James Anderson (right) celebrates becoming the oldest Ashes wicket-taker for 89 years. -AP
ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, First Ashes Test, Edgbaston, Day Three on Sunday.
SCORE: England (8-393 declared and 2-28) lead Australia (386) by 35 runs.
SUMMARY: An even-looking Test match may have been tipped in Australia’s favour by 20 biblical minutes where the weather Gods apparently decided to pass their wrathful judgement on BazBall. England had been moseying along nicely as they strove to cash in on their meagre seven-run first innings lead, when the dark clouds hove menacingly into view over the ground and everything changed. With the lights on and batters desperately trying to adapt to the gloom, the ball started misbehaving and Ben ‘I can’t leave for love nor money’ Duckett got caught fishing by a Cameron Green blinder off Pat Cummins. A glum Zak Crawley then got snapped up by Scott Boland and England’s sprightly main man Joe Root just about survived before the rains swept in and called a halt to a fascinating day. Earlier, Usman Khawaja had taken his marathon knock to 141 before getting a lovely ball and an ugly send-off by Ollie Robinson, while Cummins cracked a thumping 38 before Australia’s tail failed to wag with Robinson (3-55) and Stuart Broad (3-68) finishing the job.
PLAYER OF THE MOMENT: Cummins had a big day – and a bit of captain’s luck. He smashed the struggling Moeen Ali for a couple of big sixes in his highest-ever innings as captain before making the key breakthrough by snapping up the easily-tempted Duckett.
KEY MOMENT: Cameron Green’s latest worldie of a gully catch saw the big man dive low to his left to grasp his fingers round the Dukes just before it hit the turf, just like his belter in the World Test final the previous week. It was so dark, the grab felt almost miraculous.
STAT OF THE DAY: James Anderson’s dismissal of Alex Carey made him at 40 years and 324 days the oldest paceman to take a wicket in the Ashes since Leicestershire’s George Geary (40 years 337 days ) 89 years ago in the 1934 Test at Trent Bridge.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “F*** off, you f***ing p***k!” – Ollie Robinson’s charmless send-off to Usman Khawaja after bowling him. Hmmm. Er, can we perhaps forgive him after eight hours of singularly failing to get his man?