Jonny Bairstow stuns cricket world again: ‘Way to silence your critics’
Even a broken clock is right twice a day - and England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow has finally done something special with the gloves.
Australia wasted some of the most favourable batting conditions it’s experienced in the series as England’s Ashes revival gained steam on day one of the Fourth Test.
The Aussies failed to convert starts, gifted wickets away and couldn’t put together even a single sizeable partnership as they finished 8/298 at stumps.
To make matters worse Lord’s villain Jonny Bairstow enjoyed his most spectacular moment since wandering out of his crease in the Second Test.
Even a broken clock is right twice a day and Bairstow finally did something special with the gloves to remove Mitch Marsh - who had looked like rescuing Australia’s first innings for the second match in a row.
The English keeper took what Nasser Hussain described as a “worldie” to dismiss Marsh for 51 and leave the cricket world stunned.
“My word, when you’re a man under pressure that is one way to silence your critics,” Isa Guha said on the BBC.
“Jonny Bairstow is happy - a bit surprised maybe, but happy,” Kumar Sangakkara added on Sky Sports.
STOP THAT JONNY BAIRSTOW! 🤯 #EnglandCricket | #Ashespic.twitter.com/aZ7wKcncRW
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 19, 2023
It was the decisive moment on day one where the pitch played well but England never went more than an hour or so without taking a wicket.
Australia’s biggest frustration was its batsmen kept missing the ball.
Usman Khawaja’s defence was pierced by Stuart Broad with the new cherry, while Steve Smith was exposed by the speed of Mark Wood after racing to 41.
Marnus Labuschagne again produced one of the most egregious dismissals as his frustrating series continues, failing to get any wood on an offspinner from Moeen Ali a ball after bringing up his 50.
Ricky Ponting described the dismissal - which was two LBWs in a row England had to review after the on-field umpire missed it - as “lazy”. “There was no way in the world that ball should get you out,” he said.
Cameron Green was the fourth batsmen out LBW - and one of four to fall victim to Chris Woakes as Australia failed to convert partnerships of 46, 59, 63, 65 and 39 into really damaging stands.
England’s decision to overlook Woakes (4/52) for the first two Tests is becoming more damning by the day as he continues to be so much more effective than Jimmy Anderson.
Anderson was brought back in to play on his home ground at Old Trafford after missing the Third Test but was luckless again as he finished with 0/43 from 17 overs - and surely pressure on his place in England’s team moving forward.
There was some early debate about Australia’s decision to play without a frontline spinner after Moeen found some turn and removed Labuschagne, but he bowled poorly from that point.
Seven of the eight wickets fell to pace, including two to Stuart Broad that gave him 600 in Test matches.
His milestone scalp came just after tea when Travis Head got sucked into England’s short ball plan on 48.
Broad became the fifth bowler to reach the mark and just the second quick, after his longtime teammate Anderson (688).
Almost a quarter (149) have come against Australia and Broad now has more Ashes scalps than any of his countrymen, moving ahead of Ian Botham (148).
Mitchell Starc (23 not out) and Pat Cummins (0 not out) have a chance to add to the score on day two but the commentators were in no doubt about who had won the day.
“England can be proud of what they’ve done today,” Hussain said. “They will be the happier side. Australia will see it as a missed opportunity to start to close the door on the series. They’ve certainly not done that.”
“I would agree with that,” Ricky Ponting replied. “The average first innings score at this ground over the last 10 or 11 Test Matches has been 382. A number of the batsmen will be sitting back there, just thinking about their dismissals today, how they potentially let a great opportunity in this series just slip through their fingers.”
3.30am - Woakes proving the difference
England’s decision to overlook Chris Woakes for the first two Tests is becoming more damning by the day.
The seamer has been superb since the first innings at Headlingley and now has 10 scalps in the series after removing Alex Carey with the new ball for 20.
In similar scenes to the second innings of the Third Test, Carey attempted a late leave but didn’t get his bat out of the way quick enough and tickled it through to Jonny Bairstow.
It ended a long period of Australian resistance. Carey and Mitchell Starc (23 not out) added 39 for the eighth wicket from almost 18 overs.
Starc and Pat Cummins (0 not out from two balls) survived the final overs as Australia ended the day at 8/298.
3am - Weird lull as Aussies dig in
There’s barely been a period like this the whole series but Australia has really taken the life out of the crowd with some committed defensive batting.
Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc locked down after the departures of Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh and are doing everything they can to survive to stumps.
2.05am - Jonny Bairstow takes a ‘worldie’
Even a broken clock is right twice a day - and Jonny Bairstow has finally done something special with the gloves.
The English keeper took what Nasser Hussain described as a “worldie” to dismiss Mitch Marsh for 51 and leave Australia in big trouble at 7/255.
Chris Woakes has turned the match with the first over of his final spell, removing Cameron Green LBW with his first ball before claiming Marsh with the fifth.
He found the edge of the Aussie’s bat but left so much work for Bairstow to do.
The under-fire glovesman half-dove half-fell to his right and clutched the catch just above the ground before celebrating wildly.
“My word, when you’re a man under pressure that is one way to silence your critics,” Isa Guha said on the BBC.
“Jonny Bairstow is happy - a bit surprised maybe, but happy,” Kumar Sangakkara added on Sky Sports.
2am - Enter the Bison
Just when you thought England was a chance of knocking Australia over on day one, Mitch Marsh is turning back the tide.
The reborn all-rounder is attempting to repeat his Headingley heroics as he begins belting the Poms all over the park.
Marsh raced to a half century from 56 balls, taking a heavy toll on Moeen Ali in particular.
The West Aussie hit Moeen down the ground for six early in his innings and the spinner did not react well, bowling too full, including several full tosses that were dispatched to the boundary.
Cameron Green had a much more difficult time at the other end as the contrasting form of Australia’s two all-rounders stood out starkly.
Green turned the strike over well to combine with Marsh for a 65-run partnership but missed a straight one from Chris Woakes and was out LBW for 16.
Australia is 6/255 and has now failed to convert partnerships of 46, 59, 63 and 65 in this innings into really damaging stands.
1.05am - Head can’t resist becoming Broad’s 600th
Australia is in trouble for the first time in the innings after Travis Head fell in the first over after tea.
Head was on 48 and in position to kick on in the third session like he’s done with regularity in the past 18 months but fell to England’s short ball plan.
Stuart Broad began bouncing the Aussie from the first ball and Head hooked the fifth delivery of the over to Joe Root at fine leg.
It was Broad’s 600th Test wicket. He’s the fifth bowler to reach the mark and just the second quick, after his longtime teammate Jimmy Anderson (688).
Almost a quarter (149) have come against Australia and Broad now has more Ashes scalps than any of his countrymen, moving ahead of Ian Botham (148). Australia is 5/189.
12.40am - ‘Unexpected’ scene spells danger for Australia
Moeen Ali was reintroduced into the England attack late in the second session and actually got the ball to spin and bounce in worrying signs for the visitors.
The England spinner struck in the second over of his spell, getting enough turn to beat Marnus Labuschagne’s bat and remove him for 51. Australia is 4/183.
“He has to be so cross with himself, Marnus Labuschagne. Gets to 50 and misses a ball he should never miss,” Mike Atherton said in commentary. “He is trying to work it square to leg. And that is a soft dismissal.”
Ricky Ponting described the dismissal - which was two LBWs in a row England had to review after the on-field umpire missed it - as “lazy”. “There was no way in the world that ball should get you out,” he said.
Moeen’s early impact spells danger for Australia’s decision to enter the match without a frontline spinner.
“I was surprised they didn’t go in with one. Your preference is to always go in with a spinner,” Ricky Ponting said in commentary.
“Unless you are brilliant at reading weather forecasts and cricket pitches ... if you haven’t got one you can be found out very easily. And I think from what we have seen so far, the fact that Moeen Ali got one to turn, I wouldn’t have expected that by looking at the pitch this morning. It was very, very hard and thick-ish long grass on the surface.”
Moeen was handed the ball after Labuschagne and Travis Head saw off testing spells from Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Back in the team after missing the Third Test, Anderson has gone wicketless in his first 13 overs as he struggles to impact this series.
11.45pm - Aussies begin to build again
England has the clamps on Marnus Labuschagne but Travis Head has managed to find the boundary a few times as Australia begins a new partnership.
Head was 16 not out off 22 balls at drinks in the second session as the visitors reached 3/146.
Labuschagne’s scoring has dried up since lunch, he’s added just 10 runs to be 39 not out.
11.10pm - Wood traps Smith LBW, clocks Head
Steve Smith is out for 41 from 52 balls, removed LBW by Mark Wood.
Smith moved a long way across his stumps in an attempt to play an angled ball to the leg side but missed it.
He was initially given not out but England reviewed and it wasn’t really close as Australia was reduced to 3/120.
It was the perfect pay-off for a post-lunch plan that saw the Poms drag Smith across his stumps with a steady diet of balls outside of off-stump before Wood sprung the surprise straight one.
In a neat piece of broadcasting, Mike Atherton showed how the extra pace had beaten Smith, who averages about 60 against bowling that’s under 90 miles per hour but less than 30 when it’s above.
“I suspect that’s the same for all batsman, but it’s also true for Steve Smith,” Atherton said.
The Third Test star was fired up after his first wicket of this match and hit new batsman Travis Head on the side of the dome in scary scenes.
Head shook off the blow quickly with a smile, but he was in an awful position.
10.30pm - Ponting: Aussies will be pleased at lunch
England’s decision to bowl looked promising as Usman Khawaja fell cheaply and David Warner failed to convert a start.
But Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith combined for a near 50-run stand before lunch to leave the visitors the happier of the sides.
Labuschagne started well as he looks to put a subpar start to the series behind him, while Smith looked like reliving some of his great memories at Old Trafford by charging out of the blocks.
“The Aussies will be happy,” former captain Ricky Ponting said. “They’ve showed great intent.”
10pm - Smith goes after Moeen Ali
The England spinner was brought into the attack just before the lunch break and Steve Smith gave him a brutal welcome to the crease.
Smith walked down the crease with a few short steps and launched Ali over mid-on with the ball sailing into the stands.
In total Smith and Labuschagne took 12 runs from his first over with the red ball.
Australia was 2/107 at lunch.
9.15pm - Warner gone after the drinks break
A fuller delivery just outside of off stump from Chris Woakes has brought David Warner undone.
A half-hearted drive caught the edge of the willow and sailed into the gloves of Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps.
Warner’s innings comes to an end after 32 runs from 38 deliveries. The first innings score makes Warner the top touring run scorer in England without notching a century, a truly unwanted record.
“It was there to drive if he really committed to it,” Callum Ferguson said on the coverage.
“It looked like he sort of half-heartedly pushed at it rather than really committing which he had done previously in the innings. He will be really disappointed to have let a good start to his innings slip.”
Most Test runs by a touring player in England without a century:
— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) July 19, 2023
868 - David Warner 🇦🇺
848 - Monty Noble 🇦🇺
778 - MS Dhoni 🇮🇳
773 - Rod Marsh 🇦🇺
745 - Doug Walters 🇦🇺#Ashes
The wicket brought Steve Smith to the crease alongside Marnus Labuschagne.
Smith had hearts in mouths as he pulled his first delivery that narrowly went over the outstretched hand of Mark Wood at deep backward square.
The ball landed just inside the rope and bounced over for four runs.
9pm - Jonny Bairstow having an absolute stinker
The English keeper is completely shot in the confidence department.
His struggles during the third Test have carried over with multiple drops already in the opening hour of play along with multiple deliveries getting past him to the boundary.
When does England's 12th man drag a wheelie bin out behind the stumps
— Ethan (@ethanmeldrum_) July 19, 2023
8.20pm - Khawaja torched after ‘brain dead’ review
Stuart Broad has done it again - but this time it’s Usman Khawaja who is the first man to depart.
A perfect delivery beat the bat of Khawaja before slamming into his back pad. Broad took off not even looking back at the umpire as the England cordon went up as one.
The Aussie opener elected to send the decision upstairs but it was a waste of a review and DRS showed three red lights with the ball thumping into the stumps.
Former English Test cricketer Derek Pringle tweeted: “Talk about delusions of grandeur … Khawaja must think he’s 6ft 4in tall to review that lbw off Broad …. crashing into middle stump.”
5ï¸âƒ£9ï¸âƒ£9ï¸âƒ£ for Stuart Broad...#ENGvAUS | #Ashespic.twitter.com/SYICXUABKq
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 19, 2023
Australian top order batsmen and selfish, brain dead reviews, name a more iconic duo.
— Ben Quagliata (@bensquag) July 19, 2023
Shocking review 🤦ðŸ»â€â™‚ï¸ #Ashes2023
— Damien Ractliffe (@DamienRactliffe) July 19, 2023
Just loving openers torching reviews when it's clearly plumb
— Matt Nicholls (@matt__nicholls) July 19, 2023
8.05pm - Aggressive start from Warner
David Warner went on the attack from the outset against his nemesis Stuart Broad, cutting the first ball of the Test through the cover region for four runs.
First ball of the match, Warner cuts Broad through cover for four. pic.twitter.com/oZp59A12wU
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) July 19, 2023
7.30pm - England win the toss and elect to bowl
Ben Stokes claimed the first minor victory by winning the coin toss and electing to bowl first.
His decision however puts England firmly behind the record books as no Test captain has ever won at Old Trafford after winning the toss and electing to bowl first.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood.
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