I had always planned to write a post at some point about why Test cricket is such a special thing in the world of sport, and while I already had ample fodder for that article, the events on the 4th day at Headingly just piled a whole load more on top. So to avoid covering too much common ground, my post-mortem of the events of yesterday in the 3rd Ashes test will be less on the side of gushing over the blossoming of drama of the highest degree and instead I’ll shine a spotlight on the moments throughout the day that defined and directed the course of events. (Disclaimer – there will still be plenty of gushing…)

Overs 73,74,75,76 – Maiden, maiden, maiden, maiden.

25 balls total

20 minutes

The start of the day was perfect Test match theatre, in itself these opening four overs demonstrated perfectly what makes the slow burn of Test match cricket so exciting. With zero runs scored, but every ball bowled its owner spike of drama.

These first overs were key, as England had shown uncharacteristic restraint in the beginning of their innings the previous day. The influence of ODI and T20 cricket had been evident in England players’ approach, with all of them seemingly happy to block and leave only up to a point before falling back on their instinct to hit out the moment their patience had expired.

Stokes had ended the previous day’s play on just 2 from 50 balls, so I fully expected him to come out on this likely final day eager to push that strike rate up. The fact that him and Root were happy to play out these first 4 overs without scoring demonstrated an apparent shift of mindset in this team to the siege mentality they would need to get through. It suggested that there was still hope for this English batting lineup yet.

Over 75.5 – Ben Stokes is hit

Until the events of yesterday overshadowed everything that had come before it in this series, the most dramatic moment thus far in these Ashes was Steve Smith being hit in the head. A moment which became all the more significant when he ended up being ruled out of this test (the significance of which can now not be overlooked given the result).
It was with gasps and hands to the face that England fans watched Ben Stokes’ helmet jettisoning plastic after being hit by an 83.9 ball from Josh Hazlewood.

The dramatic nature of Stokes’ headgear shattering is possibly what saved him here, with the helmet doing its job in bearing the brunt of the blow, and the flying debris becoming the transference of the energy rather than all that being transmitted through to Stokes’ skull. There was definitely an element of luck in this, as any blow to the head now has potential to end an innings, so careful are the rules governing when it must be taken out a player’s hands whether or not they continue, but also the flying pieces of helmet could so easily have dislodged the stumps – Wade’s wicket the day before demonstrated how fickle the cricket gods can be in deciding when the fates deem your bails to be worthy of coming off and when not.

But Stokes survived, pulled back on his helmet and was able to leave the next ball to angle across him harmlessly. He could fight on.

Over 76.2 – The first runs

The crowds at the Cricket World Cup were something to behold. England fans are famous for their Barmy Army, and the rowdy atmosphere they take on tour, but for the most part Test cricket is the theatre of the polite applause rather than anything more raucous. These Ashes have seen the coming-together of the football-like atmosphere that spread throughout the country as England progressed to the final merging with the partisanship that lends an extra decibel or two per voice to an Ashes test

Beyond the roar that greeted the players, the aforementioned maidens to kick off the day had starved the crowd of any further chance to cheer, but when Root squirted a shot to point off the back foot, the crowd greeted the single as if the Ashes had been won there and then.

The fervour in the ground was bottled anticipation of what may be about to unfold before them, and the release at this moment showed the players in the middle, both Aussie and English, exactly what they could come to expect at every milestone and moment England generated as they day went on.

Over 77.3 – Root is out

Just an over later, and the atmosphere is punctured, with Joe Root throwing away his wicket in the most infuriating fashion for England fans. With Nathan Lyon coming into the attack, you felt that Root was simultaneously relaxing in relief and being let out from under the boot of the Aussie quicks that had held him down through those opening maidens, while at the same time seeking to shift the momentum in a way that would have the dial twitching towards an England victory rather than a valiant England rearguard draw.

The idea was possibly sound in theory, the execution was poor, with Root dancing down and sending a big looping edge behind him.

The more frustrating thing for England fans was that once the ball flew off the edge, if you freeze-framed things the moment after contact, you would guess that Root had got away with one. Such was the force that he went after Lyon that the ball was flying up and over Paine behind the stumps.
Cue the bete noir of the England fans continuing to exhibit a bizarre transformation from liability in the field to a catching master, as big David Warner leapt to his right to snaffle the ball goalkeeper-style in mid-air.

A lapse of judgement, poor execution by Root, a piece of brilliance by the one player on the field England fans would heavily begrudge any such praise for.

The calm, calculated start and the maidens that England had so stoically seen themselves through, the hope for a shifted mindset towards Boycottesque ebullience, undone in a moment that suggested England may be able to make a day of mistakes so familiar.

Over 84 – Bairstow Counterattacks

The new ball is taken by the Aussies 2 balls after it is available. So often a blessing and a curse in Test Cricket. The new ball of course offers the potential for fast bowlers to get more movement both in the air and off the seam, but it also eliminates some of the unpredictability that an older ball brings. It also gives the batsmen a chance for a mental refresh, with it becoming more and more common for them to take the new ball as a chance to counter the bowling attack when faced with a ball ‘coming onto the bat’ with greater predictability.

In the case of this game, the new ball seemed to be kryptonite to the bowlers and Popeye’s spinach to Bairstow and Stokes.

Given the barrenness of the morning up to the point, there was a definite shift in the atmosphere when both the second and third ball of the 83rd over were deposited to the boundary for four by Jonny Bairstow.

Such has been the paucity of England’s top order in recent years, that the pressure of the situation facing the English middle order is nothing new to them. The consecutive boundaries hit by Bairstow suggest a possible turning of the tide, as the Aussie bowlers loosen and the English attacking instinct is set loose. Suddenly it is the ‘runs required’ column of the scorecard that is bearing scrutiny rather than the ‘wickets remaining’.

Over 87 – Aussie Bowlers Lose Control

As I mentioned before, the New Ball can bring with it some bizarre bowling. While the New Ball can bring with it the sort of psychological filip that is normally reserved for the first over or so of the day, when bowlers gain a mph or two on every ball, and that much more a spring in their step in their run up, the expectation of this effect can produce the exact opposite. Bowlers know the opportunity the New Ball offers up, and so often they end up trying to hard, forcing the matter, and bowling absolute dross as a result.

Luckily for England, this is exactly what occurred here. The Aussie bowling unit had performed near-perfectly up until the New Ball being taken – with the quicks throwing the ball down with unerring consistency and Lyon locking down the other end with no small amount of threat of his own.

But with the New Ball having been taken, all of this seemed to melt away. In the 81st over, the usually metronomic Hazlewood saw 2 leg byes followed by a hooping outswinging being called wide, followed by another straying onto the legs that was clipped for 3. The radar that had seen England batsman either pinned back or and getting through or taking unncessary risks was wavering, the crowd was coming alive and the sense of pressure was lifted.

This culminated with the sixth ball of the 86th over, as Pattinson flung down a ball that swung, and kept swinging all the way through David Warner’s hands and to the boundary rope for 5 runs.

Up until now it had felt like England were facing an irresistible force in the Aussie batting attack, such was the constant pressure they were able to apply with canny rotation among a group who all knew the job and were managing to attack and contain all at once. But with the New Ball, where before the pressure was piled almost solely on the shoulders of the two English players facing a marauding crowd of baggy greens, it now flipped, with the fallibility of the Aussies being shown to England players and fans alike to be there, and to be ready to be exploited.

Over 97.1 – Bairstow out but Reprieved

Umpiring decisions have been under great scrutiny in this Ashes series so far. Commentators who are normally fairly free in their criticism of umpiring have seemed to start offering some solace and understanding for how difficult a job it is, something that I feel is not borne out of a newfound humanity, but the need to mix up the analysis as another decision is overturned.

This moment was significant therefore, only in that is presaged future events in that a big decision required the intervention of DRS to reprieve the wronged player. In this case Bairstow is given out caught behind but immediately reviews. Ultraedge shows no contact, and Bairstow survives. The importance of reviews and DRS in this series has been absolutely paramount, with the umpires showing their own bowing to the pressure of the occasion themselves.

Such was the shift in momentum before lunch that this moment had a real feeling of significance, as a wicket so soon after the interval would definitely have signalled a shift of proceedings back in the Aussies’ favour. Of course it wouldn’t be long before that narrative would come to pass..

Over 99.1 – Bairstow is Out

Bairstow had played so well up until this point – potentially benefiting from arriving as the New Ball was being taken, but he had played his role to perfection. His arrival really signified the start of the England counterattack, and seemed to free Ben Stokes from his previous mirroring of the wall-like defence when accompanying Joe Root, instead playing his more familiar role as swashbuckling accomplice to Bairstow.

There was a real sense of deflation in the ground when Bairstow tamely cut to second slip, as not only was the dismissal a regulation wicket rather than another tide-turning moment of brilliance, but it broke up the partnership that had wrestled back control of the test and the Ashes.
The pre-lunch atmosphere of hope, with the Aussies on the ropes had given way back to the sense that England are surely going to offer nothing more than cruel hope.

Over 102.2. 105.6, 114.6 – England Throw it Away

Sport can be such a cruel game, with hope and despair doled out in such carefree equal measures, with no regard for the poor fans that have to live through it all. England’s solid start to the day, the recovery from the Root wicket and then the excitement of the apparent meltdown being experienced by the Aussie bowlers all served to feed England fans who hadn’t dare let themselves believe that victory was possible.

Like London cabbies who develop differently-shaped brains as a result of the knowledge they are required to store, I am sure that England cricket fans must over highly over-developed neurons in their brain that control mood-swings. Such is the regularity with which they must adjust feelings of euphoria down to the basest anguish.

A run-out, a pick out of a fielder placed exactly for the wicket-giving shot and a hole out on the boundary attempting one too many heaves from a number 9. England’s ability to self-destruct when it matters most is so familiar that the feeling in the ground was not even necessarily deflation, but more of a sense that normality had returned.

England had bravely given themselves hope, the defeat would be crushing, giving up the Ashes with 2 games still to go, but at least they had saved themselves from a 100+ run embarrassment.

Over 104.5 – Stokes Brings up his Fifty

A little confused in the chronology alongside the above, but while the rest of the batting lineup were finding interesting and familiar ways to throw away their wickets, Ben Stokes was remaining in the middle. For all of the brittleness that the current crop of England players seem to exhibit, Stokes has proven himself an island – whether it is with bat or ball, he seems to be able to maintain a level of physical application and intensity that none others can match. It is no coincidence that time and again he has been the one to turn the tide with a grunting, puffing spell of quick bowling the produces a key wicket, or as seen in the World Cup Final, a batting display that belies his surroundings in its focus.

What was so indicative of this is when the innings was crumbling around him, Stokes rocked back to a length ball and stroked it (via a misfield) for 2 runs to bring up his 50. Acknowledging the context, Stokes showed no sign of caring that 49 had ticked to 51. While it is so often the fate of an English sportsman to valiantly led a team to defeat, Stokes’ lack of emotion at reaching a personal milestone in the face of those the team still had to surmount just showed why he was the right man to be out in the middle for this day and this game.

Over 115.2 – Broad is Out

While you can accuse the previous 3 wickets of all being soft and definitely avoidable, the wicket of Stuart Broad was nothing but a quality ball that would probably have removed him 99 times out of 100. While self-destructive wickets bring with an extra-special pain, the wicket of Stuart Broad brought another emotion to bear for the English fanbase. As the 9th wicket appeared on the scoreboard and the replays were churned out, those fans had to accept that the Aussies are just damn good at cricket.

A near-perfect yorker had seen off the last safety net that England had, and they were left facing the prospect that defeat could now come at a moment’s notice.

Over 118.6, 120.3 – Slog Sweep and a Ramp go for Six

Ben Stokes has shown himself to be a complete player in this game. The prominence of ODI and T20 cricket has brought to the fore the skillset in players that warrants fireworks to be launched and music to blare from the PA system. It absolutely cannot be underestimated how impressive it was for Stokes to reign in his natural game and play out the first 75 balls of his innings for just 7 runs. But Stokes’ innings did not exist in a vacuum, as he was playing his innings out ball-by-ball, the state of the game was constantly changing around him. That evening of day 3 warranted absolute caution and defence, as did the first overs of day 4, then when Bairstow saw the Aussie bowlers erring and sought to capitalize, Stokes went with him.

So when the ninth wicket fell and Stokes knew that at any moment he could be stranded at the non-striker’s end as the Aussie’s retained the Ashes, he knew exactly what needed to be done.

His reverse-slog-sweep in the 118th over and the ramp in the 120th signified the mentality switch that had occurred. Stokes had nothing left to lose, and he could truly throw caution to the wind. Importantly though, Stokes was not cutting lose regardless, he was still picking and choosing his moments, and employing every ounce of the significant reservoir of talent at his disposal to deposit the ball to the boundary whenever he was able.

Over 122 – Hazlewood Returns and Goes for 19

Josh Hazlewood is in 15th place in the ICC Test rankings, but has demonstrated his worth in a bowling unit in this series, he has proven to be consistency personified with his line and length. With Stokes accelerating his way through the gears and that once-distant target now in reaching distance, the Aussies turned to the man that led the destruction of England in the first innings.

But Stokes now had the bit between his teeth, and welcoming Hazlewood back after an absence of 13 overs, he was promptly smashed around to the tune of 4,6,6,2 and then a crucial single to see the runs required drop below 20.

Over 124 – Dropped, Single Figures to Go

What was remarkable about the run-chase so far was that since the falling of Stuart Broad, with the exception of a couple of mowing misses at the beginning of the previous over from Lyon, Stokes had been smashing the ball around without offering a sniff of a chance to an Aussie fielder. With the first all of the 124th over though, Stokes sliced an attempted flash down the ground to third man, but a sprinting and diving Marcus Harris cannot quite get there, get his hands sorted and come up with the ball. It would have been an utterly spectacular catch to take to wrap up the game and the Ashes, but it was not to be.

The fact that this was the first heart-in-mouth moment served to remind fans that Stokes had been so great up until that shot, while the fact that he survived it was maybe another nod from the cricket Gods that they were sat alongside the England players, watching over Ben Stokes as he sought to do the impossible.

To double down on this idea, Stokes promptly responded by flaying the next two balls away for four runs each, taking the required runs below that symbolic ten runs and into single figures.

Over 124.5 – England Attempt Self-Destruction

Although all wickets thrown away have their own sense of despair associated with them, nothing feels like as futile as a fan as witnessing a run-out and the subsequent slow-motion replays that project the embarrassment frame-by-frame to the thousands of people watching.

The idea of losing this match and the elation that now felt moments away as the required runs ticked below 10, the idea of losing that no a run out was a particular kind of unpalatable. It was therefore understandable that the usually understated TMS commentary box turned into a shouting mass of panic as Stokes and Leach contrived to try to throw away the Ashes.

As the flailing arms of both batsman provided visual embodiment of the chaos unfolding, the ball sailed to Nathan Lyon, one of the most experienced Australian players, the disappointing end that had appeared so close at hand for so long seemed to finally have arrived.

But then the ball was on the floor and Australian faces were a mixture of shock, confusion and anger.

The innings would go on.

Over 123.6 and 124.6 – Australian Terrible Review and the Ramification

The fourth innings of this Test Match had already seen a key intervention by DRS. With Joe Root in the middle of putting together his excellent rearguard innings, he was given out lbw. The problem was that even to the naked eye for those watching on TV, there was a huge inside-edge. Thankfully, Joe Root had was able to immediately review, the TV umpire spotted the mistake and was able to rectify it. It is for this kind of mistake that DRS exists. While the decision-making of umpires has come under greater and greater scrutiny, so has the decision-making of players in choosing to review.

Possibly the best example of just how significant a combination of poor reviewing and poor umpiring came to pass at the end of this test match. With the last ball of the 124th over, a Cummins ball is pitched up, spears past the defence and clearly hits Leach outside the line of leg stump. In a seeming act of desperation, Australia review it.

That desperation was terribly short-sighted and misguided though – maybe they forgot that it would be their last review, or maybe they’d reached the point of desperation where they no longer cared, but moments later their poor decision is confirmed as DRS shows what everyone except the Aussies saw first time, and their review is lost.

An over later, and a ball after the Aussies dropped that potential run-out, they finally get a ball through the defences of Stokes, as a Nathan Lyon ball turns past his slog-sweep attempt and cannons into his pads.

But Joel Wilson is unmoved.

Wilson came in for such criticism after he equalled the records for decisions overturned by DRS in the first test of the series. Admittedly, this was a tough decision to make, and on first glance it was by no-means obvious what the outcome would be of this particular ball. If he was in any doubt, then a non-decision was better than the incorrect decision, particularly at this juncture of the test match and series.

Of course the ultimate annoyance for Australia is that while they would be fair to lay the blame at the door of Wilson for getting this decision wrong, they only have themselves to blame, having burnt their final review with a truly wasteful review a mere over before.

Batting, bowling and fielding have been joined in recent years by the creative use of fields and bowling changes as being the key facets to success as a team. These two moments at the conclusion of this test are the ultimate realisation that usage of DRS can now be right up there as a key skill for any team when it comes down to the business end of a match.

Over 125.3 – Leach gets a single

While Ben Stokes will grab all of the headlines, and deservedly so for his performance to win the match, I am sure that there have been countless ‘sliding doors’ moments throughout history where batsman of similar pedigree facing a similar situation have been left high and dry and the non-striker’s end as the last of their teammates fall. Ben Stokes’ will go down in history for his innings, but without Jack Leach sticking Stokes would be nothing more than an interesting footnote to an Aussie victory and the euphoria of victory would have been just a sad sense of what might have been.

Leach faced 14 balls before the beginning of the 126th over, almost all of them with men around the bat and no doubt a significant amount of chat from the Aussies that were closing in around him.

Including the two to open the 126th over, every one of those balls was seen off with the minimum amount of drama – whether it was a solid block or a considered leave, Leach offered no moment of hope to the Australians as he provided a solid counterpoint to Stokes’ swashbuckling exploits opposite him.

When he finally came to his 17th ball, a boucer for the number 1-ranked ICC bowler, Pat Cummins, was expertly aimed right into Jack Leach’s ribs. But a controlled jab saw the scores levelled and the Ashes saved. Whatever happened now, England would live to fight another day.

Over 125.4 – Stokes Wins It

A bad, bad ball is flayed through the covers.
Stokes is a hero.

The Ashes are BACK ON.