Key events
On Sky, an impassioned Dominic Cork is expressing his relief that the Ashes Test is a five-dayer. He’s not wrong, and how great that it’s at Trent Bridge too. It should never have taken this long, but we’re here now.
I didn’t say this in the preamble so as not to seem partisan, but if England can win today, they’ll set up a series finale at Lord’s – where they’ve not played, save in tournaments, since 2014, and at all since 2017.
India would’ve bowled too, but Harmanpreet reckons it’s a decent track, so isn’t too perturbed; is she ever? Her team shows, two changes, Meghna and Sneh dropping out with Renuka and Hemalatha coming in,
Kate Cross wins her 50th cap – mazal tov to her, a titan of English cricket.
England win the toss and bowl
Amy Jones thinks it’s a good wicket and might improve under the lights. After chastening defeat, the plan is to focus on themselves and do what they do best. Lauren Bell replaces Wong and Freya Kemp is in for Alice Davidson-Richards.
Righto, here’s the toss. I daresay whoever wins it has a bowl.
And another from my youth in 1996, Chappie Chapple taking 6-18 as Lancashire beat Essex.
Here’s a prime example from my childhood: Daffy DeFreitas reducing Northants to 39-5 in the 1990 Nat West Trophy final.
I wonder how the pitch will play today. There was a point yesterday at which Lancashire were 7-6 and they were eventually all out for 73; Essex are now 28-4 needing 70 more to win. And, at the same time, title-chasing Hants were in the process of being dismissed for 57. As I said below, the joy of September cricket in England.
Tell you what, an Ashes double-header though. Ooooh yeah!
Also for your delectation…
Preamble
It’s strange the way cricket works: here, we have two fine and well-matched teams, but so far, through three T20 internationals and one ODI, we’ve not had the arse-nipper they and we deserve; hopefully today makes that right.
But in the meantime, what an effort from India on Sunday. England didn’t bat well, it’s true, reliant on their lower-order for their semi-competitive score. India, though, bowled with terrific threat and economy, before knocking off the runs with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice.
None of this means we’ll see something similar this afternoon, but. England have so much firepower it seems unlikely their gun batters will all fail again, just as it seems unlikely that Issy Wong, their strike bowler, will get so severely clouted again. The thing is, even if we assume that to be true, India have more than enough to beat a firing England … and the reverse is also true.
All of which is to say that, given the basic joy of international cricket; the unusual joy of international cricket, in the green and pleasants, towards the end of September; and the specific joy of these two teams, playing international cricket, in the green and pleasants, towards the end of September; we’re in for an absolute treat. Go well, mates.
Play: 1pm BST