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
Related: Jack Leach makes up for England’s lack of leadership at top of order | Andy Bull
And here’s what the main man had to say about his innings:
Related: England’s Jack Leach cites ‘weird thoughts’ during nervous nineties
Here’s Vic Marks’ report from Lord’s
Related: Jack Leach leads England fightback but Ireland remain in hunt for Test win
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.
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.
Don't think Ireland will be too bothered by that. Half an hour's batting tonight under lights could have been nasty.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?”
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.
74th over: England 293-9 (Broad 11, Stone 0)
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.
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.”
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.”
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.’”
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!”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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!
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.
53rd over: England 194-4 (Root 4, Bairstow 0) England lead by 72. One more quick wicket could make things pretty interesting.
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.
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.
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?”
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.”
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.”
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.)
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.
46th over: England 182-3 (Denly 3, Root 0)
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.
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.
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?”
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?
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!
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.
A full, straight ball from Thompson and Roy swings with thumping flair... and misses.
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.
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....”
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related: Cricket comes in to bat at Downing Street
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!
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.
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?”
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.”
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.
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?”
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!
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?
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
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.
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.
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.”
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:
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.
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”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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
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?”
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.
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.”
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.
6th over: England 15-0 (Leach 11, Burns 3) Adair runs in, and Leach prods, defends, avoids. A maiden.
Something is bothering Phil Whithall:
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.
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?”
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.
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...?”
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?
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.”
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?
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Related: Ireland’s Tim Murtagh stuns hungover England on Test day of 20 wickets
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