- The Observer
2 25.08.19 Cricket
Third Specsavers Ashes Test
Root digs in to give England
chance of the extraordinary
We are still here. When England were
15 for two in their seventh over with
another 344 runs required for vic-
tory and 70 overs to be bowled in
the day, swift exit possibilities were
being explored. Now other possibil-
ities, more unlikely but much more
intriguing, have surfaced. In their
pursuit of 359 for victory England
were 156 for three at the close with
Joe Root on home turf attempting to
play the innings of his life. At stumps
he was unbeaten on 75, which already
constitutes his innings of the series.
Nagging away at the back of
the mind is the thought, “This is
Headingley”. Extraordinary things
happen here in the fourth innings,
which have involved a wide variety
of protag onists: Donald Bradman,
Bob Willis, Mark Butcher and Shai
Hope spring to mind. On Saturdayafternoon England looked to their
ordinary Joes to join this list. At least
Messrs Root and Denly, to borrow
some Strine, have been “pretty bloody
ordinary” up until now.
But in sun-kissed Leeds in front
of a packed stadium who seemed
to enjoy the occasion despite the
absence of sixes or fi reworks, there
was something out of the ordinary
as they battled to keep this match
alive. After all, they batted together
for 53 overs, almost twice as long as
the entire team managed in the fi rst
innings, grinding out 136 runs in
the process. They received a curious
standing ovation when they regis-
tered a hundred partnership.
The Joes had opted for the hard
route out of the rut, the red ball route
rather than the white. They grafted;
they shunned wide deliveries; they
blocked the straight ones and pains-
takingly gleaned runs against an
unrelenting Aus tralia attack. After
50 overs England’s score was 125 for
two, an unusual state of affairs in this
World Cup summer.The Joes were separated midway
through the final session during
another exceptional spell from Josh
Hazlewood. Denly had been peppered
with short deliveries through-
out his innings, especially from Pat
Cummins. Sometimes he ducked
calmly, at others he fended in some
discomfort and, as so often happens
now, he was hit on the helmet as
well. Throughout he remained reso-
lute, moving into line and defl ecting
his runs amid the odd wayward drive.
He has played many more beauti-
ful innings in county cricket but few
gutsier ones and he has never bat-
ted in such a tense situation. In the
end a bouncer surprised him – partly
because Hazlewood does not bowl so
many – and he gloved a catch to the
keeper.
Root, meanwhile, reminded us
why he is a class above the rest of
England’s batsmen; he had a frac-
tion more time to decide how to cope
with those shorter deliveries. Once he
had avoided his pair – with an early
cut shot off his recent tormentor,Scoreboard
Headingley (third day of five)
England require 203 runs with seven second-innings
wickets remaining to beat Australia
Australia First innings 179 (M Labuschagne 74, DA
Warner 61; JC Archer 6-45).
England First innings 67 (JR Hazlewood 5-30).
Australia Second innings (overnight 171-6 )
M Labuschagne run out (Denly/Bairstow) .............. 80
JL Pattinson c Root b Archer .................................. 20
PJ Cummins c Burns b Stokes ................................... 6
NM Lyon b Archer.................................................... 9
JR Hazlewood not out ............................................ 4
Extras (b5, lb13, w2, nb7) ..................................... 27
Total (75.2 overs) ............................................... 246
Fall cont 215, 226, 238.
Bowling Archer-14-2-40-2; Broad-16-2-52-2;
Woakes-10-1-34-1; Leach-11-0-46-1;
Stokes-24.2-7-56-3.
England Second innings
RJ Burns c Warner b Hazlewood ............................... 7
JJ Roy b Cummins ................................................... 8
*JE Root not out .................................................. 75
JL Denly c Paine b Hazlewood ................................ 50
BA Stokes not out ................................................... 2
Extras (b4, lb6, w3, nb1) ....................................... 14
Total (for 3, 72 overs).......................................... 156
Fall 15, 15, 141.
To bat JC Buttler, †JM Bairstow, CR Woakes, JC Archer,
SCJ Broad, MJ Leach.
Bowling Cummins-15-3-33-1;Hazlewood-18-6-35-2;
Lyon-21-3-42-0; Pattinson-13-3-23-0;
Labuschagne-5-0-13-0.
To s s England elected to field.
Umpires JS Wilson (WI) and CB Gaffaney (NZ).Captain unbeaten
on 75 and attempting
to play the innings
of his life as England
chase an unlikely
359 to win the Test
and save the Ashes
Vic
Marks
Headingley Joe Root
carries the fi ght
to Australia
during his fi nest
innings of a
poor series for
the captain
TOM JENKINS/
THE OBSERVER