A mid-afternoon duel between two contrasting, charismatic characters eclipsed the match situation at Lord’s for a while. For once the back-page headlines were trustworthy. The critical contest was between Jofra Archer, England’s newest and fastest paceman, and Steve Smith, the indomitable former Test captain of Australia returning to his cherished natural habitat in the middle order, and it had a full house spellbound.
True pace bowling has always been a compelling spectacle and on the sort of balmy day when a post-prandial nap had its attractions Archer and Smith commanded the absolute attention of everyone. The rhythmic clapping of spectators in time with Archer’s cruise to the crease kept even the well-lubricated awake. Sometimes the ball flew way over the outstretched gloves of Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps.
It was a flamboyant cover drive from Smith that seemed to trigger Archer to press his accelerator to the limit. Australia’s finest was hit on the arm, which prompted him to flap at a couple short deliveries as the radar traced a cricket ball travelling in excess of 95mph. Then, on 80, Smith was felled by a short ball that struck his neck just below the helmet. He sank to the ground and stayed there for a while; eventually he was helped to his feet; the medics examined him. Smith wanted to stay but he was persuaded by the experts to go back to the pavilion. He must have been a bit disorientated since he set off without his precious bat, which was still lying at the crease.
Out came Peter Siddle as we tried to gauge the significance of what we had just witnessed. Before long Siddle was dismissed by Chris Woakes and peering into the distance there was the sight of the new batsman fidgeting elaborately as he entered the playing surface. This was a new routine for Nathan Lyon; then, to general consternation, came the realisation that this was not Lyon but Smith. He proceeded to strike three boundaries from various parts of his bat, whereupon he padded up to a straight ball from Woakes. He reviewed the lbw and yet immediately set off for the pavilion.
For once Smith was not in absolute control of the situation – and he had just missed out on his third consecutive century.
Archer had bowled eight overs and taken 1-31 in that mid-afternoon spell, mundane-looking figures that disguised the significance of his spell.
This was manna from heaven for any captain, pace on a different plane to ordinary mortals and for the first time in the series he had made Smith, the titan of Edgbaston, look like an ordinary mortal. Stuart Broad and Woakes took more wickets as Australia were bowled out for 250 but this was the day that Archer announced himself as a cricketer likely to adorn the Test scene for a long time provided he stays fit.
Even a diminished Smith was central to Australia almost matching England’s total. This is not a sub-standard pitch but batting remains a trial. Aside from Smith the only contributions of note came from the patient vigils of Tim Paine and Pat Cummins. They were reluctant to attack an accurate Jack Leach, which suggested that priority number one for Australia was to protect their 1-0 lead rather than go full steam ahead for a second victory. However, those priorities may have changed once England started batting and the delicacy of the match situation took over once again.
It has not been a great series for opening batsmen, with only Rory Burns prospering so far. For Jason Roy the pursuit of a 21st century positive is tricky but not quite impossible: he avoided a pair. He tucked a single on the leg side but in the fifth over a leading edge against a short ball from Cummins was athletically held by the back-pedalling bowler.
Already Roy’s position must be up for debate among the selectors. There is even the rare possibility – as a round of Championship matches start today – that a significant score in county cricket might trigger a change, though this might require Joe Denly to join Burns at the top of the order with the introduction of a middle order/number three specialist. There is little evidence to suggest Root is enjoying his elevation to number three. He was out first ball.
Cummins steamed in, hit a length and Root’s forward push ended with an edge into the gloves of Paine. Root offered an anguished look at a surface with which he is rapidly falling out of love and set off on the long walk back. Burns and Denly contrived a partnership of 55 aided by a couple of escapes.
Denly was dropped on seven by David Warner; on 24 Burns would have been lbw to Lyon if the Australians had reviewed – the same applied when Ben Stokes was facing the off-spinner later in the day.
Then Siddle clung on to a return drive to remove Denly and in his next over delivered a snorter, which found the edge of Burns’s bat. In the meantime Stokes, promoted to number five, snatched six runs from an over from Lyon.
All those runs came from the edge of his bat and he was also dropped at slip by Warner. This was harum-scarum cricket as the prospect of a draw dipped with the setting sun. However, Stokes and Jos Buttler hung in for the last three-quarters of an hour. England lead by 104 with six wickets remaining and 98 overs to go. Watch out.
