Two goals from Marcus Rashford, and one each from Anthony Martial and Daniel James, gave Ole Solskjaer’s side a rousing, if flattering, victory over Chelsea

8.45pm BST

A pleasing day for the United gaffer ...

8.36pm BST

Some player ratings for you to argue about ...

8.36pm BST

Jamie Jackson on the slight changes by the United manager ...

6.45pm BST

I’ll leave you with Danny Taylor’s match report from Old Trafford

6.44pm BST

Here’s Frank Lampard

“There were four mistakes for the goals, but we controlled major parts of the first half. We made a couple of poor decisions in the final third. We should have been ahead at half-time. Even at the start of the second half, I didn’t mind it, then two mistakes and we’re 3-0 down.

6.35pm BST

The Man of the Match is Harry Maguire

“It’s a great start for myself and the team. We rode our luck a little bit in the first half – we gave them too many chances. There were a few nerves and we gave the ball away in dangerous areas. But I think we were a lot better in the second half, we controlled the game and thoroughly deserved the three points.

6.25pm BST

“We’ve finally put in a textbook Mourinho performance,” says Michael Simpson. “I’m sure he’ll have warm words upstairs after the game.”

Ha, yes. This reminded me of some of those 4-0 wins at the start of the 2017-18 season: tight and nervous for most of the game, and then a blizzard of late, counter-attacking goals.

6.24pm BST

“United weren’t great, and no doubt they will still get the worst write up of all 20 PL teams this weekend,” says Bob Baccalieri. “But they have scored four, kept a clean sheet, looked like they cared, and their ‘terrible’ summer transfer business has already borne some fruit. That is good enough for me.”

Yes, I thought their attitude - which was such a problem at the end of last season - was excellent.

6.22pm BST

Peep peep! Manchester United start their season with a rousing, if flattering, thrashing of Chelsea. Marcus Rashford scored twice, with Anthony Martial - back in his old role at No9 - and the substitute Daniel James getting the others. Paul Pogba was his usual self: exasperating at times, imperious and devastating at others. Chelsea started the game superbly and passed it well, but their shoddy defending was punished ruthlessly.

6.19pm BST

90+1 min “Has there ever been more deceiving 4-0 lead than this one?” says Admir Pajic.

In fairness, United’s performance in the last half-hour has been textbook: sit deep, give Chelsea’s passers no space and shred them on the counter-attack.

6.18pm BST

90 min James is too fast even for Kante, who takes him out and is booked. It’s been a fine day for the United debutants - James has scored, Maguire has been as solid as his forehead and Wan-Bissaka, though erratic, has done some impressive things.

6.16pm BST

88 min “Hope you’re well,” says Ruth Purdue. “I’d love to have Jorginho in a 2 with McTominay. He’d keep the ball ticking over and thread balls through. I feel you need that type in that position rather than the marauding Pogba. The no 6 can play on the left of a midfield 3 when he has world class players around him. He seems not to be as consistent without a Kante, Pirlo or Matuidi. I realise I write this after that Pogba run. Any thoughts?”

They would complement each other, definitely. It’s the Pirlo/Gattuso model that Sir Alex Ferguson loved so much. But Pogba has been majestic at times in this game.

6.15pm BST

87 min After a good cross from Wan-Bissaka, Greenwood’s first-time shot is blocked.

6.14pm BST

86 min A double change for United: Juan Mata and Mason Greenwood replace the impressive pair of Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard. Beans.

6.14pm BST

85 min Mount hits a cracking low shot from distance that is well saved by de Gea, sprawling to his right. As Gary Neville says on Sky, he’s had a good day. A clean sheet would mean so much to him and the whole team, given the way they defended last season.

6.11pm BST

83 min “Is the scoreline a travesty?” says Christopher Faherty. “Chelsea have dominated the ball at spells and made chances but they’ve looked an open book at the back from the start of the game.”

It is now!

6.11pm BST

It was another superb counter-attack. Pogba played a one-two with Martial and surged majestically over the halfway line, beyond the defence. As Chelsea players started to catch him up, he looked up and angled a pass through to James in the area. He overran the ball slightly but recovered to hit a shot that deflected off Emerson and beat Kepa.

6.09pm BST

Daniel James scores on his debut!

6.08pm BST

81 min McTominay is booked for something or other. There have been a lot of yellow cards today, although I can’t remember any bad tackles.

6.08pm BST

80 min United almost get a fourth on the counter-attack. Pogba eases a long pass forward to Rashford, who cuts inside Azpilicueta on the edge of the area and hits a shot that is blocked by Kante.

6.05pm BST

76 min It’s been a strange game. Chelsea have had more possession, more shots, more shots on target, more corners, fewer fouls. But they’re 3-0 down, and no xG analysis in the world will make them feel better.

6.01pm BST

73 min A change for each side: Kante replaces Jorginho, and the debutant Daniel James comes on for Andreas Pereira.

6.00pm BST

72 min Although this scoreline is a travesty, it’s a reminder of how dangerous this United team can be on the counter-attack, both through the running of Rashford, Martial and Lingard and the passing of Pogba.

5.59pm BST

72 min It was Lindelof who was booked in the 69th minute, not McTominay.

5.59pm BST

71 min Zouma heads over the bar; Emerson has another shot from distance saved by de Gea.

5.58pm BST

69 min McTominay is booked for a foul on Kovacic.

5.56pm BST

68 min Between those goals, Tammy Abraham was replaced by Olivier Giroud.

5.56pm BST

That was an expertly taken goal. Pogba, just inside his own half, sprayed a brilliant pass over the top to find Rashford, who made a sharp run infield away from Azpilicueta. He killed the ball beautifully with his instep, just outside the area, and passed it to the left of Kepa.

5.54pm BST

Two goals in 90 seconds!

5.54pm BST

The goal came on the counter-attack after Maguire robbed Abraham on the edge of the box. Rashford overhit an angled through pass to Lingard, who retrieved the ball on the right of the area and eased it to Pereira on the wing. He whipped a wicked cross into the six-yard box, where Martial got in front of Azpilicueta and forced the ball through Kepa.

5.53pm BST

Anthony Martial doubles United’s lead!

5.51pm BST

64 min Chelsea haven’t been as threatening in the last 10 minutes, though they are still dominating possession. If it stays like, Daniel James or Mason Greenwood will surely come on for United.

5.50pm BST

62 min Pereira hangs the corner up towards Maguire, who wins it at the far post but can only head it back across goal. Chelsea clear.

5.49pm BST

62 min Martial tries to wriggle away from Zouma, who runs the ball behind for a United corner.

5.46pm BST

58 min A first change for Chelsea: the debutant Christian Pulisic replaces Ross Barkley,

5.45pm BST

58 min Abraham is booked for a foul on McTominay.

5.45pm BST

57 min “I see your point about McTominay and Fletcher,” says Andrew Hurley. “But do you not think players like Fletcher, the Nevilles etc function very well when they have great players around them but are exposed otherwise?”

I thought that Fletcher, for two years until he was out for a long period, was as good as anyone in the world in his position. In 2009-10 he was the driving force of a relatively mediocre team. Not saying McTominay will ever be that good but he could have a similar influence.

5.44pm BST

56 min A fizzing long-range from Emerson is beaten away by de Gea, falling to his left. He’s made a few saves today, although most have been relatively comfortable.

5.42pm BST

54 min Maguire, who had stayed forward after a United corner, tees up Rashford for a stinging shot that is blocked on the edge of the area.

5.40pm BST

52 min Jorginho is booked for a cynical foul on Lingard, who had beaten three players with a brilliant counter-attacking run.

5.39pm BST

51 min Pedro’s long-range curler takes a slight deflection and goes behind for a corner. United need to change something here because a Chelsea equaliser is in the post, and probably a winner too.

5.38pm BST

50 min Chelsea have started the second half strongly. If they don’t equalise they have some decent options on the bench, including Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic.

5.36pm BST

49 min “There was some very incompetent football in that first half,” says Rachel Clifton. “Watching in a completely (apart from me and mate) empty pub called The Churchill in NYC. Popping into the loos to be inspired by old Winston’s speeches which they play non-stop.”

Are you serious? I’m all for a bit of Churchill, but a pungent 15x12 cubicle isn’t traditionally the place where I urgently need to hear some inspirational rhetoric.

5.35pm BST

48 min Lingard is booked for a foul on Kovacic.

5.34pm BST

47 min “Sloppy?” says Mary Waltz. “You bet. Putting too much pressure on De Gea and Maguire to bail them out? When you have one of the best goalies in the world why not. Will this work against Liverpool and MC? Probably not. Are you not entertained? Yes I am.”

What’s the antonym of eavesdropping?

5.33pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half.

5.26pm BST

“If Rashford was a different nationality... it’s odd how his profligacy is readily accepted, not even 1 in 4 (and he takes penalties),” says Andrew Hurley. “He will, as usual, have five games where he looks full of potential, then disappear, but the hope will always be there for next season. United have another one of these in Martial. With Sanchez having lost his verve and seemingly desire, who will score for United this season? They look woefully short up front (and in centre midfield, where a player like McTominay should be 5th choice if United have decent midfielders). How have they spent so much money and ended up like this?”

I like Rashford, personally. I thought the same about McTominay, but he was a revelation against Barcelona last season, has a great attitude (which is important in this team) and could - could - have the same influence as Darren Fletcher.

5.22pm BST

“As he was such a scapegoat last year, I would like to give a shout-out to Jorginho for his incisive passing, movement, and positioning,” says Adam Kline-Schoder. “Even though it’s certainly early days, I really like the look of a much-less-constrained-by-a-strict-system Jorginho. I think it’s always good when footballers are given the platform they need to perform to the max, which he seems to have now. I am hopeful that realising that this (rather than slow, ponderous, sideways passing) is his baseline will inspire a select subset of Chelsea supporters to take another chance on him!”

Yes he’s played two or three lovely passes to cut out the United midfield. He and Barkley have been really impressive.

5.19pm BST

Half-time reading

5.18pm BST

Peep peep! United lead through Marcus Rashford’s emphatic penalty, but their performance has been pretty ragged. Chelsea have been much the better side and hit the post twice. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

5.17pm BST

45+1 min Two minutes of added time.

5.16pm BST

45 min I don’t think you can play Pogba in a midfield two. It worked for France because of the quality of those alongside and behind him, but in this team it is putting far too much pressure on Scott McTominay and the defence.

5.14pm BST

44 min Rashford plays a cute pass inside the area to Martial, who then decides to play silly buggers and is dispossessed.

5.12pm BST

40 min: Emerson hits the post! This is absurd. Chelsea could be 3-1 or 4-1 up. Jorginho’s chipped cross somehow finds its way through to Emerson, lurking to the left of the six-yard box. He takes a touch and thrashes a rising shot that hits the inside of the post and rebounds to safety.

5.10pm BST

39 min: Chance for Chelsea! Pedro finds Barkley on the left of the area. He moves the ball away from Lindelof and hits a left-footed shot that is kicked away by de Gea.

As David Brent didn’t say, I don’t call this a scoreline, I call it a scorelie: Chelsea have been excellent, much the better team.

5.08pm BST

37 min “Pogba’s changed his mentality over the summer then?” says Kevin Wilson. “I don’t get his Harlem Globetrotter shtick; you’ve got bloody teammates.”

I’m sensing rancour.

5.07pm BST

36 min Zouma, who is having a bit of a beast, is booked for a bad tackle on Pereira.

5.06pm BST

36 min Pedro shoots straight at De Gea from 25 yards. Chelsea are looking dangerous again.

5.06pm BST

35 min Barkley curls a crisp low shot just wide from 20 yards. De Gea had it covered, I suspect, but it was a good effort from a player who has started very brightly.

5.05pm BST

34 min: Rashford has a goal disallowed for offside. And he was miles offside.

5.04pm BST

32 min Wan-Bissaka, who has had an excellent start to his United career, surges back to tackle Barkley and thwart a dangerous Chelsea break.

5.02pm BST

31 min Mount wastes a good opportunity. Barkley found him on the right of the area with a penetrative angled pass that went through McTominay. Mount should have taken the shot on but instead tried to cut it back towards Abraham. It was overhit and Wan-Bissaka cleared.

5.00pm BST

29 min Chelsea, who were winded by the goal, have started to move the ball around again. Some of their passing and movement has been excellent.

4.56pm BST

26 min United have had 69 per cent possession in the last 10 minutes. It’s an intriguing game between two young, keen yet vulnerable sides.

4.54pm BST

24 min The goal has calmed United down, and they are starting to look better on the ball.

4.53pm BST

22 min Christensen is receiving treatment after being caught in the face by Pogba’s arm as they both went for a header.

4.52pm BST

21 min Pereira’s mishit free-kick from the left finds its way through to Maguire beyond the far post. His driven cross is deflected behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.

4.49pm BST

19 min That goal wasn’t against the run of play; it was an affront to the run of play.

4.49pm BST

Rashford scores emphatically, crashing the ball into the top-left corner. Kepa went the right way but had no chance.

4.48pm BST

It was a clear penalty, a really clumsy tackle from Zouma after Rashford turned back inside him near the edge of the box.

4.47pm BST

17 min Zouma trips Rashford in the area, and Anthony Taylor points to the spot.

4.47pm BST

15 min As Gary Neville points out on Sky, Rashford is not going back to defend against Azpilicueta, so Shaw has to deal with both him and Pedro.

4.43pm BST

12 min Mount receives pass 25 yards from goal, gets the ball out of his feet and cracks a good shot that is saved by de Gea. This has been a superb start from Chelsea and a troubling one for United.

4.41pm BST

11 min Chelsea have had 68 per cent of the possession so far.

4.40pm BST

10 min There’s a bit of a strut about Chelsea. After another good passing move, Pedro’s low cross drifts right across the six-yard box, just in front of the unmarked Abraham. He would have had an open goal.

4.39pm BST

7 min: Martial misses a good chance! Chelsea tried to play out from the back, only for Zouma to slide an abysmal pass across the edge of his own area. It ran past Jorginho, the intended target, and went straight to Martial, whose first-time curler was too close to Kepa. He didn’t really get hold of it.

4.36pm BST

6 min “Hi Mr. Smyth,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Lovely to see that you’ve swapped MCC blazer for football rattle and prawn sandwich. Great also to see Mou back in the PL, although as a pundit this time with Sky. He’s box office, no doubt, and worth watching. I can’t help thinking that these three pundits have Spurs too far ahead of the chasing pack of Chelsea, United and the Arsenal, though, especially with Arsenal’s summer and their beginning to mature under a proven manager. I think Mou’s quite astute here in saying that a number of other clubs will also be running the top six pretty close come May. I’m so excited I could go on a foreign owner protest march.”

4.35pm BST

5 min This is a superb start from Chelsea, who looked dynamic and confident.

4.35pm BST

4 min: Abraham hits the post! The Chelsea corner was only half-cleared by United and came back to Abraham on the edge of the area. He rolled Rashford, turned and hit a thunderous first-time shot that beat de Gea and slammed off the far post.

4.34pm BST

3 min Chelsea have started confidently. Mount springs down the right and hits a cross that is headed behind by Maguire.

4.32pm BST

2 min Emerson has an early run at Wan-Bissaka, who wins the ball decisively to prompt a lusty cheer from the Stretford End.

4.31pm BST

1 min Peep peep! United get the match under way, kicking from left to right. They are in red; Chelsea are in blue. It looks like United are playing Rashford on the left and Martial up front.

4.26pm BST

Having heard Solskjaer’s interview, I suspect Manchester United will play a diamond midfield, with Lingard behind Rashford and Martial. We’ll soon find out, tactics fans.

4.25pm BST

Pre-match interviews

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

4.18pm BST

Harry Maguire speaks

“I’m really proud to join this club and I’m looking forward to playing now. It’s a big game to start. We want to be on the front foot and play in their half. The atmosphere will be unbelievable – I played here last year on the opening as well and I know it will be great.”

4.02pm BST

José Mourinho department

3.59pm BST

“I guess this is naïve,” says Francis Mead, “but Angel Gomes looks a fantastic player. Please just put him in the team and play him. Give him a chance - please, please, please.”

He was included in the matchday squad. What more do you want?

3.57pm BST

Both managers have picked young sides. The oldest player in in the United team is the captain David de Gea, 28. The oldest outfield player is Jesse Lingard, who is reportedly 26.

Chelsea have only three players over the age of 25 - Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho and the game’s only thirtysomething, Pedro.

3.52pm BST

What a difference 11 years makes

Good lord pic.twitter.com/U0Qy5EY1B9

3.34pm BST

Manchester United give debuts to Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire, while Frank Lampard prefers Mason Mount to Christian Pulisic. Tammy Abraham, who made two appearances as substitute in 2015-16, starts his first league game for Chelsea.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; Pogba, McTominay; Lingard, Pereira, Rashford; Martial.
Substitutes: Romero, Mata, Young, James, Greenwood, Matic, Tuanzebe.

3.14pm BST

There’s just over half an hour remaining at St James’ Park, where Newcastle are playing Arsenal. You won’t believe the score!

3.14pm BST

Essential pre-match reading

3.01pm BST

This transfer news, from the PA wires, is best digested with a nice Chianti

Highly-rated Monaco teenager Hannibal Mejbri is heading to Manchester United in a $10m deal, subject to FIFA clearance.

10.18am BST

Hello and welcome to live coverage of more football. Between them, Manchester United and Chelsea have won the title in 18 of the 27 Premier League seasons. This year, they start as 50-1 outsiders. Let that marinate for a few seconds: before they’ve kicked a ball, Manchester United and Chelsea are 50-1 to win the title.

For both teams, the realistic grail is fourth place rather than first. Both have been in endless transition - United since 2013, Chelsea since about 2007. And though Chelsea have managed to win a few titles in that time, an extraordinary achievement in many ways, such fleeting relationships with managers rarely create the same memories.

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Published on August 11, 2019 10:52

August 8, 2019

Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

West Ham have the talent to cause Manchester City problems on opening weekend while David de Gea has a point to prove

While there is plenty of excitement to be drawn from Liverpool’s much-lauded front three, a good argument could be made that the two most thrilling players in Jürgen Klopp’s side are defenders. Technically, anyway. In reality, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson spent last season making a mockery of their job descriptions, zooming forward with exuberant abandon and each laying on more goals than any of the side’s so-called attackers. Meanwhile, down in the Championship, a similar operation was in progress. Norwich’s full-back duo, Jamal Lewis and Max Aarons, are under strict instructions from Daniel Farke to play with the handbrake permanently off and duly raised pulses at Carrow Road, clocking up 10 assists between them with Lewis being named the EFL young player of the season. In theory, that could spell good news for Sadio Mané and Mo Salah on Friday night: Liverpool’s chief goal threats should not be short of vacant space to exploit on their respective flanks. But either way, with so many tireless shuttlers on show, proceedings at Anfield may look less like a football match than an Olympic swimming contest. AH

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Published on August 08, 2019 16:01

August 5, 2019

Ashes 2019: Australia beat England by 251 runs in first Test – as it happened

Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins shared all 10 wickets as Australia made short work of England’s batsmen to complete a crushing victory at Edgbaston

7.19pm BST

Nothing kneejerk from England ...

7.15pm BST

Geoff Lemon on Lyon v Moeen ...

4.42pm BST

3.53pm BST

Well, that’s it for today’s blog. Thanks for your company and emails. Congratulations to Australia, who did an emphatic number on England - and at Edgbaston as well. See you at Lord’s!

3.51pm BST

“Isn’t that going a bit far?” says Stuart MacKenzie. “I could be a lot more chuffed for him if he hadn‘t been banned for cheating, and I would be a lot more chuffed if all the critical runs had been scored by someone like Tim Paine who wasn’t banned for cheating but had to deal with the fallout from those who were.”

That’s why I’m so chuffed for him, because he suffered the kind of public shaming that would destroy most of us.

3.50pm BST

“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Well, yeah, well done Australia and Smith and that, but it wasn’t exactly a World Cup semi-final, was it?”

3.49pm BST

Nathan Lyon and Matthew Wade are paying tribute to Steve Smith on Sky Sports

Lyon “He’s unique, isn’t he? He’s the best batter in the game. He trains the house down, so we’re not surprised at how good he is because we see the work he does away from the cameras.”

3.45pm BST

“Steve Smith’s father,” says Don E, “must be so proud.”

Indeed. I hope his eyes and throat are moist right now.

3.43pm BST

“I don’t know which commentator noted that Steve Smith should not be excused for ‘such errant’ misfielding ...” says Maurie Cropper. “Sounds like a looser sucking sour grapes.”

3.42pm BST

Steve Smith is the Player of the Match, and of his generation

Even an England fan, I couldn’t be more chuffed for him. He’s an extremely good human being, and a genius of a cricketer.

3.37pm BST

And here’s Tim Paine

“We were certainly up against it on day one, but when you’ve got the best player in the world, anything’s possible. After the first few hours I thought we were excellent. We’re running out of things to say about Smithy: he’s probably the best Test batsman I’ve ever seen. Wadey has been in red-hot form in the last 18 months and I think he’s been picked at the right time.

3.32pm BST

Here’s Joe Root

“It’s bitterly disappointing. I thought we played some really good cricket for the majority of the Test match, but credit to Australia; they fought hard to get back in it and bowled extremely well today. Two brilliant innings from Steve, we’ll have to keep working hard at trying him out. It was hard losing Jimmy early on but these things happen and you have to take it on the chin. It was a group decision to select Jimmy – he passed all the fitness tests and it’s just one of those freak things that can happen. We’re not sure about Jimmy and Jofra for Lord’s – we’ll have to see how they shape up. We’ve got plenty of time before the Lord’s Test and I think it’s important we’re clear on how we want to go.

3.28pm BST

“Appreciate that Moeen has taken more Test wickets than anyone in the last 12 months, but most of those have been abroad,” says Max Cornell. “To be fair to him, he’s not the only player clearly underperforming but the difference between Lyon and Ali is astounding.”

He bowled brilliantly against India last year on a similar pitch to this. My opinion is that he deserved to play in this game, because of his superb bowling form in the past year, but it was obvious by Saturday evening that his confidence was gone. With Moeen, you need to act quickly, which England didn’t do in the last Ashes.

3.25pm BST

This match was pretty similar to Old Trafford 1997. Australia chose to bat first in seam-friendly conditions; they fought back from an early collapse; there were two centuries from Steve and nine wickets for the spinner. And England were thrashed.

3.23pm BST

“Cummins’ four wickets are somehow even more impressive than Lyon’s six on this surface,” says Andrew Hurley. “Broad bowled extremely well in this match but Cummins is something else, on another level.”

He is an absolute champion, the best all-weather bowler in the world along with Bumrah. I love the man.

3.22pm BST

“Changing four players after one defeat that was at least in part down to going down to ten men early on smells a bit desperate,” says Jon McKinley. “Bringing in a fit quick bowler and a different spinner who can bat a bit might just do the trick. Even though the Aussie top three averaged 13 - mainly due to Khawaja’s second innings 40 - I suspect they’ll keep faith with them for Lord’s.”

Yes, the balance between staying calm and making necessary changes is always tricky. What it comes down to is whether we really think Denly, Moeen and Bairstow are going to get runs or wickets in this series. I don’t think Denly or Moeen will. Bairstow might, but he’s averaging five in his last 10 Test innings at home and he looks like his head is still at Lord’s on 14 July.

3.21pm BST

Read all about it!

3.19pm BST

That’s Australia’s first win at Edgbaston since 2001. They were 122 for eight on the first day and they won by 251 runs; that, folks, is a towelling. They were too resilient, too secure and just too good for a bits-and-pieces England side who are carrying far too many passengers to beat a side of this quality. Australia were quite brilliant.

3.14pm BST

WICKET! England 146 all out (Woakes c Smith b Cummins 37) That’s it! Woakes loops a bouncer to second slip, where Smith takes the catch to complete a glorious comeback - both for him and Australia.

3.10pm BST

52nd over: England 146-9 (Woakes 37, Anderson 4) “Rob, I agree with your Lord’s line-up, assuming you haven’t already changed your mind, but I’d have Stokes ahead of Buttler,” says Romeo. “They won’t make so many changes though.”

I was torn on that. Stokes is a much more natural Test No5, but he asked to go down to No6 in the winter because of the hangover from his bowling. The ideal solution is Bairstow (when in form) at No5, Stokes at No6 and Buttler the keeper at No7, but I don’t want to waste serotonin having that conversation again. I agree that they won’t make so many changes. I think Moeen will go, and that will be it apart from the injury-enforced replacement of Anderson.

3.07pm BST

51st over: England 141-9 (Woakes 36, Anderson 0) Siddle, as Adam says, deserves a wicket in this innings after a forensic spell this morning. He should have had one there - but Woakes was dropped by Smith at second slip. It was a fairly sharp chance to his left, and Smith couldn’t get down quickly enough. Frankly I’m not sure his batting, excellent though it is, is adequate compensation for such errant fielding.

“Let’s go full Pakistan!” says Gary Naylor. “Burns, Sibley, Bell-Drummond, Root, Stokes, Foakes, Woakes, Curran S, Archer, Leach, Broad. You’re telling me they’d score fewer runs than the current XI? I think not.”

3.03pm BST

50th over: England 136-9 (Woakes 31, Anderson 0) Nathan Lyon has a dream. In it, every batsman in the world is a left-hander. He is toying with Anderson, who does well to play out a maiden. I’m still not sure why he’s out there as his facial expression suggests he is exacerbating his calf injury.

“Can anyone explain to me why Ali is still in the squad?” says Max Cornell. “Anyone?”

3.00pm BST

49th over: England 136-9 (Woakes 31, Anderson 0) Chris Woakes has quietly had an excellent game with the bat - 68 runs without being dismissed. He should bat No8 at Lord’s, whether Moeen plays or not. In other news, I have no idea why Jimmy Anderson is batting at all as he’s clearly struggling.

This is the 111th Test Match I’ve been to. Never seen a hat-trick, never will. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/O2bhSVbB8F

2.56pm BST

48th over: England 136-9 (Woakes 31, Anderson 0) Anderson survives the hat-trick ball, and spares England one last ignominy. Lyon has been so good: 18-4-44-6.

“Can we start talking about the second Test please?” says David Horn. “A nine-day break gives plenty of time for selection conversation. Here’s an opening gambit: Leach for Ali, Archer for Anderson (if fit / unfit), and a discussion about Foakes vs. Bairstow - while acknowledging that they’ll never make three changes after just one Test.”

2.54pm BST

That wicket gives Lyon another five-for. He has bowled quite masterfully in helpful conditions - and now he has his sixth wicket! Broad goes first ball, beautifully caught by Smith at slip, and Australia are one wicket away from a brutal victory. Oh, and Nathan Lyon is on a hat-trick, all of them left-handers.

2.52pm BST

Lyon dismisses Moeen for the ninth time in the last 11 innings. Moeen pushed forward at a lovely offspinner that flew off the edge and was taken by Warner in the gully.

2.50pm BST

47th over: England 135-7 (Moeen 4, Woakes 30) Moeen has a couple of close shaves off the bowling of Siddle. A check-drive flies just out of Siddle’s reach in his follow through, and then he leaves a ball that misses off stump by this much.

@collinsadam my old man & I are loving your OBO coverage with limited internet here in Hunza. Rolling the poms in the ‘Bear Pit’ (inshallah) would somehow augment the sublimity of the Himalayas - though it seems quite far removed. Once again, cricket extends its bizarre tendrils. pic.twitter.com/4B1ecnA7xK

2.46pm BST

Thanks Adam, hello everyone. Let’s get this over with, shall we.

2.43pm BST

46th over: England 133-7 (Moeen 2, Woakes 30) Time for Steve Smith, on for an over before drinks. “You’re a genuine all-rounder, Smudge,” Paine roars through the stump mic. He is landing his stock delivery a lot more since the ban compared to when he was captain and seldom bowled in the nets. As soon as I typed that he bowled a full toss at Woakes but he doesn’t put it away. Maiden, and drinks!

With that, I’ll pass the baton to Rob Smyth to see you through to the end of this Test Match. Speak to you all again at Lord’s. Bye!

2.41pm BST

45th over: England 133-7 (Moeen 2, Woakes 30) Siddle is back on for Pattinson after his poor over. He absolutely deserves to get into the book after his excellent spell this morning. After the lbw shout there is another next ball, which is almost identical. They don’t use the DRS this time around though, keeping their final review in hand.

2.38pm BST

NOT OUT! Yep, going over the top. Lovely bit of bowling, beating the inside edge, but the right decision was made on the field.

2.37pm BST

HAS SIDDLE PICKED UP MOEEN? To DRS we go for lbw. Joel Wilson turned it down but Paine liked it. Looked high to me. We’ll see.

2.35pm BST

44th over: England 132-7 (Moeen 2, Woakes 29) Lyon to Moeen, who defends and leaves nicely to the applause of local crowd. “Easy, easy, easy!” they chant at the end of the maiden. Now into “it’s all gone quiet over there,” at the Australian tour group, which is quite good.

2.34pm BST

43rd over: England 132-7 (Moeen 2, Woakes 29) Back to back boundaries for Woakes off Pattinson! Two lovely shots too, nailing a pull out to the Hollies then whipping attractively to the same part of the ground for the same result. He then makes is three in the over, slapping a ball from well outside the off-stump to the point rope. The runs don’t matter but he’s batting with proper confidence here. If Moeen does keep his spot for Lord’s, there’s a very reasonable argument that he should drop behing Woakes in the batting list.

2.29pm BST

42nd over: England 120-7 (Moeen 2, Woakes 17) Moeen is off the mark from Lyon. That shouldn’t be a big deal but, well, we all know how well this has worked out in recent years. The crowd recognise the moment too, clapping Moeen’s sweep for two. And he’s through the rest of it without too many concerns, either. With Moeen under the pump big time in terms of keeping his spot, a handy half-century, or something like that, could be very important for him.

2.26pm BST

41st over: England 118-7 (Moeen 0, Woakes 17) It is Pattinson (thanks for listening, Tim) but it doesn’t quite work to plan. Not yet, at least. It won’t take him long to find his range, I am fairly surely.

“If England get Steve Smith’s personal total from here, we can still win this,” laughs Richard Harman. And Adam Giles: “Woakes to score 200 off 150 and Ali to score the rest, including hitting Lyon for 36 in an over. You heard it here first.” We have another wish from Konstanze Kwiet “I would like Steve Smith to bowl. Feels like Christmas.” Not the craziest idea. He’s... bowling better now?

2.21pm BST

40th over: England 114-7 (Moeen 0, Woakes 13) Woakes deals with the majority of the Lyon over confidently enough, taking one behind square. Moeen once again leaves two deliveries from around the wicket. It can’t be long before the spinner busts out that straight one again, the ball that did Moeen a beauty on morning three.

2.19pm BST

39th over: England 113-7 (Moeen 0, Woakes 12) Woakes gets them singing in the Hollies, carving Cummins for one four then deflecting another boundary off his front pad for four leg byes. He gets in a tangle to finish in response to that annoying Cummins short ball that isn’t quite a bouncer - he bowls that length better than anyone. I think it might be time for Pattinson to send down some rockets.

“Assuming England get hammered here,” says Kevin Wilson, “I’m hoping this goes the way of 1989 where Root is the only constant in the England squad and they panic each Test, selecting new guys who either score two low scores or take 2-100 and are promptly dropped for other guys who perform just as poorly. I doubt they’ll go down the four captains route though.”

2.13pm BST

38th over: England 102-7 (Moeen 0, Woakes 5) England have lost 3/12 since the break. The local lad Woakes reaches out and lashes a wide Lyon delivery to get off the mark first ball. A single to midwicket means Moeen has to face his nemesis for three balls... and he gets through it. Crucially, he picks the correct two deliveries to leave.

3️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ Test match wickets for Nathan Lyon!

Seven down, three to go for Australia as Stokes nicks behind to Paine!

Follow over-by-over commentary and in-play clips from the first #Ashes Test at Edgbaston live on Sky Sports The #Ashes: https://t.co/244fxDvaYd pic.twitter.com/Hyuqq20fLb

2.08pm BST

Two in two balls! Lyon from around the wicket gets so much spin and bounce. Stokes had to play, the edge deflecting to Paine who takes the sharp chance. Lyon now has 350 Test wickets and is about to bowl Australia to a famous come-from-behind victory.

2.06pm BST

Wilson gets one right! The Cummins delivery jagged back sharply at the right hander then sailing out to gully where it was easily taken by Bancroft. As it hit his arm, Bairstow sent it upstairs right away but the technology showed that the ball glanced his glove en route.

37th over: England 97-6 (Stokes 6)

2.01pm BST

36th over: England 93-5 (Stokes 6, Bairstow 2) Bairstow gets one behind square from Lyon’s first ball, settling well. It’s an important innings for the wicketkeeper - he needs to get into this series. Stokes is smothering the spin for the rest, only once deflecting to the cordon, the rest ending up with the fielders in front of square. Better.

1.59pm BST

35th over: England 92-5 (Stokes 6, Bairstow 1) Edge, four. Cummins is working at Stokes outside the off stump and the all-rounder waves the bat, lucky not to give one of the three slips a chance. Perhaps as a result of this experience, from an identical delivery later in the over, he can’t quite work out if he’s playing or not, just getting the bat out of the way. Cummins has been outstanding in both his spells today.

“This is all very reminiscent of 2005,” suggests Richard O’Hagan. “England get off to a great start in the first innings of the first test, then blow it completely to lose the game. Still come back to take the urn at The Oval in September.”

Graham Thorpe - “I said, ‘don’t go dancing down the pitch to Nathan Lyon, Roy’. What did I say Roy?”

Jason Roy - “You said ‘Just play your natural game, Jason’”

1.54pm BST

34th over: England 88-5 (Stokes 2, Bairstow 1) There’s a lot going on in every Lyon over here now, turning the ball hard at Stokes with those three catchers still in around the bat. He’s good enough to get off strike around the corner when the spinner is a touch straight, Bairstow doing likewise from the next delivery. Paine is chatting away at both batsmen. That’ll be worth keeping an ear on.

“I had forgotten how good it is to see English wickets tumbling into the abyss of defeat,” says Chris Hanson following on from Australia. “A glorious sight.”

1.46pm BST

That’ll do! After beating Buttler to begin the over he castles him to finish, hitting the top of off-stump with the perfect off-cutter. Class.

33rd over: England 85-5 (Stokes 0)

1.41pm BST

Righto, the players are back on the field. Cummins will be starting the session running away from me at the pavilion end, Buttler the man on strike. PLAY!

1.41pm BST

“Dear Mr Collins.” Hello, Bob Wilson “With the assembled talents of OBO emailers at your disposal and your own wide ranging career experience of politics, sports-writing (and an unexpected spot of catalogue modelling), I’m disappointed that there has been no mention of the real take-away from this match. All that feared Hollies Stand booing, sledging and general disobligingness really worked. Smith was deeply affected. He blew that 2nd inns 150 like an 8 year old girl with confidence issues. Talk about mental disintegration. Fans at other grounds should follow suit and chivy him into an early grave (or a thousand runs in the series). Same thing happened to Shane Warne in 2005, I seem to remember. It is always a good idea to give Australians the general Bronx cheer. They’re a very undefiant bunch.”

I wonder what will happen at Lord’s next week? It can get a bit loose in the Compton and Edrich Stands these days. Then again, when Amir made his comeback in 2016, the booing lasted three overs.

1.33pm BST

Lunch time emails. “I’m a total newbie to following cricket,” writes David Brazil. “Having been at Lord’s and enjoyed the ecstasy and then abrupt agony of seeing Ireland almost do well but then get humbled against England. What a brilliant sport! I spent too long ‘consuming’ Premier League football and missed more exciting cricket tussles down the years. The highlight of my short-run cricket appreciation so far is Googling ‘nervous 140s’ to work out if yesterday’s OBO description of Steve Smith was freshly minted or another sporting cliché. So if you start inventing terms you’ve at least one extremely gullible reader today.”

Wonderful! Welcome to our sport’s dysfunctional family.

1.06pm BST

Four wickets across the session. Australia’s morning, without doubt. I’m going to take a break and grab a bite to eat. Back with you soon.

1.05pm BST

32nd over: England 85-4 (Buttler 1, Stokes 0) Lyon to Stokes and he has three catchers on the off-side: slip, gully and silly point. This was what I referenced in the preamble before play- Lyon, 24 hours ago, shadow-batting as a left-hander, working out where he would target. Stokes doesn’t take any bait here though, watching and leaving. One takes off that ends up with slip, but he’s through to the finish line. Well, this finish line, anyway. Four hours (65 overs) to go. For England to be any chance now, their vice-captain will need to face a great many of them. He can think about that at LUNCH!

1.01pm BST

31st over: England 85-4 (Buttler 1, Stokes 0) Cummins mixes up his lengths to Cummins in what could be the final over before lunch. One keeps low just outside the off-stump; later in the over from the same spot it takes off. Just on a length, he beats him on the drive too! Gotta put that one away for now, Jos. Australia have done really well to get through the set in three mintues, so Lyon will get another.

12.58pm BST

30th over: England 85-4 (Buttler 1, Stokes 0) Watching back the replay, what a wonderful piece of bowling from Lyon - a classic wicket for an off-spinner with a bit of extra pace and bite. As for Bancroft, what a skilful take too. Little wonder Steve Waugh has described the West Australian as the best bad pad he’s seen. Bancroft will be under some pressure to keep his spot for Lord’s (correctly or otherwise), but catches like that help an awful lot. Stokes does his job well, the in-form man comfortably defending the rest of Lyon’s set. “Sir Richard Hadlee, Sir Ben Stokes” says Tim Paine through the stump mic. I guess that works? One over from Cummins to come.

12.53pm BST

Textbook! Lyon over the wicket, Root jumping forward, the inside edge found, Bancroft holding his pose and snaffling it expertly.

12.52pm BST

29th over: England 85-3 (Root 28, Buttler 1) The end of a dangerous Cummins over. He’ll get six more balls before lunch. Australia aren’t far away from busting this innings, and match, right open.

12.50pm BST

HAS CUMMINS GOT BUTTLER LBW? Joel Wilson says no. Paine wants them to have a look upstairs. NOT OUT! Umpires call on height; the England star survives. “Good decision, Joel.” I know the game isn’t about umpires but I really am pleased for him there.

12.48pm BST

28th over: England 84-3 (Root 27, Buttler 1) Lyon should get three more in here before the long break. Around the wicket to Buttler with three catchers around the bat, he has to make a good decision in response to every delivery. The bowler gets excited when Buttler misses a clip but there is only half an appeal. Maiden. Dangerous.

12.45pm BST

27th over: England 84-3 (Root 27, Buttler 1) Siddle’s fine spell continues from our pavilion or broadcast end. This is a touch less dangerous, mind, singles exchanged early in the over, Root then finishing with a compact clip through square leg for two.

“Hi Adam!” Sarah Jane Bacon, always great to hear from you. “Is it too late to pitch in with my whereabouts in ‘09?” Not at all! “Watching the match on the telly in Dubai! It was brutally hot out there, naturally, but even the global financial meltdown couldn’t stop a few stalwart fans like us. PS. Go you good thing, Gazza!”

12.40pm BST

26th over: England 80-3 (Root 24, Buttler 0) As David Gower notes on TV, they could live to regret that at 6pm when needing a review with men around the bat. Buttler leaves the only ball he has to look at, so very close to turning back into his off-stump! Oohs and aahs!

12.38pm BST

Lyon has his man! Denly shut up shop to him from around the wicket, inside edging to short leg for the easiest of chances. He reviews the decision at the last possible moment but that’s a terrible call, the ball clearly deflecting off his edge into the pad before ballooning to Bancroft. He’s out AND burned a review. Shocker.

12.35pm BST

25th over: England 77-2 (Root 22, Denly 10) Siddle gives Denly nothing, the Kent veteran in all sorts of strife on the fourth stump line, edging him into the cordon then beaten by a beauty. Forget what I said about the big quicks, Paine will surely stick with Siddle.

“I was fielding in a Sunday match for Crouch End back in 2009, so I missed the whole thing,” says Ben Mimmack. “The opposition were nice enough to tell us how amazing it was when we came in at the end of the innings though.”

12.30pm BST

24th over: England 77-2 (Root 22, Denly 10) Denly again attacks through the legside, men everywhere on the side of the ground both in close and on the rope. He gets one away to begin then later in the over, after Root gives the strike back via a sweep, takes a big swing. He doesn’t make full contact but gets one more to midwicket. Changing direction to around the wicket at Root, Lyon misdirects with the ball spinning down leg and past Paine for four byes.

12.28pm BST

23rd over: England 70-2 (Root 21, Denly 8) It’s all on Root here, isn’t it? He clips a couple of Siddle’s first ball, defending and leaving the rest. Against the new man Denly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Pattinson and/or Cummins back for a quick burst right away.

12.26pm BST

22nd over: England 68-2 (Root 19, Denly 8) Oooh! Denly isn’t far away from gloving the first ball of his day down the legside. There is an appeal but no review. Denly said before the Test that this was the most important week of his career. He’s clearly decided that to make the most of this opportunity he has to have a pop at Lyon, twice sweeping him to the rope in the space of four balls in an over where a wicket has already fallen! Great contact. Plenty going on here at Edgbaston. With the stump mics up, we can hear the Australians getting stuck into him straight away for his early shot selection.

Speaking of stump mics. “I think we need to call off play for a few hours whilst a preferably very lazy and incompetent technician goes to take a look at it,” suggests Oliver Atkinson in relation to the dodgy off-stump. “For the integrity of the game you see.” David Seare on that same topic: “Do you they choose a new stump from a box a similarly aged ones?” But will it fit through the two hoops in the ump’s pocket?

A rush of blood from Roy!

Roy takes a risk but gets it all wrong and is bowled by Lyon!

Follow over-by-over commentary and in-play clips from the first #Ashes Test at Edgbaston live on Sky Sports The #Ashes: https://t.co/244fxDvaYd pic.twitter.com/coVwwQTrbC

12.20pm BST

Roy has danced at the second delivery of Lyon’s new over, the ball turning through the gate and crashing into his middle stump! Yuk.

12.18pm BST

21st over: England 59-1 (Roy 28, Root 18) Siddle draws another false stroke from Root, skipping off the outside edge for four through the cordon. It kept a bit low too. The veteran is dangerous today.

“I was at that time living in Brussels,” recalls Eva Maaten of that day in 2009. “We had been to see an afternoon movie with our young daughter and were utterly amazed to find the match still going on when we got into the car for the drive home and turned on TMS on longwave. The 7 year old daughter was slightly bemused. Happy days.” How Test Matches time-stamp our lives. Great, aren’t they?

12.14pm BST

20th over: England 54-1 (Roy 28, Root 13) Roy sweeps and sweeps well, getting Lyon away. The captain tried the same stroke on earlier in the over and missed. But later in the over, Roy then jumps on the front foot for a couple more forward of square. Not the worst way to play Lyon early, who is so dangerous when he gets into his rhythm.

12.11pm BST

19th over: England 47-1 (Roy 22, Root 12) Ooh, so close for Siddle. The ideal place to land on the final day, hinting away off the seam - nice and full. Roy prods - his outside edge clipped - but the ball lands just next to the right glove of the diving Paine, sneaking through for four runs as well. Siddle nearly sneaks through the other way from the next ball, hitting the pad but via the inside egde. Excellent.

“We haven’t blocked out day five for a draw in a decade,” notes Matthew Tom. “So we’ve lost every time we’ve tried. Is it really *that* crazy to have a go for once?”

12.03pm BST

18th over: England 43-1 (Roy 18, Root 12) Lyon gets one over before drinks and is immediately up for lbw. I tell you what, Root might be very lucky there. Aleem Dar said that the England captain was playing a shot with his bat hidden well behind his front pad. So, had Australia reviewed - on the basis of Dar’s assessment - it would have been impact outside the line. But as Atherton says on television, Root has pulled the wool over the umpire’s eyes there. DRINKS!

12.01pm BST

17th over: England 41-1 (Roy 18, Root 10) As Athers notes of Wilson, it is like being a player out of form for Wilson. Considering the toughest part of his Test might be ahead of him with men around the bat later in the day, his heart must be pumping. Of course, Siddle was bang on the money in this his first over, having already beaten Root outside the off-stump before the lbw that wasn’t.

“Have the England team all carefully chosen slightly dodgy batting gloves today so they can regularly call for replacements from the dressing room?” asks Robin Hazlehurst. “I seem to remember Jimmy and Monty using that tactic quite well in 2009. And the random visit the from the physio to give them a pat on the bottom and then run back off. I hope our bottom-patters are ready for plentiful slow jogs out the middle today. England are likely to need them.”

11.56am BST

NOT OUT! There was an inside edge! That is the tenth incorrect decision from Joel Wilson in terms of those sent upstairs in this Test Match. What a harrowing experience this must be for him.

11.55am BST

HAS SIDDLE TRAPPED ROOT? He’s given and reviewed for a second time! Stand by!

11.55am BST

16th over: England 40-1 (Roy 18, Root 9) Good again from Roy, for the second time in two overs driving confidently through cover for four. Cummins was operating at Root earlier in the over, the captain looking quite useful early on here.

From Geoff Wignall: “So since the time of 122/8, Australia have managed 649/9 and England 394/11. That isn’t just down to Jimmy’s injury.” Brutal. Max Connell on that theme: “Who would’ve thought that when Australia were 122-8, England would still need to bat the entire fifth day to save a DRAW? If we escape with a draw I certainly hope that the time between this and the next test is spent trying to find some way, any way at all, to get Smith out before he manages to put a decent score together.”

Was at the ground - my old man bought 2 tickets for the game off Stacky as he, and the Aussie team, were staying in the same hotel as us. What made it all the more frustrating was we went out for a pizza after the game and it was complete shit. A metaphor for the day really...

11.49am BST

15th over: England 34-1 (Roy 14, Root 8) Nope, there is another delay. “A mini-fan in the stump cam has gone off,” reports the public address system. They finally go out and actually replace the stump in question. We can hear the Australians getting stuck into them about it; hard to know exactly what the theme of their chat is but it is a distraction they are trying to take advantage of. Earlier in the marathon Pattinson over, Roy struck the shot of the morning through cover for four. In reply to the delay, Pattinson immediately bumps him, the opener getting well underneath.

“Over the last few days each innings has sored higher than the last and contained more overs, I see no reason for this trend to not continue, England are more than capable of knocking out 350+ as they did in the first innings,” insists Antony Stones. His email is entitled ‘blind optimism,’ I should add. “All they need to do is figure out how to take Smith’s wicket given he is a one-man lynchpin for the Aussies.”

@collinsadam I'm playing "Would you rather... All out by Lunch, all out be Tea, final wicket on the last ball." I'm favouring lunch so I can get the pain over with.

Your 2009 look is incredibly strong @collinsadam. They'd never have known you were an Aussie. I was following it at home in London on the OBO and TMS, and pretty sure I'd already given up, so it was a nice surprise. Whatever happened to that left handed Lancastrian no.11, eh?

11.42am BST

Delay! The stumps are buzzing?! Odd scenes, there is something buzzing in the stump and Roy has heard it. Root comes up to meet him and tell the umpire “you would’t want that to come up on snicko!.” The ground staff do something or another. We’re back.

11.40am BST

14th over: England 30-1 (Roy 10, Root 8) Cummins turn and he’s once again peppering Roy at pace, beating his outside edge with one that moves appreciably off the seam. He gets off strike with one past short leg. A second boundary in as many overs from Root, pushing carefully down the ground, timing it just well enough. This is just what the captain needs to do early on: survive by scoring regularly.

“I was sunbathing underneath an apple tree in the Cotswolds, TMS on, oblivious to wasps, crossing each ball and minute off on a piece of sweat-dripping graph paper,” reflects David Alcock. “By far the most exciting test I’d ever listened to, I barely even remembered to drink cold beers... Ah, memories.”

#Ashes2019 Jason Roy has made 10 off 39 balls. It's taken two Tests to turn a buccaneering opener into Trevor Bailey @collinsadam

11.33am BST

13th over: England 25-1 (Roy 9, Root 4) NOT OUT! It is going down the legside by a mile, making another Joel Wilson error. Dear me, that isn’t much better than the Wade one that he gave yesterday. Root hit a lovely four off his back foot through point from the ball before to get off the mark.

“Morning Collo.” Nick Toovey, g’day. “Cardiff ten years ago was spent draining cans too quickly on a mates sofa in Wandsworth that we, under some duress, had to send his girlfriend out to replenish as we didn’t want to leave the sofa. This led to a barrage of foul language during the inexplicable decision to bowl Marcus North at the end of the day (still don’t understand why it wasn’t Peter Siddle) that my mates flatmate complained about. I don’t think I was ever invited back, come to think of it.” Quelle surprise!

11.31am BST

IS ROOT OUT LBW TO PATTINSON? He has been given out but going upstairs!

11.27am BST

12th over: England 20-1 (Roy 9, Root 0) Deary me, this is both RAPID and brilliant from Cummins. Roy leaves close to his stumps early in the over, which means one thing: the bouncer is next and it is scrary-quick. Backing up from that, an all-but unplayable that pitches on the stumps and jags away, beating the edge on the way through.

“Returned from a weekend away that afternoon,” Richard O’Hagan says of 2009. “Listening to the final session on an old longwave radio whilst pottering around the garden and entertaining my then two-year-old son. Having to avoid swearing when Collingwood got out, due to presence of said infant. All work and play slowly drifting to a halt as each over passed and Jimmy and Monty dug in for anything but an Australian victory. Happy days.”

11.23am BST

11th over: England 20-1 (Roy 9, Root 0) Roy takes one early in the over, subjecting the captain to a tough examination first up. Pattinson is moving the ball away from Root then angling it back in, all at around 90mph. Today might be about Lyon later on but the two big quicks are giving Australia a huge burst of energy early on.

“While you’re talking Cardiff ’09, can I put in a plug for Monty Panesar’s recently-released autobiography (ghostwritten by my brother)?” Sure thing, Thomas Atkins. “For all that one associates him with comedy fielding and slapstick batting, it’s interesting how he claims he’d really been working on his batting and as a result regards it as one of his finest achievements rather than the streaky knockabout fun that it’s often seen as. Obvious bias notwithstanding it’s a really good book and contains some interesting angles on the characters of that period, as well as his background as a Luton-born Sikh, and the mental battles that he and many of his teammates faced.”

11.17am BST

10th over: England 19-1 (Roy 7, Root 0) Root gets in behind the one ball he has to deal with in the successful Cummins over.

“Hey Adam.” Hi Brendan Large. “I’m sure I’m not the only one not planning on watching or following along today. There is no way that Australia can be as unlucky/England can be so lucky in this 2nd innings and the thought of being obliterated by Australia at Edgbaston in the first test of an Ashes is just too much. I literally cannot bare it. Good luck England and god speed. (I hope to be able to enjoy the OBO in the aftermath of a great escape).”

11.15am BST

He has done plenty right in this match but Burns has been done for raw pace here! Cummins’ short delivery got big on him, the opener unable to out of the way in time. In the end, the ball hit the shoulder of his bat and lobbed out to Lyon in the gully. Superb fast bowling.

11.11am BST

The overseas TMS link. Here you go. I stress: overseas link. If you’re in the UK, go to the BBC website or something like that.

11.10am BST

9th over: England 18-0 (Burns 11, Roy 7) That the stump mics are being left up between deliveries hasn’t been such a big deal when Edgbaston has been full. You hear a bit, but not heaps. Today, though, with the ground about a third full, we can hear everything. Needless to say, Matt Wade is just as loud at mid-off as he was when wicketkeeping. This should be fun. Pattinson to Roy, who is more than happy leaving the first few alone as both players find their range. Directing straighter, the opener has to keep out a full ball right on the money and is then struck on the pad, but it is going well down the legside from my vantage point. No review. Roy gets his first run for the day behind square, Burns seeing out the rest. I saw some crazy stuff on twitter overnight suggesting that Roy should have a pop at 398 and all the rest. That’s not how this works.

11.06am BST

8th over: England 17-0 (Burns 11, Roy 6) What a lovely way to start for Burns, getting onto his front foot and driving Cummins down the ground for four! By facing this first ball, Sky tells me, the opener becomes the fourth English man to bat on all five days of a Test Match. Top response from Cummins, beating the left-hander with a ball he had to play at. Burns leaves the next two and defends the last with a straight blade, the crowd applauding the stroke. They get it.

11.00am BST

Jerusalem is playing, which means we are a couple of minutes away from a resumption on this fifth day. Roy and Burns enter the field of play from my left, Paine and his Australians following suit from my right. Cummins will bowl the first over. PLAY!

10.59am BST

“I was at Wembley stadium for Oasis (There last ever UK stadium gig),” recalls Neil Harris. Nice. “Luckily I had club Wembley tickets so had access to TV’s, lots of us crowded around applauding every ball whilst a concert was going on outside (The Enemy – 00’s Brit Indie band). Monty saved the match and we all went out into the stadium to the sound of Kasabian on Fire.” Less good that bit!

“As much as I appreciate the intent is your preamble optimism, this game is dead as Disco,” insists Kristian Petterson. “The only interest lies in how well England can push back against the psychological impact of having their faces ground into the dirt yesterday. A creditable performance will at least mean they can “take the positives”; a real smashing and this series could be toast.
All of which is to say, in County Cricket Live parlance, DOOOOOMED.”

Courtney Barnett on the Sky montage this morning - Australia taken a few before a ball is bowled. #Ashes

10.51am BST

“I was listening to the Cardiff epic on the way back from Alton Towers,” recalls Steve Castle. “My stomach was already in knots after an unwise decision to take repeated rides on Oblivion, and I was frankly in such a state as Jimmy and Monty bravely blocked, nudged and ducked I should not have been behind the wheel of a vehicle.”

2009 is such an underrated series. If not for 2005, sigh. Free TV, sigh.

“Re The Open,” he continues. “You are almost correct, but instead of the Great White Shark competing for the Claret Jug, it was the venerable Tom Watson. He eventually lost out in a heartbreaking play-off to Stewart Cink. I’ve always felt a tiny bit of sympathy for Cink - that day was the culmination of all those years of practice, commitment and focus, and yet everybody loathed him for pipping Watson.”

10.44am BST

How about this prediction from Kim Thonger?!

Hi @collinsadam I feel you should give a shout out to Mystic Kim who contributed this to the OBO at Tea on the third day (ignore the time stamp I’m in Spain) . pic.twitter.com/elMXfe4pwt

10.42am BST

Some other bits and pieces to dig into. Geoff wrote about Travis Head.

10.36am BST

Where were you in 2009? All over the place. “On a family holiday in a house somewhere outside Barcelona,” says CricViz gun Pat Noone. “We somehow found a radio channel on the TV playing TMS and all huddled around listening to it all. Happy days.”

His colleague Ben Jones, also of the CricViz genius factory, was but a wee boy back then: “Mum made me pause it when Monty and Jimmy came together, because Sunday lunch waits for nobody - not even Bilal Shafayat.” This is adorable.

10.20am BST

How did you experience those 52-minutes at Cardiff in 2009? In that era, I was working for the Australian Prime Minister and had taken a couple of rare weeks off to coincide with the first two Tests. Of course. I was at Cardiff for Ponting’s 150 but watched a lot of rain.

By the Sunday, I was in a little village called Baston in Lincolnshire where I had spent a couple of months during the 2005 Ashes bashing around playing cricket and being your stock-standard 20-year-old Australian backpacker. Evidence of that. Anyway, four years on I was back. Was Greg Norman not close to winning the Open that day too, falling just short? That’s how I like to remember it. It was hot.

10.06am BST

At lunch yesterday, Nathan Lyon walked out into the middle of the ground and looked deeply into the soul of the 22 metres that matter most. At both ends, he surveyed the rough on offer. Instructively, he then lined himself up to shadow-bat as a left-hander, doubtless signalling to the southpaws in the home dressing room that he would be coming from them in the fourth innings of this match.

The off-spinner isn’t today’s only actor, but he will play the most important role. Nowadays, he bowls with confidence in the final stanza - with numbers to match. If England have to survive 540 deliveries, about 250 will be from Australia’s most accomplished finger-spinner of all time. That’s some degree of difficulty.

Day five. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/NUMx004trw

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Published on August 05, 2019 07:53

August 4, 2019

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City: Bravo save seals Community Shield on penalties – as it happened

Raheem Sterling put Man City ahead, but Joël Matip’s equaliser earned Liverpool a penalty shoot-out, in which Claudio Bravo’s save from Georginio Wijnaldum proved decisive

8.36pm BST

Pep Guardiola bigs up Manchester United ...

8.03pm BST

Jonathan Wilson’s match analysis:

7.03pm BST

Here’s Ed Aarons’ player ratings:

5.30pm BST

So there we are: the annual curtain has been traditionally raised, and Liverpool and Man City are still pretty good. I’ve not a clue how we’ve got here but we’re here, so join us next weekend when the fun and frolics begin in earnest. Ta-ra.

5.27pm BST

Here’s Paul Doyle’s match report...

5.23pm BST

Aguero joins him, and the tickertape descends, somewhat apologetically. The players bounce about a bit and do all the usual.

5.22pm BST

Claudio Bravo looks happy after proving the old truism that dodgy keepers save penalties. Leroy Sane is there too, while David Silva prepares to lift the trophy.

5.19pm BST

Here come City to collect the famous old frisbee. Ilkay Gundogan leads them up, and Kyle Walker is in absolute floods of tears.

5.19pm BST

Steve McManaman wonders why Liverpool haven’t strengthened their attack, because their front three have played long seasons and can’t be expected to stay fit.

5.16pm BST

Up go Liverpool to get their losers’ medals, in front of roughly 28 people.

5.16pm BST

Robin van Persie is impressed with how Liverpool fought back following City’s strong first half. Rio Ferdinand is concerned about how Liverpool’s back four, one of the fastest in the league, played offside with such a high line. He reckons they should be chasing back.

5.14pm BST

He’s not sure that it’ll be a two-horse race for the league, though, because there are other good teams about.

5.12pm BST

“For me growing up the Community Shield was a big one,” says Kyle Walker. He really does; you and David Moyes baith, old mate.

5.12pm BST

Kevin de Bruyne, who has the bumfluffiest beard ever, says it was a really tough game and the openness tells you that the teams aren’t ready to go yet.

5.11pm BST

Liverpool will be pretty happy with that. You’d have expected City to be a little ahead of them given the respective pre-seasons, but both look ready to go.

5.07pm BST

Jesus scores! Liverpool 4-5 Manchester City

Jesus places the ball to his left, and though Alisson went the right way he couldn’t get there.

5.07pm BST

Salah scores! Liverpool 4-4 Manchester City

Salah scores, curling it high to his left. But City are at match point, and Gabriel Jesus is walking forward.

5.06pm BST

Zinchenko scores! Liverpool 3-4 Manchester City

Alisson got hands on it, diving to his left, but it went through him and into the net.

5.05pm BST

Oxlade-Chamberlain scores! Liverpool 3-3 Manchester City

Excellent stuff, hammered high to his left. Bravo went the wrong way.

5.05pm BST

Foden scores! Liverpool 2-3 Manchester City

A confident penalty, whipped to his right as Alisson dives the wrong way.

5.04pm BST

Lallana scores! Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City

A good penalty, dragged carefully towards the bottom-left corner.

5.03pm BST

Bernardo Silva scores! Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City

Another good penalty, hammered into the bottom-right corner.

5.03pm BST

Bravo saves from Wijnaldum! Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City

A poor penalty, too close to Bravo, who dived to his right and punched it away.

5.02pm BST

Gundogan scores! Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City

He’s scored a penalty on this ground in a Champions League final, so the pressure of the Community Shield was never likely to get to him.

5.01pm BST

Shaqiri scores! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

Good penalty, whacked to his right.

5.01pm BST

Liverpool will take the first penalty, Xherdan Shaqiri to be precise.

4.58pm BST

That was a cracking game, far more competitive than most Community Shields. City were the better team in the first half, but Liverpool ran them ragged in the second half and fully deserved Joel Matip’s equaliser.

4.55pm BST

Penalties it is.

4.55pm BST

90+4 min Bravo makes another good save, this time at his near post from Shaqiri. Liverpool have battered City in the second half.

4.53pm BST

90+3 min: Walker clears off the line from Salah! That was a brilliant, acrobatic piece of defending, a scissor-kick to clear off his own line after Salah headed the ball gently towards goal. His first shot was blocked by Stones, slidingin front of Bravo. The ball came back to Salah, who headed past Bravo towards the empty net. But Walker put on the afterburners to get back and clear spectacularly.

4.52pm BST

90+2 min Sterling makes a good run round the outside of the Liverpool defence, but his deflected cross is cleared by Gomez in the six-yard box.

4.51pm BST

90 min There will be four minutes of added time.

4.49pm BST

88 min Phil Foden comes on for City to replace Kevin De Bruyne.

4.48pm BST

87 min: Bravo makes a fine save from Salah! Rodri was robbed 20 yards from his own goal by a combination of Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain. The ball ran through to Salah, whose first-time shot on the turn was superbly blocked at close range by the outrushing Bravo.

4.47pm BST

87 min Salah shoots straight at Bravo from 20 yards. He should have played Keita in that time. There’s an argument that Salah, for richer and poorer, is the most selfish player in world football at the moment.

4.46pm BST

85 min Salah cuts infield and has a pop from 20 yards. It hits Zinchenko and loops onto the roof of the net. Liverpool have been so good int he second half, because they were a mess in the first. This team, like all Jurgen Klopp’s I suppose, are a great advert for the human spirit.

4.44pm BST

83 min Bravo makes an important save from Keita. Lallana picked him out nicely on the edge of the box, and Keita sidefooted a first-time shot that was palmed away by Bravo as he dived to his left. Keita might have done better, on reflection.

4.40pm BST

80 min If this match ends in a draw it will go straight to penalties.

4.39pm BST

79 min A triple change for Liverpool: Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lallana replace Firmino, Henderson and Origi.

4.39pm BST

A deserved equaliser for Liverpool! Henderson’s free-kick from a narrow position on the right skimmed off the head of somebody in the middle and came to Van Dijk beyond the far post. He lobbed it calmly back into the six-yard box, where Matip beat Bravo with a precise downward header.

4.36pm BST

75 min This is much more like the 2018-19 Liverpool. In fact I can’t remember the last time I saw Manchester City have so little of the ball in a 20- or 30-minute period.

4.34pm BST

73 min De Bruyne screws a low shot from the left of the box that is comfortbaly held by the diving Alisson.

4.32pm BST

71 min The last man Otamendi makes a vital, lunging tackle on Salah, who tried to nutmeg him on the edge of the box. Salah has looked so sharp, even if his decision-making hasn’t always been the best.

4.30pm BST

70 min “Your Manchester City bias is embarrassing,” says Carl Colley. “From your profile picture you’re clearly too fat and old to be on work experience... are you related to the editor? I’m sure Mummy & Daddy can get you another job when this one goes tits up.”

They’re dead, but I appreciate the career encouragement.

4.29pm BST

69 min “Maybe the Guardian liveblogs need some real, bubbling, needly hate, too,” says Matt Dony, “in order to bring the best out of all of us. You absolute third-rate hack.”

4.27pm BST

67 min A double bowling change for Liverpool: Joel Matip and Naby Keita replace Trent Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho.

4.26pm BST

65 min Liverpool have pegged City back in the last 10 minutes. The game feels like it’s about to boil over, with lots of niggly tackles and shoves off the ball. It’s not exactly Chelsea v Leeds in the 1970 FA Cup final, but by the standards of modern football it’s quite lively.

4.22pm BST

61 min Sterling misses a great chance to make it 2-0. He was put through on goal by Walker, with all the time in the world to decide what to do. Too much time. He couldn’t decide whether to shoot or give the goal to Walker; in the end he did neither and ran the ball straight into the loving arms of Alisson.

4.21pm BST

61 min Ilkay Gundogan replaces David Silva. There was a VAR check a moment ago after a clash between Alexander-Arnold and Bernardo Silva, but there was nothing much in it and Martin Atkinson was not encouraged to take another look.

4.21pm BST

60 min “So Peter Oh thought City were OK when we were rubbish,” says Paul Ruffley. “Bless.”

4.19pm BST

58 min: Salah hits the post! That was a fine effort. He wriggled away from a couple of City players on the edge of the area and drove a low, left-footed shot through the legs of David Silva. Bravo was slightly unsighted and the ball rebounded off the outside of the post.

4.18pm BST

57 min: Van Dijk hits the underside of the bar! Alexander-Arnold’s scruffy corner from the left bounced past everyone at the near post and was hooked towards goal by Van Dijk. It beat Bravo, rebounded off the underside of the bar and bounced down onto the line. Van Dijk thought it was in; goal-line technology confirmed it was not.

4.14pm BST

51 min Liverpool look really rusty. That doesn’t matter one iota today, but it will if they get off to a slow start in the Premier League. One thing Liverpool have never done since 1990 is have back-to-back title challenges. In fact, the last two times they almost won the league, they started the next season so poorly that they were out of the title race by October. Although I don’t expect that to happen this year, they won’t want to fall too far behind City, who will probably win at least eight of their first 10 games.

4.10pm BST

48 min Sterling hits the post, although the flag had gone up anyway.

4.09pm BST

48 min “As a person who has directly witnessed the hatred which comprises an intense sporting rivalry (i.e. India v Pakistan in cricket) like you demand English football needs more of, let me tell you that while it makes for riveting encounters and atmospheres, the vile comments, physical fights and detestable actions from both sides behind the scenes is never worth it just for spectacle,” says Abhijato Sensarma.

I wouldn’t disagree with that at all – I was talking solely about the on-field scenes, not what happens behind them. Rivalries, often fuelled by hate (not just my word but the one used by those involved), have produced some of the most compelling sport we’ve ever seen. That’s an immutable truth of competitive sport.

4.08pm BST

47 min Good play from City. The superb Sterling robs Alexander-Arnold and zips down the left before crossing into the area. Jesus touches/miscontrolls it into the path of David Silva, who thrashes a half-volley over the bar from 15 yards.

4.07pm BST

46 min Peep peep!

3.53pm BST

“Re: City’s oh-so-stylish, sponsorless kit,” begins Peter Oh. “If you ask me, the last time City were a palatable club was when their shirt featured the name of a fraternally named office supply manufacturer. I once owned one of their typewriters.”

Oh, Brother. Or perhaps I should say: Brother, Oh?

3.50pm BST

Peep peep! City lead through Raheem Sterling’s early goal, which was both well-worked and scruffy. They have been much the better team in general play - but Liverpool have created three good chances of their own, all falling to Mo Salah.

Pep Guardiola walks off with the air of a man who’s just put the winning lottery ticket on a spin cycle. Not sure what’s up with him but he looks pretty despondent. See you in 10 minutes for the second half!

3.48pm BST

45 min “You state in the preamble that English football needs hate,” says Stevie Robertson. “Really? I get you want rivalry but ‘hate’? You’re better than that.”

I’m really not. I know what you mean - but, put simply, the best football I’ve seen was the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United from 1996-2005, and that was overflowing with hatred. And as well as giving the games a competitive edge that made them unmissable, that hatred drove both teams to play football of rare brilliance. It’s a win-win, at least for me. Three things make great sport: intensity, quality and drama. And a bit of mutual loathing is usually good for all three.

3.44pm BST

43 min This is getting a bit niggly. Bernardo Silva shoves Origi over by the corner flag and is penalised. Alexander-Arnold’s deep free-kick is headed back across goal and claimed comfortably by Bravo.

3.43pm BST

42 min Guardiola is booked for his protests. I didn’t know you could book managers. Even by his standards, Pep seems a little taut at the moment. A 10-point lead by November might calm him down.

3.41pm BST

40 min David Silva receives treatment after kicking the underside of Gomez’s foot. Pep Guardiola is fuming and takes it out on the fourth official. I’m not sure what he’s talking about, in truth - they both went for a high ball and Gomez got there just before Silva.

3.39pm BST

39 min A lovely through ball from Stones finds De Bruyne, who is just offside.

3.37pm BST

36 min A bit of a quiet period in the game. The only new boy, Rodri, has looked comfortable without doing anything eye-catching. That’s not really his game.

3.33pm BST

33 min De Bruyne is booked for a naughty trip on Origi.

3.32pm BST

32 min This has been a very open, enjoyable game. All it’s missing is a bit of unnecessary needle.

3.30pm BST

29 min Salah completes a hat-trick of missed chances, flicking over the bar with the outside of his left foot after a poor header from Zinchenko. He could have played it square to Firmino, but I wouldn’t be too critical: he suffers from a rare medical conditions which means he loses all peripheral vision every time he enters the penalty area.

3.27pm BST

27 min This is a better spell for Liverpool, who are enjoying some leisurely possession for the first time in the game.

“Man City are on their way to turning into a ruthless championship-winning machine, if they already aren’t there,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “I just can’t see them losing even on days they’re ‘decent’, because simple decency for them exists on another plane compared to the rest out there. Going by their quality and their performances, are they the best team in the world at the moment?”

3.25pm BST

25 min “So, not content with having the most stylish team and manager in the league, City also now have the most stylish kit in the Premier,” says Michael Jenkins. “They really don’t want to leave even crumbs for the rest, do they?”

Well…

3.22pm BST

22 min Salah and Firmino have looked really lively. Liverpool’s problem is in midfield, where they are being outplayed.

3.20pm BST

20 min “Personally I think Liverpool punched well over their weight last year,” says Andrew Lingard. “I reckon City will run away with it this year.”

That wouldn’t shock me. City are almost nailed on to get at least 90 points; the imponderable is whether Liverpool can indeed go again.

3.18pm BST

17 min Good save from Alisson! Gabriel Jesus played a nice through ball to De Bruyne, who was trying to get the ball out of his feet when Robertson made a good challenge from the side. The ball ran along the area to Sterling, whose first-time shot towards the near post was beaten away by the sprawling Alisson.

3.16pm BST

15 min This is great fun. Salah scorches away from Zinchenko on the right, cuts into the box and whips a shot that hits the outside of the near post. Bravo had it covered but it was a blistering run from Salah.

3.16pm BST

14 min City look much sharper than Liverpool at the moment. Given Liverpool’s lamentable pre-season form, I think we have to ask an uncomfortable question: has Jurgen Klopp taken this side as far as he can?

3.14pm BST

13 min Gabriel Jesus replaces Leroy Sane. Liverpool’s defenders were half asleep for that goal, while Alisson will also be a bit annoyed that Sterling’s shot wriggled past him.

3.13pm BST

Raheem Sterling puts City ahead. It came from a neat free-kick by City. The ball was played short to Walker, who curled it over the top to find Zinchenko on the left of the area. He headed it back across goal, David Silva helped it on at the near post and Sterling sidefooted a volley through Alisson from six yards.

3.11pm BST

11 min “What happened to Man City’s shirt sponsors?” says Manoj Narayan. “Is their lack of advertising on the shirt a temporary arrangement or will we see it for the whole year?”

It’$ a one-off. Looks great, though.

3.10pm BST

10 min Sane is struggling here. He landed awkwardly after being fouled by Alexander-Arnold, and I don’t think he’ll be able to continue. That will be a relief to Alexander-Arnold, who was starting to get a bit of a chasing.

3.09pm BST

8 min Salah misses an excellent chance, sidefooting wide from 10 yards after more smart work from Firmino. Salah took it first time, which is why he dragged it past the near post.

3.07pm BST

6 min Lovely play from Firmino. He flies through the air to control the ball at neck height before moving it back onto his left foot and swishing a shot from the edge of the area that is patted down by Bravo.

3.05pm BST

4 min A half-chance for City. Sterling nicks the ball off Gomez, 30 yards from goal, and plays in Sane on the left side of the box. He gallops past Alexander-Arnold before crashing the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.

3.04pm BST

3 min Rodri has had a couple of early touches, simple one-touch passes that Spanish holding midfielders play so well.

3.02pm BST

1 min John Stones, who was last seen having a stinker for England in Portugal, is pressed in his own six-yard box by Origi and Firmino, but calmly passes the ball between them to find Kevin De Bruyne. Takes moxie, that.

3.01pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Liverpool raise the curtain, kicking from right to left. They are in red; City are wearing their very smart 125th-anniversary kit.

2.59pm BST

After the usual performance of the national anthem, booed as always by the Liverpool fans, the players shake hands and take their positions.

2.54pm BST

“So, Claudio Bravo in goal,” says Robert Hisnay. “And Phil Foden on the bench. Thoughts?”

Ederson was never going to start, and David Silva is ahead of Foden, no? It’s an important season for Foden, though. He needs more than three Premier League starts.

2.32pm BST

There’s plenty of other live sport going on, if you’re into all that

2.29pm BST

It’s not exactly the Audi Cup, to be fair

2.03pm BST

Some pre-match reading

2.02pm BST

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Origi.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Lovren, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Shaqiri, Matip.

Manchester City (4-1-2-3) Bravo; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Rodri; De Bruyne, D Silva; B Silva, Sterling, Sane.
Substitutes: Ederson, Gundogan, Jesus, Aguero, Angelino, Foden, E Garcia.

10.04am BST

Hello. The Premier League is the richest and most popular league in the world. But there’s one thing money can’t buy: hate. English football has not had a classic rivalry since Arsenal and Manchester United’s mutual enmity fizzled out in 2005. And although we’re unlikely to see a decade-long feud like that again, there is a real chance that, for the next few years, Liverpool and Manchester City could provide the kind of rivalry that elevates sport to the highest possible level.

The signs are good. They are the champions of Europe and England respectively, and arguably the two best teams in the world. They have already taken part in an extraordinary title race, not to mention an immense, intense Champions League quarter-final, and are likely to form their own mini-league again this season. Today they meet in the Community Shield, the match all journalists are contractually obliged to describe as the curtain-raiser for a new season. And although the game means nothing, it might tell us something about the relationship between the sides.

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Published on August 04, 2019 09:30

July 31, 2019

Women's Ashes: England beat Australia by 17 runs in third T20 – as it happened

England produced a proud, purposeful display to deservedly beat Australia in Bristol and end a miserable series on a high

12.53am BST

I’ll leave you with our match report from Bristol. Thanks for your company; please join us tomorrow for the other Ashes. Goodnight!

9.24pm BST

They are best team in the world by a mile, and for the most part they have completely outplayed England. But England will hope this was a glimpse of a brighter future, particularly in the performances of their two 20-year-old spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and the debutant Mady Villiers. They bowled beautifully to take combined figures of five for 42 from eight overs, which ensured an England victory despite a brilliant 60 not out from Ellyse Perry.

9.20pm BST

20th over: Australia 122-8 (Perry 60, Schutt 8) That’s a really impressive victory from England. It doesn’t change what has been a dreadful series, but they played with pride and purpose to deservedly beat an Australian side who were intent on going through the series unbeaten.

9.17pm BST

Katherine Brunt roars with delight after securing England’s victory. Wareham mistimes a pull straight to Sciver at mid-on, and Australia need 27 from 3 balls.

9.15pm BST

19th over: Australia 112-7 (Perry 58, Wareham 0) Ecclestone ends a masterful spell with figures of 4-1-22-3. What a beautiful, crafty spinner she is becoming. Australia - or rather Ellyse Perry - need 28 from 6 balls.

9.14pm BST

Ecclestone finishes her spell with two wickets in two balls. Kimmince misses a swing across the line and is trapped in front.

9.12pm BST

England are going to end a miserable series on a high. Jonassen is plumb LBW after missing a reverse sweep, and Australia need 28 from 7 balls.

9.10pm BST

18th over: Australia 103-5 (Perry 50, Jonassen 8) Perry completes the usual half-century from 45 balls, but the match is slipping away from Australia. They manage only six from Cross’s third over, which means the target is now 37 from 12 balls. If Perry wins this game, they might as well rename cricket in her honour, never mind this Ashes series.

9.05pm BST

17th over: Australia 97-5 (Perry 46, Jonassen 6) For England, in this position, singles are the new dot balls. There are two to start Ecclestone’s third over, followed by two actual dot balls. Perry inside-edges a rare hack past leg stump for a couple, but that’s it for the over - just four runs from it. For a 20-year-old, that was such an accomplished over from Ecclestone.

9.01pm BST

16th over: Australia 93-5 (Perry 43, Jonassen 5) Perry launches Villiers over long-on for her second six, another majestic stroke, and Jonassen completes a good over for Australia by driving through mid-off for four. Thirteen from the over. Villiers ends a fine debut with figures of 4-0-20-2.

8.59pm BST

15th over: Australia 80-5 (Perry 35, Jonassen 0) Brunt clenches her fists at the end of another excellent over. She has had quite some match. Australia need 60 from 30 balls.

8.56pm BST

Katherine Brunt strikes again! Haynes hoicks a length ball straight to deep midwicket, where Danni Wyatt takes an easy catch. That’s Brunt’s second wicket to go with a rapid 25 not out.

8.53pm BST

14th over: Australia 77-4 (Perry 34, Haynes 7) Brilliant batting from Perry, who cracks boundaries off the first two deliveries from Shrubsole - the first over mid-off, the second to wide long-on. A single off each of the last four deliveries makes it a good over for Australia. The quicker bowlers have been easier to hit tonight, in both innings, and it’s no surprise that the England spinners, Ecclestone and Villiers, have combined figures of 5-1-16-3.

8.49pm BST

13th over: Australia 65-4 (Perry 24, Haynes 5) England will assume nothing while Ellyse Perry is at the crease. But, accomplished as she is at scoring off almost every delivery, a required rate of almost 11 an over looks extremely tricky.

8.44pm BST

12th over: Australia 57-4 (Perry 21, Haynes 2) The debutant Mady Villiers is winning this match for England. Another parsimonious over gives her wonderful figures of 3-0-7-2, and leaves Australia needing 83 from 48 balls.

8.42pm BST

11th over: Australia 54-4 (Perry 19, Haynes 1) Perry drives Ecclestone for a straight six, the first of the innings. Yet even that isn’t enough for Australia to keep up with the required rate. Nine runs from the over; the required rate is now 9.55.

8.38pm BST

10th over: Australia 45-4 (Perry 11, Haynes 0) Australia need 95 from 60 balls.

8.37pm BST

Two wickets in the over for Villiers! Gardner lunged forward at a delivery angled across her from round the wicket, and Jones completed a really smart stumping. Villiers, on her debut, has figures of two for four!

8.35pm BST

Mady Villiers gets her first international wicket! Healy, dropped in Villiers’ previous over, lofts a low full toss high to long off, where Ecclestone takes the catch. For the first time in the Ashes, England are in control of a match against Australia.

8.33pm BST

9th over: Australia 43-2 (Healy 28, Perry 9) England rotated the strike expertly for most of their innings, and Perry is starting to do the same for Australia. She and Healy take eight from Cross’s over, all in ones and twos.

8.30pm BST

8th over: Australia 35-2 (Healy 26, Perry 3) The debutant Mady Villiers comes into the attack - and she drops Healy off her own bowling from the second ball! It was a fairly routine chance as Healy smacked the ball back at hear, but it burst through her hands. That can only be nerves because she’s usually a very accomplished fielder. It was a fine over nonetheless, with just two runs from it. Australia need 105 from 72 balls. Whether they win or lose, this has been such an admirable performance from England.

8.27pm BST

7th over: Australia 33-2 (Healy 25, Perry 2) Nat Sciver’s first over goes for six, all in ones and twos. The required rate is up to 8.38 per over.

8.23pm BST

6th over: Australia 27-2 (Healy 21, Perry 0) Replays confirm that was a superb decision from the umpire Alex Wharf. And it was an even better over from Eccelstone - not just a wicket maiden, but a Lanning wicket maiden.

8.22pm BST

Breaking news: Meg Lanning is out! It’s the first time she’s been dismissed in an IT20 against England since 2016, and it was a lovely piece of bowling from Sophie Ecclestone - an arm ball that beat Lanning on the inside and hit the pad in front of middle stump. It was pad first, then bat a split second later, and the umpire Alex Wharf raised the finger.

8.19pm BST

5th over: Australia 27-1 (Healy 21, Lanning 2) An inside-edge saves Lanning from being plumb LBW first ball, and then a mistimed pull from Healy lands just short of Shrubsole running in from mid-off. This is England’s chance, right here. Australia need 113 from 90 balls.

8.16pm BST

The first wicket of the innings for England. Beth Mooney, who was starved of the strike in the first four overs, clunks Brunt straight to Kate Cross in the covers. She faced only six balls out of 25 in the innings, and that manifested itself in a slightly desperate stroke.

8.14pm BST

4th over: Australia 24-0 (Healy 20, Mooney 2) Healy launches Shrubsole high over extra cover for four. She has already hit more boundaries than any of the England batters, although there have been a lot of dot balls in between the boundaries.

8.10pm BST

3rd over: Australia 18-0 (Healy 15, Mooney 1) Healy continues to punish England square of the wicket, cutting the new bowler Katherine Brunt for her third boundary. She has monopolised the strike (14 balls from 18) and the scoring (15 from 18).

“Hi Rob,” says Sarah Bacon. “So what are your thoughts? Australia would indeed appear to be ‘just too good’, but am I being too simplistic in putting it down to superior fielding (followed by batting and bowling)? Time was, it was the fielding excellence of Australia’s men’s side which allowed us to edge so many wins (my memory is telling me that a baseball coach was responsible for that halcyon era, but I could be wrong!) … At any rate: as I commented during the second T20, it’s marvellous to see the never-say-die spirit of England in this contest. It’s not over yet, right?”

8.06pm BST

2nd over: Australia 12-0 (Healy 10, Mooney 0) Anya Shrubsole shares the new ball. Her first ball is short, wide and slapped up and over the off side for four by Healy. Shrubsole gets her length right after that, with a bit of inswing as well, and completes the over with five dot balls.

8.02pm BST

1st over: Australia 8-0 (Healy 6, Mooney 0) Kate Cross starts the innings with a legside wide. Great stuff. Alyssa Healy pulls the third legal delivery behind square for four, an emphatic statement of intent. She is such a dangerous batter. If England can dismiss her cheaply - and Mooney, and Lanning, and Perry - they will have a chance.

7.47pm BST

20th over: England 139-5 (Winfield 26, Brunt 25) The last over of the innings, bowled by Jonassen, goes for 10 more. Winfield reverse sweeps breezily over the infield for four, bringing up a lovely fifty partnership from only 36 balls, and England steal an extra run from each of the last two deliveries with the aid of poor fielding from the bowler Jonassen.

England scored 43 from the last four overs, which has given them a chance of a consolation victory. Australia need 140 to win.

7.42pm BST

19th over: England 129-5 (Winfield 21, Brunt 21) Katherine Brunt, the concept of defiance in human form, is dragging England towards a competitive total. She slog-sweeps Schutt over midwicket for six, the highlight of another productive over for England: 13 from it, including four byes when a yorker somehow beats Brunt, the leg stump and Healy.

7.39pm BST

18th over: England 116-5 (Winfield 18, Brunt 14) Winfield cuffs Gardner over midwicket for four, a superbly placed shot that bisects two fielders on the boundary, and then makes room to drive classily over mid-off for four more. England have scored 20 from the last two overs.

7.36pm BST

17th over: England 105-5 (Winfield 9, Brunt 13) Kimmince concedes her first boundary off the last ball of her spell, with Brunt pulling zestily over midwicket for four. That was a cracking shot.

7.33pm BST

16th over: England 96-5 (Winfield 7, Brunt 6) Winfield swings Wareham back over her head for

four
two, with Haynes making an outstanding sliding stop on the boundary.

7.30pm BST

15th over: England 93-5 (Winfield 4, Brunt 6) Thing is, England have played well tonight. They haven’t felt sorry for themselves, which would have been the easy option. They’ve been bright, aggressive and purposeful. And they’re still, in all probability, going to lose the match. Australia are just so good.

7.26pm BST

14th over: England 87-5 (Winfield 2, Brunt 2)

7.25pm BST

Two wickets in three balls! Ashleigh Gardner, bowling around the wicket, angles one across Jones, who tries to work to leg and gets a gossamer-thin edge that is smartly taken by the unsighted Healy.

7.22pm BST

Alyssa Healy gives Heather Knight a send off after running her out. Knight came back for a tight second to midwicket and was beaten by a blistering throw from Perry, who changed her mind at the last minute and threw to the keeper’s end when she realised Knight was struggling. Healy collected the throw and broke the stumps in one movement with Knight just short of her ground.

7.21pm BST

13th over: England 82-3 (Knight 22, Jones 19) Six from Kimmince’s over. England are still struggling to hit boundaries - there have only five in the innings - but they will be pleased with how few dot balls there have been.

7.17pm BST

12th over: England 76-3 (Knight 19, Jones 17) A lovely shot from Amy Jones, who charges the first ball from the legspinner Georgia Wareham and drives it sweetly over mid-off for four. It’s the start of a very good over for England - 12 from it - with Jones dragging another boundary behind square on the leg side.

7.13pm BST

11th over: England 64-3 (Knight 19, Jones 5) Jones survives a precautionary stumping referral after some nifty work from Healy. Three from Jonassen’s over. I’m slightly surprised Perry hasn’t returned for an over, given her hold over Jones this summer.

7.11pm BST

10th over: England 61-3 (Knight 18, Jones 3) Knight is beaten for pace by consecutive deliveries from Vlaeminck, who has a lovely rhythm this evening. She then survives an LBW appeal - it was going down - and a run-out chance from the same delivery. A difficult over ends on a high when she swings the final delivery over square leg for six. Great shot.

7.06pm BST

9th over: England 54-3 (Knight 12, Jones 3) Knight, who has started purposefully, back cuts Kimmince for a couple. England are struggling to find the boundary, with just a four and a six from Wyatt, but they have manoeuvred the bowling pretty well.

7.03pm BST

8th over: England 48-3 (Knight 8, Jones 1) The new batter Amy Jones gets off the mark - not just in the match but the IT20 series. That was a very impressive opening over from Vlaeminck, with a top speed of 75mph.

7.00pm BST

The pace of Tayla Vlaeminck is too much for Nat Sciver. She top-edges an attempted pull high in the air to third man, where Kimmince calmly takes the catch.

6.58pm BST

7th over: England 45-2 (Knight 6, Sciver 5) Delissa Kimmince replaces Megan Schutt. The tempo has changed since the departure of Wyatt, with England dealing exclusively in singles. There are five more from Kimmince’s first over.

6.55pm BST

6th over: England 40-2 (Knight 4, Sciver 2) Knight scrambles to make her ground after taking a tight run to mid-on off the bowling of Jonassen. That’s one of four singles from the over. England’s intent has been much better today; they are just short of confidence.

6.52pm BST

5th over: England 36-2 (Knight 2, Sciver 0)

6.51pm BST

It is happening again. After a slightly scruffy start, Australia are taking control of the game. Wyatt makes room to cut Schutt, misses and is bowled. That ends a perky innings of 20 from 19 balls, and leaves England in a bit of bother.

6.47pm BST

4th over: England 31-1 (Wyatt 17, Knight 1) Heather Knight has promoted herself to No3.

6.45pm BST

Jess Jonassen strikes with her third ball! Beaumont runs down the track and chips tamely to mid-on, where Beth Mooney takes a comfortable catch. That was a pretty meek stroke from Beaumont, who was berating herself even before it had reached Mooney.

6.43pm BST

3rd over: England 28-0 (Wyatt 15, Beaumont 5) After a front-foot no-ball from Perry, Beaumont is caught at midwicket off the resulting free hit. Wyatt, again on the charge, slices Perry majestically over backward point for six. That’s an awesome stroke. This has been a fine start from England - not so much the runs as the intent with which they have played.

“England are a very good team, and if they’re being made to look so bad, the rest of the sides don’t stand a chance against Australia,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “Look out, people, the Aussie women might just become the most dominant cricket team we’ve ever seen!”

6.38pm BST

2nd over: England 17-0 (Wyatt 7, Beaumont 4) Wyatt, on the charge, slaps Megan Schutt over cover for the first boundary. It’s been a busy start from England, who get four bonus runs when a big inswinger from Schutt beats both Wyatt and the keeper Healy.

6.34pm BST

1st over: England 6-0 (Wyatt 1, Beaumont 3) Ellyse Perry’s first over is a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a leg-side wide to Wyatt, who is also beaten by a beauty outside off stump. Beaumont then drags a short ball towards mid-on, where the sprawling Vlaeminck does very well to save a couple of runs.

6.28pm BST

England have, as we suspected, made a change to their batting order: Tammy Beaumont will open with Danni Wyatt.

6.27pm BST

It’s a beautiful evening in Bristol. The players are ready, the umpires are ready. Let us flay.

6.11pm BST

Amy Jones is listed to open for England, but she may drop down the order after a miserable time in the white-ball matches. She has made five runs in five innings, with four ducks, although she made a superb 64 on Test debut before this IT20 series.

6.08pm BST

Spin! Spin! Spin!

6.07pm BST

The young bowling allrounder Mady Villiers makes her England debut, while Australia bring in the fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck.

England Jones (wk), Wyatt, Beaumont, Knight (c), Sciver, Winfield, Brunt, Shrubsole, de Villiers, Ecclestone, Cross.

6.02pm BST

“We want to finish off on a high,” says Meg Lanning. “We need three hours of hard work tonight and we’re looking forward to it.”

5.24pm BST

Pre-match reading

Here’s Geoff Lemon on the great Meg Lanning, who has scored 388 runs against England in IT20s since she was last dismissed. And even that was a run out.

10.10am BST

Good evening. The good news for England is that the torment is almost over. The bad news is that there isn’t enough Aloe Vera in the world to heal the scars caused by Australia’s pitiless excellence this summer. This has been a traumatic thrashing for England; the kind that, if you’re not careful, bleeds into the next Ashes series, and the next, and the next, until one day you start dining out on the fact you once beat Ellyse Perry’s outside edge.

A win tonight would give Australia a 14-2 series victory, which would be a record since the points system was introduced in 2013. (England won 12-4 that year.) England have avoided defeat only once, in the one-off Test match, and they were second best in that game as well.

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Published on July 31, 2019 13:30

July 30, 2019

The Spin | Ashes 2019: 19 things to look out for in the England v Australia series

From shirt numbers to the Test Championship, via concussion substitutes, bantermime booing and much more

1) At Edgbaston on Thursday, Test cricket will be dragged kicking and screaming into the early 1990s. For the first time, players with have their name and number on the back of their shirts: as in white-ball cricket, Joe Root will wear No 66, proving that the responsibility of captaincy need not get in the way of a popular pun.

2) After years of vetoes and false starts, the all-singing, all-dancing, all-context-providing Test Championship will begin this week. Teams collect points over a two-year cycle, with the top two playing in the final in June 2021. There are 120 points available in each series, so winning a match in a two-Test series is worth more (60 points) than if there are five matches (24 points). But you can lose points as well …

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Published on July 30, 2019 02:49

July 26, 2019

England beat Ireland by 143 runs to win Test match at Lord's – as it happened

Under heavy cloud, with moisture in the air and the lights on, 11 wickets fell, 36 runs were scored and Ireland were beaten in a chaotic day at Lord’s

7.25pm BST

2.47pm BST

Here’s a match report. I’ll be off then. Bye!

2.44pm BST

There’s some discussion about whether Mazher Arshad’s stat is actually true, positing that Laker and Lock took all the wickets against Australia in 1956, and that when Devon Malcolm took nine against South Africa in 1994 somebody probably got the other (it was Darren Gough). But on none of those occasions did only two England bowlers bowl in the innings, you see.

2.41pm BST

Chris Woakes is chirpy:

It was always going to be a little bit trick defending that score but I always felt confident we could knock them over. Still you’ve got to do a professional job, and it’s fair to say we did that. The World Cup was long and quite gruelling at times, and mentally and physically you feel a little bit drained, but then you’ve got a Test match to get up for. You find something from somewhere, but then when you get 0 first innings and don’t bowl as well as you’d like, you’ve got to dig deep.

2.23pm BST

Joe Root is relieved:

I knew that was a lot of runs on that surface. We’ve been in this position before, against India at Edgbaston last year, so we knew we’d been able to manage a similar scenario. I thought it was very important that we stayed calm, in control of what we wanted to do and asked the right questions, and we did exactly that today.

It was very pleasing, especially with the ball and the way we managed certain pressure situations through the game. I thought we managed pretty well. It wasn’t by any stretch the perfect game for us but sometimes that can be a really important part of your learning for a team, and I certainly think we’ll take a lot from this game. Ultimately we found a way to win and that was very important. There was a lot of different pressures around this Test match and to come out in the way we did today and close it out was very impressive.

2.18pm BST

William Porterfield is disappointed:

That was one of those things. We knew things were going to be tough when the lights were on and theree was a bit of drizzle in the air, but we had to try to get through that and get to this stage, when the sun’s out and the ball is 15 or 20 overs old and gone a bit softer. But fair play to the two lads, how they bold. They made it difficult. We knew we were going to dig deep, but they just kept challenging everything.

In December last year we had the first Test where both captains made pairs (Du Plessis/Sarfraz Ahmed SA v Pak at Centurion). Now we have the first Test with both wicketkeepers making pairs.

2.15pm BST

Jack Leach is the player of the match:

I think bowling three overs for 26 and I’ve got man of the match, I didn’t ever see that happening. I’m very pleased, and glad we got the win. I found some form out there, I just took one ball at a time and tried to do a job for the team. I got into the 90s and I got nervous, and didn’t really know how to go about things from there. I tried to not think about it but probably didn’t stop thinking about it from there.

2.09pm BST

In four Tests at Lord’s, Chris Woakes has scored 274 runs at an average of 69 (career average 29) and taken 23 wickets at an average of 9.75 (career average 31). Rob Smyth’s statsmanship there.

The last time only two England bowlers bowled and shared 10 wickets in an innings of a Test was in 1924 when Arthur Gillian and Maurice Tate took ten against South Africa in Brimingham. Mazher Arshad’s stats this time.

2.05pm BST

This match will have produced a lot of stats. Here’s a few more:

Ireland were bowled out in 15.4 overs - which makes that the fourth shortest innings in terms of balls faced in the history of Test cricket. Their total of 38 runs is the seventh lowest in Test history, the lowest at Lord’s & the lowest since 1955. #ENGvIRE

2.03pm BST

@Simon_Burnton is it just me or does Chris Woakes look like the new secretary of state for education...

Hmmmmm, vaguely...

1.59pm BST

It’s over. The bowling was excellent, the slip catching immaculate, the batting a fair way below par.

1.58pm BST

And that’s it! Tim Murtagh exhibits his full range of wild heaves and makes contact only once, getting two for his troubles on that occasion. Woakes eventually aims at leg stump; Murtagh gives himself a bit of room and completely misses!

1.55pm BST

15th over: Ireland 36-7 (McBrine 0, Murtagh 0) How Boyd Rankin survived that over is beyond me. Stuart Broad, one wicket from his own five-for and clearly desperate to get it before Woakes steals it off him, wheels out a string of zingers (and one loose one that whipped down the leg side), but somehow the ball keeps missing the bat, or missing the stumps. A wicket maiden, but he wanted two.

The lowest Test total at Lord’s is 47, achieved by New Zealand in 1958.

1.50pm BST

Broad gets McBrine! Another classic of the genre, moving gently away, taking the edge and it’s another good, low catch for Root.

1.48pm BST

14th over: Ireland 36-8 (McBrine 0, Murtagh 0) Hello everyone! Woakes’ first ball is powered down the ground by Thompson; the only person on the field to move after the ball pinged off the bat was McBrine, who completed the run before turning and trudging back again. 59.5% of Ireland’s runs have come from boundaries, and there have only been five of them.

1.46pm BST

That’s a five-for for Woakes! Nicely caught by Root at slip, low to his right.

This is on course to be the 10th Test in which both sides have been bowled out for under 100. And only the 4th since 1907. https://t.co/zM0zk1ZyLX

1.42pm BST

13th over: Ireland 32-7 (Thompson 0, McBrine 0) That’s it from me, Simon Burnton is waiting to be tagged in. Please email him or tweet @simon_burnton. Bye!

1.41pm BST

Seven down, three to go. Adair becomes the latest man to be bowled through the gate while trying to drive. It was another superb seaming delivery from Broad, who had been pulled for six off the previous ball. Although it is ending in disappointment, Adair has had a fine Test debut.

1.37pm BST

12.3 overs: Ireland 26-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 2) Adair, beaten for pace as he tries to pull, is smacked in the grille by a Broad bumper. That means another break in play.

1.35pm BST

12th over: Ireland 26-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 2) Adair is beaten by three consecutive deliveries from Woakes. The ball is talking, and Ireland would rather it didn’t. One from the over: 6-2-11-4.

1.31pm BST

11th over: Ireland 25-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 1) To the wise, a word: it’s probably safe to make other plans for the fifth day of this summer’s Ashes Tests.

1.27pm BST

Jonny Bairstow 0 & 0
Gary Wilson 0 & 0

This is the first instance of both wicketkeepers getting dismissed for a pair in Test cricket.#ENGvIRE

1.26pm BST

Kevin O’Brien is the latest man to go, pinned in front by another superb nipbacker from Broad. Bah.

1.25pm BST

10th over: Ireland 24-5 (O’Brien 4, Thompson 0) A double-wicket maiden for Woakes, who has figures of 5-2-10-4. Another Woakes stat: he averages 22 in home Tests, 62 away from home.

Ach, this really is a shame. Ireland shouldn’t be too hard on themselves, because England have bowled immaculately in very helpful conditions - similar to those in which the world’s best team, India, made 107 and 130 a year ago.

1.22pm BST

In four Lord’s Tests, Chris Woakes has made his only Test century, his second highest Test score - and taken 21 wickets at an average of 10.80. Scratch that, he’s taken 22 wickets at 10.32! Gary Wilson has been given out LBW on review. He pushed outside the line of another beautiful delivery that hit him around the line of off stump. It was given not out but England reviewed instantly, and successfully. Both wicketkeepers, Wilson and Bairstow, have bagged a pair.

1.19pm BST

Stuart Broad has been blindsided by Chris Woakes, who is bowling masterfully in helpful conditions. He has his third wicket now, which McCollum snicking a drive to first slip. It was another lovely full-length delivery that moved away to take the edge; Root did the rest.

1.18pm BST

9th over: Ireland 24-4 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 4) O’Brien is okay to continue.

1.15pm BST

Nasser’s XI for the Ashes, with a dash of Dr Seuss. ‘If you’re pushing me,’ he says, ‘I’ll pick Vince and Denly.’ Mike Atherton picks Vince too. That’s how stumped England are pic.twitter.com/HOCTqt2jlk

1.14pm BST

8.4 overs: Ireland 24-3 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 4) O’Brien, lunging from the crease, thick edges Broad along the ground for four. The next ball is a beautiful bouncer that smacks into the helmet, which means an impromptu drinks break while O’Brien has a concussion test. He looks okay in the sense that he is walking and talking; I have no idea whether he is concussed.

1.12pm BST

Here’s more on the Australian Ashes squad. I see we’ve gone for the news angle.

1.10pm BST

8th over: Ireland 20-3 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 0) The weather may have saved England from humiliation. The lights are on, which means conditions are very tough for batting, and so far the challenge has been too great for Ireland. Woakes almost gets his third wicket when Kevin O’Brien edges this far short of Root at first slip.

“Woah there!” says Guy Hornsby. “I love an English cricket existentialist crisis as much as the next OBOer, but while there’s always infinite parallel universes of possibility (my favourite is the one where Mark Ealham led us to the 1999 World Cup final then invented T25 cricket) surely this is all way too close to the Ashes for anything meaningful. And while there’s a risk of a shellacking due to out of form and/or shattered players, we’re going to have to give it at least a couple of innings defeats before we get all 90s on it (NB. I don’t think we’ll get all 90s on it.)”

1.05pm BST

The dream is dying for Ireland. {ail Stirling has gone second ball, cleaned up by Woakes. He was unsettled by the previous delivery, which trampolined absurdly from a length. The next ball was fuller, tempting Stirling into the drive, and it seamed back through the gate to hit the stumps.

1.03pm BST

7th over: Ireland 18-2 (McCollum 9, Stirling 0) Broad has figures of 4-2-7-1. It’s been superb, aggressive stuff, which many on social media are calling the best spell of bowling in a Test match since Sir Curtly Ambrose at Trinidad in 1994.

1.01pm BST

Broad gets a deserved first wicket, and I’m pretty sure won’t be his last. He has been harassing both batsmen, bowling with ferocious intent, and Balbirnie could not take the heat. He pushed at a good-length delivery that moved away off the seam to find the edge, and Root crouched to take a comfortable catch at first slip.

12.55pm BST

6th over: Ireland 15-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 4) Balbirnie push-drives his first ball stylishly down the ground for four. He’s the big wicket, I think, the man most likely to hit a matchwinning 91 not out. Later in the over he softens his hands to ensure an edge off Woakes falls well short of the cordon. Meanwhile, replays show that Broad LBW appeal would have been ‘umpire’s call’. Aleem Dar thought about it for a while, too.

“The Sky bods are picking their Ashes teams and see Vince and Malan as the solution to England being three down for nothing, and having a middle order of No7s,” says Kevin Wilson. “I don’t imagine an Ashes series is the time to experiment and you probably have to go with what you know (two guys who’ll average 27 and get a couple of fifties) but I don’t think I’ve gone into an Ashes series since the bad old days with this little confidence (and I include the away series we were thrashed in!).”

12.52pm BST

5th over: Ireland 11-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 0) McCollum survives another big LBW shout from a Broad nipbacker. This was closer, and Aleem Dar thought about it for a while. It was probably going to be umpire’s call at best on height, and Root decides not review.

Broad is bowling with the kind of furious purpose that evokes Sir Curtly Ambrose’s rampage at Trinidad in 1994. No, I am not a giddy England fan comparing figures of 0-4 with those of 6-24; Broad’s are far better. But there is a similar intent and, I suspect, a similar disgust at the possibility of a shock defeat.

12.48pm BST

4th over: Ireland 11-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 0) “I think the days of the specialist captain have long gone,” says Mark Gillespie. “The pressure on a captain averaging 25 would very quickly be massive, even for someone as good as Morgan (for example).”

You might be right, given the state of the modern world. But if you look at the England batsmen since the start of the last Ashes, an average of 25 wouldn’t be too far below par.

12.46pm BST

Jonny Bairstow takes a marvellous one-handed catch to dismiss William Porterfield! He edged Woakes low between the keeper and first slip, and Bairstow plunged to his left to grab it just above the ground. That was similar to Alec Stewart’s famous grab to dismiss Brian Lara at Lord’s in 1995, although he didn’t have to go quite as far across. And it wasn’t Brian Lara.

12.41pm BST

3rd over: Ireland 11-0 (Porterfield 2, McCollum 7) Thanks for all your emails, which I’m trying to read between pleas for mercy from my brain and eyes. Broad starts his second over with another absurd jaffa that beats Porterfield, who then survives an appeal for a catch at second slip after being hit on the thigh. McCollum also survives a big LBW appeal later in the over. It looked like it was missing leg to me, and Joe Root decides not to review. Replays show England would have lost a review had they gone upstairs.

McCollum ends a difficult over for Ireland on a high note with a thumping cover drive for four. Eleven down, 171 to go.

12.34pm BST

2nd over: Ireland 6-0 (Porterfield 2, McCollum 3) A fine start for Ireland. The first ball of the mini-session, bowled by Woakes, is flicked confidently through midwicket for three by McCollum; the next is driven crisply for two more by Porterfield. It would have been four but for a spectacular sliding save from Denly. File under: ‘If England win by one run...’

“Andy Donald’s comment that ‘an Ireland win here will be met with little more than amused curiosity in Ireland’ is coming, as he says, from the perspective of a ‘long time Ireland fan’,” says John Mee. “I think myself that an Ireland win would have a big impact amongst those, like myself, who aren’t as knowledgeable as he is. Hard to see how it would fail to encourage youngsters to take an interest in playing the game.”

12.24pm BST

Enough! It’s time for some actual cricket.

12.20pm BST

“Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “I wouldn’t worry about being not very good at journalism; The Guardian has always shown a sympathetic and accommodating approach. On the question of captaincy, one obvious answer is to allow Bairstow to identify the best available Yorkshireman. Otherwise, though his lack of recent runs is an issue I’d like to borrow Livingstone’s cap to throw into the ring.”

Whenever they do pick a new captain, I can’t see them taking a flyer. It just doesn’t happen anymore. The more I think about it – and I’ve thought about little else these past 30 seconds – I’m sure Buttler will be the next Test captain if there’s a change this year.

12.17pm BST

“It seems to be implicit in this captaincy discussion that we’re going to get crushed in the Ashes,” says Peter McLeod. “What are the good reasons to think we will be? Or are we all just being tremendously English about the whole thing?”

Well, yes, that’s the thing – by tonight they may have won 10 of the last 12 Tests. But most of the team look shattered, out of form, not good enough or all of the above. For all that, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if England won the Ashes 4-1.

12.12pm BST

“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Re Mr Wallace’s views on bowlers as captains: it usually happens that when a bowler is appointed England captain, he doesn’t bowl himself nearly as much as he used to play. This applies to those who might be considered all-rounders if their bowling is sufficiently effective, so It’s not either spinners or speed merchants. If it’s the latter, though, he’s usually the senior pro. There’s a case to be made for wicketkeepers as captains since he’s the one to allocate bowling workloads, but also crack down on inaccuracy. Bowlers often pull their socks up a bit more in these cases.”

12.10pm BST

“Who bats No5 and 6 for Australia from that squad?” says Andrew Hurley. “Can’t figure out Carey being omitted..”

I suspect the team for the first Test will be something like: Warner, Harris, Khawaja, Smith, Labuschgne or Bancroft, Head, Paine, Cummins, Lyon and then two from Starc, Hazlewood and Pattinson.

12.10pm BST

Play will resume at 12.30pm

12.06pm BST

Nathan Lyon is of course in the Australian squad. I missed him out, because I am not very good at journalism.

12.05pm BST

“I seem to recall Glamorgan’s Tony Lewis being selected to captain, as a new England player, an overseas tour,” says Nigel. “He came back having averaged around 25. I don’t think he played for England again. Was that a good move?”

Well, he averaged 38 and was left out after the first Test of the following summer. I’m not saying it’s a good move per se, just that I think it would be good for this particular team.

12.02pm BST

There’s no Alex Carey in the Australian squad, which will surprise a few people after his masterful batting during the World Cup.

12.01pm BST

Paine (c), Bancroft, Cummins, Harris, Hazlewood, Head, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Lyon, M Marsh, Neser, Pattinson, Siddle, Smith, Starc, Wade, Warner.

12.00pm BST

“Dear Rob,” says Robert Wilson. “There have been two main pleasures in this really delightful match. First, this generation of Irish players getting their day in the sun after pulling off the fairly Sisyphean task of getting Test status was deeply satisfying. Must have all felt worth it and more on the evening of that first day (plus it gave the County Heads a lot of top quality We-Told-You-So opportunities in re the indefatigable Murtagh).

“And then it was not unsucculent to see you getting a bit of sledging from the OBO slips cordon yesterday on the subject of Bairstow. There’s a lot of feeble lamenting of the moral damage that the perpetually outraged, witch-hunting mores of social media do to us all. But that is to neglect the worst of it - the shameful but undeniable frisson of pleasure when it happens to someone of whom we are rather fond (particularly when it’s richly unjust). I truly wish I didn’t find it funny but I do. Deeply.”

11.58am BST

“What about Moeen Ali as captain?” says Pete Mackelworth. “I know there is the aspect of his ‘pick-ability’ and form, but he seems to be a thoughtful player and potentially someone who would bloom with the responsibility… on the other hand he may be just toooooo nice…”

He has captained Worcestershire really impressively. But he’s 32, and his form is too variable at the best of times. It’s a no from me.

11.58am BST

The covers are coming off, though the umpires are yet to inspect. I think our Leather on Willow Predictor was a bit optimistic in suggesting play would resume at 12.15pm.

11.56am BST

“Hi Rob,” says Luke Dealtry. “Mike Atherton wrote the other day in an article about the 2005 Ashes, Jonathan Trott’s burnout and the World Cup. ‘The more I watch the game, the more I am convinced that a player’s state of mind, the freshness of mind, is far more important that time in the middle, or overs under the belt.’ I do think there are issues with Bayliss’s approach to the longer game, but I’m inclined to agree with PEC Mike about proven, high quality players. I am not at all surprised that Root, Woakes, YJB and Moeen have struggled in this game. None of them will have that clarity that is so necessary. Joe Root - with his habit of tailing off in longer series - is, I think, particularly susceptible to this. I’d also wonder about Trevor Bayliss and the coaching staff, too - nobody gives much thought to their state of mind.”

We seem to have learned the square root of bugger all from the 2013-14 crash (the psychological impact of which is fascinatingly demonstrated in the new film, The Edge). On reflection, the schedule for this summer is on the sadistic side of negligent. That’s one of the reasons I think the Test team might unravel in the next two months. It’s a really important issue which hasn’t been addressed despite multiple warnings.

11.52am BST

“Good morning Rob,” says Jonny Lewis. “We all know the pay-off for the World Cup is coming – possibly today, but definitely in The Ashes. I reckon there could be some significant Dwight Yorke-ing around with some of this bunch never being able to climb the mountain again. It is not a criticism – even for elite sportsmen, you need unusual hunger and temperament to keep going and going. It was a great trip four-year trip though. On Root, he may not be a great captain, but he is a great batsman and I reckon the sheer volume of cricket he plays is catching up with him.”

It does seem especially hard for English teams to climb the mountain again. Might do my dissertation on that.

11.52am BST

“You say the captain is generally a batsman ‘because they are much more secure in the team’,” says Simon Wallace. “I’m not sure that’s the case. Broad and Anderson are fixtures, irrespective of form (there have been several times in his career when Broad should have been sent back to his county to get some form back). Both Woakes and Curran are looking like shoo-ins (shoos-in?) for the foreseeable, so maybe it’s time England admitted that the Root experiment is a bust, and give someone with a degree of tactical nous a go. Nothing to lose.”

I’m not sure I agree with that – Broad has been dropped at least twice in the last 18 months, while Woakes and Curran are nowhere near regulars. (Curran is also nine years old.) I would say the only bowler who might be capable of playing every remaining Test this year is Jofra Archer. There is an argument you could be more flexible, and have a vice-captain like Jos Buttler who could step in when the captain is injured/rotated. But that’s a pretty big can of worms, and we’ve already got a few of those on our hands.

11.48am BST

“If we were to try to formularise the productivity benefit (sounding like a consultant) of captaincy, I wonder what percentage it can account for?” says Bill Hargreaves. “I wonder if switching from Root (we love him but...) to Morgan would deliver 10%, on average, to the performance of the players - 10% to batting scores and 10% off bowlers runs per wicket? Would that be in the right ballpark? If so, it is surely the difference between a series lost and won? And they are the Ashes, we are thinking about! No brainer, to my mind.”

I’m not sure you can quantify it easily – for example, Mike Brearley’s captaincy had a spectacular impact on the performances of Sir Ian Botham, not so much on those of Phil Edmonds. You have to consider all sorts of things - Morgan’s age, mental fatigue, dodgy back, modest first-class record (what impact would it have on the team if Morgan averaged 12 and was being slaughtered by the media, etc) and so on.

11.44am BST

This is a lovely story from Kyle McCallan, the former Ireland spinner, on Sky Sports

When Ireland were preparing for their runchase against Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, the captain Trent Johnston walked round the dressing-room pointing at the players while asking some important questions:

Do you want to be back delivering post on Monday? Do you want to be back in the classroom on Monday? Do you want to be back on the farm on Monday, Boyd Rankin? I don’t want to be a carpet salesman on Monday!

11.36am BST

The covers are on, with no immediate prospect of a resumption. The Guardian’s exclusive Leather on Willow Predictor reckons the players will be back on at 12.15pm.

11.28am BST

“I’ve always wondered why it has to be a batsman to captain the Test side,” says Robbie Chedburn. “I guess it would be tricky for a bowling captain to select themselves to bowl continuously. But if we could get over that, why not a Woakes or a Curran captain? England have to try something new! The last two captaincies have destroyed the form of our best two batsmen!”

One of the reasons is that batsmen are much more secure in the team. That was the case even before the schedule made rotation of bowlers essential. If England do change captain, there is no easy answer. I suspect the lesser evil would be Buttler as captain in Tests and ODIs, but that doesn’t sit comfortably.

11.27am BST

1.1 overs: Ireland 0-0 (Porterfield 0, McCollum 0) After seven deliveries of the Ireland innings, the umpires takes the players off the field. That’s good news for Ireland, because batting looked very tough, and they will hope things are a bit easier when the weather improves after lunchtime.

11.23am BST

1st over: Ireland 0-0 (Porterfield 0, McCollum 0) Broad starts around the wicket to the left-handed Porterfield, who is keen to leave as many deliveries as possible against the new ball. He has to play at one absolute jaffa that straightens spectacularly to beat the outside edge. A maiden to start the innings.

“Rather than picking someone who ‘looks like a captain’ (do we really know much about Jos Buttler’s tactical acumen) why not pick an actual captain?” sniffs Gary Naylor. “Somerset’s Tom Abell had leadership thrust upon him at an early age and his form suffered, but he got through it and now gets the most out of himself and his team. Which is the desired outcome and not what’s happening now.”

11.19am BST

Stuart Broad will take the new ball. He has form for defending a lowish target in a Lord’s Test, and he’s surely England’s likeliest matchwinner. The lights are on and it feels like a seriously good time to bowl.

11.12am BST

“Maybe worth a review from Stone?” says Simon McMahon. “There are probably one or two in the England dressing room who would have ...”

11.11am BST

“As a long time Ireland fan, I genuinely appreciate the enthusiasm of your opening preamble,” says Andy Donald. “However, I don’t think that enthusiasm will be shared by the large majority in Ireland. Giving Ireland Test status was a huge step, but it sometimes feels like a token gesture for screwing with the ODI and T20 World Cups. I think so much more can be done for smaller cricket playing nations and until then, an Ireland win here will be met with little more than amused curiosity in Ireland than anything impactful in the long term.”

We’ve had a few emails along similar lines, which is surprising and a bit disappointing. Surely a win today would start to change that?

11.10am BST

Haha, what a start. Stuart Thompson has bowled Olly Stone with the first ball of the day, a beautiful inswinger that swerved through the gate and sent the leg stump flying. Ireland need 182 to win!

11.08am BST

The Ireland players stroll out to the middle. Tim Murtagh, as usual, is walking in that self-conscious, almost shifty manner, like somebody who thinks he’s being watched. And he bloody is being watched, because he’s been the star of the show.

11.07am BST

Play will start at 11.10am. In other words, any minute now.

Thanks to Al Ferguson for providing the Test Match Special link.

11.04am BST

Here’s Andrew Hurley, returning to a theme of yesterday’s OBO. “There is a huge culture issue in the team... and here Bayliss is hugely at fault. His laissez-faire attitude fine for the ODI team as they had a strong and respected captain, but it doesn’t work for the Test side. Their tendency to collapse is (from my expert psychological viewpoint!) linked to the culture. NZ rugby team have a ‘no dickheads’ policy - England Test cricket would do well to meditate on their culture with this in mind.”

Imagine if certain football teams adhered to that policy.

10.57am BST

“I’m really keen on a fresh start (regardless of the Ashes result) with Bayliss going and a new captain,” says Neil Harris. “Root has to bat No3 and he has to get back to his best; relinquishing the captaincy can help this. Buttler captain, Stokes vice-captain. But who’s the coach? There seems to be very little chat about this in the press.”

It sounds like there may be an interim coach for the winter, perhaps Chris Silverwood. It will probably take a while to get the team Ashley Giles wants, with a head coach and three assistants.

10.55am BST

The start will be delayed. The covers are on and there’s some light rain falling. I don’t think it will be too long before we receive the gift of Test cricket.

10.50am BST

“In Ireland’s sporting history, maybe this will be seen as the realisation of ‘The Test Dream’,” says Ian Copestake. “But I remember watching the Sopranos episode of the same name and thinking that season five, episode 11 was when the shark was deliberately being tempted into open waters in front of a ramp with some guy in an Evel Knievel suit and a bike to match revving up his motor preparing for the off. I hope for Ireland’s sake this weird contrivance is more than a dream.”

What violin?

10.50am BST

“I agree with changing the captain,” says Patrick Brennan. “For some reason it just doesn’t seem to sit right with Joe Root. Results haven’t been awful overall, but the ridiculous collapses are just happening too often for comfort. I’d give serious consideration to making Stokes captain. Yes, he’d have a heavy workload, but he’s arguably turned into our most reliable (and sensible) batsman in the last six months. Buttler as ODI/T20 captain once Morgan wants to stop.”

I doubt Stokes will ever captain England after Bristol, except maybe in the odd tour match. Whether that’s correct is another discussion. In truth, I’m not sure I’d like him as captain anyway – his workload and commitment to every single delivery are already off the charts, and he is a brilliant unofficial leader.

10.37am BST

“This match has demonstrated how disrespectful it was to only give Ireland a four-day Test,” says David Hopkins. “Suggesting that they would need any more than two and a half days to beat England was frankly insulting.”

David Hopkins is here all week. It’s a four-day week though.

10.30am BST

Pre-match reading

10.29am BST

“What’s the answer?” says Matt Turland. “Obviously I’ve not asked a question there, but this Test team… what’s the answer? For me, I’d definitely give Buttler the captaincy and bring Foakes back into the fold. Other than that, I don’t really know anymore. Ali probably needs a bit of time away, Bairstow should probably be rotated out for a little while and Root should be made to bat at No3 but I don’t really know anything, do I?”

Nobody does. Buttler as captain after the Ashes (if they lose) is a persuasive idea, but I worry about the workload as he is going to be the ODI captain sooner rather than later. I think England need to split the captaincy, but I’m not sure how they do that. I fear that, by the end of the summer, all options will be on the table, including a surprise return to the Test captaincy for Chris Cowdrey.

10.07am BST

We may have a delayed start, as there has been heavy rain in St John’s Wood this morning. The forecast is better from around midday, with the temperature expected to be 24 degrees. A little brisk.

12.47am BST

Hello. It’s really quite simple. Ireland could win a Test match for the first time today, by beating England, at Lord’s. Modern life is infected by hyperbole - I just had the tastiest dry toast of my entire life - but this, truly, would be one of the most unlikely victories in Test history. If Ireland pull it off, 26 July will join 24 February, 2 March and 12 June as a de facto St Patrick’s Day, burned into the memory as a cultural and religious celebration of stuffing the English.

This match has been so life-affirming, not to mention surreal, that it could have been directed by David Lynch. Given all that has happened, it’s easy to forget this is only the third day. England will resume on 303 for nine, a lead of 181, with Stuart Broad and Olly Stone aiming to slog the target past 200. There are no obvious demons in the pitch. If Ireland hold their nerve, they should win. But that, cliché fans, is easier said than done.

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Published on July 26, 2019 06:47

July 25, 2019

England v Ireland: day two abandoned at Lord's after lightning – as it happened

The nightwatchman Jack Leach made a superb 92 before another England collapse left Ireland with a chance of an astonishing victory

Read Vic Marks’s report from Lord’s Andy Bull: Leach makes up for England’s lack of leadership Leach cites ‘weird thoughts’ during nervous nineties

10.23pm BST

And here’s what the main man had to say about his innings:

7.03pm BST

Here’s Vic Marks’ report from Lord’s

7.00pm BST

A chase of around 200 in the fourth innings isn’t easy, but Ireland will be batting on a third-day rather than a fifth-day pitch. It’s such a great opportunity - not just to beat England, but to pull off a maiden Test victory that would go straight into legend.

6.30pm BST

The covers are on, with thunderstorms forecast, so there will no more play today. England will resume tomorrow with a lead of 181; Ireland’s players will arrive at Lord’s knowing they have a great chance to beat England, in a Test match, at Lord’s. Good luck getting a good night’s sleep, chaps.

6.29pm BST

Don't think Ireland will be too bothered by that. Half an hour's batting tonight under lights could have been nasty.

6.22pm BST

“Hi there young Rob (I am pushing 60),” says Phil Keegan. “There is a lot chat and gossip about YJB getting his own way and picking himself etc, but is there any actual evidence for this? I think his place in the test side should be up for debate, I am just wondering where all this gossip comes from.”

It was inferred from comments made by him, Trevor Bayliss and possibly others during the winter tours. I have no idea whether it’s fair, which is why I’d be loath to rush to judgement on that. The thing that troubles me slightly is that he keeps missing straight ones on 0.

6.21pm BST

On the hottest day in the history of ... ever, Ireland’s bowlers did do well to drag their team back into the game either side of tea. When England were 171 for one, with Jack Leach apparently closing in on a Test hundred, almost everyone assumed they would go on to score 500 and win easily. But then Ireland took seven wickets for 77 through a combination of good bowling and lamentable batting to set up the tantalising prospect of a staggering victory.

6.15pm BST

England lead by 181. Almost a third of those (55, to be precise, or 30.39 per cent) have come since they lost their eighth wicket. I fear those runs will prove decisive tomorrow.

6.13pm BST

77.4 overs: England 303-9 (Broad 21, Stone 0) That will probably be it for the day, although play can theoretically resume at any point until 6.30pm.

6.08pm BST

77th over: England 302-9 (Broad 20, Stone 0) A maiden from Adair to Stone. There is nothing in the pitch to worry the Ireland batsmen during their runchase. I suspect the biggest danger will be a fear of an historic victory. We’ve seen that many times before.

6.05pm BST

76th over: England 302-9 (Broad 20, Stone 0) Broad is beaten twice by Thompson, but then he picks the bouncer and hooks for six!

“Afternoon Rob, here’s a teaser,” says David Horn. “At what point do we start questioning Root’s captaincy of this team? We’ve not been very good at Test cricket for quite some time and his personal form has been shonky of late (he hasn’t averaged over 40 in a series since we were last in Australia). Although it’s really hard to put a finger on it, something just doesn’t ‘feel right’ about the dressing room (the Bairstow ‘picking himself’ issue as someone pointed out earlier, is one example), and I just wonder if giving it to someone like Buttler might make more sense. I’d be prepared to wager up to 5 of my hard earned pounds that he won’t be captain for the winter tour. And perhaps push to 10 pounds to say that he shouldn’t be. What do you think?”

5.59pm BST

75th over: England 296-9 (Broad 14, Stone 0) Broad survives an appeal - and then a review - for LBW, having underedged a sweep onto the pad. England lead by 174. It’s going to be a helluva morning session at Lord’s tomorrow.

5.58pm BST

74th over: England 293-9 (Broad 11, Stone 0)

5.57pm BST

Curran’s counter-attack is over. He pulled the new bowler Thompson high to deep square leg, where James McCollum calmly took the catch. Curran made a useful 37 from 29 balls.

5.51pm BST

73rd over: England 291-8 (Curran 36, Broad 10) The offspinner Andy McBrine returns to the attack. Curran, on the charge, clouts his third ball back over his head for six. One of the most impressive things about Curran is the variety of counter-attacking innings he has played in his year as a Test player. The match situation has generally been the same but Curran’s approach has not. He is so intelligent for a 21-year-old batsman.

“I think I’ve heard this before - I must have - but can we have Morgan as Captain of Reviews?” says Nick Lezard. “He’d be better at that sitting in the pavilion than certain captains and players are in the field.”

5.44pm BST

72nd over: England 284-8 (Curran 29, Broad 10) Curran really is giving it some humpty. He drives Adair over mid-off for four before mistiming a swipe that lands just in front of Porterfield, running back from mid-off. These are good runs for England, and Broad adds four more with a flick off the pads. This pair have added 36 in 4.1 overs.

“Were you dropping in from Mars and watching England’s Test batting in this match (and over recent matches),” begins Gary Naylor, “you might assess the batsmen’s techniques and come up with an order that runs something like: Curran, Woakes, Leach, Root, Denly, Roy, Burns, Stone, Moeen, Bairstow, Broad.”

5.40pm BST

71st over: England 273-8 (Curran 22, Broad 6) DCI Curran has deduced that he needs to get some runs quicksmart, because Broad and Stone are unlikely to hang around for long. He flashes Rankin through extra cover for four, a brilliant shot, and then walks across the stumps to flip the next delivery over fine leg for six! Curran, who yet again has been stimulated by adversity, has 22 from 14 balls. That does impress me much.

“Your mention of Root padding his average reminded me of a conversation I had yesterday with a friend from Belfast,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I heard an expression that was new to me that serves as a jinx warning: ‘Not the first Englishman to be caught with smug on his face.’”

5.33pm BST

70th over: England 260-8 (Curran 12, Broad 4) Broad drives Adair over cover point for four to get off the mark. England lead by 138. That surely isn’t enough, unless Ireland suffer a particularly acute dose of finishinglineitis.

“I think there’s more than an argument the Test team’s culture is rotten!” says Andrew Hurley. “Bairstow is at times a spoiled brat who wants his own way. Now his batting is awful (Starc can’t wait) he should be dropped. The culture stems from a weak captain, and from two bowlers who, even if great, are a law unto themselves. It’s not Archer who is needed from the ODI team, it’s Morgan to tell certain players to grow up!”

5.29pm BST

69th over: England 256-8 (Curran 12, Broad 0) Boyd Rankin returns to the attack ahead of schedule in an attempt to rough up the tail. His first ball, a stiff loosener, is dragged round the corner for four by Curran – and then Curran is dropped by Porterfield at mid-on! It was a very difficult one-handed chance as he leapt to his left, and he couldn’t hang on.

5.25pm BST

68th over: England 248-8 (Curran 4, Broad 0) England have lost their last seven wickets for 77. Many of them were frittered away, but there has been some fine bowling too, especially in the dismissals of Bairstow and Moeen Ali.

“I’d suggest that if Root did tell Bairstow to review that suggests that he’s overly keen to keep YJB (with a Y) onside, which is entirely consistent with most of their other interactions,” says Felix Wood. “And that’s more worrying. Root has never shaken the air of the young buck who is thrilled to be in the England team and wants to impress the bigger boys, which isn’t a good look for a captain.”

5.22pm BST

Adair has another one! Woakes drives loosely at a full, wide delivery and edges straight to Balbirnie at second slip. Ireland are so close - so darned close - to one of the greatest victories in Test history.

5.18pm BST

67th over: England 248-7 (Woakes 13, Curran 4) Woakes skids back in his crease to cut McBrine for four. I’d be tempted to bring on Thompson for McBrine, who looks relatively innocuous. I’ve done it again, haven’t I?

Meanwhile, on Sky SPorts, Nasser Hussain has lost his rag in majestic style. “Why is Joe Root charging an 82mph bowler? Why do England always try to hit their way out of their trouble? Who’s their top scorer today: it’s the nightwatchman, who played properly!” Nobody rants quite like Nasser.

5.14pm BST

66th over: England 243-7 (Woakes 8, Curran 4) It was a loose stroke from Root, whose wicket puts Ireland in a barely believable position. He made 31 runs, and none of them were cheap. Neil Bowles was right and I was wrong.

Sam Curran, England’s crisis-management specialist, drives his first ball crisply through extra cover for four - but then he edges Adair just short of second slip. This is great stuff.

5.09pm BST

Gone gone gone! Yep, gone! England are in serious trouble now. Root, on the walk, snicks a drive off the new bowler Adair, and Wilson flies in front of first slip to take an excellent catch.

5.06pm BST

65th over: England 239-6 (Root 31, Woakes 8) Root comes down the track and screws the ball back towards the bowler McBrine, who tries unsuccessfully to do the Roger Harper. I think Root would have been home anyway.

5.05pm BST

64th over: England 236-6 (Root 30, Woakes 8) Root is playing with discipline and patience, resisting a series of seductive deliveries outside off stump from Murtagh. Then when Murtagh goes straighter, Root is able to flick him to leg for a single. Every little helps.

“Since the Irish are doing their best to demonstrate the strength of the underrated and largely ignored minor cricket nations, can I plug the inaugural finals of the European Cricket League which starts on July 29th in La Manga, Spain,” says Guy Semmens. “It is run by an ex-pat Aussie based in Germany, and backed by some Dutch and Swiss guys involved in the football Champions League. If your readers happen to be anywhere near the vicinity it is free and ought to be a great three days. And if not, the whole thing is streamed online for free (take note ECB).”

4.59pm BST

63rd over: England 235-6 (Root 28, Woakes 8) Woakes gets off the mark with a very classy back-foot drive for four, and doubles his score by deliberately thick edging the next ball to third man. He has happy memories of batting on this ground - his two highest Test scores are at Lord’s, including his maiden century against India a year ago.

“Not for the first time in recent years, I find myself reflecting that if England had merely batted really, really poorly in their first innings, rather than absolutely abysmally, they’d be in a decent position in this game,” says Robert Ellson. “Think the art of cobbling together a dirty little score has been lost somewhere along the line.”

4.55pm BST

62nd over: England 226-6 (Root 26, Woakes 0) Root edges Murtagh this far short of Stirling at first slip and away for four. What a chance for Ireland! Stirling has been standing in an unusually narrow position, almost behind the wicketkeeper Wilson, and that’s probably why Root survived. Stirling did not see the ball until it was past the keeper Wilson; with the extra reaction time, he would surely have taken the catch.

“As an Irishman I have to agree that we have the weakest bowling attack in Test cricket,” says Billy Mills. “It’d be a very poor team that got bowled out for under 90 by us, that I can tell you with considerable confidence.”

4.50pm BST

61st over: England 219-6 (lead by 97; Root 19, Woakes 0) “I’m starting to worry that even Geoffrey Boycott may soon start to ‘hide behind patronising half-truths and insincere platitudes’,” says Kim Thonger. “Then we shall all be in the Corridor of Insincerity.”

4.48pm BST

Boyd Rankin has bounced Moeen Ali out! He fenced tamely at a lifter outside off stump and got a thin edge through to Wilson. That’s really good bowling from Rankin, although it was another soft dismissal for Moeen. His Test batting has also gone to seed. But never mind all that, because Ireland now have a serious chance of an astounding victory.

4.44pm BST

60th over: England 218-5 (Root 18, Ali 9) With Murtagh wobbling the ball at around 75mph, Joe Root is entitled to suffer flashbacks to the water torture inflicted on him by Colin de Grandhomme in the World Cup final. But there is no run-rate pressure today, which allows Root to manoeuvre the occasional single or boundary. He looks comfortable and determined, probably more so because of his part in Joe Denly’s run out.

“Hi Rob, I find it interesting that you think Bairstow’s place should be under scrutiny,” says Gareth Fitzgerald. “I agree, but it appears that the process for reviewing Bairstow’s place is to see what Bairstow thinks and go with his decision. I still think Ben Foakes was very unlucky to be dropped.”

4.40pm BST

59th over: England 217-5 (Root 17, Ali 9) Moeen hooks Rankin in the air but well short of the man at deep square leg. Moeen has fallen into the leg trap a few times before, and Ireland’s tactics are clear for all to see.

“After some years of baiting Jonny Bairstow, Smyth (with a ‘y’) has descended to the level of trolling,” says Ron Rose. “Give it up, Smyth (with a ‘y’) it’s deeply unpleasant, seriously nasty.”

4.36pm BST

58th over: England 213-5 (Root 16, Ali 7) Tim Murtagh returns after tea, with Ireland one wicket away from being in an unimaginably good position. The keeper Gary Wilson comes up to the stumps, to stop Root batting outside his crease, but it can’t stop him gliding a neat boundary to third man.

“On TMS the commentators said that Root immediately told Bairstow to review,” says Tom Paternoster-Howe, “so perhaps the blame doesn’t entirely lie with the out of form YJB.”

4.17pm BST

Teatime chit chat

“I love the OBO coverage, but the comment about Joe Root tucking in and compiling ‘cheapish runs’ is a bit disrespectful to the Ireland bowlers,” says Neil Bowles. “This game is in the balance - England are effectively 77-5 and Ireland would fancy a run chase around the 150 mark. This game is closer than many might imagine. Keep up the (otherwise!) great work.”

4.14pm BST

57th over: England 209-5 (Root 12, Ali 7) Moeen Ali has a bit of a torrid time in the last over before tea, with Rankin driving him onto the back foot. The last two balls of the session are popped just short of short leg - the first off the glove, the second off the face of the bat. England go into tea with a lead of 87.

4.07pm BST

56th over: England 205-5 (Root 9, Ali 6) Moeen will play his way – it’s the way he plays – and he steers Adair to third man for his first boundary. England lead by 83. They’ll want at least another 167 before they start to feel comfortable.

“I’ve just seen Geoffrey Boycott at Lord’s,” says Gary Naylor. “I’m afraid I refrained from giving him the news that Jack Leach enjoys a higher average than him at No1.”

4.03pm BST

55th over: England 200-5 (Root 9, Ali 1) Root gets his first boundary with a crisp back cut off Rankin. Moeen then gets off the mark, and off a pair, which takes England’s lead to a precarious 78. Without Jack Leach, they would be -14 ahead.

“As a 62-year-old distance runner, I take issue with your suggestion that age is a barrier to athletic performance, and I direct you to the extraordinary Carlos Lopes,” says Edward Collier. “At the age of 38, in the 1985 Rotterdam marathon, Lopes took 53 seconds off the world’s best marathon time, setting a new standard of 2:07.12, and becoming the first man to run 42.195 km in less than 2 h 8 min.”

3.58pm BST

54th over: England 194-5 (Root 4, Ali 0) Bairstow has made five ducks in his last seven Test innings at home. In some cultures, his place in the side might even be questioned!

3.57pm BST

Jonny Bairstow has bagged a pair! It was brilliant bowling from Adair, who beat him twice outside off stump and then nipped one back to beat Bairstow’s lunging push-drive and hit him on the flap of the pad. It was given out, and though Bairstow reviewed, replays showed it was umpire’s call on height. That was a pathetic, brattish review from Bairstow, whose Test batting has gone to seed. But it was sensationally good from Adair, a forensic interrogation of an out-of-form player.

3.52pm BST

53rd over: England 194-4 (Root 4, Bairstow 0) England lead by 72. One more quick wicket could make things pretty interesting.

3.49pm BST

Oh dear. Joe Root has dismissed Joe Denly with a dreadful run-out call. Denly was more than half way down the track when Root, who called for the run, changed his mind and sent him back. Kevin O’Brien did the rest with a sharp throw to the bowler McBrine, and Denly kept on running back to the pavilion. That was an egregious shemozzle.

3.46pm BST

52nd over: England 194-3 (Denly 10, Root 4) In Tests in Zimbabwe, Jacques Kallis averaged 503. In Tests against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, Steve Waugh averaged 273. But nobody puts an asterisk against their career averages because of it, and this a glorious chance for Joe Root to get some cheapish Test runs. A huge hundred, 163 or more I think, would also push his Test average back above 50.

3.43pm BST

51st over: England 191-3 (Denly 8, Root 3) The offspinner Andy McBrine replaces Thompson. England milk three singles, and life goes on.

“Thanks for the clip,” says the 48th over’s Peter Lovell. “This might be a bit more interesting than I imagined! I’m pretty sure that was Vic throwing in from the boundary as the pitch invasion happened (note so self…work on my throwing), and is that Dickie Bird wielding a stump at the crowd?”

3.40pm BST

50th over: England 188-3 (Denly 7, Root 1) The impressive Mark Adair returns in place of Tim Murtagh, who needs to bowl short spells given that his age (37) is the same as the temperature at Lord’s. He starts with a solid maiden to Denly.

“Donald Trump is US president,” says Sam Blackledge. “Boris Johnson is UK prime minister. Jack Leach has scored 92 opening the batting in a Test match. That’s enough sun for me.”

3.35pm BST

49th over: England 188-3 (Denly 7, Root 1) Root is beaten by a good delivery from Thompson, who has been much better in this spell. It helps that the ball is wobbling gently, which is what led to Jason Roy’s wicket. This is a very good spell for Ireland, who have taken two for 19 in the last nine overs.

“Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “With all due credit and plaudits to Leach, I’m still rather glad that the highest score by a nightwatchman for England remains a matchwinning 99 not out. It just feels right.”

3.27pm BST

48th over: England 186-3 (Denly 6, Root 1) “Can anyone out there explain the ‘Crumpled Bard’ nickname for Vic Marks?” asks Pete Lovell. “I happen to be playing him in the upcoming Bollywood film ’83 about the Indian World Cup victory of that year and it would be good to get some last-minute insight into him. Filming starts in two-week and I’m pretty sure all I’ll have to do is be bowled out by Kapil Dev and stand around in the field a bit but you never know.”

Who’s playing the heavy-footed bobby? (Keep your eye on leg stump at the batsman’s end.)

3.25pm BST

47th over: England 185-3 (Denly 5, Root 1) One way or another, this summer will probably define Joe Root’s time as England captain, so he’d love to go into the Ashes on the back of a score. It’s easy to forget he got a hundred in England’s last Test, which was against West Indies in February 2016. He’s been a second-innings specialist of late – in the last two years he averages 31 in the first innings and 54 in the second.

3.20pm BST

46th over: England 182-3 (Denly 3, Root 0)

3.18pm BST

Tim Murtagh, fairytale killer. He has dismissed Jack Leach for a memorable 92, caught at second slip as he tried to drive a good delivery. Leach was dropped by the same fielder, Mark Adair, earlier in the over. He walks off to a standing ovation from the crowd and his team-mates. In time he will remember that with fondness, but for now he looks thoroughly cheesed off at missing out on a Test hundred.

3.16pm BST

45th over: England 182-2 (Leach 92, Denly 3) Leach forces Thompson through the covers for a couple to move into the nineties. This is all a bit surreal. No nightwatchman has made a Test hundred for England, although a few were stuck in the nineties: Alex Tudor, Harold Larwood, Eddie Hemmings and Jack Russell.

3.09pm BST

44th over: England 178-2 (Leach 89, Denly 3) An uppish extra-cover drive from Joe Denly lands just short of Adair and races away for a couple of runs. There are a whole heap of runs on offer at Lord’s today, and those whose place is less secure will be desperate to take advantage.

“At least Jason Roy has now written himself into the Ashes team, even if he was outscored by Leach,” says John Starbuck. “You’d think Stuart Broad and Sam Curran are also on the list. Maybe Leach could be the official all-rounder?”

3.05pm BST

43rd over: England 176-2 (Leach 89, Denly 1) Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. One of these days, international cricket will be played at Lord’s without something absolute bonkers happening. England, bowled out for 85 yesterday, have been outscored in the second innings by their nightwatchman-opener Jack Leach. I’m sorry, what?

3.03pm BST

42nd over: England 175-2 (Leach 89, Denly 0) Jack Leach has now outscored England’s first innings total! With a cover drive and a misfield, he brings his boundary total to 16 in this magnificent bit of Somerset magic.

And thank you everyone - the crumpled bard it seems is Vic Marks!

2.58pm BST

41st over: England 171-2 (Leach 85 Denly 0) Roy was furious with himself for that reckless shot - ah we get the replay, he holds his position, gloves high together, for an amusingly long time. A flamboyant Roy-ish innings, which might well be remembered as the time he was outscored by his nightwatchman. A bit more of a spring now in the Irish step.

2.53pm BST

A full, straight ball from Thompson and Roy swings with thumping flair... and misses.

2.52pm BST

40th over: England 169-1 (Leach 85 Roy 70) Murtagh gets whistled back into the attack from the pavilion end and Leach drives uppishly over a leaping Boyd Rankin’s head for four more as he moves into the eighties. And then a whip through extra-cover, down the hill and over the boundary. The partnership is now 143 from 176 balls and the century is written in the stars.

Tom Fitzpatrick corroborates the story about Simon Coveney but reiterates that he is not one of the men in the photo.

2.45pm BST

39th over: England 161-1 (Leach 77, Roy 70) Jack Leach has a thwack over gully for four more off Rankin. And this is fascinating, Aleem Dar calls no ball as Ireland contrive to have three fielders behind square on the leg side.

I love this email from Charles Sheldrick: “Jack Leach is officially now the second best all-rounder from Somerset to play for England, overtaking The Crumpled Bard of the Mendips, only a little way to go before he is challenging ITB for the top spot....”

2.38pm BST

38th over: England 155-1 (Leach 72, Roy 70) Are we going to have to put Jason Rosy’s wrists in the archive alongside Boycott’s obstinance and Murali’s elbow? He cuts on the front foot, all wristy elegance, for four. Then another down through third man. Then he attempts to come forward to a short one from Adair and somehow loses his shoe in the process. He then tries to upper-cut the last ball and misses. He is an incredibly watchable cricketer. And that is drinks!

2.32pm BST

37th over: England 147-1 (Leach 72, Roy 62) A drop!! Easy! Leach pushes and the ball flies into Wilson’s gloves behind the stumps, and then out again. If anything, he dived a little too far and somehow in the depths of the huge gloves it all goes wrong. Next ball Leach nervously wafts at a short ball from the disgruntled Rankin with only one hand on the bat. But somehow, he survives the over.

2.27pm BST

36th over: England 146-1 (Leach 72, Roy 61) Leach square-drives a tasty drive for four off Adair. Easy pickings.

It is now 36 degrees out there and Michel Atherton mentions that a nightwatchman has never made a century for England. Four nineties from Alex Tudor, Harold Larwood, Eddie Hemmings and Jack Russell.

2.21pm BST

35th over: England 141-1 (Leach 68, Roy 60) Big Boyd Rankin, who is wearing an old-fashioned digital watch, wipes the sweat from his chin as Adair at leg slip gets just a finger to a flick from Leach and the ball bounces down to the boundary for four. Leach now has his highest first-class score!

2.16pm BST

34th over: England 135-1 (Leach 64, Roy 60) Adair throws down a couple of balls, and the umpires examine the scarlet globe again. Still no joy for Ireland and Roy nudges a couple down to third man. Then a cracking lbw shout from Adair, a booming inswinger that knocks Roy on the front pad. But it is swinging too far and the umpire shakes his head. An immaculate forward defensive is Roy’s reply.

2.11pm BST

33rd over: England 133-1 (Leach 64, Roy 58) Ireland have had enough of the innocuous looking Leach. They call for the helmet, and short leg creeps in. Leach, with a shrug, gets an inside edge past the keeper for another four.

2.08pm BST

32nd over: England 129-1 (Leach 60, Roy 58) Adair roars an lbw appeal against Roy - Ireland decide not to review because they think Roy got an edge onto his pads. Ultra-edge agrees.

One last mention of politics for now, from Karen in eastern Europe.

2.01pm BST

31st over: England 126-1 (Leach 60, Roy 56) Rankin, who I think is wearing a clean shirt, runs in over the wicket to Roy who fidgets and wriggles. England move into the lead with a whip off his legs - that’s the hundred partnership too. Roy is beaten by Rankin’s last ball, one that swerves away last minute.

The temperature moves up to 36.2 degrees.

1.56pm BST

Technical question: can anyone tell me how to copy and paste a link from the new-look Twitter?

And Leach and Roy, sensibly long-sleeved, walk out with scores level. The pavilion doesn’t look very full, but I think that is probably because members are hiding in the shade of the long room.

1.52pm BST

Just reading through all the tweets and messages over some olives and salad and a solid old-fashioned roll/barm-cake/butty. There seems to be an unbridgeable divide between those who want politics nowhere near the quiet relief that is cricket and others who like a bit of intrigue with their Jason Roy - we’ll call it 48:52.

From David Stanley: I’m no fan of Theresa May, but there’s something about the image (21 over) which made her go up in my estimations.

1.21pm BST

30th over: England 122-1 (Leach 60, Roy 52) Adair’s suncream has somehow survived the scorch of the morning, splodged over his face like two pantomime slapped cheeks. A well-earned maiden finishes off his spell and that really is lunch. Scores are level. And where ten wickets fell yesterday morning, only one has gone today. The England batsmen are applauded into the pavilion by shirt-sleeved members and a hot looking balcony of fellow players. England’s morning, with maiden Test fifties of differing styles for both Roy and Leach. Time for me to grab a quick glass of water, and the Irish bowlers to lie down in darkened room. See you in forty minutes!

1.14pm BST

29th over: England 122-1 (Leach 60, Roy 52) Roy drives sweetly for a couple , then wristily, powerfully, through point for a first Test fifty. He raises his bat to the dressing room. My helpful school-holiday side kick tells me that James Taylor mouthed to Ed Smith “47 balls.” Scores level.

1.10pm BST

28th over: England 115-1 (Leach 59, Roy 46) Jack Leach has impressive sang-froid. Not the most glamorous, nor the most stylish, and batting opposite one of the most destructive cricketers in the world, he chops McBrine for three without a care and the numbers build. At this rate, England will be evens by lunch. They currently trail by seven.

Ah, Matt Hill has the answer to Labour’s biggest cricket fan. “It was Clem Attlee (over 21). He is said to have refused to have a ticker-tape news machine in No. 10 until he was told it would contain live cricket scores. When it reported on the resignation of Nye Bevan, Attlee reportedly asked: “Why is my cricket machine leaking Cabinet secrets?”

1.05pm BST

27th over: England 109-1 (Leach 56, Roy 43) Thompson again, I’m feeling for the bowlers out there, it is hot enough sitting still with a lap top on my knee. Roy and Leach play carefully for lunch, nudge, nudge.

Thank you to Robert Wright for this fascinating bit of insider political knowledge: “This is a boring, political nerd point but one that strikes me because I’ve been working in parliament reporting on this week’s momentous events. The Theresa May picture could be of genuine political significance because of the other people in the picture. The person in the middle of the row behind is David Gauke, who was until yesterday justice secretary, and who has given his name to the “Gaukeward squad” of disaffected departed cabinet ministers who are expected to agitate against a no-deal Brexit. On the left of the picture is Greg Clark, another Remainer-ish MP who was forced out of the Cabinet yesterday. There has been speculation about whether Mrs May might join the Gaukeward squad. The picture suggests that, for cricket-watching purposes at least, she’s already in.”

1.01pm BST

26th over: England 106-1 (Leach 55, Roy 41) McBrine gets the honour of the last over before lunch. Roy dispatches a top-edged sweep for four and that isn’t lunch actually. England are suddenly only 16 runs behind and the pendulum has swung.

12.58pm BST

25th over: England 99-1 (Leach 55, Roy 34) Roy is hit on the back pad and there’s a huge appeal by Thompson. The Irish players look at each other, scratch their chins and run out of time. A sharp drive over the top of a leaping extra-cover for four follows, and Roy moves crisply on, out-scored by his nightwatchman but looking in ominously sharp form.

Simon McMahon has the right idea: “Morning Tanya. As the mercury pushes up towards 40 degrees in London, it’s a pleasant 24°C here on the east coast of Scotland, and I’m imagining being at Lord’s by opening a bottle of champagne in my garden and following the OBO. If I half close my eyes, it’s like I’m there, honest. Although I don’t think they have a washing line in the middle of the outfield at Lord’s, do they?”

12.53pm BST

24th over: England 94-1 (Leach 55, Roy 29) Leach charges down the wicket, twinkle-toed and lofts McBrine over midwicket for four. With a bounce it is over the rope. Glorious!

12.50pm BST

21st over: England 71-1 (Leach 43, Roy 18) Stuart Thompson gets the ball for the first time this morning and starts off on his long run. His Thursday wasn’t as good as some others, he left a juicy straight one and was bowled for a duck. But that was yesterday, and today starts with five dots then a shot of some glorious genius from Jack Leach for four.

Here is Theresa May at Lord’s . I’m pretty sure John Major headed to The Oval to watch Surrey after handing in his resignation to the Queen. But has any Labour former PM turned to cricket for immediate solace?

12.49pm BST

23rd over: England 89-1 (Leach 51, Roy 28) Many apologies, for some reason the last two overs of OBO have completely disappeared in a rather major technical hitch. Leach and Roy are still here - Roy has whalloped a six.

Leach’s goes to his maiden fifty with an edge off Thompson through second slip! And with it he becomes the first fifty for an England bespectacled batsman since Paul Allott

12.36pm BST

20th over: England 71-1 (Leach 43, Roy 18) A hot looking Murtagh rolls through the paces for his eighth over of this hot, hot day. Just a couple for Roy from a leg-side punch - though he would have had more had a hearty drive not charged straight into the non-striker’s stumps. We see James Taylor and Ed Smith in matching ironed blue shirts, in the shade, pondering their moves for next week. And that’s drinks.

But while we swelter, the rest of Europe swelters even more. David Harland is continental Europe where he smells a conspiracy theory in a heat haze.

12.29pm BST

19th over: England 69-1 (Leach 43, Roy 16) Jack Leach reaches up to his tip-toe height and plays a perfect high-elbowed defensive prod to Boyd Rankin. Geoffrey would be proud. He potters back down the pitch to prod again at whatever it is he prods at. A maiden. Half an hour to lunch.

12.26pm BST

18th over: England 68-1 (Leach 43, Roy 16) Just one from Murtagh’s over.

Paul Frangi is experiencing heat-induced time travel:”Good grief, Tom Stobbs has just given me horrible flashbacks from the 1993 Ashes series. Lathwell was like a rabbit in the headlights.”

12.21pm BST

17th over: England 67-1 (Leach 42, Roy 16) Rankin charges in in the broiling heat. Jack Leach, lumpy side (?) guard bulking out his whites like a hidden library book, drives the first ball and they come through for a quick two. Some welcome quiet then

Avitaj Mitra has been pondering results:

12.16pm BST

16th over: England 65-1 (Leach 40, Roy 16) Roy steps largely down the pitch, misses the ball and might have been stumped had Wilson been standing up. Then he is beaten by a Murtagh beauty with a wobble seam. But light relief off the last ball, an uppish cover-drive for four.

12.13pm BST

15th over: England 61-1 (Leach 40, Roy 12) Roy edges Rankin through the slips for four. An awkward shot, he tries to whallop through mid-wicket but ends up edging through third man. Breathe man, breathe! Rankin nips back through Leach’s defences and just over the stumps

Theresa May is apparently at Lord’s today, with selected members of her recently-culled cabinet. Ronald Grover writes: “Tanya, how about cabinets as international sides? Theresa May’s probably a mid-80s New Zealand? The current one a rebel tour to South Africa? It’s all too depressing, I know”

12.07pm BST

14th over: England 56-1 (Leach 40, Roy 8) Things are getting tricky, so Ireland go back to Murtagh and relentless accuracy. Leach hammers down on the pitch with his bat, tap, tap, but he just nurdles two off the over.

Tom Stobbs has been studying bats with a detailed eye: “Great to see Jack Leach has solved the opener dilemna, but even better to see a Millichamp & Hall bat in test cricket. Reminds me of Mark Lathwell.”

12.03pm BST

13th over: England 54-1 (Leach 38, Roy 8) Jack Leach hadn’t reached double figures in first-class cricket this season. But he hits Rankin for two successive fours - a little drive that just scampers away from the chasing fielders and bombastic drive through the covers. Ireland appeal to the umpires for a misshapen ball: they consider it, but no cigar. My my, and another, this time Leach tips Rankin off his hip for four more.

Mark White in Sydney says the secret words: “Can I be the 500th person to say England has found its ideal second opener - Leach! You’re welcome.”

11.56am BST

12th over: England 41-1 (Leach 25, Roy 8) Adair continues from the pavilion end. Oh and that’s a beautiful shot through extra-cover from Jack Leach for four. And with a replica shot, though not quite as well-timed, he moves on to the highest England score in the match. Roy is off the mark with a click and a slightly off-centre off-drive for four. He has another throw of the bat next ball - this feels slightly too hasty. Having said that, he strokes a perfect, gorgeous cover drive off the last ball of the over. Fifteen from it.

Sam Collier writes from the Shetlands: “Re Tom’s comment at 10:52, I was going to email yesterday about how Ollie Stone’s picture on Cricinfo makes him look like three of the Inbetweeners, rolled disturbingly into one. I cannot now unsee it.”

11.49am BST

11th over: England 26-1 (Leach 18, Roy 0) England had done the hard stuff, seen off Murtagh after forty minutes of disciplined, accurate 70-something mphers. Boyd Rankin replaced him at the nursery end, bounced Leach, was cut for four before suckering Burns into his trap. Roy walks out to two slips a gully and a short leg. Oh and they took drinks as the wicket fell.

11.45am BST

The change of bowling works! Burns’s 26 ball mini marathon is finished when he pushes forward awkwardly, feathers an edge and is caught behind

11.41am BST

10th over: England 21-0 (Leach 13, Burns 6) This is attritional . England are rightfully wary, and Ireland aren’t giving them anything to play with. Burns pushes and prods and is beaten outside off stump by a beauty of an Adair outswinger. Another maiden.

Shankar Mony is in mischievous mood. “Now that Leach has reached 11, is it right to point out that he has a better average as opener than Roy?”

11.36am BST

9th over: England 21-0 (Leach 13, Burns 6) Murtagh wipes his forehead with his forearm as the mercury creeps up to 33 degrees. I spot parasols and fans in the crowd - a sign of this new climate reality. Leach wriggles and shuffles his way through five balls of the over much to the frustration of Ireland. Burns picks up three through square leg.

11.32am BST

8th over: England 18-0 (Leach 13, Burns 3) As a long-time glasses wearer , I feel an immediate affinity with cricketers in specs. After Imam ul Haq in the World Cup, now Jack Leach. The urge to put his hand inside his helmet and readjust those specs must be so strong. Especially on a sweaty day. I’m in awe. Adair runs in with four slips. Leach grabs two with a drive and nearly gets yorked from the final ball of the over.

David Hopkins has a bone to pick: “ I can’t help but think Brian Withington is being a bit unfair on the honourable member for the 18th century. It’s not that he considers Ireland to be beyond the pale - I understand he’s perfectly happy to sequester his funds there ahead of the impending Brexit crash he’s happy to impose on the rest of us for example.”

11.26am BST

7th over: England 15-0 (Leach 11, Burns 3) I’m guessing that the bowlers won’t have long spells today so Burns and Leach probably only have another 15 minutes max before Murtagh retires to pasture. Burns fiddles with his gloves as they flash up his stats - a Test average of 34, two fifties and a hundred. A first-class average of 42. He warily plays out a Murtagh maiden. Two in a row. Careful England.

11.22am BST

6th over: England 15-0 (Leach 11, Burns 3) Adair runs in, and Leach prods, defends, avoids. A maiden.

Something is bothering Phil Whithall:

11.18am BST

5th over: England 15-0 (Leach 11, Burns 3) Overthrows in England’s favour , again, gets the score jogging along. Leach and Burns go through for a quick single, there is a shy at the stumps, it hits, but the ball riccochets off and runs down to the boundary. Other than that, we have line and length, line and length from Murtagh.

11.14am BST

4th over: England 9-0 (Leach 6, Burns 2) Adair finds some swing in the humid Lord’s air. He’s too good for Leach, who shuffles left to right to try to combat the movement.

Brian Withington writes: “Try as I might, I have been unable to unearth a tweet from Jacob Rees-Mogg linking yesterday’s cricket with Brexit developments. Perhaps he was otherwise engaged. Or maybe anything involving Ireland is just ‘beyond the pale’ for a politician who might have regarded the potato famine as a regrettable but unavoidable local difficulty?”

11.08am BST

3rd over: England 6-0 (Leach 4, Burns 2) It’s the main man. Tim Murtagh rubs his chest and sighs the sigh of a man in the golden autumn of his career. Leach is watchful, glasses visible through the grill. He is beaten by a 71mph-er and then squeezes a four between third slip and gully in an utterly unconvincing way.

11.05am BST

2nd over: England 2-0 (Leach 0, Burns 2) Rory Burns plays no stroke at the first ball of the day from Mark Adair, then goes down the pitch to prod a patch of unruly carpet. Adair’s face is blazed with suncream and the thermometer reads 32 degrees. I’m actually grateful to be in the shade of the house. Burns is off the mark with a nudge off the hip.

Mark Slater has a conspiracy theory. “Was [yesterday] part of a cunning plan to persuade Australia to open the bowling with their part time trundlers instead of the 90mph+ merchants...?”

10.58am BST

And the players are on their way out. It’s boiling hot and the pitch looks much drier than yesterday. Can England still be there by sandwiches?

10.54am BST

Ah Nasser - still my favourite ever England captain. He’s out on the pitch demonstrating in a crisp shirt where England’s batsmen went wrong yesterday.

“Technically England were very very poor against the moving ball. Many modern-day cricketers go too hard against the moving ball. Why would anyone listen to Nasser Hussain? An old has-been? I say listen to Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson who have learnt how to deal with it.”

10.52am BST

Wondering if the magic will be with Tim Murtagh today? Tom vdGucht was, though he admits to being somewhat bewitched by Olly Stone.

Although it seems quite perverse to think about any other bowler other than Dial M for Murtagh, what did you make of Olly Stone on his debut?

10.40am BST

Vic Lanser writes with news from THE OTHER PLACE. But as it is so good, I think we can quietly reprint it.

Tanya, I loved this comment on Cricinfo:

10.37am BST

David Gower is wearing a panama! David Lloyd was not impressed by England yesterday. “England played in front of their bodies to a bowler who is deadly accurate and bowling at 78mph. The top three is still a huge problem.”

And thanks to James Hurle - here is the TMS link for overseas listeners.

10.31am BST

I’m trying to work out if ICC have any specific guidelines on heat in Test matches -meanwhile, some reading on the heat effects of cricket helmets and a study on the effects of extreme heat on Elite Australian players.

10.21am BST

With the mercury due to touch 39 degrees today at Lord’s - playing and watching is likely to be an extremely uncomfortable experience. The MCC have made contingency measures for spectators - air-conditioned rooms, plenty of water, no jackets for members. But for players, things are more unclear .

Joe Root was hospitalized during the last Ashes Test at Sydney, when the temperature reached 47.3C. Cricket Australia has strict guidelines on heat, and uses the Wet Bulb Global Temperature Index. The ECB do not, yet, as far as I can discover, but last year the MCC cricket committee agreed that umpires should be able to stop play because of heat.

10.12am BST

Good morning everyone and welcome to the morning after the day before after the week before. Twenty wickets fell in yesterday’s ding-dong day - with England out before lunch and batting again just before the close.

What craziness! Were England caught napping? Were their heads in a fifty-over space? Were they just caught out by the relentless accuracy of Tim Murtagh on an emerald green carpet? We shall see as the morning develops.

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Published on July 25, 2019 11:03

July 16, 2019

From Sheffield United to Milan: our writers pick their favourite kits

It’s that time of the year when clubs bring out their strips for the coming season, so which ones do we look back on fondly?

There’s history behind this one. It was the first ever fluorescent outfield shirt (according to Umbro, at least) and kicked off a trend that has never really gone away (no surprise given it was said at the time that it was the best selling shirt, other than England kits, that Umbro had ever produced). But more importantly, to me at least, it was a) the first away shirt I ever owned and b) the shirt Sheffield United wore as they stormed to promotion to the old First Division in 1990, which was achieved via a 5-2 win against Leicester City at Filbert Street on the final day of that season. They also wore it the following season, their first campaign in the top flight since the mid-70s. A truly iconic shirt among Blades. JA

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Published on July 16, 2019 06:00

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