England's Summer of Cricket 2023, Featuring The Ashes

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50 up for Mo at an absolutely vital moment.   

A fortuitous way to get there with Cummins not picking it up. It frankly looked like he wasn't moving well chasing back for it either.

Starc back on which I think slows how key a period the Aussies know this is. He's looked their best bowler today.

If England are to win they don't want to have to bat again.  There is only so much that can be done with lost time due to rain.

Jimmy just can't get one of these near misses to catch the edge

Mo on after 7 overs, embrace Bazball

Of the 29 spin bowlers to have taken 50 or more wickets for England, Moeen has the 23rd lowest average and the 2nd highest economy.

Solid enough start from Warner and Khawaja. Broad not quite on the money yet ; Jimmy again beating edges but just can't draw that nick...

Could really do with an early strike to keep the revs up. Hmm. Early go for Moeen which might be a decent idea with the two southpaws at the crease.

Oof sharp turner from Mo gives Warner a surprise

Wood thinks he has Khawaja, umpire agrees but it's sent upstairs...

And upheld. Just what England needed before tea

Didn't take Wood long to strike! Big wicket...and Khawaja wasted a review. Must not have felt it on his bat...

One down : nine to go.

Aah, Labuschagne edges but safe

Don't think we'll see Mo continue after tea somehow

Needed that just before tea. Still need 3-4 in this evening session

Duty281 wrote:Of the 29 spin bowlers to have taken 50 or more wickets for England, Moeen has the 23rd lowest average and the 2nd highest economy.

And the 8th best strike rate. Between Swann, 7th, and Laker, 9th. All the spinners above those three were pre Second World War too.

SR is realistically the most important here!

One over for Wood and off?

Thought all along, pessimistically, that the weather would have the last word but, boy, have England given themselves a chance.

Sure someone will come up with the answer but when was the last time six England batters got 50 or more in an Ashes innings? Also 3-7 all made 50 which may, or may not, have happened in any Test.

Win, lose or draw this series, England have competed well, have often been the better side, should have won at Edgbaston, and  played amazing, attacking and, largely, successful cricket.

Incredible, too, how virtually every selection has worked out. Moeen's innings at three was crucial yesterday, his two wickets in the second innings at Leeds vital.

I, for one, questioned Bairstow's place after his 'mare at Headingley. He responds here with a brilliant catch and a typical rumbustious knock.

As for Crawley: His 189 was probably not the finest Ashes hundred but it was certainly one of the most devastating and potentially match-winning.

There are certain England batters who have played those kind of game-turning innings. One thinks of Botham, Pietersen, Milburn, Dexter, Compton, Flintoff and.....of course, Stokes. Probably others I've missed.

If a match turning innings doesn't have to be belligerent,  then Ian Bell in 2013 is on the list. Churned out several match winning hundreds, now largely forgotten because the overall series scoreline looks like a thrashing, and of course it was followed by the tour from hell just a few months after

Oof, Broad gets one to follow Joe Roots dismissal

Bit surprised to see Woakes and Broad after tea... Guess it's about "match ups" : but I think I'd have had Wood going for a short burst. May be saving him for Smith ?

The uneven bounce in this late session might be a significant factor. Woakes surprised Warner a bit there. Hopefully the rain has p...ed off...

Time to bring back Wood I think

Bit of a gift from Warner that but we take them

Woakes does the trick ! Stokes clearly knows better than us which bowlers to use

Bet we see Wood on early to attack Smith. But Woakes continues to show why he belongs in almost any England team...at home. Not so much away as even he admits

Almost Smith, edges just short

Umpires will have a look

Argh, Smith survives

England themselves weren't convinced

That was more out than Smith’s at Lords btw

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:That was more out than Smith’s at Lords btw

That Smith catch definitely hit the ground. I'm happy to see these given not out but the inconsistency is an issue.

Joel Wilson intervening to stop Stokes bringing Anderson on, must want Wood on too

Hmm. I thought he caught that . He might have scooped some grass up with it but I reckon his fingers were actually under it...but really hard to be certain and those low catches always look dodgy on replay.

He should have appealed loudly and thrown it up immediately instead of looking a bit unsure ! Might have swayed the Judge ...

Was a Big Moment.

Fine margins in this game , aren't they ? Probably fair to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt on that one...but it probably was also the only chance they'll get to remove Smith before Sunday afternoon

Woakes bowling really well again...

Now would be a nice time for Jimmy to respond to Olly's challenge...

I'm fairly concerned that Wood might have a knock. 1 over, 1 wicket and not returned.

Might be worth seeing if Mo can nick something

GSC wrote:Might be worth seeing if Mo can nick something

My thoughts too. England have options. As we saw when England batted there are runs in this pitch though.

Wood's still up around that 90mph mark which is good to see.

king_carlos wrote:I'm fairly concerned that Wood might have a knock. 1 over, 1 wicket and not returned.

Sometimes Wood just needs warming up

GSC wrote:

king_carlos wrote:I'm fairly concerned that Wood might have a knock. 1 over, 1 wicket and not returned.

Sometimes Wood just needs warming up

Hiding the ball suggests they're searching for reverse. So it's possible a plan at tea was to hold Wood back for that.

This is an odd situation. I have the feeling that one wicket my bring two or three but at the same time don't really see where the initial breakthrough comes from!

Smudge and Marnus look pretty solid here.

Wood on now...not sure why he's been held back so long ?

Batsmen looking a bit too much at ease for my liking . Marnus was fidgety at first but looks settled now ; and Smith is playing himself in nicely. Very difficult pair to dislodge on a still mostly easy pitch.

Reckon this is going to be a very tough task to take eight more wickets. No real movement for Jimmy ...but hang on , is it starting to reverse ? One went quite sharply then so maybe there is something there... Runs have dried up which can bring about a break - but these two are not easily spooked by being tied down for a few overs. We can hope...

Back to Moeen again. Hmm. I guess he did get both of them out at Headingley but not sure they'll be in such a generous mood this evening

He's not really nailed his lengths in this innings either. Just offering easy risk free runs : was too full in his early spell , too short now. Need to channel his inner Goldilocks...

Australia not quite as giving as they were first up it seems. Just not going to be enough time in the game to force this it seems

Wood rises to the occasion!

One or two more tonight and there's a chance if the weather gods are kind

YES

Woody again.

Huge breakthrough.

It is fairly flat and Australia bat deep. From Head down they are all more aggressive batters who aren't necessarily suited to this scenario though.

England need two more before stumps now.

Vitally they have more obvious plans available to Head than they do to Smudge and Warner too. He's weak against spin and the short ball. I'd give Moeen a shot at him from one end and bang it in from the other.

Ha ! I leave the room briefly and return to see Smith walking back...have to take more such breaks

Wood again , eh ? Smith will be livid with himself for that...bit of a strangle actually I see.

Sort of opens the door a crack. New batsman ; and really most of the rest of them are more strokeplayers than "walls". Still a lot of batting to get through...

Smith out to a defensive prod yet again!

WOODY

Oh that's a beauty from Wood ! Real throat ball and Head can only fend it off to gully ...

One for Real Pace

Imagine if Wood could play every test.

Here comes Mitch Marsh to see out 200 deliveries

Mark Wood. What an impact he has had in 2 Tests. He's such a lovable cricketer. "Woo hoo".

Really ugly from Head though. He's got a big weakness to the short stuff.

England's arch nemesis enters the fray. Can a Marsh brother crush us again? If he does I think Olly and I should get couples therapy to make treatment cheaper.

20 minutes, any chance of 1 more