England v Australia: Ashes fifth Test, day two – live
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61st over: Australia 151-5 (Smith 24, Carey 0) That tentative approach from Australia in the first session is starting to look silly now. England have bagged three wickets in no time and now Carey stands as the last recognised batter. They’re 132 runs behind and in desperate need of a partnership. Anderson will feel a lot better about things having castled Marsh.
This is a great question from James Cooper:
“Simple question. We’ve had stars of days or matches. But who would be your star of the series!?”
Possibly Broad as the most consistent player. What do you all reckon?
WICKET! Marsh b Anderson 8 (Australia 151-5)The old fella does it! Off the inside edge but it’s the length that does Marsh. Full and inviting a forward press, he’s stuck in his crease and can only prod at it. The crowd erupts. England all over Australia now.
60th over: Australia 150-4 (Smith 24, Marsh 16) Root is turning his arm over from the Pavilion End. He’s a handy bowler but I think the Australians won’t want to let him settle into a groove. Smith works a single to the on-side, Marsh does likewise with a push down past mid-off and Smith bags a couple with a sweep that catches the toe-end of his bat. Root tossing them up. He won’t mind if the batters try to tonk him.
Spin now. Root replaces Broad. How will the Aussies play this?
59th over: Australia 146-4 (Smith 21, Marsh 15) Marsh leans into a gorgeous on-drive to end the over. Woakes hasn’t quite matched the threat from the other end and delivered a slower ball just to mix things up. Smith picked up a single and Marsh collected a couple as well.
I’ll keep the tinfoil hat on, Paul Griffon, and you can choose to be sensible.
“I’m wondering if it’s just possible that the Aussies slow scoring rate was not a despicably low antipodean ploy to sneer at the spirit of the game, or besmirch the occasion and by extension England and all she stands for, but instead reflects that playing their opponent’s greatest bowlers is…quite tricky.”
58th over: Australia 139-4 (Smith 20, Marsh) Broad has found a fuller length and he’s looked threatening. Marsh plays around one that hits his pands and he catches a cover drive with the inside half of his bat that dribbles to mid-on. Both batters take a single through the on-side.
Different strokes…
The clash of styles between these teams has never been more extreme. Australia have already batted longer than England, but have half as many runs and have lost 4 wickets rather than 10. There's very different risk in both methods.
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) July 28, 202357th over: Australia 137-4 (Smith 19, Marsh 8) Woakes delivers a maiden to Smith with two balls whizzing past the outside edge. Lovely bowling. Back of a length and making him play.
Where is Sanath Jayasuriya? That’s what a few of you are asking. John Bowker and Shariq Gilani leading the chorus on that one.
56th over: Australia 137-4 (Smith 19, Marsh 8) What an exciting over that was! Broad had Marsh trapped on the crease as he thwacked his pads. A huge appeal was given not-out and they didn’t review even though replays show it would have flicked the stumps (but would have been umpire’s call). Then, to send a resounding response all that pressure, Marsh pressed forward, unleashed his arms and spanked Broad’s full ball high into the air and deep into the stands. It was a stunning stroke that’s worth checking out if you can.
A huge appeal for lbw! England don’t review. Broad turned around immediately to appeal which is possibly a sign that he knew it wasn’t out. Marsh was trapped on his crease and played around it. Maybe too high according to Stokes.
55th over: Australia 130-4 (Smith 18, Marsh 2) First Smith prods a single off his hips and then Marsh takes two walking out of his crease and tucking it neatly behind square. Woakes hasn’t quite found his line since the lunch break.
More Bazball Dream XI chat:
Bob O’Hara says either Jonty Rhodes or Derek Randall should serve as 12th man.
Steve Lloyd argues that Shhid Afridi should be the first name on the teamsheet. Maybe he’s right.
Graham Moger proposes NatWest as the team’s sponsor. Surely, though, it has to be an energy drink or a whisky brand? Maybe some hybrid drink combining Jack Daniels and Red Bull?
54th over: Australia 127-4 (Smith 17, Marsh 0) Fantastic from Broad. For once England choose to keep it full to Head as he begins his innings and wouldn’t you know it, it worked! The ball before the Aussie smacked a straight drive/flick for four but that didn’t deter Broad who simply adjusted his line and got the lefty poking at it. Marsh shows his intent to combat the seaming ball but coming out of his crease. Australia need a partnership here and something special from Smith. They trail by 156.
The crowd around me is heaving now. Broad on one of those spells?
WICKET! Head c Bairstow b Broad 4 (Australia 127-4)Brilliant! Round the wicket, angled in, holding its line, feathering the outside edge, a simple catch with the gloves. Classic Broad to the left-hander. Brilliant. Australia in a bit of trouble now.
Stuart Broad is having one of his spells against Australia. That’s 150 ashes wickets for the Notts man. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images53rd over: Australia 123-3 (Smith 17, Head 0) Woakes from the Pavilion End and he begins with a gentle half volley on Smith’s pads. Not the best idea and the world’s best batter whips him away for four through midwicket. Woakes gets his line right for the rest of the over until he doesn’t off the final ball. That’s angled down the leg side and catches Smith’s pad before flying away for four leg byes.
Forgot to ad that Broad did his trademark celebrappeal. He just knew it was out!
Not everyone is impressed though.
“There was a time when you weren’t allowed to just run down the wicket celebrating without first appealing to the umpire. I’m not sure the rule has changed,” says a grumpy Dechlan Brennan.
52nd over: Australia 115-3 (Smith 13, Head 0) That man Broad again. He just loves bowling to left handers. He’s got another one to aim at as Head makes his way to the middle. Lovely attacking lines from round the wicket means they have to play at almost every ball. If it holds it’s line the outside edge is in play. If it carries on with the angle, as it did to Khawaja, there’s a threat of lbw. Quality from the veteran.
WICKET! Khawaja lbw Broad 47 (Australia 115-3)Three reds and the review is overruled! That’s the third one Khawaja has burned this series. Broad from round the wicket angled that back into the left hander who doesn’t get a stride towards the ball. He’s trapped on the crease and squared up. I initially though height would be an issue but that’s crashing into the top of leg. A change of ends for Broad and the lunch break have combined to nab Australia’s third.
Broad pings Khawaja on the pad and up goes the finger! He reviews after a while. Stand by….
We’re back! The players are at least. Broad from the Vauxhall End to Khawaja. Three slips. Backward point, cover and mid-off. Mid-on, forward square leg and a fine leg the only boundary rider. Right arm round.
I’m loving the chat around our Bazball Dream XI. Keep ‘em coming!
Richard O’Hagan: “Are we totally ignoring the man with the highest strike rate in this particular series – Mark Wood?” – He did cross my mind.
Jonathan Leiper: “Surely room needs to be made for Lance ‘Zulu’ Klusener? He was Bazballing it about before Bazball was Bazball – Great shout!
Simon McMahon: “I don’t know (anything), Dan, but it could maybe be argued that the whole point of Bazball is that it changes the orthodoxy? And therefore in actual fact its best proponents may be those you thought least likely to take to it but who bought into the methodology, or were at least persuaded, through excellent management and coaching? The zeal of the convert as it were. So maybe its best proponents could have been, say, Boycott or Atherton, or an Andy Caddick or Gus Fraser? Though we’ll never know for sure. That really would be Bazball, and would certainly shake up the all-time Bazball XI. The nearest comparison I can think of is Clough at Forest in the late 70’s.”
“Hi Daniel,” hi Jonathan Salisbury. Hope you had a good lunch, pal.
“Has anyone left the crease more slowly and reluctantly than Labuschagne, regardless of mode of dismissal?”
No one, and I do mean no one, will ever leave the field at a slower rate than Phil Simmons. I remember watching him in a domestic game in South Africa (he played for Easterns, a rival to my beloved Lions from Johannesburg) and I swear it felt like he was still walking off when the next ball was bowled.
Loads more chat about our Bazball Dream XI. How good?
Dechlan Brennan: “Surely Matt Hayden in the 11 for slater. Pioneered the walking down the wicket at fast bowlers and hitting them for six. He wouldn’t take Gilchrist spot but Baz himself would be in most sides”
Graham O’Reilly: “Pretty happy with the Bazball 11, but I want Warney for captain - the Baz skipper of his time who never got the chance to do it”
John Wilson: “Surprised your pundits ignore the great Jacques Kallis. Batting average to rival Ponting, bowling up with Botham’s.Prejudice or oversight?” – If we’re talking a ‘normal’ all-time team, JK is the first name on my teamsheet. But not one renowned for his Bazball-esque approach.
Simon Fuller: “Surely no need for Gilchrist as a true Bazball XI doesn’t include an actual wicketkeeper? – I see what you did there.
John Cox: “Surely you have to find room for Gilbert Jessop and Victor Trumper?”
John Jones: “I was looking to include Jason Gillespie as he has a Test match double ton. Had to exclude him though on strike rate”
Pramith Pillai has made room for Virat Kohli.
Paul Blundell, a Saffa from Brisbane, feels that Baz McCullum himself deserves a shot.
Both Tim Sanders and Mark Beadle feel that Keith Miller should be in.
I think consensus (so far) is:
Gayle
Greenidge
Sehwag
Richards
Pietersen
Sobers
Gilchrist
Botham
Akram
Warne
Holding.
How do we feel about that?
Viv Richards playing against England at Lord’s in 1988, a ground where he averaged over 71. Decent. Photograph: Colorsport/REX/ShutterstockLunch: Australia 115-2 (Khawaja 47, Smith 12)With that leg bye off Khawaja’s pad that trickles to the on side, the players head into lunch. Was that England’s session? They got rid of Labuschagne without the score moving along too much. Was it Australia’s session? They added 54 runs but still have plenty of wickets in hand. Interesting session. I enjoyed it. Hope you did too. Off to grab a bite. Catch you in a few.
No school like the old school.
“Lovely to watch a batter who sees a wicket as something to be valued, guarded, not thrown away.”
I agree Penelope C. Like listening to vinyl or churning your own butter. Nice to lean into tradition from time to time.
Mouthy Marn?
“Marn had a mouthful of words for the umpires on his way off which were for some reason beyond the tv commentators to infer but which were surely about the light. It looks darker than a particularly bleak Black Mirror out there. Why are the lightometers not out?”
That’s from Eamonn Maloney. It was dark. But now it is light. He’ll be fuming up there in the dressing room. There was something about Broad playing with the bails as well, but I can’t quite figure out what that was about.
50th over: Australia 109-2 (Khawaja 43, Smith 12) Anderson tries to tempt Khawaja into playing away from his body but nothin’ doin’. Solid work from the Aussie rock at the top of the order. He’s perfectly fine seeing out another maiden.
