NewsBite

Steve Smith explodes at Jonny Bairstow as Ashes tension erupts

Steve Smith and Jonny Bairstow clashed in the middle as the tension between England and Australia erupted in the Third Test.

Jai Bednall and Andrew McMurtry
12 min read
July 8, 2023 - 8:28AM
'See ya Smudge!' Smith blows up at Bairstow

We’ll stop writing about him as soon as he stops doing silly things, we promise.

Jonny Bairstow reinserted himself into the thick of the Ashes contest by clashing with Steve Smith after the Aussie batsman’s dismissal late on day two of the Third Test.

Australia was 4/116 at stumps with a lead of 142 runs but will look to build on its lead on day three without its star batsman after Smith was out cheaply for the second time in the match.

Smith’s wicket sparked explosive scenes in the middle.

Bairstow should have been keeping his mouth tightly shut after dropping another catch just a couple of overs earlier, but couldn’t resist giving Smith a send-off after he hit a catch to midwicket.

“From what we’re told Jonny Bairstow said ‘see ya later, Smudge’ or something like that, which Steve Smith did not enjoy,” former England skipper Nasser Hussain revealed in commentary. “Just being friendly, us Poms. See you later!”

Smith certainly didn’t enjoy it, turning angrily and appearing to say back to Bairstow: “Hey! What was that?”

Bairstow then appeared to reply: “I said ‘cheers, see you later’.”

Smith’s reaction highlighted the tension in the Australian team as they handed back a winning position after a strong morning.

Pat Cummins (6/91) and Smith (five catches) starred as four English wickets fell in the opening session and Australia looked like securing a significant first innings lead.

But Ben Stokes (80) was again a thorn in the Aussies’ side, combining with the tail to blast 95 runs from 10 overs after lunch and reduce the deficit to just 26 runs.

It was another scintillating innings that featured six fours and five sixes - even if fans were left fuming at home because of “disgraceful” broadcasting.

But another failure to know who and where to bowl when Stokes flicks the switch wasn’t even the most frustrating period of the day for Australia.

When will Jonny Bairstow learn? (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
When will Jonny Bairstow learn? (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

David Warner came and went as expected, losing his wicket to Stuart Broad for the 17th time in Tests which saw him mocked by the English bowler’s dad on social media.

But Australia was in a strong position at 1/68 in their second innings, even if the partnership between Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne was meandering at times.

But Labuschagne invited England back into the match with a terrible slog-sweep to midwicket off the bowling of Moeen Ali and Smith played an equally perplexing shot off the spinner soon after.

England was without injured seamer Ollie Robinson — and first innings hero Mark Wood wasn't striking the same fear in the Aussies as he failed to maintain his speed.

It was all set up for the visitors to dominate the final session but instead it was England who finished with the upperhand as Khawaja also fell before stumps.

Australia’s hopes of wrapping up the series at the earliest opportunity now rest with Travis Head and Mitch Marsh, who played sensibly to survive to stumps.

The trauma of Australia’s last visit to the ground will have Cummins’ side knowing no total is safe but they’ll want to push as far past 200 as possible to have real hope.

3.30am - Head, Marsh survive to stumps

Australia’s innings isn’t going anywhere fast but at least there were no more wickets to fall after the top order crumbled.

Travis Head (18 not out) and Mitch Marsh (17 not out) will resume on day four with it all to do after negotiating 12 overs together without major incident after Usman Khawaja departed.

Mark Wood came back on for two more overs to bring his tally to 10 so far in the second innings. His figures are 0/12 after a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

Moeen Ali delivered a crucial spell at the other end for the hosts, claiming 2/34 from 17 overs.

Australia is 4/116, leading by 142 runs.

2.45am - Aussie top order all gone as Khawaja nicks off

Australia looks increasingly like being forced to defend a small total as the wickets keep tumbling at Headingley.

Usman Khawaja joined David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith back in the grandstand after Chris Woakes found the edge of his bat.

Khawaja had looked like playing another long and crucial second innings after scores of 77 and 65 in the first two Tests, but fell for 43. Australia is 4/90 with a 116-run lead.

2.10am - Smith gone too, Aussies in trouble

Two baffling shots by two of the best batsmen in the world and suddenly Australia is in real strife.

Steve Smith followed a head-scratching shot by Marnus Labuschagne by gifting Moeen Ali a second wicket.

Just two runs and nine balls into his innings, Smith clipped a shot straight to midwicket to give Ben Duckett an easy catch and Moeen his 200th Test wicket.

Perhaps you could put it down to the pressure created by Mark Wood, who conceded just 10 runs from eight overs as the Aussies put their full focus on seeing him off.

Smith’s wicket left Australia 3/72.

2am – Marnus, Marnus what were you thinking?

An over after being dropped by Jonny Bairstow, Marnus Labuschagne has played an inexplicable shot to hand his wicket to Moeen Ali.

Luck seemed to be in Labuschagne’s favour when he was given a life after a Mark Wood ball clipped his glove but was grassed by the English keeper.

But the next ball the Aussie faced he slapped an Ali delivery in the air out to Harry Brook at deep mid-wicket to waste several hours of good work.

Labuschagne fell for 33 with Australia's lead at 94 runs.

The first drop had paired with Usman Khawaja in a 23-over partnership that was sapping the energy out of the England team.

Australia had almost seen off Wood, Ali was looking pretty gentle to play against and there was an opportunity to turn the screws.

But for reasons only clear to him, Labuschagne decided it was time for a slog-sweep. It was revealed on the TV broadcast the first drop has now played six slog sweeps in his Test career - and lost his wicket on three occasions.

12.15am – Warner mocked by match referee

You know it’s getting bad when your opponent’s dad is joining the pile-on.

Chris Broad, an ICC match referee and former England cricketer, mocked David Warner after his son, Stuart, claimed the Aussie opener’s wicket for the 17th time in Tests.

Stuart Broad is only two Warner wickets away from the all-time record, which is held by Glenn McGrath for his dominance of Mike Atherton.

Alec Bedser, who dismissed Arthur Morris 18 times, and Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who both removed Atherton 17 times, round out the top five.

After Warner was caught at second slip for one in Australia’s second innings, Chris Broad posted an edit of a popular Simpsons meme showing Warner writing lines on a blackboard saying: “Stuart Broad has got me out again.”

Warner’s place in the Aussie side has been up for discussion for a long time now and his double failure in this Test will renew the conversation.

Former Aussie quick Damien Fleming believes Warner will play in the Fourth Test despite making just four and one in this match – and 141 runs at 23.5 in the series.

“It’s definitely posing some big questions for the Australian cricket team (but he scored) 66 and 25 at Lord’s,” Fleming said on SEN. “To me he’s always got a two-Test buffer. I’d be playing him in the next Test and if he fails again …”

The Barmy Army branded Warner’s latest failure against Broad as “beyond a joke”.

Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne limited the early damage, guiding Australia to 1/29 at tea having seen off Mark Wood’s first three-over spell.

11.50pm – No sign of Robinson, Warner goes cheap

England appears to be down to three quicks after Ollie Robinson stayed in the sheds at the beginning of Australia’s second innings.

Robinson was dropped down the batting order to No. 11 in a sign the back spasms he suffered on day one are still causing major problems.

Of course the Poms only need one bowler to get David Warner out.

Stuart Broad removed the Aussie opener for the 17th time in Test matches for just one run to leave Australia 1/11.

Broad v Warner has become catching practice for the England slips and this time it was Zak Crawley at second slip who got the chocolates.

11.30pm – Smith creates Ashes history as Stokes falls

Australia will begin its second innings with a 26-run lead after Ben Stokes pulled England back into the match with a brilliant 80.

In far too familiar scenes for the Aussies, Stokes combined with the tail to blast his team back into the match.

England was 7/142 at lunch but added another 95 runs in just 10.2 overs as Mark Wood and then Stokes hit out.

Todd Murphy, after leaking just four runs from his first four overs, was put in a difficult position. Stokes hit him for five sixes before he was finally caught on the boundary by Steve Smith – giving Smith five catches for the innings.

It matched the Test record for a non-wicket keeper. There have been 14 instances in all, but Smith is the only man to do it twice after achieving the feat in Cape Town in 2018.

Smith’s haul also saw him match Ian Botham for the most catches by a fielder in Ashes history (54) and move past Brian Lara into the top 10 all-time with 165.

Murphy finished with 1/36 from 7.3 overs but it was Pat Cummins (6/91) who did the bulk of the damage for Australia.

10.45pm – England tailender breaks Gilchrist’s record

What a start to the second session.

After losing two wickets just before lunch to the pull shot – and having former skipper Michael Vaughan tweeting his frustration – you could have forgiven England for a conservative approach when play resumed.

But this is Mark Wood’s Test match.

The fast bowler, who took five wickets in Australia’s first innings, creamed the first ball of the session from Mitchell Starc over mid-wicket.

Then he hit the second ball for four. And the third for another six.

Starc finally pitched one up at that point only for Wood to step away and watch it narrowly miss his stumps.

The crowd was loving it and it wasn’t long before Australia’s lead was down under 100.

Wood added one more maximum in the next over from Pat Cummins before hitting a shot a mile in the air that Mitch Marsh was able to get underneath and pocket.

Wood finished with 24 runs from eight deliveries – a brief innings but a score that bettered all but two of Australia’s batsmen and broke Adam Gilchrist’s record for the fastest innings of a score of exactly 24. Niche stat, but a nice name to knock off.

Ben Stokes switched gears after Wood’s departure as England started swinging at nearly everything and added 56 runs in the first five overs after lunch.

Stuart Broad (seven off eight balls) tried to get in on the act but was caught brilliantly on the boundary by Steve Smith on the boundary to leave England 9/199.

But Stokes kept smashing to pass 50 as Australia again struggled to know who and where to bowl when the England all-rounder opened up.

10.01pm — Massive morning for Australia

Chris Woakes has triggered lunch after he was caught behind for 10.

A short ball from Mitchell Starc caught a feather edge and went through to Alex Carey for the easiest of catches.

It’s been a massive session for Australia as they took 4/74 and England still trail by 121 runs on the first innings.

9.42pm — England slammed as Australia breaks Bazball

Has Australia just killed Bazball?

Australia has just nabbed its third wicket of the session, leaving England 6/131 as the big shots have been put away.

Moeen Ali was dismissed for a 46-ball 21 after top-edging a pull shot off Pat Cummins for his fourth wicket of the innings, during what’s been a perfect session for Australia.

All the talk before the Ashes was about the new approach which has been revolutionising cricket but after two Tests of WTF moments from the Poms, which has seen them 2-0 down, the Bazball has stayed in the sheds.

Australia had a strong morning, taking the wickets of Joe Root — with the second ball — and Jonny Bairstow for 12 as England have made just 63 runs for the session.

England’s approach has been noticeably different on day two.

Ben Stokes is still out there but in a bit of pain. Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Ben Stokes is still out there but in a bit of pain. Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

Having fallen in a hole with regular wickets, England’s day two tactics were revealed to be the most defensive session of the series from the hosts.

CricViz revealed that England had defended 41 per cent of deliveries in the session.

They have also scored at just 2.7 runs per over on day two — the fifth lowest during a session in the Bazball Era. They’ve scored at 3.26 across their innings.

Meanwhile, Australia scored at four runs per over during their innings.

Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook on BBC Test Match Special said: “Big responsibility for Ben Stokes and there hasn’t been much Bazball, he’s been careful. There’s definitely been a slight change in their method and credit to Australia for not letting England get away.”

Former Aussie quick Damien Fleming on SEN said: “It’s SnoozeBall. Where’s the counter punch? Where’s the change in momentum?”

Ex-NZ skipper Jeremy Coney replied: “This is just snatched singles. BazBall is firmly back in the box. It’s been tucked right into the back of the drawer behind the socks.”

8.50pm — Ben Stokes couldn’t get any luckier

Ben Stokes has been saved by a matter of millimetres after he charged at Scott Boland.

Boland appeared to have trapped Stokes in front, only for umpire Kumar Dharmasena to give it not out.

Australia had no hesitation to send it upstairs and were right to as it would have hit halfway up middle stump.

But the England captain was saved because he charged down the wicket, meaning it was pitching as an umpire’s call, saving the England captain.

8.30pm — Bairstow’s gone and England in trouble

England are up against it early on day two as Jonny Bairstow is back in the pavilion as well.

Mitchell Starc stuck, pushing the ball across Bairstow, who edged it to Steve Smith.

This has been a disaster for the hosts, falling to 5/87 with Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali the last of the recognised batters at the crease.

Former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook said on BBC Test Match Special: “Poor shot from Bairstow, he lost his shape and it’s another good catch from Australia. All I know is what I spoke about last night, Root and Bairstow were key.”

8.02pm — ‘What a start’: Australia strike early

It’s taken just two balls for Australia to strike with Pat Cummins getting Joe Root caught in the slips by David Warner.

It’s a perfect start for Australia, who now have England 4/68.

“What a start,” Kumar Sangakkara said in commentary.

But over on BBC Test Match Special, Jonathan Agnew was far from pleased.

“That’s a horrific start for England. Nothing added,” he said.

Australia lead by 195 and England are rapidly running out of batters.

But Ben Stokes has come to the crease.

6.30pm — ‘Absolute monster’ proves Poms got it wrong

England talked up its Bazball prospects and while they’ve been close, the Poms have dropped both matches to the world champion Aussies as the game-changing tactics failed the home side.

Now in the third Test and with England needing to become just the second team in Ashes history to come back from 2-0 down, the side may have just unlocked its not-so-secret weapon.

While England’s explosive batting had the world shaking in its boots, it was a return to some good old express pace bowling on Mark Wood’s return that sent a scare through the Aussies.

Wood kept the hosts’ Ashes hopes alive with the second fastest recorded spell of bowling in a Test in England.

His first spell of four overs had a fastest ball of 155.3km/hr.

Wood was putting in the hard yards. Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Wood was putting in the hard yards. Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Wood was on fire and a Twitter user shared that 90 per cent of his balls were over 150km/h, with his slowest ball 146km/h in the four-over burst.

Fans were loving what they saw.

Shockingly, it came after Wood was left out of the opening Test, while an elbow complaint saw him miss the second Test.

More Coverage

‘What a loser’: Karl roasts ‘pathetic’ Piers
Andrew McMurtry
Australia’s class act England won’t talk about

The 33-year-old averaged 90.5 mph (145.6 km/h) while taking 5/34 in 11.4 overs and cleaned up the tail with a burst of 4/5 in 16 balls in what was the injury-blighted Durham quick’s first match this series.

“I knew I had good rhythm, was bowling fast,” said Wood. “That first spell in particular, that’s as good as I’ve felt at home in an England shirt.” Wood clocked a top speed of 96.5 mph, but played down suggestions he might hit the magic 100 mph figure with a favourable tailwind.

“No, I don’t think so, it would have to be a bloody strong wind.”

More related stories
Test stars set for MCG showdown
Cricket

Test stars set for MCG showdown

More than a quarter of the Australian Test team, and a few hopefuls, will be in action at the MCG this weekend in a blockbuster domestic clash.

Read more

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/ashes-third-test-day-2-live/news-story/1e6145abb5154f5be13734b3740967dd