps.
Updated
43rd over: Ireland 142-6 (McBrine 19, Campher 20) Campher throws the bat out to a wide one from Tongue, doesn’t get the middle, but slashes hard enough for the ball to fly over the cordon for four. A good diving take down the leg-side follows from Jonny Bairstow – I’m still getting used to seeing him back with the gloves.
42nd over: Ireland 138-6 (Campher 16, McBrine 19) Potts goes short from around the wicket to McBrine, who pulls away for a couple. England are trying to rattle the ribs at the moment, which perhaps suits Tongue more than Potts, who is more of a line-and-length sorta guy. The Durham quick sends in another bouncer from the third delivery of the over and McBrine gets a proper hold of it this time round, the ball running away for four more.
Meanwhile Martin Wright’s been doing some research for us:
“After all the speculation about correct prononciation of Josh Tongue’s surname, I couldn’t resist a touch of procrastination on this sunny afternoon by checking out its derivation. Apparently, it’s “of Olde English origin, is found chiefly in Shropshire, Kent, Lancaster and the West Riding of Yorkshire”, and variously means: someone living on a tongue of land, or a fork in a road or river; a maker or user of tongs; or a nickname for a “chatterbox”. So if our Josh is a bit of a sledger, it could be a case of nominative determinism...”
41st over: Ireland 132-6 (McBrine 13, Campher 16) Josh Tongue – who has a bit of Toby Roland-Jones about him (anyone else see it?) – scuttles in from the Pavilion End and drops short to Campher who pulls away for four. Shot.
And then a blow to the helmet! Tongue delivers another bumper and Campher takes his eye off the ball. A little break follows as the right-hander gets checked out to make sure all’s good – and it is.
40th over: Ireland 125-6 (McBrine 12, Campher 12) Thanks Collo. Sun’s out and the Test summer is here – ah man, it really is just all sorts of lovely to be here at Lord’s.
Potts starts off after drinks and shows a bit of width to McBrine, who flings the bat out to find four over gully. Potts then straightens up with his next delivery to produce an lbw shout and nothing more. McBrine gets off the strike with a clip to the leg-side.
39th over: Ireland 120-6 (Campher 12, McBrine 7) Tongue back to replace Broad and Campher is equal to the challenge of the extra pace, punching a couple through cover. There’s a play and a miss later in the over – he’s trying to get bat on ball throughout; looking to move through the gears now he’s been there an hour or so. Right, and with that, drinks are on the field. That’s also my time to hand over the OBO baton to Taha Hashim. Had a lovely time chatting to you all, I’ll be back again for the first day of the Women’s Test at Notts. Enjoy the rest of the Test. Bye!
38th over: Ireland 118-6 (Campher 10, McBrine 7) That’s a dropped catch at first slip – rare from Root in there off Leach. It’s a tricky one due to where the ball has pitched, very full and thus flying off the edge, but he can’t take it on the bobble. Earlier in the over, it’s McBrine doing as Campher did in the previous over square driving away for four. So much now rests on the shoulders of Ireland’s two all-rounders.
“If Leach carries on like this he’ll be endangering Broad’s attempt at a third seven-for at Lord’s,” says John Starbuck. Good point. Get out the way, Jack! Meanwhile, it looks like I’m not the only person to hear the Tongue/Tong thing with Athers. He’s on commentary at the moment and still doing it the ‘tong’ way. I’m into it.
Updated
37th over: Ireland 114-6 (Campher 10, McBrine 3) Shot, Curt! Broad gives him something to drive and the all-rounder creams him out to the shorter boundary with real style, his back knee was kissing the turf when the square drive was unfurled. Into double figures he goes. The tougher the circumstances the more he enjoys it.
“If segue is pronounced segway, tongue is pronounced tongway.” Mark Dawson, thank you, I laughed ahrd at this, “Chest off-got, yet again.”
36th over: Ireland 110-6 (Campher 6, McBrine 3) Andy McBrine the new man at No8, who has turned himself into a very useful all-rounder in the last couple of years in one-day cricket, batting as high as No3 in that form of the game. He’s off the mark with three here from the outside part of the bat, but all along the ground.
“To Adam Collins Casual (you do know that sounds like a mid-nineties Barnet hooligan crew?).” Better or worse than when I was Adam.Collins.Freelance? It’s Bobby Wilson back in my inbox, of course. “If Athers really does glance over the OBO as you claim, then perhaps he could settle a question that has tormented me for decades. When an emergent Cambridge whipper-snapper, he’d already been given the infelicitous nickname of FEC (Future England Captain). Early reports from the Lancashire suggested that the FEC nickname had been disobligingly adapted after he’d been spotted reading a book during a lull in play (the polite rendition was ‘Frightfully Educated Chap’). Reports crucially varied as to whether the book in question was Love in the Time of Cholera or Daniel Deronda. The comedy Gods DEMAND the truth. Because one of those is definitely funnier than the other.”
Whether he’s reading today or not, I’ll ask him when there’s a quiet moment.
WICKET! Tucker lbw b Leach 18 (Ireland 104-6)
Decision stands! Pitching just in line with the off-stump, impact in line too and the ball is touching quite a bit of the off bail. Tucker has go to. Leach has two!
Updated
TUCKER GIVEN LBW SWEEPING! Leach loved it. Was he outside the line when contact was made? Bouncing too much? He’s sent it to the third umpire.
35th over: Ireland 104-5 (Tucker 18, Campher 4) That swing point I was making before - CricViz showing just 0.6 degrees in the opening session - that has jumped to 0.9 degrees since. “It is really hooping now for Broad.” says Athers on Sky, bolstering that point. Another shout for lbw after the review – again, doing too much.
NOT OUT! No, that isn’t out. Hit him fairly full but was doing bits, as they say on Love Island (okay, so I’m told). Missing by a couple of ball-widths.
England review! Has Broad trapped Campher with an inswinger? Paul Wilson says no but Ben Stokes wants another look and his bowler isn’t arguing. We go upstairs.
34th over: Ireland 104-5 (Tucker 18, Campher 4) Tucker playing within himself against Leach, looking to sweep when he can but not much else. Bowling nicely.
33rd over: Ireland 104-5 (Tucker 18, Campher 4) Eventful over from Broad, getting into Tucker early on with sharp movement back and finishing the over with a superb delivery at Campher that shapes away to beat the edge. Between times, the new man edged a four between Bairstow and Root, an inswinger that seemed to follow the bat – wouldn’t have carried even if Bairstow put in a dive, which he should’ve. Tipping if I do a twitter search for “Ben Foakes” a few results might pop up right now.
"Turning to less controversial matters than Paul Stirling’s age and first-ball review,” says Brian Withington, “I loved Paul Hayne’s Boycottian musings (over 15). Warming to this theme (see what I did there), in view of the latest Japanese report suggesting increased fog and iceberg risk to the Northwest Passage shipping route, should we now be referring to this as ‘The Corridor of Uncertainty’? I’ll get my coat.” All over it!
32nd over: Ireland 99-5 (Tucker 17, Campher 0) Tucker takes a single to square leg to start, Campher then gets his eye in against Leach – nothing but defence.
31st over: Ireland 98-5 (Tucker 16, Campher 0) In walks Big Curtis Campher. Not a huge lad but he has a big ticker. The 24yo also has a Test ton, 111 v Sri Lanka earlier this year, and a couple of half-centuries against England, in those bio-bubble ODIs at Southampton in 2020. They were first two matches for Ireland after qualifying, coming over to become a full-timer from South Africa, his country of birth. He’s through the two remaining deliveries in Broad’s over. His figures are 10-4-28-4.
Kim Thonger is back with his northern pronunciation guide. “My wife says tongue like tong with a heavy emphasis on the g. She is a Derbyshire lass. I barely understand her most of the time.
WICKET! McCollum c Root b Broad 36 (Ireland 98-5)
One of the most conventional of Broad’s now 580 Test wickets. Just enough movement up the slope and despite taking weight out of his bottom hand, the edge flies straight into Root’s bread basket. There’s a bobble but no dramas. 108 deliveries for McCollum’s 36, did a very good job in the circumstances, but Ireland are back in a spot of bother again with Broad taking four of the first five in this opening day.
Updated
30th over: Ireland 94-4 (McCollum 37, Tucker 16) Good from McCollum too, looking to transfer a bit of pressure back onto the bowlers since lunch, getting down low to sweep the first of Leach’s new over and fine enough it goes for four. Played. Tucker has one ball to deal with to finish and looks to do something similar but there’s too much bounce – the way Stirling fell earlier. I said it before lunch but Bairstow really is relishing the chance to be a third voice on commentary via the stump mic now that he has the gloves back. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t putting any of the Sky team out of a job with his analysis, but he sounds really happy and that makes me happy.
29th over: Ireland 89-4 (McCollum 32, Tucker 16) Lorcan Tucker wants to pull and so he does, jumping down the track before climbing into Disco Stu, over mid-on for four. Watched him take down Starc and Cummins at co at The Gabba last November – he’s a brave player with a lot of shots and a great (albeit brief) Test record.
28th over: Ireland 84-4 (McCollum 31, Tucker 12) Leach not Potts from the Nursery End? Alright. Four runs from it with Tucker, who will be the more aggressive of this pair, sweeping a couple then punching a single to deep cover. McCollum follows suit.
“Hi Adam.” Brian Withington! All my favourites are dropping a line in today, for which I’m most grateful. You can too. “Great to have you back where you belong on the OBO for the first Lords Test of the summer.”
Just want to stress that this is entirely on me and my diary rather than the good people at Guardian Sport HQ. Unfortunately, there’s no way to combine radio commentary and an OBO due to the way the schedules work, and doing as much of that as I am, it means I miss out on these. But I’ll return any chance I get.
“I see my good mate Romeo has been dishing it out in relation to the veteran Stirling, where I have some sympathy (being truly ancient) for his gentle remonstration. However, as for giving the blessed Nas grief (over 11), I would humbly submit that it’s only fair to acknowledge that Stirling was indeed ‘saved by the review’, since the prediction that the ball was missing the stumps by a centimetre would have been of little comfort without him undertaking said review. At the risk of pedantry (who, moi?), Stirling would only have been saved by the ‘fact’ of the ball missing the stumps if the ball had not, in fact, hit his pads, thereby rendering any need for a review moot. (In passing, I abhor the term ‘GOAT’ almost as much as ‘stellar’.)
Finally, can I add to Andrew Howard’s deserved commendation of the OBO (over 19) by suggesting that the internet was also invented for the Guardian’s CCLive featuring the High Priestess of Jinxery (aka Tanya Aldred) and its devoted BTL community; and most especially for Romeo’s own spin-off website (before my access privileges are withdrawn for impertinence)!”
Once again, great to have you with us today, Brian.
27th over: Ireland 80-4 (McCollum 30, Tucker 9) McCollum is super disciplined but he sure likes that square drive, which he has a dart at here but misses – well outside the off-stump. Would’ve been an ugly way to get out just after the interval. In fairness, watching the replay it swung, loads. On swing – how’s this: in the CricViz database (begins 2006) there’s never been a first morning at Lord’s where the ball has swung less. And there wasn’t much nip either, compared to last year at least.
Also, I received a clarification from a colleague while eating that these are 90 over days not 98 over days. What’s going on there? In 2019, the four-day Tests played were with an extra half an hour (eight overs) tacked on, the argument from four-day Test proponents being that you got, in theory, half a day back this way. Something like that. But this is just four days of the standard variety. Sure, unlikely this will be a thing this week but I don’t like the precedent this sets. Sorry to rant.
The players are back on the field. Much nicer day now, clouds clearing while I was enjoying my carbs with carbs and carbs from the dining room. I ran the Edinburgh half-marathon on Sunday and was enjoying being able to load up as I saw fit but I better cut my cloth soon. Broad to begin for England from the Pavilion End.
When I started watching cricket in the 1990s England's leading Test wicket taker was Botham with 383. I couldn't imagine an England bowler getting close to that.
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) June 1, 2023
That wicket means Broad is 23 wickets away from being the second England player to take SIX HUNDRED Test wickets!
“Good afternoon Adam!” Kim Thonger, great to see your name pop up. “I used to know a nice German chap called Bernd, whose name was pronounced like burnt*, and I do encourage Josh Tongue to consider this as a name for his first male child? *Ideally with a Liverpool accent”
Athers (who is an OBO reader and might see this when he isn’t commentating) has been saying Tongue like ‘tongs’ on telly. Is that a Lancashire accent thing too?
Right, time for a bit of food. Geoff Lemon and were given the better part of an hour with ECB boss Richard Gould yesterday at Lord’s – a most worthwhile conversation on a range of topics relating to various challenges he’s inherited. Should make for good lunch listening, especially those with an interest in The Hundred. Back soon.
🔔RICHARD GOULD on The Final Word - now live.
— The Final Word (@Final_Word_Pod) June 1, 2023
The ECB boss on a wide range of topics, from his army days to the future of the game to ICC funding & plenty more. First, here he is on the most divisive topic in English cricket.
🍎https://t.co/AEqKRACc96
🟢https://t.co/BQ5F52aM5G pic.twitter.com/FihIlfyNPF
England take the honours but Ireland push back. At 19-3, mid-collapse, Paul Stirling was given out first ball. That was, Hawkeye said, missing the leg stump by just 1cm – enough to save him. It gave the visitors a glimmer of hope to get out of the opening session of the summer without a hideous collapse via Broad, who took the first three, and they took it with a handy stand of 45 for the third wicket with Stirling reaching 30 in fewer balls than that.
He didn’t make it to the break, top edging Leach, but McCollum has after facing 93 balls for his 29 so far. The opener hasn’t given England’s seamers anything. They’ve done a fair bit right too with Josh Tongue standing out for his pace and aggression at the first time of asking in Test cricket. Looking forward to watching plenty of him.
LUNCH: Ireland 78-4 (26 overs).
26th over: Ireland 78-4 (McCollum 29, Tucker 8) Potts with the last over before lunch and gives McCollum a chance to square drive and he gives it everything – great contact up the hill, to the rope in a flash. With Potts closer to the off stump the opener finishes the job, leaving alone and getting through to lunch. Well done.
Updated
25th over: Ireland 72-4 (McCollum 24, Tucker 7) Tongue hit 91mph earlier – that really is a point of difference for England with Archer and Stone both out of action, the former for the whole summer. Mark Wood won’t be bowled into the ground against Australia with five Tests in six weeks, so they’ll need another option and, in the space of a session, it might be that the Licker has got himself into that slot. McCollum is getting under the short balls better as we go, and playing well off his toes as well. He’s earned as sandwich in a few minutes from now. Keep going.
24th over: Ireland 71-4 (McCollum 24, Tucker 6) Double change – Matty Potts back after five overs off the top from the Nursery End with Leach’s job done. Tucker gets to the pitch of him right away before flicking with with style out to to the rope – that’s the way he does it. Potts adjusts his length and nearly gets the wicket, moving prodigously through the air with a ball the ‘keeper had to play out – bowled, lad. McCollum gets the strike back for a couple of balls and leaves Potts be outside off.
I must admit, I’m not entirely sure when lunch is. Are we extending all three sessions by ten minutes to make up for the extra half an hour allowed for a four-day Test, or just bunging that on at the end for a mega final stanza? We’ll find out in five minutes.
23rd over: Ireland 66-4 (McCollum 24, Tucker 1) Quick burst from Broad and Tongue gets another go and hits Tucker first ball. Got in him the head, albeit a glancing blow via the shoulder. All is fine with the physio out and doing the mandatory test. Another short one to follow from Tongue with McCollum on strike – that’s the way. And again later in the over. He’s got the wheels for it, up at 88mph. Indeed, his final ball hits 89.6mph – let’s round that up shall we: he’s a 90mph operator.
Josh Tongue is set to join an exclusive club: Test-playing Joshes.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) June 1, 2023
Josh Hazlewood
Joshua de Silva
That’s it.
Honourable mentions:
Nana Joshi
Sunil Joshi
This is the kind of quality you only get on The Final Word: Story Time. ⬇️https://t.co/zr3q5MTMHw
22nd over: Ireland 65-4 (McCollum 24, Tucker 1) Lorcan Tucker, serious player. Off the mark with a shovel into the onside. Leach has done his job with Stirling done.
“Adam.” John Starbuck. “I see you almost quoting ‘my boyfriend’s back’ in the 19th over. Was that a reference to the film, or the Angels’ song in 1963? If the latter, it’s rare for the OBO to dwell in that era.”
The latter! It’s a banger!
Jack Leach 🔗 Jonny Bairstow pic.twitter.com/ePg0pvLYcI
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 1, 2023
WICKET! Stirling c Bairstow b Leach 30 (Ireland 64-4)
Forget what I said about Leach/Stirling not quite going to plan, he’s got him sweeping! Extra bounce, into the glove, balloons up, game over. An important partnership but what a disappointing time to go after so much hard work with lunch in sight – the stand is broken on 45 and Leach is in the book for season 2023.
Updated
21st over: Ireland 64-3 (McCollum 24, Stirling 30) Broad to McCollum – this is the match-up England need and he beats him straight away. As Mike Atherton points out on Sky, it’s that much harder with the slope from that end when you aren’t conditioned to it in terms of the balls you can/should/wish to leave. Another play and miss later in the set too; less about the ball this time – poor shot. Maiden.
20th over: Ireland 64-3 (McCollum 24, Stirling 30) Top footwork from Stirling, down the track to leach and smothering any spin that’s out there, hammered past mid-off for his fifth four to take him into the 30s at a strike rate of better than 100. Considering he was given out lbw first ball (overturned on review) this is a fine counterattack. I reckon they’ve overdone the Leach experiment here given the surface showed enough life with the seamers early on; Plan A was working.
19th over: Ireland 60-3 (McCollum 24, Stirling 26) Broady’s back and you’re gonna be in trouble (Hey-la-day-la your Broady’s back). In truth, the change at the Pav End works well for the Irish pair with Stirling accessing the region behind point for the second time in a couple of overs for three before McCollum pulls awkwardly over midwicket for his third boundary. He simply has to make it through to lunch.
Sure, you've got your streaming, your social media and your online shopping but I firmly believe the OBO is what the internet was invented for.
— Andrew Howard (@amhoward01) June 1, 2023
Damn straight.
18th over: Ireland 53-3 (McCollum 20, Stirling 23) Leach to Stirling. Nothing at all wrong with what he’s doing but there’s just not a lot going on. A single to midwicket all that’s on offer – Ireland continue their rebuild; this pair have added 34.
Meanwhile, YJB is loving his morning with the gloves back, constant chat.
I could be wrong, but I think Jonny Bairstow just started singing 1993's Tease Me by Chaka Demus and Pliers.
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) June 1, 2023
17th over: Ireland 52-3 (McCollum 20, Stirling 22) The Licker’s first bad ball, giving Stirling a good look at a cut shot and he doesn’t miss. And it is back to back boundaries to start the over, on the balls of his feet timing the man on debut behind point this time around – lovely batting, then taking one to square leg. If these two can get Ireland through to lunch, whisper it… might be (vaguely) shared honours.
16th over: Ireland 43-3 (McCollum 20, Stirling 13) Leach is bowling a straighter line to Stirling, who he wants attacking him. But the veteran (that word again, sorry Romeo) keeps his head and knocks him out to deep square. Two singles off the over. It feels like we’re watching a sleepy session on the third afternoon with Leach in operation landing it on the spot, but it’s still before lunch on day one. BazBall, innit.
“It’s not a new thought, but mornings like this hammer it home,” writes Matt Dony. “How unfortunate for Broad to have spent his international career playing alongside Anderson. Although not exactly ‘in his shadow’, you do wonder just how feted he would have been had Jimmy not been quite so Jimmy. Also, I hope Ireland can steady the ship and avoid the collapse now. It’s a ridiculously difficult task to adjust to this level of cricket, but the more established teams we have, the better the game becomes. Confidence-shattering collapses at this stage don’t help anyone.”
Works the other way too: without Anderson, does Broad enjoy such a magnificent career in tandem the way that he has? But your point stands. I’m not sure if the numbers back this up but I feel like his analysis without Jimmy is very handy.
15th over: Ireland 41-3 (McCollum 19, Stirling 12) Before the review, a run off Tongue from his 13th ball but not far away at all, finding Stirling’s inside edge and spitting away behind square – had the bat missed, they would’ve been appealing. McCollum takes on a shorter delivery, inside the line before pulling away for a couple. Then after the review the shot of the morning so far from the opener, who square drives from the top of the bounce out through cover point for four. A lot to like about the way he’s gone about the way the 27-year-old has gone about it this morning.
I wasn’t going to include any emails about the trouble England had getting to the ground earlier but this is very good from Paul Haynes. “Just Stop Oil? Does this mean they are Boycott supporters? Their catchphrase should be: ‘the global mean temperature seems OK at the moment but add another 2 degrees onto that and it doesn’t seem so clever.’” (This is a joke – if you don’t get it, that’s okay, don’t yell)
England review! Tongue back of a length, jagging back, jumping up and hitting McCollum. Feels like back pad but Stokes goes upstairs to check for an edge. Yep – fantastic delivery and close to the bat but under edge confirms back pocket.
14th over: Ireland 33-3 (McCollum 12, Stirling 11) Leach again after cordial and just a single to cover from Stirling, one-day style. Sky cut to a graphic of Leach’s time under Stokes and McCullum – 41 wickets at 39 in 13 Tests. Not spectacular but it works.
“Dear Adam.” Dearest Robert McLiam Wilson, this time via email. “Be not downcast, my colonial brother. That not-out review is the turning point. We’ll declare before tomorrow on 650 for 9 and Broad will tearfully announce his retirement over the weekend. Then something uncomfortable will happen to Glenn Hoddle (the most English man in history) and 800 years of oppression will finally be avenged. It was 800, wasn’t it? 900? The full thousand...” My only thought to add is that I’d love to watch a day of Irish Test cricket in your company, suspect it’d be an experience.
13th over: Ireland 32-3 (McCollum 12, Stirling 10) A much quicker over from Tongue here, hitting 88mph twice; above 85mph throughout. McCollum is leaving him competently until the final ball before drinks that zips past the outside edge at real pace. England will be thrilled with his first two overs, maidens both. In that opening hour Ireland made 15 runs in the first three overs then lost 3/17 in the next ten.
Romeo is back with us: “If Paul Stirling is “The Irish veteran”, I must be a fossil. He’s 32 years old.” True, but he made his debut in 2008. I count veteran status on that basis rather than age alone. And he’s nearly 33 (32 until then!). Standing by it.
12th over: Ireland 32-3 (McCollum 12, Stirling 10) Jack Leach inside the first hour! How life has changed for the England tweaker, who couldn’t get in the team (nor any spinner) two summers ago against India. Stokes loves him. Being used here to give Stirling a short boundary to aim at, albeit against the spin. Oh, and it nearly works first ball! Sweeping right away, he only just clears the man at backward square in front of the Warner Stand. It goes for four but they don’t mind. McCollum gets the strike later in the over and is looking to hit the ball hard to the sweepers, finding the man at deep cover to retain the strike. He’s 12 from 44 and doing a job.
“Nick should have a look at Sixes Cricket for his stag,” suggests Dave McGlashan. “It’s great fun, they have a few venues in London.” Nice shout. Keep it crickety.
Test cricket debutants.
— James R (@jamesralston9) June 1, 2023
Since beginning of 2022
England - 12 (18 tests)
NZ+Aus+Ind - 8 (40 tests combined)@GeoffLemonSport @collinsadam @SebGoldsmith90 @pup_young
11th over: Ireland 26-3 (McCollum 11, Stirling 5) Here comes The Licker! And Josh Tongue’s first all in Test cricket is a good’un running away from the Pav, bringing one back to McCollum who plays inside of it. He’s not blowing up the speed gun in the low 80s but the bounce into the splice of the bat is noteworthy right away. And a little play and miss outside the off-stump to finish the over – that’ll help with any nerves, a maiden in his column and a good one too. His first over at Lord’s in professional cricket, I’m told on telly! There’s a bit about him.
“Morning Adam, and good to see you back on the OBO.” Romeo! Nice to be here – I won’t be about for many of these during the summer with radio commitments throughout the six Australian Tests but I do love it in these parts. “I just got a bit angry at Nasser Hussain, not for the first time. He said Stirling was “saved by the review”. He was actually saved by the fact the ball was missing the stumps.”
Not that I’ll tell him, but I was grumpier when he used the GOAT term in an earnest way a few overs back. But that’s because I dislike the term – love Nas, of course.
10th over: Ireland 26-3 (McCollum 11, Stirling 5) “It’s starting to swing now, Pottsy boy! Ball is swinging! Swing now!” YJB effusive in his commentary from the cordon as the Durham spearhead continues his clash with McCollum, who retains the strike with a tuck to fine leg to finish after leaving the rest. Good opening batting.
9th over: Ireland 25-3 (McCollum 10, Stirling 5) Stirling off the mark, helping Broad fine for four – first time he’s missed for a while. A couple of singles from the leg stump too – that might help get Broad out of the attack for the time being. A shot of the great Jim Carter between overs on the telly. He’s been the long-standing chairman of the mighty Hampstead CC, one mile from here. You might think, for a big celeb, that means rocking up to give the occasional rev up or speech but Jim was just as comfortable cleaning out the showers on a Sunday or scoring for the 5th XI.
“Hello gang.” Nick Baxter, welcome. “It’s my stag stag stag at the weekend, and I’ve got 13 tickets for Saturday. Each early wicket currently feels like a dagger to my spleen. Does anyone have any recommendations for things to do in London on Saturday?”
Oh no!! This is not good. My stag is the Saturday of the Nottingham Women’s Test but we’re doing it in London rather than at the cricket as it would be just too much of a Busman’s. London stag planners, please help Nick out. At least you’ll have a nice kitty to play around with given the refund from the tickets (if it goes that way).
8th over: Ireland 19-3 (McCollum 9, Stirling 0) Potts keeps the pressure on, going his job from the Nursery End – McCollum leaves five of these six, another maiden.
“Ireland better start playing Bazball go for it,” says Paul Sokhy, “Catastrophic start nothing to lose.” Balbirnie said they would need to play smart under pressure with the ball, the same applies now that they’re in this dreadful spot. One bloke who can counterattack is Stirling, especially on a ground he loved so much for Middlesex.
Meanwhile, Bob Wilson is tweeting me instead of emailing me – I’ll take it. Hi mate.
Nice Irish jumper love-in. Irish sport has always been outtasight in kit quality superbity. This bloke was nobody's ideal of sexual politics but look at that ****ing jersey. pic.twitter.com/z6dOpVXe8L
— Robert McL Wilson (@Parisbob2001) June 1, 2023
7th over: Ireland 19-3 (McCollum 9, Stirling 0) Sky tells us that Hawkeye told them that the Stirling ball was missing the leg stump by just one centimetre. Wow. Another edge to finish but doesn’t carry to fourth slip. Double wicket maiden. Have that.
WHAT A SUPERB CATCH FROM ZAK CRAWLEY 😲🔥 pic.twitter.com/EVFit0lPGt
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 1, 2023
NOT OUT! Missing leg! Despite pitching well outside the off-stump – that’s done loads, missing he bat by a long way on the way to the pad. Relief for the visitors.
STIRLING LBW FIRST BALL! Broad is on a hat-trick… so long as the review goes his way. The Irish veteran has sent it upstairs. Stand by.
WICKET! Tector c Potts b Broad 0 (Ireland 19-3)
Make that 579! Broad has two in three balls, Tector caught by Potts in the trap at leg gully. They hadn’t used that postion at any stage so far, so they’ve planned for this and it pays off. The young gun can’t believe he’s fallen for it, straight to Potts. Broad can’t either, celebrating with his hands near his mouth reminiscent of that day at Notts in 2015. He has the first three and Ireland are officially in big trouble.
Updated
WICKET! Balbirnie c Crawley b Broad 0 (Ireland 19-2)
Excellent low catch from Crawley, who had to come forward at second slip to get underneath it to take cleanly – tougher than it looks. A duck for the Ireland captain; he’ll be gutted. Broad, meanwhile, has himself a second wicket in his first spell of the summer – that’s 578 scalps for him in Test cricket, for those keeping count.
6th over: Ireland 19-1 (McCollum 9, Balbirnie 0) Ooooft, Matty Potts has going it going on here. To McCollum, shouldering arms, it is but an inch away from taking out his off-stump after coming back a mile up the slope. That it comes after he beat him on the outside edge makes it all the more impressive from the Durham quick. But impressive too is McCollum keeping his cool, driving the next delivery away through cover for four. Nice little contest between these two so far.
Another fan of Ireland’s Victor Trumpers in Max Bonnell. “I don’t expect them to win the game but Ireland has the best sweater in international cricket: bright, bold, simple, strong. I want one.” Good merchandising opportunity, I reckon.
5th over: Ireland 15-1 (McCollum 5, Balbirnie 0) Four slips standing behind the visiting captain Andy Balbirnie, in at No3. He’s the only man to play all six Tests for the Ireland so far, with a highest score of 95 against Sri Lanka in April. He’s on another one of those handy lists too: a pair on Test debut. But a fine player in fine form, especially in one-day cricket. Hope he goes well here. Defends and watches the four balls remaining in this successful Broad over, a wicket maiden in his column.
“Morning.” Hello, tom V d Gucht – great to see some names of regular names in my inbox early on. “I attempted to complete one of those engaging and mildly infuriating quizzes on Wisden the other day about England’s top test run scorer every year since 1980. I was astonished at how reliant we’ve been on Root over the past decade with him being the top dog 80% of the time. A few other surprises popped up: how rarely Cook had been the top run scorer; how much Trescothick had out performed Vaughan in the 00s despite Vaughan being the one who seemed to get all the plaudits; Bell nearly gaining the honour as many times as KP; Stokes carrying the burden during the Covid years.” I might have a dart at that during lunch.
First wicket for England and Stuart Broad 1️⃣✅ pic.twitter.com/1XQc3u7zpl
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 1, 2023
WICKET! Moor lbw b Broad 10 (Ireland 15-1)
Playing across his front pad, looking to flick, hit bang in front - middle stump. Up goes the finger of Paul Wilson. No review needed there. England get one early.
Updated
4th over: Ireland 15-0 (McCollum 5, Moor 10) Top re-start from Potts, beating McCollum with a gem down the slope – had to play, just enough movement. Oooh, and he does it again; generous nip this time. Maiden complete with a third ball that goes past the blade, this time from back of a length. Warm applause. That’s better.
News from the England camp that Dan Lawrence has been released from the Test squad to play a couple of Blast matches for Essex over the weekend. Fair enough.
“Glad they got to wear those jumpers,” writes Brendan in Sydney. “It made me check the weather in London. It is currently the same temperature in London as it is in Sydney. It’s 8pm here, first day of winter. 11am, first day of summer there. Both 13 degrees. Go Ireland.”
Per Will Mac, it was meant to be beautiful today. Of course, was never happening.
3rd over: Ireland 15-0 (McCollum 5, Moor 10) Tidy from Moor, driving Broad right out the middle of his bat past mid-off for four – just what you want as an opener to get into rhythm; his second boundary. Earlier in the over, soft hands from McCollum through the cordon for three. 15 from three overs?! Is this BalboBall! (Sorry)
“Hello, Adam, and the OBO’ers.” Gidday, Mark Slater. “Summer starts, for me and many others, at 11am on the first day of the first Test Match of the English (UK) season. Hopefuly the Hundred will be kicked into the long grass in the near future, and the British Summer will be bookended by the first and last Test Matches. As it should be. Looking forward to this match, and of course the ones against some team from the Southern Hemisphere.”
Sorry to report that you can be fairly certain that The Hundred isn’t going anywhere, per Geoff and my conversation yesterday with the ECB’s new boss, Richard Gould.
🔔RICHARD GOULD on The Final Word - now live.
— The Final Word (@Final_Word_Pod) June 1, 2023
The ECB boss on a wide range of topics, from his army days to the future of the game to ICC funding & plenty more. First, here he is on the most divisive topic in English cricket.
🍎https://t.co/AEqKRACc96
🟢https://t.co/BQ5F52aM5G pic.twitter.com/FihIlfyNPF
2nd over: Ireland 8-0 (McCollum 2, Moor 6) Potts gets the new ball from the Nursery End, which I’m a tad surprised by on the basis that he did such a fine job as England’s first change last summer, but I suppose he has seniority now. Drifts slightly straight to Moor who helps him down the slope to the shorter boundary for four past the man at midwicket – nicely played. This is the same pitch they played on for the New Zealand Test this time last year, when BazBall started (kinda) with Stokes punting Ajaz Patel into the Grand Stand, to that shorter side, a number of times. A couple more through cover next up – the right-hander has started well, now playing Test cricket for his second nation. Quite a handy list of players, that.
Athers mentioned on commentary that someone put on a bet on when Josh Tongue was a kid that he would play Tests – here are the details of that, via Reuters.
One lucky punter who believed 14 years ago that Josh Tongue would one day play for England and placed a cheeky bet will win 50,000 pounds ($63,000) when the fast bowler makes his international debut against Ireland on Thursday.
Tim Piper had watched Tongue play when he was just an 11-year-old and placed a 100-pound bet at odds of 500-1 that he would play a test match for England in the future.
“I’ve kept the bet slip in a cupboard all these years,” Piper told BBC Sport. “I just thought to myself, ‘it must be worth 100 pounds’. If he doesn’t make it, he’d make us proud anyway. This is just a bonus for him to get in the test team.
Tongue, the son of Piper’s club team mate Phil, was a spinner at the time and the 56-year-old had seen enough to realise he was destined for great things. “There was this little kid who bowled leg-spin, googlies and top-spinners. It was like Shane Warne,” Piper added.
1st over: Ireland 1-0 (McCollum 1, Moor 0) Broad spot on, beating Moor with a beauty that straightens up the hill with his fourth ball – there was a noise and an appeal but they’re turned down. Back thigh says Simon Doull on comms and he’s spot on. That comes after McCollum gets the first run of the summer with a push to mid-on.
“The first test of the English summer, how I love it.” Too right, Phil Withall. “However being based in Australia, you may remember it, a large island in the arse end of nowhere, I will be struggling to follow fully. The need to get up for work as stumps are pulled at the end of play, mean I should probably be embracing the concept of BazBall fully. Getting the test finished early means less cricket missed. With regard to Bairstow, I have fond memories of his late father berating all and sundry during a pre-seaon game for Yorkshire at Parkgate cricket club in Sheffield... it was a more tolerant time.”
Speaking of YJB, our yarn on the England team’s delay on the way in this morning – it was his photo on Instagram that alerted the world to what was going on.
The players are out in the middle. Stuart Broad to do his thing from the pavilion end with Peter Moor opening alongside James McCollum, the latter to take strike. PLAY!
Eoin Morgan rings the five-minute bell. Huge smile on his face, nice moment. Into the national anthems, with the Irish team decked out in their magnificent jumpers. When speaking with Andy Balbirnie recently on The Final Word, he lamented that they haven’t had a chance to wear them since 2018 as every Test they’ve played since has been in very hot conditions, so they’ve not missed out here. It’s the little things.
Updated
“Hi Adam.” Hi Andy F. “So Josh Tongue is the first PG-rated body-part-named debutant for England for a while. Does this list include Sir Iron Bottom?”
So bad that I’m including it. Well done.
And here’s Guy Hornsby!
“Well here we are. We fear for it, we worry about it, and then here’s 8 Tests in two months, Adam. Glorious gluttony. I hate to think it could be the last northern hemisphere hurrah before a seismic shift, and absolutely have no joy in this discussion at the start of an English Test summer, but really the cat is out of the bag already. We are asking the richest to do things for the good of the game, but capitalism doesn’t do nostalgia or equality. But here’s to the next 8 weeks, and Ireland starting by putting in a strong batting performance. They are far more than the team that we here four years ago.”
Very well said. We should really, really, really make the most of these eight weeks.
And Chris Drew has supplied me with the overseas TMS link! Thank you.
Patrick Brennan is on the same train as John Starbuck. “Excited by the selection of Tongue, I hear he bowls at quite a lick.” Licker. We’re all sorted. I reckon he’ll get the new ball shortly too – Potts was an excellent first change battering ram last year.
“Hi Adam.” Morning, Will Juba. “Glad to read your enthusiasm for the test summer ahead, including this one…like you, I can’t wait! Can we take a minute to acknowledge one of the unluckiest cricketers in recent memory; Ben Foakes. What he has to do to secure a regular place in the England test side (aside from being ‘the best keeper in the world’ - Ben Stokes - averaging pretty much bang on 40 from no.7 since Bazball started, being a counter point to the smash, crash, bang, wallop further up the order, playing several match winning innings and also just happening to be devastatingly good looking), I can only imagine I understand the logic in having all of Brook, Bairstow and Stokes (all undroppable) in the team, and even to a degree the faith in Crawley, but to omit Foakes over Crawley and to move Bairstow‘s position and give him more work after his year last year, just seems counterintuitive. Hope I’m wrong and all 4 go on to average 50 and we win every test of the summer…Thanks and keep up the good work.”
My view on this, explained here in more detail, is that moving Bairstow from No5 and giving him the gloves back after what he did last year… not for me. But the good news for England is that these are the selection stoushes you want. Remember where they were twelve months ago? Had won one of their previous 17 Tests.
The teams as named.
England: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Jack Leach
Ireland: James McCollum, Peter Moor, Andy Balbirnie (c), Harry Tector, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Curtis Campher, Andy McBrine, Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume.
Hand (who I’m a big fan of) gets a go in place of Young, who picked up an injury.
Andy Balbirnie speaks at the toss. “Just to have the experience in the bank, a lot of guys made their debuts in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, so we’re only going to get better.” Fionn Hand is making his debut! He knocked Stokes over the ‘G last year.
Ben Stokes has won the toss, England are having a bowl
No hesitation; BazBallers don’t bat first. “We’ve got to take every day as it comes this summer and this is another part of the journey we have before the Ashes starts.”
“Adam.” John Starbuck, as is the custom, opening the batting in my inbox. “If we’re debating nicknames for the newcomer how about ‘Licker’? Don’t know off he’s a drinker or not but then he probably had a school nickname. Any OBO readers run across him before?”
Like it. I played junior cricket with a friend known as ‘Tonguey’ – nice memories. But Licker is far better. As a pal said during the week, he’s the first England body part debut that is PG rated for a long time. Boom tish.
This guy can seriously play. Lorcan Tucker became the 114th man to make a Test ton on debut earlier this year and just the sixth wicketkeeper (2nd away from home). His 71* against Australia in the T20 World Cup last year effectively eliminated them from their home tournament and his last Test hit was a brisk 80 v Sri Lanka. He’s a lovely fella, too. Simon Burnton spoke to him for The Spin column this week.
England were held up on the way in this morning. I’m not going to get into this on email comments by the way, there’s enough abuse online to fuel everyone.
England team delayed by Just Stop Oil en route to Lord’s pic.twitter.com/cjpLK1VcaW
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) June 1, 2023
20 years later… staggering. Trust we all caught Jonny Liew’s beautiful column about Jimmy during the week? Hopefully he unblocks him on twitter now.
Twenty years after his own Test debut, England cap No613, Jimmy Anderson, is presenting Josh Tongue with England cap No711. Tongue's family are in the England huddle.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) June 1, 2023
Welcome to Lord's for the opening day of England v Ireland!
To start my first stint on the OBO for a little while, a gripe. I’m hacked off at how much negativity there is around this Test Match, specifically the Irish tourists being tut-tutted at for acknowledging the truth: this doesn’t have as much riding on it as ODI World Cup qualification.
That scrap begins soon in Zimbabwe – “a bloodbath” of a competition per Warren Deutrom, the long-standing giant of a CEO of Cricket Ireland. For the last three years, they’ve been duking it out in the World Cup Super League, and from this point, their route to the ten-team tournament starting in October (for shame that it is still only ten for this edition), is if they make the final in Harare. Messy and inadequate as it is, this all sits within a framework, where most of their cricket has been played.
By contrast, at Test level, Andy Balbirnie’s side have barely enjoyed a lick of the ice cream since the last time they took to the field at Lord’s on a stinking hot midsummer day in 2019 with nearly a four-year gap between Tests.
Yes, they arrive today having played three times in the last two months in Asia against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, so they’re better prepared than what otherwise might’ve been the case, but the decision to deny them (and other full-member nations Zimbabwe and Afghanistan) access to the World Test Championship means barely any time in whites and cable-knit sweaters.
So yes, their team today won’t include Josh Little – their best quick, who only three days ago finished an exhausting IPL campaign. And sure, they’ve been up front in the pre-game about where this match sits relative to their World Cup hopes. But that doesn’t invalidate the four days we have ahead of us.
As the captain Balbirnie said repeatedly at his press conference yesterday, this is a “pinnacle” event for his side and a chance to make a statement about what might be provided to them as a Test nation into the future. “When you walk through the Grace Gates, it hits you pretty quickly how big an occasion this is,” as he later added to emphasise that they can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Also, let’s not forget, the last two times these sides have met in white-ball cricket – at Southampton in 2020 and at the MCG in last year’s T20 World Cup - Ireland saluted.
Four years ago, when these teams met in their inaugural Test Match, an astonishing first session played out. Just nine days after England won the World Cup on the same ground, they were inserted and rolled for 85 with Tim Murtagh putting on a clinic from the Nursery End. But the tables were turned on morning three with Ireland rolled for 38 – the lowest ever Test score at the ground.
Looking out the window of the press box, there is a similar tinge of green this morning as there was that day – don’t be surprised for a win-the-toss-and-bowl outcome in half an hour from now. And BazBallers do like batting fourth.
When those teamsheets are exchanged, we’ve already been informed that England’s XI will include one man on debut, Josh Tongue from Worcestershire. At 25 with a bit of pace, a fine performance for the Lions in an Unofficial Test over the winter and Steve Smith in his pocket from a county game last month, he’s being picked at the right time. I’m not sure Chris Woakes would agree with that assessment though, having to sit out to let Tonguey (get better with nicknames) take his first cap.
For Ireland, journeyman Craig Young will make his Test bow. Expect him the swing the ball around, as he did when removing Jason Roy and James Vince in that one-day win over England when they last met in that format. But it’s the young guns I’ll be watching more closely: Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher. All three have been in sparkling form in limited overs cricket and know what it feels like to be in a side defeating England. A lot more on them as we go.
Right, this turned into a long preamble, didn’t it? Chalk that up to the enthusiasm of the first day of the international summer, the first of EIGHT TEST MATCHES IN EIGHT WEEKS. Embrace it, savour it – there might not be another summer quite like it. Join me throughout in the usual ways by pinging me an email or a tweet.
