Fifth Test, Day 3 – Australia Set Up a Race v the Rain for Day 4

 

 

Ashes 2015

 

Fifth Test, Day 3 – Slings And Arrows.

 

August 23^rd 2015

With England actually battling hard, rather than the expected rapid surrender, having a little bit of luck too would not have gone amiss. A side that has to fight back from such a dreadful start needs a little luck. It is one thing to know that a series of big no balls from Mitch Johnson have been going uncalled (both allowing the bowler to be more aggressive than he would be if the umpires followed the laws and denying the batting side runs), it is quite another when a batsman in good form gets given out from a ball that should have been called dead by the umpires. What luck has been going in this Test has almost all gone Australia’s way; the Australians would argue that this simply evens-out the previous two Tests and there is an argument for that.

It seems to have been a feature of Test cricket over the last 25 years that the side on top has tended to get most of the marginal calls falling in its favour. However, there is also a school of thought that you make your own luck and, in the two Tests that Australia has dominated in this series, they have done that in spades with thoroughly ruthless cricket that has made their miserable performances at Cardiff, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge look even worse.

England’s chances were just about ended when Michael Clarke brought on Steve Smith who, immediately trapped the previously unstoppable Alistair Cook. Cook looked set to get a century and Jos Buttler was accompanying him with a determination – despite being obviously horribly short of form and confidence – that suggested that the two would reach the Close together. With heavy rain forecast from Lunch on Day 4, a battling draw was beginning to look quite possible. Credit to Michael Clarke: he has made some big calls in the field and got them almost all right. Knowing that rain was on the way, he had to make something happen and did: had England started the 4^th Day with Cook and Buttler together there was a real danger that the partnership could kill Australia’s chances

The tone for the day had been set in the morning by Moeen Ali and Mark Wood who used up time and added runs, frustrating Australia. The value of that partnership may yet become evident if it does rain, It gave the captain something to work with. Sadly though, until Jos Buttler, no one was able to stay with him. Lyth (yet again), Bell & Root all reached double figures, without any of them reaching 15: Lyth must know that this was his last innings for England. Jonny Bairstow fought for a while before edging into short leg’s helmet and being caught on the rebound.

Heavy rain is approaching London and likely to arrive mid-morning. It offers hope but, to escape, England’s remaining batsmen will have to fight hard. And at least two of them will need to make a 50. And Mark Wood, sent in as nightwatchman, is going to have to spend a fair time on his day job.

England need to show that they deserve to save this match.

Day 4 looks set to be a race between Australia and the rain.