The equation was simple enough: six wickets for Australia, 257 runs for England. Cue chaos. Abuse. Run-outs. Sixes. Bouncers. Wickets. And drama. So much drama.
Every minute there seemed to be a moment that swung a thrilling day five at Lord’s, some of them off the pitch, but these are the five most pivotal in Australia’s enthralling 43-run win.
Should have ducked: Duckett is bounced out
Before the drama came Ben Duckett. And when he finally went after another fine contribution of 83, the fun really started. Duckett and Stokes played smart, mostly risk-free cricket in the face of probing swing from Mitchell Starc. Duckett still occasionally swiped at a short ball, but was smarter than in the first innings, until a well-directed bumper by Josh Hazlewood had him nicking behind to Alex Carey – whose rapid improvement behind the stumps is a sight to behold.
Oh Jonny boy
For an incredibly dozy play, it set Lord’s alight and sparked scenes no one could recall seeing at the home of cricket. Bairstow’s 22-ball stay featured several wanderings out of his crease, including the ball before as well when Carey took another underarm shy at the stumps.
With the Test finely poised at 6-193, Carey underarmed again just before Bairstow started walking down the pitch, the ball clattering into his stumps while he was out of his crease by a metre without “dead ball” being called. Bairstow on his way, the home of cricket erupts.
Ben goes bang
The mayhem from the masses was nothing compared to Stokes’ one-man, willow-wielding cyclone. He took one look at Cameron Green after Bairstow’s dismissal. Then clattered him through mid-wicket with the first of so many pull shots, repeating the dose twice more as Stokes took 14 from the big all-rounder’s over.
It was just a taste. Green’s next over started with another boundary down the ground. Then six over mid-wicket. Another over fine leg that Starc tried to hang onto before falling over the rope. And then, just for something different, another six over square leg for his hundred and, ultimately, 24 from the over.
Smith drops a sitter
One of the best fielders in the world, Steve Smith found himself underneath a skied hook shot from Stokes four balls after the lunch break. Stokes had started the session by launching Josh Hazlewood for another six straight down the ground two balls earlier. Smith takes those catches 99 times out of 100, and covered the short amount of ground needed in quick time. Yet somehow he spilled it and Stokes marched on. England at this point were 6-249, but Australia were still favourites.
Stokes finally falls
After another 50 runs, with Stokes scoring 93 of a 108-run partnership with Stuart Broad, this is England’s game. Stokes raised his 150 as the scoring slowed and Hazlewood returned to the attack after being flayed every which way after lunch. His first ball was a well-directed bouncer, Stokes miscued his pull shot and Carey made no mistake. Hazlewood stood triumphant, arms outstretched, because the Test had effectively been won. Two more wickets fell for just one run before Josh Tongue was eventually wrinkled out.
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