Key events
WICKET! Root b Hazlewood 5 (England 73-3)
Gone! England are now in a bit of strife. Root tried to guide a ball into the off side that was way too close for comfort and chopped onto his stumps. He’s livid. Punching his bat as he stomps off. Australia on top now.
15th over: England 73-2 (Ali 2, Root 5) Cummins bowls to Root. We’ll miss this eh? The next Test match in England after this one is eleven and a half months away. Soak it up while you can folks.
Root glides wonderfully for four to open his account. Cummins hits back by beating the edge. Root collects a single off the next. Proper cricket.
“Morning Jim.”
Morning to Simon McMahon who is doing a very good job as our Scottish cricket correspondent. What’s your day rate Simon?
“Not quite the rollercoaster, or indeed paternoster, ride of the Ashes summer here at the Grange in Edinburgh where, after a delayed start due to a wet outfield – flashbacks ahoy! – Scotland continue their seemingly serene progress towards next year’s T20 World Cup against Denmark. A win today would guarantee their place irrespective of the result against Ireland tomorrow. Denmark have started impressively in the field though, with Scotland currently 37-2 after 7 overs. So scoring at roughly the same rate as the England Test side.”
14th over: England 68-2 (Ali 2, Root 0) Two new batters at the crease for Australia, they’ve got themselves back into the session after a chastening first hour. Moeen is watchful, four dots before a clip to leg brings him two runs. The atmosphere here at the Oval now at a nervous simmer.
WICKET! Crawley c Smith b Cummins 22 (England 66-2)
One brings two! Crawley slapped Cummins through cover for four but next ball he edges high to Smith in the slips and this time the catch sticks. Crawley had played and missed five times in his last eleven deliveries. It’s the way he plays.
Steve Smith’s 55 catch in Ashes cricket – a new record. Pipping Botham on 54. Top grabbers.
13th over: England 66-2 (Ali 0, Root 0)
WICKET! Duckett c Carey b Marsh 41 (England 62-1_
A tiny tickle on the glove to a relatively innocuous short ball from Marsh and Duckett has to drag himself off! It was the most delicate of pecks on the styrofoam, the umpire didn’t spot it but the Aussies reviewed confidently.
Earlier in the over Crawley played a beautiful straight drive for four which took him to 400 runs for the series. The first on either side to get there. Hat tip to m’esteemed colleague Tim de Lisle who spotted that one and kindly sent my way.
12th over: England 62-0 (Crawley 18, Ali 0)
11th over: England 55-0 (Crawley 13, Duckett 40) Duckett charges once more! Wonder what he had for his breakfast? He’s been electric this morning. Three runs to the total. Well bowled Pat Cummins – he beats Crawley once twice thrice in a row and is unlucky not to have found the edge.
John Withington wades in:
“I’ve been struck by the derision in the Aussie media for England’s approach and the rush of old pros to dismiss it as care free and lacking the “hardness” that Australian cricket seems to demand. Meanwhile, within 6 overs of the first day of a series deciding Ashes match Australia are on the back foot, acquiescing to England’s confident start, pushing the field back and allowing England to dictate.
And I think this “passive” approach as they seemingly just wait for something to happen can leach into the fielding as there’s a serious reduction in the usual expectation of early chances. See Warner’s lame reaction to the one chance so far.”
10th over: England 52-0 (Crawley 13, Duckett 37) Mitch Marsh replaces Hazlewood, Duckett hacks into the off-side, trying to force too hard and losing his shape. A cut through cover brings him two and a quick single to leg brings Crawley on strike. Close! Steve Smith nearly pulls of (another) horizontal diving catch in the slips as Crawley gets a meaty edge off Marsh. Just a tip of the finger but a fine effort. Cameron Green would have stood still and caught it. Fifty up for England, they are cruising along at over five an over.
9th over: England 46-0 (Crawley 11, Duckett 34) Cummins to Duckett… DROP! A wild swipe by the batter flies to Warner in the slips, head hight and very catchable but he spills it! The crowd get stuck into Warner when the replay goes up on the big screen. He’s usually like a venus flytrap in there and it was a bit of a sitter. Cummins is accurate, probing outside off stump and inducing two play and misses in the over. Still went for five runs, mind.
“It’s just BURST through those hands!”
A HUGE chance for Australia to get their first wicket but David Warner can’t get a hold of it pic.twitter.com/KyxpVVCNJX
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2023
8th over: England 41-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 30) Just a couple off Hazlewood’s over. Duckett advances once more and crunches a pull to mid-on (you read that right) but it stings the fingers of the fielder and there’s no run. Pat Cummins is bringing himself on.
Quite the bolshy start from England here @Jimbo_Cricket. Ben Duckett in particular looking like he’s batting with the carefree vibes of an 18 year old about to leave on a gap year. Ben F*ckett, if you will. We’re definitely not going to die wondering. Which is fine with me.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) July 27, 2023
7th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 29) We’ve had 15 scoring shots in a row according to Andy Zaltzman on TMS. The field is set back and England collect singles off every ball. England are so good at this. “200 by lunch then” chirps m’colleague John Windmill.
6th over: England 33-0 (Crawley 7, Duckett 26) My days. That is an incredible stroke! Duckett charges Hazlewood and absolutely marmalises a drive on the up back down the ground! You have to laugh, that was reeedonkulous. Duckett is middling everything, Cummins has boundary riders on each side of the wicket and they are kept very busy. About those maidens…
5th over: England 24-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 19) Duckett slices Starc behind point for four! A perky start this for the little’un (Crawley is the large’un) Shot – a leg-stump half volley is flicked away nonchalantly for four more. England beginning to purr into top gear, ominous signs for Australia.
4th over: England 13-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 8) Five off Hazlewood’s over with little fuss. Bazball Manifest.
3rd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 4) HUGE APPEAL! Starc almost bends over onto the turf behind him as he implores Joel Wilson to do the honourable thing. Crawley left a ball that scudded back into his pad, it looked close – perhaps just missing? The Aussies review with enthusiasm but it is NOT OUT! The ball was missing off stump. Phew. On we go.
*About that asterisk on maidens from earlier. I just heard that England have sent down 100 more maidens in the series than Australia (might be 99 now). That is a cortex boggling stat.
The TMS overseas link can be found at the top of the BBC’s main cricket coverage page, for those asking.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Crawley 4, Duckett 3) A big cheer rings around the Oval as Duckett opens England’s account with a clip for three off Hazlewood. Close! Hazlewood cuts Duckett in two with a nip-backer and then finds his edge with the next ball but it flies down into the slips. A single to leg brings Crawley on strike for the last ball… which he smashes for four through the covers!
1st over: England 0-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett) A lesser spotted maiden*! Hard lines to that boundary expectant gambler. Starc spears a few down the leg side and Crawley lets a few fizz past the off stump. The pitch looks to have decent pace and carry. Nice.
A rousing reception for both anthems, which were signed too. Marnus was really getting into it, swaying along as he sang with eyes clamped shut.
The players run out onto the field to huge applause which goes up a notch when Crawley and Duckett stride to the middle to take guard. Mitchell Starc will take the first over. Have you heard about the guy who has put a bet on there being a boundary off every first over of each Test? Oh to be in his shoes right now. Let’s play!
@Jimbo_Cricket I saw a bucket hat in Paris yesterday. Not on a Brit but on an actual Parisian women -otherwise très chic (I was tempted to ask her where she stood on Bairstow keeping wicket but thought better of it). So it’s official. Bucket hats are in.
— Robert McL Wilson (@Parisbob2001) July 27, 2023
Tres chic?
Alive and singing – here come the players for some anthem action.
“RUBBISH! This series is alive.” 😤
Michael Atherton says there is a lot still to play for in the final Ashes Test and it is not a dead rubber! pic.twitter.com/R45gXLD3LY
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 27, 2023
OF COURSE Australia will bowl!
Crows Jeremy Boyce of err France.
“If only to not allow England to go on another T20 4th innings batting spree. The mind games have begun before they’re even on the pitch.”
Do you know what Jeremy? The sun is starting to come out here at the Oval. Pat Cummins will be looking out of the changing room window and cursing his luck. For the time being…
Robbie Chedburn thinks the Aussie’s might be loosened up a little after their retention.
“Morning James, this is the big one, the one we’ve all been waiting for. Although saying that it’s not as big as it might have been. But still feels like a huge match.”
Yep, the atmosphere is bubbling up here at the Oval. A dead rubber this is NOT.
“I wonder if Australia having retained the ashes may loosen them up a bit and allow them to play with a bit more gusto!”
Does gusto mean having England 20-5 under cloudy skies this morning Robbie?
“Morning James”
G’Morning to you Steff B.
“Which team has more to play for here? Also, are we witnessing the end of James Anderson’s reign as a top class bowler?”
Hmm, on the first point I reckon both teams will be absolutely desperate to win. Australia want to claim the urn outright and as Geoff and Ali’s piece mention – it could be last chance saloon for some of their more distinguished squad members to bag a series in England.
There’s no two ways about it from the other side either – England will be hell bent on winning here.
On Anderson – I think he’s been pout of luck in this series and looked a bit flat at times. But he’s still incredibly skilful and his pace has been decent. All the talk is that he will carry on into India and perhaps beyond.
Australia win the toss and will bowl!
Bit of cloud around, it’s muggy here in south London. Will it move around? Ben Stokes confirms he would have had a bowl too.
England are unchanged, we knew that, and for Australia Todd Murphy comes in for Cameron Green.
For the first time since February, Ben Stokes has lost a toss
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) July 27, 2023
Geoff Lemon on Pat Cummins’ unfinished business:
Time to catch up on things. First up – here’s Ali Martin on the long goodbyes:
Preamble
James Wallace
Welcome to the internet Oval for the last Ashes Test match of the summer. We’ve had more ups and downs than the members of Chumbawamba pogoing on a paternoster.
After the rain kiboshed the end of a the Old Trafford Test last week Australia have retained the Ashes… but they really want to win them. They fluffed their lines when they arrived at the Oval in a similar position four years ago, Pat Cummins’ side will be desperate to chalk up a win here and take the series emphatically 3-1. If they manage that then it’ll be the Aussies’ first series win in England since 2001.
Ben Stokes’ side dominated proceedings in Manchester and whilst the atmosphere at the Oval isn’t quite crackling yet I reckon it might be once play begins. As Stokes alluded to himself yesterday, 3-1 feels very different to 2-2.
The Aussie players are doing keepy uppies on the outfield (David Warner looks a bit out of his depth, bless him) and the punters are filing in from Oval station and down the Harleyford Road from Vauxhall.
You all up for this? Reckon so. For one last time then…
