Under heavy cloud, with moisture in the air and the lights on, 11 wickets fell, 36 runs were scored and Ireland were beaten in a chaotic day at Lord’s
Related: Porterfield’s bad feeling comes true at Lord’s to leave Ireland with regrets | Andy Bull
Related: Joe Root hits out at ‘substandard’ Lord’s pitch after England’s three-day Test win
Here’s a match report. I’ll be off then. Bye!
Related: England skittle Ireland for 38 to bounce back and win Test match at Lord’s
There’s some discussion about whether Mazher Arshad’s stat is actually true, positing that Laker and Lock took all the wickets against Australia in 1956, and that when Devon Malcolm took nine against South Africa in 1994 somebody probably got the other (it was Darren Gough). But on none of those occasions did only two England bowlers bowl in the innings, you see.
Chris Woakes is chirpy:
It was always going to be a little bit trick defending that score but I always felt confident we could knock them over. Still you’ve got to do a professional job, and it’s fair to say we did that. The World Cup was long and quite gruelling at times, and mentally and physically you feel a little bit drained, but then you’ve got a Test match to get up for. You find something from somewhere, but then when you get 0 first innings and don’t bowl as well as you’d like, you’ve got to dig deep.
Joe Root is relieved:
I knew that was a lot of runs on that surface. We’ve been in this position before, against India at Edgbaston last year, so we knew we’d been able to manage a similar scenario. I thought it was very important that we stayed calm, in control of what we wanted to do and asked the right questions, and we did exactly that today.
It was very pleasing, especially with the ball and the way we managed certain pressure situations through the game. I thought we managed pretty well. It wasn’t by any stretch the perfect game for us but sometimes that can be a really important part of your learning for a team, and I certainly think we’ll take a lot from this game. Ultimately we found a way to win and that was very important. There was a lot of different pressures around this Test match and to come out in the way we did today and close it out was very impressive.
William Porterfield is disappointed:
That was one of those things. We knew things were going to be tough when the lights were on and theree was a bit of drizzle in the air, but we had to try to get through that and get to this stage, when the sun’s out and the ball is 15 or 20 overs old and gone a bit softer. But fair play to the two lads, how they bold. They made it difficult. We knew we were going to dig deep, but they just kept challenging everything.
In December last year we had the first Test where both captains made pairs (Du Plessis/Sarfraz Ahmed SA v Pak at Centurion). Now we have the first Test with both wicketkeepers making pairs.
Jack Leach is the player of the match:
I think bowling three overs for 26 and I’ve got man of the match, I didn’t ever see that happening. I’m very pleased, and glad we got the win. I found some form out there, I just took one ball at a time and tried to do a job for the team. I got into the 90s and I got nervous, and didn’t really know how to go about things from there. I tried to not think about it but probably didn’t stop thinking about it from there.
In four Tests at Lord’s, Chris Woakes has scored 274 runs at an average of 69 (career average 29) and taken 23 wickets at an average of 9.75 (career average 31). Rob Smyth’s statsmanship there.
The last time only two England bowlers bowled and shared 10 wickets in an innings of a Test was in 1924 when Arthur Gillian and Maurice Tate took ten against South Africa in Brimingham. Mazher Arshad’s stats this time.
This match will have produced a lot of stats. Here’s a few more:
Ireland were bowled out in 15.4 overs - which makes that the fourth shortest innings in terms of balls faced in the history of Test cricket. Their total of 38 runs is the seventh lowest in Test history, the lowest at Lord’s & the lowest since 1955. #ENGvIRE
@Simon_Burnton is it just me or does Chris Woakes look like the new secretary of state for education...
Hmmmmm, vaguely...
It’s over. The bowling was excellent, the slip catching immaculate, the batting a fair way below par.
And that’s it! Tim Murtagh exhibits his full range of wild heaves and makes contact only once, getting two for his troubles on that occasion. Woakes eventually aims at leg stump; Murtagh gives himself a bit of room and completely misses!
15th over: Ireland 36-7 (McBrine 0, Murtagh 0) How Boyd Rankin survived that over is beyond me. Stuart Broad, one wicket from his own five-for and clearly desperate to get it before Woakes steals it off him, wheels out a string of zingers (and one loose one that whipped down the leg side), but somehow the ball keeps missing the bat, or missing the stumps. A wicket maiden, but he wanted two.
The lowest Test total at Lord’s is 47, achieved by New Zealand in 1958.
Broad gets McBrine! Another classic of the genre, moving gently away, taking the edge and it’s another good, low catch for Root.
14th over: Ireland 36-8 (McBrine 0, Murtagh 0) Hello everyone! Woakes’ first ball is powered down the ground by Thompson; the only person on the field to move after the ball pinged off the bat was McBrine, who completed the run before turning and trudging back again. 59.5% of Ireland’s runs have come from boundaries, and there have only been five of them.
That’s a five-for for Woakes! Nicely caught by Root at slip, low to his right.
This is on course to be the 10th Test in which both sides have been bowled out for under 100. And only the 4th since 1907. https://t.co/zM0zk1ZyLX
13th over: Ireland 32-7 (Thompson 0, McBrine 0) That’s it from me, Simon Burnton is waiting to be tagged in. Please email him or tweet @simon_burnton. Bye!
Seven down, three to go. Adair becomes the latest man to be bowled through the gate while trying to drive. It was another superb seaming delivery from Broad, who had been pulled for six off the previous ball. Although it is ending in disappointment, Adair has had a fine Test debut.
12.3 overs: Ireland 26-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 2) Adair, beaten for pace as he tries to pull, is smacked in the grille by a Broad bumper. That means another break in play.
12th over: Ireland 26-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 2) Adair is beaten by three consecutive deliveries from Woakes. The ball is talking, and Ireland would rather it didn’t. One from the over: 6-2-11-4.
11th over: Ireland 25-6 (Thompson 0, Adair 1) To the wise, a word: it’s probably safe to make other plans for the fifth day of this summer’s Ashes Tests.
Jonny Bairstow 0 & 0
Gary Wilson 0 & 0
This is the first instance of both wicketkeepers getting dismissed for a pair in Test cricket.#ENGvIRE
Kevin O’Brien is the latest man to go, pinned in front by another superb nipbacker from Broad. Bah.
10th over: Ireland 24-5 (O’Brien 4, Thompson 0) A double-wicket maiden for Woakes, who has figures of 5-2-10-4. Another Woakes stat: he averages 22 in home Tests, 62 away from home.
Ach, this really is a shame. Ireland shouldn’t be too hard on themselves, because England have bowled immaculately in very helpful conditions - similar to those in which the world’s best team, India, made 107 and 130 a year ago.
In four Lord’s Tests, Chris Woakes has made his only Test century, his second highest Test score - and taken 21 wickets at an average of 10.80. Scratch that, he’s taken 22 wickets at 10.32! Gary Wilson has been given out LBW on review. He pushed outside the line of another beautiful delivery that hit him around the line of off stump. It was given not out but England reviewed instantly, and successfully. Both wicketkeepers, Wilson and Bairstow, have bagged a pair.
Stuart Broad has been blindsided by Chris Woakes, who is bowling masterfully in helpful conditions. He has his third wicket now, which McCollum snicking a drive to first slip. It was another lovely full-length delivery that moved away to take the edge; Root did the rest.
9th over: Ireland 24-4 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 4) O’Brien is okay to continue.
Nasser’s XI for the Ashes, with a dash of Dr Seuss. ‘If you’re pushing me,’ he says, ‘I’ll pick Vince and Denly.’ Mike Atherton picks Vince too. That’s how stumped England are pic.twitter.com/HOCTqt2jlk
8.4 overs: Ireland 24-3 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 4) O’Brien, lunging from the crease, thick edges Broad along the ground for four. The next ball is a beautiful bouncer that smacks into the helmet, which means an impromptu drinks break while O’Brien has a concussion test. He looks okay in the sense that he is walking and talking; I have no idea whether he is concussed.
Here’s more on the Australian Ashes squad. I see we’ve gone for the news angle.
Related: Cameron Bancroft joins Smith and Warner in Australia’s Ashes squad
8th over: Ireland 20-3 (McCollum 9, O’Brien 0) The weather may have saved England from humiliation. The lights are on, which means conditions are very tough for batting, and so far the challenge has been too great for Ireland. Woakes almost gets his third wicket when Kevin O’Brien edges this far short of Root at first slip.
“Woah there!” says Guy Hornsby. “I love an English cricket existentialist crisis as much as the next OBOer, but while there’s always infinite parallel universes of possibility (my favourite is the one where Mark Ealham led us to the 1999 World Cup final then invented T25 cricket) surely this is all way too close to the Ashes for anything meaningful. And while there’s a risk of a shellacking due to out of form and/or shattered players, we’re going to have to give it at least a couple of innings defeats before we get all 90s on it (NB. I don’t think we’ll get all 90s on it.)”
The dream is dying for Ireland. {ail Stirling has gone second ball, cleaned up by Woakes. He was unsettled by the previous delivery, which trampolined absurdly from a length. The next ball was fuller, tempting Stirling into the drive, and it seamed back through the gate to hit the stumps.
7th over: Ireland 18-2 (McCollum 9, Stirling 0) Broad has figures of 4-2-7-1. It’s been superb, aggressive stuff, which many on social media are calling the best spell of bowling in a Test match since Sir Curtly Ambrose at Trinidad in 1994.
Broad gets a deserved first wicket, and I’m pretty sure won’t be his last. He has been harassing both batsmen, bowling with ferocious intent, and Balbirnie could not take the heat. He pushed at a good-length delivery that moved away off the seam to find the edge, and Root crouched to take a comfortable catch at first slip.
6th over: Ireland 15-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 4) Balbirnie push-drives his first ball stylishly down the ground for four. He’s the big wicket, I think, the man most likely to hit a matchwinning 91 not out. Later in the over he softens his hands to ensure an edge off Woakes falls well short of the cordon. Meanwhile, replays show that Broad LBW appeal would have been ‘umpire’s call’. Aleem Dar thought about it for a while, too.
“The Sky bods are picking their Ashes teams and see Vince and Malan as the solution to England being three down for nothing, and having a middle order of No7s,” says Kevin Wilson. “I don’t imagine an Ashes series is the time to experiment and you probably have to go with what you know (two guys who’ll average 27 and get a couple of fifties) but I don’t think I’ve gone into an Ashes series since the bad old days with this little confidence (and I include the away series we were thrashed in!).”
5th over: Ireland 11-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 0) McCollum survives another big LBW shout from a Broad nipbacker. This was closer, and Aleem Dar thought about it for a while. It was probably going to be umpire’s call at best on height, and Root decides not review.
Broad is bowling with the kind of furious purpose that evokes Sir Curtly Ambrose’s rampage at Trinidad in 1994. No, I am not a giddy England fan comparing figures of 0-4 with those of 6-24; Broad’s are far better. But there is a similar intent and, I suspect, a similar disgust at the possibility of a shock defeat.
4th over: Ireland 11-1 (McCollum 7, Balbirnie 0) “I think the days of the specialist captain have long gone,” says Mark Gillespie. “The pressure on a captain averaging 25 would very quickly be massive, even for someone as good as Morgan (for example).”
You might be right, given the state of the modern world. But if you look at the England batsmen since the start of the last Ashes, an average of 25 wouldn’t be too far below par.
Jonny Bairstow takes a marvellous one-handed catch to dismiss William Porterfield! He edged Woakes low between the keeper and first slip, and Bairstow plunged to his left to grab it just above the ground. That was similar to Alec Stewart’s famous grab to dismiss Brian Lara at Lord’s in 1995, although he didn’t have to go quite as far across. And it wasn’t Brian Lara.
3rd over: Ireland 11-0 (Porterfield 2, McCollum 7) Thanks for all your emails, which I’m trying to read between pleas for mercy from my brain and eyes. Broad starts his second over with another absurd jaffa that beats Porterfield, who then survives an appeal for a catch at second slip after being hit on the thigh. McCollum also survives a big LBW appeal later in the over. It looked like it was missing leg to me, and Joe Root decides not to review. Replays show England would have lost a review had they gone upstairs.
McCollum ends a difficult over for Ireland on a high note with a thumping cover drive for four. Eleven down, 171 to go.
2nd over: Ireland 6-0 (Porterfield 2, McCollum 3) A fine start for Ireland. The first ball of the mini-session, bowled by Woakes, is flicked confidently through midwicket for three by McCollum; the next is driven crisply for two more by Porterfield. It would have been four but for a spectacular sliding save from Denly. File under: ‘If England win by one run...’
“Andy Donald’s comment that ‘an Ireland win here will be met with little more than amused curiosity in Ireland’ is coming, as he says, from the perspective of a ‘long time Ireland fan’,” says John Mee. “I think myself that an Ireland win would have a big impact amongst those, like myself, who aren’t as knowledgeable as he is. Hard to see how it would fail to encourage youngsters to take an interest in playing the game.”
Enough! It’s time for some actual cricket.
“Hello Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “I wouldn’t worry about being not very good at journalism; The Guardian has always shown a sympathetic and accommodating approach. On the question of captaincy, one obvious answer is to allow Bairstow to identify the best available Yorkshireman. Otherwise, though his lack of recent runs is an issue I’d like to borrow Livingstone’s cap to throw into the ring.”
Whenever they do pick a new captain, I can’t see them taking a flyer. It just doesn’t happen anymore. The more I think about it – and I’ve thought about little else these past 30 seconds – I’m sure Buttler will be the next Test captain if there’s a change this year.
“It seems to be implicit in this captaincy discussion that we’re going to get crushed in the Ashes,” says Peter McLeod. “What are the good reasons to think we will be? Or are we all just being tremendously English about the whole thing?”
Well, yes, that’s the thing – by tonight they may have won 10 of the last 12 Tests. But most of the team look shattered, out of form, not good enough or all of the above. For all that, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if England won the Ashes 4-1.
“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Re Mr Wallace’s views on bowlers as captains: it usually happens that when a bowler is appointed England captain, he doesn’t bowl himself nearly as much as he used to play. This applies to those who might be considered all-rounders if their bowling is sufficiently effective, so It’s not either spinners or speed merchants. If it’s the latter, though, he’s usually the senior pro. There’s a case to be made for wicketkeepers as captains since he’s the one to allocate bowling workloads, but also crack down on inaccuracy. Bowlers often pull their socks up a bit more in these cases.”
“Who bats No5 and 6 for Australia from that squad?” says Andrew Hurley. “Can’t figure out Carey being omitted..”
I suspect the team for the first Test will be something like: Warner, Harris, Khawaja, Smith, Labuschgne or Bancroft, Head, Paine, Cummins, Lyon and then two from Starc, Hazlewood and Pattinson.
Play will resume at 12.30pm
Nathan Lyon is of course in the Australian squad. I missed him out, because I am not very good at journalism.
“I seem to recall Glamorgan’s Tony Lewis being selected to captain, as a new England player, an overseas tour,” says Nigel. “He came back having averaged around 25. I don’t think he played for England again. Was that a good move?”
Well, he averaged 38 and was left out after the first Test of the following summer. I’m not saying it’s a good move per se, just that I think it would be good for this particular team.
There’s no Alex Carey in the Australian squad, which will surprise a few people after his masterful batting during the World Cup.
Paine (c), Bancroft, Cummins, Harris, Hazlewood, Head, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Lyon, M Marsh, Neser, Pattinson, Siddle, Smith, Starc, Wade, Warner.
“Dear Rob,” says Robert Wilson. “There have been two main pleasures in this really delightful match. First, this generation of Irish players getting their day in the sun after pulling off the fairly Sisyphean task of getting Test status was deeply satisfying. Must have all felt worth it and more on the evening of that first day (plus it gave the County Heads a lot of top quality We-Told-You-So opportunities in re the indefatigable Murtagh).
“And then it was not unsucculent to see you getting a bit of sledging from the OBO slips cordon yesterday on the subject of Bairstow. There’s a lot of feeble lamenting of the moral damage that the perpetually outraged, witch-hunting mores of social media do to us all. But that is to neglect the worst of it - the shameful but undeniable frisson of pleasure when it happens to someone of whom we are rather fond (particularly when it’s richly unjust). I truly wish I didn’t find it funny but I do. Deeply.”
“What about Moeen Ali as captain?” says Pete Mackelworth. “I know there is the aspect of his ‘pick-ability’ and form, but he seems to be a thoughtful player and potentially someone who would bloom with the responsibility… on the other hand he may be just toooooo nice…”
He has captained Worcestershire really impressively. But he’s 32, and his form is too variable at the best of times. It’s a no from me.
The covers are coming off, though the umpires are yet to inspect. I think our Leather on Willow Predictor was a bit optimistic in suggesting play would resume at 12.15pm.
“Hi Rob,” says Luke Dealtry. “Mike Atherton wrote the other day in an article about the 2005 Ashes, Jonathan Trott’s burnout and the World Cup. ‘The more I watch the game, the more I am convinced that a player’s state of mind, the freshness of mind, is far more important that time in the middle, or overs under the belt.’ I do think there are issues with Bayliss’s approach to the longer game, but I’m inclined to agree with PEC Mike about proven, high quality players. I am not at all surprised that Root, Woakes, YJB and Moeen have struggled in this game. None of them will have that clarity that is so necessary. Joe Root - with his habit of tailing off in longer series - is, I think, particularly susceptible to this. I’d also wonder about Trevor Bayliss and the coaching staff, too - nobody gives much thought to their state of mind.”
We seem to have learned the square root of bugger all from the 2013-14 crash (the psychological impact of which is fascinatingly demonstrated in the new film, The Edge). On reflection, the schedule for this summer is on the sadistic side of negligent. That’s one of the reasons I think the Test team might unravel in the next two months. It’s a really important issue which hasn’t been addressed despite multiple warnings.
“Good morning Rob,” says Jonny Lewis. “We all know the pay-off for the World Cup is coming – possibly today, but definitely in The Ashes. I reckon there could be some significant Dwight Yorke-ing around with some of this bunch never being able to climb the mountain again. It is not a criticism – even for elite sportsmen, you need unusual hunger and temperament to keep going and going. It was a great trip four-year trip though. On Root, he may not be a great captain, but he is a great batsman and I reckon the sheer volume of cricket he plays is catching up with him.”
It does seem especially hard for English teams to climb the mountain again. Might do my dissertation on that.
“You say the captain is generally a batsman‘because they are much more secure in the team’,” says Simon Wallace. “I’m not sure that’s the case. Broad and Anderson are fixtures, irrespective of form (there have been several times in his career when Broad should have been sent back to his county to get some form back). Both Woakes and Curran are looking like shoo-ins (shoos-in?) for the foreseeable, so maybe it’s time England admitted that the Root experiment is a bust, and give someone with a degree of tactical nous a go. Nothing to lose.”
I’m not sure I agree with that – Broad has been dropped at least twice in the last 18 months, while Woakes and Curran are nowhere near regulars. (Curran is also nine years old.) I would say the only bowler who mightbe capable of playing every remaining Test this year is Jofra Archer. There is an argument you could be more flexible, and have a vice-captain like Jos Buttler who could step in when the captain is injured/rotated. But that’s a pretty big can of worms, and we’ve already got a few of those on our hands.
“If we were to try to formularise the productivity benefit (sounding like a consultant) of captaincy, I wonder what percentage it can account for?” says Bill Hargreaves. “I wonder if switching from Root (we love him but...) to Morgan would deliver 10%, on average, to the performance of the players - 10% to batting scores and 10% off bowlers runs per wicket? Would that be in the right ballpark? If so, it is surely the difference between a series lost and won? And they are the Ashes, we are thinking about! No brainer, to my mind.”
I’m not sure you can quantify it easily – for example, Mike Brearley’s captaincy had a spectacular impact on the performances of Sir Ian Botham, not so much on those of Phil Edmonds. You have to consider all sorts of things - Morgan’s age, mental fatigue, dodgy back, modest first-class record (what impact would it have on the team if Morgan averaged 12 and was being slaughtered by the media, etc) and so on.
This is a lovely story from Kyle McCallan, the former Ireland spinner, on Sky Sports
When Ireland were preparing for their runchase against Pakistan at the 2007 World Cup, the captain Trent Johnston walked round the dressing-room pointing at the players while asking some important questions:
Do you want to be back delivering post on Monday? Do you want to be back in the classroom on Monday? Do you want to be back on the farm on Monday, Boyd Rankin? I don’t want to be a carpet salesman on Monday!
The covers are on, with no immediate prospect of a resumption. The Guardian’s exclusive Leather on Willow Predictor reckons the players will be back on at 12.15pm.
“I’ve always wondered why it has to be a batsman to captain the Test side,” says Robbie Chedburn. “I guess it would be tricky for a bowling captain to select themselves to bowl continuously. But if we could get over that, why not a Woakes or a Curran captain? England have to try something new! The last two captaincies have destroyed the form of our best two batsmen!”
One of the reasons is that batsmen are much more secure in the team. That was the case even before the schedule made rotation of bowlers essential. If England do change captain, there is no easy answer. I suspect the lesser evil would be Buttler as captain in Tests and ODIs, but that doesn’t sit comfortably.
1.1 overs: Ireland 0-0 (Porterfield 0, McCollum 0) After seven deliveries of the Ireland innings, the umpires takes the players off the field. That’s good news for Ireland, because batting looked very tough, and they will hope things are a bit easier when the weather improves after lunchtime.
1st over: Ireland 0-0 (Porterfield 0, McCollum 0) Broad starts around the wicket to the left-handed Porterfield, who is keen to leave as many deliveries as possible against the new ball. He has to play at one absolute jaffa that straightens spectacularly to beat the outside edge. A maiden to start the innings.
“Rather than picking someone who ‘looks like a captain’ (do we really know much about Jos Buttler’s tactical acumen) why not pick an actual captain?” sniffs Gary Naylor. “Somerset’s Tom Abell had leadership thrust upon him at an early age and his form suffered, but he got through it and now gets the most out of himself and his team. Which is the desired outcome and not what’s happening now.”
Stuart Broad will take the new ball. He has form for defending a lowish target in a Lord’s Test, and he’s surely England’s likeliest matchwinner. The lights are on and it feels like a seriously good time to bowl.
“Maybe worth a review from Stone?” says Simon McMahon. “There are probably one or two in the England dressing room who would have ...”
“As a long time Ireland fan, I genuinely appreciate the enthusiasm of your opening preamble,” says Andy Donald. “However, I don’t think that enthusiasm will be shared by the large majority in Ireland. Giving Ireland Test status was a huge step, but it sometimes feels like a token gesture for screwing with the ODI and T20 World Cups. I think so much more can be done for smaller cricket playing nations and until then, an Ireland win here will be met with little more than amused curiosity in Ireland than anything impactful in the long term.”
We’ve had a few emails along similar lines, which is surprising and a bit disappointing. Surely a win today would start to change that?
Haha, what a start. Stuart Thompson has bowled Olly Stone with the first ball of the day, a beautiful inswinger that swerved through the gate and sent the leg stump flying. Ireland need 182 to win!
The Ireland players stroll out to the middle. Tim Murtagh, as usual, is walking in that self-conscious, almost shifty manner, like somebody who thinks he’s being watched. And he bloody is being watched, because he’s been the star of the show.
Play will start at 11.10am. In other words, any minute now.
Thanks to Al Ferguson for providing the Test Match Special link.
Here’s Andrew Hurley, returning to a theme of yesterday’s OBO. “There is a huge culture issue in the team... and here Bayliss is hugely at fault. His laissez-faire attitude fine for the ODI team as they had a strong and respected captain, but it doesn’t work for the Test side. Their tendency to collapse is (from my expert psychological viewpoint!) linked to the culture. NZ rugby team have a ‘no dickheads’ policy - England Test cricket would do well to meditate on their culture with this in mind.”
Imagine if certain football teams adhered to that policy.
“I’m really keen on a fresh start (regardless of the Ashes result) with Bayliss going and a new captain,” says Neil Harris. “Root has to bat No3 and he has to get back to his best; relinquishing the captaincy can help this. Buttler captain, Stokes vice-captain. But who’s the coach? There seems to be very little chat about this in the press.”
It sounds like there may be an interim coach for the winter, perhaps Chris Silverwood. It will probably take a while to get the team Ashley Giles wants, with a head coach and three assistants.
The start will be delayed. The covers are on and there’s some light rain falling. I don’t think it will be too long before we receive the gift of Test cricket.
“In Ireland’s sporting history, maybe this will be seen as the realisation of ‘The Test Dream’,” says Ian Copestake. “But I remember watching the Sopranos episode of the same name and thinking that season five, episode 11 was when the shark was deliberately being tempted into open waters in front of a ramp with some guy in an Evel Knievel suit and a bike to match revving up his motor preparing for the off. I hope for Ireland’s sake this weird contrivance is more than a dream.”
“I agree with changing the captain,” says Patrick Brennan. “For some reason it just doesn’t seem to sit right with Joe Root. Results haven’t been awful overall, but the ridiculous collapses are just happening too often for comfort. I’d give serious consideration to making Stokes captain. Yes, he’d have a heavy workload, but he’s arguably turned into our most reliable (and sensible) batsman in the last six months. Buttler as ODI/T20 captain once Morgan wants to stop.”
I doubt Stokes will ever captain England after Bristol, except maybe in the odd tour match. Whether that’s correct is another discussion. In truth, I’m not sure I’d like him as captain anyway – his workload and commitment to every single delivery are already off the charts, and he is a brilliant unofficial leader.
“This match has demonstrated how disrespectful it was to only give Ireland a four-day Test,” says David Hopkins. “Suggesting that they would need any more than two and a half days to beat England was frankly insulting.”
David Hopkins is here all week. It’s a four-day week though.
Pre-match reading
Related: England’s Jack Leach cites ‘weird thoughts’ during nervous nineties
Related: Jack Leach leads England fightback but Ireland remain in hunt for Test win
Related: Jack Leach makes up for England’s lack of leadership at top of order | Andy Bull
“What’s the answer?” says Matt Turland. “Obviously I’ve not asked a question there, but this Test team… what’s the answer? For me, I’d definitely give Buttler the captaincy and bring Foakes back into the fold. Other than that, I don’t really know anymore. Ali probably needs a bit of time away, Bairstow should probably be rotated out for a little while and Root should be made to bat at No3 but I don’t really know anything, do I?”
Nobody does. Buttler as captain after the Ashes (if they lose) is a persuasive idea, but I worry about the workload as he is going to be the ODI captain sooner rather than later. I think England need to split the captaincy, but I’m not sure how they do that. I fear that, by the end of the summer, all options will be on the table, including a surprise return to the Test captaincy for Chris Cowdrey.
We may have a delayed start, as there has been heavy rain in St John’s Wood this morning. The forecast is better from around midday, with the temperature expected to be 24 degrees. A little brisk.
Hello. It’s really quite simple. Ireland could win a Test match for the first time today, by beating England, at Lord’s. Modern life is infected by hyperbole - I just had the tastiest dry toast of my entire life - but this, truly, would be one of the most unlikely victories in Test history. If Ireland pull it off, 26 July will join 24 February, 2 March and 12 June as a de facto St Patrick’s Day, burned into the memory as a cultural and religious celebration of stuffing the English.
This match has been so life-affirming, not to mention surreal, that it could have been directed by David Lynch. Given all that has happened, it’s easy to forget this is only the third day. England will resume on 303 for nine, a lead of 181, with Stuart Broad and Olly Stone aiming to slog the target past 200. There are no obvious demons in the pitch. If Ireland hold their nerve, they should win. But that, cliché fans, is easier said than done.
Continue reading...