EBENEZERSports
Over-by-over report: Harry Brook led the way with 91 as England established a commanding 195-run lead on day two at Headingley
Read full story on theguardian.com →
Sport — James Wallace at Headingley (earlier) and Tim de Lisle (later)
And here is that match report, from Ali Martin at Headingley.
Related: Harry Brook keeps England well on top of Pakistan in first Test despite late wickets
82nd over: England 366-8 (Smith 16, Archer 0) Smith blocks out the final over apart from the very last ball, which he cuts for a single. And that’s the end of an entertaining half-day.
England lead by 195, thanks to a full set of half-centuries from their middle order – 73 from Jordan Cox, 66 from Joe Root, 91 from Harry Brook (dropped on 1) and 51 from Dan Lawrence. Pakistan were patchy, but Ali Usman put in a long shift and got his rewards in the end with a five-for.
Thanks for your company and correspondence, and Ali’s match report will be along soon.
81st over: England 365-8 (Smith 15, Archer 0) Abbas beats Jofra with a ball that jags away off a scrambled seam. If the old ball does that, what will the new ball do in the morning?
80th over: England 364-8 (Smith 14, Archer 0) Jofra Archer faces the hat-trick ball and keeps it out with a calm push. But that’s an excellent over from Usman, whose figures suddenly look rather good: 22-1-91-5. From his last three overs, he has 3-3.
WICKET! Robinson b Usman 0 (England 364-8)
Golden duck! And a five-wicket haul for Usman, his first in Tests. It was a classic slow left-arm delivery, flighted and turning, good enough to go past Ollie Robinson’s blameless prod.
WICKET! Atkinson LBW b Usman 3 (England 364-7)
Usman’s arm ball is too much for Gus Atkinson. And because Joe Root burnt a review, he can’t argue with the decision.
79th over: England 363-6 (Smith 13, Atkinson 3) A single and a leg-bye off Abbas, who nearly squeezes a ball that keeps low through the gate that Smith is apt to leave open.
78th over: England 360-6 (Smith 11, Atkinson 3) Ladies and gentlemen, we have a collectors’ item: a maiden from Ali Usman! Atkinson plays out six dots, and Usman has 21-1-90-3.
77th over: England 360-6 (Smith 11, Atkinson 3) As Mohammad Abbas returns for his first over in two hours, Gus Atkinson gets off the mark with a comfortable clip for three.
“In re: your note on Hick,” says Claude Willan, picking up on a post from 17:06. “As a 42-year old man, my heart still aches for the unfulfilled promise of Graeme Hick’s career. I was a Hick superfan, and kept a folder of all his Worcestshire scorecards. It was a tough time, that stretch of the 90s (or any!) to be an England batting prospect, and I still think the selectors didn’t give him a fair shake and that the cricketing establishment didn’t really accept this Zimbabwean transplant. Once the label of ‘flat-track bully’ had been applied, his county-level successes began to count against him. I’m sure many similar stories could be told about other England batsmen of the 90s, but are there any contenders for Hick-level miscarriages of justice? 99*!
“Thanks for all your hard work. Love OBO.” Thanks. We love doing it! Though that love can be tested by a late finish.
76th over: England 356-6 (Smith 10, Atkinson 0) That’s the second time in a row that Brook has been out in the 90s in a Test at Headingley, after his 99 against India last year. With almost anyone else, you’d say it was a case of the nervous 90s. With Brook, it feels more like the nerveless 90s.
No hundred for Harry! He tries to whip Usman to leg, misses, hears the ball slam into the leg bail and departs looking disgusted with himself.
75th over: England 354-5 (Brook 89, Smith 10) Brook gets another gift from Pakistan’s fielding as Mohammad Ali, at mid-on, dives over a crisp on-drive. In full flow now, Brook adds a pair of twos with a glide and a tuck, plus a single with another tuck.
He’s never made a Test hundred at Headingley, his home ground, and he clearly wants to rectify that tonight. Khurram has a ton already: 19-1-111-1.
74th over: England 345-5 (Brook 80, Smith 10) Usman continues – of course he does. Brook, looking for his first six with a chip over midwicket, mistimes it (again) and has to settle for three.
In case you’re wondering why play is still going on, it’s because the first half of the day was lost to rain. They’ll go to 7.30 if the weather and the light permit.
73rd over: England 340-5 (Brook 76, Smith 9) Smith goes on the attack for the first time, off-driving Khurram on the up for four. In the crowd, a man dressed as a nun gives thanks to the Lord. Smith adds a second four by opening the face to work the ball past third slip.
And here’s Gary Naylor. “I note (68th over) that Dan Lawrence played some Greta shots. Post Bazball, it makes sense, the batting is going to be far more sustainable.” Ha.
72nd over: England 331-5 (Brook 76, Smith 1) As Joe Root looks on from the balcony with a hood over his cap, Usman continues, Smith gets off the mark with a tuck to leg and Brook plays a lovely late cut for four.
71st over: England 325-5 (Brook 71, Smith 0) Brook, facing Khurram, nurdles to fine leg. A sharp fielding side would restrict him to a single and have a go at Jamie Smith.This fielding side let him scamper back for the second. By the time Brook does take a single, there’s only one ball left for Smith to face. He under-edges it, then uses his boot to keep it away from the stumps.
70th over: England 322-5 (Brook 68, Smith 0) That’s a hard-earned reward for Usman, who had just suffered he insult of being hit for four by Brook with a mistimed pull. Usman now has 17-0-77-2.
WICKET! Lawrence c Rizwan b Usman 51 (England 322-5)
The breakthrough at last! Lawrence skies a sweep and presents Rizwan with a simple catch.
69th over: England 317-4 (Brook 63, Lawrence 51) Khurram Shahzad replaces Mohammad Ali as the token seamer. Brook greets him with a pull for four, seeing it so early that he hits it straight, and a late cut for two. With a couple of singles as well, that’s eight off the over.
68th over: England 309-4 (Brook 56, Lawrence 50) A better over from Usman, no fours or threes. But Lawrence glances him for the single he needs to reach 50 for the first time in a Test since March 2022. He’s played some greta shots and a few false ones, but mainly he’s shown a strong temperament after his struggles the last time we saw him, when he was a makeshift opener and a fish out of water.
The players take drinks with England now leading by 136. This could get ugly.
“Root 66?” says Mark Hayden. “I expect this can’t be the first time he has been dismissed on that score, but I can’t remember when, if so.” He’s done it only once before in Tests – against India at Lord’s in 2014 , in a losing cause. And never in an ODI or T20 international, so your suspicions were very nearly right.
Hundred partnership from Brook and Lawrence!
67th over: England 307-4 (Brook 55, Lawrence 49) Mohammad Ali continues with his gentle barrage. Lawrence goes for the pull, gloves it, picks up four and brings up the hundred partnership, off 129 balls. It’s been a fine counter-attack from England after Cox and Root both fell in the space of five balls. Lawrence marks the moment with a much better shot, a crunching cover drive for four.
66th over: England 298-4 (Brook 55, Lawrence 41) After conceding only a three in his last over, Usman reverts to allowing a four – a cut from Brook, showing quick feet and quick hands.
65th over: England 294-4 (Brook 51, Lawrence 41) Mohammad Ali again, with his bouncer ploy. Brook lets one go, rightly deciding that it’s too high, then pulls the next for a single. Discretion as well as valour.
64th over: England 292-4 (Brook 50, Lawrence 41) Usman stays on for now, and Lawrence cuts for three. Brook cuts too, just for a single, but it’s enough to get him to 50 off only 55 balls. It’s his 29th fifty in 38 Tests. Ten of them have turned into hundreds, and four of those have been at Pakistan’s expense. His average against them is now 89.
63rd over: England 289-4 (Brook 49, Lawrence 38) A single to each batter off Mohammad Ali, and then a change of tack from Salman Agha, who shelves his wide-of-off theory to switch to bouncers. Harry Brook takes the bait … and pulls for four.
62nd over: England 283-4 (Brook 44, Lawrence 37) You can see why Usman is still on, because he keeps bowling the odd good ball. But you can also argue that he needs to be taken off, because he’s conceding a boundary or two every over. The latest is an on-drive from Lawrence, struck with some venom. Then Lawrence goes down the track and misses a full toss, and there’s another little flurry of chaos: a missed run-out, a failed LBW appeal, a bad review. This whole game has been a masterclass in how not to use the DRS system.
61st over: England 279-4 (Brook 44, Lawrence 33) Brook plays his loveliest shot today, a delicate late cut off Mohammad Ali that should be two but goes for four as Ali Usman kicks it into the Toblerone. Next ball, Brook flicks for four more. So, if only for a moment, we have a 44, a 66 and two 33s on the scorecard.
60th over: England 271-4 (Brook 36, Lawrence 33) Usman goes for three singles and then a four, as Lawrence commits to the sweep and nails it.
59th over: England 264-4 (Brook 34, Lawrence 28) The latest false shot comes from Dan Lawrence, who edges Mohammad Ali just short of Shafique at second slip. Ali has a clear plan, bowling well outside off to deny Lawrence his clips and whips to leg: it works in this over, which is a maiden.
“Hahahaha,” chortles Abhishek Chopra, “@ Smylers’ observations about England’s drinks carriers! Maybe the drinks carriers are high on their own supply!”
58th over: England 264-4 (Brook 34, Lawrence 28) Usman repeats his howler from a few minutes ago, giving Brook an easy sweep for four. With his next ball, he beats Brook outside off, but his over still goes for eight. His figures are not flattering: 11-0-51-1.
57th over: England 256-4 (Brook 28, Lawrence 26) Brook tucks Ali for two, then plays an ugly shot, flirting outside off without moving his feet. But, for all their stumbles, these two have added 54.
56th over: England 253-4 (Brook 25, Lawrence 26) Ali Usman, who’s been so steady, bowls a rank bad ball and gets swept for four by Brook. When Lawrence tries the same shot, there’s a strange sequence of events. He misses, the ball hits the pad, and then hits the bat. Mohammad Rizwan hurls himself into an appeal when he should be trying to catch the ball. Chris Gaffney shakes his head, Salman Agha reviews, and sure enough the ball was missing leg stump. Cricket, eh.
55th over: England 248-4 (Brook 20, Lawrence 26) Mohammad Ali returns, bearing gifts for the batters. Brook receives a short ball outside off, which he cuts for four with a flourish. Lawrence gets a half-volley on his pads, which he whips away with relish.
The players are out there and among them is Salman Agha, with his finger patched up.
“Thank you for your updates,” says Smylers. Our pleasure! “At Headingley yesterday, the England drinks carriers had clearly been briefed to appear on the field at every Pakistan wicket — something they obeyed diligently, some might even say unthinkingly. This included them charging on to the field after Azan Awais’s wicket, only to be waved off again, presumably on the grounds that only a single ball of the match had been played, none of the team were actually yet in need of a drink.
“Later they also appeared after Ali Usman’s unsuccessful review, when his dismissal was confirmed, even though the review meant it was now past the time announced for the tea break, so the players were heading off the pitch. Again, we got to see them walk on with enthusiasm, only to U-turn in the outfield and head straight off again.
“Do the squad members not in the team actually follow the match, or is drinks carrying a role that requires so much focus and concentration, it isn’t possible to think about anything else?”
A couple of emails. “Afternoon to you, morning from California,” says Michael Coad. “I’d like Dan Lawrence’s middle name to be Henry. DH Lawrence batting for England would be grand.”
“Wondered if you might be interested in my new blog on England v Pakistan at Lord’s in 1996?” asks Steve Pye. “A typical England Test match in the 90s, a story of hope, missed opportunities, Graeme Hick failing, resistance, and of course two collapses. Happy days.”
Poor old Hick: he wasn’t bad, he just never became the superstar that his county record had led us to expect.
Tea! England on top, but not in total command
54th over: England 239-4 (Brook 15, Lawrence 22) Another moral victory for Usman, who lures Lawrence into a top-edged sweep, but again, no wicket, as (unusually for a spinner) there’s no deep square. Lawrence retorts with a cut for four. Usman then thinks he’s got him LBW, but it’s the arm ball, sliding down. And that’s tea, with England living dangerously – but this pair have already added 37 and stretched the lead to 68.
53rd over: England 233-4 (Brook 15, Lawrence 16) Abbas keeps the pressure on with a maiden to Brook.
Meanwhile there’s more news on Quarter-Zip Man, who, Nasser Hussain reports, was given four free pints to replace the ones he dropped. Does that mean Pakistan get some free catches too?
52nd over: England 233-4 (Brook 15, Lawrence 16) Usman, who’s been testing, bowls his best over yet. Making the ball turn as if it was the fifth day, not the second, he finds Lawrence’s inside edge and then his outside edge without quite getting him out. The second delivery spat as well – and dribbled away for four.
51st over: England 228-4 (Brook 14, Lawrence 12) Saud Shakeel, captaining in place of the injured Salman, gives Khurram a breather (15-1-82-1) and brings Mohammad Abbas back for a short spell before tea. Brook flicks him for three.
“One of the things England under Stokes were criticised for,” says James Brough, “was getting into a competitive position and then having a bit of a brainfade. In the last few minutes, Cox has reviewed a thick edge to the keeper, Root’s reviewed an lbw that was hitting middle and Brook’s wafted something straight to second slip. I’m hoping these things come in threes...”
50th over: England 224-4 (Brook 11, Lawrence 11) Brook, facing Usman, picks up two with a Rootish glide. Now both batters are on 11 – but the double Nelson has been and gone.
49th over: England 222-4 (Brook 9, Lawrence 11) Lawrence gets a half-volley from Khurram and drills it back past him for four. He likes the feel of that so much, he does it again.
So we’ve got Lawrence on 11, taking England to 222, after replacing Root, who made 66, with 66 on his back, in his 66th Test as captain. And Emilio Gay made 33. Meaningless, of course, but mildly diverting.
48th over: England 214-4 (Brook 9, Lawrence 3) Dan Lawrence sometimes seems to play with just his bottom hand and it’s almost his undoing now. Trying to whip Usman to midwicket, he gets a leading edge that could easily be caught in the covers. But he survives, so does Brook, and England lead by 43.
47th over: England 213-4 (Brook 9, Lawrence 2) Brook, facing Khurram, wafts at his second ball – and is dropped by Salman Agha at third slip, the captain himself. He got a finger to it and hurt himself in the process. The ball went for four, Salman goes off for treatment, Brook leg-glances for four more – it’s all happening.
46th over: England 205-4 (Brook 1, Lawrence 2) Harry Brook, facing his first ball, gets off the mark with a push into the covers. But suddenly it’s a different game.
45th over: England 204-4 (Brook 0, Lawrence 2) To make matters worse, Root called for another bad review. England’s reviewing has been awful, both in the field and with the bat, and now they’re out of reviews in this innings. The lights are on, the rain is back and there are two new batters at the crease. Dan Lawrence, back from a two-year exile, starts with a purposeful push into the on side for two.
It’s not all about England, though. That wicket was a triumph for Khurram, after the pummelling he took earlier.
WICKET! Root LBW b Khurram 66 (England 202-4)
One brings two! After cutting Khurram for a dismissive four, Root plays all round a straight one. Root 66, as it says on his shirt.
44th over: England 198-3 (Root 61, Brook 0) Before that, Root pulled out the reverse sweep and nailed it. He added a single, whereupon Cox played a streaky chip for two. That brought up the 150 partnership – and then Cox perished.
WICKET! Cox c Rizwan b Usman 73 (England 198-3)
The breakthrough! Cox gets a nick, sees the finger go up, tries a review, and finds that the snicko is not on his side. So that’s a bad review but a good innings in his first go as England’s makeshift No 3.
43rd over: England 191-2 (Cox 71, Root 57) Khurram to Cox again: will the carnage continue? Not for now, as there’s a plan – aiming at sixth stump with a packed offside field. Cox shapes to pull but can’t beat mid-on. And that’s Khurram’s first maiden in the match, so he’s shown some resilience.
42nd over: England 191-2 (Cox 71, Root 57) Usman Ali continues, with most of Pakistan’s hopes on his shoulders. He seems to be an old-school left-arm spinner, of the kind England have given up on. The batters handle him with care but still collect four singles.
41st over: England 187-2 (Cox 69, Root 55) Here’s Khurram Shahzad, back from the doghouse – and then straight back in it! His first ball, a long hop, is clonked back to him by Cox, perhaps suprirsed by the lack of pace, and Khurram drops the catch. That’s a full house: bad ball, bad shot, bad miss. Khurram stays on the short side, and Cox pulls him for four, twice. “This is the kind of spell,” says Dinesh Karthik, “that gets your team drooopy in the shoulders.” Cox cuts for four more. That’s 12 off the over and 29 off the last two from Khurram, who now has 11-0-60-0. Oh dear.
40th over: England 175-2 (Cox 57, Root 55) Salman Agha, possibly in desperation, brings on his spinner, Usman Ali. Mark Butcher is just saying the ball is unlikely to turn when Usman rips one past Root’s outside edge. That could make the rest of this match more interesting, as England don’t have a front-line spinner. Root responds immediately, bringing out the paddle sweep and picking up two.
39th over: England 171-2 (Cox 56, Root 52) Yesterday Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue reached their five-fors off consecutive balls (the first time this had ever happened in Tests, apparently). Now Cox and Root do the same thing with their fifties. Root brings up his 108th Test half-century with a clip for four off Ali. Cox adds a crunchy straight drive and the scores are level. That’s drinks, with England well on top: they’ve made 59-0 off 14 overs today.
38th over: England 162-2 (Cox 52, Root 47) Salman Agha posts a leg slip for Mohammad Abbas. Cox, unperturbed, flicks for four through the vacant second leg slip. That brings him a fine first Test fifty off 78 balls with ten fours. From what we’ve seen so far, he plays with a flourish.
37th over: England 151-2 (Cox 47, Root 46) A single to each batter off Ali, who now has 11-1-44-1. Some crowds would be getting restless by now, but at Headingley they don’t mind a bit of graft. And they’ve had the satisfaction of seeing Quarter-Zip Man go back for four more beers. He delivered them safely to his mates, acknowledging the cheers with a wry smile.
36th over: England 149-2 (Cox 46, Root 45) After 15 balls without a run, England break the shackles with four leg-byes! Cox, taking the hint, punches Abbas through the covers for four to bring up the hundred partnership – 101 off 26 overs. It’s been fairly serene.
35th over: England 141-2 (Cox 42, Root 45) Stuart Broad is just observing that this Pakistan attack is too medium-paced to switch to sustained short-pitched bowling, when Mohammad Ali bowls a bouncer. “I think that’s the first one we’ve seen in this innings,” Broad says. ““And Joe Root just laughs as it goes past.”
34th over: England 141-2 (Cox 42, Root 45) A big cheer suddenly goes up, and another. The big screen shows a grey-haired man in a green quarter-zip holding a tray of four pints in one hand, but not for long as he promptly drops them. Is he trying to make a meme of himself?
Meanwhile, in the middle… Abbas keeps Cox quiet, then turns him round, draws another of those thick edges and collects another maiden.
33rd over: England 141-2 (Cox 42, Root 45) As Mohammad Ali continues, up comes a graphic showing that 84pc of Root’s runs in this innings have come behind the wicket. Sounds like 37 of his 44… and, right on cue, he glides a single to make it 38 out of 45. Cox follows suit. Apart from that one bad over, the bowlers have been decent today. But because of the hole their batters dug for them yesterday, decency is not enough.
32nd over: England 139-2 (Cox 41, Root 44) Yes, it’s Abbas from the Kirkstall Lane end, as Khurram heads off to the naughty step. Cox is itching to get at him, using the crease as if he’s in The Hundred, but Abbas is wily enough to bowl a maiden.
31st over: England 139-2 (Cox 41, Root 44) Salman Agha makes his first bowling change of the day, replacing Mohammad Abbas with Mohammad Ali (possibly so Abbas can change ends). Ali starts with a rank loosener and is lucky to be clipped for only two by Root, but the rest of the over is tidy enough.
30th over: England 137-2 (Cox 41, Root 42) Cox, facing Khurram, gets another freebie on the pads. He flicks it with more conviction, picks up his first four of the day and goes to his highest Test score ! To celebrate, he helps himself to three more boundaries: a square drive with an open face, a thick edge that he does well to keep down, and a crisp tuck through midwicket. Seventeen off the over!
29th over: England 120-2 (Cox 25, Root 42) Cox picks up another single as Abbas strays onto the pads. The cameras find a man in the crowd, wrestling with his poncho. It’s all over his face: perhaps he’s in fancy dress and has come as a ready meal.
28th over: England 119-2 (Cox 24, Root 42) Jordan Cox finally gets to face his first ball of the day. It’s wide down the leg side from Khurram, and the next one is wide outside off. Cox shows no interest in either before pushing a single through the vacant fourth slip. He thus prevents his Test career from turning into a nice easy maths question – what’s next in this sequence: 27, 25, …?
Khurram’s outswinger beats Root again, but it’s too short to take the edge.
27th over: England 117-2 (Cox 23, Root 42) At the other end it is, of course, Mohammad Abbas. The keeper, Mohammad Rizwan, stays back, so Root cashes in, steps out and clips the first ball for four. Rizwan, admitting his mistake, comes up to the stumps and that’s enough to keep Root quiet for the next five balls.
26th over: England 113-2 (Cox 23, Root 38) A wicket fell to the first ball yesterday, and it nearly does so today too. Khurram starts with a juicy outswinger that Root is lucky to miss. Later in the over Root is beaten again, this time on the inside, by the nip-backer. But when Khurram goes back to the outswinger, Root is ready for it, producing a solid prod followed by a glide for a single.
It’s going to be Khurram Shahzad, who opened the bowling last night without success.
Thanks Jim and afternoon everyone. So England are about to resume on 112-2, and we have 58 overs left in the day (weather permitting).
Righto, Pakistan are in a huddle on the boundary edge, Joe Root and Jordan Cox appear in their batting kit and Test cricket is about to break out at Headingley.
Sadly, that is the end of my shift/stint of weather watch. Tim de Lisle is making himself comfy in the leather OBO armchair to bring you the first real action of the day. Thanks for your company and comments. Play!
The restart time has been pushed back slightly to 2.45pm.
The stumps are getting knocked in and the crease lines being painted. Hold. Hold .
The official word is that an extra fifteen minutes were needed to prepare the pitch.
Tea will now be taken at 5pm and the final session will be 5.20pm - 7.00pm with an extra thirty mins to bowl the overs. There will be a maximum of 58 overs in the day
Chris Howell is here to tell the real story of that 2010/11 Adelaide Test.
“If it helps dispel nightmares of dimension-hopping rainstorms wiping out cricket history, my recollection of that Adelaide test is that it was well-known that rain was going to finish the game early, probably soon after lunch on day 5.
Going into the final over of day 4, Australia needed around 140 to make England bat again with 7 wickets in hand. Leading Stuart Broad critic Michael Clarke middled the second ball from Pietersen to Cook at short leg and stood his ground when given not out, with the DRS confirming the smallest involvement of pad in any bat/pad dismissal in the history of the game, so Australia went in 4 down.
The following morning, they contrived to lose 6 for 66 in just under 20 overs, with the expected rain starting soon after, earlier than forecast. At the time it felt like a game that Australia really ought have made a much better fist of saving, even if the rain hadn’t come, rather than a game that England were going to win unless the rain took it from them.”
The crowd are filing in at Headingley with regular glances to the heavens and the patient punters hopeful for play in just over fifteen minutes.
Chris Goater has another Butterfly Effect rain delay for us:
“Hi James, I keep thinking of the England tour of the West Indies 1989-90. An England team that had been thrashed by Australia in the summer turned up under a new captain (Gooch) and missing the likes of Botham, Gower and Gatting. They sensationally beat the all-conquering West Indies in the first Test and all the momentum was with them. But the second test was a total washout, and England were winning the third test until rain made their chase of 151 to win impossible. Gooch’s hand injury in the fourth innings ruled him out of the rest of the series, and eventually Richards’ side regained control and won the series 2-1. But were it not for rain I think England would have won the first three Tests and it would have been the most unlikely series victory of all time.”
… If there is no more rain. So thirty minutes longer to wait. The Pakistan players make their way out to the middle for some warm ups. Marcus Trescothick can be spied kicking a football around. I’m afraid to say I don’t even think ‘Banger’ would be able to hack it at our regular Friday night five a-side football. Actually, scratch that, we’d have him as a target man up top.
More good news! The covers are now completely removed apart from the hover cover over the actual wicket. It is still fine, if a little grey, and the official inspection is in five minutes. Might we see some cricket break out at Headingley this afternoon?
Righto, the ground staff are coming out to begin a clear up operation so progress of sorts. The official word is there will be a further inspection at 1:45pm provided there is no further rain. The radar doesn’t look great for the next two hours actually but then clears right up for later in the afternoon. Cross those fingers and tootsies.
The umpires wander out for a look at conditions out in the middle accompanied by a couple of members of the ground staff. It isn’t raining currently and hasn’t been for a little while. Kiwi ump Chris Gaffaney is using his umbrella as a pointing stick as they do a tour of the outfield…
There’s some hope here at Headingley , currently there isn’t really any rain falling and the official word is there will be a pitch inspection at 1pm provided it stays clear. It is brightening up a little, keep the faith!
“You’re spot on re: the fourth Test in 2023” says Patrick Brennan. “Momentum was entirely with England and I have no doubt they would have won that series 3-2. Arguably they could and should have won it 5-0, they were streets ahead of the Australians that summer.” Hmm not sure about this second bit though, Paddy.
“It was very much England ‘won’ 2-2 that year although I think it’s entirely fair to say that Australia ‘won’ 2-2 in 2019, and could/should have won that series 4-0 without Benjamin Stokes…
Tom Barrington has one that doesn’t even bear thinking about:
“Hi Jim, a big one for me was the rain that fell after the end of play in the Adelaide Test in 2010-11 Ashes series. If the expected rain had come along and washed out the rest of the day, it would have been two emphatic draws for England but perhaps the spectre of lost opportunity would have weighed on them. They lost at Perth so would have gone into the boxing day test 1-0 down, and the famous series win may never have materialised!”
I had forgotten about that. England could have done with a bit of the wet stuff at Adelaide the last time around…
In fact, that’s quite a decent, if soggy, rabbit hole to head down for an OBO discussion. The Butterfly Effect of rain delays. Which games and whose careers might have looked significantly different if the wet stuff hadn’t fallen at a particular time or other?
I’ll wrack my brains, right now I’m just thinking of Tim Henman v Goran Ivanišević in the 2001 Wimbledon Semi Final:
Speaking of that Old Trafford Test in 2023, undoubtedly Zak Crawley’s finest display in an England shirt. He was unstoppable that day. I remember seeing Pat Cummins shaking his head in disbelief as himself and his bowling attack were relentlessly dispatched to all parts.
There’s a fair debate to be had that the BazBall project and Crawley’s Test career could have both had a very different feel in the following couple of years if the skies in Manchester hadn’t broken and wiped out the end of that match.
“Morning Jim, as someone who took one nephew to THAT particularly rainy Ashes day at Old Trafford and has day four tickets with another nephew for Headingley on Saturday, I can’t say I’d be that upset at a few lost overs today” writes a conflicted Michael in New Mills. “Although I don’t want to hope for too much rain for today’s crowd and the inevitable bad karma that would bring about.”
It’s a safe space here on the OBO Michael and between us we can keep karmic forces at bay.
I can confirm the rain has abated slightly here at Headingley and the super soppers are at least being operated up and down the rain strewn covers. We’re a long way away from an inspection and a start time at the moment though.
Related: Pakistan have pedigree but lack wizardry 10 years on from glorious summer | Taha Hashim
“It won’t be, but this summer should be the ultimate wake up call for our cricket schedule. It’s an absolute farce considering the weather we’ve had recently in this country to now be watching covers” writes a disgruntled Liam Crowley.
“Pushing the county championships to the edges of the season has been a disaster, now we are doing it with the Test summer and lo and behold… I’m not having the attendance argument either. These Tests have sold pretty well for three days anyway. That’s about as much as the half empty Hundred is pulling for a handful of grounds.”
All fair points Liam, the debate about the schedule and The Hundred owners buying a chunk of August will rumble and grumble.
Speaking of the Champo – Tanya is on the tools on the County blog, it is a soggy scene in most places but play has broken out in some of the shires:
Related: Surrey v Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire v Durham and more: county cricket – live
“Morning James! Hope you’re enjoying the Test. I’m most certainly not…” writes Zain Malik.
“I sent this in yesterday and think it would better reflect circumstances and mood this morning:
The visiting cricketer must first contend with the peculiarities of the local climate. The sky hangs low over Headingley, a vast sheet of grey through which the sun, presumably, exists somewhere. Moisture clings to the grass and gathers on the seats. The pitch is a threatening shade of green. Beyond the boundary, spectators disappear beneath coats and umbrellas while the floodlights will soon glow in what the calendar, rather optimistically, describes as summer. This is most certainly not what a “heatwave” looks like.
The covers advance and retreat. Groundstaff emerge, confer and disappear. Water droplets gather on television cameras. Broadcasters in raincoats staring towards the square, caricatures of English cricketing misery, wearing the anxious resignation of patients at the dentist’s reception waiting for a name neither particularly wants to hear.
For Pakistanis, though, this is all strangely familiar. Test cricket has long played in the background of Pakistani life: on televisions in offices and bank branches, in shops and drawing rooms, followed intermittently between meetings, customers and cups of tea. And no fixture has tested that national appetite quite like a Test series in the English summer. The hours are convenient, the opposition familiar and the audience enormous; only the weather refuses to cooperate. England asks the Pakistani cricket follower to master one of the game’s more peculiar disciplines: spending an entire day watching almost no cricket at all.”
Lovely stuff Zain. I’m afraid to say it is steady mizzle at Headingley. The city buildings disappearing in a grey fug in the background, never a good sign.
Related: ‘You don’t have many halves’: Robinson and Tongue split cricket ball after heroics
One win in England’s last 17 Tests. Those were the numbers that greeted Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes when they took over in 2022, a reminder of just how bad things had ended under Joe Root. It was a statistic that gave the new boys permission to rip up the old order.
So it’s easy to forget that precious one . It was near the middle of that horror run, and it came at Headingley against India five years ago this month. The tourists were bowled out for 78 as Root reached three figures and celebrated his 27th victory as Test captain, a record among Englishmen. The Yorkshireman had to come home to find some breathing space.”
Taha wrote a lovely piece about Root, Robinson, recent history and new beginnings:
Related: Root and Robinson evoke Headingley history to help England boss opening day | Taha Hashim
Was there anything more soul-sappingly disappointing as a child than flicking on the television on a summer holiday Test match morning fully expecting to luxuriate in a day of Test cricket watching only to be met with the sight of gun metal skies, thick drizzle and full covers stretched across the outfield? “As am sure you can see from the rather inclement scene behind me…” a mournful David Gower, Mark Nicholas or Tony Lewis would say down the lens. Crushing.
Welcome to the second day of this first Test between England and Pakistan from Headingley. I’m afraid to say that it is a wet one, folks. As the Beautiful South nearly sang – From Garforth to Gipton it’s rain. From Roundhay to Rawdon it’s rain.
The forecast isn’t good for most of the day but there’s a chance things might improve in the afternoon. From my perch here in the media centre at the ground I can see two unmanned super soppers on each side of the wicket and full covers in place. Urgh
Still, there’s plenty to get stuck into and we’ll be here to provide updates and facilitate debate, please do get in touch with your thoughts, theories and dead air time killing conversation topics.
In the meantime – catch up with Ali’s report from Day one which starred Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and a sawn in half Dukes ball.
Related: Tongue and Robinson’s high fives put England in control against Pakistan
Related: Harry Brook keeps England well on top of Pakistan in first Test despite late wickets
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · James Wallace at Headingley (earlier) and Tim de Lisle (later). Published 20 Aug 2026, 07:07 pm.
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