Australia lost only two wickets all day at the SCG, with Usman Khawaja’s 171 putting them in complete control of the final Test
Related: England toil as Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh seize control of fifth Test
Related: England ‘keeper Jonny Bairstow claims DRS disparity is ‘messing with careers’
157th over: Australia 479-4 (S Marsh 98, M Marsh 63) There will be no century for Shaun Marsh tonight. He took a single off the first ball of the last over, and his brother was unable to get him back on strike. I think he’ll sleep okay tonight. It’s been another triumphant day for Australia, who lost only two wickets and scored 286 runs to take the firmest grip on the match. Nathan Lyon will surely spin them to victory at some stage tomorrow or on Monday. Thanks for your company, night!
156th over: Australia 478-4 (S Marsh 97, M Marsh 63) In the penultimate over of the day, Shaun Marsh pulls Curran for a single to move to within three of his century. His brother slaps Curran for four to bring up the hundred partnership, apparently the first between the two in first-class cricket.
155th over: Australia 471-4 (S Marsh 94, M Marsh 59) England haven’t bowled badly today, and their spirit has not been broken as it was four years ago. They just aren’t equipped to take 20 wickets in conditions like these.
154th over: Australia 470-4 (S Marsh 93, M Marsh 59) “G’Day Rob,” says Scott Poynting. “With Marshes at each end, England seem to be getting swamped.”
I’d back Narcissus Marsh to get runs against England here and he’s been dead for 304 years.
Tom Curran traps Mitch Marsh LBW, only for the decision to be overturned on review. The third umpire thought there was an inside-edge because of a squiggle on RTS - even though the squiggle came at the wrong time and was probably caused by contact between bat and pad.
The decision would have been overturned anyway because replays showed the ball was missing leg stump, so it’s the right answer via the wrong working. There has been some pretty shoddy third umpiring throughout this series and that was another example.
153rd over: Australia 466-4 (S Marsh 93, M Marsh 55) Shaun Marsh cuts Moeen for four to move into the nineties.
“I’ve got to say Rob, I’ve taken pleasure in a lot of your writing,” says Brenden Fawkes. “Saying that, nothing fills my heart with more joy than when I read - and picture you typing - that glorious phrase, ‘third new ball’. Can’t wait.”
152nd over: Australia 460-4 (S Marsh 88, M Marsh 54) Mitch Marsh works Curran for a single to reach a punchy fifty from 64 balls, with six fours and two sixes. He is batting splendidly now, and later in the over he cuffs another boundary through the covers.
151st over: Australia 454-4 (S Marsh 87, M Marsh 49) Moeen switches ends to replace Root and bowls a maiden to Shaun Marsh. Please make it stop.
150th over: Australia 454-4 (S Marsh 87, M Marsh 49) Tom Curran returns for a burst before the close. What’s the point. England’s bowlers were in the game at Brisbane and Adelaide but since then it has been such hard going. In the last three Tests Australia have averaged 63 runs per wicket.
149th over: Australia 451-4 (S Marsh 85, M Marsh 48) There are nine overs remaining, and Joe Root is on to replace the impressive Mason Crane (39-3-135-1). He starts with a full toss that is waved for four by Shaun Marsh, who then clips three to fine leg. This has been another day of plenty for Australia, who have lost only two wickets.
148th over: Australia 438-4 (S Marsh 76, M Marsh 48) Mitch Marsh is enjoying himself now. He charges Moeen and drags four over mid-on to move to within two of his fifty.
147th over: Australia 437-4 (S Marsh 75, M Marsh 44) Crane is jeered after pulling out of consecutive deliveries. When he does bowl the next ball, Mitch Marsh drives it through the covers for four.
146th over: Australia 432-4 (S Marsh 74, M Marsh 40) Moeen replaces Stuart Broad disappears for 16 in the over! His second ball is pumped over long off for six by Mitch Marsh, who drills a flat six two balls later. That was an even better shot. A flowing cover drive for four completes the scoring for the over.
145th over: Australia 416-4 (S Marsh 74, M Marsh 24) “Allow me a meandering thought,” says Ian Copestake. “I was informed by a learned friend who is following the OBO from Manhattan that it is not the rules of cricket that stump him but ‘time’. How long the game takes, when does it end ... and then I stopped him and looked sagely into the far distance as if I had realised the oven was on at home in England but also that I no longer cared, and told him: ‘Cricket is not about time. It is time.’”
144th over: Australia 412-4 (S Marsh 72, M Marsh 23) We shouldn’t get carried away with Crane - he has figures of one for 126 on a spinning pitch - but equally we shouldn’t underplay his obvious promise. All things being equal, he has a great chance of eventually surpassing Doug Wright, England’s most prolific legspinner with 108 Test wickets.
143rd over: Australia 410-4 (S Marsh 71, M Marsh 22) Mitch Marsh survives a huge LBW shout after being trapped in front by a grubber from Crane. England decide not to review, suspecting it pitched outside leg. Replays show those suspicions were justified. Later in the over, Shaun Marsh gets a leading edge that loops frustratingly short of mid-on. Crane could easily have three or four wickets.
“Greetings from snowy Sweden...” says Julian Menz. “The tipping point. How do you explain to Swedes that you are a bit bleary eyed when they confuse cricket with croquet? I have form though, I`ve tried my best to explain ‘The Ashes’ for years now, and my family and colleagues just assume I will not function as normal.”
142nd over: Australia 405-4 (S Marsh 68, M Marsh 17) This has been another very fine innings from Shaun Marsh, who will be a vital player against the superb South African seam attack. He had a mixed tour last time, with a mighty 148 at Centurion followed by a three-ball pair in the next Test. What a wonderful series that was.
Back in January 2018, Mitch Marsh works Broad fine for another boundary. He is starting to motor after a laboured start.
141st over: Australia 399-4 (S Marsh 68, M Marsh 13) Crane beats Mitch Marsh with another perfect legspinner that only just misses the off stump. Marsh decides to hit his way out of trouble, crashing the next ball two balls for four.
“I feel that people are limiting themselves too much when it comes to the combined XIs,” says Brian K. “What with modern DNA technology, Dolly the sheep, magnets and lasers and stuff, what is stopping us from putting the boffins onto the job and fielding a side like Bradman, Bradman, Bradman, Bradman, Bradman, Bradman, Grout, Lillee, Lillee, Lillee, Warne (for variety)? Imagine the effect on opposition morale, knowing that once you get Bradman out he is followed by Bradman?”
140th over: Australia 389-4 (S Marsh 68, M Marsh 4) Australia are in no hurry. The patience of their batting has been a feature of this series - they have scored at 2.86 runs per over, which is slower than England (3.04). When it comes to average runs per wicket, though, Australia are marginally ahead: they average 49.47 to England’s 30.18.
139th over: Australia 387-4 (S Marsh 67, M Marsh 3) A maiden from Crane to Mitch Marsh, who defends more solidly than before. He has three from 28 balls.
138th over: Australia 387-4 (S Marsh 67, M Marsh 3) Shaun Marsh, on the walk, survives a polite LBW enquiry from Broad. It pitched outside leg.
137th over: Australia 385-4 (S Marsh 67, M Marsh 2) Crane is toying with Mitch Marsh, who edges wide of slip for two to get off the mark. This is great fun, and it’s impossible not to be excited about what Crane might achieve in Test cricket once he’s gone through puberty.
“Greetings from next door NZ, where drizzle has stopped play in the first ODI in the series between NZ and Pakistan,” writes Alison Cunningham. “This got us to wondering, in view of the weather forecast over there for the next few days, whether heat has ever stopped play in a cricket international? You will guess from the nature of our questions that we are a couple of Brits happily now living in beautiful Dunedin as naturalised New Zealanders.”
136th over: Australia 382-4 (S Marsh 66, M Marsh 0) Broad replaces Anderson, who has parsimonious figures of 28-11-50-1. At the moment Broad and Anderson, with over 900 Test wickets between them, are drying up an end in support of a 20-year-old debutant legspinner. Even by cricket’s standards, that’s a charmingly kooky development.
“What I really want to know,” says Jonny Cundall, “is whether the England supporters have started singing: ‘Ma-son Crane, I bet you think this song is about you’. If not, why not?”
135th over: Australia 381-4 (S Marsh 65, M Marsh 0) Crane slips down a googly to Mitchell Marsh, who doesn’t pick it and gets a thick inside-edge to leg. The next delivery is a gorgeous legspinner that rips past the outside edge. This is lovely bowling from Crane.
134th over: Australia 381-4 (S Marsh 65, M Marsh 0) “Hi Rob,” says Andrew Roberts. “Andy here from a windy, overcast and swelteringly hot Far North Queensland. I’m wondering how to rate Anderson’s Ashes series. Contained well, but except in Adelaide he really hasn’t had a lot of penetration. Is it the Kookaburra ball, or the fact that this tour he has so rarely found anyone to tie down or look threatening at the other end? Still don’t know that I’d find room for him in a combined XI, but he’d be the closest from England’s bowling by a long way. My combined XI looks like this: Warner, Cook (barely, but who challenges him?), Root, Smith, Malan, S Marsh, Paine, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon.”
I’d maybe have Khawaja for Root and Bairstow ahead of Paine, but that’s about it.
133rd over: Australia 381-4 (S Marsh 65, M Marsh 0) Shaun Marsh thumps Crane down the ground for four, another high-class stroke in an increasingly lovely innings. A single brings Mitchell Marsh on strike, and he survives an England review. He drove at a flighted legspinner that ended up in the hands of first slip. It looked a routine outside edge, but Kumar Dharmasena said not out and replays showed it turned straight off the pitch into the hands of slip. Marsh’s bat hit the ground, which added to the confusion and made it an even better decision from Dharmasena. It was quite a delivery as well.
132nd over: Australia 376-4 (S Marsh 60, M Marsh 0) One from Anderson’s over, which is a shame for England as it means Crane will be bowling to the wrong Marsh, Shaun rather than Mitchell, at the start of the next over.
131st over: Australia 375-4 (S Marsh 59, M Marsh 0) That was a lovely innings from Khawaja, even if he fell three short of his Test-best. They checked to see it was another no-ball from Crane. It looked pretty close, but somebody’s head was in the way and they didn’t bother checking another angle.
Mitchell Marsh survives a nervous start against Crane, playing and missing at his first two deliveries. The second was a classical legspinner to the right-hander.
Mason Crane gets his first Test wicket! He sensed that Khawaja was coming down the track and speared a shorter delivery wide of off stump. Khawaja ran past it and Bairstow did the rest. It turned a mile out of the footmarks and actually beat Khawaja on the inside as he made a desperate attempt to block it. Crane celebrated with gusto, punching the air with hard-faced happiness.
130th over: Australia 374-3 (Khawaja 171, S Marsh 58) Khawaja’s highest Test score is 174, made against New Zealand at the start of his brilliant 2015-16 season. Anderson keeps him on 171 for the time being with another good over. His performance in this series, at the age of 35, is beyond admirable.
129th over: Australia 374-3 (Khawaja 171, S Marsh 58) Khawaja gives Crane the charge, turning a flighted delivery into a full toss and driving it through mid-off for four. Crane is starting to look a little tired, and Marsh ends the over with a beautiful drive for four more.
128th over: Australia 365-3 (Khawaja 166, S Marsh 53) Anderson starts after tea, with a soupcon of reverse swing to Shaun Marsh. He defends carefully and it’s a maiden.
127th over: Australia 365-3 (Khawaja 166, S Marsh 53) That’s tea. Australia are grinding England into the dustbowl: in that session they scored 88 runs in 32 overs for the loss of precisely no wickets. England have not bowled badly, but their impotence in these conditions is painfully clear. See you in 15 minutes for more of the same.
126th over: Australia 363-3 (Khawaja 165, S Marsh 53) Shaun Marsh hits Anderson for consecutive boundaries to reach another calm, classy half-century. He’s had a fine series, the best of his career, with 342 runs at 68.40.
Meanwhile, it’s 4am, and Chris Purcell is imagining conversations.
125th over: Australia 355-3 (Khawaja 165, S Marsh 45) Mason Crane comes back into the attack, seeking to take his first Test wickET AND IF GRAEME SWANN MENTIONS THAT NO-BALL BEFORE LUNCH ONE MORE TIME, I’LL DO TIME. Marsh works one off the pads for three, and Khawaja hoicks a long hop for two more. Five minutes until the tea break.
124th over: Australia 348-3 (Khawaja 162, S Marsh 41) Jimmy Anderson replaces Stuart Broad. He goes around the wicket to Khawaja and whips down his 64th maiden of the series. He is getting thriftier with age. It seems a helluva long time ago that he used to spray it everywhere.
123rd over: Australia 348-3 (Khawaja 162, S Marsh 41) Shaun Marsh drives Moeen through extra cover for four, a lovely shot which takes Australia into the lead.
122nd over: Australia 344-3 (Khawaja 162, S Marsh 37) Broad has two men on the drive either side of the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Marsh survives an LBW appeal after pushing around a nice off-cutter; an inside edge saved him. Khawaja drives not far short of Stoneman at silly mid-on and then steers a classy boundary to third man. He’s 12 away from equalling his highest Test score. But has he done enough to justify his place in the squad for South Africa?
121st over: Australia 339-3 (Khawaja 158, S Marsh 36) Moeen gets away with a short ball when Khawaja cuts it too close to Anderson at backward point. It’s all going England’s way now!
“Hi Rob,” says Margaret Ward. “Re Crane - my seat is side-on almost in line with the batting crease at the Centennial Park end. I said yesterday that Crane was close to over stepping every ball and that he would likely have any wicket he claimed disallowed. I had hoped he could sort it out overnight. Very surprising for a spinner to get to this level of cricket with such a fundamental technical problem. His coach and team (who have the same view as I have) also at fault. And the umpires who should have called him several times yesterday.”
120th over: Australia 337-3 (Khawaja 157, S Marsh 35) Stuart Broad replaces Tom Curran. His first ball jags back into Marsh, who offers no stroke and is hit on the pad. England go up for LBW, but it’s too high.
119th over: Australia 333-3 (Khawaja 157, S Marsh 31) Moeen Ali replaces Joe Root. Three runs from the over, none of them worth describing.
“Gone 3 o’clock in the morning,” says Brian Withington. “You say what a time to be alive, I say what a time to be awake! Not quite sure what I am hanging on for here. The quintessential triumph of hope over experience. Oh my days what a shocking umpiring decision though. At least that’s perked me up a little. Over to you Rob to entertain us (with the lights out, it’s less dangerous) in the approximate words of Nirvana ...”
118th over: Australia 330-3 (Khawaja 156, S Marsh 30) Curran’s series average is a miserable 169, which is almost entering JJ Warr/defiled parrot territory. He has shown plenty of moxie though. At the moment he looks more of a white-ball bowler, but we knew that anyway.
“What was that you were saying yesterday about morning people, 3am-boy?” says Robert Wilson. “As a very fine non-spinning legspinner myself, I like the cut of Crane’s jib very much (though it’s curiously unsurprising to hear one of his mates is better). Leggie psychology is weird - both for bowler and batsman. A mix of fear of looking foolish, imaginary physics and a lot of delusional projection of willpower. If Crane were to get a wicket, he might pick up a handful more easily than currently seems likely. Though with almost exactly the same intent and execution, almost nothing at all might happen. Legspin is less fun than Warne made it appear.”
117th over: Australia 327-3 (Khawaja 156, S Marsh 27) One run from Root’s seventh over. Australia are in no hurry. They will be happy to cook England all day, and allow the sun to bake the pitch to Lyon’s liking.
116th over: Australia 325-3 (Khawaja 155, S Marsh 26) Australia are averaging 49 runs per wicket in this series, which is their third highest in a home Ashes series behind 1946-47 and 2006-07. There are unconfirmed rumours that some of those runs were scored by somebody other than Steve Smith.
Tom Curran continues to Shaun Marsh, who flicks him behind square on the leg side for four. That brings up the latest fifty partnership.
115th over: Australia 321-3 (Khawaja 155, S Marsh 22) The ball is starting to do plenty for the spinners. Nathan Lyon is going to clean up in the third innings.
Shaun Marsh is given out caught behgind off Joe Root - but the decision is overturned on review. It was a beautiful delivery from Root, which straightened sharply off the pitch, but replays showed it missed the outside edge.
114th over: Australia 320-3 (Khawaja 155, S Marsh 22) Australia have this game by the scruff of the balls, and it’s hard to see anything other than Nathan Lyon bowling them to a 4-0 series victory. Tom Curran comes on after the drinks break and beats Shaun Marsh, who has a wild slap outside off stump before administering the appropriate self-reprimand.
Thanks Jonathan, afternoon everyone. I say ‘afternoon’; it’s 3.12am in England. What a time to be alive!
113th over: Australia 319-3 (Khawaja 155, S Marsh 21) Root bowls a rapid maiden to the defence-minded Khawaja, and it turns out to be the final over before the drinks break. That means I’m off and Rob Smyth will steer you through to the end of the day’s play.
112th over: Australia 319-3 (Khawaja 155, S Marsh 21) Curran on for the first over of pace since lunch. There’s not much doing in the air or off the pitch but Curran almost accounts for Marsh second ball when the batsman chases - and only just misses - a wide one.
@RicFinlay if aus get a 1st innings lead here then the team that has won the toss has been behind on the 1st innings in all 5 tests of the series
111th over: Australia 316-3 (Khawaja 154, S Marsh 19) Hmmmm, interesting over, and one Nathan Lyon would have enjoyed watching. Khawaja dead-bats a few before almost perishing to one that grips and bounces more than expected. Still dusting off that near outside-edge the next one shoots along the ground and through Bairstow’s legs behind the stumps. This pitch starting to misbehave a tad.
110th over: Australia 313-3 (Khawaja 151, S Marsh 19) Shackles broken. A streaky four to third man gets the runs flowing for Khawaja and he backs it up with a powerful lofted drive over midwicket for another boundary, a stroke that brings up Khawaja’s 150. Those shots push Moeen’s length back, enabling an easy single into the offside. Marsh then gets into the act, helping a legside delivery to the fine-leg fence.
109th over: Australia 300-3 (Khawaja 142, S Marsh 15) Australia continue to be patient and wait for the bad ball against England’s spinners. Root rattles through a maiden that Marsh does his best to get away but struggles for timing and placement.
108th over: Australia 300-3 (Khawaja 142, S Marsh 15) 300 up for Australia as Moeen continues to be difficult to get away. He’s not making the ball do a lot but his control of line and length has been impeccable since lunch.
107th over: Australia 299-3 (Khawaja 142, S Marsh 14) Joe Root gives Mason Crane a breather and brings himself on to see if he can snaffle a wicket. He starts promisingly, landing a few on middle and off, spinning towards the slips, but Marsh earns three from a couple of misplaced deliveries.
106th over: Australia 296-3 (Khawaja 142, S Marsh 11) Moeen sent down four consecutive maidens before this over and it almost tells with Khawaja trying to cut a delivery too close to his body, edging just wide of the diving slip. Moeen’s current spell now seven overs for just nine runs, and the vital wicket of Steve Smith. A welcome return to form.
105th over: Australia 294-3 (Khawaja 140, S Marsh 11) It’s a good battle at the moment between bat and ball. Australia are playing watchfully but looking to score when possible. England are convinced the pitch is wearing and a chance is around the corner if the ball lands in the footmarks outside the off-stump. Three runs from a cat-and-mouse Crane over.
Stephen Cryan is dangerously close to opening the can of worms labelled ‘dead rubber’. “I can’t stop looking at this game in the context of a lost series. So we’ve lost. But there’s a match to be won here. Wish I had more mettle.”
104th over: Australia 291-3 (Khawaja 138, S Marsh 10) England have dried up the runs since the Smith wicket, just 17 coming off the past ten overs. Marsh is again content just to dead-bat six Moeen deliveries as the England allrounder continues his return to form.
103rd over: Australia 291-3 (Khawaja 138, S Marsh 10) Crane continues his line from around the wicket, much to the chagrin of Ian Chappell who wants him to come over, aiming for the same landing area, thereby drawing the left-handers forward and across instead of being able to play from the crease with the spin.
Moeen has rediscovered some accuracy here. 58% of his deliveries have landed on a good line and length, the highest figure he's managed in any match since he played India at the Oval, in 2014. #Ashes
102nd over: Australia 288-3 (Khawaja 137, S Marsh 8) Quick, straightforward dead-bat from the crease maiden exchanged between Moeen and Khawaja.
“Crane has improved as the innings has worn on, but would Malan be 0-77, or better, or worse?” asks Elliot Carr-Barnsley. I thin Crane has looked much more dangerous than Malan has earlier in the series, but it is surprising the part-timer hasn’t been thrown the ball at any point yet. Definitely worth factoring in for some bonus overs.
101st over: Australia 288-3 (Khawaja 137, S Marsh 8) Khawaja picks off a single, giving Crane a rare sight of Marsh. As with Moeen Marsh is busy at the crease trying to set the pace but he can’t break the shackles. Crane is bowling around the wicket to the pair of left-handers, trying to hit the footmarks outside their off stumps.
100th over: Australia 287-3 (Khawaja 136, S Marsh 8) Moeen staying in his groove with another maiden to Marsh. The batsman’s trying to get the off-spinner away but he can’t pierce the field or pick the correct ball to attack. He tries to leave one that raps him on the pad but it’s an unconvincing appeal from England with DRS showing the ball missing off stump by some margin.
Tom Bowtell emails in some stats quirkiness. “I notice that with one caught-and-bowled, Moeen took both his series bowling average and Smith’s series batting average under 150.”
99th over: Australia 287-3 (Khawaja 136, S Marsh 8) With England’s spinners threatening to dictate terms Khawaja decides attack is the best form of defence, mowing a full Crane delivery through cow corner for a pressure-releasing four. Crane’s still landing them nicely though, keeping the centurion on his toes.
Greg Platt has a neat follow up to Ben Parker’s lunch break email. “My interpretation is that Swanny is conducting a none-too-subtle campaign to be appointed a full time spin bowling coach. England should create the position and give it to someone from the sub-continent.”
98th over: Australia 283-3 (Khawaja 132, S Marsh 8) Better from Moeen, forcing Marsh to prop forward and dead bat five, ripping one past the proffered edge on a sixth. England’s spin twins starting to look threatening.
Police Detection Dog Romy keeping an eye on the cricket & wearing pink with pride #scg#ashes#PinkTestpic.twitter.com/cuWtAs3yJI
97th over: Australia 283-3 (Khawaja 132, S Marsh 8) Crane maintains the rage against Khawaja, starting off with a few wide of off that the batsman chases but can’t get hold of, before straightening his line and forcing Khawaja to move his feet swiftly to smother an increasing amount of turn. Crane now looks very much at home at this level. Can he convert this good spell into wickets?
96th over: Australia 283-3 (Khawaja 132, S Marsh 8) Now then, can England maintain the impetus of that pre-lunch spell? Not immediately. Marsh works Moeen for six, nurdling a couple behind square on the offside before coming down the track and manufacturing a full toss that reaches the long-on fence.
Not far off play restarting here at the SCG. In case you were wondering it’s still the most glorious summer day.
Ben Parker, if I had an award to hand out you might be in the running for it. “Two of the biggest annoyances of this series: Swann’s commentary and no-balls costing England wickets. If we appoint Swann as full time bowling coach he can spend his time on the boundary with binoculars signalling any no-balls. Thus killing two birds with one bird.”
Peter Rowntree wants to reminisce about Keith Miller. “Coming back on Brenden’s championing of Kieth Miller. Quite a nice off the field story involving Kieth, Len Hutton and Lindwall. Miller and Hutton were quite good mates off the field and were having a beer together in a bar in the UK after an Ashes Test (probably 1953 tour). Lindwall and some of his mates were drinking up at the bar. Although Hutton knew Miller well socially he had never had the chance to socialise with Lindwall. During his conversation with Miller, Hutton asked Miller to introduce him to Lindwall. Miller told Hutton just to go up to the bar and that there would be no problems because Lindwall really respected him. Somewhat nervously, Sir Len sidled up to the bar, and was just clearing his throat to say hello to Ray, when Lindwall said ‘b----r off, Hutton, I see more than enough of you out in the middle’. Crestfallen Sir Len returned to where Miller was seated and told him what had happened, whereupon an unabashed Miller said ‘there you are, I told you he respected you!’”.
A few emails to get through while I polish off this chicken salad, starting with Martin Gillam and his lack of sympathy for over-steppers.
“Why all the on-field outrage and head shaking about the Crane no-ball call? It’s bad enough when ego driven fast bowlers overstep, after deliberately bowling that way to look impressive in the nets (yes we’re looking at you Brett Lee) but for a slow bowler to be anywhere near the line is unforgivable. Instead of looking for sympathy, Crane deserves Root’s size nine in his backside for costing his side a vital wicket.”
Now, to Adam Collins’ request (90th over).
@JPHowcroft Curse of the commentator only ever seems to work for England. Has @collinsadam done it for Steve Smith with his "inevitable ton" request? Oh joy be to the world if so! Help us Obi-Wan, you're our only hope.
@JPHowcroft I choose to believe that Moeen's bowling on this tour has all been a set up to that punchline.
Some reaction to Crane’s no-ball.
How close I am to losing my shit pic.twitter.com/2yLOpIxm0k
It's unreal how many no-balls are now being captured by DRS, over-turning appeals and Out umpiring decisions.
How many were missed pre-DRS, I wonder ... ? Dozens, I imagine ...@JPHowcroft
So K Dharmasena makes 2 mistakes; front foot and LBW, Khawaja makes a mistake not playing, Crane wears a size too small and nothing happens #DRS#ashes17
Michael Beer. Ben Stokes. Tom Curran. Mason Crane. But seriously, fix this farce and shift the job to the third ump. They trialled it in the 2016 England/Pakistan ODIs. Worked fine. #Ashes
Well, that became exciting all of a sudden. Smith proving his mortality, Crane almost securing his first Test wicket, and the sparking of yet more controversy. Australia remain in the box seat but England will be reinvigorated as they take their lunch.
95th over: Australia 277-3 (Khawaja 132, S Marsh 2) Can Crane follow up Moeen’s good work in the shadows of lunch? Almost! Another caught and bowled opportunity just tickles the fingertips of the diving spinner as he makes a valiant effort to reach a defensive push that ballooned off bat and pad. There’s a big appeal for LBW shortly afterwards that England REVIEW but it doesn’t get beyond the first look as Crane is shown to have overstepped by the tiniest margin. DRS indicates Khawaja would have been out as well. So so cruel. Cue the outrage for no-ball adjudication. First Curran, now Crane, denied their maiden Test wicket by the width of a few blades of whitewashed grass.
94th over: Australia 275-3 (Khawaja 132, S Marsh 1) What an over from Moeen! Following the wicket he rips one past the defensive prod of Shaun Marsh with turn and bounce. Can England, with what’s now a 72-run lead, still force a result?
Moeen back into the attack with an unexpectedly attacking field to Smith - and it pays off first ball! Would you believe it!? From around the wicket it’s a straightforward Moeen offie that Smith meets on the half-volley but instead of whipping to leg he drives straight back to the bowler, who takes a neat catch low to his right. Smith is mortal after all!
93rd over: Australia 274-2 (Khawaja 132, Smith 83) Crane is doing a fair job out there and on a more responsive surface could actually cause a few headaches. A wide one to Khawaja forces a play-and-miss but there’s no sniff of a stumping.
UKhawaja's longest Test inns was 308 balls, when he made that fighting 145 at Adelaide Oval last season. Today (currently 286 balls) is his second-longest inns.
92nd over: Australia 273-2 (Khawaja 132, Smith 82) Curran continues to toil but on this evidence he simply isn’t quick enough to trouble the likes of Khawaja and Smith on such a benign surface. Exhibit A is Khawaja working a respectable length delivery to the midwicket boundary.
Steve Smith has now faced more than 1,400 deliveries in this series #Ashes
91st over: Australia 268-2 (Khawaja 128, Smith 81) Joe Root has thrown the newish ball to Mason Crane to see if he can spin some magic. {Narrator’s voice: He can’t}. The debutant lands his over nicely enough but Smith is all over him like an Italian centre-half at a corner, rocking back to cut a couple and then coming forward to drive three. This is an exhibition.
There will be kids watching this #Ashes series as their first exposure to Test cricket and because of Steve Smith will assume the sport has a strict "Winner Stays On" law.
90th over: Australia 263-2 (Khawaja 128, Smith 76) Broad has a spell, allowing Curran back into the attack and Australia to advance their score. Smith pulls for three, Khawaja drives Gower-like for two, the partnership climbs to 177.
Our own Adam Collins is looking for some assistance. “I am sitting here wondering what to write about Steve Smith when he inevitably gets reaches an unbeaten double ton by stumps. My mind has turned to ICC batsman rankings. Smith has the second best number ever recorded following his ton last week. But what would he need to do in order to bridge the gap between the his current figure of 945 and Bradman’s 961 from 1948? Someone out there with the skills to work this out for me? I reckon there might be.”
89th over: Australia 258-2 (Khawaja 126, Smith 73) Straightforward up-and-down maiden from Anderson to Khawaja.
CC Scott Poynting:
Uzzy Uzzy Uzzy
Oi Oi Oi! #Ashespic.twitter.com/p2870Mx6kw
88th over: Australia 258-2 (Khawaja 126, Smith 73) Broad is persisting with this shorter length for a while and Australia enjoy it to begin with, first Smith rotating the strike allowing Khawaja to pull forcefully in front of square for four. But then Broad finds one that chases Smith, forcing an unconventional defensive stroke with the batsman leaning to leg, bent almost double backwards, but still managing to find the middle of a periscopic bat. That should make for a nice pic in a few minutes.
87th over: Australia 252-2 (Khawaja 121, Smith 72) Maiden from Anderson to Khawaja who is untroubled for five deliveries but has to use soft hands to a rare delivery that climbs fractionally off a length and catches the shoulder of the bat.
Back to the All-time Ashes XI fight-starter...
@JPHowcroft A bit late to the party but... K.Miller flew fighter planes during WW2 and (allegedly) slept with a princess. The man could average 4 with the bat & 40 with the ball and still be a contender for the all-rounder spot. The criteria was 'greatest', not 'best'.
86th over: Australia 252-2 (Khawaja 121, Smith 72) Shot of the day from Khawaja, driving Broad through the covers with an baroque flourish. This is no longer a contest and simply a statistical exercise. I hope England’s players have applied plenty of sunscreen.
Emiel de Bont has some advice for England’s bowlers. “With Smith prancing all around his crease, effectively making a mockery of this 7-2 field, why not try something old fashioned and york him on leg stump!? Ok, that’s my five cents worth, watching from Morocco, where I did spot a couple of kids having a bowl and bat under a bridge.”
85th over: Australia 246-2 (Khawaja 116, Smith 71) Better from Anderson, beating Khawaja’s bat and finding its shoulder after conceding a leg-glance gimme for four first up.
Steve Smith on track for four centuries in a series again, like he and Kohli both did last time India toured. Select group of a dozen batsmen have done it. Clyde Walcott is the only man with 5, for Windies against Australia in 1955. #Ashes
84th over: Australia 242-2 (Khawaja 112, Smith 71) Oof! Out of nowhere Broad nails a shorter ball that Khawaja deflects with his gloves away from the coat of arms on his chest. That could have gone anywhere, as the cliche goes, but it failed to find a fielder. Broad tries another in follow-up but Khawaja is ready for it and swivels a pull neatly into the onside. He sends down another good’un to Smith who swerves out of the way suspiciously like he literally is operating in bullet-time. That was like a deleted scene from the Matrix.
Having heard him talk about it every day of my life for the last 37 years I would like to see Boycott develop his "add two wickets to the score" theory even further. Why not add three wickets? Or four? Or EIGHTEEN?
83rd over: Australia 241-2 (Khawaja 111, Smith 71) Another over to inspire little confidence in England’s ability to take a wicket this decade. Anderson is failing to get this new ball talking like the dunce’s corner at ventriloquist school. Smith and Khawaja are set for daddy hundreds under blue skies surrounded by pink stands.
“When I were a lad,” emails Matt Crutchlow, “bowlers didn’t give a monkeys about their Barnets. Now, our two number one fast-medium Peaky Blinders are obsessed with patting their skullrugs into place. TV, I suppose. Or reverse-swing dressing.”
82nd over: Australia 237-2 (Khawaja 110, Smith 68) Broad’s turn to lob the new Kookaburra towards Australia’s batsmen and just in time for Ian Chappell to step into commentary and describe England’s morning as “terrible”. It doesn’t improve with Khawaja flicking four to fine-leg as Broad’s line strays. An hour gone with nary a chance created.
Adam Levine (maybe that one, who knows?) has emailed in a nice Khawaja story you can enjoy during the drinks break. “In 2013, the night before the Lord’s Ashes Test, I was invited by a good friend of mine to a dinner where Jonathan Agnew, Michael Vaughan and Ricky Ponting were the guests of honour. Aggers was as erudite and amusing as you would expect, although he managed to turn every conversation into a discourse on his Twitter exchange with Broad about the latter’s refusal to walk at Trent Bridge. I got the distinct impression Vaughan would rather have been having a high colonic than be at that dinner. Punter, however shook every hand and answered every question with the same intensity as if he was facing Wasim on 99 not out. I asked him which young Aussie batsman to look out for and he looked me in the eye with an intensity that quite frankly scared the sh*t out of me, thought long and hard and said, ‘Usman Khawaja, mate’. Khawaja got out the next day playing a nothing shot and was part of Swanny’s five-fer but I’m glad to see he’s finally fulfilling Ponting’s faith, not least because it gave me an excuse to tell this interminable story.” Lovely stuff.
81st over: Australia 233-2 (Khawaja 106, Smith 68) The new ball has been taken immediately and it’s thrown first to James Anderson who delivers a humdrum maiden to Steve Smith. Anderson’s too short with the new rock allowing Smith to defend and leave watchfully from the crease.
80th over: Australia 233-2 (Khawaja 106, Smith 68) Curran with potentially the final over before the new ball. Incredibly, Smith is guilty of trying to overhit a delivery! Mark it on your calendar because that is a collector’s item. Replays are interesting because it was remarkably similar to when he played on to Curran in Melbourne, suggesting their may be a chink in the armour - to long-hops that hold in the pitch slightly and cut in. Simples.
The ex-pro orthodoxy around up-and-coming cricketers and which ones are widely felt to be The Right Sort Of Lad is always fascinating to me as an outsider. T Curran the latest. Compare Adil, say.
79th over: Australia 231-2 (Khawaja 105, Smith 67) Another decent over from Crane, who’s landing his leggies well without unbalancing either batsman. The footwork of both men at the crease is proactive and nimble, allowing them to smother anything full and cash in on anything dragged down.
78th over: Australia 227-2 (Khawaja 102, Smith 66) TomCurran’s turn to run the clock down before the new ball. As we’ve come to expect there’s plenty of hustle and no shortage of variation, but just a few kph short of troubling such a skillful well-set pair.
Scott Poynting wants to get “Uzzie, Uzzie Uzzie; Oi! oi! oi!” trending as a chant.
Khawaja has played very well, offering only 7% false shots - around half the global average. However, as this graphic shows, England have bowled a little wide to him, not targeting his weakness against the straighter line. #Ashespic.twitter.com/zW84sZMDUY
77th over: Australia 225-2 (Khawaja 102, Smith 65) Mason Crane has been brought on for his first roll of the morning and Shane Warne is optimistic about the debutant’s chances on a dry pitch with growing footmarks. It’s a decent start, especially to Khawaja, with the line more toward off-stump than we saw yesterday. Nonetheless, both batsmen are largely untroubled, milking singles at will.
76th over: Australia 222-2 (Khawaja 101, Smith 63) Broad continuing over the wicket to Smith in a more conventional line of attack than we saw from Anderson earlier. A single brings Khawaja on strike and Broad finds the shoulder of the bat slanting across the lefty but it dies well before the diving Root in the slips. {Extreme Richie voice, the score is chew for chew chew chew}.
Uzzy ya big baller.
75th over: Australia 221-2 (Khawaja 101, Smith 62) Moeen to bowl to Khawaja on 99, and there are no nerves as the century is raised with the minimum of fuss. There’s a look to the heavens but little fanfare in the celebrations. There are many more runs out there if Australia’s number three wants them.
A simple nudge into the offside gives Usman Khawaja his sixth Test century and first against England. Terrific patient knock from one of the most elegant batsmen in the game.
74th over: Australia 219-2 (Khawaja 99, Smith 62) Broad into the attack for a warm-up before the new ball. His first delivery is cack, belted to the cover fence by Smith with all the effort of a sleepy dog flicking an ear to dislodge a fly. The remaining five deliveries are all left alone outside off or defended back down the pitch.
73rd over: Australia 215-2 (Khawaja 99, Smith 58) Khawaja does execute the early boundary this time off Moeen, rocking back and cutting hard behind point for four. He finds the field with a similar stroke later in the over to move to 99.
George Wright has superbly upped the Miller/Miller ante. “I don’t have many opinions on that combined XI, but as a proud Lancastrian, I feel obliged to point out that you’ve mis-spelled Glen Chapple’s name. Impressed with Channel 9 though; a left-field but worthy inclusion. Clearly his single ODI against Ireland made quite the impression.”
72nd over: Australia 209-2 (Khawaja 94, Smith 57) More of the same from Anderson to Smith - and it almost pays off! After a succession of deliveries wide of off-stump a faster yorker speared towards the base of leg comes perilously close to a play-on. Smith survives though and advances the score by one. Khawaja also picks up a single as he creeps towards a century.
Every Sydney copper on duty at the SCG has donated their pay for today to the #JaneMcGrathDay. Class act. #Ashes
71st over: Australia 207-2 (Khawaja 93, Smith 56) Australia are definitely going after Moeen early here. Khawaja dances down the track and tries to launch him into Bondi second ball but succeeds only in inside-edging onto his boot. He’s more circumspect thereafter, happy to play out the first maiden of the day.
Russell Dean isn’t letting the Ashes XI chat die down. “Herbert Sutcliffe and Wally Hammond were both superior to Greg Chappell and Alan Border. Keith Miller was a fine all rounder but better than Ian Botham? Interesting the choice of Harold Larwood over Fred Trueman, when the latter was ostensibly a much better Test bowler over a longer period of time”.
70th over: Australia 207-2 (Khawaja 93, Smith 56) Watching Anderson bowl wide of Steve Smith’s off stump from around the wicket is more performance art than cricket. That, or a glitch in a cricket console game where the AI forgets what coordinates the pitch is on. Smith defends a stack from the crease on around an eighth-stump line before nurdling a couple towards square-leg.
69th over: Australia 204-2 (Khawaja 92, Smith 54) Moeen shares the old ball with Anderson but it matters not to Smith whether he’s facing pace or spin, the outcome is runs either way. The Australian skipper tickles a three to fine-leg to bring up his 23rd Test 50 to complement his 23 centuries. After Khawaja slaps a single to return Smith to strike the run-machine drives four more through the covers. It looked a lot like Moeen was being targeted that over.
Always a special moment as the Aussie players present their Baggy Pink caps to @glennmcgrath11https://t.co/x1xkPZLrdF@McGrathFdn#Ashespic.twitter.com/VlaHrWfh7h
68th over: Australia 196-2 (Khawaja 91, Smith 47) England begin the day with what Michael Vaughan describes as Plan X - it involves James Anderson bowling around the wicket to Steve Smith with a 7-2 offside field. Needless to say, it serves only to highlight Smith’s ingenious brilliance. Taking guard outside leg stump he’s outside off by the time the ball’s released and playing to the on-side with all the time in the world almost from silly point. Three effortless runs to begin the procession.
"England have a full time fielding coach, batting coach, bowling coach, spin is third class citizen"
"I find it absolutely bonkers"
Revealing insight from @Swannyg66 who agrees that England should have a full-time specialist spin coach.#Ashespic.twitter.com/qXWuWLo69A
The players are making their way out onto the SCG. There’s a McGrath Foundation guard of honour with all the players handing commemorative pink caps to Glenn McGrath to auction.
We’ll be underway shortly.
That all-time Ashes XI malarkey has stirred plenty of emotion. Paul Frangi thinks it’s “nice of the Channel 9 experts to include all of three England players in that XI”. While Dave Grinnell is “a bit surprised that the Channel 9 team picked England’s Geoff Miller!”. And so is Gary Naylor!
Bit of a surprise to see Geoff Miller in the all-rounder's spot in that Ashes XI @JPHowcroft.
The brilliant Urthboy, author of a magnificent ode to the late Philip Hughes, could be another contender.
On the subject of Steve Smith songs (see Preamble) Patrick O’Brien has nominated Australian superstar DJ Flume for the task.
Peter Rowntree doesn’t think much to C9’s all-time Ashes XI. “No Lindwall, no Trueman, no Laker, no Benaud,” he emails, “reckon I could pick a team to whoop that lot with no problems!”. I’m pretty sure you can select your own team somewhere Peter via a sponsored link. Unfortunately I doubt you’ll be able to reanimate some of the legends required to prove your hypothesis.
Bad news for England with plenty of runs left in this SCG strip. Shane Warne assures us there’s spin on offer for Mason Crane, especially if he corrects his line to the left-handed Khawaja and forces him further towards the off-side.
Thoughts? #asheshttps://t.co/jqRY6iXF10pic.twitter.com/FEWVIQaMhy
On the subject of Crane, John Starbuck has emailed some thoughts, and you can too - details at the top of the page.
“Good morning. Mason Crane has seemingly done pretty well for a beginner, but will England learn from the experience? The pitch may misbehave but is unlikely to get bouncier, so should the close fielders be even closer for his second go, to try to induce the chances going more readily to hand?”.
Ali Martin gets to grips with Mason Crane who rolled his wrist over for the first time in the Test arena yesterday, to nods of approval from the greatest leggie of them all.
Related: England’s Mason Crane passes the Shane Warne test on Ashes debut | Ali Martin
That all-time Ashes XI, as selected by the Channel 9 experts is: Hobbs, Hutton, Bradman G Chappell, Border, Miller, Gilchrist, Warne, Lillee, Larwood, McGrath.
Australian telly are selecting their all-time Ashes XI throughout this series. Today that means an opportunity for Ian Chappell to marvel at Harold Larwood eating steak for breakfast and drinking pints during the lunch break.
By the way, the XI so far does not contain Steve Smith. I wonder how long it will take for the star of the current crop to start competing with historic icons for a seat at the top table?
Adam Collins tells the story of Usman Khawaja’s latest career-saving knock.
Related: Australia’s Usman Khawaja plays it cagey in battle to preserve Test place | Adam Collins
You’ll be pleased to know it’s going to be a dry day at the cricket. There’s going to be a gusty north-easterly but otherwise it should be sunny and warm ahead of a scorcher tomorrow.
#SydneyWeather still on track for a very a hot weekend, up to 45 degrees in the west tomorrow. No rain interruptions today for the #Ashes Test, also low likeliihood tomorrow. See the latest forecast at https://t.co/xxbVhpro3S.
Or if words are more your thing, Vic Marks uses some of the finest to describe what happened on day two.
Related: Australia in charge of fifth Ashes Test after Usman Khawaja’s unbeaten 91
Catch up on yesterday’s action in glorious technicolour.
The Pink Test, as it’s now affectionately known, also means visitors to the SCG on Saturday are encouraged to wear pink - that includes the Channel 9 commentary crew.
A very well suited selfie. #Ashespic.twitter.com/nFcki98JZb
Day three of the Sydney Test now means Jane McGrath Day, an annual celebration of the life of the late wife of Glenn McGrath, and a colourful opportunity to raise funds for the McGrath Foundation.
Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, Glenn McGrath and SCG Trust CEO Jamie Barkley gather in front of media to officially get Jane McGrath Day underway at the @scg. #Ashespic.twitter.com/tI3hoB8Lpc
Hello, and thanks for joining me for live coverage of day three of the fifth Ashes Test from Sydney.
It’s a familiar tale after two days of play at the SCG. England batted themselves into a decent position only to endure an avoidable collapse and post a sub-optimal first-innings total. In reply Australia looked momentarily vulnerable but the presence of Steve Smith once again snuffed out any chance the tourists might have had of gaining the upper hand.
Jonathan will be here shortly.
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