Geoff Lemon's Blog, page 25
June 19, 2023
Australia could rue England’s tail wag as they face tough chase on final day | Geoff Lemon
Excellent bowling by Pat Cummins was counteracted by allowing England’s tailenders to add 63 runs
For most of the day, Pat Cummins under duress held things together. First it was in the face of Joe Root’s early onslaught, one that would have been withering not just for its rate of scoring but the cheerfully insouciant air with which it was carried out. England had piled on 49 runs in 39 balls before Cummins produced magic, the quintessential booming yorker that swung in at Vin Diesel pace and demolished Ollie Pope’s off stump.
Root carried on with Harry Brook, at times making Cummins rejig the field every few balls, while also bowling a seven-over spell to start the day. Despite Brook laying into Nathan Lyon, Cummins backed his spinner and kept enough fielders up, letting Lyon dislodge both batters for 46 each.
So far so good, an on-field reflection of his pre-match words when asked about keeping cool if England reached the boil: “There’s going to be some moments of tension for everyone, which is exciting. You hopefully have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, and at times you just go on your gut. There’s going to be high pressure moments but you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but out there in the middle of it.”
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The Ashes 2023: England strike late as Australia chase 281 to win first Test – as it happened
England require seven wickets to win on day five, while Australia need 174 runs for victory after what has been an enthralling day four
And last on our list of links, one of the great mysteries of the OBO. I am only its servant, so who am I to question?
Behold, the Test Match Special overseas listening link.
Continue reading...The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day four – live
And last on our list of links, one of the great mysteries of the OBO. I am only its servant, so who am I to question?
Behold, the Test Match Special overseas listening link.
Continue reading...June 18, 2023
Australia cloud England’s mood after seeing their own tail washed away | Geoff Lemon
Rain cut day three of the first Ashes Test short but it was the heavy skies that brought it that put paid to England’s openers
You learn as you go that cricket in England has moods. Like some figure from myth whose face changes with angle and light. The first day of the Edgbaston Ashes Test was one mood, the bucolic English summery kind that justifies the work of pastoral poets. On the second, jaunty scoring gave way to a half-overcast grind under high cloud. The third, after England had bowled to a seven‑run lead, a sudden darker mood flashed at the home side in a window before rain.
Rain, cloud, darkness. Few sports make you think so much about light. All countries have sun, but there is a hard clear sunshine that only derives from an Australian summer, streams of photons hurtling on their long trip through space and smashing into cricket fields, bouncing back with such force that you’d swear you can hear them ping like stones off glass. Turn on a television anywhere in the world and see Australia’s summer, so bright it washes out the blue of sky and green of grass into variations of white.
Continue reading...The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day three – as it happened
England closed on 28 for two, a lead of 35, after wickets tumbled on a rain-affected third day at Edgbaston
As Andrew has done, by all means send me an email or a tweet. Details in the sidebar, which if you’re on a phone is at the top. Confusing.
This is some clever psychological ploy from Andrew Benton to extract something from me.
Continue reading...The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day three – live
As Andrew has done, by all means send me an email or a tweet. Details in the sidebar, which if you’re on a phone is at the top. Confusing.
This is some clever psychological ploy from Andrew Benton to extract something from me.
Continue reading...June 17, 2023
Khawaja adds the final exclamation mark to his storied comeback | Geoff Lemon
Australia opener proves another point with a Test century against England that fills the one remaining gap in his record
You have to start at the end. The celebration is unlike any other. Usman Khawaja starts recognisably, jumping as he crosses for a run, brandishing the bat like a fist pump with custom extensions. But the feeling boils up in him, something frothing its way to the top and over.
He throws his bat away, one arm up involuntarily like the jukebox just hit the chorus of Don’t Stop Believin’. It’s not a clean throw, no mic-drop drama, not planned. The bat tumbles from his hand to the ground because his body flails, a physical expostulation as response to a feeling that he does not know how to express.
Continue reading...The Ashes 2023: Usman Khawaja digs in as England toil – as it happened
Opener’s studious 126 not out put the tourists 82 runs behind with five wickets remaining at the end of day two
You know the deal. If you have something to share that other people might enjoy reading hit the email via geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or the creaking and spluttering tweet machine @GeoffLemonSport.
Lastly, there’ll be this over-by-over report, with me now and Tanya Aldred for the second half of the day. You can’t say we’re not giving Ashes value.
Continue reading...The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, first Test, day two – live
You know the deal. If you have something to share that other people might enjoy reading hit the email via geoff.lemon@theguardian.com, or the creaking and spluttering tweet machine @GeoffLemonSport.
Lastly, there’ll be this over-by-over report, with me now and Tanya Aldred for the second half of the day. You can’t say we’re not giving Ashes value.
Continue reading...June 16, 2023
Lyon works magic as Australia blunt Bazball and keep England in check | Geoff Lemon
Helped by an amenable pitch, the wolfish off-spinner took four wickets and denied the hosts a truly formidable total
The lead-up to an Ashes series is always an exercise in illusion. All the chatter, the speculation, the minor antagonism, coming together in a tower of meringue; impressive bulk and little substance, ready to vanish if left in the rain. This time around there was another ingredient, with the anticipation of England’s new approach to Test cricket, and how Australia would handle it. When the action finally got under way at Edgbaston, Australia coped just fine.
Through the last year under Brendon McCullum, England have rocked and rolled New Zealand, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Ireland, attacking with bat and ball. For the Ashes, though, their commitment to the style wavered slightly. Where triumph in Pakistan used young attacking spinners no matter their qualifications, the Ashes had Ben Stokes, the captain, bring Moeen Ali out of retirement for one last job. And on winning the Edgbaston toss, Stokes chose to bat, where his outrageous recent wins have come from fourth-innings chases.
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