Stuart Broad starred with bat and ball to put England in complete control of the deciding Test at Old Trafford
That’s it for today’s blog. Thanks very much for your company, I’ll leave you with Vic Marks’ report from Emirates Old Trafford. Goodnight!
Related: England dominate West Indies after Stuart Broad's assault
Here’s Stuart Broad
“I thought the West Indies bowled beautifully this morning – they made us play with a straight bat and made the new ball count. Batting was good fun. My decision was to take the bowlers off the top of off stump – I wanted to move the scoreboard forward. We’re pretty happy with our first-innings score, and the way the whole unit bowled this afternoon was brilliant.”
“Chris Cowdrey devoted an entire chapter of his autobiography, Good Enough? (which is an excellent read, by the way) to the eccentric genius of Alan Knott,” says John Swan. “He really did put raw steak in his keeping gloves overnight to keep them soft, and he used to keep a little corner of his handkerchief sticking out of his pocket so he could fish it out without removing a glove. Now THAT’S genius.”
That’s officially the end of the day’s play. A frustrating end, but it’s been a cracking day for England - especially as the forecast predicted rain all day. They had a bad start, losing four for 18, but Stuart Broad slapped 62 from 45 balls to take them to a useful score of 369.
Then he and Jimmy Anderson returned to their day job, each taking two for 17 as West Indies slipped to 137 for six. They bowled with intensity, precision and skill, particularly in their second spells and West Indies’ batsmen struggled to get them off the square. The forecast is mixed for the next few days, but England should have enough to wrap up a series-winning victory.
“I love Knotty as much as the next man,” says Ian Forth, “but one of the more forgotten characters of cricket history is Les Ames, wicketkeeper throughout the 1930s. A rival to De Villiers and Gilchrist as the best keeper-batsman of all time, he averaged over 40 in Tests during the era of uncovered pitches.
“The most dismissals - and stumping - in an English county cricket season; 1000 runs and 100 dismissals in each of three seasons, a feat that has only been achieved once again in county cricket; the only wicket-keeper to score 100 first-class centuries; 120 runs in a session - a record for most runs before lunch in Test cricket. “What’s more he played football for Gillingham, was a squadron leader in the RAF and his middle name was Ethelbert.”
I don’t know much about him beyond the superb batting average you mention, but I’m surprised he isn’t mentioned more often when people discuss all-time XIs.
47.1 overs: West Indies 137-6 (Holder 24, Dowrich 10) Archer gets only one ball at Dowrich before the umpires decide enough’s enough. I doubt we’ll get any more play today.
47th over: West Indies 137-6 (Holder 24, Dowrich 10) Dowrich is all over the show against the short ball. He misses a pull at Woakes and is hit on the arm, and Archer will be desperate for another over at him. He might not get it, because the umpires are looking at the light meter.
“I am from Holland and for the first time in years I have been following a Test series and getting to know a new generation of cricketers,” says Alex Edelman. “All thanks to the BBC evening recap on tv. I saw a lot of the Viv Richards/Ian Botham battles and some live. It is difficult to tell but has Test cricket also become a game at a faster pace?”
46th over: West Indies 136-6 (Holder 24, Dowrich 9) A lucky escape for Dowrich, who fences a shortish ball from Archer just over gully. It was a hideous, almost embarrassing shot from Dowrich, who turned his back and ended up steering it off the face of the batr towards gully. Burns backpedalled desperately but couldn’t get there.
“Hi Rob,” says Matt Fordham. “If it was a one-day match, vodka and coke is OK as a means of Students avoiding expensive bar prices, I’d say.”
45th over: West Indies 132-6 (Holder 21, Dowrich 8) A length outswinger from Woakes beats Dowrich, who then pulls round the corner for four with a flourish. West Indies need another 42 runs to avoid the follow-on, although I doubt England will follow it.
“When and why did they stop calling it ‘Snicko’?” says Nick Lezard. “A charming word, I always thought.”
44th over: West Indies 127-6 (Holder 20, Dowrich 4) Holder hits Archer for three consecutive boundaries. Two of them were edged/steered along the ground to third man, the other timed sweetly back down the ground. An affronted Archer respoinse with a cracking lifter that beats the outside edge. Root appealed for a thin edge but nobody else was interested. Archer has gone for 50 from his 12 overs, which is very expensive for him.
“Remember when Richie picked his dream XI on C5?” says Digvijay Yadav. “He narrowed it down to three keepers - all Australians (Marsh, Healy and Gilly). Was that because, for once, he was being biased (by not even considering Knott) or because keeping styles differ across countries and he just preferred the Australian way?”
43rd over: West Indies 114-6 (Holder 7, Dowrich 4) The new batsman is Shane Dowrich, who bagged a pair in the second Test and averages 12 in Tests in England. His first ball is a tempting outswinger - and Dowrich unfurls a gorgeous extra-cover drive for four. Shot!
“Sometimes there is judging after the event but what exactly was Holder thinking bowling first in the last two Tests with the same bowling attack?” says Andrew Hurley. “There are mistakes, all captains make them, and there is really not very clever. I expect little criticism of him however...”
Goodnight. Jermaine Blackwood has been cleaned up by Chris Woakes. That was more good bowling: he went wider on the crease and angled one in to Blackwood, who missed a big drive and was bowled all ends up.
42nd over: West Indies 109-5 (Blackwood 26, Holder 6) Archer aborts the short-ball plan after one over and returns to an orthodox field. He beats Holder with a beauty that straightens from a good length and then wobbles after passing the bat.
“Alan Knott was certainly one of the best wicketkeepers of all time, but futuristic or mentored by Godfrey Evans?” says Peter Rowntree. “Evans retired in 1959, at which time Knotty would have been a colt for Kent - for one or two seasons, until Knott was ready to take up his first team place, the wicket-keeping gap was filled by Mike Catt (best name I have ever heard for a wickie).”
41st over: West Indies 108-5 (Blackwood 26, Holder 5) Blackwood drills Woakes down the ground for another emphatic boundary. He has looked in cracking touch all series, and only Ben Stokes has scored more runs.
“Hi Rob,” says Matt Fordham. “I write from a very quiet Brittany Ferry to Roscoff. No streaming possible on the WiFi but OBO working so no matter. On the subject of smuggling, readers may recall when most cricket grounds had theoretical rules like you can take in up to four cans of beer or a bottle of wine. The crafty extended that with a two-litre bottle of coke converted with vodka.”
40th over: West Indies 102-5 (Blackwood 20, Holder 5) Archer is going to try to rough the West Indies batsmen up. He has a short leg, deep leg gully and square leg for both Blackwood and Holder. It’s a harmless first over, a bit of a range-finder, and it’s time for drinks.
“I’d like to take issue with Gary Naylor’s assertion (Teatime teatime, 15.44) that egg sandwiches are vegetarian,” says John Foster. “In my world, there’s no such thing as an egg sandwich made without lashings of anchovy paste. Not only does it elevate a terminally bland snack into the stratosphere of umami taste sensations, it also provides the same rush of illicit joy of secret indulgence as a discreet splash of brandy in your morning coffee at Christmas, or tucking a copy of Viz inside the TLS. To all the world, you appear completely normal; but you - and only you - know the truth; the glorious, indulgent, hedonistic truth. And that’s when you know you’ve won.”
39th over: West Indies 101-5 (Blackwood 19, Holder 5) “More on cricket tea,” says John Starbuck. “One thing that’s changed is that we now have a lot more varieties of bread, so they are not just plain white bread sandwiches any more. I’ve just finished off Mrs Starbuck’s Pecan & Walnut loaf. This sort of thing raises the bar.”
38th over: West Indies 101-5 (Blackwood 19, Holder 5) Blackwood slaps a short ball from Archer past cover point for four. That’s a cracking shot, and he follows it with a brusque drive through mid-on for four more. Archer (9-1-36-1) hasn’t been at his best today, though he did produce a snorter to get rid of John Campbell.
“Simon McMahon has touched on one of the great beautiful, romantic aspects of cricket, the classic pair,” says John Swan. “Lillian Thomson, Larwood and Voce, Greenidge and Haynes - and as a lifelong Kent supporter, my personal favourite: no, not Jones & McCague, but Knott and Underwood.”
37th over: West Indies 91-5 (Blackwood 9, Holder 5) Holder survives a run-out referral after a direct hit from Bess. The ball ricocheted to the boundary, so Blackwood gets five runs for the original stroke off Woakes, who has returned to the attack. England then waste a review after a speculative LBW appeal against Holder. It was too high.
“Mr McMahon does not know his luck,” says Damian Clarke. “My wife has spent these last months embroidering cushion covers. I could murder a creamless sponge or two, and unfortunately my efforts therein are akin to a murder scene.”
36th over: West Indies 86-5 (Blackwood 4, Holder 5) Holder tries to leave Archer at the last minute and almost drags the ball back onto the stumps. He then wears a short ball on the shoulder, with the ball deflecting for four leg byes. And an eventful over concluded with a jaunty chip through midwicket for four.
“Hi Rob!” says Aravindakshan Narasimhan. “Has anyone made a remark on Joe Root’s peculiar way of shining the ball, with his sweater stretched across? Quite a sight!”
35th over: West Indies 78-5 (Blackwood 4, Holder 1) The last two Tests have been a masterclass in walk-walking from Stuart Broad. He would have looked a complete clown had he given all those interviews at the Ageas Bowl and not backed it up when he returned the side.
Actually, Chase’s LBW wasn’t as plumb as Broad thought - it was umpire’s call on height. Chase walked straight off without even discussing a review.
And another one goes by. Broad has picked up the wicket of Roston Chase, trapped in front by a big nipbacker. It was sufficiently plumb that not only did Broad not appeal, he launched straight into a clenched-fist celebration. That was another cracking delivery from Broad.
34th over: West Indies 73-4 (Chase 2, Blackwood 3) Jofra Archer replaces his initialsake at the James Anderson End. Chase edges just short of Stokes at second slip, and then times a nice clip through square leg for three.
“Is Mike Wood referring to the fancy dan that is the Cherry Bakewell?” sniffs Ian Dunn. “Or the superior but somewhat overlooked Bakewell Slice? Clarity on this issue is paramount when considering constituent elements of the perfect between-innings tucker...”
33rd over: West Indies 67-4 (Chase 2, Blackwood 3) Another excellent over from Broad ends with Chase being beaten outside off stump. Broad has figures of 4-2-3-0 in this spell.
“Well-stocked hampers are indeed mandatory as a spectator - especially those with false bottoms...” says Hamish Kuzminski. “Me brother and meself became Jedi Masters at sneaking booze through Lord’s security back in the day. Also, Somerset Tango... a straightforward decanting of the apple-flavoured soft drink and replacement with Merrydown Vintage Dry. The perfect crime.”
32nd over: West Indies 65-4 (Chase 2, Blackwood 3) Blackwood is itching for a bit of bish-bosh. He clouts a drive straight to mid-off, and then settles for a single when Anderson drifts onto the pads. Chase doubles his score with a gloved pull round the corner for a single. That might be it for Anderson after a spell of 6-4-4-2. He’s 37 years old.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Regarding the vexed question of cricket teas, Mrs McMahon has taken to making Victoria Sponge during and after lockdown, but with a jam filling only. Not that I know the first thing about it, but my own personal preference would be for a bit of whipped cream in there too. Some things just go together. Egg and cress, jam and cream, Anderson and Broad. Loving Jimmy’s bandana, by the way. The Burnley Federer.”
31st over: West Indies 62-4 (Chase 1, Blackwood 2) Blackwood misses an almighty drive at Broad, who looks at him with a kind of quizzical disgust. It’s hard not to warm to Blackwood; cricket is a lot more fun when he is at the crease. Another maiden from Broad. Something has to give pretty soon - West Indies have scored only four runs from the last eight overs.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Brian Withington. “As you say, we don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, but I have heard it on good authority, sourced via a reliable Test and ODI stalwart, that Alex Hales has blotted his copybook on numerous occasions and has sadly exhausted all reserves of patience and goodwill within the camp.”
30th over: West Indies 62-4 (Chase 1, Blackwood 2) A maiden from Anderson to Chase, who is stuck on one from 24 balls. Anderson is one of only four pace bowlers to take 100 Test wickets after their 35th birthday. You can probably guess the others, certainly two of them. It wouldn’t surprise me if, like Sir Richard Hadlee, he is still playing Test cricket at 40. This second spell has been masterful: 5-4-2-2.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Jonathan Oliver. “Back when I was a nipper and my Dad played for Bellingham CC in Northumberland it was down to each player to bring ‘tea for two’. Among the usual assortment of savoury and sweet repast there was always a box of lettuce sandwiches. No one would own up to having delivered them so for the next few games the team selection was based on a one-for-one rotation until the day when no lettuce sandwiches were dished up and the culprit was revealed.”
29th over: West Indies 62-4 (Chase 1, Blackwood 2) The accuracy and intensity of England’s bowling is such that West Indies are going nowhere. Somebody, presumably Blackwood, needs to launch a counter-attack like Ollie Pope did yesterday. But it’s easier said than done.
“There can be no doubt,” says Mike Wood, “that the most indispensable part of a cricket tea is Mr Kipling’s Bakewell Tarts.”
28th over: West Indies 61-4 (Chase 0, Blackwood 2) “There is a more controversial explanation as to why Morgan didn’t want Hales in the squad,” says Andi Stewardson. “There was one world-class batsmen too many in the squad and if the captain had one of his regular off periods the pressure to pick Hales and make someone else captain would’ve been huge.”
With respect, I think that’s insulting to Morgan in more ways than one. Morgan would be worth his place as captain even if he averaged 4.27. As it turns out, he averages 60 in his last 30 ODIs and 44 in his last 100. There is simply is no way England would have won the World Cup without him as captain.
It was a good delivery from Anderson, wicket to wicket and thudding into the pads as Blackwood worked across the line. Gough gave it out but replays showed it was just sneaking past leg stump.
BLACKWOOD IS NOT OUT! I’ve seen it all now, Michael Gough has made a mistake.
I think this will be out, umpire’s call at least.
BLACKWOOD IS GIVEN OUT LBW TO ANDERSON - AND REVIEWS IT! Michael Gough is the umpire, and that usually means a review is a waste of everyone’s time.
27th over: West Indies 59-4 (Chase 0, Blackwood 0) Broad replaces Woakes at the Brian Statham End and beats Chase with another cracking delivery. Another maiden; West Indies have scored only 16 in the last 12 overs. England’s four-man seam attack have been relentless.
“The sandwiches are but the icing on… the cake,” says Angus Doulton. “Although Victoria Sponge may be acceptable, there really has to be a full up fruit cake too. Of course the real question is: where can the most finely balanced combination be found? In England that’s got to be Shipton under Wychwood although Chudleigh, in Devon, runs it close by including, as is only natural, buns with jam and cream.”
26th over: West Indies 59-4 (Chase 0, Blackwood 0) A wicket maiden from Anderson, who has typical figures of 8-3-13-2..England have been excellent in this innings. All four wickets have come from good bowling rather than loose batting.
“Rob,” says John Starbuck. “Kim Thonger seems to be supposing that there’s an ideal Cricket Tea. When I was still playing, back in the 1980s, we had whatever a couple of wives provided and were thankful to get it. However, I was always pleased if there were egg & cress sarnies, followed by a slice of plum cake. Sausage rolls were OK, but nothing needing extra butter (e.g. scones) should be provided, and crisps were never quite right. Not that any of this applies to a tea you would take with you as a spectator, which is a very different thing, involving as it does a fair amount of alcohol and a well-stocked hamper.”
Anderson strikes with the third ball of the session. Brooks curtain-railed his bat at a nipbacker that shaved the inside edge and was taken by Buttler. Another fine delivery from Anderson, who now has 589 Test wickets.
The players are back on the field. This should be a two-and-a-half-hour session, with 39 overs to be bowled.
“Afternoon Rob,” says James. “All four seamers went for 13 off their first five overs. Not sure how common that is but you’d assume that it hasn’t been seen many times before!”
That’s a tremendous spot. And a slightly eerie one.
Teatime teatime chat
“Kim is right,” says Digvijay Yadav. “Small triangle shaped egg and cress sandwiches are a non-negotiable for cricket tea. The best I ever had were at Kent University. Fantastic spread of various small triangle shaped sandwiches.”
25th over: West Indies 59-3 (Brooks 4, Chase 0) This counts as two spells from Woakes, because he changed ends, but effectively it’s the seventh of his spell. Nothing much happens, and the players toddle off for tea with England in control of the Test and the series. See you in 20 minutes for the evening session.
24th over: West Indies 58-3 (Brooks 3, Chase 0) That was a majestic bit of bowling from Anderson, who now has 588 Test wickets.
“Do you, or anybody else know, have the bowlers been asked to keep their distance from the umpires on their run-ups?” says Scott Roberts. “The reason I ask is because Archer isn’t bowling from as close to the stumps as usual, and I think it reduces his effectiveness quite considerably, and it looks like it’s affecting his mechanics quite negatively as well, hence his pace is down and he’s not moving the ball away from the right hander.”
Shai Hope falls to a stunning delivery from James Anderson. The line and length were immaculate, and it growled off the seam to take the edge as Hope pushed forward defensively. Jos Buttler did the rest with a tumbling catch.
23rd over: West Indies 58-2 (Hope 17, Brooks 3) Woakes has changed ends. A straight drive from Hope hits him on the boot and deflects just past the stumps with Brooks miles out of his ground. He didn’t even try to get back in his crease; he just gawped at the ball as if mesmerised by its spherical beauty.
“Afternoon Rob,” says Geoff Wignall. “Surely it isn’t just a matter of whether batting can damage Stokes’ quad, but also whether a dodgy quad can damage his batting - along with possible quad damage from fielding.”
22nd over: West Indies 55-2 (Hope 15, Brooks 2) Anderson replaces Woakes, and this time he will bowl at the James Anderson End. It might be a strange feeling at first, though I soon got used to writing liveblogs from the Rob Smyth Suite. He starts with a quiet over, a maiden to Brooks. It’s attritional stuff out there, with only 10 runs from the last seven overs.
21st over: West Indies 55-2 (Hope 15, Brooks 2) “Talking of Stokes, any opinion of his staunch support of Morgan in insisting Hales was thrown out of the team for ‘abusing the trust of the team’, and his staunch support of Archer despite Jofra having (arguably even more seriously) abused the trust of the team by sneaking out of the bubble?” asks Nick Butler. “Seems like one attitude for one and a different for the other. And I’m thinking more of the attitude of the team rather than the actual punishment handed out by the ECB. Bit hypocritical.”
These things are so tricky, because we don’t see what goes on behind closed doors and therefore we don’t always have the full contextt. My hunch – and that’s all it is, I have never had any inside knowledge in my life – is that there is more to Hales’ omission than just failing a drug test. I think Morgan has made a judgement on Hales’ character, possibly based on his love of the All Blacks’ culture, and decided he doesn’t want him in his team. I don’t know whether that’s correct or fair, but I do think Morgan has earned the right to make such a decision.
20th over: West Indies 52-2 (Hope 13, Brooks 1) A fullish outswinger from Woakes is driven sweetly down the ground for four by Hope. That was a really classy stroke.
“Good afternoon Rob,” says Kim Thonger. “With the tea interval approaching we are having a debate here, as to the most important component of a sound cricket tea. I am advocating for egg and cress sandwiches but there is much discussion on the vexed question of Victoria sponge, and more than one heretic proposing sausage rolls. I’m right aren’t I? You can’t have a cricket tea without eggy sarnies.”
19th over: West Indies 47-2 (Hope 9, Brooks 0) Hope plays a pleasant stroke, pushing Archer through mid-off for a couple. He has nine from 49 balls and has clearly decided to block his way back into form.
It’s been discussed many times but Archer’s short ball is a nightmare for batsmen for a few reasons. There’s no change in action, so it’s hard to pick up. He gets tight to the stumps, so it’s hard to avoid. And he can bowl at up to 95mph. He really is obscenely talented. I decided after England’s last hammering in 2017-18 that I wasn’t going to offer to OBO any more Ashes series in Australia. Just when I thought was out, Jofra Archer has pulled me back in.
18th over: West Indies 45-2 (Hope 7, Brooks 0) The new batsman Shamarh Brooks is beaten by a jaffa from Woakes that straightens from a good length. The ball is doing just enough to keep England interested, and Brooks is beaten again off the last ball of the over.
“Ben Stokes should be rested, at least for the Irish contests and maybe the first game against Pakistan,” says John Starbuck. “He’s clearly not fully fit and never will be under Root, who, as his treatment of Archer shows, doesn’t know when to give his stars a proper breather. As today has shown, the side can bat pretty well without him, might be able to field slightly better and could well do a proper bowling job too.”
17th over: West Indies 44-2 (Hope 6, Brooks 0) That was the last ball of Archer’s over.
John Campbell has been bounced out by Jofra Archer. It was a lovely short ball that Campbell couldn’t avoid, and it hit the glove before looping gently to gully. Superb bowling from Archer – and superb commentary on Sky from Andrew Strauss, who predicted the short ball about 0.5 seconds before Archer delivered it.
16th over: West Indies 44-1 (Campbell 32, Hope 6) Woakes keeps it tight to Hope, who now has six off 42 balls. I suspect he’s decided to become a Joe Denly tribute act.
And that’s it from me – you’re just going to have to get through the rest of the day with the incomparable Rob Smyth. Thanks for your company, your correspondence and your views on bandanas.
15th over: West Indies 43-1 (Campbell 31, Hope 6) Just when some idiots were dismissing him, Hope manages to find the boundary. It was somewhere between a thick edge and a canny guide, off Archer, that raced past Pope at gully. Hope gets some credit for keeping it down.
14th over: West Indies 38-1 (Campbell 30, Hope 2) Just a single from Campbell off Woakes’s over. Never mind a short leg – Hope is playing so few shots that Root could easily have ten men round the bat.
More on bandanas, from Romeo. “If bowlers are so worried about their hair getting in their eyes (something which never worried Dennis Lillee until his hair was shorter and falling out), they could always use an Ena Sharples hairnet.”
13th over: West Indies 37-1 (Campbell 29, Hope 2) Archer and Buttler think they’ve got Hope, strangled down the leg side, but Michael Gough gives a shake of the head with his usual air of authority. Root doesn’t review – rightly, as the ball brushed the hip. There’s no short leg, which seems a glaring error when the lead is still well over 300.
“Hello, Mr de Lisle,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “I’ve admired your OBO work, but it took me some time to recognise that you’re the ‘Tim’ who edited a sole edition of the Wisden as well. It was the 2003 one, which infamously bore a picture on its cover for the first time (in retrospect, a pivotal moment for the almanack).” So it was! I’d quite forgotten. “I was reminded of this fact a week ago while I was checking if they still ran their writing contest. They do! I haven’t sent in a piece for a few years now, but this lockdown has given my quill the hope to pursue the unlikely like Broad’s willow has...” It’s the hope that quills us.
12th over: West Indies 36-1 (Campbell 28, Hope 2) Joe Root makes a double change, to enable us all to compare the old firm to England’s other pair of new-ball bowlers. Chris Woakes, fed up with being called immaculate, bowls a bit of a loosener to Campbell, who pulls it for four. And that’s drinks, with England on top but not having that much to show for it, thanks to Stokes’s bloomer.
11th over: West Indies 31-1 (Campbell 23, Hope 2) Heeeere’s Jofra! He instantly has Hope hopping about, edging a short one into his own torso, which saves him. Then Archer bowls a proper bouncer, which bounces so high that Jos Buttler has no chance of laying a glove on it. He’s in the mood.
10th over: West Indies 26-1 (Campbell 23, Hope 2) Campbell, who has decided he rather likes being a one-man batting line-up, creams Broad through the covers for four.
Broad is wearing his white bandana with the bow at the back, Anderson his black headband. “In between overs,” says Paul Griffin, “could you quickly work out whether, over the entire history of first-class cricket, Bandana-ed bowlers are statistically more likely to get wickets? Wisden doesn’t have a ‘sported headband’ category. I’m assuming their reappearance is a sports science/data thing, although you wouldn’t rule out Jimmy and Broady warming to a Bryan Adams CD in the Lexus on the way to a 7 for 69.” Ha. Three for 69, these days.
9th over: West Indies 20-1 (Campbell 17, Hope 2) John Campbell is having to make all the runs here. He sees a rare bad ball from Anderson, a long hop outside off, and cuts it for the first four of the innings. He then takes a leaf out of his partner’s book with an inside edge for a single as he drives one that was swinging back into him. The old firm have been great, but I can’t wait to see Jofra.
8th over: West Indies 15-1 (Campbell 12, Hope 2) Broad, for once, makes nothing happen. Sky are running through all Stokes’s dropped catches in this otherwise magnificent series – one very tricky, one middling, and then today’s one, which was, by his high standards, a piece of cake.
A thought from Ian Forth. “The current bowling partnership of Broad and Anderson has over a thousand wickets between them. This has happened twice before - Warne/McGrath and Muralitharan/Vaas - but this is the only time with two pace bowlers. Will it ever happen again?” Good question. My guess is yes, because Test careers are getting longer, at least in terms of matches played.
7th over: West Indies 14-1 (Campbell 11, Hope 2) Hope’s second scoring shot is even worse than his first – a Harrow poke off Anderson. Holding is right to wonder why on earth he’s still at No.3.
6th over: West Indies 12-1 (Campbell 10, Hope 1) Broad, bowling to Hope, can smell his next wicket. Hope may well be able to sense it too, but he’s still there and getting off the mark with a jumpy flick round the corner.
5th over: West Indies 11-1 (Campbell 10, Hope 0) That was tough on Anderson, who’s been almost as immaculate as Woakes.
Anderson bowls the outswinger to the left-hander, draws the nick, and sees Ben Stokes drop a regulation a catch at second slip. What a liability he is.
4th over: West Indies 9-1 (Campbell 8, Hope 0) Campbell picks up two more twos by playing nice and straight against Broad. This pitch, while mostly smiling on the bowlers, does offer plenty of runs too.
3rd over: West Indies 4-1 (Campbell 3, Hope 0) John Campbell pushes Anderson into the covers for two and a single, whereupon Anderson beats Shai Hope outside off with a beauty, and another beauty. “I would have Hope in this team,” says Michael Holding, “but at six or seven, keeping wicket.”
2nd over: West Indies 1-1 (Campbell 0, Hope 0) That’s a wicket-maiden for Broad, who also has a couple of LBW appeals turned down. Leaving him out does seem to be quite an effective ploy, even if it costs England the odd Test.
“Fritz Lang [13:18] may well be a genius,” says Brian Withington, “but I genuinely didn’t even realise there was a scorecard on the phone app! Clearly too absorbed by the OBO coverage to look any further (I just scroll backwards and forwards for fall of wickets etc) ...”
Well that didn’t take long. Stuart Broad gets one to nibble off the seam, Joe Root takes a straightforward catch at first slip and West Indies have lost their only reliable top-order batsman.
1st over: West Indies 1-0 (Brathwaite 1, Campbell 0) So who’s going to take the new ball? The old firm, I presume. Jimmy Anderson, restored to his throne as the king of swing, finds movement straightaway, both out and in, but Kraigg Brathwaite is equal to it. He gets off the mark with a push to leg.
The players are out there, and West Indies need 170 to avoid the follow-on.
A question from Tom Hopkins. “Can Fritz Lang not just use chalk to write the fall of wickets on someone’s back?” Classy.
A theory about Stuart Broad. “Perhaps,” says Mark Slater, “Broad is getting anxious about fighting for his spot amongst Jimmy, Jofra and Mark Wood, and is now targeting Chris Woakes’ place?”
“Fritz Lang is a genius,” says Pierre Moon. “Fall of wickets is possibly the best part of the scorecard story. I have long wondered why the OBO scorecard didn’t carry this, forcing me to flit to the BBC scorecard. Take this infamous Test - only by looking at fall of wickets in the first innings do you get that jaw dropping moment of realisation of what actually happened. Please rattle the cages of power to see if we can put this right!” Pierre, you can be sure that I will use all my lack of influence.
“Fritz Lang has a point,” says Jonathan West. “Fall of wickets is on the website scorecard but inexplicably not on the one on the Guardian phone app. Would seem to be more trouble to have two versions of the scorecard than one.” Don’t get everybody started.
A tweet from Fritz Lang, possibly not the Fritz Lang. “Loving the coverage as always.” Thank you. “Would it be possible to have fall of wickets added to the Guardian app’s scorecard? Many thanks.” That is a long way above my pay grade, but I’ll pass it on.
Another line from earlier on.“I have spent all morning trying to formulate a punny headline based on the second century Pope, Sixtus (AD 42-124),” said Nick Abel Smith. “Him being bowled by the Angel Gabriel to leave him stranded on only one century makes it much easier.”
Before Broad came to the crease, there was a tweet from Iain in Brighton (@sevenbeescafe). “Why does Archer come in ahead of Broad?” he wondered. “Or indeed Anderson?” Iain, that was visionary.
Luncheon! After a morning of two halves. The first hour belonged to Gabriel and Roach, who shook off their exhaustion to give a new-ball dank-morning masterclass; the second to Broad and Bess, who launched a classic tail-end counter-attack. We’ve had 111 runs, six wickets, rich entertainment. Join me in half an hour for the next episode of Dr Ebb and Mr Flow.
Jason Holder brings himself back and picks up his first wicket in what feels like a few years as Anderson gives a simple catch to first slip.
111th over: England 365-9 (Bess 17, Anderson 7) Chase keeps it tight as the batsmen begin to think about their lunch.
“Martin Laidler [97th over] needn’t worry,” said Geoff Wignall a few minutes ago. “As a senior player Broad is making a commendable job of managing the tail. With the Burnley Lara still to come, I’m anticipating a declaration at around 450.”
110th over: England 364-9 (Bess 16, Anderson 7) Anderson, facing Chase, pulls out the reverse sweep, which brings him four, off the edge, possibly both edges.
109th over: England 358-9 (Bess 16, Anderson 2) Cornwall bowls a fast arm ball to Anderson, who does very well to chop it off his leg bail and gets a couple for it.
“Lovely stuff from Broad,” says Toby Sims. “No, he’s never going to be the batsman he once was but I can see him as a world class irritant like Graeme Swann in the tail. Lots of time for Bess too, some fight in that dog. Fan of Buttler too – it was a good nut, and wickets tend to fall in the morning with the new ball, no matter who the batsman is.”
108th over: England 356-9 (Bess 16, Anderson 0) That’s a wicket-maiden for Chase, who is a lesser bowler than Cornwall, but a better operator.
Gone! To a full toss. Not a bad ball actually – Chase was trying for the yorker, spearing it in low, and Broad’s slog-sweep went straight to deep square. That’s the end of a highly entertaining cameo, 62 off 45 balls, which has put England back in charge.
106th over: England 356-8 (Bess 16, Broad 62) Jason Holder is so bemused by all this that he feels like trying spin from both ends. Roston Chase comes on but Broad goes on his merry way, thwacking him past extra cover for four.
105th over: England 349-8 (Bess 14, Broad 58) Now they’re even having fun against Cornwall, who goes for four as Broad’s sweep eludes the man at short fine leg. Tail-end runs do tend to demoralise the fielding side.
“I guess the other response to Martin Laidler [97th over],” says Brian Withington, “is that who needs to protect the tail when it means that we get to see Stuart Broad clumping it to all quarters. Quick runs and a useful work out before bowling - what’s not to like!”
104th over: England 342-8 (Bess 14, Broad 50) Another grown-up single from Bess off Holder, another gleefully immature four from Broad, who plays a pull and goes to fifty off 33 balls. That’s the equal-third-fastest fifty in England’s Test history, level with Flintoff and Lamb, behind only Botham (twice).
103rd over: England 337-8 (Bess 13, Broad 46) A couple more singles off Cornwall, who again shows no mercy to the live-bloggers of the world.
102nd over: England 335-8 (Bess 12, Broad 45) Bess has been playing a shrewd second fiddle while Broad gets on with his heavy-metal guitar solos. It’s Bess who brings up the fifty partnership with a sensible single off Holder, leaving Broad to wallop another four.
101st over: England 329-8 (Bess 11, Broad 40) Holder, wisely taking The Guardian’s advice, turns to spin, though it’s Rahkeem Cornwall when I would have gone for the more successful Roston Chase. Cornwall imposes some order, conceding only two singles, and getting through his over in ludicrously little time.
100th over: England 327-8 (Bess 10, Broad 39) Broad nicked the strike with that three, so he’s again facing Holder, his bunny. He top-edges a hook for four and slogs down the ground for four more. If there was a crowd in, they’d be loving this. Michael Holding can’t understand why they’re not bowling yorkers at him.
“Before everyone starts crowing about Broad having the potential to be a real all-rounder and bat at 7 or 8 – he can’t, he’s scared of the ball, he’s just a tail-end Charlie occasionally connecting. Like Trump occasionally getting it right, Broad will occasionally get lucky.” So that’s his reward for a rapid counter-attack – to be compared to the worst president of all time?
99th over: England 318-8 (Bess 10, Broad 29) Roach keeps Broad quiet for five balls but then there’s a straight whack for three. Time for a rest for Roach – come on Jason, let’s have some spin.
“Wow, that went bad quickly,” wrote David Wall, 20 minutes ago. “Could this be a cunning plan from Root to move the game along quickly to ensure a result, knowing they need to win the match? it seems like ideal bowling conditions right now so perhaps they’re planning to get the W.Indies in as soon as possible to knock them over for a really low total. It’s a line to use in the press conference at the end of the day at least.” Or even the virtual media conference, as the ECB now calls it.
98th over: England 315-8 (Bess 10, Broad 27) Holder changes the bowling, a touch belatedly, by bringing himself on to replace Gabriel. Broad’s boundaries have spread the field, which means there’s nobody at third slip when he edges at catchable height. He gets four for that and four more, in the same direction, from a much better shot, a cut played with a fancy follow-through. Then he mows over extra-cover for yet another four. His 27 runs have come off only 14 balls. Ebb and flow!
97th over: England 302-8 (Bess 10, Broad 14) Bess gets a leading edge off Roach, but it lands safely in the covers. These two have been so purposeful, adding 22 off 25 balls.
“So,” says Martin Laidler on Twitter, “is that Buttler locked down for the next 12 months in Ed Smith’s eyes? England really needed a senior player, which were constantly being told Jos is, to stick around and manage the tail this morning.” Yes, but you can’t blame someone for getting out to a good ball, can you? The point about Buttler’s innings here is that he got runs when he badly needed them and, more importantly, so did England.
96th over: England 300-8 (Bess 9, Broad 13) Broad’s technique these days consists of stepping away to the leg side, like Bob Willis, and then swinging the bat merrily, like Devon Malcolm. it brings him a single off Gabriel via the Harrow drive. But then he block-drives into the covers for four, like the young Stuart Broad – a good way to bring up up the 300, which just could be a winning total in these conditions. And that’s drinks, with the first hour belonging unmistakably to Gabriel and Roach.
And here’s Brian Withington. “Your preamble about Manchester weather has me reminiscing about the old anecdote (a David Lloyd favourite) that the key to prediction is whether or not you can see the Pennines. If you can, then it’s going to rain. If you can’t, then it’s already raining.”
95th over: England 293-8 (Bess 7, Broad 8) Bess keeps Roach out, gets away with a swish at a wide one and takes a leg bye, which gives Stuart Broad the chance to remind us that he used to be able to bat. He pulls Roach for six!
“I’m heading home on the tram from town,” says Guy Hornsby, “and was going to get out at Old Trafford to peek through the gates. I set off at start of play. At this rate we’ll be all out before I make it. You couldn’t get more England than that.”
94th over: England 286-8 (Bess 7, Broad 2) Gabriel, perhaps feeling a little sorry for England now, gives Bess a full toss outside off, which he gratefully drives past gully. It only goes for two as the outfield has been slowed up by the morning rain.
And here’s John Starbuck, writing from another age, about half an hour ago. “When Ollie Pope has his helmet on and his face a mask of suncream, he looks as if he should be called the Mallet of Eternal Justice. On the other hand, Dom Sibley looks rather like Jack Whitehall doing his screw-up face.”
93rd over: England 281-8 (Bess 4, Broad 1) Another excellent over from Roach, who reached 200 Test wickets when he dismissed Woakes. “I like the way he plays with a smile on his face,” says Nasser Hussain, showing that it doesn’t always take one to know one.
Yet another one! Roach goes wide of the crease and puts the ball in the right place, as West Indies have all morning. Archer’s edge, and Holder’s bucket hands, do the rest. That’s 22 for four today: the match is moving along at breakneck speed.
92nd over: England 278-7 (Bess 4, Archer 1) The only positive for England this morning had been Buttler, mixing defence and attack as if he was back in form. When Gabriel tried a short one, he pulled it authoritatively, but Gabriel was good enough to respond with that excellent out-seamer, which left England down to the tail already. Jofra Archer gets off the mark with an inside edge, and then Dom Bess uppercuts for four. He has to get one of his feisty 30s here.
It is a collapse! Gabriel jags one away, Buttler can’t quite keep the nick down and Holder takes a sharp catch, inches off the turf. England’s score so far today is 14 for three, and West Indies have just removed the man who scored nearly all of them.
91st over: England 267-6 (Buttler 63, Bess 0) So Woakes goes for one, his highest score of the series. And the gamble of putting him up to No.7 has gone awry.
Another one! Woakes tries to cut, only gets his bat to the 45 rather than the horizontal, and plays on. Is this, by any chance, an England collapse?
90th over: England 267-5 (Buttler 63, Woakes 1) Apart from the odd no-ball, Gabriel is getting everything right: length, line, movement, consistency. Woakes is relieved to escape with a quick single after playing a push so straight that it breaks the stumps at the other end. Buttler is watchful, then pounces when Gabriel’s inswinger strays onto leg stump, clipping the first boundary of the day.
What a shame that Pope didn’t get a hundred. He saved the day for England, gave great entertainment, made runs in a home Test for the first time and even spoke candidly afterwards, about how there’s no escape when you go back to your room and look out on the pitch where you just got out. At 22 he is a wonderful prospect.
Castled! Shannon Gabriel gets his due as his nip-backer bursts through Pope’s defences and produces the fast bowler’s favourite sound. First blood to West Indies.
89th over: England 262-4 (Pope 91, Buttler 59) Buttler plays the first purposeful stroke of the morning, a crisp tuck for two, and follows up with a forward-defensive so immaculate that it could have come out of Chris Woakes’s bathroom cabinet.
88th over: England 260-4 (Pope 91, Buttler 57) Buttler’s turn to prod and miss, at Gabriel, who follows up with an LBW appeal, politely turned down by Michael Gough, probably because of a hint of an inside edge. The ball is moving more than the scoreboard. Buttler escapes, in two senses, when he gets an inside edge on a no-ball. And then Pope is dropped by Rahkeem Cornwall at slip, a much easier chance than the one he caught yesterday to get rid of Rory Burns.
On Twitter, Bernard Walsh responds to Gary Naylor (10:40). “I’m amazed that Buttler has ever made as many as 144 in red ball cricket, the red rose county’s 4th best wicket keeper has certainly never had an innings like that for @lancscricket.”
87th over: England 258-4 (Pope 91, Buttler 56) From the Statham end it’s Kemar Roach, who has Ollie Pope playing and missing, twice, as he tries to push out into the covers. His feet are moving, as ever, but his eye isn’t in yet.
86th over: England 258-4 (Pope 91, Buttler 56) You’re not going to believe this, but we even have some watery sunshine. Shannon Gabriel creaks into action, finishes his over and comes close to bowling Buttler with one that looked wider of off stump than it was.
“Great innings from the Pope yesterday,” tweets Robert Ellson. “Beats me why people aren’t calling him His Oliness. #popepuns”
The covers are off! And the players are out there. “It’s cold, it’s blustery, the floodlights are on,” says Ian Ward, “but it’s dry.”
“I send you good weather news!” says Ian Copestake. “I have seen actual blue sky! Okay, this is on the Wirral and the Manchester micro-weather system will have its own ideas but like a Buttler century it might just happen.” Ha.
The covers are on. In a mixed-up world, it’s all we can ask for.
And the first message of the morning comes from... Gary Naylor! “Hi @TimdeLisle.” Hi Gary, do you ever – sorry, you were saying? “I was amazed to find out earlier that Jos Buttler’s highest first class score (144 off 268 deliveries) was notched 10 years ago! On this pitch against this weary attack, he’ll never have a better chance of beating that.” That’s a very good spot. Though it also has a whiff of the curse of the commentator.
Morning everyone and welcome back to one of sport’s oldest and most thrilling contests: cricket v the weather. No Test series has ever had more matches in Manchester than this one, and Manchester has not let us down. Today may not turn out as bad as it looked like being a couple of days ago, which, in Manchester, is about as good as it gets. The latest from the Met Office gives a 60pc chance of rain delaying the start and a 10pc chance of rain in every hour thereafter. That sounds like enough for the match to move along.
England find themselves in an unexpectedly strong position. Put in to bat again by Jason Holder, they subsided to 122 for four. Ben Stokes only got 20: if there had been a crowd, they would have asked for their money back. And because of Stokes being unlikely to bowl, England were already down to their last two proper batsmen – neither of them in great form. On such moments, series turn. Ollie Pope batted like Ollie Pope abroad (Test average 62), not Ollie Pope at home (Test average 16 until yesterday). Jos Buttler batted like Jos Buttler in the year from May 2018 (higher average than Joe Root), not Jos Buttler in the year after the World Cup (lower average than Joe Denly). Together they have added 136 in 38 overs of stylish defiance.
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