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39th over: England 142-6 (Stokes 10, Jacks 6) Doing a job so far, is Jacks. Not entirely smooth in defending a few Starc balls, but tucks away a run eventually. Stokes runs another single off the face. See? Not that hard.
38th over: England 140-6 (Stokes 9, Jacks 5) Boland continues, with Carey up to the stumps to stop Jacks going for a walk. Gloving them superbly, it’s not like Boland is slow. After three balls though, Carey goes back and swaps the helmet for the hat. Jacks bats out the over, no run until the final ball, which he nudges fine for one.
37th over: England 139-6 (Stokes 9, Jacks 4) Here comes Mitchell Starc, from the Vulture Street End, and per Mark Seymour, those big black birds are circling in the skies. Not this over though, Starc is a bit stiff and rusty through overuse perhaps, and bowls too short and at times too wide, before getting full enough that Stokes can flick him delightfully through midwicket off the front foot.
36th over: England 135-6 (Stokes 5, Jacks 4) The tourists in the crowd get through Jerusalem without further damage, unlike Adelaide 2017 when Josh Hazlewood got Joe Root and Chris Woakes in the first over of the morning. Stokes awkwardly stabs away a single into the leg side first ball of the day, before Boland sends down a typically accurate five balls at Will Jacks, who defends stoutly from the crease. Miralo, chicos, it can be done.
Play begins
We are about to get started. The Queensland sun is shining bright and hard today, it’s the hottest of the days yet, at least by my internal thermometer. Hmm, sounds uncomfortable. Let’s cricket.
“As I reach the end of another working week, I am once again reminded of the cruelty of cricketing disappointment. It’s hard enough being an Englishman living in Brisbane at the moment, but no cricket on my weekend seems excessively cruelty...”
There’s cricket on today, Phil Withington. It might not last very long, that’s all.
“Hi from Sweden, Geoff,” writes Julian Menz. I can only assume ”James Wallace (later)” is an example of that cheeky Aussie humour. He’s already down the pub mate!”
In defence of Jim’s professional honour, I can attest that he’s two seats down from me in the press box, by all appearances transcribing an interview with some marginal figure from a long-ago Ashes defeat. Bless him, he’s made the trip out here for his first Aus visit and had to pick two Tests of the five, so he’s had six days of cricket for his trouble.
He’ll be on with blazing fingertips later if Stokes and co. manage to build a redoubt.
Sweepstake
Let’s run a sweep for the time that this match will finish, on the clock, in Brisbane local. That’s one hour behind Melbourne and Sydney, 10 hours ahead of London, and the rest of you can work it out on your own.
Email your finish time in 24-hour format to [email protected]. I won’t necessarily be publishing these, but I’ll find the winner when it comes. Closest to the pin without going over.
Alrighty then. For England to stay in the game today, it will require another Ben Stokes miracle. He has not, the last couple of days, looked like a man with a miracle in him. He’s been outplayed as a captain and nowhere with the bat. Can he dredge up something from the Big Famous Innings depths today?
For the McSweeney freaks out there, AAP have been chatting to him about his brief time (so far) as a national player.
Nathan McSweeney believes he is a better player for having had a brief Test stint, after smashing his highest first-class score in a timely reminder to Australian selectors.
The 26-year-old produced the best knock of his career on Saturday, blasting an unbeaten 226 for Australia A against the England Lions at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.
His eighth first-class century dwarfed his previous best of 127 not out.
It was McSweeney’s second century of the summer, bouncing back after being dropped following three Tests against India last year when he averaged only 14.4.
“Playing Test cricket exposes a few opportunities to learn,” McSweeney said.
“I definitely like to think that I’ve learned from those experiences, and I can continue to try and grow my game. I feel like I’m in a good spot at the moment. It’s a game, we’re probably never going to finish the puzzle, but really content with how it’s shaping. Hopefully I can continue to learn and hopefully score some runs.”
McSweeney is a natural No.3 or No.4, but was given the chance to open for Australia with Usman Khawaja. However, the pair were worked over by the world’s best Test bowler, Jasprit Bumrah.
Khawaja is hopeful of being fit for the third Ashes Test in Adelaide on December 17, but it remains to be seen whether the 38-year-old is picked.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald are averaging 76 after two innings opening together in the absence of Khawaja.
But if selectors believe Head should go back to No.5 when batting in Australian conditions, McSweeney could be up for an opening spot.
McSweeney’s improvement against spin has him ideally placed to be in contention to tour India for a blockbuster series in early 2027.
The South Australia captain obliterated England spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was dropped for the start of the Ashes.
“Over the last 12 months, I’ve really tried to focus on trying to put the spinner under a little bit more pressure,” McSweeney said. “I was able to be sharp on my feet and try to expose their lengths as best I could.”
As for me, the Days Without Having to Write About Mitchell Starc counter has been rewound to zero, because he became the central figure of the day again yesterday, but this time with the bat. Then turned it on with the ball right at the end of the night. Unputdownable.
Meanwhile, Simon’s piece from the ground examines the TV pictures of England’s bowling spearhead arriving yesterday with bedding in hand, and what that might or might not imply. Perhaps it’s just because the nights get so late! Though at six wickets down he was probably about to be woken up to get his pads on.
Here’s Simon Burnton with the quotes, for which England predictably put up one of the assistant coaching ranks rather than a player or Brendon McCullum. Normal Bad News Day protocol.
Let’s start with the recaps. Ali Martin is one of our several reporters at the ground, and he’s responsible for the wrap of the day’s play.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Good morrow, gentlefolk. It is afternoon in Brisbane and who knows what time anywhere else. More importantly, it is crunch time for England. Let us be honest: the show is almost over. Resuming 43 runs behind with four wickets in hand, England lost the Test in that dramatic final hour last night, ending up at six wickets down.
“They haven’t lost yet!” Ah, you are correct, my apple-cheeked young interlocutor. Your belief in the impossible will stand you in good stead. So let’s consider, what must England do to turn this around? First, let’s have Ben Stokes and Will Jacks put on a double century partnership. Done. Then, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse whack 40 each, and Jofra Archer finishes it off to round the late-order contributions up to a hundred.
So that’s 300 in front, meaning 250 to defend, and then the same bowlers who’ve done all the batting will turn around and bowl out Australia.
Either that or England lose four in the first half hour and get this thing over and done with.
I may not be painting the rosiest picture, it’s true, but that’s out of annoyance at the lack of a contest through most of this series. Let’s see how this bit pans out, and if Stokes with the bat still has a streak of resistance still in him.
