England battled back from the brink with three important wickets on the fourth morning of the second Ashes Test.
After taking control on day three, Australia had the chance to bat the home side out of the game at Lord’s, resuming 221 ahead with eight wickets in hand.
But England’s seamers scrapped away valiantly, taking out Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith and Travis Head to keep themselves just about in the hunt.
Australia will still feel well on top, leading by 313 at lunch as they moved from 130 for two to 222 for five.
England already require the second highest chase at the home of cricket, with the West Indies making 344 in 1984, but England have made a habit of hunting formidable targets in the ‘Bazball’ era.
They memorably made 378 for three to beat India at Edgbaston last summer and assistant coach Jeetan Patel spoke on Friday night about his side’s hunger to break records.
Having lost a handful of their own batters to short-pitched bowling, England mimicked the tactic with a sustained bouncer barrage of their own and enjoyed similar rewards.
After a messy opening hour that cast neither team in their best light, Stuart Broad removed stalwart opener Khawaja for 77 with a perfectly-directed bumper.
Khawaja has excelled in the series by showing endless concentration and, after initially refusing to engage, he opened up to hook and picked out substitute fielder Matthew Potts at fine-leg.
Having already seen a half-chance clear wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow a few minutes earlier, there was no escape for the left-hander this time.
Head should have followed for a golden duck, slashing the impressive Josh Tongue straight to James Anderson at short point.
The 40-year-old let the chance burst through his hands, his second drop of the innings, and took an age to pick himself back up.
Tongue did not allow the disappointment to show, tearing straight back in after the batters crossed ends and dismissing Smith with the very next delivery.
Smith (34) was the latest player to get sucked into the hook, aiming for the stands but finding the hands of Zak Crawley prowling at deep backward square.
Tongue raced away in celebration, marking his third success over Smith in as many attempts this summer, starting for Worcestershire against Sussex and continuing in the first innings here.
The surge continued when Head fended a lifter from Broad towards short-leg, where Joe Root leapt to claim a fine one-handed catch.
The wind was in England’s sails now, but Cameron Green and Alex Carey shut things down to reach the interval, putting on an unbeaten stand of 25.
Under-pressure England desperately need to land some blows on the fourth morning of the second Ashes Test following a dispiriting third day at Lord’s.
Rain spared Ben Stokes’ side of any further punishment when it arrived at 5.10pm on Friday with Australia on 130 for two, a lead of 221 runs.
England had been skittled for 325 in the morning session after they resumed on 278 for four with Harry Brook and Ben Stokes unable to live with a terrific opening spell from Mitchell Starc, who finished with three for 88.
Usman Khawaja then continued his rich vein of form with 58 not out at the top of the order and will aim to move Australia’s lead into uncharted territory alongside first innings centurion Steve Smith on day four.
View from the dressing roomNo Lyon, no problem!
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When Nathan Lyon arrived at Lord’s on crutches for day three, England’s eyes should have lit up but the absence of Australia’s frontline spinner with a “significant” calf strain only contributed towards the hosts being skittled out in 14 overs.
Australia captain Pat Cummins stuck with the short-pitched plan that worked against England’s aggression in the evening session on day two and played his part in sending Brook and Jonny Bairstow back to the pavilion.
With the tail blow away in quick time thanks to more bumpers, after Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root had got out in similar fashion on day two, England can expect more short-pitched bowling in their second innings.
Broad blow least of his worries
Stuart Broad took a nasty blow to his jaw in the morning session from a Josh Hazlewood bouncer, but after a concussion check was able to carry on. While slightly shaken, Broad was more unhappy after tea when his loud appeal for lbw against Marnus Labuschagne fell on deaf ears.
Broad’s belief that the Australian was out saw him barely appeal and even though he was left flabbergasted by the not out decision, he was even more perplexed at captain Stokes’ decision to not review.
It proved a poor call by Stokes because after the next delivery Broad looked up at the TV screens inside the ground and saw ball tracker show his ball would have hit leg stump. It capped a frustrating day for England even if Labuschagne was out 14 runs later.
Marathon man eyes record
Labuschagne may not be at the crease, but Khawaja is and could have an Ashes record in his sights after a marathon knock at Edgbaston.
After reaching the end of day three on 58 not out from 123 balls, Khawaja has taken the total number of deliveries he has faced in the Ashes onto 711. The record after the opening two matches of the series is Bill Brown’s tally of 999 balls faced back in the 1938 series.
Bettering that looks unlikely, but Khawaja will certainly fancy his chances after he fronted up to 321 in the first innings in Birmingham.
Starc, Stokes, gone!
Stokes looked to have played the perfect captain’s knock on day two, digging in for 57 balls after England’s mini-wobble to ensure he was there for the third morning, but he lasted one ball on Friday and it set the tone.
In fairness, Stokes could do little to a beauty from Starc, who squared up the England captain and found the outside edge with Cameron Green doing the rest in the slip corden.
Stokes would have cursed his luck and England’s day never got any better with a poor batting display followed up by another wicketless new ball period. Josh Tongue did make the much-needed breakthrough and Broad bowled impressively, but with Australia holding a 221-run lead with eight wickets in hand, the odds are stacked against the hosts.
Angeball meet Bazball
New Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou spent his final day before his work officially begins with the Premier League club by taking in some Ashes cricket at Lord’s. It would have been intriguing to know what the one-time Melbourne native made of the day’s play.
Ex-Australia manager Postecoglou has developed a strong reputation in football with a bold and aggressive style of play that has won many trophies, but does not differ much from what England are trying to achieve under Stokes and Brendon McCullum with their famed ‘Bazball’ approach.
Perhaps Postecoglou would feel more at home playing for the hosts than the more pragmatic tourists. Nevertheless, he starts work at Tottenham on Saturday and no doubt the Ashes will be on the training ground TVs.
Birmingham Bears booked a home Vitality Blast quarter-final with a two-wicket victory over North Group rivals Notts Outlaws at a damp Trent Bridge.
The Bears were already sure of a place in the knock-out stages after five straight wins, but found themselves in big trouble on seven for four chasing 169 as Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi took four wickets in the first over.
However, opener Rob Yates put together a calm 65, with Jacob Bethell and Jake Lintott both making 27, to see them home with five balls to spare.
Although Tom Moores had earlier hit a swift 73, the Outlaws always looked to be under par after being bowled out for 168 in their 20 overs.
The Outlaws now need to beat Leicestershire Foxes at Trent Bridge in their final game to join the Bears in the last eight.
Lancashire Lightning saw their derby showdown against Yorkshire Vikings at Emirates Old Trafford abandoned without a ball bowled because of heavy rain.
With the points shared, second-placed Lancashire are still not secure of progression, but Yorkshire miss out having needed victory to keep their hopes of qualification alive.
Worcestershire’s match against Durham ended in a tie on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern after bad light brought an early end at New Road.
Durham opener Graham Clark had made 78 from 47 balls with Michael Jones (39), Brydon Carse (39) and Ashton Turner (33 not out) also making useful contributions in their side’s 216 for four.
The Rapids were 112 for three after 11 overs, with New Zealander Mitchell Santner making a swift 42 and Adam Hose unbeaten on 16.
With a point each, Durham’s quarter-final hopes are over, while the Rapids need to win at Derbyshire on Sunday to progress.
Tom Wood struck a maiden T20 century to drive Derbyshire Falcons to a 71-run win over Leicestershire Foxes which keeps their qualification hopes alive.
Wood smashed an unbeaten 110 – with 12 fours and four sixes from 57 balls – while fellow opener Harry Came made 56 as the Falcons posted 231 for four, their highest T20 total.
Peter Handscomb lead the Foxes’ reply with 61, but Zaman Khan took three for 27 as Leicestershire finished 160 all out.
Derbyshire now need to beat Worcestershire to have a chance of making the quarter-finals.
Tom Banton’s fine 84 helped South Group leaders Somerset pull off an 18-run win over Surrey at the Oval.
Somerset, who had already secured a home quarter-final, made 208 for five after being put in to bat.
New Zealand duo Matt Henry (four for 30) and Ish Sodhi (three for 33) then helped limit Surrey to 190 for nine in reply, leaving them needing to beat Essex to stay in the mix for the runners-up spot.
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At the Ageas Bowl, Australian Ben McDermott struck 54 to put defending champions Hampshire Hawks in prime position for a quarter-final spot with a 21-run DLS win over Glamorgan.
Hampshire reached 97 for two in 9.2 overs before a rain delay, and Glamorgan were set 83 in six overs.
Despite Colin Ingram’s quickfire 34, good defensive bowling saw Glamorgan restricted to 54 for one as Hampshire moved level with Surrey in second place on 16 points.
Ravi Bopara’s fine century helped Sussex Sharks beat Kent Spitfires by 11 runs in another rain-hit match at Canterbury.
Bopara made his highest T20 score of 108 as Sussex posted a formidable 228 for seven.
In reply, Kent were 31 for one when heavy rain set in, and a revised DLS target was set of 129 from 10 overs.
Although Alex Blake made 30 and Jordan Cox an unbeaten 37, it always looked a tough run chase, and the hosts finished on 117 for four.
Middlesex beat Essex by two wickets in a high-scoring clash at Chelmsford to dent the Eagles hopes of making the quarter-finals.
All-rounder Ryan Higgins hit a swift 61 and Martin Andersson’s unbeaten 24 saw Middlesex home in the final over, despite Matt Critchley’s career-best five for 28.
Essex had made 225 for six, with 69 not out from Daniel Sams, but now head to the Oval on Sunday needing victory over Surrey to stand any chance of progress.
At a Board of Directors meeting on Friday 30 June 2023 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has appointed Miles Bascombe as the new Director of Cricket, on a three-year contract. Bascombe will take over from Jimmy Adams, who had been in the role for the past six years.
Bascombe, 37, played one T20 International for the West Indies in 2011 and played first-class cricket between 2007 and 2017, for both the Windward Islands and the Combined Campuses and Colleges. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with both Bachelor's and Master’s degrees and is a certified coach.
Bascombe, who was a CWI Men’s Selector between 2019 and 2021, has been the Technical Director at the Windward Islands Cricket Board over the last two years. Under his technical leadership, there have been a remarkable turnaround of fortunes for both male and female cricket across different levels, including an unbeaten first-class season in 2023.
Johnny Grave, CWI Chief Executive Officer said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, Miles stood out to the panel with his skills, experience and intimate knowledge of our cricket system, especially at Territorial Board level. His passion and understanding of the game at all levels are outstanding. He is a critical thinker with a strong analytical and strategic mindset, which will be hugely beneficial to us as we embark on formulating our new 4-year strategic plan. I have no doubt he will hit the ground running and will relish the challenge before us to develop higher standards and better structures within our cricket system.”
Miles Bascombe said: “West Indies Cricket is at a critical stage with an urgent need to improve performances. We have made significant progress with establishing a central High-Performance system that now needs to be rolled out across all of our Territories. I am looking forward to working as a member of the CWI senior leadership team and closely with the Territorial Boards to bring about the necessary improvements that I am confident will lead to more success by implementing a robust system based on achieving world-class standards and by driving a winning culture.”
CWI High Performance Manager, Graeme West will act as the interim Director of Cricket until Bascombe takes up his new role on 1 August 2023.
England were left “angry” and “bewildered” after Ollie Pope was pressed to take the field with a shoulder injury, but expect him to play his part in salvaging the second Ashes Test despite aggravating the problem.
England are 221 runs behind with eight Australian wickets to take and will need every one of their batters for what is shaping up to be a huge fourth-innings chase at Lord’s.
But Pope may struggle to be at his best after hurting his right shoulder for a second time in the match as Australia stretched their lead on day three.
England were permitted to use a substitute fielder after Pope went down in Australia’s first innings, but the situation changed after he came out to bat in his usual position of number three.
Confusion over the vice-captain’s status reigned in the England dressing room and it is understood TV umpire Marais Erasmus may have suggested they would need to field with 10 men if Pope was unfit to join his team-mates. Instead, a replacement should have been approved, with Pope allowed to bat no higher than number seven.
Pope stepped up but was left clutching the joint in pain when he dived at mid-on, departing once again for treatment for what was now considered by the officials as a fresh injury.
Assistant coach Jeetan Patel suggested England were left uncertain by their communication with the officials.
“We’re a bit bewildered by it all, I suppose. We haven’t clarified with the officials yet why he was told he had to get back out there and field. It’s a pretty tough situation when you nearly bust your shoulder,” he said.
“It’s a bit messy if I’m being honest with you. We’re probably as frustrated as everyone else that was out there and saw what happened and he’s probably more angry at the situation than anything else. He’s pretty sore.
“It’s a bit confusing. We think, or we assumed, he had to be back out on the field otherwise we’d have to field with 10 men. That made no sense to me, or us. We threw him out there in the risk that he wouldn’t have to touch the ball.
“But it was always going to happen wasn’t it? He’s so committed to this team, he was always going to fall on something. Now he’s back off icing his shoulder.”
Patel made it clear he would be ready to do his job for the side in the final innings, with England searching for a match-winner after allowing control of the Test to slip through their hands.
“I’m very certain he’ll bat, very certain he’ll bat at three and very certain he’ll be determined to score runs for England,” said Patel.
“He’s a good kid and we know that he’s going to rock up with a smile on his face and put in for the team. He’ll see it as an opportunity to take the game on.”
England were guilty of giving away their wickets far too cheaply in their first attempt, going from 188 for one to 325 all out to hand control to the tourists.
They have fought back from tighter corners than that in the past year but the route to a series-levelling win is narrowing with every run.
“We’ve seen some amazing things from this team, some crazy things,” he said.
“This team is about breaking records. They want to set new standards and sell out grounds. A way to do that is to bowl them out and set the crowd alight, then chase whatever it is down.”
Michael Vaughan criticised England’s “silly and stupid” ploy to keep attacking Australia’s short-pitched bowling after they ended the third day of the second Ashes Test with a 221-run deficit.
England optimism was rife on Friday morning when captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook walked out with their side on 278 for four, hoping to establish a first-innings lead.
While Stokes was out to a beauty from Mitchell Starc’s second ball, Brook followed the downfall of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root on day two in getting out picking out fielders on the boundary rope under a barrage of bumpers from Australia’s attack.
After collapsing from 188 for one to 325 all out in response to Australia’s 416, Usman Khawaja set about increasing the tourists’ stranglehold on the match and the series with 58 not out to help them close on 130 for two.
Former England captain Vaughan told BBC’s Test Match Special: “When you’ve got that field Australia set, if you go at two or three an over and stay in, that is better.
“I am intrigued, not just with Harry, but with all of the batters trying to constantly take it on. It’s silly, it’s stupid, it won’t have constant success.
“I actually thought they (England) bowled well. The seamers bowled nicely and the conditions were perfect.
“They could easily have got a few more wickets, a couple of reviews didn’t quite go the way they would have liked.
“I don’t think it is the bowling you can point the finger at – it is all the batting and the Bazball way isn’t it?
“The mistakes they made with their batting is the reason why they are in the position that they are.”
Australian great Glenn McGrath was under no illusions about where England had gone wrong and warned Brook, who did make 50, to expect more bouncers.
“The second ball of the day set the tone, that was a vital early wicket,” McGrath said of Stokes’ dismissal.
“Good bowling by Mitchell Starc, it just extracted a bit more out of the pitch.
“I don’t think Mitchell Starc likes bowling short, sometimes it finishes your action. Getting that wicket and then seeing how Harry Brook played, they would have seen he wouldn’t like it.
“He’s (Brook) going to cop a fair bit more, if you look unsettled and don’t like the short ball, you’ll get it more.”
Kevin Pietersen, after he described England’s day one efforts with the ball as “shambolic”, was an ally to the home batters, having taken a similar aggressive approach to short-pitched deliveries.
“I played the way they played. I saw the best form of defence being attack,” the former England batter told Sky Sports.
“There is a lot of people that have said, ‘brainless batting, this batting’, but I was pretty brainless too! People hated it, but that’s the way I played.
“Ninety miles per hour, a delivery at your head, it rocks your foundations, it’s not comfortable and sometimes instinct takes over.
“These guys had no respite at all, so you are asking the wrong bloke because I played that way.”
England’s costly habit of unforced batting errors reared its head again at Lord’s as they gifted control of the second Ashes Test to Australia.
The tourists, already 1-0 up after edging a nail-biter at Edgbaston, ended day three with a commanding 221-run lead and a platform to make themselves overwhelming favourites to win both the game and the series.
England were knocked over for 325 in a deflating morning session, losing six wickets for 47 as they turned a competitive position into a first-innings deficit of 91.
At one stage on the second evening they had looked at ease on 188 for one, but 24 hours later they had a mountain to climb.
While a host of England’s leading batters were the authors of their own downfall, Australia once against trusted a more pragmatic approach as they gritted their teeth in awkward conditions to reach 130 for two.
With the ball nipping around under floodlights and murky skies, Australia’s insistence on a more risk-averse strategy than England’s all-out aggression paid dividends.
Usman Khawaja, dropped on 19 by James Anderson, led the way as he did in the first Test at Edgbaston as he compiled a hard-working 58no.
The successes of the ‘Bazball’ era have been built around an ultra-positive ‘no regrets’ policy, but the manner of several dismissals over the past 24 hours may push that rule close to breaking point.
After Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root fell on their swords during an adrenaline-fuelled bouncer battle on Thursday evening, England continued to fold on Friday.
Harry Brook reached 50 but gave up his wicket with a wince-inducing swat at Mitchell Starc, while Jonny Bairstow hacked a rare full ball straight to mid-on.
With Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on crutches with a serious calf injury that may rule him out of the series, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad even managed to give his part-time understudy Travis Head two wickets in an over during a dispiriting collapse.
England began the day 138 behind on 278 for four, diminished by their losses to the short ball but still well placed to push for a lead of their own.
Instead, they were rocked by the dismissal of Ben Stokes to his first ball of the day.
Having curbed his attacking instincts during a responsible knock late on day two, his reward was a fine welcome delivery from Starc, angled across the left-hander and lifting as it left the bat.
Stokes (17) aimed the bat towards midwicket, Cameron Green swallowed a thick edge and England’s best-laid plans were already up in smoke.
Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Brook and Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch.
Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century, but that was as far as he got.
Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to smash Starc down the ground.
Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order, but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.
After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two, but things were only getting worse.
Bairstow reached 16 but surrendered by hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on, eyes lighting up at the long-awaited chance to drive.
Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with an 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw.
England’s fight had gone and they lost the next three wickets in seven balls, Head having Robinson caught on the charge then trapping Broad lbw. Cummins, tearing in, made short work of Josh Tongue at number 11.
David Warner and Khawaja saw off six overs before lunch, nudging the lead past 100 off the last ball of the session and kicking off a gutsy stand of 63.
Conditions in the afternoon offered some cause for English optimism, with clouds overhead and the floodlights switched on.
But, while their four seamers worked away diligently and beat the bat on a series of occasions, Australia were digging in.
When the chance did come, Khawaja pulling Tongue’s second ball to midwicket, Anderson struggled to pick it up and saw it burst through his hands for four.
The hunt went on as the tourists ground out just 69 runs in the afternoon session, Tongue responsible for the solitary wicket of Warner (25), while DRS was an increasingly big part of the conversation as Marnus Labushcagne struggled to settle.
He overturned an lbw from Tongue and then saw Broad go up with three huge appeals either side of tea.
Stokes was right to wave off the first two, but, when he declined to pursue the third, the technology supported Broad’s shout.
When head coach Brendon McCullum relayed the information from the balcony, the seamer was visibly fuming.
Labuschagne did not make them pay, lazily wafting a wide one from Anderson to point, but England’s muted celebrations told the story.
In May, SportsMax.tv published a story where CWI President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, said that opening new academies across the region was “high on the agenda.”
This was in reaction to the West Indies Academy coming out victorious in the inaugural Headley Weekes Series that same month, a tri series played directly after the conclusion of the West Indies Championship.
Cost and sustainability were the only concerns mentioned by Shallow about the initiative while he also said that the matter had to be discussed further by the CWI’s cricket development and performance and finance management and strategy committees.
On Thursday, Shallow was contacted by SportsMax.tv regarding developments the opening of the new academies.
The Vincentian said that, due to recent developments in West Indies cricket, they have had to focus their attention on other, more urgent matters.
Those matters, according to Shallow, are the recruitment of a new Director of Cricket as well as a new permanent head coach for the West Indies Women’s Team.
“What we are currently doing now is focusing on the recruitment of personnel. One of those positions being the director of cricket and the other being a new head coach of the women’s team,” Dr. Shallow said.
“Over the next few weeks, once we have finalized these two things, then we’re going to address the academy and all other components under the cricket,” he added.
On May 31, CWI announced that Jimmy Adams would not return as Director of Cricket while Courtney Walsh was sacked as West Indies Women’s head coach in April. Robert Samuels, who was an assistant coach during Walsh’s tenure, is currently serving as interim head coach of the team.
Sri Lanka were truly tested for the first time at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023, but big performances from Dhananjaya de Silva and Maheesh Theekshana got them out of trouble against the Netherlands.
Dhananjaya made 93, his best ODI score, to help Sri Lanka recover from 96 for six to make 213.
And Theekshana then took three wickets in the space of two overs to derail the Dutch chase in a 21-run victory.
The Netherlands signalled their intent from the very first ball of their clash with Sri Lanka, with Pathum Nissanka sent on his way for a duck by Logan van Beek.
That was part of a dream start for the Dutch, who quickly had the Sri Lankans 34 for four as Van Beek (3/26) showed his skill with the ball four days on from his heroics with the bat against the West Indies.
It required a sensational knock from Dhananjaya de Silva to get Sri Lanka to 213 all out, and even that did not look like it would be anywhere near enough.
However, just as the Netherlands seemed to be on track in reply, Maheesh Theekshana (3/31) swung the momentum with three quick wickets as the Netherlands eventually fell 21 runs short.
They had started so well. Nissanka departed after just one ball, before Ryan Klein had Kusal Mendis (10) trapped in front in the fourth over.
Van Beek added Sadeera Samarawickrama (1) and Charith Asalanka (2), bringing Dhananjaya to the crease.
He began to rebuild with Dimuth Karunaratne, who then fell for 33, with skipper Dasun Shanaka then departing for five, Saqib Zulfiqar (2/48) accounting for both men.
Wanindu Hasaranga provided some useful runs, making 20 in a 35-run stand with Dhananjaya. And after he fell LBW to Bas de Leede (3/42), Theekshana joined Dhananjaya.
The duo added 77 runs, taking Sri Lanka past 200 before both getting out in the space of three deliveries.
A target of 214 was certainly in reach for the Dutch, albeit on a tricky wicket for the batters.
Their cause was not helped by both openers falling for ducks, Lahiru Kumara removing Vikramjit Singh and Dilshan Madushanka accounting for Max O’Dowd.
However, a 77-run partnership between Wesley Barresi (52) and De Leede (41) got the chase back on track. It was ended by some sharp work in the field by Shanaka, with Barresi short of his ground while trying to steal a single.
Teja Nidamanuru then became the third Dutch batter to go for a duck, bowled by Hasaranga. In came Scott Edwards and the skipper quickly settled in alongside De Leede, the pair adding 36 in six overs.
Sri Lanka were in desperate need of a breakthrough and it came from Theekshana, who snuck one through the defences of De Leede.
He added two more in his next over, including the vital wicket of Van Beek, before another run-out saw Shariz Ahmed depart for two, leaving the Netherlands on 151 for eight.
Edwards and Ryan Klein added 25, inching closer with the required rate not an issue, but a perfect wrong’un from Hasaranga was too good for Klein (5).
That left the final pair with 38 to get in 17 overs and the in-form Edwards helped get them close, but the skipper was left stranded unbeaten on 67 when Aryan Dutt was clean bowled by Shanaka.
With Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe both on six points, the West Indies will have to beat Scotland on Saturday to stay in contention to make it to the World Cup. If they lose, the most points they can end up with is four.
England continued their costly habit of unforced batting errors at Lord’s as they gifted control of the second Ashes Test to Australia.
The home side were knocked over for 325 on a deflating third morning, 91 behind, having apparently taken charge at 188 for one midway through the second evening.
While a host of England’s leading batters were the authors of their own downfall, Australia’s more pragmatic approach saw them reach 81 for one at tea, defying tricky conditions to stretch their lead to 171.
The successes of the ‘Bazball’ era have been built around an ultra-positive ‘no regrets’ policy, but the manner of several dismissals over the past 24 hours may push that rule close to the breaking point.
After Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root fell on their swords during an adrenaline-fuelled bouncer battle on Thursday evening, England lost their last five wickets for 47 in the morning session. Harry Brook reached 50 but gave up his wicket with a wince-inducing swat at Mitchell Starc, while Jonny Bairstow hacked a rare full ball straight to mid-on.
With Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on crutches with a serious calf injury, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad even managed to give part-timer Travis Head two wickets in an over during a dispiriting passage of play.
The tourists rubbed it in by building their lead with some careful top-order batting as the ball started to nip around under the floodlights, with James Anderson dropping Usman Khawaja on 19 to compound matters.
Khawaja, player of the match in his side’s victory at Edgbaston, was 45 not out at tea with Josh Tongue responsible for the solitary wicket of David Warner.
England began the day 138 behind on 278 for four, diminished by their losses to the short ball but still well placed to push for a lead of their own. Instead, they were rocked by the dismissal of Ben Stokes to his first ball of the day.
Having curbed his attacking instincts during a responsible knock late on day two his reward was a fine welcome delivery from Starc, angled across the left-hander and lifting as it left the bat. Stokes (17) angled the bat towards midwicket, Cameron Green took the catch and England’s best-laid plans were already up in smoke.
Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Brook and Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch. Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century but that was as far as he got.
Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to swat Starc down the ground. Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.
After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two and things were only getting worse, Bairstow reaching 16 before hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on, eyes lighting up at the long-awaited chance to drive.
Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with an 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw. England’s fight had gone and they lost the next three wickets in seven balls, Head having Robinson caught on the charge then trapping Broad lbw before Cummins made short work of Tongue.
Warner and Khawaja saw off six overs before lunch, nudging the lead past 100 off the last ball of the session. Conditions in the afternoon offered some cause for English optimism, with clouds overhead and the floodlights switched on.
But while their four seamers worked away diligently and beat the bat on a series of occasions, Australia were digging in. When the chance did come, Khawaja pulling Tongue’s second ball to midwicket, Anderson struggled to pick it up and saw it burst through his hands for four.
The hunt went on as they ground out just 69 runs in the session, but when the lively Tongue had Marnus Labuschagne given lbw for three, DRS ruled that he had been hit outside the line.
Broad had two huge appeals against Labuschagne in the final over, close calls on caught behind and lbw, but Stokes wisely opted not review either.
England gave control of the second Ashes Test to Australia with a host of unforced batting errors at Lord’s, handing over a big first-innings lead of 91 on day three.
From a serene position of 188 for one midway through the second evening, the hosts collapsed to 325 all out in response to Australia’s 416. An England side who have thrived on a policy of ‘no regrets’ may yet consider reviewing their approach after following some loose dismissals late on day two by losing five for 47.
Openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner took advantage to 103 in a six-over session before lunch and, with spinner Nathan Lyon highly unlikely to play any further part in the match due to a serious calf injury, the tourists will be looking to leave a formidable chase behind them.
England’s travails began almost immediately, Ben Stokes out to his first delivery of the morning. The captain had played a deliberately responsible innings late on Thursday, curbing his own natural aggression to suck some of the heat out of the damaging bouncer battle that cost Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root their wickets.
But his hard work was undone in an instant when Mitchell Starc angled one across middle stump, extracted some extra bounce and took a thick edge as Stokes (17) angled the bat towards midwicket. Cameron Green took the catch and England’s best laid plans were already up in smoke.
Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch. Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century but that was as far as he got.
Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to swat Starc down the ground. Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.
After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two with Stuart Broad playing against type in a bid to support Bairstow. But the unforced errors kept coming, Bairstow reaching 16 before hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on after his eyes lit up at a rare full ball.
Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with a 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw. The next two wickets fell to the part-time spin of Lyon’s temporary stand-in, Travis Head, Robinson caught behind on the charge and Broad lbw on the sweep.
Cummins made it three wickets in seven balls when number 11 Josh Tongue popped a catch to short-leg, ending an innings littered with regrets for the home side.
James Anderson and Broad sent down three testing overs before the break but could not conjure the breakthrough they badly needed as Australia settled on 12 without loss.
Nathan Lyon’s chances of playing any further part in the Ashes look slim after Cricket Australia confirmed he had suffered a “significant” calf strain.
Lyon had arrived on the third morning at Lord’s on crutches after he had to be helped off the pitch on Thursday evening after pulling up with a calf problem during his fielding stint in the deep.
The Australia spinner, playing his 100th consecutive Test, looked distraught as he hobbled around the boundary edge and, when he joined his team-mates at the ground on Friday morning, his reliance on crutches raised alarm bells over his chances of being fit for the last three Tests of the series.
A Cricket Australia spokesperson said: “Nathan Lyon has been diagnosed with a significant calf strain. He will require a period of rehabilitation after this match is concluded.
“A decision regarding his availability for the remainder of the series will be made at the conclusion of the game.”
Lyon had a scan on Thursday night before a further assessment took place ahead of day three getting under way, but no grading has been attached to his calf strain.
Nathan Lyon’s chances of playing any further part in the Ashes looked to be in doubt after he arrived on the third morning at Lord’s on crutches.
The Australia spinner had to be helped off the pitch on Thursday evening after pulling up with an apparent calf problem as he fielded in the deep.
The 35-year-old, playing his 100th consecutive Test, looked distraught as he hobbled around the boundary edge with question marks immediately raised over his continued presence on the tour.
He joined his team-mates at the ground on Friday morning, but his reliance on crutches and the presence of a compression sock told its own story.
It now seems almost impossible that he will be play a role in ongoing match, while the three-day turnaround before the third Test at Headingley means that must be highly unlikely too.
Cricket Australia’s medical staff are monitoring Lyon but offered no official update as he battles to save his series.
Steve Smith admitted he was not optimistic when asked about the injury at the end of day two.
“Obviously it didn’t look good,” he said.
“I mean it doesn’t look ideal for the rest of the game. I’m not sure how he actually is, but if he is no good, it is obviously a big loss for us.
“Fingers crossed he is okay but it didn’t look good.”
Australia have three part-time spinners who may be asked to pick up a share of the workload over the next three days, with Smith joined by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, but should Lyon be ruled out of the next match Todd Murphy is in line for promotion.
Ben Stokes and Harry Brook will aim to help England into a first-innings lead on the third morning of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
England punched back on an absorbing day two, with Australia losing their last seven wickets for 100 runs as they collapsed from 339 for five overnight to 416 all out.
Steve Smith still brought up his 12th Ashes century, but the hosts quickly set about eating into the deficit and Ben Duckett led the charge with a fine 98.
Australia’s tactic of bowling short produced a gripping final session and accounted for Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root.
But Stokes calmed the storm with a mature unbeaten 17 from 57 balls and will hope to push England on from 278 for four alongside Brook (45no).
View from the dressing roomComparisons to 2005 you say?
Nathan Lyon’s calf injury may not just be match-defining, but could have a significant say on who wins the series.
In his 100th consecutive Test, Lyon raced in from the boundary rope to try and catch Duckett’s lofted pull shot in the 37th over of England’s innings, but halted his stride. He immediately felt the back of his right calf and had to be helped off by a member of Australia’s medical team.
Lyon limped back to the pavilion and there are fears about his future involvement in the rest of the Ashes.
It brought back memories of Glenn McGrath’s busted ankle on the eve of the second Test in the 2005 series.
Harry hanging high
Brook was one of several England batters to walk into the face of a barrage of short-pitch bowling during an entertaining evening session on day two.
Runs followed, but so did wickets with Duckett, Pope and Root all picking out fielders on the boundary rope.
It sparked debate over whether a more conservative approach should be taken, especially given the extra load now expected of the Aussie seamers in Lyon’s anticipated absence.
Brook kept up the aggressive ‘Bazball’ mantra and enjoyed one life when Marnus Labuschagne put down a sharp chance, but Stokes was surprisingly more measured.
It was the type of captain’s knock England needed to ensure they did not lose their momentum.
Smith loves Lord’s and England!
Smith produced another superb Ashes innings of 110 and reached three figures with a gorgeous cover drive. Records tumble when the idiosyncrasies of the Test great are on display at the crease.
This effort was not only his second century at Lord’s, after hitting 215 in the 2015 series, but also the eighth time he has scored a Test hundred in England. His tally of 12 in Ashes Tests has moved him up to joint-third on the list of most centuries against one team.
But Don Bradman’s mark of 19 hundreds against England remains a little out of reach though.
Creepy crunches another
Smith had a couple of contenders for shot of the day but Zak ‘Creepy’ Crawley deserves the honour for his sumptuous drive straight after lunch.
It was not punched away like his first ball at Edgbaston, but was played with the pleasing sight of a straight bat and helped the Kent batter make 48.
However, fellow opener Duckett stole the show with arguably his best Test innings for England.
There would be no crowning century, after he pulled Josh Hazlewood to David Warner at fine leg on 98, but his array of square drives and cuts backed up his desire to continuously get bat on ball.
Home of cricket turns red for Ruth
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It was another hugely successful ‘Red for Ruth’ Day with more than £400,000 raised for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Ex-England opener Strauss set up the charity in memory of his wife Ruth, who died in 2018 from a non-smoking lung cancer.
The foundation supports thousands of families that deal with the impact of a terminal cancer diagnosis. More funds will be raised with items to be donated, including the match-worn clothes of both England and Australia.
Strauss and his sons Sam and Luca rang the bell before day two and witnessed a Lord’s covered in red.
“A tough day, an emotional day and a beautiful day,” Strauss reflected. “It is great to have my boys with me to see everything Ruth stood for. It helps to know we are helping so many families.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel has announced the squad for the preparation camp ahead of the start of the two-match Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series against India in the Caribbean.
Jayden Seales will return to West Indies training following his rehabilitation. The fast bowler last played for West Indies in the first Test at the Perth Stadium, last December. He had knee surgery in December and has subsequently been working on a rehabilitation programme overseen by the CWI Medical Team.
The training squad includes several players who are uncapped at the Test level – including batsmen Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, and Kirk McKenzie; as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan, and Jair McAllister.
The camp will be held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua with training starting on Friday 30 June. The squad for the opening Test will be named at a later date and will travel to Dominica on Sunday 9 July.A
The Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test series will be the first fixtures for both West Indies & India in the new 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. The first Test will be at Windsor Park, Dominica from 12-16 July which will be followed by the historic second Test on 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad – marking the 100th Test match between West Indies and India.
SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alick Athanaze, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican
TEST MATCH SCHEDULE:
Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Matches (start at 10am local time, (9am Jamaica time))
12-16 July: 1st Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica
20-24 July: 2nd Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
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