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.

In that first hour, only Stuart Broad looked like taking a wicket. He's getting this oldish ball to talk. Anderson didn't look like breaking through, and though Wood seems to get a bit more zip back into his bowling, didn't seem like getting a wicket. Labuschagne not able to get the ball away really, and even when he hits one, ends up finding the fielder. But he has not yet panicked, and is showing a fine temperament to hang in there. Khawaja as usual, is batting time, but that means Australia hasn't quite got away from England even after a wicketless first hour.

wow what a catch!

terrible inning from Labuschagne...worst damage that he coiuld have done...playing 90ball for nothing and then not going on

Finally. Very good grab from Root, but should have been the keeper's?

Don't know what Labuschagne is chuntering about. The light?

9 from 82, what a strange innings

compelling and rich wrote:wow what a catch!

It most definitely was ... but shouldn't it have been Bairstow's? Seriously.

18 overs for 30 runs ...and 12 of them are byes - not that the keeper could have done much about them as the balls concerned all swerved viciously after passing the bat. Could do with a ball swerving viciously into the stumps ..........

But that'll do ! Great catch Joe Root . And a fine piece of bowling from Wood. Think we can say England earned that !

Duty281 wrote:Finally. Very good grab from Root, but should have been the keeper's?

Don't know what Labuschagne is chuntering about. The light?

Yes, that's certainly my view. Hadn't seen your post, Duty, when I posted mine above.

guildfordbat wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:wow what a catch!

It most definitely was ... but shouldn't it have been Bairstow's? Seriously.

Mr Root has definitely bailed his mate out there - no way first slip should be diving that far to the keepers side to take a catch.

what should be disturbing that..that was as much or more of WK's catch and Bairstow....."did not even move"

Are England seriously going to go to India with Bairstow as the keeper? Surely not.

Keeper probably should have gone for that . Not that it matters 'cos the catch was taken... But how often you see those edges go between keeper and first slip : England will just be happy with the result.

So : has Marnus set up his team with a solid platform against bowlers who have already done a lot of work ? Or has he dug a hole with extreme passivity ? Watch this space...

Misfield from the second Ealham son on the field this test.

What was Marnus going on about ? Any lip readers here ? He didn't look at all happy but not sure what he had to complain about .

Twenty minutes to lunch. Wouldn't England love another one now ...

alfie wrote:What was Marnus going on about ? Any lip readers here ?  

Dip-lo-metic immunity.

guildfordbat wrote:

compelling and rich wrote:wow what a catch!

It most definitely was ... but shouldn't it have been Bairstow's? Seriously.

yeah definitely was bairstows, which made it even better by root

Smith with two lovely drives for four...outdoes Marnus already

You just know Smith is going to score heavily here. He seems to love playing in London.

Meanwhile, Khawaja just keeps on leaving everything he can...and eventually nibbles a four to third man. Wow. That's 12 runs added in two overs ! About what Marnus did in two hours...

Duty281 wrote:Misfield from the second Ealham son on the field this test.

Alfie - hope I'm not the only one here who remembers their grandad Alan Ealham. Former Kent captain (? immediately after Cowdrey), middle order bat and, despite his bulky appearance, a fine fielder with a safe pair of hands.

54/1 in those two hours, strange session. Australia obviously want to apply the grind, wear down the English, and bat into tomorrow getting a healthy lead. But Labuschagne's approach may have taken it a bit far!

England's bowling generally solid, not spectacular, on a good batting wicket with an aging ball.

Well balanced, as so many of these tests have been.

Last over coming...27 in the session is better than normal for these days ! Australia will be relieved to have got through it for just the one wicket. Not many runs but the bowlers - who have been excellent - will have to come out in forty minutes and do it all again.

Makes it another Australian session in terms of the game position. Tortoise taking a solid lead ... Hare has problems.

Lunch . 115/2 , so 54 at two per over today....thanks to a few late boundaries. That'll do them though...plenty of time.

One note is this slow approach does mean the Aussies look set to still be in fair deficit when that 2nd new ball is available - might not be decisive, especially if only one or even now more wickets fall until then...but if my memory serves correct last summer South Africa had a sudden collapse against a 2nd new ball after (I think) Van Der Dussen and Peterson had put on a similarly slow-ish partnership to what Marnus/Usman did there.

guildfordbat wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Misfield from the second Ealham son on the field this test.

Alfie - hope I'm not the only one here who remembers their grandad Alan Ealham.  Former Kent captain (? immediately after Cowdrey), middle order bat and, despite his bulky appearance, a fine fielder with a safe pair of hands.

Ha... I do sort of remember grandpa Alan : he was sub fielder for England on occasions , no ? Never saw him actually play in his own right as I was down on the other side of the world before he made his County debut.

Quite a cricketing family , eh ?

guildfordbat wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Misfield from the second Ealham son on the field this test.

Alfie - hope I'm not the only one here who remembers their grandad Alan Ealham.  Former Kent captain (? immediately after Cowdrey), middle order bat and, despite his bulky appearance, a fine fielder with a safe pair of hands.

We're all trying our best to forget Mark to be honest, rather than remember any others from the Ealham dynasty!

Broad with the early one in the afternoon! Aussies in a bit of danger. A typical collapse, or will Smith and Head rescue them?

Magic from Broad! Rolling the clock back 14 years at the Oval.

I claim some credit for this Broad spell... Went off to watch the swimming 4x200 (spoiler : Gold for GB) : came back in time to see Khawaja had gone and Head feathering behind...

If he doesn't get another break soon I will have to go for a run around the block

I won't get too excited. Mitchell Marsh is out there. In an 'outliers v England XI' he's arguably the best.

Interesting umpiring by Dharmasena there.

Of course the downside to those two wickets is that it is now Smith and That Man Marsh at the crease !

Probably won't block for thirty overs. But break this pair and you'd think The Hare is gaining...

Was nice to see the return of the Celebrappeal from Broad

This is such a key partnership. Break it and England are well on top. But if these two stay together England's lead is going to disappear very quickly.

Wonder if we'll see Root bowl this session?

Yep, England's premier spinner of the series is coming in to bowl.

Marsh looking in excellent touch early on, that's a concern.

Good work by Marsh to put some pressure back onto England - looking in very good nick here

Jimmy!

Marsh reasserting Australia's advantage with some controlled aggression... The man can do no wrong in this series ! After the Snail replaced the Tortoise before lunch , these two are fairly rattling along...

Those two wickets boosted England ; but they need to strike again soon. Apart from that lbw - which would have stood if they'd got the on field call , no joy since...

But now ! Jimmy strikes at last ! Marsh gone at 151/5...

All that slow play by Australia a complete waste of time if you then get out. Aus could say they were wearing the England bowlers out and paving a way for the later batters to take advantage of a weary attack.

But going from 91-1 to 151-5 suggests it just didn't work.

So just a very short spell for Root. Wood back immediately : I like this. Go for the throat...

Not meaning literally all short , by the way. Mix of full and lifting it ought to be . But don't let him settle.

The brief Root appearance might have distracted the batsman , eh ? Sometimes a change like that can serve to indirectly get a result so giving Stokes more credit

If you eat balls and dig a hole.
You sink in that hole sooner and almost always .
Good hour for Eng and now Smith has to get a 100 if Aus has to be pulled out of this hole

Bit surprised Root is bowling again though ? And not a very good review I'm afraid : that just didn't look quite right. With some of these umpires you need to keep reviews handy .

Game very even at the moment. Couple more wickets and England would be on top ; but the bowlers have done a lot of work already and while Smith is there anything is possible. Carey off the mark - he can bat too.

Good hard fought cricket today ; if rather less frenetic than yesterday

VTR wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Misfield from the second Ealham son on the field this test.

Alfie - hope I'm not the only one here who remembers their grandad Alan Ealham.  Former Kent captain (? immediately after Cowdrey), middle order bat and, despite his bulky appearance, a fine fielder with a safe pair of hands.

We're all trying our best to forget Mark to be honest, rather than remember any others from the Ealham dynasty!

Roooooootttttt

Root gets Carey ! Another great bowling change

Carey is proper pants

5 wickets @ 25 in this series for Root. Very tidy.

That was very canny bowling from Root. Having been tonked for 6 by Carey, he sends down a slower and wider one which the batsman can only drive into Stokes' hands.

I did mention during the Ireland Test and even before Leach got crocked for the latest time that Root's bowling in this series could be significant.

Woke up to England mounting a pretty big comeback? Smith still there though, Australia can still a grab a lead so new ball will be crucial

Woke up?! This is a home series!

That does take me back to the student days, wake up just in time to watch the afternoon session!

(I've been sick all day)

Has been a good session for England...clawing back into the match . Job nowhere near done though : Smith looks immovable. And Starc and Cummins can bat. New ball will be available soon after tea but they'd love one of these before that.

Wood hasn't quite got enough balls in the ideal danger spot today - apart from the one that got Marnus , of course. Plenty of zip still but hasn't forced the false strokes he'd have hoped for. Not that they've been taking him on : very economical

And as I type he does exactly that and snares Starc .

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Carey is proper pants

Averages about 20 against England now in 10 tests. Tim Paine had a better average whilst scoring at a quicker rate.