Star Jofra’s gem rocks the Aussies
It was shown to only just be clipping the bails but what will surely be the first of many test wickets for Jofra Archer ignited England’s challenge on a day when they could easily have squandered perfect bowling conditions.
Australia had doubled their overnight score of 30 without alarm yesterday under leaden skies and with the floodlights shining down on Lord’s as England strained to make the most of what play was possible on the third day before the inevitable rain.
But, just as it seemed Australia would provide a lesson in application so lacking in most of England’s batting, one of the most heralded debutants in test history stepped up on the ground where last month he won the World Cup.
Cameron Bancroft had been grimly hanging on without ever looking fluent as England’s three-pronged pace attack pitched just a fraction too short to fully take advantage of the movement that was absent throughout most of thursday.
then Archer nipped one back down the slope and struck Bancroft a little high on his right pad but close enough for Aleem Dar to raise his finger.
It was a dismissal that came from the Pavilion End as opposed to the Nursery where he made World Cup history with his super over but for Archer it must have meant almost as much.
In truth, it was a decision that would probably not have been given before the Decision Review System but the ‘umpire’s call’ was enough to send Bancroft on his way and prompt jubilation at the latest milestone for cricket’s new superstar.
the first of how many test wickets? Well, there has already been enough in this performance from Archer to back up his pre-match suggestion that red-ball cricket is his favoured format, so it feels safe to predict he should be able to manage 300.
Providing, of course, there is enough test cricket over the next ten years for Archer to do so.
And there seems little doubt he will be able to prove to Australia coach Justin Langer that he has ‘another think coming’, as Archer put it before this test, by being just as potent in his third and fourth spells of a day as his first.
Archer’s first wicket also brought to life the Lord’s crowd, who urged him on as his next delivery, to a certain Steve Smith, was clocked at 93.5 miles per hour.
England finally found the right lines and lengths to penetrate Australia’s defences. Usman Khawaja had provided the bulk of Australia’s runs but he prodded uncertainly at Chris Woakes outside off-stump in the over following Bancroft’s departure and gave Jonny Bairstow a straightforward catch.
then Stuart Broad, who had made the initial breakthrough by dismissing David Warner in the hour afforded Australia on thursday, brought England right back into this second Specsavers test by reducing them to 71 for four.
travis Head looked absolutely plumb when Broad struck him in front but umpire Dar had heard two noises and turned down England’s impassioned appeal.
Fortunately for Broad, technology showed the ball had struck both legs rather than bat.
Perhaps a bigger howler was to come from Dar’s partner Chris Gaffaney when he gave Matthew Wade out to a ball the naked eye knew must have pitched outside leg-stump. the review confirmed what should have been obvious to the umpire.
through it all, the immovable and ever more idiosyncratic figure of Smith stood firm to continue where he left off at Edgbaston by frustrating England.
Archer took up a duel that should go a long way towards deciding the destination of the Ashes during a spell of seven overs in which he conceded just eight runs for the wicket of Bancroft. But he was never really able to trouble Smith.
Only when the former captain played and missed at Stokes’ first ball did he offer England a smidgeon of encouragement, while he did his best to drive the bowlers to distraction with leaves that were more pronounced than ever.
At least this time England stuck to what must surely be the best plan for Smith by bowling a disciplined line outside off-stump while setting a leg-side field and settling for containment rather than aiming straight and feeding his strengths.
When the rain came on the stroke of lunch, Australia were 80 for four, still 178 behind, and England had given themselves a chance of forcing a result even with the bulk of two of the first three days lost.
the forecast is now for dry weather the whole weekend and if England can gain a decent firstinnings lead, they have a big chance of levelling the Ashes before the teams head to Leeds for a third test that begins next thursday.
For that to happen, they must find a way of getting through Smith, who was able to leave 43 per cent, according to the analysts CricViz, of the 40 deliveries that were propelled at him yesterday. He reached 13 by the premature close. But where there is Archer, now there is hope.