Key events
70th over: Australia 289-4 (Head 153, Carey 58) Head hadn’t looked quite so on it this morning, but now upper cuts with a swagger off Carse to bring a to bring up his 150 off 205 balls.
69th over: Australia 279-4 (Head 144, Carey 58) Another goodly over from the indefatigable Stokes.
The batter who has faced the most balls in this series is not Travis Head but Ben Stokes: 422 balls, 160 runs, 16 fours v Head: 411 balls, 353 runs, 36 fours and eight sixes. A whole different ball game, says Tim de Lisle, whose sofa I have borrowed for the night.
68th over: Australia 276-4 (Head 142, Carey 57) Carse’s first ball is short and wide and thumped to the boundary by Carey. A diving catch by Smith saves any further blushes and that’s all Australia can milk from the over.
Play!
67th over: Australia 272-4 (Head 142, Carey 53) Stokes has the ball. Hair swept back and regal. Running in to the strains of the Barmy Army’s Jerusalem. On the ball. Just one single from it.
“Do you think that England just haven’t got what it takes,” asks Andrew Benton, “or is it that they haven’t got it together? Is there a brilliant, Aussie-whipping, team hiding in there somewhere? Hocus-pocus, batters and bowlers, please focus!”
I still think they could pull it off. But if they’re going to, today is the day. Some good news for England – there is some rain due tomorrow.
Pitch watch
The consensus is, it hasn’t deteriorated.
The highest Test match chase is 418 says Steven Finn, and after that point it becomes an uphill task.
The good news is that Ben Stokes is in a marroon vest , his mullett on point and is bowling in the nets.
A post-mortem email. Too soon, Matthew Lawrenson, too soon.
“If England lose this series, as it looks as though they will, and badly (ditto) – what will happen afterwards? The usual routine is appointing a committee who recommends reorganising County Cricket to benefit the England team. As the current regime has pretty much ignored County Cricket, what do you think they would think of next?”
Surely they can’t reorganise county cricket again. They’ve only just found some kind of settlement after the Strauss report. But maybe they might start paying attention to Championship performances. Or stretch it over a full summer again.
Should England need inspiration, they need look no further than the Big Bash, where Brisbane Heat have chased down the greatest BBL run chase at the Gabba.
Just watching Travis Head on the highlights, bristling through his moustache to 142 not out. Carey starts the day unbeaten on 52. Geoff might be enjoying Bazball’s demise below.
Preamble
Tanya Aldred
Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks.
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball – and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.
Hello – from a Christmassy London, fleet-footed from the sports desk Christmas drinks,
It’s important at this point to say that England still have a chance to win the Ashes. Important because it might be the last time anyone can say that for the rest of the series. And the next two years.
The current Australian lead is 356. But England’s highest successful run-chase is 378 – against India at Edgbaston in 2022 at the height of Bazball- and as recently as this summer they galloped to 373 against India at Headingley.
They know how to do it. The muscle memory is there.
But Starc.
But Cummins.
But Lyon.
Hope springs eternal.
