Things had started promisingly too, a roll-over from their dominance in Manchester seemingly on the cards when Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley raced to 61 inside the first hour. But it was also undermined by three mini-collapses, the loss of three for 11 in 22 balls before lunch, four for 28 in 55 before tea, and three for 22 in 20 at the end. These were misleading digits, it must be said, the Australian captain winning his first toss of the series and changing the tone of the morning when he came on at first change and showed his previously wayward new-ball bowlers the ideal length.Įngland’s innings? Well, it certainly met the brief of being entertaining, with 31 fours and five sixes getting the latest sell-out crowd cooing like the local pigeons. That miss cost Pat Cummins a wicket in figures of one for 66 from 13 overs. Alex Carey, whose glovework was one of the chief differences between the teams during Australia’s wins at Edgbaston and Lord’s, was the guilty party, grassing a diving one-handed effort to his right. Harry Brook was the only batter to cash in on a life, however, unfurling a crisp and brisk 85 from 91 balls that could have been 80 runs fewer. Some five catches went to ground during an England innings that rattled along at five runs an over another symptom, perhaps, of the crunched schedule. Once again we witnessed the contrast of styles that has underpinned this series, even if one of the central themes behind Australia’s lead – more adhesive hands – went slightly haywire here. Consolation for Ben Stokes and his men came in knowing that Australia will still be 222 runs behind when they resume on day two, even if the absence of Moeen Ali with a groin injury is a concern. As hard as Mark Wood charged in, as much as Jimmy Anderson raged against the dying of the light, it made for a calmer end to proceedings.
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