QQQ Daily Mail, Monday, August 19, 201974 THE ASHES SECOND TEST
THE GAME
CHANGER
Yes the Lord’s Test ended in a draw, but
newcomer Archer has given England the
momentum and mindset to win the series
THE ASHES
PAUL
NEWMAN
Cricket Correspondent
at Lord’sE
verything has
changed now. the
whole dynamic of
this Ashes is different
because the remark-
able Jofra Archer has trans-
formed the biggest series of
them all.
yes, the second test at Lord’s
was drawn yesterday and, yes,
Archer only took five wickets in
the match. But that tells nothing
like the full, thrilling story.
it ended in the Lord’s gloom just
before 7.30pm with Australia des-
perately hanging on for the parity
here that just about keeps their
advantage intact.
But where england were under
huge pressure and had questions
to answer after being demolished
at ‘Fortress edgbaston’, now they
have real hope. they are still one
down with three to go and still
have big concerns over their bat-
ting but there is all to play for.
And that is because of a new-
comer who has achieved pretty
much the impossible by making a
bigger impact here than he did at
this famous old ground in that
tumultuous World Cup final.
We said before the game this was
the most anticipated test debut
since Kevin Pietersen took his bow
here in the first game of what
became the greatest of all Ashesin Leeds. his likely absence could
have the biggest impact of all on
this series.
Ben Stokes produced the solidity
so lacking in so much of england’s
batting before suddenly and quite
brilliantly accelerating to reach his
seventh test century — allowing
root to make a challenging decla-
ration. Australia were set 267 to
win in 48 overs.
Stokes combined with Jos
Buttler to guide england a long
way towards safety, reaching 50 off
106 balls, then he took the attack
to Australia in an unbroken part-
nership of 97 with Jonny Bairstow
that saw him race to three figures
off only 160 deliveries.
the odds on a final day when 10
more overs were lost to rain were
still firmly on a draw. But Archer
and his perfect foil Jack Leach,
impressing after replacing MoeenAli, combined to put real pressure
on Australia by taking six wickets
between them.
none will have been more satisfy-
ing than that of David Warner, who
is having a truly miserable time on
his return to test cricket after the
sandpaper scandal. Warner had
been dismissed cheaply three
times out of three by Stuart Broad
in this series and now Archer got
in on the act by having him well
caught by rory Burns to the first
ball he bowled at the opener.
the new superstar of world
cricket followed this by sending
Usman Khawaja back before
providing a warm welcome for the
first concussion substitute in
test history.
Labuschagne could never have
imagined he would be spending
his Sunday trying to save the test
for Australia, let alone beingfloored second ball by another
brutal Archer bouncer that thud-
ded into his helmet grille and sent
him to the ground.
yet he should take great credit
not only for jumping straight back
up like a boxer shocked to be felled
in a heavyweight contest but also
for showing resolve and character
in going on to a half century that
did so much to save his team.
it took a low catch from root at
midwicket via a deflection off short
leg to dismiss Labuschagne when
he swept Leach — but the wicket
was not without controversy.
third umpire Joel Wilson, who
had a nightmare in the middle at
edgbaston, made perhaps his best
decision of the series by confirm-
ing what was surely a clean catch.
this despite the usual problems of
foreshortened tv images casting
doubt where none really existed.When captain tim Paine — still
struggling to justify his place in
this Australian team — fell to a
quite stunning diving catch by Joe
Denly at midwicket off Archer with
seven overs left, england were still
in the hunt for an amazing win.
But once the umpires decided it
was too dark for Archer to con-
tinue with four overs remaining
the game was pretty much up.
england were left to rue the bad
drop by Jason roy which saved
travis head at 22. Only roy will
have concerns today when
england pick their squad for head-
ingley, but the selectors will not
want to give up on him just yet.
the best thing they could do is
swap roy in the order with Denly
and give him a better chance
at four.
the one thing they have got
wrong with hindsight is not putting
faith in Archer at edgbaston when
he insisted he was fully fit.
As it is, he still has time to win
the Ashes for england.MCC MEMBER THROWN
OUT FOR HECKLING SMITH
AN MCC member was thrown out
of the Lord’s pavilion on
Saturday after abusing Steve
Smith following his dismissal.
Smith was reportedly heckled as
a ‘cheat’ and a ‘disgrace’ by the
member, who could now face
expulsion under the club’s code
of conduct. It is thought to be
the first time an MCC member
has been ordered to leave the
pavilion for poor behaviour. The
club refused to comment.series in 2005. it was not just the
scintillating pace and hostility
that saw Archer force Steve Smith
to withdraw with delayed
concussion after one of the great
fast bowling spells on Saturday
and then hit his replacement
Marnus Labuschagne in the head
yesterday second ball.
it was also the tone Archer set
that seemed to inspire england to
their best batting of this series
yesterday. they then gave
Australia a real scare once Joe
root had forced the tourists into
an unexpected battle for survival
without the best batsman in
the world.
A last day that began with eng-
land still in danger of going two
down and seeing any realistic hope
of regaining the Ashes disappear
ended with them well on top and
looking forward eagerly to the
third test that starts at heading-
ley on thursday.
it was their day from the moment
news broke that Smith was out
after waking up with concussion
symptoms — making Australia’s
questionable decision to allow him
to return to the crease on the
fourth day after suffering a sicken-
ing blow on the back of the neck
from Archer look even more
irresponsible.
Smith insisted yesterday he still
hoped to return on thursday but
surely cricket needs to take head
injuries more seriously and he can-
not be allowed by Australia to play
«MARTIN SAMUEL ON CRICKET AS BLOODSPORT P72-73WE’VE GOT THE AUSSIES SURROUNDED
BURNS
ARCHER
LEACH
Hemmed in: Australia’s Pat
Cummins has every fielder
breathing down his neck in
the final over GETTY IMAGESBROAD
BUTTLER
WOAKES
BAIRSTOW
STOKES
ROOT
DENLY
ROY