This time there was no miracle; no great escape of which to speak. Ben Stokes, hero of Headingley, warrior of the World Cup finals, produced one of the most stupefying centuries in Test cricket’s 146-year history but at 3.14pm on a truly febrile fifth day at Lord’s, he stood hunched over his bat, crestfallen and finally cracked open.
An all-rounder who burned his way on to Australian retina four years earlier in Leeds had been reliving the carnage wrought that day and then some. And while Stokes remained out there in the middle, defying the bouncer barrage and clobbering sixes into the Tavern Stand like an iron giant, England and their supporters still believed a target of 371 runs could be reeled in for a 1-1 series scoreline after two Tests.
But it was over, Stokes caught off a top-edge attempting a 10th six off Josh Hazlewood, gone for 155 from 214 balls. England were seven wickets down, 70 runs still short of their gargantuan task, and Lord’s – bar the pockets of spectators decked out in canary yellow – was stunned. A 2-0 lead in this Ashes series was within touching distance for Pat Cummins and his impressive Australia team, duly wrapped up an hour later and by a 43-run margin when Mitchell Starc sent Josh Tongue’s leg stump flying.
Only one team in Ashes history has won from England’s current predicament; they had a chap called Don Bradman in their ranks and baggy green caps on their heads. But then perhaps such thoughts can be deferred for a little while, even if there is just a three-day turnaround before the third Test at Headingley. Over the past five days another Ashes epic has been witnessed, with its final gripping instalment packed with enough incident and acrimony to produce a Channel 9 documentary 45 years hence.
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If Australia were the victors, the superior of the two teams over the course of the match, then Stokes was the story. Well, Stokes and the incident which unleashed one of the most vengeful exhibitions of hitting seen in NW8 and Stuart Broad’s latest role as Ashes irritant-in-chief. This came moments before lunch when Jonny Bairstow was run out – later corrected to stumped – by wicketkeeper Alex Carey at the end of the 52nd over
Bairstow had just let a short ball from Cameron Green sail through to Carey and, in a moment of absent mindedness, believing the ball to be dead, he wandered out of his crease. Carey had already underarmed the ball towards the stumps before he set off, pinging the bails off when this shy hit the coconut. Australia appealed, the TV umpire, Marais Erasmus, confirmed the inevitable and all hell broke loose in St John’s Wood.
Instinctively, and by the letter of the law, it was out. But this was one of those where the spirit of the game – as nebulous as the law is definitive – emerges from its slumber. We have seen these dismissals before, too, such as when India ran out Ian Bell at Trent Bridge in 2011 when he thought a session was completed, only to withdraw the appeal during the tea interval and allow the Englishman to continue on his innings.
This time there were no such thoughts among the touring side and Lord’s erupted in indignation, chants of “Same old Aussies, always cheating” ringing out for the remainder of the contest. England, having earlier lost Ben Duckett for a puckish 83 and through a smart catch from Carey, were 193 for six, 178 runs short of their target and out walked the start of England’s diplodocus tail, Broad, who was overheard on the stump microphones telling Carey “that is all you will be remembered for.”
At the other end, having largely ground and guided his way to 62 at this point, Stokes erupted like Krakatoa and by deed rather than word. He unleashed a truly jaw-dropping assault on Australia’s bowlers, 38 runs off just 16 balls and pumping Green for six, six, six – the number of the beast, no less – to bring up his 13 Test hundred. By lunch, as the two sides returned to the pavilion and ugly scenes between some MCC members and the tourists unfolded, England were 243 for six, 128 runs required.
Stokes propelled his second ball of the afternoon from Hazlewood over the long-on boundary but from there a tense game of cat and mouse unfolded, the England captain farming the strike with the fielders spread to all parts and Broad riding one or two bouncers at the end of each over when called upon. Every time the ball flew to the cherubic Carey, Broad made a point of ground his bat behind the crease, the scamp.
It was a partnership as lopsided as Russian election result, Stokes and Broad putting on 108 in 122 balls for the seventh-wicket – a split of 93/11 respectively, plus extras – and Australia appeared to be re-entering that Headingley head space, not least when a catch went up off Stokes on 114 and Steve Smith, centurion in the first innings, bungled it. Both Englishmen had shown courage under fire too, helmets crunched, concussion tests undergone and in the case of Stokes, an elbow struck flush by a Cummins.
But with fewer runs than were required when Jack Leach famously entered the fray four years ago it was all but done, Carey starting the procession when safely pouching Stokes; a moment he will be remembered for back home, certainly. – Guardian
