Ashes 2021-22 fifth Test, day three: Australia set England 271 to win – live!

21st over: England 82-2 (Crawley 36, Root 0) Target 271 The crowd are up as Root comes in, but he calmly plays his first ball to point. Looking at the wicket again, Malan didn’t move his feet, and though we can perhaps blame the bouncer that hit him, he didn’t to that one either, so let’s just congratulate Green for a crucial spell.

HERE WE GO! Malan tries another run-down, and this time – like Burns before him – he plays on! This is a bazzer of a spell from the brilliant Green, and this is cooking!

21st over: England 82-1 (Crawley 36, Malan 10) Target 271 It seems like England have decided, as a collective, to throw hands at this. Malan misses with a square cut, then Green cramps him as he tries to play a run-down.

20th over: England 82-1 (Crawley 36, Malan 10) Target 271 Malan sees off four dots, then drives a single to deep backward point; he looks recovered, which reminds us that these lads are not like the rest of us because not 10 minutes ago, a hard projectile clattered his swede. I’m still not recovered, and I’m sitting at a desk in my trackies.

19th over: England 81-1 (Crawley 36, Malan 9) Target 271 Off we go again, Malan taking his time to get settled again and rightly so – that rung his bell and I daresay his ears are going still going like he’s just come out of Fabric. He lets two alone, then chucks everything at a cover drive, edging in the opposite direction past leg stump, then Crawley comes forward to show him how it’s done. That’s a gorgeous shot, and he looks a proper batter now.

19th over: England 76-1 (Crawley 32, Malan 8) Target 271 Malan is pretty decent against the quick stuff, and he carts Green – coming around – on the up, through point; that’s a delicious thunk. So Green bangs his next one in and it skids then lifts, an absolute brute. Malan tries to get out the road, swaying back and twisting neck while turning head but transfixed into keeping his feet still. Goodness me, that is unpleasant, and he wears it on the side of the lid; there’s a break while he reorientates himself and gets a new one. Cricket is hard.

18th over: England 72-1 (Crawley 32, Malan 4) Target 271 Crawley plays out a maiden from Boland with composure that is extremely disconcerting. What on earth is going on?

“More amapiano on the OBO please!” emails Gil Southwood. “Been a huge fan of Mas Musiq since I heard my neighbour blasting them out his window two years ago. Where do you put England’s chances of a win here? I’ve just woken up in a covid-riddled fugue state to 68-1, but with the openers actually doing their job, 271 seems doable. Maybe it’s the covid driving my optimism, who knows.”

By West Indies there’ll be a Spotify playlist, I promise – I do have one already, but it’s interpolated with Ghanaian tunes – though I guess Amena is Ghanaian and Nigerian too. I’m not sure about you, though, but my experience of covid, admittedly right at the start of things, tells me that it’s the polar opposite of optimism, which makes this farrago all the harder to believe.

17th over: England 72-1 (Crawley 32, Malan 4) Target 271 Pink ball, final session, pitch doing plenty; this is why we’re here. And Malan has a slash at a wide one, but because he does it with intent, he sends the ball scooting wide of gully for four, crystallising part of England’s problem through this series: they’ve been tentative in attack and defence. On the other hand, even when you pick the wrong option, if you commit to it you’ve got a better chance of getting away with it.

We go again, Green to bowl the five balls remaining in his over…

As we know, the purpose of the OBO is to share joy, so please allow me to introduce the uninitiated to this. It’s a long old time since a tune smashed me in the face like this one did – I was in Accra over Christmas and new year, it came on in a restaurant I was in, and the whole place went off.

England are so very England. That is tea, and the players troop off with Australia bouncing, despite a session and day that they’ve lost. England need 203 more to win in what’ll be an extended passage – it’s going to be an absolute jazzer, so don’t you go changing.

YOU KNOW THE KOO! In the final over before tea, Burns plays, changes his mind, leaves, and plays on! We almost sat it a few overs ago, when one bounces over the stumps, and it’s done for him now; he’s done for himself, and how might that change things?

16th over: England 68-0 (Burns 26, Crawley 32) Target 271 Crawley’s playing nicely now, especially on the on side – his timing is excellent – and he flicks Boland off the hip for four. If he can just stop nicking off, he’ll really be in business, but it looks like through the course of the series, he’s got the mental approach sorted. Well, for now at least – for almost every batter, it’s an ongoing battle.

15th over: England 64-0 (Burns 26, Crawley 28) Target 271 Again, Burns resets well, and sees away the two remaining ball of the over. Two more before tea/dinner/cocktails.

“Literally letting his hair down, Burns is playing more confidently and Crawley is naturally aggressive,” says Colum Fordham. “If England treat this as a chase – one-day style, we’re pretty good at this style of cricket – rather than grimly hanging on for survival, I think they’ve got much more of chance.”

Agreed. If they’d’ve picked the 50-over team and told them to have at it, they’d’ve posted better totals than they have.

“Nothing conclusive there,” says the umpire, and though we’re told there was a sound in Dan Norcross’ headphones, no evidence that said gone.

This is close. It’s not obviously out, but not obviously not out, so the on-pitch decision will probably rule.

15th over: England 64-0 (Burns 26, Crawley 28) Target 271 Green into the attack – what a player he’s going to be when he puts it all together; what a player he already is. And what a shot that is from Burns, a cover drive that tempts Labuschagne into a run, chase and dive; he does really well to scoop away from the boundary, but his elbow was on it while his hand was on the ball and after a look the signal is four. Burns then fends at one outside off, is caught behind, and thinks it’s gone! The umpire says no and Cummins goes upstairs again!

14th over: England 60-0 (Burns 22, Crawley 28) Target 271 I’m sure he’d say to the contrary, but Burns could well be playing for his Test career here, a circumstance which must be lurking somewhere in his mind. Happily, his hair are his aerials, man. They pick up signals from the cosmos and direct them into his brain. Anyhow, Crawley, clips Boland finer than fine for four, before missing one outside off and proceeding like it never happened. I believe they call this competence.

13th over: England 56-0 (Burns 22, Crawley 24) Target 271 Burns nudges to cover and takes a single, then Cummins beats him outside off and he responds by squirting towards wide long on for three. What this pair are doing well is resetting after each decent delivery, and as I type that, Crawley misses with a swiping pull, wearing it on the midriff, then knocks one into the on side. The highest chase to win a day-nighter is 187.

12th over: England 51-0 (Burns 19, Crawley 22) Target 271 Boland tanks through another tight one that yields but a leg bye. It’s weird to say, but it’s extremely unfraught out there; it’s extremely disorientating and I don’t know where to put myself.

It was clipping the top corner of leg, so umpire’s call and Crawley survives.

12th over: England 50-0 (Burns 19, Crawley 22) Target 271 Cummins slants one across that hits Crawley on the pad and there’s an appeal … it’s rejected, then at the last moment the skip thinks he’d best have a look…

11th over: England 50-0 (Burns 19, Crawley 22) Target 271 Crawley takes one more to midwicket, raising the fifty partnership, and England are ticking these off. During a quieter over, let’s also pay our tribute to the heroic Virat Kohli, his brilliance, attitude and edge a life-lesson in taking attacking options a one-man advert for this thing of ours.

10th over: England 49-0 (Burns 189, Crawley 21) Target 271 A single to Burns, nudges to deep backward square, and a leg bye, keep England at it. Meantime, a row of fans – presumably those who marked the start of this innings by applauding themselves for singing Jerusalem and God Save the Queen – disturb the enjoyment of those around them.

“This is all a bit unexpected, tweets Guy Hornsby. “Whatever happens – and it’ll probably be capitulation – I hope we can make a fist of it, if only for Mark Wood. He’s such a great guy and has bowled himself into the ground and finally he has figures he deserves. We’ll always have 40-0.”

Agreed on all counts; he’s been England’s best player by far, and it’s a shame his mates have let him down. Just a few days ago, Aggers made a sage case for leaving him out in this Test, given a champo-style pitch that called for the nagging accuracy of Overton. Personally, I’d have flown Darren Stevens out.

9th over: England 47-0 (Burns 18, Crawley 21) Target 271 Ah, Cummins was just changing ends, and he beats Crawley outside off, then Crawley – who’s found his groove just in time to go home – steps down and across, getting outside off to whip through midwicket for four. His top level is a very useful level; if he can raise his modal level, he can be very serious; he then adds two more with a half-batter, is beaten outside off, then flicks four more through the aforementioned midwicket! Ten off the over, giving England their highest opening partnership of the series, and they’re all over this. Crawley, in particular, is doing a great job of ignoring the balls that beat him to make the most of those that don’t.

8th over: England 37-0 (Burns 18, Crawley 11) Target 271 Cummins thanks himself and brings on Boland’s golden arm; Crawley takes one to midwicket then Burns wears the over’s final ball on the back thigh. There’s a shout but no appeal which looks right to me – it was high, though very close to the stumps – and we see that it was going over the stumps, just.

7th over: England 36-0 (Burns 18, Crawley 10) Target 271 Burns shoves Starc through cover and they run three – England’s openers are building a fine platform for the inevitable collapse, and after Crawley adds one, Burns is beaten by one that leaves him. There’s an appeal for a caught behind, but he wasn’t quick enough to edge it so Cummins opts not to review, then a defensive shot into the ground bounces and it’s going to drop onto the bails … no it isn’t! It lobs over the top as gizzard is swallowed and belched back up in time to clips for off the toes, for byes follow and that’s 12 off the over! Like I said a procession.

“It was a real treat to wake up and see Wood has a well-deserved five-wicket haul,” emails Tom van der Gucht. “No doubt, there’ll be some comments about how if Archer and Stone had stayed fit we would’ve been more competitive. But, a simple look at the stats on Cricinfo show Robinson, Broad, Anderson and (after this haul fairly reflected the quality of his bowling) Wood show the bowlers have averaged under 30 for their wickets highlighting the disappointing batting displays and mishandling of the spine department. Who knows, if Leach had played more last summer and arrived with better rhythm and confidence, or, if Parkinson had been given a pop at the champ, the Aussie middle and lower order would’ve been restricted too.”

Imagine the muddle England’s selectors would’ve got themselves into with a compliment from which to select! But yeah, Archer was a huge miss.

6th over: England 24-0 (Burns 11, Crawley 9) Target 271 This is terrific, intense stuff and the contest we hoped this series might be. That it’s gone differently reflects lots of things – bubble life, the excellence of Australia’s attack, the poverty of England’s batting, some poor calls from England’s brains trust. But what’s been disappointing is that England are capable of better – not better enough, but better – and Crawley comes forward to create a half0volley, driving Cummins down the ground for four, the only runs from the over.

5th over: England 20-0 (Burns 11, Crawley 5) Target 271 Burns drops Starc into the pitch and Crawley wants a single, but the now-wise Burns sends him back. His hair looks extremely lank under that lid, like an an early-70s dweeb thinking he’s Charlie George, and when Starc strays straight he clips him off the toes for four, then slashes at a wide one, so poorly he misses it. England have broken the back of this one now.

4th over: England 16-0 (Burns 7, Crawley 5) Target 271 Thanks Sam and, as the man who saw three holes in the ground, “Well, well, well.” Like you, I’m thinking yeah, England can do this, at the same time as thinking “Ahahahahahaha!”, and as I type that, a thick edge from Crawley flies past a diving Khawaja at three and scoots to the fence for four more. Furthermore, we now know that lb appeal in the previous over was out; it’s a procession!

3rd over: England 12-0 (Burns 7, Crawley 1)

Starc appeals for LBW but Crawley’s inside edged onto pad. There’s no real interest. He has three slips and a gully, the usual set up. No sign of swing yet, maybe a little seam. He’s on Crawley’s hip and the youngster turns him easily to long leg. Starc nearly beats his defence as Burns comes across the ball, but again no real interest. Once Starc moves it, Burns looks to be struggling.

That’s me! Dan Harris will take over now. Cheers for the company.

2nd over: England 11-0 (Burns 7, Crawley 0)

Burns leaves the first two from Cummins, and the next hits him near the nethers. He seems fine, so it probably missed him. Burns’ outside edge gathers him two more as he runs it between slip and gully.

1st over: England 9-0 (Burns 5, Crawley 0)

Mitchell Starc has four shadows spiking out from his person, which means it’s time for the lights. Burns takes strike, hair billowing from his helmet. The second ball squares him up and his edge flies between third slip and gully. He gets four. 267 to win. Starc responds with one that takes Burns’ stomach. Burns eventually punches one to cover for a run. Starc can’t get the radar right with his first to Crawley – it’s well down leg. The next flicks Crawley’s pad and races to the rope, too. Nine from the over.

Colum writes in: Hi Sam, Lovely to see Mark Wood’s smile as he uproots Cummins’ stumps. Throroughly deserved 6-37. Brilliant bowling, ably supported by Broad. I hope it’s not the last smile we see from the England team as they tackle the not insignificant total of 271 against Cummins, Starc and co. I’d love to see Crawley counter-attacking but this is going to be tough. Best, Colum Fordham

Sensational display from Mark Wood, and he’s given his country something in the realms of possibility to chase. It will be a phenomenal effort to do so in these conditions and in the context of the series, but they’re in with a chance. There’s still 58 overs left in the day – we’re going to get a good sense of things before the day’s done!

Bang. Cummins slogs, shows all three stumps, Wood hits them. Six wickets for Mark Wood. Brilliant bowling. 6-37 all up. Career best for him.

56th over: Australia 155-9 (Cummins 13, Lyon 4)

Carey goes, bringing Lyon to the crease. He looks great. He gets two to deep square, then middles a drive down the ground that Rory Burns somehow knees away at mid off, allowing Lyon to get two more. Wood’s going again. He deserves another.

Carey’s caught behind! He falls one short of what would have been a well-deserved half century. He lunged forward to stroke Broad through cover, but it took his inside edge and was taken by Billings, who now has five dismissals.

55th over: Australia 151-8 (Carey 49, Cummins 13)

Carey’s now farming the strike, refusing a single out to deep point half way through the over. He’s happy to sit back and defend. But then, as is always the way, Carey gets a single from the final ball, and keeps the strike.

54th over: Australia 150-8 (Carey 48, Cummins 13)

Broad to Cummins and Wood to Carey is the “match-up” Australia wants. So England offers Cummins space on the off side – he finds it and takes a single. Australia wants the runs. Carey then flashes Broad to the point boundary sweeper and gets his own single. Cummins has to duck under the next. Cummins declines a run on the last ball.

53rd over: Australia 148-8 (Carey 47, Cummins 12)

Wood is in to Carey with that sharp angle around the wicket, and he falls over as the first one flies past Carey on the leg side. Carey is nearly chest-on when Wood delivers – it’s not Shiv Chanderpaul but it’s a gateway to Chanderpaul. It’s working – Carey sways back and cuts Wood over point for four! He moves to 47, and Australia to 263 ahead.

52nd over: Australia 144-8 (Carey 43, Cummins 12)

Broad takes up the mantle from the other end, and he’s in the Carey who steers him behind point and calls “two!” straight away. He gets them. He’s on the front foot and defending thereafter, and he’s able to open the face and gather one in front of point with a ball remaining. They may have wanted to keep him on strike there. Cummins defends the last, he’ll be happy up that end.

51st over: Australia 141-8 (Carey 40, Cummins 12)

Wood around the wicket to Cummins with dark clouds overhead, and it’s nasty straight away. A few balls in and we see Cummins slapped with one on his left tricep. He’s jumping, bouncing, and using his bat to cover his face. He screams “no!” when refusing a run a little louder than normal. He ducks the fifth with more certitude – maybe that’s the way to go. A play and miss to finish the over off.

On the face of it, that was an excellent session for England. They’ve found six wickets, and they’re so close to giving themselves something achievable to chase. Mark Wood was sensational, tearing in and terrorising the Australians with pace and bounce, getting himself five wickets in the process. He may yet nab two more.

He’s been supported by Broad, who’s gone very close with a few LBW shouts, and Chris Woakes, whose no-ball dismissal of Alex Carey has the legal eagles scrambling for interpretation. In short, it was extremely close but for what it’s worth (little), this author didn’t see anything behind the line.

Alex Carey has been the beneficiary of a bit of luck, but has played with toughness and positivity to finish 40 not out here. It’s been a crucial innings in the context of the match.

Many will think Australia have more than enough already, and that may be so, but this has been an excellent effort from England this session to bring themselves back into the game. They need to finish off Australia quickly, and somehow navigate Cummins, Starc, Boland and Green under lights to give themselves a shot.

We’ll be back to chronicle it all in half an hour or so.

50th over: Australia 141-8 (Carey 40, Cummins 12)

Cummins hacks Broad to deep mid wicket and it’s cut off, but not before Cummins gets two. He then drives for one, left of mid off. Carey steers then next past gully and for three as Broad shouts “no!” Australia’s lead passes 250. Last ball before the dinner break, and Carey pulls Broad for four in front of mid wicket. 11 from the over to finish for Australia.

49th over: Australia 130-8 (Carey 33, Cummins 8)

Wood is around the wicket to Cummins and Australia’s skipper dabs one behind point which goes all the way to the rope. Malan, sliding in, should have stopped that. Wood then slams one in to Cummins’ glove but there’s a run – he’s only centimetres away from breaking his arm, surely! Carey’s now backing away and trying to loft, but unsuccessfully. He goes inside the line of the next and pulls a single to deep backward square. Cummins fends one just past Pope at bat pad, and gets one.

48th over: Australia 123-8 (Carey 32, Cummins 2)

Cummins leaves Broad’s first and it seams back prodigiously and flies just over the off bail. We’re in the final throes of this innings, I feel. How do England’s top order feel? The ball is still moving pretty sharply – it will be a hell of a chase if England can pull it off.

47th over: Australia 122-8 (Carey 32, Cummins 1)

Wood gets Starc, and that’s five wicket! He then delivers a searing yorker to Cummins, around the wicket, which cannons into Cummins’ toe! It’s given! Cummins reviews, and it looks like it might be missing the stumps on the angle, and it is. Cummins laughs. My God, the double bluff at 147km/hr. Cummins is trying to survive by crabbing across and getting out of the way. Wood is over the wicket for the last ball – it’s short, and Cummins somehow scrambles a run with the ball landing in between what seems like 87 fielders on the leg side.

Starc fends Wood from inside edge to thigh-pad and it pops up to Ollie Pope at bat pad. Too fast. That’s five for Wood, richly deserved.

46th over: Australia 121-7 (Carey 32, Starc 1)

Starc tucks Broad to fine leg, Carey gets two to deep backward point, Broad is then up for another LBW, celebrappeal and all, and it looks adjacent. But Carey reviews and it’s pitching outside leg! Everything else looked very out, but the replay shows it was – in Brett Lee’s words – ‘a tenth of a millimetre’ outside leg. “Oh what?” says Stuart Broad. Carey gets two to midwicket.

45th over: Australia 116-7 (Carey 28, Starc 0)

Carey gets a run to backward square leg and it means Wood gets a crack at Starc, but the first – a bouncer – is fumbled by Billings behind the stumps as it didn’t carry all the way. They get a run. Strange. Big shout for one down leg to Carey, but it’s flicked Carey’s jumper. Carey gets a nasty one later on that Carey doesn’t know much about, it hammers his glove and he survives.

44th over: Australia 112-7 (Carey 24, Starc 0)

So Broad gets the breakthrough, and Starc comes to the crease. Let’s hold it there and go to Wood, who’s back on at the other end. He’s about to get peppered.

Green is forward but he’s playing across Broad, who is zeroing in on off stump. He misses, it strikes the pad, and the review goes England’s way. This game is close!

Broad into his work now, a new spell. Green is looking more assured on the front foot. Oh Lord, another celebrappeal from Broad is turned down by Umpire Wilson, and there’s four overthrows? Well they’ve reviewed. It’s close…

43rd over: Australia 111-6 (Green 23, Carey 24)

Ooooh, Woakes gets Green’s outside edge and it hares past Crawley at second slip for four. Woakes then resumes the ascendancy, beating Green’s bat twice more in the same area. There’s another edge to finish and it too rolls past the slips and to the rope. Crucial runs, etc.

From King Thonger: “Good morning Sam, Is it just the new technology that’s causing the problem. For example, Lillee and Botham didn’t bowl a single no ball in their entire careers. There are others equally famous. https://crickettimes.com/2020/07/cricketers-who-never-bowled-a-no-ball-in-their-international-career/

But would they have got through a career in the current era unchallenged? Discuss
Also, can somebody smuggle a triple Jägerbomb out to Mark Wood pronto and get him back on? This is over otherwise.”

42nd over: Australia 103-6 (Green 15, Carey 24)

More pressure as Robinson ties Carey in knots. Carey is getting forward but he can’t find a way out. At one point he’s trying to whip it from outside off to leg but it beats him. Eventually he squirts past gully, and there’s two runs.

41st over: Australia 101-6 (Green 15, Carey 21)

Woakes is faithfully pursuing “the channel” and he’s beating Green’s outside edge repeatedly. Green just about hangs in there. Double maiden. Game very evenly poised here.

40th over: Australia 101-6 (Green 15, Carey 21)

Carey is managing Robinson now, and it’s remarkable how often he inside edges the ball. He’s struggling to play the Englishman, playing and missing at a couple per over. Maiden.