Key events
15th over: England 51-3 (Pope 25, Bairstow 0) England reach their half century with consecutive boundaries from Pope’s bat. Nortje has been expensive and he’s first driven past point and then steered through the gulley region. Pope has suddenly collected 25. He’s looked good amidst the carnage.
14th over: England 42-3 (Pope 17, Bairstow 0) Ollie Pope is now exclusively scoring his runs in clumps of three with drive that doesn’t reach the boundary. Root will now wish his partner had timed it better as his first ball back on strike ends with his wicket. Really good bowling from Jansen who must be just a nightmare to face if you’re a right hander. South Africa all over their hosts. They look well up for this.
Wicket! Root lbw Jansen 8 (England 42-3)
Now then! What a moment in this match! What a moment in the young life of Marco Jansen. He’s got the big fish of Joe Root with a beautiful delivery that starts by angling across the right hander but then tails back in sharply towards his pads. Root’s body is already moving in one direction and he can’t change course before it knocks his front pad. The umpire’s finger goes up but Root reviews. He gets no reprieve. It’s close, but the ‘umpire’s call’ means Root’s got to go. England collapsing in the wake of sustained Proteas pressure.
My apologies to all Canadians
Thanks to Daniel Waddup for putting me straight: “A word of advice. Never, ever call it ice hockey within earshot of a Canadian friend. It’s just hockey.”
That’s me told.
“Where’s bazball?”
Robert from “Downunder” wants to know. Early days Rob. And let’s not forget that the fireworks earlier in the summer often came from top order failures.
13th over: England 39-2 (Pope 14, Root 8) The first rumbling chants of ‘Roooooooot’ as Joe Root welcomes Arnich Nortje to the scene by cutting him backward of point for four. Nortje’s pace is already north of 90mph but the England batter’s won’t mind that if he bowls short and wide. Pope also gets a cut shot away but only takes three as the fielder at point manages to get a glove on it. Nortje pushes it fuller as the over gets on but he’ll need to sort that radar out.
12th over: England 32-2 (Pope 11, Root 4) A bowling change and it’s the 2m tall Marco Jansen replacing Ngidi from the Pavilion End. His left arm delivers an opening over that is rather tame by his standards though there’s no run off the bat – just a leg bye. A leg gulley as well as a man under the helmet offers a sign of the plan here but he’s too full for that to yield any fruit. A loosener. Fair enough. Will expect more in his next set.
11th over: England 31-2 (Pope 11, Root 2) That’s a rip-snorter from Rabada. My word, that’s lifted! It rockets from a length that isn’t too short but shoots towards Root’s nose and the batter does well to get his glove on it as both his feet leave the ground. The ball before Root collected a couple with a confident hook towards fine leg but that shock to the system will keep him on his toes. Another one thwacks his bottom glove. This is wonderful! Two supreme athletes locking horns. Love to see it.
G’day to the Cannucks!
“Morning Daniel”
Heya Tom.
”I’m very pleased to be at Lord’s with two dear Canadian friends who I’ve been trying to persuade to come to cricket since (I think) the 2004 series against the West Indies.
They thought Zak Crawley looked skittish, so I think they’re getting the idea. Welcome to the cricket, Steph and Dani!”
Look, it’s slower than ice hockey, but hopefully they’re loving it.
Longest gap between players (B)
Steve Cox offers this:
“I’d suggest Brian Close #344 who last played in 1976 when the debutants were in the 460’s”
Longest gap between players
Gareth has a suggestion:
@danielgallan Bill Voce made his debut in the series that saw Rhodes end his career. They both played together in Rhodes last match – caps #121 and #253
— Gareth Owen (@gwowen) August 17, 2022
10th over: England 29-2 (Pope 11, Root 2) Pope has decided that the best way to negate Ngidi’s swing and seam is to come down the track to him. It sounds bonkers, but there’s logic to the madness. The first ball of the over South Africa review an lbw appeal as Ngidi gets one to track back into Pope. It’s missing leg though. The next ball Pope leaves a ball that arrows back from a sixth stump line and almost takes the top of off. Wonderful movement and control. That’s what prompts Pope to get his dancing shoes on and he’s happy to take a single down to fine leg.
Root is off the mark with a couple behind square on the on side. Needless to say, much depends on the former skipper.
9th over: England 25-2 (Pope 10, Root 0) England are two down and both openers belong to Kagiso Rabada who has been magnificent. The ball before he lost his wicket, Crawley collected four from an outside edge. He wouldn’t be so lucky again. Pope gathered another three runs – his third three of his innings so far – to start the over, but it’s South Africa on top here. Quality bowling from the tourists.
Wicket! Crawley c Markram b Rabada 9 (England 25-2)
‘He’s so good, isn’t he, Rabada’
So says my colleague Ali Martin. He’s not wrong. Rabada hits a constantly good line and length at speed while moving the ball at will. What a bowler. This one is in that zone that makes batters second guess themselves and Crawley is neither forward nor back. He prods at it and it takes the edge. Markram tumbling forward at second slip holds on well and that’s two for South Africa’s premier pacer. Lovely bowling. There’ll be questions about Crawley’s technique there but make sure you give a heap of credit to the bowler.
‘I’ll have the James Anderson, please’
This from Oliver Smiddy is worth sharing:
“I went into the barbers near my office on Monday and down in between Jimmy Anderson and Zak Crawley. Minutes later I was shown to a chair and while I was having my hair cut, Joe Root got up from the one next to me and they all left. Great to see England’s greatest ever batsman and bowler in the flesh (and, um, Zak Crawley). They’re all much taller than they look. Glad I played it cool though; I don’t think they recognised me.”
8th over: England 18-1 (Crawley 5, Pope 7) Ollie Pope has just double-stepped Lungi Ngidi and clipped him through midwicket. He didn’t time it very well and and so only took three from it, but it was the first sign of the daring chutzpah we’ve been promised. Ngidi has definitely found a better line here, which is perhaps why Pope went in search of something different. Earlier in the set the batter looked to leave but made contact with the ball yet again. That’s twice he’s done that and got away with it. Something to keep an eye on maybe.
7th over: England 15-1 (Crawley 5, Pope 4) Rabada strays onto Pope’s pads and he tucks it beautifully through a vacant square leg. He doesn’t time it well enough to reach the fence and Nortje reels it in in front of the grandstand, but it was a lovely little shot. Rabada rectifies his line and keeps it around that fourth stump area. Crawley isn’t going hard at it – though he is beaten past the outside edge off the last ball – and the rest of the over fizzles out without much drama.
6th over: England 12-1 (Crawley 5, Pope 1) First real bit of quality from an England batter. Crawley leans into a full ball from Ngidi and times it perfectly through mid-on. Didn’t try to over-hit it. Just a short punch to take the first boundary off the middle of the bat.
Ngidi responds well, though, and squares Crawley up with a beauty that angles away off the seam. Good battle when Ngidi get’s his line right. He has been a touch wide if we’re being honest. That was a lot better.
Rich Naylor (no relation to our own Gary) is also pondering on the timeless James Anderson who has put us all to shame but still being amazing at Test cricket in his 40s:
“Just been mulling over Anderson’s amazing longevity and it leads me to a question to be thrown at all those who are better at looking up such things than I am..
When Andersen (cap #613) played together with Potts (cap # 706) in the New Zealand series there was a “gap” of 93 caps / players between them. Has there ever been a larger such gap between two test players on a team?”
Not sure about that Rich. But Peter Salmon writes in something you might find interesting:
“Love that you said about Jimmy, ‘Something remarkable would have to take place to see him bowl today’ – how quickly we forget!
Went down an old cricketers rabbit hole, and turns out not only did Wilfred Rhodes play at 52, he lived to be 95! Died in 1973, only nine years before Jimmy was born. Time, eh?”
Indeed.
5th over: England 8-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 1) A maiden from Rabada but he could have snagged a wicket as well. His second ball to Pope is almost steered to second slip. Pope tried to let it go but couldn’t get his bat away in time and it toe-ends its way to the cordon where a forward-diving Markram can’t reach it. Pope is more circumspect for the rest of the over and and plays with it with a compact technique.
Scorecard query
If anyone can’t see the scorecard, try giving your browser a refresh. Should be sorted now.
4th over: England 8-1 (Crawley 1, Pope 1) Another tidy set from Ngidi who has found a probing length (even if his line could do with a little tidying up). A single to Crawley off his pads means he’s off the mark and Pope in at first drop also opens his account with a single of his own through the on-side.
It’s magic out there
“Good morning Dan”
Good morning John.
“It seems there’s a fairy ring just on a good bowler’s length at Lord’s today. While it could be a sign of early autumn (fungoid activity) has it been known to affect the pitch, batting-wise, before?”
I’ve not no idea, to be honest. It does look pretty though. And the Saffas will feel like there’s magic in the surface with that early wicket.
3rd over: England 6-1 (Crawley 0, Pope 0) An early breakthrough as Rabada underlines his alpha presence in this attack with the wicket of Lees, who looked ruffled after being bounced two balls earlier. There was also an outside edge that raced past Markram at second slip and an lbw appeal after Rabada got one to tail back into the lefty. The wicket felt like a natural conclusion in an over where ball undoubtedly got the better of the bat.
Wicket! Lees c Verreynne b Rabada 5 (England 6-1)
That’s wonderful bowling by Rabada who had just roughed up Lees with a bouncer after finding an outside edge at the start of the over.
This one lifts from a good length and angles across the left handed Lees who doesn’t move his feet as he prods away from his body. A feather on the blade goes through the the ‘keeper and South Africa are off and running as Rabada lets out a mighty roar.
2nd over: England 2-0 (Lees 1, Crawley 0) A maiden from Ngidi from the Pavilion End but it was pretty comfortable for Crawley to watch the ball outside his off stump. A good length from the burly pacer but from too wide a line. Nice shape though, if he can straighten just a touch he’ll be in business.
1st over: England 2-0 (Lees 1, Crawley 0) Early swing from Rabada from the Nursery End and landing on a nice full length. He hits Lees on the pads and goes up for the lbw shout but it’s tailing down leg. Lees is off the mark with clip off his hips and Crawley scampers for a leg bye. Tidy start from the Saffas.
We’re all set!
Right then. The anthems are done. The crowd is building and so is the tension. Have I mentioned how excited I am for this?
Kagiso Rabada has the new ball in his hand.
Here. We. Go!
“Morning”
Hi Paul. Thanks fro dropping a mail.
“With Ireland playing Afghanistan and Scotland playing the USA today in addition to England & Wales playing South Africa. Is this one of the first times that every nation in the British and Irish Isles are playing a full international cricket match on the same day at home?”
That, my friend, is a fantastic question. To be honest, I’ve got no idea but my gut feel is you’re on to something.
Anyone got something definitive for us?
“We are privileged to see Jimmy A play today, at 40 years old. Amazingly, his Test bowling average is lower now (about 26.5) than at any time in his 19 year career (bar after his second Test, when it was briefly slightly lower). That’s tribute not just to his fitness, but his willingness to work at his bowling and adapt it over the years.”
Right you are Steve Hudson. Something remarkable would have to take place to see him bowl today (especially with rain lurking about) but your point stands. What an athlete he is!
Ah, mate… Everyone please spare a thought for Will
£120 for a ticket today and I’m bed bound with food poisoning. Hope there’s a full day for my sanity.
— Will Young (@notwillyoung86) August 17, 2022
England keeping it consistent
Just the one change from the team that beat India in spectacular fashion earlier in the summer. If it ain’t broke, why fix it, eh?
England: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonathan Bairstow, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (w/k), Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, James Anderson
Four quicks and a spinner
The Proteas are throwing caution to the win by fielding a lengthy tail in order to wedge in their premier bowling line-up.
South Africa: Dean Elgar (c), Sarel Erwee, Keegan Petersen, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne (w/k), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Arnich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi
South Africa win the toss and bowl
That’s what we wanted! Dean Elgar has won the toss and asked England to bat first. Exactly what this match needed. Proteas seamers against England’s batters on a fresh deck with clouds in the sky. Get stuck in folks, put your phone on silent, tell your boss you’ve got better things to do. They’ll understand.
Preamble
Howsit. Sanibonani. Molweni. Dumelang. Welcome.
There’s a buzz in the air. A visceral vibration that has been building for some time now. An unstoppable force meets, well, another unstoppable force. It’s the Bazball batting brouhaha against the bristling Bouchball bowling attack. Two former wicketkeepers turned bullish coaches and their equally fiery skippers collide for three Tests that have all the ingredients of a blockbuster occasion.
Ben Stokes thinks that the Saffas have already lost the battle of wits, but his counterpart, Dean Elgar, says he isn’t bothered by the noise.
England have preemptively named their team, with Ben Foakes retaining the gloves in place of Sam Billings. And why not? There’s a surge of confidence coursing through this red ball side after the dismantling of New Zealand and India earlier in the simmer.
South Africa are sitting tight on Kagiso Rabada’s fitness (he should be fine, though) and will be desperate to underline their current position at the top of the World Test Championship table. Their come from behind series win over India at the start of the year was no fluke. There are some serious cricketers in this resurgent outfit.
I genuinely have no idea which way this will go. I know we’ll get some rain interruptions at various stages throughout this opening day but the way these teams press down on the fast forward button, that will merely delay the inevitable crescendo.
My name is Daniel, but you can call me Dan if you like. Do get in touch throughout my stint. I literally cannot wait for this. I hope you’re as excited as I am. Will catch you in half an hour with toss and team updates.
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