Bite-sized Ashes: Steve Smith still pulling the strings despite bump on the head

Steve Smith is officially still banned from captaining Australia. But in deed and pretty much every action, there is one only man running the show at Edgbaston. Catch up on all the latest here.

• Match report: Smith leads the way again
• Five things we learned: Where is ‘real’ Warner?
• If Lyon roars the Australia will win the Test
• Warner’s cheeky response to Poms’ sledges

The hopes of Australia are once again in the hands of superstar Steve Smith after an eventful day three left the Ashes opener in the balance.

Smith is unbeaten on 46 with Australia 3-124 — but effectively 3-34 after conceding a 90-run first-innings lead thanks to England’s wagging tail, with the final two wickets adding 74 runs.

Wickets were shared around the bowlers: Nathan Lyon (3-112), Pat Cummins (3-84), Peter Siddle (2-52) and James Pattinson (2-82).

Australia’s top order floundered again, leaving Smith and Travis Head (21 not out) to carry out another rebuild mission to be able to set England any sort of target.

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SMITH STILL PULLING THE STRINGS?

One of the ongoing conditions of Steve Smith’s punishment following his role in the Cape Town ball-tampering incident is that he can’t hold any leadership role in Australian cricket. Not captain. Not vice-captain.

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But viewers — and former England captains — noted that Smith seemed to have a big influence on Australia’s field placements, animatedly waving his arms to get teammates to move around.

It had the likes of David Lloyd and Michael Atherton wondering whether this was still Tim Paine’s team at all.

Steve Smith directs Cameron Bancroft during play on day three at Edgbaston.

“Steve Smith, you know he is not the captain but he has been moving fielders. He has been moving them again,” Lloyd explained.

“Do you think it’s a case of him wanting to be more involved? Or just a reflection of Tim Paine’s captaincy so far?” Atherton added.

STOKES LANDS HEAVY BLOW ON SMITH

England once more seemed to have no answer to Smith’s brilliance, as the Aussie No. 4 marched towards another half-century on Saturday — before Ben Stokes delivered a ball which would’ve left the Australian dressing room holding their breath.

The England all-rounder sent down a slower bouncer which cocked Smith on the side of his grille, having gone through his pull shot early.

There was momentary concern for Smith from the England team, while Australia’s medical staff came on and conducted a concussion test before the batsman was cleared to continue his knock.

“Steve showed no signs of concussion and is therefore free to continue to play. However, we will continue to monitor him on an ongoing basis as per our usual protocols,” Cricket Australia later reported.

STOKES DOES GOOD … THEN BAD

Earlier in the day, Stokes played a huge role in gobbling up Australia’s first innings total, combining superbly with centurion Rory Burns to get England to within two runs.

He brought up his 50 to rapturous applause from the Birmingham crowd, but the very next ball he faced he played his loosest shot of the innings.

Pat Cummins hit a Pat Cummins-type length, and gave Stokes a bit of width, and the short ball was slashed to the gloves of Paine. Stokes was on his way and Australia had their breakthrough.

MINI COLLAPSE GIVES AUSTRALIA HOPE

The Stokes dismissal threatened to turn the game on its head completely, as it triggered a collapse of 4-18 as Rory Burns, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow all followed soon after.

In one 11-ball run, England lost the wickets of Burns, Ali and Bairstow for just four runs and — owning a lead of just 14 runs at that point — plenty of cracks had appeared in the England tail.

It wasn’t the first collapse of the series, and you suspect it won’t be the last.

Jonny Bairstow has proved easy meat fro Australia’s bowlers in the opening Ashes exchanges.

WOAKES, BROAD MIMIC AUSSIE TAIL

OK so there wasn’t a player of Steve Smith’s class out in the middle, but lower-order pair Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad certainly channeled some Peter Siddle determination to put England in the box seat in the first Test.

Coming together with England 8-300, they added 65 (not that far shy of 88 put on by Smith and Siddle on Thursday) while also keeping the Australians in the field for another entire session.

As a result, England took a first-innings lead of 90 — which, on a wicket that clearly has some demons lurking, feels like a considerably greater advantage.

WARNER’S HORROR COMEBACK

Thursday saw one of the all-time great comeback stories when Steve Smith hit a glorious 144 in day one of his Test return — but life hasn’t been as easy for his former deputy, David Warner.

Warner, who had an outstanding World Cup where he finished one-run shy of being the tournament’s leading runscorer, was less assured against the red-ball — with a return of just 2 and 8.

Did the relentless attacks of the rowdy Edgbaston crowd get to him? Or have England simply worked out how to get to Warner, who has never hit a Test ton in the UK …

COULD AUSSIES BRING BACK BOUNCER BARRAGE?

In the most recent home Ashes, Australia used — to great effect — the short ball against England’s tail with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood peppering the opposing quicks with bouncers.

Former England captain Michael Atherton was left dismayed by the attacks on Jimmy Anderson and co. declaring the laws of cricket were there to protect batsmen who couldn’t protect themselves.

On Saturday, they appeared to heed the advice 19 months later — almost refusing to send short balls at Stuart Broad despite the England star’s weakness against bouncers.

Eventually, Pat Cummins changed tact and dropped it short — having Broad caught at fine leg almost immediately.

It’s a tactic which could be called on more regularly as this series is played out.

ULTIMATE BUNNY’S ULTIMATE BRAINFADE

On England’s last tour of Australia, Nathan Lyon condemned Moeen Ali to the title of cricket’s ultimate bunny when he claimed his wicket seven times in the one series.

It took just four balls at Edgbaston for the GOAT to rekindled their relationship — by virtue of a stunning brainfade from the out-of-sorts England all-rounder.

Moeen looked uncomfortable against Lyon, and then left no doubt about his mindset by leaving a straight ball that cleaned up his off-stump to depart for a four-ball duck.

With Lyon holding court, Moeen is a walking wicket.

BANCROFT LOOKS RATTLED

Cameron Bancroft — like his opening partner David Warner — has had a torrid time in Birmingham, and must surely fear the axe after scores of 8 and 7.

Perhaps just as worrying as the low scores, is simply how out-of-sorts Bancroft looked when facing up to Stuart Broad and Moeen Ali.

In commentary, Michael Vaughan — England’s 2005 Ashes-winning captain — was highly critical of Bancroft’s technique, saying the West Australian was guilty of falling onto the onside and getting his feet in a tangle.

It doesn’t bode well for a five-Test battle with England’s impressive bowling attack.

England fans come dressed as their entire 1966 soccer World Cup winning team. Of course.

EDGBASTON CROWD GETS LOOSE

In every Edgbaston Test, the Saturday is the designated ‘dress-up day’ — where the already rowdy fans take it up a notch.

Today was no exception. The Pope and his clergymen had the attention of much of Edgbaston as they made a dramatic entrance shortly after the start of play.

Also on show were people in Steve Irwin costumes, as umpires, others dressed up as carrots, tomatoes and bananas, England’s soccer World Cup-winning team and political powerhouses Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.

It was quite a scene.

Originally published as Bite-sized Ashes: Steve Smith still pulling the strings despite bump on the head