365 Sporting Days

Going a bit out of order here. I’ll come back to days 3 & 4! I woke up in Stratford upon Avon around 30 miles from Edgbaston to the sound of torrential rain, that meant I didn’t rush to leave the house I was staying in. I had (stupidly) booked the RSC for As You Like It on Day 4, there was no way I was leaving the cricket! So my money was in effect donated.

I arrived in the Tom Dollery Lounge at around 10 and enjoyed a bacon roll and the company of 3 lovely Warwickshire fans, a Father & son (Joe) and Joe’s Father in Law, we chatted sports galore and laughed lots! That was just what I needed as my brother’s obituary had been posted that morning and the various lovely responses really affected me, in a good way, but a teary way.

Play started at around 2:15 with old hands Jimmy Sanderson and Stuart Broad bowling to Usman Khawaja and Scott Boland. England required 7 wickets, Australia 174 runs with 67 overs to be bowled in what was left of the day.

The sky was cloudy but the sun was showing it’s face by 2:45. Every shot by the batters was fabulous according to the Australian supporter behind me, every ball bowled the same for all the England fans! Ben Stokes went for one of his ‘unusual’ fields and Broad a bouncer, followed by the perfect ball, which was edged to Bairstow by Boland, that was 1 down! Australia were 121 for 4, they needed 160 runs. Travis Head was up next! He was welcomed by Jimmy.

Head came into this match on the back of an innings of 163 against India in the WTC Final at the Oval. He weathered the 4 balls he had to face from Broad, with Khawaja refused a single from the final ball, but taking a single from his first ball from change bowler Ollie Robinson. Which was odd. That single being the only run from the over.

England were restricting Australia well, hoping for a frustrated shot. Both Robinson and Broad were pinged for No Balls, the tally at the end will be very interesting to see.

Head hit a boundary from Moeen, on with his poor injured finger but he fell to a snorter from Mo, to be caught by Root standing at slip! That was 5 down, 5 to go! Australia required 138 runs. Next in was the massive Cameron Green.

Jimmy replaced Broad from the Pavilion End, I must share the words of a neighbour, ‘the only way we won’t win it, is if they win it’ he of course meant it won’t be a Draw! But, ha ha!

Green was challenged to say the least, but no wicket for Jimmy. A couple of overs on Moeen bowled a horrible full toss which was naturally sent to the boundary for 4 by Khawaja. Moeen had bowled the same 29 overs Lyon did in the first innings and paid for it with a nasty blister/injury on his spin finger.

Moeen continued, and gave away just a couple of runs in his next over. Khawaja was battling on, he’d batted on every day of this test, giving barely any chances as he toiled away. The fact he reached 50 from 118 balls passed everyone by. Australia were slowly building and needed 108 with 42 overs remaining.

In a Jimmy over when Jimmy bowled a No Ball he was hit for Four by Green, a lovely straight drive. With 10 minutes to tea Joe Root replaced Moeen. Root turned hit his 5th ball and conceded just 1 run. Australia needed a round 100 from 40 overs.

We all went for tea, where I got the scone I missed out on the day before, through helping a lady in a wheelchair. Robinson came out with fire in his belly, bouncing Khawaja a couple of times. The 4th ball of his next over saw Green’s bails removed! And that was 6 gone! Green had scored 28 valuable runs and Australia needed 89 runs from 33.2 overs. England needed 4 wickets!

Ben Stokes took the ball for the 6th over after tea, he tends to make things happen, but just restricted Khawaja and Carey to 2 runs. His 2nd over saw the seemingly immovable Khawaja BOWLED!! Australia were 7 down and required 72 runs, the ball caught an inside edge to clatter into the stumps. Khawaja was beyond disappointed, he’d had a truly a amazing game, adding 65 to his tally in this innings.

Root challenged Carey in his next over, bowling a maiden. 24 overs left 72 runs required! Nail biting stuff! Ben Stokes bowled, a maiden.

Joe Root felt he’d trapped Carey LBW and with 3 reviews left England went for the review, sadly, for England the ball was missing the wickets and Carey survived! 1 run was conceded and Root basically saved Umpire Erasmus as Carey hit the ball, hard in his direction.

Pat Cummins lived dangerously as Stokes was bowling, hitting it in the air it was just too far for Pope to get his hands on it. 67 required from 21 overs. That was reduced by 4 from Root’s 2nd ball as Cummins times his shot perfectly. Those were the only runs, 63 from 20 overs and showers on the horizon apparently. Stokes conceded a run, 62 from 19.

Root conceded 8 runs, 54 from 18, which shows the absolute difference to T20 where teams regularly score 200 in 20 overs. A maiden over from Stokes and the new ball was eschewed. And wow that worked! Carey was challenged by Root’s first and caught by him on the 3rd! A brilliant catch! 8 down and Australia had 227, they required 54 in 16 overs. 2 wickets for England.

We had a drinks break at 6:21, with 15 overs remaining. We were in the final hour and Australia required 51 runs.

Cummins leathered a 6 from Root’s 3rd ball then ran 2, followed by a 6 from the 5th ball, a huge over for Australia. Australia required 37 from 14 overs and that, brought a change of bowlers in Broad but not the new ball,

Australia were trying to win this match, not draw it! We thought Stokes had caught Lyon, he had the ball in his hand, but dropped it as he landed. Cummins hit a 4 on the 4th ball of Broad’s over. A decent ball from Broad kept Cummins away from the strike. 30 required from 13 overs.

Still no new ball but Robinson from the City end. Lyon got hit on the head with the 3rd ball of the over. 3 runs from the over and the new ball was taken, the old was 85 overs old. 27 runs required from 12 overs. Broad took the new ball. Lyon weathered 3 balls and hit a straight drive for 4 from the 4th. 4 from the over, 23 needed from 11 overs.

Cummins was playing a brilliant innings and having taken the gap to 16 he got himself back on strike. 15 runs, 2 wickets at 6:50 on Day 5.

Lyon took a single from Broad’s over and we were at 14 runs required, with 9 overs showing but 28 minutes of the hour remaining.

7 o’clock and 12 runs required, 8 overs showing. That 12 was reduced to 5 as amongst other things Lyon hit a 4 from Broad’s bowling. At 19:07 on Day 5 this match was nearly done!

Robinson’s over was a maiden. 5 runs required at 19:12. 6 overs showing. Lyon hit a single to bring Cummins back on strike, 4 required. That run brought the 50 partnership up!

Cummins took a single from the last ball to take the strike, 3 required. He went for it, maybe for a single, but he got a 4 and the game was run. Cummins had 44 from 73 balls, one of THE captain’s innings of any Ashes! A

An incredible game of cricket, congratulations Pat Cummins and Australia!!