Key events
86th over: Australia 419-8 (Starc 22, Boland 0) Just a single off Jofra’s latest as Australia increase the lead to 85 runs.
Sandy C is a bit confuddled:
“What’s with the Star Wars take over of the Gabba? And why is ‘I want it that way’ by Backstreet Boys the song of choice for the Barmy Army trumpeter?”
No idea on the former or indeed the latter. That is an ear worm by the Backstreet Boys though, I’ll be “Tell me why-ing!” inadvertently at some point today no doubt. A memory soars into my cortex of my eldest brother performing that song acapella in front of our whole school in 1999. And you think you’ve got cojones. Let’s just say it’s a punchy key change.
85th over: Australia 418-8 (Starc 21, Boland 0) Atkinson continues. Starc tries a big yahooo but misses. He takes a single off the fourth ball to leave Boland with two balls to face. Atkinson beats hime with beauty to finish with. Where was this length yesterday fellas?
Paul O’Neil speaks for a lot of awaking English fans:
Hi Jim, I’m already anxious about England batting. I was here two weeks ago – that Saturday morning collapse – and it literally ruined my weekend. I’m 51, I’ve got a mortgage and a pile of marking to do. I don’t need this s**t.”
84th over: Australia 417-8 (Starc 20, Boland 0) Scott Boland is the new man but as Atkinson struck off the final ball of the over he won’t be on strike. Starc turns down what could have been an easy two off Archer. Not sure about that. He does take a single off the fifth ball of the over so Archer will have one ball at Boland. A fast ball from Archer but Boland plays it well, dropping his hands and letting it pass through to Smith.
WICKET! Alex Carey c Smith b Atkinson 63 (Australia 416-8)
Gus Atkinson gets his first wicket of the series and it is the big one of Alex Carey! A wild swish is edged and caught by Smith. England don’t celebrate with gleeful abandon, understandably but that is a big wicket, Carey could have made things a whole lot worse for them this morning. The lead stands at 82, Australia have two wickets left.
83rd over: Australia 417-8 (Starc 19, Boland 0)
82nd over: Australia 412-7 (Carey 60, Starc 18) Archer takes the new ball from the Stanley St end. Carey gets in a tangle to a short ball but gets off strike. Starc then clips a wayward leg side ball for four down to fine leg. Directly underneath the OBO’s perch some Bobby’s on the beat arrive to sit in the next bank of seats to the Gabbatroopers. Could get spicy a little later on.
This partnership between Starc and Carey goes into the 30s, the lead is up to 78 for Australia.
81st over: Australia 407-7 (Carey 59, Starc 14) Gus Atkinson has still not taken a wicket in the series. Every over that sees the scoreboard tick over is a double wound for England in that it is more deficit to knock off before they can even think about setting as fourth innings target, it is also more time spent under the baking sun and the more time they will be batting under the trickier nighttime conditions later on today. Hang on, maybe that is a triple wound?
80th over: Australia 404-7 (Carey 58, Starc 12) Starc guides Stokes for two and a brace of singles are picked off to make if four off the over.
“Hello Jim. Gervase Greene here. I presume they are holding back Jofra Archer for the new ball, but given England need a double breakthrough RIGHT NOW do you think that is wise? Archer is supposed to be their premier strike weapon, and Australia will be about 100 ahead by then. Maybe more. The aphorism about horses having bolted comes to mind…”
The new ball is indeed being taken, Gus Atkinson is going to have first use.
79th over: Australia 401-7 (Carey 57, Starc 12) Brydon Carse is flogged away for consecutive boundaries by Mitchell Starc! I’m sorry but that is poor bowling – short and with plenty of width for Start to throw the bat at it. That brings up Australia’s 400 and the lead is stretched to 67 runs. We’re into dangerous territory already for England after that loose Carse over. They need three quick strikes here to have any hope.
Never fear England fans, there’s one more over til the new ball. Oh, you’re still thiknig about that ominous lead aren’t you?
78th over: Australia 392-7 (Carey 57, Starc 2) Just a single off Stokes to Carey and Starc is beaten by a beauty that skims past the outside edge.
77th over: Australia 391-7 (Carey 56, Starc 2) “Those Gabbatroopers. Are they from Starc Wars?” asks Andrew Goudie. BuddddummmChhhh.
They certainly gave their man a hearty cheer as he arrived in the middle. Alex Carey gives them even more to audibly appreciate with a ramp off Carey for a one bounce four. A tucked single to leg brings Starc on strike and the tall fast bowler nearly runs his partner out with a sketchy single off his first ball! Stokes’ throw was a wild one in the end and the single is safely notched.
76th over: Australia 383-7 (Carey 50, Starc 0) Mitchell Starc joins Carey in the middle. We might see some opening of the shoulders here now.
WICKET! Michael Neser c Smith b Stokes 16 (Australia 383-7)
Carey angles away for a single that takes him to 50. The Aussie crowd stand and applaud. He’s a dangerous player, England will be very wary of him taking the game well out of their reach. He was dropped on nought of couse, penny for Ben Duckett’s thoughts.
Gone! Stokes punches the air with a real look of determination as he gets rid of Michael Neser with his final ball. A regulation nick and Jamie Smith holds the chance. England get an early breakthrough.
75th over: Australia 382-6 (Carey 49, Neser 16) Carse slams down some short stuff into the middle of the pitch, Carey and Neser are watchful and pick up singles into the vacant leg side with the feel spread. Carey keeps strike with a single and goes onto 49.
74th over: Australia 379-6 (Carey 47, Neser 15) Stokes starts around the wicket to the left-handed Alex Carey. Two slips in place. The first ball is defended for a dot and the next is guided behind point for a single that brings up the fifty partnership between Carey and Neser. It’s a wounding one for England.
Stokes bustles through the over, finding a good length and four dots to Neser. Brydon Carse is going to start from the other end, he had a bruising day yesterday, a couple of wickets here would take the edge off.
England gather on the boundary edge, the sun is beating down here in Brisbane, it is 29 degrees and quite humid. Hot enough for the pitch-side broadcasters to be sheltering under parasols.
Ben Stokes and Joe Root share a giggle as they wait to enter the field of play. They look pretty relaxed but they’ll know deep down this is it.
Pantomime boos ring out from the Gabbatroopers as England take the field, followed by throaty chears for Carey and Neser.
Right here we go. Buckle up. Ben Stokes is going to start with the ball from the Stanley Street End. BIG FIRST HOUR. Let’s play!
These guys are sat right beneath us. No chance they’ll put me off my OBO-ing stride. (Gulp)
“Call that a pithy update Wallooooo, you SUCK!”
The new ball is seven overs away for England, the huge question is how long and how many for Australia with the bat. The lead stands at 44, which already feels seismic given how England – bar Joe Root – batted in the first innings. A lead of over 100 could be terminal for England.
There’s talk in the press box from the more misty eyed English journos of today being the day for a Harry Brook special. That’d make things interesting wouldn’t it?
We’ve got ten minutes until day three gets underway. Did I mention – BIG FIRST HOUR!
We interrupt this broadcast…
“Hi Jim, over in New Zealand, West Indies are 415 for 6 needing 116 more for a ridiculous victory in the final session. It is simply glorious.”
Thanks Yacine Semmar. Down to 106 now… are the West Indies going to break their own World Record?
We’re about 35 minutes away from that BIG FIRST HOUR. Time for me to tap up the media centre barista here at the Gabba and for you to delve into Ali Martin’s roundup of day two.
If you are tuning in then please do whang me down an email like a Brydon Carse short ball, all of your thoughts, theories, lamentations and gleeful crowings are welcome.
(Sort of)
Simon Burnton had the misfortune to have to write about one of England’s worst performances with the ball in recent memory.
Steve Smith looked ominously good for Australia yesterday before falling to an all-timer grab from Will Jacks.
Not before he notched up his 80th Test match fifty and his 26th against the old enemy.
Only two players have more in all of Ashes history — Jack Hobbs and Don Bradman. Smith is now level with Allan Border.
Geoff Lemon was watching on:
England had a shocker yesterday, five catches spilt, the cost of a couple – Alex Carey and Michael Neser – are yet to be fully told. Carey was on nought when Ben Duckett shelled him. The pint sized opener is having a match to forget, so far…
Preamble
James Wallace
The anticipation of death is worse than death itself ?
Death smiles at us all, all we can do is smile back.
For you are in Elysium and you are already dead.
We could go on. Here we are, three and a half years in the making and four days into the series and the Ashes are already on the line. Are we about to witness the Death of Bazball? The great unravelling of the great experiment? Or are Ben Stokes’ England side going to roar back into the series with one of their great days to follow directly on from one of their worst? Sat here at the Gabba, I know which one feels more likely.
Australia are 378-6 with Alex Carey and Michael Neser well set, a lead of 44 runs on first innings. The sun is beating down and to say this first hour of day three is crucial for the rest of the series is, for once, under playing it.
Hello and welcome to the OBO of day three of the second Ashes Test from Brisbane.
It looks like we might’ve made it to the end?
