Key events
“WinViz has England at 59 per cent to win,” begins Michael Meagher, “which seems to me to lie somewhere between optimistic and bonkers.”
This is blatant algorism, and I heartily agree: I’d give England maybe a 15 per cent chance. Never mind bonkers; we’ll both look like plonkers when England win inside 40 overs.
England’s over-rate was slow which means a shorter break than usual. Ben Duckett and Phil Salt are about to assume the position.
“Last time there was really a Big Two in Tests was presumably the Strauss captaincy, when Australia were in a rut and England’s 2011 series against India was seen as pivotal,” says James Davey. “Before that I recall the Saffers with Pollock and Donald having some ding-dong battles against Waugh’s Australia.”
I thought about both of those but I’m not sure they quite fit. In the early 2010s there were at least three really good teams; South Africa drew 1-1 with India in 2010-11, then went top by winning in England in 2012. And while late-90s South Africa were a brilliant, granite-nosed side (hello Brian if you’re reading), who I’m pretty sure were top of the original Wisden World Championship, they always lost to Australia. They had the opposite problem to late-1980s Pakistan, who were the equal of West Indies in their head-to-head contests but were nowhere near as good against the rest.
England need 305 to win
“England have looked exactly what they are in this series: a team in transition, playing the world champions,” says Phil Harrison. “I suppose it’s just one of those series where you think ‘Can we find a couple?’. I guess at a push Bethell and Smith just about count as that.”
Yes exactly. Also, sometimes you have to look beyond the stats. In the NatWest Series of 2001, the debutant Paul Collingwood didn’t reach double figures in four innings, but he impressed a lot of people including Steve Waugh.
You can never be certain (I would’ve put the farm on Haseeb Hameed) but Bethell looks close to a sure thing. As a great man once said, if he doesn’t make it we might as well all pack up and go home.
50th over: Australia 304-7 (Carey 77, Abbott 2) Australia sneak past 300, which should be more than enough on this pitch. England started pretty well but were a seamer light and lost their way towards the end, with Australia scoring 55 from the last four overs.
Alex Carey played another gem of an innings: 77 not out from 65 balls with seven fours, one six and heaps of intelligencee. England can learn from Carey that you don’t need to smash the ball to all parts to score at a strike rate of 120.
WICKET! Australia 294-7 (Hardie run out 44)
Carey sweeps Posts to backward square, turns down a single and barbecues Hardie in the process. Carey puts up his hand in apology; Hardie walks off after making a really useful 44 from 26 balls, including 33 from the last 11.
49th over: Australia 294-6 (Carey 70, Hardie 44) After bowling either length or short stuff for most of the day, Archer has started firing in yorkers. The first two are spot on, but when he misses his length Hardie makes room to slash the ball past backward point for four.
A difficult day for Archer ends with a low full toss that Hardie launches over wide long-on for six! Archer’s last two overs disappeared for 31 and he finishes with figures are 10-0-67-2. But what a superb shot from Hardie. This is comfortably the highest score of Hardie’s fledgling international career: 44 from 26 balls.
48th over: Australia 280-6 (Carey 68, Hardie 32) After a scratchy start, Hardie is playing like a proper batter. He drives Potts for four with the help of a Duckett misfield, then pulls another round the corner.
Carey, who was originally looking for the scoop, reacts smartly to guide a wide full toss to third man for a couple. It would have been four but for Livingstone’s scrambling stop. Carey steals a second run off the last delivery to make it 14 from the over and 31 from the last two overs.
47th over: Australia 266-6 (Carey 64, Hardie 23) Jofra Archer’s penultimate over is really expensive, costing 17. Carey pulls Archer wide of mid-on for four; Hardie raises him with a sweet pull into the crowd at square leg.
“In a world full of uncertainties, an Australian win under any circumstance is indeed a miracle,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “They outscore you, outbowl you, outfield you – in short outplay you whether they chase or defend. Australia is to cricket what Federer was to tennis and Nadal was to Roland Garros a while ago.”
They’re not that dominant, are they? This feels like a Big Two era in all formats, and I won’t insult your intelligence by naming the other team. When was cricket’s last great Big Two era, let’s say just in Test cricket? I’m tempted to say West Indies and Pakistan in the 1980s but, though I really love that Pakistan team, you couldn’t really make an argument for them being No1.
46th over: Australia 249-6 (Carey 59, Hardie 11) Ignore that – Harry Brook has decided to give Livingstone a third over. The gamble almost works when Hardie chips not far short of deep point. Instead it goes for a single, one of five in the over.
45th over: Australia 244-6 (Carey 57, Hardie 8) Rashid is annoyed with himself when he drops short and is whacked through wide mid-on for four by Carey. A rare bad ball from Rashid, who ends with figures of 10-0-56-0 (overall) and 7-0-35-0 (this spell).
Incidentally England’s fifth bowler, Mr Bethellackstone, had figures of 10-1-72-3. Australia may already have enough runs.
44th over: Australia 235-6 (Carey 51, Hardie 5) It’s usually when players go too far up the order that they look like a fish out of water, but Hardie has had the opposite problem when he bats at No8. There’s no time to build an innings and the hitting areas are completely different.
His job here is to give the strike to Carey, which he eventually manages in Livingstone’s over. Carey works two off the pads to reach a classy, unobtrusive fifty from 48 balls. It’s been easy to forget, because of all the crap last summer, what a clever and resourceful player he is.
43rd over: Australia 230-6 (Carey 48, Hardie 3) Australia are still in a good position on a tricky pitch, but that wicket gives England the chance to restrict them to maybe 250-260. Anything near 300 looks really tough.
Four from Rashid’s over; I feel like I’ve typed that a few times today. He has one left, as does Mr Fifth Bowler.
42nd over: Australia 226-6 (Carey 47, Hardie 0) Maxwell sighed demonstratively when he realised he’d hit that straight to Carse. He maded 30 from 26 balls and was looking extremely dangerous.
WICKET! Australia 226-6 (Maxwell c Carse b Livingstone 30)
England need to bowl at least two more overs of occasional spin, so Liam Livingstone is coming on for the first time today. The move pays dividends… eventually. Maxwell clubs three ominous boundaries, two to cow corner and another reverse hoicked over short third man, but then belts the final ball of the over to Carse in the covers. He takes a good catch just above the ground and Maxwell walks off in disgust.
41st over: Australia 212-5 (Carey 46, Maxwell 17) Harry Brook decides to bowl out Brydon Carse. Carey gets on top of the bounce to pull expertly through midwicket for four, then tucks the last delivery down the leg side for another boundary.
The in-form Carey has moved stealthily to 46 from only 43 balls. Carse finishes with 10-0-55-1.
40th over: Australia 200-5 (Carey 35, Maxwell 16) Another canny, boundaryless over from Rashid. His second spell has been much better: 5-0-22-0 to follow an opening effort of 3-0-21-0. But Australia are still on top.
39th over: Australia 196-5 (Carey 33, Maxwell 14) Maxwell stays deep in his crease to smear Carse over midwicket for four. He’s getting his eye in, which spells trouble for England, although Carse does well to keep him quiet for the rest of the over.
38th over: Australia 189-5 (Carey 33, Maxwell 9) Maxwell launches Rashid over extra cover for a couple, then pushes a single down the ground. Carey cuts another to complete a quiet over.
37th over: Australia 185-5 (Carey 32, Maxwell 6) Carse gets to have a crack at Maxwell, coming on for Archer. It’s no exaggeration to say that the match could be decided by whether Maxwell gets in, so it makes sense to keep attacking him with pace. He pulls a single, as does Carey, then Maxwell crashes Carse back over his head for four. That’s a helluva shot.
The over ends with a slower bouncer that Maxwell top-edges well short of fine leg.
36th over: Australia 178-5 (Carey 31, Maxwell 0) Carey clubs Rashid through midwicket for four. The camera couldn’t keep up but the tone of the commentator Ian Ward’s voice suggests it wasn’t far away from the fielder.
“Well done!” says John Starbuck. “No sooner do you take over the OBO but a wicket falls. That’s timing.”
The Dougie Walters of the OBO.
Carey is not out! Yep, it’s umpire’s call on height so Carey survives.
England review for LBW against Carey Big moment, this. Carey pushed around a lovely legbreak from Rashid and was hit on the pad. Alex Wharf gave it not out, albeit after a fair bit of thought. It’s close but I suspect height will save Carey.
35th over: Australia 172-5 (Carey 25, Maxwell 0) Archer greets Glenn Maxwell with a sharp short ball, then beats him outside off stump. I’m sure that was going to be Archer’s last over in this spell, as he only has two left, but with Maxwell new at the crease England might give him one more.
WICKET! Australia 172-5 (Smith c Carse b Archer 60)
Jofra Archer has finally dismissed Steve Smith in international cricket! All those snorters over the years and the wicket came from an unspectacular short ball that was pulled hard towards square leg by Smith. Brydon Carse charged clockwise round the boundary and swooped to take an outstanding two-handed catch just above the ground. My word, that really is brilliant, and a lovely moment for Carse on his home ground
34th over: Australia 171-4 (Smith 60, Carey 24) Cheers Jim, hello everyone. Even though England haven’t played badly, there’s a feeling of inevitability about this game. I’m not sure England picked the right team either: Olly Stone or John Turner (if he exists) for Liam Livingstone would be my hindsight-driven choice.
Anyhow, the first over after the drinks break is a pretty quiet one from Rashid: single, single, dot, dot, dot, single.
James Wallace
33rd over: Australia 168-4 (Smith 59, Carey 22) Alex Carey is in fine fettle, pulling Jofra Archer through midwicket for four. That’s me done for a while, here’s Rob Smyth to take you through the rest of Australia’s innings. Thanks Rob!
32nd over: Australia 162-4 (Smith 58, Carey 17) Rashid returns and brings some control. Smith and Carey rotate strike to pick up five from the over. Jofra is coming back, Harry Brook turning to some pace.
31st over: Australia 157-4 (Smith 57, Carey 16) Carey is dangerous, he lofts Bethell twice down the ground in the over, once for four along the baize and then for SIX high and long into the crowd!
30th over: Australia 145-4 (Smith 53, Carey 5) Steve Smith goes to fifty off 71 balls after Jacks drags down and is flayed away to the fence.
29th over: Australia 139-4 (Smith 48, Carey 4) Alex Carey – Player of the match at Headingley – joins Smith in the middle and is immediately into his work, sweeping and driving the impressively bleached Bethell.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Smith b Jacks 0 (Australia 132-4)
A duck for Marnus! An attempted paddle sweep off Jacks sees the ball top edged into his helmet and easily caught by Smith behind the stumps.
28th over: Australia 134-4 (Smith 44, Carey 0)
WICKET! Green c Jacks b Bethell 42 (Australia 131-3)
Gone! Jacob Bethell gets the break through as Green plinks a catch to Will Jacks in close at shirt mid wicket. The fielder was there for exactly that and Green duly obliged. Bethell completes a wicket maiden as Marnus arrives at the crease to greet his mentor.
27th over: Australia 131-2 (Smith 44, Labuschagne 0)
26th over: Australia 131-2 (Smith 44, Green 32) Will Jacks into the attack and Australia get after him straight away. Green thumps him down the ground for four and Smith plays a deft late cut for four more. Power and placement. 11 off the over.
25th over: Australia 120-2 (Smith 38, Green 37) It’s been relatively slow going for Australia as the halfway stage is reached. Bethell is manipulated for seven runs off his over. Green and Smith will know they have chewed up enough deliveries now that one of them has to go on and get a big one.
24th over: Australia 113-2 (Smith 34, Green 34) Carse into his seventh over. Another good one. Mixing up his lengths, the batters can’t get a read on him. He’s gone for just 29 from his seven overs.
23rd over: Australia 108-2 (Smith 32, Green 31) Jacob Bethell replaces Rashid. The youngster struggles himself, sending down two leg side wides before serving up a half tracker that Green pulverises to the leg side boundary.
22nd over: Australia 99-2 (Smith 30, Green 26) Carse into his sixth over. He’s looked much more accurate and comfortable today on his home ground, he took some tap at Headingley despite finishing with three wickets. Three singles off the over, both sides sizing each other up at the moment.
21st over: Australia 95-2 (Smith 28, Green 24) Rashid is struggling with his control, perhaps because of the nippy conditions, and is bunted for two boundaries. Smith paddling fine for four and Green getting a huge stride out and smearing a drive through the covers.
