365 Sporting Days

Time has run out on me, more photos to follow, sleep and Day 2 beckon

The first England test match of the summer saw them playing Ireland, an historic first test match for the Irish against England and at Lord’s. Add in the fact that this was the first 4 day match for England in the test arena and history was being made.

The overs to be bowled was increased to 98, with the day extended to cover that eventuality.

England were still in search of an opener and the much vaunted Jason Roy got the call. His debut wasn’t an auspicious one, he was caught by Stirling from the bowling of Tim Murtagh, in the 3rd over, for 5, having survived a plumb LBW with a No Ball.

That brought Joe Denly to the crease, could the Kent stalwart make the 3 slot his own for the Ashes?

Denly played some great shots, reaching the boundary several times with ‘proper’ cricket shots. He was lucky with a ball from Mark Adair, the ball hitting the edge of his bat then his legs. But a ball later he was trapped LBW by Adair and was gone for 26. England were 36 for 2 in the 10th over.

Rory Burns who’d battled for 6 from 24 Balls was out in the next over, caught by Wilson having swished his bat at a Murtagh ball. England were 36 for 3.

Jonny Bairstow joined Joe Root, his first few balls were strange, the umpires seemed to have an issue with how he was standing. (a friend sitting sideways to the wicket thinks they objected to where Bairstow was standing outside the crease and taking his mark, the TV replay has just confirmed that) He then pulled out, walking to the side of the wicket, almost as Murtagh released the ball, said ball hit the stumps but was called dead.

Mark Adair struck in the next over, he trapped Root LBW, it was given not out initially, but he was clearly plumb on the review. A successful first review for Ireland! The England captain was out for 2 and England were 42 for 4 in the 12th over.

It was hard to keep up! Tim Murtagh got his revenge on Bairstow for his mucking about, clean bowling him in his next over for a Duck!

Chris Woakes lasted 2 balls before he was trapped LBW for a Duck, he reviewed but was deemed to be out, that was 4 for 10 for Murtagh and England were 42 for 6.

What a tremendous 70 minutes of cricket for Ireland! Things got better when Murtagh took his 5th wicket! Moeen was caught by Wilson, for, you guessed it, a Duck! And England were 43 for 7 at 12:20. Murtagh had 5 for 11, incredible!

Tim Murtagh was warmly applauded as he came out onto the boundary, and rightly so!

Stuart Broad was next in and next out. A whisker of an edge to a Boyd Rankin ball another catch for Wilson, and he was gone for 3. England were 59 for 8, the time was 12:45 , would they last until lunch at 1:15?

Ollie Stone came in for his debut innings with England in all sorts of difficulties  Sam Curran looked in good nick, but in a great piece of captaincy a short leg fielder had been introduced and Curran was caught from the bowling of Rankin. He’d made 16 and England were 67 for 9 in the 21st over and looking unlikely to reach lunch. 

 Notably Ollie Stone hit 2 wonderful shots for 4 in the 22nd over, shots a top order batsman would be proud of.

England’s misery was complete however when Stone was clean bowled by Adair. They they were all out for 85 from just 23.4 overs at around 1pm, a5 minutes short of the planned lunch break! 

That misery was matched by Ireland’s joy. What a bowling performance! It’s going to be one of those, ‘I was there’ mornings! 

Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes opened the bowling for England. And Porterfield and McCollum opened the batting for Ireland. They put on a steady 29 in the first 10 overs. Ollie Stone bowled that 10th over from the Nursery End replacing Woakes. I’d have had a change at the Pavilion end too, bringing the left handed Sam Curran on to bowl. I find Broad beyond frustrating at times, he rarely attacks the stumps. 

Porterfield was hit hard on the head by a ball from Stone, eventually a physio appeared, drinks were taken while he was checked and deemed ok to carry on.

Sam Curran did indeed replace Broad and  he took the wicket of Porterfield with his first ball, he tried to hook the ball, but didn’t get enough on the shot, it went straight to Leach, he was out for 14 and Ireland were 32 for 1 in the 13th over.

McCollum batted really well for his 19 but was clean bowled by Sam Curran in the 19th over. Ireland were 45 for 2.

Broad had a catch dropped from an Andrew Balbirnie shot, the ball went between Root and Bairstow, that was a keepers catch for me. Ireland moved to 63 for 2 after 22 overs

Jack Leach replaced Curran. From the Pavilion end. Paul Stirling reverse swept his first 3 balls, scoring 8, with 9 for the over Ireland were just 14 runs behind England.

Root dropped Stirling on the first ball of Broad’s next over, I can only imagine the expression on Broad’s face! Ireland reached England’s score of 85 at 3:43 after 25 overs.

The 50 partnership beteeen Balbirnie and Stirling came up in the 27th over in just 47 Balls, the 100 for Ireland came up in the same over. Balbirnie reached his 50 just before tea and Ireland restarted on 127 for 2 

Stuart Broad trapped Stirling LBW just after the break, Stirling appealed, but the hitting wickets was on umpires call and Stirling was out for 36 from 33 balls. Ireland were 132 for 3

Ollie Stone’s maiden test wicket is one he won’t forget, an 88mph ball that demolished Balbirnie’s middle stump, he was out for 55 and Ireland were 138 for 4, his second came a couple of balls later, Gary Wilson edged the ball to Joe Root at chest level and he was caught for a Duck. Make that 138 for 5 

Broad bowled a peach of a ball to bowl Thompson for a Duck, the ball seemed to turn a corner at the last moment. That brought Broad level with Dale Steyn on 439 test wickets.

Curran’s third for the match came in the 44th over, just after the tea beak. Adair hit the ball onto his own stumps. He was out for 4 and Ireland were 149 for 7.

Kevin O’Brien got hit in the chest by a Broad ball, it took an age for anyone to take any notice of him, in fact it seems to me not a single England player checked he was ok, which is regrettable. He was ok after a drink, but he’ll no doubt have a huge bruise.

It’s amazing what can happen when Broad bowls at the stumps, he dislodged McBrine’s bails to take the 18th wicket of the day. McBrine scored 11 and Ireland were 174 for 8.

That 18 equalled the highest number of wickets taken in a day at Lord’s, that being in the 1800’s.  That was to be over taken

Tim Murtagh the star of the Irish bowling line up belted Broad to the boundary on consecutive balls with Ireland reaching a lead of 100 as he did so.  He dealt with his first ball from Stone in the same way with a lovely shot, but he holed out on the next ball, caught by Burns, he was out for 16 and Ireland were 195 for 9.

I imagine Jason Roy and Rory Burns were hoping the final wicket wouldn’t fall with the clock on 6:35, but the hugely tall Rankin was bowled by Moeen Ali for 7 and Ireland were all out for 207 at around 6:50. That left enough time for England to face 1 over. Rory Burns and Jack Leach came out, with Leach facing Murtagh for that one over.

A slightly bizarre end to a fairly incredible day of cricket, one Ireland and their fans will never forget. Day 2 is due to bring temperatures of 39 degrees, what will it bring for this England batting line up?