Second Ashes Test. Lord's.

[K]

Holding: "Archer is back. The last throw of the dice, you would assume."

If they overbowl him here, that'll be good for Oz.

He starts with the knuckleball . It's a full toss. Marnus defends it calmly.
...

Holding: "He has not been bothered in the least."


The fifth ball is 86.4mph. His pace is down.

Around the wicket to Head. Head flashes and misses. Another over down.

[K]

Marnus skips down and cover drives Leach for 4.

He's played well. There looks nothing wrong with this pitch.

Marnus reverse sweeps.

Gower: "Actually, of all the shots he's played, that's the safest."

Nasser on leaving/kicking: "To some, it doesn't come naturally."

But Marnus is caught sweeping.

4/132.

They are checking the catch.

It looks like it bounced. What was the soft signal?

Joel asks for a side angle.

He asks for it to be zoomed.

Joel decides out. Marnus looks annoyed. Root thinks it was a catch. It ricocheted off the bat pad.

59 (100).

Healy agrees it was a catch.

Nasser thinks one angle looked out, the other like it bounced. The important thing was the soft signal was out.

Gower & Nasser are still discussing it...

[K]

Meanwhile Wade collects 4lb off his helmet from the Archer bouncer.

They're going to check the helmet. At least all this delay means there will not be any extra overs.

Oz 4/137. Minimum overs remaining: 11.3.

..............

Now Archer is getting up to 91mph.

[K]

There is much comment and much posturing. "Those who have never played the game..." Blah, blah, blah.

That is a load of codswallop. Unless that fool has played at international level, no amount of playing will give him special knowledge of what TV footage looks like.

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Leach gets Wade caught at short leg

Oz 5/138. Paine next in.

Nasser: "The door has been opened."

[K]

Gower: "Every ball will be treated like a grenade exploding."

Yes. He defends off the middle of the bat, and Bairstow shouts like it was a miracle survival.

Wicket maiden. This is not looking flattering for Lyon, Leach's performance. He has 3 wickets now.

Down to 10 overs.

[K]

Archer short to Paine. He plays it down uncomfortably.

Gower: "He directs those short balls, by and large, so well."

Extra short leg now.

Gower: "There's indecision here," as Paine leaves.

Buttler has his hands on his helmet.

......

Buttler throws down the stumps from short leg, but Paine hadn't left the crease.

Another over down.

[K]

Paine on drives Leach for 4 to get off the mark. At least it doesn't let them rush through overs.

Paine kicks the ball away, because Leach is bowling over the wicket. This is different from how Marnus played it.

Another over down. Minimum 8 to come.

---------------------------------------------

The batsmen chat. Archer prepares to continue.

The last two wickets were regrettable, but this should still be safe.

A wild short ball flies over Bairstow's head for 4 byes.

Paine rides a 86+mph ball well.

[K]

Paine holes out with the hook shot.

Denly took a one-handed catch diving.

Oz 6/149.

And just when you thought it was safe, another wicket...

Not a good shot. Paine has turned into a compulsive hooker.

Healy, himself a compulsive hooker in his day, calls it "irresponsible".

[K]

Cummins & Head have to survive 7 overs. Leach and Archer have 3 each.

Head drives for 4.
....

Another over ends, but Cummins will face Archer.

[K]

Slip, gully, leg gully, two bat pads...

First ball short and wide. Cummins leaves.

Three bat pads.

Cummins almost gives Stokes a catch! It fell just short.

They get a single, which was a very tight run too.

Head has the strike. He rides the bounce. He has soaked up over 70 balls this innings.

Beaten next ball.

They replay the dropped catch Head gave earlier. That and the TV reviewed catch of Marnus will be the key moments of this game.

Another over down. Minimum 5 overs remaining.

Oz 6/154.

[K]

Warne: "The key to bowling at this stage is to bowl your best ball and make them play."

Cummins plays out the Leach over. Minimum 4 overs remain.

Once more, they look safe...

[K]

The umpires are looking at the light.

Archer cannot bowl!! It's too dark.

Warne: "It is quite dark."

So Denly will bowl. He outbowled Moeen in the first Test.

He's bowling to Head.

Good ball first up.

Warne: "Every ball's an event. ... One little mistake. ..."

Head plays out the over.

Warne: "Three to go."

[K]

Burns drops Cummins. He's only metre or two from the bat, so it was just instinctive.

Leach appeals for LBW. Cummins did not play a shot. Not out. Root reviews.

I think it's missing off.

It's missing by miles!!

Warne: "It just spun on the surface." He initially thought it was the arm ball.

Cummins plays out the over. Minimum 2 remaining.

[K]

Denly again.

Head drives to the fielder.

Head is beaten by the ball that goes straight.

Botham: "Natural variation."

Head drives the fourth ball, but they don't run.

The TV shows Labu on the balcony. Botham praises Labu's innings.

Oz 6/154.

One over to come.

I have no idea why they didn't run. It was the last ball of the over, so if they'd taken a single Head would have kept strike.

[K]

The umpires call it off with three balls left!!

A draw!

Oz 6/154.

Warne suggested there was time for an extra over. Botham said that if a wicket fell, there was no way they'd get another over...

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Many talking points.

A lot to think about for the Oz camp heading to Headingly.

None of Bancroft, Warner, Khawaja, Wade, Paine played well with the bat today.

Archer bowled 44 overs for the match. Oz will hope that will have taken something out of him.


Taylor: "A fair result."

He thinks if Marnus had not got out unluckily the Test may have ended 40 minutes earlier.

Taylor on Head: "If he has a weakness it's against extreme pace."
He says Head will take confidence out of his innings today.

Taylor on Paine: "That's more of a worry for me."