The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, fourth Test, day two – live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Lunch - England 61 for 1, trail Australia on the first innings by 256

So far, so good for England. They would have been annoyed at the extra 17 runs added for the last wicket thanks to the no ball decision against Woakes that was marginal, but they’ve come out and scored quickly with the bat, got that deficit down to the mid 200s, and they can reset for the middle session from here. The Moeen move has just about broken even, strange as that sounds, given that expectations weren’t high – anything he can add after lunch will be a bonus. Australia need to find a foothold.

16th over: England 61-1 (Crawley 26, Moeen 31) Finally Crawley middles one of those lavish drives, out through the covers. Then tries to yank a pull shot from a length outside off stump, slamming it into his own thigh instead. That’s how Crawley plays for lunch. Good bouncer from Cummins in response, past the ear as the batter ducks. And that’s lunch.

We’ve had two Guys, now we have two Withingtons. This is the John variety.

“While trying to keep up on weak signals in the Austrian Alps I was reminded yesterday of a conversation with my often quoted brother. It struck me halfway through the 2nd test that we might be seeing Jimmy for the last time. One of the big problems for England has been the quick and regular runs scored by Head and Marsh and that perhaps Sam Curran should be brought in ahead of Jimmy to prise one or both out. Fire with fire, sword with sword etc. I think Sam’s white-ball nouse could be decisive. Plus he can bat a bit with lower middle orders being crucial in every Test so far. With another frugal but fruitless performance from Anderson perhaps it’s time … if a test match too late?”

Jimmy gets another innings to make his case, and having a bowler who keeps the runs down must have an influence on the wickets that others take.

15th over: England 53-1 (Crawley 22, Moeen 31) A sharp bouncer for Moeen to dodge from Green, then another play and miss for Crawley outside the off stump. Not sure why they only have two slips and a gully for him, and why they don’t consistently bowl that line. He’s promising to nick, and most of the runs he’s making are into the leg side.

14th over: England 53-1 (Crawley 20, Moeen 29) There’s the milestone for Moeen, he goes past 3000 Test runs to go with his 200 wickets. Becomes the 16th player to do it. And does it in true Moeen style, slicing Cummins over the top of Green at gully. Four more next ball, laced through cover, and another run on the back cut. The pinch-hitting No3 trick is working so far.

Moeen Ali hits a four to bring up 3000 Test Match runs. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty ImagesWicket overturned!

13th over: England 44-1 (Crawley 20, Moeen 20) Cameron Green into the attack, and for a few minutes he has what he wants. In-ducker, at pace, smashes Crawley on the pad in front of middle and leg. Umpire Wilson gives it out, but the review shows it missing leg stump by a couple of millimetres. Green light, Zak. Proceed.

12th over: England 43-1 (Crawley 20, Moeen 19) Pat Cummins into the fray, replacing Hazlewood from the Anderson End. Gets the ball to do a bit immediately, including one that cuts back savagely towards Crawley, and one nicked past the leg stump. There’s another cover drive piled straight into Labuschagne’s hands, on the bounce, and another massive swishing drive to a ball that is miles too short for the shot, missing by a distance. Crawley has been all over the shop, to be honest, but he’s still scoring.

11th over: England 41-1 (Crawley 19, Moeen 18) Again, down the leg side from Starc in his sixth over. Crawley doesn’t catch up with it. Smacks a cover drive, but straight at the field. In between all that, three singles.

Guy Hornsby is our second Guy of the day.

“Morning Geoff, as they say in golf (yes, golf) this day feels like ‘moving day’. Given the weather forecast, this Test may be as little and 2 and a half days long, or at a push, 4. So England have to go big, but risk by going big(ger) and fast(er) we could fall in a heap. But given we need to win this, I am actually on board as Stokes won’t want to tie the series 2-2. The series deserves better than that. Loved your and Jonathan Liew’s pieces. Smith is still a staggering batter, but seems slightly adrift, and Green now suffering in comparison to Mitch, who looks a much better bet right now. I know England are obsessed with all-rounders, but are Australia pinning too much of their hopes to Green’s expected success? He’s still so young.”

Golf? Ridiculous sport. Hitting balls with sticks. It’ll never catch on.

10th over: England 38-1 (Crawley 17, Moeen 17) A little momentum into this Moeen Ali innings! Hits the non-striker’s stumps first with a drive. Then he gets the line to glance Hazlewood for four, before resting on the front foot and driving superbly on the up through cover to the rope! Picturesque.

9th over: England 30-1 (Crawley 17, Moeen 9) Whooshka, goes Crawley, booming the bat at a length that is absolutely not there to drive. Starc’s scrambled seam takes the ball away from the bat and so nearly an edge. Goes in at the hip and Crawley gets two extras off the body to fine leg. He finishes the over as he started, another huge drive that again is a rollie paper away from giving up an edge to the keeper. Starc is left rolling his eyes.

8th over: England 26-1 (Crawley 17, Moeen 8) Edged by Crawley and safe! Goes to Warner on the half-volley at first slip. Surprising lack of carry from this surface, where the next ball from Hazlewood flies through to Carey. Really takes off, from a length, left alone. Parry, thrust, as Crawley times the pants off the next ball through midwicket for four! Deep square leg out there, beaten on the dive into the ropes.

7th over: England 20-1 (Crawley 12, Moeen 7) Sizzling delivery from Starc, squares up Crawley and just beats him outside off stump. Perfect line, movement back in to the right-hander. Crawley finds a single next ball, leaving Moeen to face the music. The latter does well enough.

“Was Jimmy’s Cummins wicket the first ‘pre-Jerusalem’ wicket in history?” asks Ben Warren.

I wouldn’t think so – they sing the song second ball of the day, and there must have been first-ball dismissals before. I remember Joe Root at Adelaide Oval in 2017 was caught behind off Hazlewood before Jersualem had finished. That might have been second or third ball of the morning.

6th over: England 18-1 (Crawley 11, Moeen 6) Crawley is doing well, again clips a single first ball of the over. Moeen blocks a single to cover. Crawley finds another to the leg side.

5th over: England 15-1 (Crawley 9, Moeen 5) Crawley turns over the strike. Starc has three slips and a gully, backward point, mid off, mid on, deep backward square, fine leg. Over the wicket to Moeen Ali… who nicks him for four! Past Green in the gully, which is a feat in itself. Well wide of him in the end. Gets better contact and no runs afterwards, driving it square to point where Travis Head is stationed.

“As well as registering on the Valuable Runs Index, Nasser on Sky was suggesting that the extended Starc-Hazelwood stand was also featuring on the Valuable Time Index, in view of the weekend weather forecast,” writes Brian Withington. “It certainly made an indelible entry on my Keep Your Foot Behind the Bloody Line Index (other versions are available).”

4th over: England 10-1 (Crawley 8, Moeen 1) Trying to work out how to approach his innings, Moeen plays Test-style in this over against Hazlewood, defending the ball as best he can, only looking to score once when he clips to midwicket and can’t beat the field.

3rd over: England 10-1 (Crawley 8, Moeen 1) One attacking left-hander replaces another, Moeen Ali in for Duckett. Chest height down the leg side, Moeen plays at it but doesn’t get close to it. Defends the line on off stump well, but has a huge swish at nothing when he gets width. Finds his first run to fine leg.

Australia 0-0 with Ireland at half time in the World Cup football.

WICKET! Duckett c Carey b Starc 1, England 9-1

There he goes, there he goes again. Ben Duckett never leaves the ball, so the left-hander plays a defensive push at a ball outside off stump from a left-armer, over the wicket, that is swinging further away from him. Just no need to play that ball, even though it has nice shape on it. Takes a feather through to Carey.

Ben Duckett walks after edging a delivery from Mitchell Starc. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 8, Duckett 1) Cummins making himself first change, Hazlewood to take the new ball from the James Anderson End. Duckett chops into the ground and has to kick the ball away from his stumps as it rolls back. Gets a run fifth ball, Crawley flicks two more.

Ben Duckett shows his skills. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

1st over: England 6-0 (Crawley 6, Duckett 0) Four first ball of the innings! Crawley likes that. This time it’s not a smash through cover, it’s a glove past the wicketkeeper. No mind. He glances two runs to follow. Starc corrects his line with a very good delivery that goes close to Crawley’s off stump. Left-arm, over the wicket, landing it in the channel for the latter half of the over, Crawley going after one with an angled bat and getting a bottom edge into the ground.

Change of innings is done, brace yerself.

Perplexing question from Tone White. “I must know, is Stu Broad the Ryan Gosling of cricket?”

In as much as he started out in the 2000s with roles of serious pathos but has latterly graduated to masterful comic performances while seeming to have the time of his life? Yes.

The Test Match Special overseas link is now here, for those who like listening to the BBC but don’t like finding links on BBC websites.

Australia all out for 317 in the first innings

There we are, the last partnership adds a useful 18 runs after Pat Cummins was out first ball of the day. England will get into their batting work under bright sunshine wanting to make something north of Australia’s score by stumps. That will be a challenge, but it’s quite an Englandy sort of challenge.

Gosh, there are some pessimists in this joint. Guy Simpson: “Is it just me, or does anyone else have the terrible presentiment that VAR has just cost England the Ashes? That the extra runs added by the 10th wicket will prove too many and that England will fall just short? Just horrible.”

As soon as the wicket falls, “I take it back! Well done, Woakesy!”

You could still be right, Guy. Tests have been decided by fewer than 16 runs…

WICKET! Hazlewood c Duckett b Woakes 4, Australia 317-10

Now Chris Woakes has his first five-wicket Ashes haul. Gets Hazlewood second time around, this time the edge to third slip where Ben Duckett reaches above his head to take a catch that most slippers would have held near their midriff.

Chris Woakes leaves the field with the ball after picking up his first five-fer against Australia. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

90th over: Australia 317-9 (Starc 36, Hazlewood 4) Ok, now we crank up the gears. Mark Wood is on to bowl, and Starc doesn’t want Hazlewood to face him. Starc ducks a bouncer, plays the ribcage ball well, and declines a single when he hits out to cover. Two balls to come in the over, everyone goes back to the fence except a gully and the wicketkeeper. Starc still doesn’t want the run. One ball to come, and England leave almost everyone back. Wood bowls a good bumper around an off stump line and Starc leaves it alone.

89th over: Australia 317-9 (Starc 36, Hazlewood 4) There’s an addition to Hazlewood’s score, throwing the bat at Woakes and getting three through cover. Starc knocks a single to the leg side. Hazlewood defends well enough, gets out of the way when he can.

88th over: Australia 313-9 (Starc 35, Hazlewood 1) We’re deep into the Useful Runs Index™, as Starc steers four runs past gully, then opens his stance and belts two runs back past Anderson in the air. Can’t rotate the strike though so Hazlewood will face Woakes. Hazlewood’s batting has dipped at Test level after he did some competent work in his early years.

87th over: Australia 307-9 (Starc 29, Hazlewood 1) Boundary for Starc! Gets back and pulls Woakes behind square. The replay on that no ball is extremely tight. The foot isn’t obviously over the line, but perhaps there is nothing clearly behind it. Starc adds another single to cover, Hazlewood does him proud for the last two balls.

Mitchell Starc isn’t going quietly. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

86th over: Australia 302-9 (Starc 24, Hazlewood 1) Anderson to Starc, who sweats on most of the over before pushing a single to cover. Hazlewood plays and misses the one ball he faces.

Jono Haylen is curating his playlist.

85th over: Australia 301-9 (Starc 23, Hazlewood 1) Chris Woakes has his first five-wicket bag against Australia… and then he doesn’t. Has Hazlewood edging to Crawley at second slip, but Woakes has overstepped! Starc has already sprinted off the ground by the time the third umpire sends word, so he has to turn and run all the way back to the non-striker’s end. Has only got to face one ball so far today. Hazlewood gets in behind the line for the rest of the over.

No, I don’t have the TMS overseas link. The BBC haven’t posted it yet.

84th over: Australia 300-9 (Starc 23, Hazlewood 1) The left-handed Hazlewood comes out. Wears a short ball on the body. Reaches outside off stump and steers a run past gully.

Ali Martin next to me observes that James Anderson has broken James Anderson’s record for the most wickets for England. What was 688 becomes 689.

WICKET! Cummins c Stokes b Anderson 1, Australia 299-9

Jimmy Anderson gets in the book! With a wicket first ball of the day, no less. Regulation sort of delivery, Cummins doesn’t have his timing sorted yet, pushes at it too early and hits it low to cover for a comfortable catch.

Jimmy Anderson sees off the Aussie skipper. Photograph: Rui Vieira/AP

On the players come…

Drop us a line

Of course, you can email me or whoever else is on the OBO at any given point, using the contact details in the sidebar, or top of page on your phone.

Tane Aikman has written in. “You going to be splitting your attention between Manchester and Sydney Geoff? Big blow for the Matildas, with Sam Kerr out. On my side of the Tasman it’s been a great night, with the Football Ferns upsetting Norway for their first ever World Cup win. Now more Ashes fun to watch. Sport. It’s bloody good.”

Devastating about Sam Kerr, the worst possible timing. Last training session!

Finally, Barney Ronay switched modes from Wimbledon to look at how England’s embrace of the new is all about embracing the old. “For a few moments England’s wicketkeeper just sat there like a very happy life-sized gingerbread man, emitting an extended roar of triumph.”

I have been watching Steve Smith for a very long time, and yesterday was a strange day within an observable pattern of strange days. “Instead Smith heaved at it, a circular dragging movement like he was halfway down the Amazon and trying to sling a large python over the side of a small boat.”

And there’s the Final Word Daily podcast as usual from stumps last night.

Jonathan Liew had some fun writing about Australia’s two all-rounders. “The Ashes are afoot, England are rampant and the only thing standing in their way is just under four metres of prime Perth flesh.”

Simon also has the lines from Broad’s press conference last night.

Then there’s Simon Burnton’s diary.

Catching up? Start with Ali Martin and the match report.

Preamble

Greetings, comrades. Day one is done, day two is new. On into the future we go together. It was one of those days of back and forth yesterday: England win the toss and bowl, make early inroads, Australia pull it back, gain the upper hand at times, formed a partnership for almost every wicket, which England then found a way to break. Both teams would consider themselves to be in a reasonable position, with Australia about to pass 300 and having a couple of wickets left with which to do so.

Once England get to bat, which might be very shortly, they will want to score at a fast rate, which will also give Australia opportunities to knock over players. This is all with an eye to forecast rain on the weekend. The idea is to get as much of this match as possible done with in the next two days.

Sound like fun?