Key occasions
63rd over: Australia 196-9 (Starc 48, Hazlewood 16) Right here’s some enjoyable. It’s Aiden Markram with some part-time off spin. He bought Steve Smith out! He can’t be that unhealthy. And Starc likes to slog spin. Deep midwicket, lengthy on is three quarters again. Starc performs sensibly although. Fourth ball of the over, that makes 20 overs for this partnership. They’ve made 48 runs! None on this over, however the stand continues.
62nd over: Australia 196-9 (Starc 48, Hazlewood 16) I stated it might be over as we speak, however cricket makes fools of us all. The speed South Africa batted first up right here, they may simply go into tomorrow attempting to make 266. They could but must make 300. Starc performs at most balls from Jansen, declines a single first ball, finds the sector a few instances, then takes the run from the fourth. Simply having a cruise as we speak with the bat. Higher than bowling. Hazlewood is having enjoyable too, leans again and uppercuts over the slips for 4! Impolite, Josh. Impolite.
61st over: Australia 191-9 (Starc 47, Hazlewood 12) Ngidi is getting the odd ball to perform a little, when he cuts his fingers down the seam, I fancy. Two slips ready, 4 within the deep, although Starc nonetheless has barely performed an enormous shot. That pull, and a few drives. Simply drops a single right here,
“Night, Geoff. Night, viewers,” chirrups Patrick O’Brien. “Starc is much less more likely to edge a catch than the Oz high six. He both misses his drives utterly or smokes them to the boundary. Cheers to your ace protection.”
That’s the trick in cricket: should you’re gonna miss it, miss it nicely.
sixtieth over: Australia 190-9 (Starc 46, Hazlewood 12) There’s the 113th ball for Starc, defended, and the 114th he drives Maharaj away for a run. Hazlewood sweeps two. This seems simple now. The lead is 264.
59th over: Australia 187-9 (Starc 45, Hazlewood 10) Starc again on strike to Ngidi faces his 111th ball, matching David Bedingham, then his 112th, matching Steve Smith within the first innings. He celebrates with a pull shot for one. Hazlewood survives the final two balls, that means Starc will face not less than his 113th, that means he has performed the longest innings of the match.
58th over: Australia 186-9 (Starc 44, Hazlewood 10) Maharaj to Hazlewood, and the No11 is tempted. Tries a slog sweep, doesn’t join, then repents and goes again to self-discipline. No run.
57th over: Australia 186-9 (Starc 44, Hazlewood 10) That is so affected person from Starc. Will get a good over from Ngidi and simply soaks the entire thing up. He’s batted near an hour and a half this morning, after a great stint final night time.
56th over: Australia 186-9 (Starc 44, Hazlewood 10) Prime rating for Starc in his personal proper, driving the left-arm spinner sq. for one. Hazlewood tries the identical however finds the fielder, then goes again to defence. However will get one by way of cowl a few balls later, for 2. The frustration for SA goes on.
fifty fifth over: Australia 183-9 (Starc 42, Hazlewood 8) One other one wanting slip! Ngidi the bowler, and Starc is completely happy to take an early single. He’s now matched Carey as the highest scorer of the innings. Hazlewood pokes and the sting drops wanting Markram. Extra frustration. The lead is 257.
54th over: Australia 182-9 (Starc 42, Hazlewood 8) Maharaj with a uncommon over of spin to renew after drinks, and it prices a few byes and a pushed single by Starc from the final ball, nonetheless managing the strike supremely.
That’s drinks. Australia make it to drinks. Protea fingernails are leaving marks in Protea palms.
53rd over: Australia 179-9 (Starc 41, Hazlewood 8) Seven overs on the spin for Rabada, and he’s bought one of many two wickets they wanted, however not the opposite. Starc takes the strike-rotating run off the fourth ball, and he’s now confronted greater than Webster within the first innings.
52nd over: Australia 178-9 (Starc 40, Hazlewood 8) They get by way of one other over, and maintain the singles ticking. Jansen can’t break by way of. That is infuriating for South Africa.
51st over: Australia 175-9 (Starc 37, Hazlewood 8) Rabada’s sixth over of the morning, and Starc steers it sq. of gully for 4. He’s confronted 84 balls. Essential. And he’s been disciplined. Leaves alone width from Rabada the place he can.
fiftieth over: Australia 170-9 (Starc 32, Hazlewood 8) That’s extra prefer it: quick leg for Jansen bowling to Starc, and what have you learnt, it virtually will get them a catch. Jansen is coming left-arm round to the left-handers and bowling into the ribs, and the fend goes simply broad of that man. Then up on the helmet, and Starc geese. No slips, one gully, bouncer area, and the bluff yorker squeezes between Starc’s ft and away to positive leg for 4! Jansen and Bavuma have a tetchy dialog, Jansen seems irritated about positive leg being too sq., maybe? Starc will get off strike, Hazlewood blocks a yorker.
“G’day Geoff, does the pitch look extra batter pleasant as we speak than the final two days? Will the pitch make a distinction given Australia’s bowling line up?”
G’day Invoice Fuller. It definitely ought to be extra batter pleasant. It’s day three, usually the perfect time to bat, and it’s had some sunshine on it at instances. So South Africa ought to have the ability to chase a goal of this sort of measurement. However their batting is usually brittle, and received’t be assured after the primary innings. So Australia have an incredible likelihood to show the screws.
And that’s assuming the lead doesn’t develop a lot, which it might but do, the best way these two are going.
forty ninth over: Australia 165-9 (Starc 27, Hazlewood 8) It’s beginning to get that determined really feel for South Africa. How lengthy can Rabada bowl for, hoping? Goes previous the sting of Starc’s bat once more, there’s that high quality. However we’re again to a deep third as a substitute of a gully, plus the deep level and two out on the hook. Mid on and mid off are set midway again to teh rope. Solely the 2 slips in an attacking spot. he might nonetheless hit a catch to cowl, or slice one within the air, or pop one to a brief leg? Defeatist technique, this, it all the time makes a crew look out of concepts. Starc is free to wind up for a hefty drive previous the bowler and take the run. Hazlewood has two balls to outlive. Gully comes up, mid off and mid on get nearer, and that’s the one change. Rabada, proper arm round, in on the pads, blocked. Outdoors off stump, blocked. Drip, drip, drip, goes the water on the hollowed stone.
forty eighth over: Australia 164-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 8) Large Marco comes on for Mulder, maybe belatedly, all eight foot of him, but it surely doesn’t begin nicely, Hazlewood thrashing away a drive previous the cordon for 4. The lead is 236 now. Simply checked, Starc with 70 balls has confronted greater than any Australian within the match bar Smith and Webster within the first innings. Hazlewood slices one other couple of runs behind level. Loss of life by a thousand late cuts.
forty seventh over: Australia 158-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 2) Starc has gone previous Labuschagne’s 22 to have the second-best rating of the innings, behind Carey’s 43. He may get that too, the best way he’s going. Hasn’t appeared troubled. Goals an enormous drive at Rabada for nought, then goes again to leaving. Barely higher area now: two slips, gully, cowl, mid off, mid on. Three fielders again: deep sq., lengthy leg, deep level. Giving Rabada the prospect to make use of the bouncer, however he doesn’t. Maiden over, however the wicket doesn’t come.
forty sixth over: Australia 158-9 (Starc 26, Hazlewood 2) A swing and a miss from Hazlewood dealing with Mulder. He has two pictures, usually: the quilt drive and the late minimize. Although as soon as in a blue moon we’ve seen him lump a number of leg facet in white-ball cricket. Three slips for Hazlewood. Starc calls him for a pointy single after a block to level, and a direct hit might need caught Starc wanting his floor, however just one stump to goal at on the spin. Fifth ball, Starc will get strike for the Rabada over by baseballing a run previous the bowler.
Simon Reader is on the keyboard. “My remark to your colleague Daniel on Wednesday is much more related as we speak: if I had been coach Conrad, final night time I’d have been drilling the Proteas with clips of the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup. Now, greater than ever, they want the persistence and technique. Hope springs.”
forty fifth over: Australia 156-9 (Starc 25, Hazlewood 1) 4 for Starc! Off the sting, alongside the bottom previous gully. So South Africa take the gully out. I don’t like this in any respect from Rabada. He has two slips, himself at mid off, and 6 gamers deep. Starc has barely performed a shot in anger and he’s dealing with the perfect bowler within the South African crew. Absolutely it’s best to go exhausting at him and again Rabada to get him out?
“Hey Geoff,” writes Matthew Doherty. “Do you assume Australia will cobble sufficient runs as we speak for a 250 run goal for South Africa to chase?”
Starc has executed that sort of job many instances earlier than, however even what they’ve proper now will probably be a testing chase.
Rabada finishes the over by beating Starc’s edge.
forty fourth over: Australia 152-9 (Starc 21, Hazlewood 1) What do I do know? Starc calmly steers a single. Maybe telling Hazlewood that he ought to have the ability to deal with Wiaan Mulder’s tempo. That was a no-ball, too. He does a bit off the floor although, Mulder, proper arm across the wicket to the 2 lefties. Will get it to deck in. Hazlewood blocks two. We’ve bought a convetnional first slip, then an in depth second slip sporting a helmet, and a positive gully. None of them are within the play, although, as Hazlewood prods into a spot at midwicket and lopes off for a run. The Lopez Brothers, this batting pair. Starc drives one to cowl. All these runs damage South Africa. The lead is 226. Hazlewood turns down a run final ball although. Attention-grabbing. So they need Starc to deal with Rabada.
forty third over: Australia 148-9 (Starc 19, Hazlewood 0) The over began with Starc swinging exhausting at a drive, down the bottom for 2. Then one other for one, then the Lyon wicket. Hazlewood blocks out a pair, swishes at one other. Survives the over. Time for Starc to have a dip, one thinks. He has the third highest rating within the innings.
WICKET! Lyon lbw Rabada 2 (Australia 148-9)
Oh, sure! 9 for Rabada. Up the hill, seams in at Lyon a contact and nails him on the knee roll, entrance leg proper in entrance. It’s not bouncing over on this wicket. A fast resolution from the umpire, and the Australian evaluation is in useless.
forty second over: Australia 145-8 (Starc 16, Lyon 2) Mulder from the opposite finish, who had the catch dropped within the ultimate over final night time. He’s bought the Pavilion at his again. Vivid sunshine. Lyon confidently ahead to defend. A lot of South African shirts on the stroll into the bottom as we speak, they need this unhealthy. The ICC Knockout of 1998 is a very long time in the past.
forty first over: Australia 145-8 (Starc 16, Lyon 2) Rabada to begin the day – he has three wickets, so the five-for and the ten-wicket match are nonetheless on if he can bag the final two. Doesn’t occur this over although, Lyon comfortably working a single sq. from the primary ball of the day, and the left-handed Starc completely happy to depart the stuff angled throughout him.
Let’s get into some cricket…
And lastly, Andy Bull, on Temba Bavuma as chief of the South Africans.
That is mine, with the Australian perspective on Pat Cummins’ exceptional day, and what affect a sure member of the nouveau landed gentry might need had.
Right here’s Simon Burnton with the press convention reporting, the place David ‘Bedding In’ Bedingham is upbeat about knocking off the Aussies.
Let’s begin our day as ever with the match report from the tirelessly match-reporting Ali Martin.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hey for the ultimate time from Lord’s for this World Test Championship ultimate. Sure, it’s solely Day 3, however absolutely, absolutely, this Check finishes as we speak.
The solar is shining vivid and the forecast is the perfect for the week. Australia have solely Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Josh Hazlewood to bat, in a match the place wickets have fallen readily. They lead by 218 proper now. So until there’s a unprecedented partnership, South Africa will both chase the runs as we speak or be bowled out attempting.
On the proof of their first innings, “bowled out attempting” is the likelier choice. They had been all out for 138 and appeared nowhere in opposition to Australia’s tempo high quality. However they’ve the prospect to do higher, to say that they’re right here and able to compete. It’s solely the third day, in spite of everything! Good for batting.
However first, they want these final two wickets. They dropped Starc within the cordon final night time, simply earlier than stumps. Can’t be doing that. For Australia, sneaking one other 10, 20, 30 runs for the ultimate two wickets might make all of the distinction.
Get set.
