4th. Ashes Test. Manchester.

[K]

Rain. The batsmen run off. The fielders dawdle off, except for Archer, who, not being English, is used to sun.

Lloyd: "It is quite heavy."

[K]

They come back out.

Athers shows the four bouncers Smith has faced from Archer this innings. Smith is playing them differently, Athers says. Before, he tried to sway inside the line of the ball. Now he is ducking down so the ball goes over his left shoulder.

Lloyd talks about how slowly Archer is bowling. His first ball after lunch was only 79 mph. Ponting says that at that pace (in the 80s) he's just another bowler. He quotes Holding saying, "If you have that pace, use it."

On the Athers observation, Ponting adds that because Smith's first movement is so big back and across, it's hard for him to sway inside the line, because he has to change all his momentum, so this newplan against the bouncer makes sense.

[K]

Smith drives Broad off the back foot straight back down the ground on the on side for 4.

Ponting: "Beautifully balanced."

.......

Ponting says Broad's follow-through is very short. He says that's a sign a bowler's struggling pushing into the breeze.


Now 4 lbs as Broad strays down leg. They appeal. Not out. They talk, but let the clock run down. Erasmus waits for them before signalling lb. Ball tracking shows it would have missed by a long way.


After the final ball of the over (defended), Broad says "f**k".

[K]

Ponting says this is a "beautiful batting surface".

Archer bowls short and wide and is clattered by Smith to the boundary.

Ponting: "That's a captain killer."

The commentators have not been impressed by Archer's bowling today.

[K]

Ponting: "Very, very windy at Old Trafford today."

The Oz flag is fluttering horizontally.

Rubbish is blowing across the ground. It stops Marnus and Broad in his run up. Broad is unhappy. (When is he ever happy?) The bails have been blown off (again). And again. Three times in the over, but not all at the same end.

This is a huge delay. They're still trying to set the bails. It's more important because these are at the striker's end now.

Now they remove the bails. Someone was unhappy with them. Marnus, maybe. You'd hate them to be blown off and you be given out bowled.

Should they consider the reduced height of the stumps without bails in the LBW reviews now?? (I doubt they can.)

Broad(?): "Why not the heavy bails?"

[K]

Nasser: "The fourth umpire, the aptly named Rob Bailey, comes on with some heavy bails."

Nasser asks Warne if he likes his joke.

Warne: "It was a good joke... but it wasn't yours."
They laugh. It was Lloyd's joke, Warne reveals.

Nasser claims Root is asking the umpires about what bowled means.

Warne raises the question in my previous post about DRS.

[K]

Bad-boy Overton comes on.

They've put the bails back on. Nasser thinks these are the same ones, not heavy ones.

Meanwhile, it looks like Flintoff is in the crowd with his daughter. They look like they get on very well. I could claim this is New Age parenting, but traditionally I suppose fathers get on better with their daughters than with their sons. (There are claims that studies show boys give up sport because they cannot cope with the abuse they get from their own fathers, but that's maybe a topic for the next rain break. )

[K]

Nasser gives an "update on bailgate".

Nasser: "Rob Bailey's bails weren't heavy enough..."

Warne asks why they don't just use Zing bails... (They were too heavy in the WC.)

Meanwhile, Marnus edges along the ground for 4. The century partnership (Marnus/Smith) comes up.

.......

Marnus pulls away as Overton runs in. Overton is unhappy

Marnus to Root: "I thought I heard the bails fall off. My bad."

Marnus takes a quick single to Stokes. It was tight. Marnus had to run around Overton.

Next ball, no shot from Smith and they appeal for LBW. Not out. No review.

[K]

Stokes comes on.

Nasser says the breeze will help his inswinger.
Nasser: "That's why it's a split field. Four on the leg side."

Warne: "Ben Stokes is someone you don't want to fire up, get angry."


Nasser: "Here they come. Rob Bailey's heavy bails."

[K]

They appeal for LBW against Marnus. Not out.

Nasser: "Too high."

Nasser: "A good time to bowl."

The breeze may be helping them.

"Lovely that, Overs," Bairstow screeches.

It's raining. Dharmasena at square leg looks up. Umbrellas are up.

Warne: "That was pouring rain for one ball."

Marnus back cuts Overton for 4.

England don't look like they know how to get Marnus out. Three of his dismissals this series have been more accident than anything else.

[K]

Stokes bowls a huge wide, and Smith reaches for it and strokes it for 4. He reaches 50.

Botham says Smith almost had to dive to reach that ball.

Holding says it'd be interesting if he'd gotten an edge or lofted it to backward point, what he'd think of the shot.

[K]

Overton bowls Labuschagne.
67 (129).

Oz 3/144 (39.2).

The ball nipped back a long way.
England have an opening now.
In the previous Oz innings, this was when Oz collapsed.

Head is beaten flirting at the ball defensively.

But the next line is down leg, and Head strokes it for 4.
Botham: "Floaty half-volley."

And now Head edges wide of the cordon for more runs.

[K]

Now Head is beaten by Stokes.

He's a bad starter, Head.

[K]

Huge appeal for LBW, Stokes against Head. Not out. They review.

It was from over the stumps, but very full.

No edge.

Pitching outside leg!!

Botham: "Excellent piece of umpiring."

England lose a review.

...

And now Head flicks in the air near midwicket for 4. This is a streaky start for Head. He's moved to 14* quickly but has not been in control.

[K]

Oz 3/170 (44). Tea.

Smith 60* (93), Head 18* (17).

Taylor: "A good toss to win." He says generally batting has been easier in these conditions.

Taylor: "What Steve Smith does very well is build an innings."