That’s it for today. Thanks for your company and emails; please join us again in the morning. Big first session you know.
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A bit more from Stuart Broad
[On his winter playing club cricket in Melbourne] I was 17-18, living with the groundsman. I rolled the pitches, trained Tuesday and Thursday and played on Saturday and Sunday I think. I loved it: I opened the batting, opened the bowling and stuck in.
[On the 600th wicket] All of us didn’t think it was carrying to Rooty. We were delighted to get Head out; he hit some amazing cover drives. Tea came at a good time for us. We had a little chat about how we should bowl with the slightly softer ball.
[On the ovation from the crowd] It’s really nice. I love playing at Old Trafford. I got my 500th here and my dad was on the ground. It was during the Covid bubbles but he was the match referee so that was quite nice. My mum and stepdad were here today as well.
[On his dad Chris’s tweet about David Warner] I had a coffee with him last week and told him, ‘You should get fined for that!’
"There's a nice ring to it getting a 600th pole at the James Anderson end!" 😍
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 19, 2023
Stuart Broad says he's 'addicted' to Test cricket and it's a special feeling joining the list of some of the greats of the game after taking his 600th Test wicket 🔊 pic.twitter.com/8SU8pZjoni
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More from Stuart Broad
I find Ashes series the most enjoyable to play in. I enjoy the extra scrutiny and how much the public love it. I’ve been able to forge great battles with some of the Australian players over a long period of time. It’s been a pleasure to play against those guys.
I never really think about what I’ve done on the field. The special memories are in the changing-room when you’ve won a Test or a series. I’d argue the last year has been the most enjoyable of my career.
Aussies are generally very competitive people, and that brings out the best in me. I love that eye-to-eye battle. We play cricket to have great battles on the field but also to enjoy each other’s company after the game. A lot of the players have got good relationships off the field.
When we won the toss and bowled I was hoping to get it [the 600th wicket], as it would mean we’re taking wickets. A nightmare day for us would have been 350-3, which could have happened when the blue sky came out.
We’re delighted to take eight wickets. Of all the pitches we’ve played on in this series, it feels like the most balls were middled today. It felt like if you just missed, you went to the boundary. But ultimately there are wicket balls out there as well. When we won the toss we weren’t hoping for 160 all out; we’re just hoping for a decent chase.
Stuart Broad speaks
I had a few hugs and handshakes, certainly from staff who have been in the dressing-room longer than me. There’s a nice ring to it, getting my 600th pole at the James Anderson End!
Glenn McGrath was my hero growing up, so when I went past him last year that was really cool. I’m not saying I was at his level as a bowler – if he’d played more Tests he’d have ended up with 700.
I suppose it’s a sign of longevity. I’m addicted to Test cricket – I love the grit and competitiveness of it, and it feels very special to be on a list with some of the greats of the game.
I remember getting my cap from Sir Ian Botham in Colombo. A lot of people say that getting your Test cap is the dream. I never felt like that. I wanted to make memories in it, win big series and experience a lot with that cap. That was my mindset.
You never know when your last game will be – I’m probably one of the most dropped bowlers in history! – but I feel very lucky to have played with some great teams along the way.
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The consensus on Sky is that it’s England’s day, just about. They looked in trouble when Australia were 120 for two and 183 for three but took wickets at vital times, sometimes in strange ways. Eight of Australia’s top nine reached double figures; nobody scored more than 51.
Chris Woakes was the star, taking 4-52, but it’s Stuart Broad who leads the team off. He took his 600th Test wicket – just think how much hard yakka that entails – when Travis Head was caught on the hook. He’s England’s greatest Ashes cricketer since Sir Ian Botham, so it’s no surprise he reached the milestone against Australia.
Stuart Broad takes his 600th Test wicket! 🙌💫 pic.twitter.com/w9BYEM7Tnp
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 19, 2023
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Stumps
83rd over: Australia 299-8 (Starc 23, Cummins 1) Woakes may never have a better chance of a first Ashes five-fer. He almost gets it when Starc is beaten by an outswinger, but he survives and that’s the end of a compelling first day’s play.
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82nd over: Australia 298-8 (Starc 23, Cummins 0) James Anderson, 40, returnes for a single oover before the cose. Starc has an almighty hack across the line, inside-edging the ball past the stumps for four. Anderson walks back to his mark smiling. They got to him as well.
Though he has been nowhere near his best today, Anderson has again been pretty unlucky. You should see his xW!
81st over: Australia 294-8 (Starc 19, Cummins 0) Chris Woakes has had another day out: 18-3-51-4. All ten of his wickets in this series have been proper batters, even if Carey is No8 in this game.
WICKET! Australia 294-8 (Carey c Bairstow b Woakes 20)
Chris Woakes strikes with the second new ball! Carey tried to leave one outside off stump, was too late in doing so and got a thin inside edge through to Bairstow. That was similar to his dismissal at Headingley, when he tried to leave Woakes and dragged the ball onto his stumps.
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80th over: Australia 293-7 (Carey 20, Starc 19) The diminuendo continues with a maiden from Wood to Carey. At Headingley, Carey struggled against Wood’s pace but today he has been rock-solid in defence. The attacking strokes can wait until tomorrow.
After an interlude of 21 runs in 12 overs, it’s time for the second new ball.
79th over: Australia 293-7 (Carey 20, Starc 19) Starc finally plays an attacking stroke off Moeen, dumping a slog-sweep for four. He’s a place too low at No9, and has looked very comfortable in making 19 from 56 balls.
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78th over: Australia 289-7 (Carey 20, Starc 15) Mark Wood returns for one last spell. His first ball is a slightly apologetic bouncer to Carey, though it’s still clocked at 91mph. Wood laughs and runs back to his mark.
Carey turns down a couple of singles, continuing his policy of protecting the tail from Wood’s pace, and as a result it’s a maiden. We’ve had 17 runs from the last 10 overs, a sleepy end to another eventful day.
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77th over: Australia 289-7 (Carey 20, Starc 15) Carey reaches for a nice delivery from Moeen and edges wide of slip for three runs. It wouldn’t have carried anyway.
76th over: Australia 286-7 (Carey 17, Starc 15) Starc pulls Woakes round the corner for a single. We’re four overs away from the second new ball, so I may have been premature in suggesting James Anderson’s work was done for the day.
“Regarding wickets taken since 2008 (over 68), it’s notable that the next England names on the list (after Swann) are Ali, Stokes, and Woakes,” says Peter Hanes. “Is this England’s wicketiest ever attack?”
It’s not just England’s, it’s the highest for any team. The six main bowlers, including Stokes, had 1916 Test wickets between them at the start of the game, which puts them a nose ahead of the England attack at Trent Bridge in 1993.
75th over: Australia 284-7 (Carey 16, Starc 14) Stalemate.
“The new England/New Zealand approach to cricket means averages are now of little relevance,” writes Dean Bainbridge. “The entire approach assumes nobody will get ‘average’ scores - the approach allows failure. It is actually expected that some batters or bowlers will fail, safe in the knowledge that the freedom their colleagues play under allows them to more than make up for low scores or wicketless periods.
“Statistically, it just needs 2-3 players to play well for decent scores to be posted. It’ll work for a team with genuine talent and potential, but it’s perfect for this England team. It explains Moen’s inclusion - on a statistical basis, he’ll be nowhere near this team, but just his potential for runs and wickets sees him picked. He could hit a century in a session, or get out reverse sweeping; it’s all the same as far as England are concerned.”
Especially if it means Joe Root doesn’t have to bat at No3.
74th over: Australia 283-7 (Carey 16, Starc 13) Woakes replaces Anderson, whose confusing day ends with figures of 16-4-39-0. Carey back cuts his third ball for foour, a nice shot from a player who looks in control again after a loose batting performance at Headingley.
England’s ageing attack – Wood is the youngest at 33 – are looking weary, and Australia might be missing a trick by not applying more pressure. Even with that boundary, there have been only 11 runs from the last six overs.
73rd over: Australia 277-7 (Carey 11, Starc 12) Moeen has found a deecnt rhythm in this spell, probably helped by the fact they haven’t played any attacking strokes.
“It’s interesting that you mentioned Keith Miller, because it seems his shadow has loomed over Australian selections ever since he retired,” says Martyn Gillam. “There’s been a near obsession with finding an ‘all rounder,’ with a penchant for picking blokes who aren’t really the true deal, but who scratch the selectors’ itch. There’s been a long list including Graeme Watson, Shane Watson, younger Mitch Marsh and now Cameron Green who has been anointed with ‘automatic selection’ status even when his results don’t justify it. How much would Australia like a mulligan right now and swap him for Murphy to bowl in the fourth innings? The fact is, players like Miller, Sobers and Kallis are a rare breed, and selectors shouldn’t be putting square pegs in round holes to try to recreate them.”
Simon Burnton’s Ashes diary
72nd over: Australia 277-7 (Carey 11, Starc 12) It’s hard to know what a good score is on this pitch, though instinct says between 300 and 350. All the batters have reached double figures apart from Khawaja, yet nobody has gone past 51. England’s bowling has been mixed – lots of jaffas, lots of fourballs – and the old ball is still doing enough for Anderson to lift one past Starc’s outside edge.
71st over: Australia 276-7 (Carey 11, Starc 11) “I agree that Carey batting at No8 is crazy,” says Brian Withington. “Shouldn’t there a rule against a team fielding as many decent batters as Australia? Don’t they know that fair play dictates that you should always include a spinner batting at three, preferably one coming out of retirement with a dodgy finger?”
If you think Australia’s tail looks strong today, check out South Africa’s at Adelaide in 1997-98. Nos 7-11 were Brian McMillan, David Richardson, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and Pat Symcox. The daft thing is they needed to win the game to draw the series, yet they beefed up their batting. I suppose it almost worked.
70th over: Australia 274-7 (Carey 10, Starc 10) The momentum has shifted subtly throughout the day; so has the tempo. We’re having a quiet little spell at the moment, with Anderson conceding a single from his 15th over.
“Dear Monsieur Smyth,” begins your friend and mine, Robert Wilson. “People are very fond of Moeen (and disturbingly proud of themselves for it). That’s charming but I watched that spell and the Aussies were taking an actual rest. It was saved from being embarrassing by the first five overs of Bairstow’s classic Dadaist keeping (might be his most ironic yet). He seems a genuinely decent bloke and I truly hope that this becomes an absolute reverse hex resulting in him knocking out an effortless double hundred but a wrong-way-round 27/37 average is giving me flashbacks to the worst bits of the 1990s.”
Usually I’d agree with you. I can’t believe I’m not going to agree with you. Am I really going to disagree with you when Moeen is averaging 16 and 55 in the series? I jolly well am, you know. I can’t really see a credible alternative, and this highly peculiar line-up feels like the best solution to a bespoke problem. The other thing is that simple averages have become less relevant under Stokes and McCullum, although the geek in me, who grew up Tony Gray was the greatest bowler of all time, is weeping at that thought.
69th over: Australia 273-7 (Carey 9, Starc 10) With two left-handers at the crease, Moeen Ali replaces Chris Woakes (15-3-43-3). A quiet first over, one from it.
In other news, look at this catch.
This is pure sorcery. ft Abdullah Shafique. pic.twitter.com/LRTn987DXr
— Shafqat Shabbir (@Chefkat23) July 19, 2023
68th over: Australia 272-7 (Carey 8, Starc 10) I wonder how Peter Moores, who started the Branderson era by dropping Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard at Wellington in 2008, felt when Stuart Broad took his 600th Test wicket. Anderson and Broad are the only seamers in history to take 600 Test wickets. Since Moores made that decision, Anderson and Broad have taken 626 and 599 wickets respectively; nobody else has 500 in that time.
Anderson returns to the attack. Starc edges on the bounce to sleep and then flicks successive half-volleys through midwicket for four. He’s using his wife Alyssa Healy’s bat, and he borrowed her timing with those two strokes.
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67th over: Australia 264-7 (Carey 8, Starc 2) Carey turns Woakes round the corner for two, with Wood doing absurdly well to save the boundary at fine leg. Woakes switches round the wicket, until Carey drives him straight for four and he moves back over. Carey is a helluva No8 in any team.
66th over: Australia 258-7 (Carey 2, Starc 2) A quiet over from Wood, which is to say I was editing/replying to the email below, and that’s drinks.
“A good keeper would have taken that to hands,” says Dechlan Brennan. “Even Bairstow’s catches look ugly. Ian Healy (perhaps the best keeper of all time) has hammered him on Australian TV and that’s correct. You’ll say it’s a great catch with your English lens on though.”
Ah, come on, we may be England or Australia fans but we’re all two-eyed. For want of a much, much, much less pompous phrase, I thought it was a great catch with my empathy lens on. Ian Healy is probably the best wicketkeeping analyst around, so we should all defer to him on technical matters. But after everything Bairstow has been through, that was a charming moment of human triumph.
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65th over: Australia 256-7 (Carey 1, Starc 1) Woakes angles a good delivery past Starc’s outside edge. He’s taken nine wickets at an average of 20 in this series, all proper batsmen. And crucially, he has dismissed Keith Miller Mitchell Marsh three times. Nobody ese looks like getting him out.
Starc takes a single off the last ball, which means he’ll be facing Mark Wood at the start of the next over. Hmm.
“With the sound effects that accompanied Alex Carey to the wicket, I think you may need to give Yvette Campbell (58th over) an update …” says Tom Adam.
64th over: Australia 255-7 (Carey 1, Starc 0) Poor Chris Woakes. Even when he takes two wickets in an over, he’s overshadowed by somebody else. Near flawless human being that he is, he won’t mind one bit.
Wood continues – I suspect he would have taken a break had Marsh and Green still been at the crease – and Carey turns down a single to deep backward point. That’s seems an odd decision, with Mitchell Starc at the crease and Pat Cummins still to come, but I’d imagine he’s just trying to see Wood out of the attack. If so, chapeau; if not, what are you doing, man.
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63rd over: Australia 255-7 (Carey 1, Starc 0) The celebrations of that wicket were delightful. Ben Stokes charged towards Bairstow and seemed to break into song at one point. After all he’s been through, that’s such a lovely, life-affirming moment. And it wasn’t any old wicket, either, because Mitch Marsh was batting marvellously.
"He's taken a WORLDIE of a catch!" 😍🌎
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 19, 2023
Brilliant from Bairstow! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Hbh58y82Kj
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Jonny Bairstow has taken a sensational catch to dismiss Mitch Marsh! Chris Woakes has taken two in an over and England are on top again.
Marsh was turned round by a beauty and edged it between wicketkeeper and first slip. Bairstow changed direction, plunged to his right and grabbed the ball just about the turf. He celebrated in style, spreading his arms and legs wide before he was swamped by his teammates. They could not be more delighted for him.
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WICKET! Australia 255-7 (Marsh c Bairstow b Woakes 51)
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Jonny!
WICKET! Australia 254-6 (Green LBW b Woakes 16)
If you want a job done, and you’re in England, ask Chris Woakes to do it. He has struck with the first ball of a new spell, trapping Cam Green LBW.
Green lunged around his front pad and was hit just above the kneeroll. Joel Wilson gave it out on the field, and that was crucial because it was umpire’s call on height. Green reviewed unsuccessfully, and he might feel a bit aggrieved because that was only just hitting the bails. Either way, it’s the end of an unconvincing, slightly tenative innings.
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62nd over: Australia 254-5 (Marsh 51, Green 16) Wood implores Nitin Menon to raise the finger when Green is hit on the boot by a sizzling yorker. It was bat first - just - and the umpire rightly says not out.
Wood tries another yorker later in the over, but it’s too straight and Marsh puts it away for four. That brings up another dominant, hard-hitting fifty from just 57 balls. From nowhere he has become a key man in this series; no batter on either side looks in such good touch.
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61st over: Australia 245-5 (Marsh 46, Green 12) Another full toss from Moeen is driven down the ground for four by Marsh. England have bowled too many fourballs today, and it might be time for a change at this end. Marsh looks in complete control against Moeen.
60th over: Australia 241-5 (Marsh 42, Green 12) Though Wood hasn’t found his Headingley rhythm today, he has still given everyone the hurry-up. Even Marsh, who eats extreme pace bowling without needing a knife and fork, is playing him respectfully.
Marsh turns a straight ball into the leg side for two, which brings up an important fifty partnership from just 60 balls. Australia’s running has been much more aggressive today.
59th over: Australia 237-5 (Marsh 39, Green 11) Marsh fails to punish another low full toss from Moeen, who is once again in little-girl-with-the-little-curl mode. He has bowled some fine deliveries too, and as I type he skids one past Marsh’s defensive push.
Probably fair to say Broad and Moeen weren’t the right combination for Mitch Marsh; his combined Test average against them is in excess of 300.
58th over: Australia 232-5 (Marsh 35, Green 11) Stokes misses a run-out chance! Green knocked the new bowler Wood into the covers and loudly rejected the offer of a single. Marsh was halfway down the track when Green gave him the bad news, but Stokes couldn’t pick the ball up cleanly on the run. He howled at the sky in frustration when he realised.
That allowed Wood a few more deliveries at Green, two of which flew past the outside edge. He’s riding his luck.
“1.30am in Oz,” writes Yvette Campbell. “Reading your updates under the covers in bed, sound off so as not to wake hubby next to me. As I cannot hear the coverage, I was wondering how the crowds have been acting towards the Australians. Have they been polite and fair, or booing Aussies at every opportunity? I’ve loved cricket since I can remember, but the crowd and members’ behaviour at Lords truly shocked me. The Ashes lost something that day.”
There were some pantomime boos for Warner and Smith, the usual nonsense, but I can’t recall anything else today. That incident at Lord’s feels a bit weirder every day.
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57th over: Australia 232-5 (Marsh 34, Green 11) The increasingly dangerous Marsh drives Moeen through extra cover for successive boundaries. Both were fine shots, though the second came off a low full toss. It’s been a mixed bag from Moeen today: 9-0-46-1.
Marsh, meanwhile, has smacked 31 off his last 22 deliveries. He has already taken Broad and Moeen apart in this series, and he played Wood superbly at Headingley, so England are running out of options.
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56th over: Australia 223-5 (Marsh 25, Green 11) Green is beaten all ends up by an extravagant leg-cutter from Broad, who is bowling by far his best spell of the day. A big inswinger is forced down the ground for a single, which brings Marsh back on strike.
Marsh has a great record against Broad, with a head-to-head average of around 175 in Tests. As if to prove the point, he chips Broad contemptuously over mid-off for a one-bounce four. What sort of way is that to treat a man who’s just taken his 600th Test wicket?
Stuart Broad takes his 600th Test wicket! 🙌💫 pic.twitter.com/w9BYEM7Tnp
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 19, 2023
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55th over: Australia 217-5 (Marsh 20, Green 10) Marsh defends a peculiar little grubber from Moeen Ali. It was wide enough that he wouldn’t have been out LBW had he missed it, but it’s surprising to see a ball like that on day one. Moeen ends a good over with a quicker delivery that skids on to hit Marsh on the back pad. England go up for LBW but it was missing off.
54th over: Australia 216-5 (Marsh 20, Green 9) Green is struggling against Broad. He edges along the ground for four and then plays and misses outside off stump.
Marsh, who looks far more comfortable, thumps an uppish drive for two. Saying which, the next ball nips back to hit Marsh on the thigh. Well bowled.
“I recall reading that the Australians stated that they always liked to include a spinner,” writes Colum Fordham. “And yet they have omitted Todd Murphy, a decent replacement for Nathan Lyon. I’m hoping that Moeen Ali’s role as an off-spinner could prove a crucial difference in this vital test and that the Aussie selectors will rue their decision to include two all-rounders and just Head as a part-time twirler.”
Though I understand the logic, it’s very unusual for Australia. The last time it happened was in 2012, and on two of the lats three occasions they tried it against England (Oval 2009 and Melbourne 2010), they lost the Ashes.
England do it more often, though that is partly because of the quality of their spinners in comparison to Australia’s. I think they did it only once, at Headingley in 2012, when Graeme Swann was in his imperial phase.
53rd over: Australia 209-5 (Marsh 18, Green 4) Marsh was very cautious before tea, but now he’s back in Headingley mode. He launches Moeen over long on for six, then defends the remainder of the over on the back foot.
“I guess Moeen’s wickets should be officially described as ‘sweet’ from now on,” says John Starbuck, “given his patent honey treatment of the dangerous digit.”
I won’t ask what word we’d have to use had he decided to widdle on it.
52nd over: Australia 203-5 (Marsh 12, Green 4) Green softens his hands to edge Broad well short of second slip. I’m trying to recall when it was obvious England had found one with Broad. The first time I really noticed him was at Finals Day in 2006, when he gave the dangerous Ronnie Irani a spectacular working-over. I guess it was the Ashes decider of 2009 when we first realised he could lay waste to even a high-class Test batting line-up.
He’s actually bowled quite poorly today, with far too many short balls. Marsh lasers another thorugh extra cover to move into double figures, and Broad’s figures are kinda funny lookin’: 12-0-55-2.
“Good afternoon Rob,” says Kim Thonger. “We are driving through Northamptonshire, the Rose of The Shires, on the way back from Somerset after a marvellous day at Taunton watching national treasure Dame Sciver-Brunt despatch Australian bowlers to all parts of the ground.
“Mrs T is incensed by a white van in front of us who has just thrown a paper cup out his window. She is so indignant I feel obliged to ask you to ask if there are any police officers who will prosecute the impertinent fellow if I send them (via you) the dashcam footage of the offence? To give you some idea of how miffed she is, she’s crosser than she was about the sandpaper incident that of course we no longer refer to in polite company as it’s ancient history obvs.”
51st over: Australia 197-5 (Marsh 7, Green 3) Moeen Ali is right in the game. Cam Green gets off the mark with an outside edge for three; Marsh survives an LBW appeal after pushing around a big offbreak that would have missed leg stump; and finally Marsh slaps a long hop square on the off side for four.
50th over: Australia 189-5 (Marsh 2, Green 0) Broad probably imagined his 600th Test wicket would be David Warner, caught at first slip. But he might enjoy this even more because of its significance and timing. Head, as we have seen so often in the past two years, can savage tiring attacks in the final session.
“I’m a big fan of Bazball, but I wonder if we’re seeing an unintended consequence,” says Dan Tarpey. “Australia know England won’t bat for long, so they can pick only three specialist bowlers and not worry about them being overworked. Interesting to see if it happens more often.”
I’m not sure it will. I agree with your point, but I don’t think Australia would have risked it had the forecast been for… well, the weather we’re getting right now. Context is everything I guess.
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WICKET! Australia 189-5 (Head c Root b Broad 48)
Travis Head has been suckered straight after tea! Of all the ways for Stuart Broad to take his 600th Test wicket. The field was set for a barrage of short stuff, and Head obligingly hooked towards long leg. Joe Root ran in and took an excellent low catch.
It’s a wonderful moment for Broad, a giant of a cricketer, and a vital one in the context of the series. He becomes only the fifth bowler, and the second seamer to reach 600: Muttiah Muraliharan, Shane Warne, James Anderson, Anil Kumble and now big Broady. It’s also his 149th Test wicket against Australia, which puts him one clear of Sir Ian Botham. They belong together, because in my lifetime no England cricketers have been stimulated by Ashes cricket as much as those two.
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Teatime reading
England are long overdue an Ashes win at Old Trafford; the last one was 42 years ago.
Back in 1981, a Mike Brearley team featuring Ian Botham beat Kim Hughes’ side in the fifth Test, taking a 3–1 lead into the final game at the Oval.
England’s series win was reported on the front of the Guardian, Paul Fitzpatrick at Old Trafford mentioning man of the match Ian Botham and Australia’s Allan Border, who batted with a broken finger to reach 123 not out.
Botham would have been especially pleased by his performance, as the England all-rounder had controversially resigned as England captain after the second Test at Lord’s.
Tea
An intriguing session ends with Australia maybe slightly ahead in the game. They made 80 runs in 24 overs for the loss of their two limpets, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. See you in 20 minutes for an extended and very important evening session.
49th over: Australia 187-4 (Head 47, Marsh 1) A loose delivery from Moeen is flicked fine for three runs by Head. That gives Moeen two balls at Marsh, whose hard hands can make him vulnerable to spin early in his innings. But not today, not yet. That’s tea.
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48th over: Australia 184-4 (Head 44, Marsh 1) This feels like one of England’s innings this series, particularly at Edgbaston and in the runchase at Headingley. Every time Australia have threatened to get away, England have taken (or been given) a wicket.
There was no pressure on Mitch Marsh ahead of that extraordinary century at Headingley. Today is different, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he plays with the same freedom. He has started tentatively – fair enough, with tea imminent – and is beaten by a lovely outswinger from Woakes. A nipbacker leads to a big LBW appeal, but it was slightly high and Nitin Menon wasn’t interested. Excellent stuff from Woakes.
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47th over: Australia 184-4 (Head 44, Marsh 1) This is very encouraging for England – not just the wicket, but the amount of turn Moeen is getting on day one.
Labuschagne has had a strange series, with scores of 0, 13, 47, 30, 21, 33 and 51. Magnus Magnusson would not have approved.
Ball tracking shows three reds and the Old Trafford crowd erupts! 📣
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 19, 2023
Marnus Labuschagne is fuming with himself! 🥲 pic.twitter.com/xwjRvYUwj8
“I say this as someone who believes James Anderson is Britain’s greatest current sportsman: he’s barely been threatening all series,” says Neill Brown. “Yes, the pitches have had nothing for him, and yes he’s had the odd unlucky over, but he’s almost performing the traditional spinner’s role of slowing the run rate and keeping the batsmen in check. Perhaps that’ll be enough?
“I definitely know that it won’t cloud over after tea, and Jimmy won’t get the old ball to swing all over the place and take a valedictory five-fer on his home ground. [Starts crying.]”
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WICKET! Australia 183-4 (Labuschagne LBW b Moeen 51)
He’s gone! It was hitting the top of middle stump, and Labuschagne looks disconsolate as he walks off. It was a really nice delivery from Moeen but, as Mike Atherton says on Sky, somebody playing as well as Labuschagne should not have missed it. It was a slightly absent-minded defensive stroke.
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Labuschagne pushed defensively outside the line of a lovely off-break that hit him on the kneeroll. This is really close you know…
England review for LBW against Labuschagne! I suspect it will be umpire’s call and therefore not out, but things are happen for Moeen Ali here.
46th over: Australia 183-3 (Labuschagne 51, Head 44) Woakes replaces Anderson, whose figures of 13-4-29-0 are starting to do my head in because I can’t decide whether he has bowled well or not.
His second ball is too short and cut wristily for four by Labuschagne, who is batting with such assurance and control. There were nine days between Test matches; some Australian players went to Europe, others to Scotland. Pat Cummins went to is in-laws. This deviant spent all nine days in the nets didn’t he?
A pull for three brings up Labuschagne’s first fifty of the series, a 114-ball masterclass in risk management, and then Head scorches another boundary through extra cover. England are struggling to control him, again.
“Matt and Geoff here, two Aussies keeping up from down in Casablanca (where the Cointreau flows like water),” writes Matt. “We’re wondering if this is the first time in the series where (barring some collapse in the next few overs) a side has been on top, and remained in control for two full sessions? I’d think that the last few sessions of the last Test almost count, but Bairstow’s dismissal really levelled things.”
How about the first day at Lord’s? Australia lost a couple right at the death but before that they moved with increasing comfort to 300-odd for three.
45th over: Australia 171-3 (Labuschagne 44, Head 39) Moeen Ali replaces Broad, who has been expensive today (10-0-47-1), and beats Head with his first ball. That turned a little and bounced a lot. As my colleague Tim de Lisle points out, Moeen has an excellent record at Old Trafford: 16 wickets at 19.56. That said, his last game here was against South Africa six years ago, when he was in the form of his life.
Things are already happening for Moeen. Labuschagne walks down the track to a good delivery that hits him on the body and ends up in the hands of Bairstow. England appeal for caught behind, hoping there might have been a touch off the glove. Joel Wilson disagrees and Ben Stokes, always so considered in his use of DRS, decides not to review.
“Call me an under-stimulated boomer with a fickle attention span,” offers Brian Withington, “but as well as the Test match I’m also currently live streaming Essex vs Kent, the Tour de France and Open Golf ‘Live from the Range’, whilst following CCLive! and the OBO. Have I missed anything (apart from the Aussies Inexorably strengthening their vice-like grip on the Ashes)?”
You’ve heard about [redacted], [redacted] and [redacted], right?
44th over: Australia 170-3 (Labuschagne 44, Head 38) Head again tries to launch Anderson towards Stockport High Street and again connects with nothing but fresh air. A flick off the pads brings him a couple of runs, and a single brings up a Head-dominated fifty partnership.
After a modest first Ashes series in 2019 (avge 27, s/r 49), he has become an almighty irritant to England. It might be time to risk Moeen Ali against him.
43rd over: Australia 167-3 (Labuschagne 44, Head 35) A punisher like Head is the perfect partner for Labuschagne, who can potter along his bubble at the other end. The stats back that up, which is always handy when you throw out a half-arsed observation in the hope it sticks.
Labuschagne is in total control at the moment. He waits for Broad to err in length and leathers an extra cover-drive for four.
Updated
42nd over: Australia 163-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 35) Head considers an essentially immaculate outswinger from Anderson… and belts it wristily whence it came for four. That was a remarkable shot, and it’s fair to say England no longer have control of the scoreboard.
Head then fresh-airs a windy woof outside off stump, which elicits the reaction you’d expect from Anderson. We’ve said this a few times already today, but England could do with a wicket.
“It is hard to judge Jimmy in this series isn’t it?” says Gary Naylor. “The Australians give him plenty of respect, but he consistently bowls lines and lengths that invite respect. The result is a kind of stalemate that is reflected in his figures.
“Maybe it’s up to the other bowlers to use that pressure, but if blunting England’s finest is the plan, is it really pressure?”
You’re asking a man who thought Bazball Towers was up in flames after two Tests, so I’m keeping my mouth shut.
41st over: Australia 159-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 31) Head releases the pressure by clattering Broad’s first two balls for four – a back-foot belt through the covers and a hearty thump between mid-off and extra cover. He is savage whenever a bowler errs in length.
It’s worth dusting off the Travis Head 2.0 stats. Since his recall in December 2021, which he celebrated with a riotous 152 against England at Brisbane, he has a Test average of 54 and a strike-rate of 81. Of those who have played 10 innings in that time, only Ben Duckett and Harry Brook are scoring faster.
Whenever Head gets going I hear Richie Benaud, talking about Inzamam-ul-Haq during the 1992 World Cup semi-final, in my mind’s ear: “This guy… is a dangerous customer.”
40th over: Australia 148-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 20) Head tries to drive a wide, swinging yorker from Anderson and almost knocks himself off his feet. Then he gets a single with a leading edge that flies to safety on the off side.
We’ve spoken all series about England needing to occasionally sit with the bat. They’re doing it with the ball at the moment. In the morning session Australia scored at 4.3 an over; since lunch it’s down to 2.7. It’s an intriguing arm-wrestle.
“Visual feed is a bit jaggy in Nusa Dua Rob - usually the reading is a lyrical supplement and I skim the active description but I’ll take it all for now, unlike the cover tunes in the bar of which I’ll take one in every four,” says Eamonn Maloney. “Like the balance of the Aus side on a brown top if you still rate Green as one of the best seven bats available; if someone was averaging 40 in the Shield and outdoing Head for turn you’d have an argument, but ye doesnae.”
39th over: Australia 147-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 19) Labuschagne has left superbly today. That wouldn’t usually be worthy of note – it’s one of his great strengths – but he had an uncomfortable relationship with his off stump in the first three Tests.
After moving Labuschagne across his crease, Broad tries a hooping yorker. Labuschagne has seen it all before and defends with authority. He has scored only three from the last 25 balls, and he won’t care one jot about that.
38th over: Australia 146-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 18) Thanks Geoff, afternoon everyone. James Anderson bowls another maiden straight after drinks, including a jaffa that squares Labuschagne up and goes past the outside edge. Anderson’s performance looks fine on paper (10-4-21-0); I can’t decide whether he’s been unlucky or unthreatening.
37th over: Australia 146-3 (Labuschagne 40, Head 18) Broad comes back, lining up Labuschagne for most of the over. Everyone gets celebrated when Bairstow gloves a ball cleanly down the leg side, but it’s off the pad. Drinks!
And that’s it for me today. Thanks for your emails, from here kindly direct them Rob Smyth, Esq., care of The Guardian OBO.
36th over: Australia 145-3 (Labuschagne 39, Head 18) Anderson is back, and he’s still getting swing with this older ball, the ball shaping away from Labuschagne. Can’t dot them up though, Labuschagne a run to cover, Head clipping square and again really good running to get back for two. Throw in a no ball as well.
35th over: Australia 141-3 (Labuschagne 38, Head 16) Smoked through the covers! Travis Head gets a rare chance to come forward to Woakes, and takes full advantage. Pulls a single to follow, Labuschagne finds another.
34th over: Australia 135-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 11) Wood carries on short, Head dinks a shot off his hip through fine leg for four, then rides the better bouncer well enough. Helmet and box come out for Stokes, who is going to put himself in at silly point. Down leg again, then when he fancies the line, Head nails a pull shot for four! Behind square, just. That’s good contact.
33rd over: Australia 126-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 2) Woakes ticking away, bowling to Labuschagne, so he’s on his normal length with a normal field. Labuschagne takes a long break to change his shoes, ideal just after lunch, and he’s very annoyed when he clips a straight ball straight at the midwicket fielder.
32nd over: Australia 126-3 (Labuschagne 37, Head 2) Hit in the grille! Unsociable bowling from Wood, gets the aim right on his bouncer. Travis Head is shaping to pull and then just wants to get out of the way. Too late. Turns away from the ball and wears the contact from shoulder onto grille. Takes a leg bye, then passes his concussion check. Labuschagne keeps out a scorching yorker, then runs really well to again get back for two when he works a ball to square leg. Another run through cover.
31st over: Australia 122-3 (Labuschagne 34, Head 2) Wood bowling short to Head, ok then. Chris Woakes bowling bumpers? Come on. They at least have a slip and a gully, and only three boundary riders on the hook and cut rather than five or six. Woakes doesn’t use them, bowling short and then bowling on the pads for Head to take a single.
Mike Jakeman writes in. “I’d add that it’s hard to know whether the groundsmen have struggled to produce what McCullum/Stokes wanted or if McCullum/Stokes wanted the wrong thing. I generally feel this whole argument is a bit overblown. The best pitches have something for everyone and no-one tends to whinge about a good pitch. The track at Headingley was superb.”
It was. But it was also an anomaly. Asking for fast and flat pitches in England? They can give you flat, they can’t very easily give you fast.
30th over: Australia 121-3 (Labuschagne 34, Head 1) One ball after cracking four through point, Smith is gone. Australia are three down. And all of the slips disappear to all corners of the field so that England can bounce Travis Head. At least they have a short leg and a couple saving the single. Head gets a horrible bouncer second ball, right at the face, that he gets down to ground off the glove and splice. Evades a couple, then gets one run behind square.
WICKET! Smith lbw Wood 41, Australia 120-3
Huge review for England! Wood with pace, some angle in at the stumps, and the Smith of old was never beaten on the inside edge but the Smith of today can be, especially against such pace. Wood explodes in that appeal, and I’m not sure why Umpire Menon thinks it’s not out. Outside the line? Height? Hits him above the knee roll but the bounce has been modest from this surface. It doesn’t matter in the end, because the review shows three reds on middle stump. England get their man!
Updated
29th over: Australia 116-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 37) Again good running, Smith this time taking Woakes through square and getting back for two. Three slips and a leg slip, cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket, long leg. Patchy sun, patchy cloud. Smith walking across, walking across. Another single.
28th over: Australia 113-2 (Labuschagne 34, Smith 34) Full sprint from Wood, almost ready to bowl, then some numbskull walks along the front row of seats in front of the sight screen. Labuschagne flicks a couple of runs, well sprinted, and the throw hits Smith’s bat and ricochets but doesn’t reach the fence. They don’t take any extra runs. Would have made for an entertaining next couple of days if they had…
27th over: Australia 111-2 (Labuschagne 32, Smith 34) Woakes from the Statham End, Smith soaking up the whole over. Nicks the ball into his pad from the final ball.
26th over: Australia 111-2 (Labuschagne 32, Smith 34) Mark Wood to start us off. But he’s still not quite there. Labuschagne pushes three through cover to start the session. Wood goes down the leg side a couple of times, wide enough in the other direction to leave alone. Smith deflects a run to point from the last ball.
Coming back after lunch…
“Not had the chance to watch enough or read the updates in depth but wondering how the wicket is looking?” asks Damian Johnson. “From what I have seen it looks aa bit dead again (heartbreak for Jimmy).”
I wouldn’t say dead, but it’s very brown, even on morning one. Consistent bounce so far. But there have been enough false shots and moments of risk that good bowling can be rewarded.
“Sun stopping play in Manchester- proof that irony isn’t dead,” writes Bob O’Hara. “This isn’t the first time - there was a problem a few years ago with windows outside the ground (IIRC). Might have been in the 90s.”
The pitch used to run from east to west, of course, so half the day was terrible in that respect when facing one end.
“They’re discussing, how shall I put this, ‘toss strategy’ on TMS,” writes Simon McMahon, “and whether or not Cummins should have stuck or twist, having lost three in a row before this morning. I’m reminded of a story I think from Ed Smith’s book on luck in sport about a county captain who would toss a coin by himself before the actual toss took place, and then choose heads or tails based on this. Go figure. Still, always better to be lucky than good, right?”
Probability is an interesting subject, and one entirely at odds with the human emotional method of processing random results.
Lunch - Australia 107 for 2 after being asked to bat
The session hasn’t worked for Stokes, then. England did prise out the openers, Broad and Woakes taking the wickets, but Australia’s blue-chip pair have done well so far. A few dangerous moments but they’ve got through. Wood was not especially effective. There has been some swing, and decent carry from the pitch. Nothing drastic though, and the runs have flowed throughout.
25th over: Australia 107-2 (Labuschagne 29, Smith 33) Out to deep cover goes Labuschagne, looks like four but there’s a sub fielder out there under the broad brimmed hat who makes a good tumbling stop. Two runs, then a nudge for one, and Smith drives the last ball of the session back past Moeen for two more.
24th over: Australia 102-2 (Labuschagne 26, Smith 31) This is a funny old innings from Smith today. Leaves alone as much as he can for five balls of an Anderson over, then chases the widest ball of the lot and flashes it past gully for four. Cut shot. So wide he can’t have controlled it well. He sometimes does play in this manic way, and it usually doesn’t last long.
Steve Smith now has more Test runs in England than any visiting player except Don Bradman.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) July 19, 2023
On hitting that six off Moeen to reach 24 today, he goes past Allan Border's 2082.#Ashes
23rd over: Australia 98-2 (Labuschagne 26, Smith 27) Moeen Ali comes on. This was the key at Headingley, him versus Smith and Labuschagne. Cautious exchanges early, a couple of singles. Then Smith says sod all that, and whacks him for six! Over long on, way back. Laces a drive for three to follow, through mid off.
22nd over: Australia 86-2 (Labuschagne 24, Smith 17) Tap, tap, tap, goes Smith. Walks across. Anderson bowls what would have been a yorker had the stumps been three feet further to the leg side. Somehow Smith catches up with it and hits it, and even more strangely he hits it straight to square leg. Can’t score. Anderson completes maiden over #1681.
21st over: Australia 86-2 (Labuschagne 24, Smith 17) Flicked through midwicket by Smith first ball, almost stopped at midwicket but it gets through! Picks up four. If Broad does get his 600th wicket today it will also take him past Botham’s tally of 148 for the most Test wickets against Australia.
As for winning the toss and bowling at Old Trafford, Ali Martin tells me that the record is three losses, seven draws, no wins. The sun is out.
20th over: Australia 81-2 (Labuschagne 24, Smith 12) Smith with that exaggerated movement across, getting into line with an Anderson outswinger so he can push it to point for a run without risking the outside edge. Later in the over he doesn’t move, gets the straighter ball and takes it to the leg side for another. He must be maddening to bowl to.
19th over: Australia 78-2 (Labuschagne 23, Smith 10) Broad comes back to partner Anderson, and strays wide of off stump second ball. Smith stands up and punches it through point for four! Quite the shot, to connect that cleanly so far from his body and at that length. Not a cut shot, a punch with a straighter bat. Gets another run off the pad, and Labuschagne flicks behind square for four. Quality.
18th over: Australia 69-2 (Labuschagne 19, Smith 5) Anderson back on for Wood. We went early on a maiden over for him earlier, but this one is truly without score. Making 1680 of them in his Test career.
@collinsadam @GeoffLemonSport
— Damian Sharry (@DamianSharry) July 19, 2023
Early observations- is Wood not quite 100% or the pitch a bit tennis ball bounce flat ?
He didn’t bowl his best. In terms of accuracy, allowed them not play a lot with the ones down the leg side.
17th over: Australia 69-2 (Labuschagne 19, Smith 5) Not reading the swing through the air really, Smith steps across and then uses his pads to block the ball outside the off stump from Woakes. Perhaps he’s reading it perfectly, knowing it would hit him outside the line.
Huw Swanborough is pondering the comic value of the shin. “I think it’s the bony quality. It’s extremely painful for a very short time, and will bounce off with an audible knock. It’s pain theatre, a good spectacle but rarely lasting discomfort. I got a great hit directly on the kneecap at short mid-on once, made a better sound that the batsman middling it.”
Yuck.
16th over: Australia 68-2 (Labuschagne 18, Smith 5) Nasty bouncer from Wood, getting up to 94 miles per hour and rearing at Labuschagne. The sightly less hostile deliveries they’re able to knock around for three singles.
“I’m enjoying as much of the cricket as I can before the Women’s World Cup starts tomorrow. Carn Australia in both forms,” writes Murray Henman. Yep, big sporting fortnight coming up with the Ashes here alongside the football in my home country. It’s a dream.
15th over: Australia 65-2 (Labuschagne 16, Smith 4) What on earth was that? Something strange has happened in Steve Smith’s head of late. He plays some erratic shots compared to the player we once knew. Walks out in a Test match on a ground where he made a double ton last time, and pulls his first ball in the air straight at deep backward square! There’s a fielder out there, but in about ten metres off the rope. By a quirk of fate, Smith gets enough purchase to land that ball over Wood’s head as the fielder runs back, and scores four.
WICKET! Warner c Bairstow b Woakes 32, Australia 61-2
There he goes! Another start, another innings that doesn’t go on! That’s aggressive Warner rather than defensive, on the front foot and driving at Woakes but the length isn’t quite full enough. A bit of movement takes the edge behind!
Updated
14th over: Australia 61-1 (Warner 32, Labuschagne 16) Finally we finish the over. It began short at the hip from Wood, Warner works it away and again belts back for the second run! Wood pitches up to Labuschagne, looking for pads or stumps, and is whipped away for four! Quite the shot.
Then the long delay, after which Labuscahgne edges for four! No fourth slip. Stokes at leg slip.
If you’re confused, the layout here is confusing. There’s a big white sight screen in front of the old pavilion, but then there are about ten rows of seats in front of and below that sight screen. Broad directed some of those people up to the back row, where the offending glint originated, and maybe they did something there? The glare seems to have stopped. Anyway, now the clouds have come over. And probably we took so long over it that the earth’s rotation has changed the angle of the sunlight. That’s funny.
Stuart Broad has taken matters in hand, going down to the offending area of the ground personally and chatting to the crowd.
It’s 57 for 1 right now, if you’re wondering.
“On TMS they are on about the toss and Australia’s failure so far in this series. Whatever happened to the suggestion that the toss be abandoned and the visiting captain only deciding whether to bat or not?”
Hello John Starbuck. The suggestion never reached the top levels of decision-making within the game, I don’t think. It’s a suggestion designed to reduce the extremes of home teams tailoring conditions to suit themselves. In this series though, England have produced pitches to order that have largely hampered England, negating their bowlers who are usually their best home asset.
We’re taking drinks partway through the 14th over because there’s an issue behind the bowler’s arm at the James Anderson End. Looks like a few of the plastic seats are reflecting bright bursts of light that are in Labuschagne’s eyes. Not what you want when you’re facing Mark Wood.
13th over: Australia 50-1 (Warner 29, Labuschagne 8) Warner, mixing and matching, picks the inswinger from Woakes and drives it neatly for two. Then some classic Warner, in the bad sense. Slashes the bat at slight width and misses the lot. Goes back to good Warner – drop the ball to cover and sprint like the devil is chasing.
12th over: Australia 47-1 (Warner 26, Labuschagne 8) Wood hasn’t got the line right yet. Bowls at Labuschagne’s hip, the batter gets a little contact on it very fine, straight at leg slip on the bounce, and it nails Stokes in the shin. Ouch. Takes his leg out from under him. He eventually gets up with a laugh. Why is being hit in the shin intrinsically funny? Box, shin, we laugh. Most other places we commiserate.
No run there. Four byes though the next time Wood goes leg side and Labuschagne gets nothing on it. In between times he sways away from some shorter balls and plays others into the off side as required.
See, that over gets classed as a maiden even though poor bowling cost the team four extras. It doesn’t make sense.
Updated
11th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 26, Labuschagne 8) Testing from Woakes, full and curling back in, Warner gets bat down in time and squeezes the ball off the toe along the ground into the cordon. Gets hold of the shorter length though, flip-pulled around the corner and well placed behind square for four!
10th over: Australia 39-1 (Warner 22, Labuschagne 8) A big cheer as Mark Wood replaces Anderson. His first ball is a warm-up, very wide and not that fast, and Warner cuts for three. Labuschagne has to dive for his ground as they hustle the third. Leg slip for Labuschagne, who jabs off the hip but straight to square leg, then misses one down leg that injures Bairstow. Cops him on his fingers as he can’t take it cleanly. He takes a moment to get the gloves off and back on, and will continue. Wood started his over at 87 miles per hour and is now up to 93, as Labuschagne hops and drops to point for a run. Warner looks comfortable so far, opening the face to find three more runs to point. Sprints through!
9th over: Australia 32-1 (Warner 16, Labuschagne 7) Chris Woakes to replace Broad after four overs and a wicket. Not troubling Warner with swing but pitching back of a length, twice Warner mistimes into the pitch trying to get on top of the bounce and play into the off side. Gets a run the second time, back past the keeper to the leg side.
Matthew Dunnill writes in. “Really looking forward to the Test today – great to have you back, I’ve missed you and the gang this week!” We missed you too.
“My mate Bilaal’s on his last day at work today. He’s a massive Stuart Broad fan so I thought maybe I could do a big Celebrappeal and wish him well in his new job and in the future?”
Bilaal, the best day at a job is when you leave it. Sail smoothly.
8th over: Australia 31-1 (Warner 15, Labuschagne 7) Warner’s ideal strike management continues. Places Anderson through point for three runs, second ball of the over.
7th over: Australia 28-1 (Warner 12, Labuschagne 7) Over the wicket comes Broad to the right-handed Labuschagne. Having already bagged Khawaja, he’s on track to get Warner for his 600th Test wicket. Imagine. Labuschagne gets his first boundary with a glorious drive, picks the inswinger and nails it through mid off. Then is lucky to survive against one that bounces more! He’s trying to leave, the ball cuts in and bounces, and Labuschagne in a flinch movement lifts his back pad to make sure it covers the stumps. The ball hits that pad flap in front of middle, but above bail height. Ah, it’s a no ball anyway. Labuschagne takes a couple through mid off, then swing takes the ball past Bairstow down the leg side for four byes. 11 from the over.
Chris Goater writes in. Are you Nathan Lyon in disguise?
“The worry I have about the final two Tests is that Australia probably only need one decent innings out of their next four to retain the Ashes. If Smith and Labuschagne can get going, then Australia can get 500+ at least once and that probably is enough for a win or draw in one of the Tests (even given the speed at which England play), which is all they’ll need to keep the urn.”
Australia don’t want to retain, though. They want to win a series in England.
6th over: Australia 17-1 (Warner 12, Labuschagne 1) Four slips and a leg slip for Labuschagne, who is here to make runs and chew gum, and he’s been all out of runs. Beaten handsomely by his second ball from Anderson, whispering past the outside edge. Warner has already got off strike thanks to a leg bye. He’s been adept at getting down the other end so far. Labuschagne gets a single from the last ball.
Updated
WICKET! Khawaja lbw Broad 3, Australia 15-1
5th over: Australia 15-1 (Warner 12) Khawaja flicks a couple of runs through midwicket, but the last ball of the over he misses. Broad from around the wicket, his line of attack is vindicated! Wobble seam, cutting into the batter. Hits him above the knee roll on the back leg but that leg is straight and angled forward, so the impact isn’t that high. Khawaja reviews with one second left on the clock and walks off when the three reds come up.
Updated
4th over: Australia 13-0 (Warner 12, Khawaja 1) Warner undoes and redoes his gloves, settles into his stance, waits for Anderson. Flashes it away for four! Deliberate shot, opens the face and steers it into the gully gap – with four slips waiting. That’s confidence. England excited, and more so when Warner leaves one that swings back in, but it’s hitting him too high. Then he misses one that maybe clips the pad, and Bairstow drops it – there’s no edge but they talk about an lbw review and don’t take it. Lots going on. Warner takes two more runs square on the off side.
3rd over: Australia 7-0 (Warner 6, Khawaja 1) Warner will be loving this, off strike first ball of Broad’s over dropping a run towards point. Khawaja draws a half appeal from Broad – half in that the bowler doesn’t hare off to the slip cordon and begin mixing a celebratory jug of margaritas. The ball is going past leg stump. Too wide for most of the over and Khawaja leaves.
2nd over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 5, Khawaja 1) Young James Anderson (YJA to his friends) will partner Stuart Broad for the 19 millionth time. Nice seam movement early, a bit of movement through the air. Khawaja plays him with very soft hands when he has to play, and leaves the rest. That’s maiden over #1679 for Anderson.
Ruth Purdue writes in. “Do you think the guys on TV will bring up Crawley’s runs when they talk about Warner? I doubt it, but it isn’t just the Australian who can’t get runs as an opener.”
In this series specifically, I think Crawley has done a decent job, in a different way to Warner, who has also contributed.
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 5, Khawaja 1) Stuart Broad to begin, looking for Test wicket 599. Not with that ball! Short, wide, and Warner crunches the cut shot for four! First ball of the Test match. Then a wildly swinging ball down the leg side that Warner glances for one. Broad stays around the wicket for Khawaja, not sure about that. Khawaja blocks out a yorker, well bowled and played there, Broad was nearly through. Then takes a single to midwicket.
Updated
Goodness me, we’re about to start. Emails flooding in, thanks for those, I probably can’t publish the 500-word ones about Bairstow and Foakes stats but I take your point(s). Let’s play.
Let’s start our correspondence on an upbeat note.
“Difficult to argue with Mark Ramprakesh’s impression of an England team unravelling without any plan for the future. I’m reminded of the way my company went through an evangelical period of major ‘business process re-engineering’ back in the day. The guru of this change was inspired by a number of companies, especially an emergent transformative giant in the energy sector.
“I confess to having been rather cynical about the process, which seemed to consist of discarding and ridiculing old ways and activities (like planning), and embracing new ways and a comprehensive change of culture. Ironically, I was just getting on board with some aspects when the boss got fired and the rug was pulled on the whole episode. It may have ended in tears but it was a wild ride while it lasted. Hopefully England’s inspiration will bear longer term fruit and won’t turn out to have been based on the transformative premise of a business called Enron.”
You can see why Brian Withington has a suburb in Manchester named after him.
Updated
For those radio heads outside England and Australia, the TMS overseas link.
Teams
Australia
David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Steve Smith
Travis Head
Mitchell Marsh
Cameron Green
Alex Carey +
Mitchell Starc
Pat Cummins *
Josh Hazlewood
England
Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Moeen Ali
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Ben Stokes *
Jonny Bairstow +
Chris Woakes
Mark Wood
Stuart Broad
James Anderson
“Looks like a good wicket, we’re not too unhappy about that,” says Cummins.
England win the toss and bowl
Interesting call! That’s been their method in this new era. Know what you’re chasing. Overheads can help, says Stokes, but he would have bowled even if the sun was out.
And there’s Megan Maurice on the broader significance of this remarkable series.
Meanwhile, in Taunton last night, it was another stunner for England’s women, putting some serious holes in the Australian juggernaut.
I want to recap this truly unbelievable stat.
There have been 27 centuries - total - made against Australia in women's ODIs.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) July 18, 2023
Nat Sciver-Brunt has made four of those in her last five innings.
Here is Raf Nicholson’s report.
For those incensed by David Warner’s retention, there is a practical case for it, which is what I’ve tried to explain here.
And the Final Word preview podcast, with a lot of insider net-session intel and an explanatory guide to unexpected Aussie Rules footballers showing up at Australian cricket training.
Now for Australia, and unusually their team news came out the day before the match. They have been waiting until the toss in the previous matches.
And here is Ali Martin with the overarching preview compiled yesterday.
Our columnist Mark Ramprakash has his say on the makeup of England’s team and the balance of the series.
There will be a lot of chat about the pitch over the next few days, maybe as much as there is about the weather. Fascinating folk, us cricket types, aren’t we? Manchester local Tanya Aldred is our grassroots correspondent.
Moeen Ali at No3 is a contentious one. Doing it as a surprise tactic in the second innings at Headingley was one thing, starting a Test match with that as your plan is another.
Let’s catch up on everything that has been going on. First to Simon Burnton, who was at Ben Stokes’ press conference yesterday. Full steam ahead, is the short version.
Preamble
Hello to you, as before and hopefully as again. One question burns through the Manchester mist. Are we ready to do it all again?
It has been a non-stop cricket summer. The women’s Ashes came to a dramatic end last night, the men’s series rolls on today. There have been no quiet periods, no normal matches, no box-ticking exercises.
Instead we have a Test series at 1-2 in favour of the visitors, two matches to play, and a need for England to get a win here by whatever means necessary.
The weather might play a big part. It was tipping down rain here in Manchester yesterday, and I’m told it has been for weeks. But today is clear so far and the forecast says we might be alright until the weekend.
Hope springs eternal.
