18th over: Australia 54-2 (Warner 26, Labuschagne 7) Archer continues; of course he does. He’s bowled a third of England’s overs since the start of the Lord’s Test, which is bordering on a health-and-safety issue. Warner tucks him off the pads for three, then Labuschagne does likewise for four. Australia have played with impressive authority since the resumption.
“These rain delays are proving to be remorselessly helpful in terms of my productivity,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I’d intended to hang my metamorphic Closed sign on the door from 11am and master the fine art of doing sweet eff all other than watching the cricket. But no, we have to have rain delays. Thus I’ve been writing 250 words here, three or four emails there. I curse this English weather for my employers and clients may come to expect this sort of responsiveness in the future.”
17th over: Australia 47-2 (Warner 23, Labuschagne 3) Chris Woakes replaces Stuart Broad. He should – should – bowl very well in those conditions. His first over is a bit of a range-finder, from which Australia grab three singles. Warner is starting to look busy between the wickets, which is usually a good sign for Australia.
16th over: Australia 44-2 (Warner 21, Labuschagne 2) Archer has five slips for David Warner, who drives a half-volley through mid-off for three. Archer has bowled more like an English seamer today, hitting a full length at around 85mph. I suppose he has to assume that role in the absence of James Anderson and Chris W-oh.
Archer reminds everyone of his menace with a sharp bouncer that is nicely avoided by Labuschagne. There’s no pace in this pitch.
“Whilst we are on the memory lane thing, I was at the England v SA 2003 match (as was Jimmy Anderson – he got two wickets in the match),” says Simon Thomas. “My wife called me to tell me the news that she was pregnant with our first child and I got so emotionally happy drunk that I was eventually turned away from a nightclub I wasn’t even trying to get into. The bouncer actually crossed the road to tell me ‘never, ever, are you coming in here’. Happy days.”
15th over: Australia 41-2 (Warner 18, Labuschagne 2) Broad bowls the last ball of his eighth over, which he started before the rain break, and Labuschagne scrunches it through the covers for a couple to get off the mark.
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“The Wedding Present!” pants Martin Sinclair. “Blimey, this takes me back. I got into them in the sixth form and first saw them at the Reading Festival in 1989, when I was a tender lad of 16 years. Haven’t listened to them in ages until today and am now trawling their back catalogue, so even though there has been precious little cricket, it’s been a great morning just because of them. All together now – ‘ah-ah-oh!!’”
I thought that was Two Door Cinema Club.
Play is about to resume, and I have just one request for Joe Root: FOR THE LOVE OF SWING, GIVE CHRIS WOAKES A BLOODY BOWL.
“Pedantry corner,” begins Richard O’Hagan. “Precipitate’ just means something happening prematurely. Millings must be thinking of ‘Precipi’ Tait-ion.”
“I enjoyed the two emails regarding Finn,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “Reading about how Archer bowled some of England’s fastest ever overs lately, I noticed that Finn’s name kept on popping up as England’s last pace ace, so what actually happened? What led to him becoming unselectable during the tour of hell? He seems to have fizzled out of favour ever since. For the last few seasons, I forlornly check Middlesex’s score cards and county averages, in the hope to see him surging back to form, only to see he rarely gets picked. I’d love for somebody like Gideon Haigh or Simon Wilde to write a book really going into the full details. Was it confidence? Form? Injury? Giles? Saker? Flower? Cook? Morgan?”
I don’t know him, but I’m fairly sure the biggest factor, by some distance, was confidence. A few other things certainly didn’t help, like the Graeme Smith no-ball and being dropped in his first two Ashes series. The thing that confuses me about Finn is that he had a glorious comeback in 2015, and it seemed like he’d conquered all the demons. I’m not sure he ever bowled better for England than during the Boxing Day Test in Durban. But the following summer he struggled again, and he played what will almost certainly be his last Test at the age of 27. He’s pretty candid in the film The Edge (which is great, btw).
Thanks Adam, hello everyone. This is all a little irksome, but at least it means
we can talk nonsense for an hour or so. Right on cue, here’s Mac Millings:
I don’t have to do any work
“Adam chose not to publish this, but you, sir, are the kind of man prepared to sink to depths few others even know exist. So here it is, the all time Rain Delay XI:
- Cyril Washout
- Colin Cloudrey
- Splashin’ Tendulkar
- David Shower
- Drizzle Br’ollyveira
- Ian Rainbowtham
- Derek Thunderwood
- Harbhajan Singhin’ in the…
- …Rain Delaymond Illingworth
- Shaun “Precipi” Tait
- Look outside, it’s P.Siddling down”
Adam Collins
“I remember well a protracted spell of insomnia during the 06/07 Ashes,” writes David Alcock. “I think I followed every night (day?) of that series while writing interminable reports on medieval sculpture conservation. The grim yet bizarrely satisfying reading of the OBO kept me from being a complete gibbering wreck. Perverse, I know, but that strange perversion that is ‘proper’ English cricket… ie, losing. Keep it up.”
Thank you. We will. They’re more Smyth areas – thankfully, he’s here to take over from me in a jiffy.
One last Cud email before I go. “Never imagined I would put these two favourite things together in one heading OBO and CUD,” says a very happy Tim Cooper. “Just came back to my screen to see a thread on the greatest Leeds band that almost but never quite made it big, within coverage of cricket at Headingley. I’m in total heaven. My pledge for the most appropriately themed hit – Punishment-Reward Relationship.”
Thanks for being part of it. Given all this passion for Cud over the last few hours, I’m off to listen to them over a cup of tea. Thanks for your brilliant company as always. Over to Rob. Bye for now!
“You say the Aussie batsmen will be happy to get off the field due to the rain,” says Chris Parker, “but it is giving Broad and Archer nice rests between spells. Could see these two bowl the first 30-35 overs between them.”
Scyld Berry was making this very point to me last night about Gooch’s epic here in 1991 – it included several breaks for rain.
A few more emails before Rob takes over. “Watching in Malaysia and wondering if a hard day at work tomorrow is worth a sleepless night,” asks Joel Eley. You already know my view on this, I am sure. Stay up, stick it out. “The ball is hooping nicely and even though Lyon in the 4th innings could be tough these are ideal seem bowling conditions, right up Broad’s street. Imagine if Jimmy was available.”
Estsban Coniogordo has a thought – I suspect he’s following in Australia. “I am calling for everyone to do a rain dance. I am thinking of Purple Rain. We can win the weather. Play a song.”
Yep, proper rain now. Another mini-session, another wicket. Broad, who has dominated Warner, picked up Khawaja down the legside instead. But, much as it was during the earlier rain delay, the opener is still alive and that’s all that really matters. Big covers on.
Or does it? The England fielders are stopping on the boundary line, arguing that the rain isn’t falling. The umpires, Wilson and Gaffaney, are already off the ground. The Headingley crowd aren’t thrilled either. Nup, they are off. The consensus on TMS is that it might be light rain now but the heavy stuff is on the way soon. Urrrrgh.
Rain stops play!
14.5 overs: Australia 39-2 (Warner 18, Labuschagne 0) It is a productive over for Australia with Warner crunching Broad behind point for four then grabbing a couple out to the covers… but then the rain arrives. Again. I’m sorry.
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14th over: Australia 32-2 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 0) Three maidens on the bounce, Archer right on top of Labuschagne this time around. The short ball, which we haven’t seen much of so far, is just avoided to begin. As the over moves on, twice he’s beaten on the outside edge. How often have I typed those words in these 14 overs? “Maybe they should be using a Kookaburra,” says Jim Maxwell on TMS. “These Dukes balls are doing too much to get the edge!”
13th over: Australia 32-2 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 0) They can go through until 7:30pm to get the overs in, I am told. They will need that if Broad keeps beating Warner, the former slowly making his way back to the top of his mark after once again sorting him out outside the off stump to start this new over. Another lovely delivery. But the opener is able to leave four of the five balls that follow. Maybe Woakes from his end? Either way, time to give him a burst.
12th over: Australia 32-2 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 0) Ooh, Labuschagne has a pop at a ball well outside the off stump. It’s full enough, but the movement is sufficient to beat him. Alastair Cook is with me on the Queenslander copying the Steve Smith leave. Woakes now up the hill for a bit, yeah?
“Before we get too deep into the session, I’d just like to quickly second Avitaj Mitra’s praise of the OBO,” says Matt Dony. Okay, I’ll allow it! “OBO’s/MBM’s etc. have become a sort of ‘watching in the pub with my mates’ that, particularly during Test Matches and the World Cup, I can enjoy at work. (Or, as I currently am, on holiday.) Also, throwing all the way back, nice to see the effort you’re putting into following the AFL final. Sure beats will.i.am absently checking his phone while performing last year.”
Thank you. It’s an institution. Both the OBO and dodgy Grand Final entertainment. Google Meatloaf for verification of the latter point.
11th over: Australia 32-2 (Warner 11, Labuschagne 0) Warner now into double figures on the board having already gone beyond ten plays and misses. But he’s still there. I’ve seen this one before: he’ll be 100-plus at the close. He reaches that first mark with a clip for two, able to deal with this Broad over without any serious concern.
“All these young whippersnapper bands!” says Andrew Tyacke. “I remember Leeds University Union hops in the mid 60’s through to 1972: The Who, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Alan Price Set, Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Nadia Catouse and the incomparable BBC Northern Dance Orchestra who could play any style, en masse or in various groups. There seemed to be a brilliant group every other week!”
Oliver Thorpe has also enjoyed today’s OBO theme: “Loving your work and the mentions of The Wedding Present (seen ‘em about 30 times) and the Original Oak – Otley run (uni days in the 90s). Cud indeed used to live down the road from Headingley as we took on the flat after they left. I had Carl’s old room – I found some postcards his mum sent to him.”
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10th over: Australia 30-2 (Warner 9, Labuschagne 0) Archer’s turn to work Warner over, beating him with the first ball of this new over – again on the drive. Deary me, this really is something – 11 plays and misses in 27 balls, according to Andrew Samson on TMS. Root moves a fifth slip into the cordon, Warner responding with a compact drive – that’s better; four runs from the overpitched offering. Archer gets one go at Labuschagne later in the over and he gives it a mini-lightsaber leave in response. They’re certainly in fashion.
WICKET! Khawaja c Bairstow b Broad 8 (Australia 25-2)
He is! Technology confirms an edge as the ball passes Khawaja’s bat. Broad finally picks up a wicket, from his worst delivery so far.
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8th over: Australia 21-1 (Warner 5, Khawaja 4) Archer beats Khawaja glorious bit of bowling. Broad and Archer will be criticised here, I am sure, for not bowling quite straight enough. But these are balls starting on middle and off – they are just moving it too much. Khawaja does well to grab a single when it is there to be taken behind square. Warner hasn’t seen much of Archer yet but he is beaten with the one delivery he has to see off here, attempting to drive. “That’s his first really bad shot,” notes Vaughan on TMS.
7th over: Australia 20-1 (Warner 5, Khawaja 3) Broad vs Warner: they go again. He finds a leading edge to begin, but into the turf. Oh, and he’s done again prodding at a ball that he should have left alone. Nerves. But getting one that’s a touch straighter the opener doesn’t miss out, carefully clipping past the square leg umpire for his first four. Sure enough, Broad is right back on it, Warner this time leaving close to the off-stump. And he is up for lbw to finish! It looks to be angling down leg and is given not out. No review. Good decision, watching the replay back that was drifting down. Superb cricket.
“Just when I thought the OBO couldn’t get any better, the Rochy gets a shout out!” says Tom Tavener. “(Miss)spent a good portion of my uni days on that sticky dance floor. If you’re in need of some rain-delay listening, the Black Night Crash playlist is still live on Spotify.”
We probably know each other. I DJ’d there a few times. Ahhh.
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6th over: Australia 16-1 (Warner 1, Khawaja 3) Oh, and now Khawaja has to handle Archer, who sorted him out so comprehensively on Sunday afternoon at Lord’s. Good batting here, defending with soft hands to both sides of the wicket, picking up a couple into the covers, then getting his blade out of the way when the length allows. All at managable pace this time around, in the low/mid 80s.
5th over: Australia 14-1 (Warner 1, Khawaja 1) Broad beats Warner first ball! Of course he does! It’s a beauty. Somehow, he gets off strike from the next, with one to square leg. Khawaja’s turn… and he cops a pearler first up as well! UNPLAYABLE! “He’s getting the ball doing too much,” says Michael Vaughan. FIVE SLIPS now. The number three does well to get on the front foot to push a single to get off the mark. Warner watches the last couple. Better. Blimey.
Updated
The players are back on the field!
Middle session: 1400 – 1640, final session: 1700 – 1900. 72 overs left to play today. Get in! It is Broad vs Warner again. PLAY!
One last bit on Cud. “A couple of members of Cud used to live in that row of big Victorian terraced houses on the way from the ground back into Headingley,” says Bertie Wooster. “I remember them complaining about people pissing in their garden during Test matches. Not huge cricket fans.”
Neil MacKenzie is in Adelaide, but was once in this part of the world. “I was a student in Leeds in the mid 80s living just over the boundary on cardigan rd. Used to frequent the ‘phono’ a club in the bowels of the merrian centre. Is it still there?” And one from Phil in Area 51: “Any self respecting Leeds centric cricketmusic blog needs a shout out to Delta5.” Consider them shouted.
“My girlfriend is expecting our first child in November,” says Damian Burns. Well done! “And after that super over I looked into her eyes and said that I honestly wouldn’t mind if Ben or Jofra turned out to be the father. While the euphoric hallucinations have now passed, I stand by that statement.”
I mentioned my girlfiend’s affection for Jofra earlier. We’re expecting our first in February and I suspect she shares your view.
“Can’t vouch for this,” says Thomas Langford, “but definitely remember being told that the 2005 ashes started at 10.30 so that channel 4 could still show the Simpsons at six.”
That’s why we have the earlier start in Australia: for the 6pm news.
Dan Collins has a more logical answer: “I believe that the early start issue was a problem because many people like to arrive at grounds by train, and trains arriving early enough in say Brum to get you to Edgbaston by 10.15am (which is still cutting it fine for a 10.30 start, with the crowds coming in) tend to have started out in their originating stations within peak times ie when tickets are (a lot) more expensive.”
2pm start! That’s only ten minutes away!
“In response to David Murray worrying we won’t see Mark Wood again,” emails Fraser Padmore, “I’m looking forward to an Archer/Wood/Stone trident force-feeding the Aussies their own medicine on the proverbial “fast bouncy one” at the WACA.”
You’re half right. The WACA won’t be in use anymore for an Ashes Test (for shame), but the replacement ground over the river was rather sporting last year, especially later in the Test Match.
All the covers are off now and the stumps are going back in
“I don’t think enough credit is being given,” begins Richard Atenbury, “to the people who found Jofra Archer and who got him to come to England. Also to whoever got the rules governing the game changed so that he could qualify for England quicker and in time for the World Cup and the Ashes. I assume this will repeated and that we can get other young superstars into the England team, not just from the Caribbean but from all the other cricket playing nations of the world.”
Vaguely related: I liked this from Dave Tickner.
“What difference does a fairly small change in the angle the ball is coming from make?” asks Jonathan Brookes about bowling close to the wicket. “Shouldn’t the batsman just adjust his positioning slightly depending on the bowler to get himself in a position with relation to the line between the bowler’s release point and his wicket that he favours?” Above the shoulders, innit? How I’ve always felt.
“Also a big shout out for the mighty Pale Saints,” suggests Simon Thomas. “Proto-shoegazers in all their glory.” In terms of my request for dancing to guitars, John Starbuck has found me a flamenco studio. Not quite, but nearly. Let’s not rule it out.
“Talking of Gang Of Four,” on that same topic from Ian Forth. “I always hoped KP would choose ‘At Home He’s A Tourist’ to walk out to in T20s. Meanwhile, in the present, the stadium DJ might dig out ‘Damaged Goods’ for the announcement of the Aussie XI.”
When I grow up, I will be the Cricket Ground DJ.
“Tomorrow is my birthday and I am going as Wonder Woman,” Chris Mellor advises. “Please keep an eye out for me and give me a mention/wave if you spot me.” I’ll have my long lens out ready to pap/include you. Do it well.
“Morning Adam.” Hi Avitaj Mitra. “Just wanted to let you (and other OBO members) know how much I have come to enjoy the entire OBO.. thing.. I guess. It’s just something that grows on you, you know.. and on days when there’s no cricket (and consequently no OBO), there’s just a slightly empty feeling in your heart. And of course, enjoying the OBO has nothing to do with cricket, because I have learned about bands, cuisine, dance moves, puns.. the OBO has it all. Long story short, I love it. Here’s to a brilliant 5 days of sport.”
Well, that’s lovely. Thank you. And I understand: before I moved into this cricket writing caper, I had a real thing for reading the OBO. A lurker of sorts, I never emailed in. It’s a great joy steering the ship.
“Great to see the Wedding Present mentioned,” says Peter Salmon. “I saw them last month in Worcestershire doing a 30th anniversary tour of the album Bizarro. Took my missus who was busy being trained as a concert violinist in their heyday and so had never been to ANY rock gig EVER. She loved it – straight into the Mosh Pit the moment Brassneck started. So can I do us all a favour and make my OBO Love Song Dedication the song ‘Kennedy’, from 1989’s aforementioned Bizarro by the Wedding Present?”
This is the second time I’ve popped this in today. No regrets.
“The sun is just coming up in northern Michigan,” notes Mick Collins. “I also have fond memories of the Original Oak when studying in Leeds back in the 1990s. Of course, at that time, the Oak had a bowling green which made for a very comfortable mid-beerfest resting place.”
Only one cover is left on – the one in the middle. We can’t be far away from getting official word of some re-start times.
The covers are (very slowly) coming off! One by one… easy does it.
“I’d always been told that starting before 11 in England wasn’t advised because of the issues with dampness and dew on the ground,” says Ben Powell. “That said, the World Cup matches started, for the most part, at 10.30 so there may well be some latitude for looking at this.”
I asked around about this recently. Some of my colleagues, who have been around a while, remember when Tests could/did start at 10:30am when weather had intervened earlier in a match. They seemed to think the change happened around the 2005 Ashes?
I also have some advice from Simon Bellamy. “As one who also likes to dance to guitars,” (not related to Matt, are you?), “I was going to suggest that you head to the Cockpit in Leeds, cos there was bound to be something on that would tickle your fancy. I’m horrified to learn that it closed down five years ago. It was a fantastic venue, one every touring band played at at some point as they were coming up (or going down). I’m unaccountably upset, first because the Cockpit is no longer there, and second because everything I’ve just said makes me feel very, very old.”
Oh dear. I know how this feels. I was punter quoted in the story when The Rochy hit the wall in Melbourne a few years back.
“The Rochy has evolved into a bit of an indie music institution, a special place that went out of its way to make all types of people feel welcome and happy,” Collins said.
“It is the sort of place where if you spilled a drink on someone you’re more likely to get a new one bought for you than cop a punch in the nose.”
“This is my first email into the Guardian, and to you, so it’s lovely to virtually meet you.” And you, Nathan Goldsmith. Let’s make it the first of many. “It is a great shame the weather isn’t as lovely as we are experiencing in Southampton right now, and a greater shame that Southampton won’t see another game of cricket played by England in it for the next few years. On the off chance you might know, when can we expect to see an England return to Southampton?”
I know they are very disappointed at the Rose Bowl not to have an Ashes Test this time or next, in 2023. They did very well out of the World Cup – I think they are still playing group games down there.
“This features Jimmy Anderson as a musician,” says John Starbuck. Okay, let’s give it a go.
Sticking with music, Matthew Dony: “As far as footballers-as-record-covers goes; The Wedding Present had a good stab. But it wasn’t a patch on the Super Furry Animals’ appropriation of Robin Friday.”
I wish to one day write a song about Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, who plays his 300th AFL game this weekend. Do yourself a favour.
All the covers are still on, in case you were wondering. “Dear Adam.” Hello Jason Ali. “During the last Test I raised the possibility that we were effectively witnessing the cricketing funeral of Jimmy Anderson. I stand by that call. In the last week or so, things have moved on so rapidly it is almost impossible to imagine him being recalled: the King is dead, long live the King. I’d be delighted to hear of the counter arguments.”
I’d be shocked if Jimmy doesn’t play at Old Trafford. Imagine if England get this done. We move to Manchester with Smith and Anderson returning. I’ll have all of that. To your broader point, I never really expected him to go beyond this Ashes – right? On the other hand, I’d love to see him in Australia once last time.
“This is somewhat tangential to the earlier appropriate band/album suggestions,” Geoff Wignall begins – perfect for the OBO, then. “But apparently during the 1950s and ‘60s Leeds had a thriving jazz and folk scene and some blues but virtually no rock bands. According to guitar virtuoso Michael Chapman, this had a simple cause: the local police wouldn’t permit Tetley’s and rock’n’roll to coexist in the same building. I suspect the prohibition was broader than just Tetley’s but that’s just a detail.”
I’m really looking forward to a frolic this weekend. In addition to Mojo, can anyone recommend a place for me to dance to guitars?
“With all the talk about Archer, a thought for poor Mark Wood,” says David Murray. “After everyone was so excited he had recovered from his problems to be bowling super fast again he now seems to be well out of the picture.”
I don’t think he’ll ever be far away from calculations? Remember, Scyld Berry said his spell at St Lucia in February this year was the fastest he has seen for England and he’s covered 400-plus Tests.
LUNCH! It has been called, from 12:45 through to 1:25pm.
More on Steve Finn, forever a close-to-the-stumps operator. “As he was mentioned in passing a short while ago,” writes Jean Slater. “I was wondering if his time in an England shirt has gone? With Woods and Stone out for the series, would he be in contention if there were a couple of injuries in the existing seam department?”
I suspect not? BUT, how about his Middlesex teammate Toby Roland-Jones? Another big bag for the hyphen this week, I note. I hope that Finn gets back, of course. Would make a great story.
Scott Robert on him too. “Tom Carver makes a very good point about Steven Finn’s issues with bowling from close to the stumps, but I believe that good old David Saker was incredibly culpable in destroying Finn’s action, as he has tried to do with Stokes’s. You watch Stokes’s action when he first started playing, and even though he had the mad, curved run-up, he arrived at the crease very close to the stumps and rotated beautifully around his sideways on action, swinging the ball away from the right handers. If you watch him now, he doesn’t get as close to the stumps, and his arm goes beyond the perpendicular, meaning he closes his upper body off and can only angle the ball into the right hander. He’s lost his away swing. You could see exactly the same thing started happening with Finn. If you’re as sad as me, you can see the metamorphosis of both of their actions via the youtubes.”
There’s a lot going on here. I’ll jump on the ‘tube and take a look.
Back to the inbox, yeah? Before going to that, I’ll quickly note that the new grandstand looks magnificent. I loved the old view to the football stand, but they’ve done a great job. It’s not too big. Nice.
A lot of OBO love for Cud. Nick Witteveen recommends Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Cameron Derrick linking me to One Giant Love. He also wants to bring Gang of Four to my attention. “Also a potential nickname for a bowling attack?”
“Should we wait until after the end of the fifth test for Jofra to sort Brexit out, or can he do it between Tests?” asks Andrew in E7. Did everyone follow his tweets about the HDMI cable the other night? My girlfiend met Jofra I interviewed him in Cape Town last year. She doesn’t pay much attention to cricket but she always asks after him.
From the Jofradamous Archives:
All the covers are on, I’m afraid
So, four completed overs. Broad has beaten Warner’s blade five times by my count, but he’s still there. Earlier in the successful Archer set he found Harris’ edge, which ran through the cordon.
Alastair Cook on TMS is explaining batting in a mini-session like that when rain is on the way and the ball is doing plenty. “There is very little you can do other than try and survive.” Warner did, I guess. He is playing down the line and holding is shape. Small mercies.
WICKET! Harris c Bairstow b Archer 8 (Australia 12/1)
Archer has done it! Off stump, moving away delightfully. Harris edges through to Bairstow who makes no mistake. And they come off at the fall of the wicket for rain. Fantastic bowling.
4th over: Australia 12-1 (Warner 0)
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3rd over: Australia 8-0 (Warner 0, Harris 4) Warner gets a similar ball on his hip to the delivery that finished the previous over, helping to the boundary off his thigh pad. Broad is right on the mark later in the over moving the ball a mile, just evading the edge and the off-stump. “That’s perfect,” says Alastair Cook on TMS. “If Warner was in better nick he would have nicked it.” On that second point, Warner has a waft at the next ball with a horizontal bat – not pretty. Broad goes again with another borderline-unplayable, missing everything, but only just. He makes it four misses in a row with the final offering – this is ridiculous bowling! That was much fuller too. Broad runs away to cover with his hands on his hips, the bowler and batsman sharing a smile now that it’s done. How is Warner still there?
“Surely a Test Match should be seen as 90 overs x 5 days rather than each day separate?” writes Hugh Molloy. “What I’m getting at is that any overs missed today could be caught up with an early start/late finish tomorrow. Even a total washout day could be caught up. Extra session, 9:30am start, late finish, have full matches played. Just a thought.”
I find it odd that play won’t start here before 11am. In Australia, we add half an hour to the start of days rather than at the end, when bad light is always a threat – especially this late in the northern season.
2nd over: Australia 4-0 (Warner 0, Harris 4) As Archer removes his jumper and cap there is a huge roar from the Leeds faithful. He’s too wide to begin but finds his range with his third offering, darting away gorgeously off the seam. Perfect length. Oh, and he’s done it again. Both are only in the mid-80s for pace; this is about skill. It is raining nearby we’re told – can England get something from these generous conditions beforehand? Well handled by the newcomer Harris, who tickles the final delivery off the face of the bat for four.