Australia survive a staggering 155 from Stokes to take 2-0 Ashes lead
Australia 416 (Smith 110, Head 77, Warner 66, Root 3-19, Tongue 3-98) and 279 (Khawaja 77, Broad 4-65) beat England 325 (Duckett 98, Brook 50, Starc 3-88) and 327 (Stokes 155, Duckett 88, Cummins 3-69, Starc 3-29, Hazlewood 3-80) by 43 runs
What was a hard-fought however moderately sedate remaining day, erupted into controversy and uncooked emotion when Bairstow wandered out of his crease earlier than over had been referred to as having prevented a bouncer from Cameron Green within the 52nd over with Alex Carey then throwing down the stumps. Australia appealed and the third umpire upheld the choice with Bairstow properly out of his floor.
In scenes in contrast to any witnessed at this floor, even in its lengthy historical past of epic matches, the sport was then performed out in a febrile environment the place Australia had been jeered endlessly by a full final-day crowd and MCC members needed to reminded about their behaviour after incidents when the gamers left the sector for lunch.
When Bairstow was dismissed, England wanted 178. Stokes then unleashed an assault on Australia’s assault, including 108 in 21 overs with Stuart Broad, with an innings that included 9 sixes. He was given a life on 114 when Steven Smith spilled an opportunity at deep sq. leg. This was Headingly 2019 on steroids, if that is doable. Australia had been rattled; England received to a degree the place they seemed favourites.
But straight after the afternoon drinks break Stokes top-edged Josh Hazlewood into the off facet with 70 runs nonetheless wanted. It was an excessive amount of for the decrease order who succumbed to the brief ball, each Ollie Robinson and Broad hooking into the deep. Josh Tongue and James Anderson held on for some time, briefly teasing the outlandish chance of a remaining twist, earlier than Mitchell Starc received one at leg stump as Tongue gave himself room.
England had began the fifth day needing a distant 257 however Stokes and Ben Duckett made strong progress as they constructed a fifth-wicket stand of 132. When play started, all of the discuss was nonetheless of Duckett’s reprieve the evening earlier than to Starc’s catch at fine leg – if solely everybody knew what was to come back.
Stokes went to his first half-century since the Old Trafford Test towards South Africa final 12 months and Duckett, for the second time within the match, was approaching three-figures when he top-edged an opportunity to Carey who caught it brilliantly, one handed above his head, to proceed a fantastic collection behind the stumps. However, his major half within the drama was quickly to reach.
Five overs later, mayhem ensued. As he so usually does, Bairstow let a ball by way of to the keeper, tapped his again foot shortly into the crease and instantly walked out of his floor. The ball had barely reached Carey, who gathered and under-armed on the stumps in a single movement. Australia instantly celebrated as Stokes and Bairstow converged on the umpires. The third umpire Marais Erasmus deemed the ball to not have been useless and Pat Cummins noticed no motive to withdraw the attraction.
When Broad joined Stokes within the center, England’s anger was clear. Broad was within the face of Australia’s fielders from the second he took guard, whereas Stokes was clearly fuming however channelled his feelings into one of the awe-inspiring shows of ball-striking Lord’s has seen.
He tore into Green with three boundaries in an over by way of the leg facet, then in Green’s subsequent over went additional with a trio of consecutive sixes, the second of them palmed over the rope by Starc at lengthy leg. He reached his century from 142 balls with the third of them and there was barely a celebration, only a transient increase of the bat in acknowledgement.
The fifty partnership got here up in 4.4 overs moments earlier than the gamers took lunch. Words had been exchanged between Broad and David Warner as they walked off the pitch, whereas footage quickly emerged of MCC members within the Long Room confronting Australia’s gamers. It was later claimed by Cricket Australia that bodily contact was made and MCC apologised.
Would the 40-minute break take the sting out the state of affairs? The second ball of the afternoon session was launched over long-on by Stokes and two deliveries later he was spilled by a sprawling Smith who couldn’t collect the highest edge. By and huge, Stokes tried to farm the strike though sometimes was joyful to present Broad a number of balls to face, and he joined within the heady environment by pulling Hazlewood by way of the leg facet to finish an over the place Stokes had already taken two additional sixes.
Hazlewood was withdrawn from the assault after a three-over spell which value 30 as reminiscences of Headingley got here flooding again at each flip. Cummins had no frontline spin to show to after Nathan Lyon’s calf injury on the second day and opted to not throw to ball to Travis Head.
Stokes took one other brace of sixes over the leg facet, this time from Starc, earlier than a summit assembly between Australia’s senior gamers noticed Green return to the assault and he bowled two good overs which value simply three.
By now, Australia had 9 fielders on the fence to Stokes and the boundaries dried up. Nine runs got here in six overs. Hazlewood returned, Stokes swiped throughout the road and Carey settled below the catch. Australian fielders ran from all corners of the bottom. Cummins and Smith gave Stokes an appreciative faucet on the again. They had stopped him within the nick of time. The Ashes had been inside their grasp however the occasions of the ultimate day at Lord’s are prone to reverberate throughout each nations for a very long time to come back.