Ashes 2017-18: Australia v England fourth Test, day one – live!

Gavin Robertson (the same Gavin Robertson?) on the email. “Having watched Warner get his century before lunch on the first day of the Sydney test at the start of this year, I’ve been wondering what I can look forward on the 4th January 2018.Is it asking too much to think that England bat first and are all out before I start on my ham and cheese sandwiches around this time of day?”

Quite the year for Dave. Yep, the ton in two hours to begin. Then the awful series in India. A brilliant IPL campaign after that to get back on track. Two months working as a quasi-shop steward in the pay dispute. To Bangladesh for his first tons in Asia. Feels right that he’d cap it with a massive Boxing Day ton. And will make my end of day piece that much easier.

28th over: Australia 102-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 83). As is the custom, the spinner Moeen Ali gets to deliver final over before lunch. Just play it back to him, right? Get to lunch, yeah? No. Warner clobbers him straight over his head for SIX. What a way to punctuate a dominant session. He’s into the 80s with the strike. It brings up Australia’s 100 as well. Lunch.

This is going to get ugly. Back with you after a quick bite.

27th over: Australia 96-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 77). Anderson with probably the last over before lunch. No stalling from Bancroft though, defending and leaving. Very close to his off-stump at one stage. Prompts a chat from Warner. Hit again with the short ball. On the arm this time, by the looks. Chris Rogers on radio admiring how hard the West Australian has had to work to survive out there so far. He looks badly out of form. The over concludes at 12:29pm, so they will go around again.

(PS – hit refresh and pretend the initial version of that 26th over update didn’t happen. Still battling technology)

26th over: Australia 96-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 77). Forget what I said about Warner, he’s back doing that thing he does. He pulls Curran off his hip with a leg in the air. A harder shot to play than it looks. You get four runs for that. Easier pickings when Curran drifts down the legside, helped on its way. Into, and nearly out of, the 70s. Just like that.

25th over: Australia 88-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 69). Another Warner boundary behind point off Anderson. On another day, both could have found gully. Warner looked a million bucks half an hour ago. Less so now. He’s down the other end with a single to cover. Bancroft is defending solidly for the rest. They have probably three overs to see off to make it a wicketless session.

“$1138? What an odd figure to settle on,” observes Jay Rose. “Someone in the fines department is a George Lucas fan.” I keep a file tracking these figures from ground to ground. All to be revealed at Sydney. Did enjoy the ten-fold increase from Adelaide to Perth. That’s the mining boom for you, etc etc.

24th over: Australia 83-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 64). Maiden sent down from Curran to Bancroft. The right-hander had a couple of chances to attack, but didn’t beat the off-side field. A sharper delivery concludes the set, ripping back off the seam and collecting an inside edge. Some encouraging early signs for him.

“G’day, Adam.” Hi Sarah Bacon. “After a huge day’s food’n’booze, I’ve had my disco nap, and am on my first coffee of this graveyard shift. Husband has gone to bed in disgust (he’s a Pom), declaring that if Australia loses more than one wicket today, then we should hang our heads in shame. Apparently, it would be ‘unAustralian’ (yes, he knows all phrases) to even consider that happening, given the terrible bowling ‘attack’ on show today at the ‘G. So that’s me told then.”

Fair to say that English expectations are suitably managed at the moment.

23rd over: Australia 83-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 64). Anderson to Warner. The latter happy enough to defend early in the over. Setting himself for a long day. That is until the champion seamer drops short, Warner accepting the invitation for a lash. Not his best shot so far today, through the air behind point, but to the boundary it goes.

22nd over: Australia 79-0 (Bancroft 19, Warner 60). Sorry about the lag, technology not my friend this morning. The short story is that Curran has five taken from his over. Would have been six had Bancroft’s push out to point made it to the rope. Instead, Anderson put in an athletic dive to prevent that.

21st over: Australia 74-0 (Bancroft 16, Warner 58). Jimmy is back for a second spell. Oh what a glorious shot, Warner straight down the ground past the bowler and to the rope in a flash. “Might be making a late charge for a century in a session,” says Simon Katich on radio when driving out to cover for three more. They have the field stacked in that region, but Warner’s placement is the key these days.

A bit tongue in cheek from Gary Naylor here, I suspect. “More evidence today that this can only be described as a hollow Ashes victory for Australia, after they blatantly doctored their team to suit the pitches.”

20th over: Australia 63-0 (Bancroft 16, Warner 51). Tom Curran to bowl his first over in Test cricket. Bancroft drives the first one, but the bowler does well to stop it in his follow through. Edge! That’s gone through the cordon at the right height, but not to hand. To the left of gully. So close to an immediate breakthrough. Cruel game, ay?

19th over: Australia 63-0 (Bancroft 12, Warner 51). He’s racing now. Warner smacks a pair of boundaries to bring up his half century. Six fours, 64 balls. The first is another wonderfully struck drive through cover. Woakes battling here. The left-hander has enough time to get onto the back foot in response to the final ball, pulling with authority. Ten from the over.

18th over: Australia 53-0 (Bancroft 11, Warner 42). Moeen not posing any problems for Warner, who has improved his game against finger spin. He’s down the track, driving to cover for two. Another down the ground with that same footwork. “Aggressive defence” is how Warner describes his approach of leaping out of the blocks to combat any turn. Did it very nicely in Bangladesh.

17th over: Australia 50-0 (Bancroft 11, Warner 39). Okay, now Woakes is getting somewhere. A much healthier length to Bancroft. A nice bouncer in there too. Oh, wrote too soon. Not his fault that Mason Crane, the sub, hit the stumps after Bancroft took one to mid-off. It allowed that one to become through with the ball spilling away. The crowd enjoy that. Probably 85,000 in here now. Will be over 90,000 after lunch and the members fills out a bit. The 50 up with a Warner single to cover to finish the over.

“From the horsebox,” writes Peter Gibbs. “I mean, really Adam. That it should come to this. But thankful for the small mercies of OBO. Total presents: one pair of socks. No, really. Oneargument: Brother couldn’t hear the Queen over my occasional sniggering commentary about spare rooms at Buck House. Ooh the language.”

16th over: Australia 46-0 (Bancroft 8, Warner 38). Moeen Ali is into it now, replacing Broad. Around the wicket to Warner. Has a look for a couple of balls before getting onto the front foot, walking a single to the man at a deepish mid-off, I suppose you would call it. Odd not to have him up saving the single. Bancroft to long-on next ball, using his feet nicely. Warner’s turn, who leans back to wallop the final delivery of the over through midwicket for four. His fourth boundary. It won’t be a century in a session, but Warner should be plenty by the time they break for lunch.

15th over: Australia 40-0 (Bancroft 7, Warner 33). “I am absolutely mystified by this field,” says Simon Katich on the radio. “They are just hoping Warner makes a mistake. That’s it.” He is reflecting on the deep point and deep square leg in place as Woakes runs in to begin the second hour of play. Sure enough, Warner pings a cut to the sweeper. The third time he’s been able to do that in seven Woakes deliveries so far. Too short. Takes another single out there later it the over. Bancroft again looking uncomfortable to a ball short of a length, defending from an inside edge.

“Evening/morning Adam.” Hi Paul. I’m lazily orbiting about 2m from my childhood bedroom trying not to wake up my father. Just finished off a 12 hour-ish shift on warm ale and my Christmas wish has been granted by England not batting first and ending up 25/6. I also got me two front teeth, as well as a Stretch Armstrong.”

14th over: Australia 37-0 (Bancroft 7, Warner 30). Broad goes again, his seventh over of the spell. Not a difficult one for Bancroft to negotiate, a couple drifting down the leg side. He defends the rest. Drinks.

“At what point should the captain bring the slips closer in?” asks John Starbuck. “The nicks aren’t carrying, so you’d expect Root, a slipper himself, to react pretty quickly but it usually takes a while. They seem to just stick in another close fielder, but making the existing field closer would have more effect.” Root doesn’t mind popping the helmet on for that job himself in the short third slip position. But to be fair, the edges so far have been more of the soft hands variety.

13th over: Australia 37-0 (Bancroft 7, Warner 30). Here is that change, Woakes to replace Anderson. Too short to begin, Warner curring a couple. Sticks with his plan throughout, allowing Warner to repeat the stroke later in the over. Poor start.

12th over: Australia 33-0 (Bancroft 7, Warner 26). Another short ball to Bancroft that ends up where short leg would be if Root had one in position. That’s the best of the four, Broad getting that to really leap. Now the helmet comes out for the forward short leg. Bouncer comes next, naturally, but he’s under it. A better strategy. A couple down the ground to finish the over.

11th over: Australia 31-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 26). Warner back in business, on the up he goes past cover. Not in complete control, but a boundary for the left-hander. Probably a change coming from Anderson’s end.

10th over: Australia 27-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 22). Broad again. Warner picks up a single to midwicket, the first run in 28 balls. Bancroft’s turn, and again he’s in some strife against the short ball. Broad gets one into his ribs this time. No short leg though. A bit out of fashion early in a Test Match, isn’t it?

“We’re lazily orbiting on a boat 200 km off the coast of Suriname for the next few months,” emails Glenn Reynolds. As you do. “Finishing off a 14-hour shift after a nice Christmas lunch and dinner today, and very much looking forward to my Christmas present: a mass of early wickets. Christmas doesn’t end for 3.5 more hours here, so fingers crossed. Your commentary critical!” Just don’t rely on it bringing you wickets.

9th over: Australia 26-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 21). Wouldn’t be the opening day of a Test Match without a brief WiFi drop out. The good news for England: the scoreboard didn’t move. Bancroft for the second time has misjudged Jimmy’s shorter one, getting a leading edge. He goes upstairs again to finish the over. Lively from his end.

8th over: Australia 26-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 21). Three maidens on the spin. England’s veteran seamers doing well to chill Australia out. Warner defending then leaving Broad. Nearly a mix up to finish. Moeen picks up a deflection at mid-off. They consider running on it before realising that would risk repeating the run out they were involved in on the opening day in Adelaide.

Some colour from Michael Cooney on the balcony. “Is Root’s motto ‘Let Warner be Warner?’” West Wing references always welcome on the OBO. Still holding my Maxwell for Australia napkin.

7th over: Australia 26-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 21). Back to back maidens. What doing? It’s Jimmy to Bancroft. He hit him to begin as well. Only on the glove, or shoulder of the bat. Still, a yard is a yard. There’s an inside edge in there, another bouncer. Okay then.

6th over: Australia 26-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 21). “Gallows humour has started at home,” informs Simon Mann on ABC. To be fair, Broad has just delivered the best over so far, beating Warner with a good’un. “Write it down, the ball has beaten the bat at 10:51am,” quips David Clough from Press Association sitting nearby. Tidy thereafter. Maiden. For real.

5th over: Australia 26-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 21). Hips don’t lie. And Warner’s are swivelling about, all nimble like. A couple behind square, solid contact. Oh, forget that, another booming drive, past cover this time. I say booming, it’s the timing rather than the swing. Very Davey v2.0 so far this morning.

4th over: Australia 19-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 14). Bang. Warner has the time to hop onto his front foot and stroke through the line, and does so with immaculate timing down the ground. That’s the first boundary of the Test Match. Watching the replay, that was Tendulkar-like, very compact. Comes after Broad looked a bit likely early in the set. Anyway, not now, Warner grabbing another couple off the pads. Keeps the strike with a further push down the ground. Accumulating with ease.

“That phrase ‘dead rubber’” begins Johnny Starbuck. “I know it comes from card games but apply it as it stands; in England, a rubber is something you can use to erase the past, while in Australia it prevents something happening in the first place. I think I prefer the English usage. let’s appreciate the match for what it is, not what its place is in a series.”

3rd over: Australia 10-0 (Bancroft 5, Warner 5). Going to be incredibly hard graft for the England bowlers today. Anderson down legside to begin, that’s not going to help. Warner then has the width to push past point for one, Jimmy then on Bancroft’s pads who helps himself to a couple. Finds his range by the end of the set. Not a great start.

For those who have asked, the Australians are wearing black armbands in memory of Thomas Maggs, Tim Paine’s’s father in law, who passed away on Christmas Eve.

2nd over: Australia 7-0 (Bancroft 3, Warner 4). Disco Stuart Broad from the Great Southern Stand End. I get a bit shirty when it is described as the Southern Stand. That got knocked down in 1990. Anyway, he cops a healthy boo. More a football crowd on Boxing Day here. About 70-odd thousand in at the moment, by my MCG-trained eye. Plenty outside. The queues were moving well but very long. Warner leaving a couple to begin before pushing a single to mid-off. Bancroft watching as well. Last one sprayed.

1st over: Australia 6-0 (Bancroft 3, Warner 3). Nice bit of shape for Jimmy to begin, running away from us at the Members’ End. Bancroft is away with a push off the back foot through cover. “It is the first sign that this pitch is an absolute belter,” says Jim Maxwell on the ABC. Glenn Maxwell has predicted that Australia won’t lose a single wicket. I hate to say this as a proud man of this city, but the least interesting pitch in Australia these days? Competitive field. Warner’s turn: he pushes behind point from the balls of his feet, doesn’t get all of it, but picks up three himself. Two threes to open the Test. Couldn’t have happened that often.

“Adam, Sweden has nothing on Edmonton, it is minus 23 at the moment,” emails Pam Carlton,. “I would prefer to be eating turkey sandwiches in the outer. I come from Melbourne.”

Vish raises an interesting point here. Can Warner cap his 2017 with tons in a session before lunch to begin a Test? Probably.

Anthems, and all that. We’ll do emails.

“I’m rather relying on Cricket Australia being found to have financial irregularities and is docked 500 runs, and we win,” hopes Chris Purcell. “I hope this is not the Baileys talking, other incredibly sweet alcoholic drinks are available. Still, cross fingers. From a wet and windy Dulwich.” Du du du du du du du du, Dulwich Hamlet!

Hello also to Kim Thonger. “My wife’s youngest daughter Emily is in Oz for Xmas and was playing beach cricket today with her Australian boyfriend Troy at Callala Bay near Wollongong. You can see from the photo attached she’s on a hat trick on her way to a fivefor. Troy clearly can’t read her googly. This seems to bode well for an English victory. She’s a similar age to Curran and Crane. Youth is the future.”

I can’t add the pic, for reasons that I won’t bore you with. But I like her slingy action.

“The first day of the Boxing Day test is always entertaining, dead rubber or not.” I’m with you, Andrew James. “I was there when Warne grabbed his 700th wicket and the place erupted in noise. It was also a good mate’s bucks party that day, and as probably the most sober participant it fell to me to eventually pour him into a taxi around 2am, carry him up two flights of stairs, ring the bell, wait until his fiancee opened the door, mutter, ‘I’m terribly sorry’ and make myself extremely scarce.”

“Hello from Kerala in India.” Hi Kandukuru Nagarjun. “I’ve just woken up at 4:30am on a winter morning for the Melbourne Test – just as I’ve done for thirty one years now. Back in the ‘80s, it was for ABC Grandstand (Neville Oliver!) on crackling shortwave radio, and in the early ‘90s it was for Brian Johnston on TMS. In the late ‘90s, for Channel Nine. These days, it’s for live streaming plus OBO.” Thanks so much for your company. OBO colleague Tim de Lisle wrote about this very topic a few weeks back.

And with that, the players are on the field!

Gary Naylor can beat rural Ireland.

“G’day.” Hi mate. Hope you had a smashing Christmas. “I’m in rural Sweden where the temperature is hovering around 0, so white Christmas is more sludgy, sandy grey. Just finished Alastair Campbell’s latest diaries (2005-7)- so a decade on not great times for an England supporting, anti-Brexit, palest pink Leftie.”

Spent Christmas in Sweden myself in 2011. In a joint that goes by the nickname Knife Town. I recall making mates at the ‘G promise that if Ed Cowan got near 100 on debut that they would wake me so I could watch it on a dodgy stream. They did, when he was 60-odd. But no salute. Oh well. Morning Ed, if you’re reading on. Oh, and I gifted myself the Clem Atlee bio for Christmas. I know, I know…

What happened to Moeen, then? Hit on the the neck. Or arm. Unclear. But copped the whack in the nets yesterday. He’s playing. As for Tom Curran, he received his cap from Bob Willis earlier. Mike Atherton to my right likes the link, for he was another Surrey quick brought onto an Ashes tour late in 1970-71.

And why wouldn’t they on a day like this? To the teams. Australia as named yesterday, with Jason Bird in for Mitch Starc, who is injured. As for England, Moeen Ali did make the XI after an injury scare yesterday. Tom Curran to debut.

Australia

Cameron Bancroft, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Mitch Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird

England

Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

“I’m high on the hill, looking over the bridge, to the M.C.G.” Well, in the back of an uber actually. But giving it my best. To reiterate from earlier, it is a postcard-perfect day in Melbourne. Not a single cloud. Not too hot. But warm enough to know it is summer.

Damian Kemp, meanwhile, comes to us from rural Ireland. “Dodgy mobile phone connection, dreaming of summer and wondering what the movie like narrative ending of the series will be?” Oh dear. Bit grim, Damo. But please do continue. “Root throwing his bag at Lyon? Smith hugging Cook after dismissing him for 99? Paine making the high leaping catch of the century and acting like it was nothing? The MCC showing a rule that means England won the series?” Sounds like you should be writing X-Files fan fiction.

Housekeeping.

Firstly, if you’re on the way into the ‘G on the train, use the time to have a listen to Geoff and my chat with Vic Marks after the Perth Test. About everything other than the current series, really. We talked Somerset, Viv, Roebuck, TMS, Sunday newspapers and the “digital sweet spot”. Off the top of my head. What a wonderful man.

Next, I’m tipping a lot of you will be coming in real hot on the emails today. Lay them on me. You know the drill, email if you can stomach it, this old thing if not. Maybe you’re a Brit, landing in Melbourne yesterday after snapping up flights months ago hoping to party like it was 2010-11? Don’t worry if so, we put on a good show. I can hear my girlfriend, who arrived a few days ago, preparing for her debut MCG experience. Regardless of the circumstances, going to our great ground is always a big deal.

Lastly, has pre-Test chat reached an all-time low? I know #Ashes #bantz is rubbish at the very best of times, but I fear we’ve lost the plot now. I wonder if anyone who sliced and diced Jimmy this week listened to the interview? The most self-deprecating chat you’ll hear from a bloke who has taken 500+ wickets. Anyway, the latest instalment.

Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime, have a listen to the latest Final Word podcast, in which the great Vic Marks talks candidly about many, many things: