Day 3 – Live Blog
10:50 – We are going to live blog some of the day, as much as we feasibly can. So it’s Dmitri to open up, speaking in the third person again, as England resume 17 behind.
10:52 – Isa Guha already with the “first half hour is crucial” klaxon.
11:00 – Remembering when we had a good day 2 in 2002 at the Gabba. My mate, Sir Peter, interviewed me for the video where England, starting at 160-odd for 1, chasing 490 ish were doing well. I said we’d collapse and lose within four days. So I don’t do optimism. England to be bowled out for 320, Australia to be 200 for 4 tonight.
11:02 – Trumpeter, Jerusalem, self-regarding round of applause. Worse than booing. First runs of the day from a Pattinson ball that swung through the gap between 1st and 2nd slip. A bye. All Paine’s fault, that one. Burn’s first ball reduces his “control percentage”. 268 for 4 at the end of the first over.
11:07 – First runs from the bat as Stokes drives a full ball from Cummins, which is half-stopped in the covers. Just the one from the second over of the day. 269 for 4.
11:11 – Pattinson pitches one short, and Stokes cuffs it through square leg for a couple. Stokes moves into the 40s. Plays a lovely on-drive next ball and straight to Siddle. Big appeal after the last ball, but Stokes hit the ground with his bat. Replay confirms he missed the ball by miles. 271 for 4.
11:16 – Burns being careful, not yet added to his total halfway through the second Cummins over of the day. Checking Cummins’ speed, and he is just under 90 mph on that last delivery, which also reduced Burns’ control percentage. A maiden. 271 for 4.
11:19 – Pattinson comes around the wicket, and Stokes punches him down the ground with a glorious drive for 4. Moves on to 45. Then goes for a drive and misses a wide one. No more runs from the over, and it is 275 for 4.
11:23 – Rory Burns current score of 125 puts him joint 2029th in the highest test innings. The single nudged into the legside, lifts him to 1972nd equal . Stokes glides one through third man for another boundary and moves on to 49. End of the over and it is 280 for 4.
11:29 – Pattinson in to Burns, and looking at his pace, he is in the mid-80s. From the third ball Burns runs a single down to third man. Stokes bunts a ball straight, sets off, scampers through and brings up his 50. His 18th according to Nasser. Well played vice-captain. Burns moves up to 1921st equal with that single earlier. End of the over and it is 282 for 4.
11:34 – Botham “England have been playing nicely”:
WICKET – BEN STOKES Caught Tim Paine Bowled Pat Cummins 50
282 for 5
New batsman is Jonny Bairstow. Stokes went for a cut slightly too close to him, and got an edge off the top of the bat for a regulation catch to Paine. Bairstow off the mark with a quick single to the off side for his first test runs of the summer. 283 for 5.
11:40 – After a delay, Bairstow hits a leg-stump half volley for four. England go into the lead. Off the fourth ball of the over, Bairstow nicks but it falls well short of the slips. Another ball on leg stump is clipped through square, but there is a boundary fielder and a single is the result. 288 for 5. Burns denied the strike again.
11:47 – Peter Siddle on. Last ball (fourth of the over) and his pace is 79.8 mph. Remember pace being king two years ago? Gets Bairstow to play and miss from ball five. Maiden. 288 for 5.
11:52 – Nathan Lyon on. Prodigious turn, but Burns gets off strike hitting a short ball to deep point for a single. 1876th equal, if you are interested. Botham and Warne in full 13 fielder attack mode. End of the over. 289 for 5.
11:56 – Siddle on to bowl to Burns. Plays and misses again from the second as he tries to drive. Wide one and Burns smashes it through cover for four. That puts Burns up 147 places in the highest innings table to 1729=. Just the four runs from the over. 293 for 5 and drinks.
12:02 – 26 runs in that first hour for the loss of Stokes. Bairstow looking jittery. Burns playing and missing but still there. Lyon to continue after refreshment. A maiden.
12:06 – Burns takes a single from the first ball of Siddle’s over and moves on to 133 (1695th=). Bairstow gets one on his pads from the second ball and knocks it to deep backward square for 2. 296 for 5.
12:10 – Burns goes.
WICKET – RORY BURNS Caught Tim Paine Bowled Nathan Lyon 133
296 for 6
Perilously close to a no-ball, but Lyon’s slightly quicker one catches the edge of Burns’ bat, and Paine holds on to it after quite a deflection. Burns didn’t have a lot of the strike this morning, but his luck, such as it was, ran out.
12:13 – Moeen Ali faces his first ball, and it goes for four (what? legbyes or byes) to bring up the 300. Fired down leg side and Siddle’s slide could not prevent the boundary.
WICKET – MOEEN ALI Bowled Nathan Lyon 0
300 for 7
Oh Dear. Moeen Ali leaves a straight one and off pole is knocked out. Dear oh dear. Sanga obviously didn’t teach him that pre-game. England are not looking likely for a decent lead here.
12:17 – Chris Woakes joins Jonny Bairstow, Siddle continues. Cracking straight drive from the third ball is well stopped by Siddle, and Woakes’ bat.
WICKET – JONNY BAIRSTOW Caught David Warner Bowled Peter Siddle 8
300 for 8
Bairstow tries to force a delivery close to him, but nicks hard and chest high to David Warner who takes a pretty decent catch. Might have been a bit optimistic with 320 earlier on. This is very much game on. England 33 for 4 this morning. 3 wickets in 11 balls. Wicket maiden. 300 for 8
12:23 – Lyon continues. Woakes uses his feet and drives it down to mid-on for a single. Leaves Broad with two balls to face in the over. Your annual reminder that Broad has a better test best innings than Mark Waugh. He sees off the over. 301 for 8.
12:28 – Cummins returns to the attack. Harsh on Siddle who will give these two little to hit and has just taken a wicket. Interesting shot from Woakes who somehow pulls a single with a swat which he took his eyes off of. A single. Isa Guha is trying too hard in commentary. You are following the Attack Attack Attack brothers, just let it flow. Broad hip flicks it through where leg gully had been for a single. End of the over 303 for 8.
12:33 – Broad sweeps Lyon for three, thanks to some good teamwork on the boundary. Someone has the (lack of) thought to play that shot against received wisdom. Woakes bat pads one for a single behind square from the fifth ball of the over, out of the despairing reach of the big headed one. Four off the over, 307 for 8.
12:38 – Oh, we have a pillock dressed as inflatable Baby Trump. Who has the joy of sitting behind that? Bet they are thrilled. That’s what I mean about caring about other supporters. Anyway, Woakes takes a single first ball. Broad holds out his bat, guides it to wide third man for two. Cummins goes around the wicket and Broad drops it into the offside for a single. Over concludes with the score 311 for 8.
12:43 – Broad sweeps from way outside off, and gets a single to deep square leg. Second ball, appeal, did Woakes get an inside nick? But Aussies don’t review. Third ball, Woakes comes down the pitch, hits it straight to Bancroft, but Woakes gets back as he tries to run him out. Gower did that to Wessels in 1985, if I recall. Or was it Boon? Definitely in the 4th innings. Woakes steers a ball turning onto the stumps into the offside for another single. A bit of action here. Until last two balls. 313 for 8. It was Wessels.
12:47 – Siddle back into the attack. That Cummins experiment didn’t last long, nor did it seem to be for any purpose. Camera goes on Ed Smith, AGAIN. How many times did you see previous Chairman of Selectors on screen during games? Drives me mad. Camera goes to Hoggard, in an interesting get-up. Not a lot happening this over so far. This is just the 22nd over today, and we are 10 minutes from lunch. I could have had a ticket for today, but turned it down. Last ball of the over brings out a good shot for no runs for Woakes. Maiden. 313 for 8.
12:51 – Another sweep middled for a single by Broad. Woakes uses his feet and squirts one through the onside for another single. Lead at 31. Broad got rid of the short leg who drops to make Broad think twice about the sweep. He’s got to be a little pleased that he got the Aussies to move one away. Then he plays a little dab sweep to fine leg for another single – he’s a batting troll! Into double figures. And a nice little Bye Bonus as Woakes gets bamboozled, Paine freezes and four byes results. Nice runs. Should possibly have been leg byes. 320 for 8.
12:55 – A single dabbed into the offside by Broad, who moves on to 11. Lead up to 37. 322 for 8 as Woakes took a single in my absence.
12:59 – Woakes slog sweeps Lyon’s first ball for 6. I missed it going to the lav! That’s all she wrote for that session. It is lunch and England made 61 for 4 in that session (as Gower says it) and are 328 for 8. Hope you followed the morning play on here. England’s lead has moved from insignificant, to small. A lead of 50 and England have something to work with.
13:41 – Pattinson to start after lunch. Sky showed a piece on the 1981 series, again, but they are always nice to watch. Love how Gower took the stick and went “think something special is coming soon”. Anyway, Broad to face. Broad clips one to square from the third ball. The next squares up Woakes, who gets an edge down to third man for another single. Two from the over, 330 for 8.
13:48 – Nathan Lyon on, and Woakes clips his second ball for a single behind square on the leg side. 320 was too pessimistic. Broad plays and misses at ball three. He then plays a brilliant lofted slog sweep through mid-wicket, and collects a boundary. He nudges a ball behind square for a single next ball. Lead now over 50. 336 for 8.
13:52 – Broad stays leg side of a ball from Pattinson and plays and misses. Broad collects another single as I receive a sad tweet from Innocent Bystander which might become more clear in the next days or so (not going to share it as yet). Woakes gets two from the last ball, and it is 339 for 8.
13:57 – Broad collects another single through point. Woakes adds another from ball five. Two runs from the over. 341 for 8. If England were bowling now, we’d be going incandescent with rage.
13:59 – Woakes gives the second ball from Pattinson a good old spank, but well fielded by Lyon. He guides ball three to long leg for another single. Partnership is a handy 42 at this stage. Broad stabs another into the offside for a single from ball 5 and moves onto 20. Woakes takes another single from the last ball, and also moves onto 20. 344 for 8 and a lead of 60.
14:04 – Lyon continues as David Lloyd implies that Steve Smith is really captain of this team. Woakes drives through mid-on for a single from Lyon’s second ball. It does appear as though Smith has a lot of input into the field placing. Lyon bowls a little legside, Broad sweeps, you wonder how that didn’t bowl him. So he sweeps again, but for no run. Over finishes at 345 for 8.
14:07 – Pattinson continues. 68mph slower ball was clipped by Woakes through square leg for a single. Broad guides one through the slips for another single down to third man. Teddy stretches out on the living room floor and tries to sleep, while the Aussies try to change the ball again. “Same Old Aussies, Always Cheating” rings around Edgbaston. Then Woakes plays and misses and the crowd appeal. Bantz. Teddy moves to under the window. Woakes gets the edge, the ball goes down through the two slips, and he collects another single. Sanga thinks Mitch Marsh’s dibblers could make all the difference. Pattinson tries to york Broad on the last ball, but he keeps it out. 348 for 8.
14:13 – Not sure Sanga is supposed to introduce the female commentator as “lovely”. There’s a bit of a silence. No ball called for three behind leg, according to Botham. Still no Isa. Woakes dances down the pitch and brings up the 50 partnership. Still no Isa Guha. A standing ovation for the partnership. Isa speaks! Broad sweeps again, collects a single, and the crowd suddenly seem really into it. Woakes dabs down for another single. Little by little. This is the highest 9th wicket partnership for England v Australia at Edgbaston. 352 for 8 at the end of that over. Has Sanga been given a little “training”.
14:17 – Cummins on and Woakes shovels it through leg again for another single. Broad collects another single to third man. End of the over 354 for 8.
14:24 – Steve Smith on and a single from the first ball. Woakes takes a single from the fifth ball and then Broad plays and misses at the last. Two from the over. 356 for 8.
14:26 – Another single from Woakes from the first ball of Cummins’ over. End of the over, 357 for 8.
14:30 – Full bunger from Smith, and Woakes works it through mid-wicket for a single. Another single. Broad gets a bottom edge, nutmegs Tim Paine, and collects four to backstop. This is getting seriously annoying for the Aussies now. A single follows, and Woakes adds another. Lead up to 80. 364 for 8.
14:34 – Woakes guides the ball down to third man for yet another single. Lovely for England, but not exactly the stuff live-blogging is made of. One from the over. 365 for 8.
14:39 – Lyon is back after the Smith experiment. Maiden over and drinks. 365 places 120th on England’s all time innings against Australia. 380 gets you into the top 100. DLP wanted 50 more at lunch. Well he’s not far away from his wish. 37 for no loss since lunch.
14:44 – Cummins to resume after drinks. Load of short stuff, Broad looks less and less comfortable and:
WICKET – STUART BROAD Caught James Pattinson Bowled Pat Cummins 29
365 for 9
He shovels a short one up in the air, Pattinson stabilises, and takes a comfortable catch. The end of a 65 run partnership. Could this be vital?
14:50 – Anderson on strike to Lyon as the batsmen crossed during that dismissal. A reverse sweep and a few blocks means a maiden. 365 for 9.
14:55 – Cummins to continue. The game appears to have got a little stuck. Woakes turns down a single from the fourth ball. Did he just turn down a single from the 5th ball as well? Confused on England. Cummins bowls a wide one, no run. Maiden. 365 for 9.
15:00 – Appeal first ball for LBW. Nothing doing. Anderson slog sweeps a single. Hallelujah. Woakes flips one over the keeper for a single too. Two from the over. 367 for 9.
15:04 – Game not moving. Woakes drives and could get an easy two, but they don’t run. Doesn’t look good for Anderson. A big thick edge does go for 4, so I suppose it might be something that works. Nothing else doing from the over. 371 for 9.
15:07 – Cummins on again, now bowling at Anderson, which makes turning down long singles a little strange. Anderson nearly gets a boundary, but it’s saved and it is two runs. Anderson looking pretty injured here, but sticking at it. 373 for 9.
15:08 – Lyon back on and Woakes takes another single.
WICKET – JIMMY ANDERSON Caught Pat Cummins Bowled Nathan Lyon 3
374 All Out.
England’s number 11 skies one, and Cummins collects it at short mid-on. A lead of 90. And I can now take a break!
Right, TLG here to take over from a presumably knackered Dmitri. And the first discovery is that that are different coloured fonts available. Well bloody hell. I can see this annoying everyone in no time at all.
Decent effort from England there, a lead of 90 is more than handy. We’re going to have a very long evening session, with tea having been taken early for one thing, and (naturally) because they are bowling the overs pathetically slowly and we’ll be using the extra half hour and still won’t get them all in. But apparently the scoreboard is showing they’re only 1 over behind the rate, given how the ICC couldn’t give a rat’s arse about spectators getting the overs they paid for.
Anyway, as the afternoon went on, the Hollies stand appeared to be getting ever more well oiled, so it’ll doubtless be the 16th most hostile welcome for the Australian openers.
1535: No Anderson on the field, which shouldn’t really surprise anyone. Big appeal from Broad for one that was going over the stumps by the distance of a low flying aircraft, followed up with a good one past the outside edge. Good start from him.
1540: Woakes to share the new ball. You’d think this was very much a pitch it up kind of surface now, there’s little in it in terms of pace.
15:50 WICKET!! 13-1 Warner goes caught Bairstow bowled Broad. Plenty of incident that over, as Warner punches down the ground for four, and then tries to leave one, but the ball took the edge. Given not out, so another umpiring error, but Broad didn’t appeal for it, it was the keeper and slips who were absolutely certain. Huge wicket for England, and Broad’s 450th in Test cricket. It’s fair to say the crowd enjoyed that one too.
15:56 Pretty routine quiet over from Woakes. Back to Broad, who is looking dangerous.
16:02 This is one of those periods where it seems little is happening, but England are carrying a threat here.
16:10 Interesting, an early bowl for Moeen Ali. A rather defensive field set, four on the boundary, which is rather negative. Moeen turns one between Bancroft’s bat and pad, just missing the off stump. Promising! Equally, the deep set field allows runs to be picked off for the rest of the over. 26-1, and England seem to want to sit in and preserve the lead and build pressure more than trying to force wickets.
Good to see us still causing trouble:
16:20 WICKET!! Moeen strikes to remove Bancroft, 27-2. Moeen is bowling beautifully, and gets some bite off the surface to take the inside edge of Bancroft’s bat, on to the pad, and into Jos Buttler’s grateful mitts. All of which means Australia are in some trouble, so fortunately for them the man coming in (to boos) is Steve Smith. If England can get rid of him cheaply…Nearly a second wicket in the over, as Khawaja edges to slip. It just about carried to Buttler, but was far from easy. Rash, all over, and England – rearrange as needed.
16:26 For someone who has bowled so well, that’s a woeful over from Broad, overpitching on Khawaja’s leg stump, then bowling a half tracker. Thirteen off the over, and it’s 46-2.
16:32 Very odd. England are leaking runs at quite a rate, with Australia going at 4.33 an over, but the visitors are losing wickets too. 52-2 and that’ll be drinks.
16:38 I love watching Steve Smith. He looks completely at sea at the moment, Woakes is causing him no end of trouble. But he finds a way to survive and then punishes bowlers hour after hour. Some players you feel can win matches on their own – he’s one.
16:49 These two are ticking things over, 64-2.
16:55 73-2, and Australia are rather comfortable, and closing in on the deficit. The question is at what point the pressure starts to shift from Australia to England. Any target approaching 200 will be tricky, but that’s also a long, long way away for Australia.
17:01 WICKET!! Khawaja c Bairstow b Stokes 40. Out of nowhere really, though Stokes had just come on. Khawaja has been positive, and rather elegant, but Stokes got one to nip back just a touch and take the inside edge through to the keeper. A rather useful delivery to end a promising innings. Travis Head the new man, and Stokes looks up for it, bowling rapidly – 88mph to greet the new man. And then one at 90 mph. Blimey. 75-3, and still 15 runs in arrears.
17:08 Moeen comes back on after a solitary over from Root. And then Stokes doesn’t quite reach the levels of his first over and it’s 85-3.
17:17 Australia draw level and England will have to bat again. But obviously Australia are in effect 0-3, or as they would put it, 3-0. Either way, there’s a lot of batting to be done.
17:24 Household comments on the cricket are always useful, and presumably “get the annoying little runt out” isn’t referring to Travis Head. It all seems a bit subdued out there, and after an indifferent start, Smith looks in command. And as I write that, one from Moeen turns sharply, prompting an appeal, but he’s outside the line, comfortably. Jofra Archer has come on to the field as 12th man, for Anderson, and at 98-3, that’s drinks.
17:32 Missed run out opportunity, straight after drinks. Head didn’t react to the call, and Burns shied at the stumps. Had he hit, he was well short. But he didn’t, and on we go.
17:35 Australia’s hundred comes up, and they lead by 11. It’s all pretty serene, brain fade running aside. England are trying to force Smith to play through the offside, and Moeen goes around the wicket, and Smith absolutely crunches it through the covers for four. Yep, he can play that one too.
17:44 Stokes is causing Smith what problems there are, and he has a nice optimistic appeal for lbw for one that rather stopped in the pitch. He pleads with Root to review it, claiming the ball was on its way back down. Which would certainly amend the laws of physics somewhat. Ah, Root back on.
17:49 Short ball from Stokes and Smith (for once) gets his hook shot all wrong, the ball cannoning into the side of his helmet. Maybe he was unbalanced, but he looked a trifle unsteady on his feet in the moments immediately after. It was a nasty blow. As is necessary and right, the doctor is out on the field to check him out.
17:54 Thankfully Smith seems to be ok, but England are certainly trying to alternate between full and short to him. They look like a team who just can’t work out how to get him out. 111-3
17:56 About a tenth of a chance, maybe, if that. Head goes for a cut shot off Root, edges it and flies past Stokes before he can get his hand up. It probably had to hit him to be at risk of being caught.
18:00 Weather closing in a bit, with the floodlights now on. Sky appear to have given up complaining about the over rate, confining themselves to saying that they probably (!) won’t get them all in. Given there are 13 overs left in the day, and about 25 minutes to go, we are going to be a long way short again. Five overs lost yesterday, it’ll be even more today.
18:03 Umpires having a bit of a chinwag about the light, and seem to be saying that Broad can’t bowl as it’s too dark. Instead of Broad, it’ll be Joe Denly. Nope, that’s it, they’re off, and off for the day as it’s past 6pm. The issue about not playing even when spin bowlers are on remains fairly ridiculous, but so much in cricket is. The last people ever considered are those who have paid to be there.
Close of Play – Australia 124-3, leading by 34 runs.
A good day for England overall, after a stutter in the middle order. That 90 run lead is sizeable, and while Australia have scored at quite a lick (over 4 an over), the three wickets they’ve lost leave them in a precarious position. Smith is, as ever, the key, but only one side can afford to have an indifferent session in the morning and still have hopes of winning. This is an intriguing Test, and if England do have the upper hand, they’re by no means home and hosed.
Hope you enjoyed the live blog, we may be back in the morning for more!
Welcome to the open post for your comments on the third day of the Ashes test. England start 17 runs behind with six first innings wickets in hand. The immediate goal will be to set a substantial lead, take out a large swathe of the day’s play to do so, to avoid the stretched bowling resources having to go into tomorrow over-cooked.
You don’t need my review; Chris did his one last night and it pretty much covers all the bases.
Panel Prep
Your morning questions.
- Rory Burns follows Sam Robson, Adam Lyth and Keaton Jennings as centurions opening the batting since Strauss retired. (Not counting Root and Cook). Tell me if he’s different to them?
- If 1 is all the luck in the world, rate Nathan Lyon’s day from 1-10?
- How many runs would you be confident England chasing down in the 4th innings?
Statswatch
Rory Burns became the 168th different England player to make a test hundred. He is the 97th England player to make an Ashes hundred. It was England’s 242nd century in Ashes cricket (please note, I am going to refer to all series as Ashes cricket even though Centenary, Bicentennial and one post-Packer series weren’t for the Ashes). 125 not out is currently the 126th= high score made by an England player. Only one England international was dismissed for 125 in Ashes cricket – Allan Lamb with his only hundred at Headingley in 1989. 135 gets you into the top hundred innings.
This was England’s 10th century in Ashes cricket at Edgbaston – three of them were in one innings (1985), two more in another (1997). Burns follows David Gower, Nasser Hussain, Ted Dexter, Tim Robinson, Johnny Tyldesley, Graham Thorpe, Raman Subba Row, Colin Cowdrey and Mike Gatting. This was England’s first Ashes hundred at Edgbaston in 22 years. Tyldesley’s hundred in 1902 was interesting. He made 138. Australia batted next and were bowled out for 36!
England have not lost an Ashes test at Edgbaston when an England player makes a century.
Connwatch
He’s very tame at the moment. Any ideas if 9Gem is a different channel, our Aussie based friends?
SelveyWatch
So rare, it is needed to be pointed out.
Shiny Toy Watch
Blocked by Paul, Watching Paul
Your Headline is wrong… (at 8pm on Friday night).
Rory Burns hits maiden Test ton on day two of first Ashes Test to bring England within just 17 runs of Australia’s first innings total with four wickets intact
It’s six wickets intact, not four.
Obligatory Cook mention..
Just a week ago Rory Burns looked more like a jumble of moving parts rather than an opener with the technique and temperament to make an Ashes century for England.
Now, glory be, someone other than Alastair Cook has finally reached three figures at the top of the order after Burns cemented his place for this series with a good old-fashioned display of Test match application for England.
Glory Be!
And at the centre of it was an opener with the most idiosyncratic of methods who looked so out of his depth even against Ireland at Lord’s last week that his selection for the Ashes looked simply like a futile exercise of blind faith.
You want more Cook (Home Ashes Centuries = 0)
Burns may be short of style but he is not lacking in character and he needed it here with England desperate to find someone, anyone, capable of making the runs at the top of the order that have eluded them ever since the glory days of Cook and Andrew Strauss.
He had made two half centuries before now but kept on getting out in somewhat soft fashion, not least when he missed a straight one from unlikely West Indian spinning hero Roston Chase when on 84 in Barbados last winter.
Glory days!
It added to the nerves being displayed, too, by Burns who spent 37 minutes on 92 and then played out nine balls on 99 before scampering a single off Lyon and taking the acclaim of another raucous crowd who continuously chanted his name.
Then followed some of the most fluent batting of the day as Ben Stokes joined Burns in an unbeaten stand of 73 that ensured day two belonged to England and a Surrey captain who has now carved his name into Ashes folklore.
Moment of the Day Tweet
https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/1157350875129688066
Comments on Day 3 below. We may even do some live blogging. Maybe.
I missed the classic genre of Martin Samuel at the Ashes. You can read his two lamentable efforts if you dare. Yesterday’s on the umpiring would have been rejected on this blog for being absolute shit. Today’s, on Joe Root’s conversion rate, is better, but we are talking a low bar. Why the Mail do this when they have a cricket staff, for better or worse, I will never know. Cricket writing needs Martin Samuel like a fish needs a bicycle.
Being Outside Cricket 
Kimber writes a good piece on just how lucky Burns was : https://medium.com/@ajarrodkimber/rory-burns-is-a-cricketer-13aad0639ca2
But I do start to think that when you apply analysis this deep all you learn is how much luck rules the game. I think we can all look back on terrible late 80s/ early 90s England where in fact a crucial bit of luck is what actually tipped the game the opposition’s way.
Maybe, a la Napoleon, I’d rather have an opener who is lucky than good.
And so to question 1:
I didn’t see much of Jennings, but Burns is less solid than Robson and arguably even Lyth.
As a Yorkshire fan who has seen some excellent innings from Lyth in brutal conditions, I think England never really saw the best of him.
However, in Burns favour is that this is going to be a brutal series for openers, judging by ball, pitch, weather conditions. He has a 100 on the board, so while I don’t think he’s better than Robson or Lyth, I think he will get a better run of games to try and come good, because while I expect Warner to outscore him over the series, I think he’s ahead of the other two. And so much of Test cricket is mental, coming good is often a lot of what there is to making a career.
And of course, the pinata that is Roy is at the other end and will get dropped first.
Question 2: I’d put it at about 5. Spinners actually “just miss the edge” quite a lot, even Adil Rashid. So you have to balance all that playing and missing against the concept of a Day 2 Test pitch in not exactly sweltering England that was taking quite a bit of spin.
If I’m harsh, he bowled too defensively a lot of the time.
Question 3: If Lyon gets attacking, and I believe he will today, let alone in the 4th innings… Well, I cannot see England chasing more than 150, and I’d be behind the sofa even if they are chasing 100.
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1) Burns is probably not substantially different to Robson, Lyth or Jennings save for the fact his 1st class average is over 40. Given his technique is a series of random movements cobbled into a less than coherent whole, it suggests a player capable of cashing in when the opportunity presents itself and a temperament to make the most of it.
2) Lyon had a pretty bad day. His non-wicket of Burns notwithstanding, he kept bowling too short and still seemed to be in ODI damage limitation mode. He’s annoyingly good however and will probably do better for the 3rd day/2nd innings.
3) 150 is within this team’s wheelhouse, especially if 2 their top 4 digs in. 200 is not out of the realm of possibility, any more and it’s Australia all the way
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Agree with point 1. Burns is a grown man who has scored first class runs at a good average over a long period of time. Nasser pointed out that this season he was having a poor year – averaging 34. Now, my grasp on these things isn’t as good as it could be, but I doubt many of the “contenders” we’ve tried have averaged 34 over the past 5 years. I don’t mind blooding a youngster at 6, but you need someone who knows his game to open. It doesn’t seem a coincidence that the two relatively* successful openers we’ve had have been “grown men” – Compton and Carberry. Before that, Strauss was picked in his late 20s. If Burns fails, I’d go for someone like Daryl Mitchell. A long term pro who has been decent for years.
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I would guess that Burns is not substantially better than those others, but he is marginally better where it counts, and that difference should translate over a decent run in the side into substantially better result. On an average day, he is a good leaver outside the off-stump, he is patient, and (as seen in his handling of Lyon yesterday) he thinks on the job. Compare that with the arthritic proddings of Jennings and it is easy to see which one has the better prospects. Jennings got lucky on a couple of very slow pitches where he had time to deal with the spin, and had lots of time to score off the back foot. His record on normal pitches against standard Test attacks was beneath lamentable.
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On questions 2 and 3: Lyon was unlucky that everyone, including him, obviously thought that the Burns ball was missing leg stump. Other than that, he didn’t do anything to make any luck, and generally bowled a little too short, given the amount of turn available. So he didn’t deserve to be more than averagely lucky, so he gets a 5. And I don’t see England making a huge score to win the fourth innings, but I don’t see them having too, either. If Australia sets them even 150 that will probably mean that the third innings of the game was over 300, so the wicket will have remained playable into day four. To answer the question, I would not be too nervous to see an ask of 200 on the evidence of this wicket so far.
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I’m sure someone is going to tell me this has been going on for ages, but I just haven’t noticed before. When did they start wearing these giant numbers on their backs? It was particularly obvious on Thursday when Smith had a giant 49 on his shirt.
I thought it looked utterly ridiculous. Like some sort of American sport. Also, surely if you are going to have numbers you only need 1-11 with 12 for a substitute? What is the significance of 49 for Smith? He certainly isn’t the 49th player to play for Australia. It looks silly on football players when they have 28 or 49 on their backs it looks moronic on cricketers.
Test t cricket managed without them for a hundred years. I would prefer their names rather than numbers if you have to put anything at all. A casual observer (our famous mum and kids) is going to be no wiser with 49 on his back than if his shirt was blank.
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First time was this match. Honestly, I’m a fan of it as it makes spotting who’s who when trying to work out which crocodile-fed Australian beanpole is standing at fine-leg (although I do get the traditionalist perspective and can see why the numbers is a bit too much)
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Thanks for that……it really stood out like a sore thumb. If it’s to help identify the individual why not just put the name of the player?
If I didn’t know who Smith was 49 would leave me non the wiser. I would then need to look at some code book to help work out who he is.
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This summer. They’ve brought it in.
To be honest, it’s not something I hugely care about.
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Now there’s a surprise!! (Not) 😉
To be fair, you are not bothered by ball tampering, so idiotic giant numbers is going to be way down on your radar!
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Fair! Though on the ball tampering thing it’s more that I find the selective outrage a bit puzzling than anything else.
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Booing, crowd behaviour, loss of overs without reason, crap umpiring, crap commentators, idiot MSM tweets, EmptySuit corporate bollox… no, this is what is currently shit – bloody self selected numbers (hidden under jumpers anyway) unreadable names which will soon become nicknames or sponsors flag-ups.
FUCK RIGHT OFF, leave TEST cricket be, played with a red ball in unmarked whites (and dump the sponsor logos too), there’s enough advertising space on the boundaries and screens and presumably TV advertising time too, what with extended drinks breaks, on-pitch delays etc,
It all sounds such corporate bollox even when listening on the radio.
ICC/ECB/CA etc Go flog your pyjamas elsewhere on those ipod clips that are chosen as to which you’re allowed to see.
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Mark, I have to ask: when exactly did you notice?
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When Smith was batting when I came in on Thursday afternoon. I didn’t see the beginning of the game. I forgot to mention it at the time. But the numbers are so big they look absurd for cricket.
It’s a personal choice, but I would rather names if they are going to have anything. If it has to be numbers why not batting order? Smith would be 4. I think a giant 49 looks like a child painted it on his back.
Anyway, most people have no problem with it, so its only old fogeys like me that seem to mention it. Personally I think the game has more pressing issues, like over rates. Perhaps they should paint a giant number on the captains back of the numbers of overs they didn’t bowl the day before?
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They could at least use the same font. I doesn’t look so terrible in county cricket.
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Fascinating interview with Chris Woakes – not for what he said, but because in the background Sangakkara and Moeen were having a fairly intense conversation about batting technique, with gestures and examples.
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What England have needed for some time at the top of the order is a couple of blockers. Burns had some luck yesterday, but he ground it out. Cook of course was more than just a grinder, but in recent years it was either feast or famine.
Too often numbers 4,5, and 6 have been in by lunch time. England need batsman to bat time and see of fthe new ball. It’s why I’m not convinced about Roy opening at test level. I would look to find another blocker to open, and drop Roy down to three or four if Root is happy to bat at three. Denley looks like another James Vince. Elegant, stylish. Nice cover drives, then out.
Burns
AN Other (blocker)
Root
Roy
Stokes
Butler
Bairstow
Bowlers
I wouldn’t want to chase more than 180 on the last day. The more England get today, the less they will need in the forth innings. England should already be in the box seat in this test match.First when they had Aus at 122/8. Aus should not have made more than 150-200. Now they have a second bite of the cherry today to put themselves in a strong position.
You only get so many chances……
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Rory Burns follows Sam Robson, Adam Lyth and Keaton Jennings as centurions opening the batting since Strauss retired. (Not counting Root and Cook). Tell me if he’s different to them?
He may have the mentality
But not yet the technique
Unlikely to be above parity
With the others, so not unique..
If 1 is all the luck in the world, rate Nathan Lyon’s day from 1-10?
Was only day 2, so no more than 5
If the game goes to a fifth, I worry he’ll thrive
How many runs would you be confident England chasing down in the 4th innings?
Toss a coin, play Boycott bingo
Or Harrison’s 100 in corporate lingo
I doubt if we could chase more than 210
Tho’ I do expect Mo’ to re-find his batting Zen!
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I’m not sure technique is the most important thing. Smith demonstrates that – hell, Alastair Cook did too, his was highly flawed, but he found a way to make runs by being incredibly disciplined. If Burns can channel that, his technical flaws won’t be such a problem. Which isn’t to say he will, but he might.
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It’s the technique of minor adjustments spent
To step up to the intensity and longevity of Tests
With better bowlers, unlikely to let you breathe or relent
That his mentality will make him the most recent best
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1. – Most important factor, he’s not batting with Cook at the other end. This allows him to play without pressure. Very odd looking technique but his head appears to be still at the point of delivery and he seemed to cope very well with playing and missing a lot. I like the look of him as that was the first time i saw him in the flesh.
2. Not sure, from where we sat I thought he bowled some very good deliveries mixed up with a lot that were played very easily. He will do well today and in the last innings so I would go 5
3. 217 – Any more and we’re toast, and 217 will be for the loss of 8 wickets! However my optimistic head says Stokes century, Burns 150 and 100 from the rest and we won’t actually have to bat again due to scoreboard pressure.
400 in a first innings at home would be amazing to see…I think it’s been 4 or more years now
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” Gem is an Australian free-to-air digital television multichannel, launched by the Nine Network in September 2010. It is a General Entertainment and Movies channel, the phrase from which the original name “GEM” is derived.”
I had assumed the Ashes would be shown on Foxtel and then had a panic attack when I discovered their 24 hour cricket channel was showing highlights of the Big Bash. Then a mate told me it was on Gem and I was able to compose myself. Tonight for some reason it on Channel 9. Who knew watching cricket could be so complicated.
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All of the UK journalists who had a massive strop when the last Ashes was on BT…
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Free to air, mind.
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Hey Kids, bored with this real cricket thingy that you can’t get all the clips for on your tab or moby?
Come jig with this guys (and errm, chicks?)
You can have 2 and a half minutes to change the game, re-arrange your party plans, post selfies, drink expensive watered down lager, or, in reality, just don’t bother…
https://thehundred-comms.com/582Q-25I6-D615VLVF46/cr.aspx
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Burns gone for 133, but thanks to an umpiring mistake, at least he should be getting the rest of the series.
It should be noted that small mistakes can make a huge difference to players’ careers.
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According to TMS that was the longest innings by an England opener not called AN Cook since Tres at The Oval in 2003.
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Root (Lords, 2013) and Vaughan (Kandy 2003) faced more balls than Burns this innings, but in terms of time that may well be true.
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Moeen gone for a duck. His batting has really come completely unstuck. And between the two of them, Leach is probably the better spinner and nightwatchman.
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Moeen has had more than his fair share of brain-farts in recent times.
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I’d argue that Foakes may be a better option than Bairstow as well.
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Agreed. Would definitely beef up the batting, and probably the keeping as well.
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Foakes has not had a good season with the bat for Surrey this year.
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I will not let your facts get in the way of my argument.
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Hard to judge from just the averages. If the top scorer (Burns) averages about 20% more than Foakes, with a lot of batsmen averaging in the thirties for Surrey (including Stoneman, and Elgar, both of whom do not average significantly more than Foakes). The stats are probably more indicative of the season Surrey are having than anything else.
Besides, in his last 20 Tests (since the Ashes down under), Bairstow does not even average 29. In his last 10 (since lat year, start of India series) Tests it is just 22. Hardly stats that are screaming that he ought to be playing.
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You could argue anything from this. There are some decent red-ball batsmen in the Surrey side (Stoneman, Elgar, Borthwick, Foakes, Burns) to name only those who have played Tests. None of them have done better than par (relative to their own history) this year, in a season where the bat has generally dominated. Are Surrey playing on worse batting tracks than average, to be evened out later on? Or are they just collectively out of form? Or what?
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Bairstow direly needs to play some county cricket. Everyone can see that except for the England management and the journalists and commentators. I really don’t understand how they expect him to get his red-ball skills back without ever playing outside tests where he struggles more often than not. I’m fed up with that, really. He could be so much better if they looked after him. It’s not like they don’t need good batsmen.
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Sophie–the question that doesn’t answer for me is why, in the last year or so, he’s had so much more difficulty adapting between formats than, say, Buttler or Root. That seems to be a mental thing as much as a technical one.
I wonder if a few sessions with the sports psychologist wouldn’t be more useful. He’s coming across at the moment as having an almost cartoon version of a mixture of angry, rather arrogant entitlement and total insecurity. Whilst there may be good historical reasons for some of that, it’s not difficult to see that he might be putting too much pressure on himself. It reminds me a bit of Mark Ramprakash.
There’s this theory that he does better when he’s angry and has a point to prove, but I wonder if that lasts longer than a game or two. It seems a dangerous theory to rely on for very long! (I still think that for the team, notwithstanding his dire form, it would be better to try and make him into a specialist no. 4 batsman rather than a wicketkeeper).
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I don’t think it’s mental, and I don’t think he does better when he’s angry. He was never angry when he was doing well. Root’s and Buttler’s roles in ODI cricket are much more similar to their roles in test cricket than Bairstow’s is. Back when, Bairstow used to come in with the team in trouble more often than not and he’d find gaps and run a lot. Now he gets bogged down and hits his way out of trouble if he stays in for that long. He also played the moving ball well. I don’t think this is something you can train in the nets alone, because there are no fielders in the nets and you need to have judgement and confidence, which he is sorely lacking at the moment. Also I think the media write a lot of nonsense about him and then they say he makes it all up.
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A good session of cricket. Another 50 runs would be really nice.
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You don’t want a lot, dlp! 🙂
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Just world domination. And 50 runs.
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With you dominating the world, then, I’m confident cricket will get all the consideration and resources it needs.
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should have wished for a porsche
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I’d have wished for a sandwich.
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A pizza would be even better
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Concerning Lyon. He is still on the whole bowling too straight, and a bit short. He doesn’t get anywhere near the revs on the ball that Swann used to get. There was a recent shot of the rev-counter that showed 35rps, whereas Swann regularly hit 40. It is somewhere in the gap that real dip and swerve starts to appear. Also, on English wickets, overspin as a stock ball is not as good an attacking option as the one with maximum side-spin (first drifting the other way in the air).
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Your last point is spot on (er, not saying the rest weren’t). I think the reason Lyon has managed to be so successful given how difficult it is for finger spinners in Aus is precisely because of that over spin and the bounce he gets on harder pitches, In fact, when he’s done well in India (as it is for anyone who can do it) it’s also been because of bounce (and the phenomenon that this has actually been possible in India). Transfer that to England and as you say, that stock ball isn’t what’s going to get best results.
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A rather disappointing morning for England. The two overnight batsman didn’t add many, and Bairstow and Ali even less. I’ve been out this afternoon, and so pleasantly surprised to see Broad and Woakes batted for almost an hour and a half. It’s very useful runs indeed and taking up some more overs.
The over rate is shameful considering only five wickets fell and some of them were catches so didnt need reviews. Firing squads are all that’s left I fear. Nothing else seems to work.
Before the day started I hoped England would bat for sixty overs and get a lead of about 150 with 30 odd overs to bowl at Australia before having another nights rest. 90 lead will have to do, although you do wonder if Broad and Woakes can bat for an hour and a half if it’s as difficult as we thought.
Ali needs a good performance with the ball.1 England have only three seamers, and no Rashid (who I think would have been dangerous on this. ) 2 If he isn’t taking wickets what else is the point? His batting has gone badly wrong in the last year. Shame for him and England.
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Well done to the boys doing the live blogging. When I came back this afternoon I read through your feed without knowing the score so it was as if I was seeing it live. I kept waiting for a wicket to appear when Broad and Woakes were batting. They did well.
I know this is annoying people, but if they have their names on their shirts why do you need numbers? They seem to have different fonts.
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That was a quick over from Stokes there. Up around 90 miles an hour. And a needed wicket.
Oh gawd… it’s Alison Mitchell again. I was enjoying listing to Atherton and Warne. Set remote on mute for half an hour.
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Is she on Sky as well? She’s doing TMS and C5, I honestly didn’t think anyone covered both Sky and FTA for Tests.
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No. It’s Isa Guha.
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77-3 and Mo is over pitching. I’ve noticed when Mo isn’t really on then it’s overpitching that’s the sign. General lack of confidence plus Smith at the wicket?
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1. I don’t think Burns is much of a cut above Robson, Lyth or Jennings but the weaknesses argument is a different one.
The weaknesses of Lyth, Robson and Jennings was that the technical weaknesses resulted in a stream of very similar dismissals. Burns’ technique is indeed very unsusual, but as of yet we’ve not found a pattern to his dismissals.
2. I’m sure Lyon may still have a lareg say on where this game is going.
3. I think 175 is about the absolute maximum I’d feel reaosnably comfortable having England chasing.
I was very pleased with the application shown by Broad and Woakes with the bat today.
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Don’t disagree with your latest assessments on any of the three answers, or with your extra point. It was good to see that Broad can once again knuckle down, and even his dismissal followed a really respectable attempt to deal with the short stuff. On Burns, the absence of a pattern is surely a strength. It looks to me that he has some difficulty getting his front shoulder over the ball when trying to play into the covers, so it may yet be that good bowling sides can systematically dry him up on a length outside the off stump. On the other hand, better that than what Vince or Jennings do out there.
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I am afraid, Lyth repeatedly so carelessly driving at balls outside off stump drove me up the wall by the end of the series four years ago. He even got the fifth, dead rubber to show even a modicum of graft, where a hard fought 40 or similar may just have seen him kept on. It was only in the first test of that series he passed 35. I am not sure he passed 25 otherwise.
I am not convinced that Burns will do anything more than average much over 30 in test cricket, and I’ve watched enough of him in county cricket to agree that his methods do leave him prone to closing off the off side. That say, I have a little more faith in his off stump judgement and an average of 30 or so might just about be as good as England can hope for at this point.
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If he can average 30 in Tests that’s about where we were with the sainted but fully declining Cook, so at least we’ve stopped the rot. Of course, the irony is we’re picking over the bones of the bloke who scored a century when the real emergency at opener is likely at the other end…
I say that with gloom, as I’d love Roy to succeed, but I think opening against the moving ball in England rather dooms him.
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Yes. Roy somewhere in middle order (why not 4?). Denly is a more conventional opener, although probably not quite up to it either, But Roy opening is a waste of a really good player.
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Smith is too good for England.
Some irony in that while I’m not Jimmy’s greatest fan, in English conditions he is the man I’d nominate as having the skills to trouble even Smith*
As it is, I’m expecting Australia to win – although if they mess up the declaration England might be able to squeeze out a draw.
*I outlined a few strategies in a comment a couple of days ago, but one needs Jofra, so will have to wait for the next Test, one is for when he hasn’t settled in yet, so that horse is bolted. The final one involves incredible patience, bowling discipline and smart field settings… so that’s right out.
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Doubt if this is a declaration game. Smith to be left high and dry, with England needing 150 that will be rather difficult to get.
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