Key events
Rob Vile (great name btw) is combinging two of my favourite subjects here:
I think Zak Crawley missed a trick when he was out to Noman an hour ago. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus tells the cyclops Polyphemus that his name is “Noman”, so that when he and his men stabbed the big lummox in his one eye and flee his cave, Polyphemus can only tell the other cyclopes [yes I had to look up the plural of cyclops], that “Noman attacked me”. Hearing that no-one had apparently stabbed Polyphemus, the other cyclopes assumed it was an act of Zeus and didn’t go looking for Odysseus, who made his escape. I think Crawley could have employed a similar tactic this morning by declaring to the umpires that “Noman has taken my wicket!”, meaning that they would have no choice but to allow him to keep batting. Maybe one for the boys further down the order to consider.
In a recent article for the Nightwatchman Quarterly, I likened myself to Xenophon taking refuge in the ruins of Nineveh. This is how I feel, as a South African, looking at old scorecards that include the likes of Kallis, de Villiers, Smith and Amla. Like Xenophon I can’t fathom how such mighty empires can collapse.
I admit, it was a tenuous link. But I had great fun writing it!
35th over: England 175-2 (Duckett 96, Root 16) Root drags Noman’s full ball for four with a heaving sweep. He then works another one fine into a large gap in the field and gets back safely for three.
Time for drinks.
34th over: England 168-2 (Duckett 96, Root 9) Duckett gets closer to three figures with another single. Root climbs into a drag down from Zahid – into the attack for his first over – but doesn’t quite catch all of it and has to settle for a single himself. Earlier, Root collected a couple with a little flick. Not a bad opening set from Zahid.
Stephen Brown gets his wish.
There’s a bowling change. Sajid, who I thought was looking good, is yanked from the attack and is replaced by Zahid.
33rd over: 164-2 (Duckett 95, Root 6) Duckett clearly isn’t bothered by the prospect of getting out in the 90s. He’s carrying on as he started. A wild reverse sweep to length ball makes him look a little silly as it lands in the keeper’s gloves behind him. But fair play to him. He’s not going to tip-toe to a milestone. He’ll have to wait a little longer as all he can manage in this over is a single after a flick to the leg side.
Stephen Brown asks a good question:
Unfortunately I have nothing to contribute about FHWs.
But I do have a question. Given Pakistan apparently bought 10 bowlers and a wicketkeeper to this match. Why have they got to the 30th over only using 3?
I appreciate that spinners bowl longer sessions than seamers, but it’s not like they are ripping through the England order. Surly it needs to be changed up a bit more frequently?
Now that you mention it, Stephen, I’m not sure. I ge why Sajid has continued. They’re trying to get a run at Root. But Noman hasn’t threatened for some time. Might as well give someone else a go, right?
32nd over: England 163-2 (Ducket 94, Root 6) Root has not scored a run in what has felt like an age. Sajid really needs to line up a full over at him. He only gets two balls this time but does find the front pad, albeit via an thick inside edge. He’s certainly the more threatening of the two spinners operating at present.
31st over: England 162-2 (Duckett 93, Root 6) Ducket goes into the 90s with a thumping reverse sweep. Is he currently the world’s best reverse-sweeper? Hard to think of anyone better. A single gets him off strike which means Sajid will have to continue toiling against the left-hander at the start of the next over.
30th over: England 155-2 (Ducket 86, Root 6) There’s a revire for lbw but it’s hitting Root a long way outside the off-stump. A poor review frankly. Three very controlled runs from that Sajid over.
Ray Murphy from Hobart has chucked another name in the hat:
Hi Daniel, just catching up on OBO from Hobart after getting kids to bed. The consummate FHW from down under is surely Greg Chappell? In fact, we didn’t call it a FH it was just a GCH (Greg Chappell Hat to be sure). A must have accessory for every junior suburban cricketer in the 70s/80s.
Krishna Moorthy reminds that there were once lunatics who played this game:
All these talks about helmets and hats – Sunil Gavaskar says hello who faced Marshal Roberts Garner and Holding with just his curly locks
Andrew Benton offers another example of Englishmen being weird:
All this helmet talk got me thinking about heads, and particularly Joe Root’s engagement with them. Not only has he ‘polished’ balls on heads, but didn’t he a couple of years ago, take a team members hat off to slap him on the head (and the team member didn’t look too pleased about it)? Makes me feel Root’s a bit odd – people’s heads really should not be touched at all, given the potential (perhaps small) for damage from such low speed impacts and engagement.
29th over: England 152-2 (Duckett 83, Root 6) How has that missed! Oh my, Duckett is a lucky fish. It’s three byes, which is harsh on Rizwan. A fullish ball prompts the big reverse sweep from Duckett and it simply dies in the pitch, dribbling inches from the wickets and through the legs of the keeper. Earlier in the set Duckett worked a controlled reverse for two. This pitch is definitely starting to show signs of deterioration.
28th over: England 147-2 (Duckett 81, Root 6) Ducket again spanks Sajid’s first ball of the over for four. This one was lashed backward of square. A little uppish, but no gully means it was safe. A single brings Root on strike for just one delivery. Sajid definitely looks more menacing to the right-hander. They’ll want to try manipulate this so he gets a proper run at him.
27th over: England 142-2 (Duckett 76, Root 6) A maiden from Noman who is full to Root. One ball skidded a little low. Something to keep an eye on.
26th over: England 142-2 (Duckett 76, Root 6) Aggression from Ducket who decides he’s not going to let Sajid settle into a groove. The first ball is walloped down the ground after a short shimmy out his crease. Sajid lands a beauty that jags past a hard push but then Duckett gets out the revers sweep and finds another boundary. There was a degree of risk as Salman, stationed close by, moved in anticipation of the shot but couldn’t grab it.
More hat chat!
Which I’m loving, by the way. Keep ‘em coming.
Jeremy Boyce:
What is John Swan talking about, “too short” ? Here’s that strapping lad Alvin Kallicharan in action…
Lee Johnson:
Although I agree in principle with John Swan re FHW (to paraphrase Partridge in today’s Hat Topic), I think you’ll find that Richie Richardson was even more Gower than Gower when batting in his maroon floppy.
Lee, painting in a slightly drizzly London
This opens a new topic. What’s your favourite thing to do while the cricket is on (besides watching, eating or drinking).
I love doing jigsaw puzzles! No, really. I find them the perfect level of engaging and meandering while the TV is thrumming with cricket activity.
25th over: England 132-2 (Duckett 66, Root 6) Tidy from Noman. Three runs off that set. Duckett is content to rotate the strike. Root collects another two with a clip through the leg side.
24th over: England 129-2 (Duckett 65, Root 4) An eventful over as Sajid returns. Pope crunched a tossed-up delivery with a mighty slog sweep but was then bowled by a beauty that turned back a mile. Root was almost out first ball as another one that dragged also kept low. England’s cheat-code with the bat squeezed it out and got two out of it before collecting another couple with a reverse sweep.
WICKET! Pope b Sajid 29 (England 125-1)
A beauty! A classic off-spinner’s wicket. Full outside the off stump, he’s brought Pope forward to drive. It lands in the rough and turns at almost a right angle to find the gap between bat and pad and hit the stumps. The ball before was spanked for four but the spinner, back into the attack, gets his man. Lovely delivery.
This from Ewan Glenton should be plastered on billboards and buses around the country:
Someone around the 14th over said Yorkshire puddings are ‘overrated’. But surely that should be ‘overeaten’?…
Amen.
23rd over: England 120-1 (Duckett 64, Pope 25) Duckett goes for a mighty reverse sweep and almost loses his balance as it spins sharply past his wafting blade. That wasn’t pretty. Rizwan gathered and had the bails off in a flash. That was sharp keeping but only the whiff of danger of a stumping. Duckett then prods from his crease and a thick bat-pad squeezes past the man at forward short leg. If he was square of the wicket he might have been in business. Four singles keeps things ticking along.
22nd over: England 116-1 (Duckett 62, Pope 23) This is properly poor from Pakistan. Every over has a four-ball in the mix. Jamal’s half-volley is nudged through the covers by Pope and then he climbs into a half-tracker, bludgeoning it through midwicket off the back foot. How can you set a field to that sort of bowling? How can a captain implement a plan? They can’t. And Pakistan seriously need to get a grip here. I think that’s likely the end of Jamal’s toothless spell.
Are England’s women unfit?
Yes, says Alex Hartley. The World Cup winner, now a BBC commentator, didn’t hold back when she shared her thoughts after England’s shock exit from the T20 World Cup last night.
21st over: England 106-1 (Duckett 61, Pope 14) Better from Noman Ali. He’s mixing up his pace well and that’s causing a bit of a problem for the right-handed Pope. One ball has him reaching as he pushes at a cover drive and it catches a thick edge. He follows that up with a jaffa that pitches around middle and off and turns to beat the outside edge. But then, having built up substantial pressure, he drags down a half-tracker and Pope climbs into a cut shot that whistles to the rope.
20th over: England 102-1 (Duckett 61, Pope 10) Jamal chucks a bit of dross beyond Duckett’s pads and the opener helps it on its way for four. He then brings his length back but it’s still on Duckett’s pads and he clips it in front of square for three. The additional run courtesy of a no-ball – Jamal’s third over-step – brings up England’s 100.
19th over: England 93-1 (Duckett 54, Pope 9) Two off this Noman Ali over with a pair of singles. He’s finding a better length now, brining the batters forward. How do they get a wicket though? How do they build consistent pressure? It’s not threatening enough for my liking. Maybe an extra catcher in the eye-line?
More hat/helmet chat! You’re all make my day!
Robin Hazlehurst gets technical:
Interesting to read Will Padmore’s comments on helmets. Especially because one consequence of players not wearing helmets is that in order to smother spinners in a match like this they … will pad more.
John Swan is leaning more into vibes:
For me, to carry a floppy hat properly you can’t be too short, but you also need a certain sang-froid, almost languidness. Hence David Gower for me is the sine qua non of FHWs (floppy hat wearers, for the avoidance of doubt).
You ask about this current team – Crawley, Root, Brook, Stokes and Smith, for me. Anyone lower than 7 can’t really carry it off, and Duckett & Pope are too short so need alternatives. They’d go bare-headed and blue cap respectively.
18th over: England 91-1 (Duckett 53, Pope 8) Jamal is full and straight, targeting the stumps with a man catching at short midwicket. Three times Pope flicks and picks out the fielder. Off the first ball he clipped a couple off his pads and off the last ball he managed to work the angle and pick up a single down to fine leg.
Alrighty, they’re back out there. Jamal has the ball. Can he put in a considerable shift so Pakistan don’t have to stick with samey-spin from both ends?
Has anyone bowled to a left-hand, right-hand pair before? Sure you have. It’s a nightmare, right? Now imagine one is seven feet tall and the other could walk under a dining room table.
As Liam Ward says:
Bowlers have always hated bowling at a right & left handed partnership, so I can’t imagine how difficult it is to add the height difference of Crawley & Duckett into the mix too. I wonder if it explains so many of their fast starts as the margin for error compared to other opening partnerships is so small. As I email you, however, Crawley nicks off…
Despite the nick, it’s a point well made.
A shout-out to James Walsh, one of our readers who is, as he says, “flu-addled”
He’s hoping “Pope’s catholic-on-a-hot-tin-roof routine” can yield some runs. Now wouldn’t that be…. divine!
Sincere apologies.
Will Padmore adds to the helmet discourse.
His email covers ground we’ve walked over already but his final point is a really good one. I wonder if any of these youngsters have ever faced a hard ball without a helmet.
Probably worth mentioning that many of the younger players have never known batting without a helmet so it’s second nature for them.
Bernard Hughes shares a bit of a horror story:
Hi Daniel – twenty years ago I top-edged a spinner into my own face and smeared my nose all around it. I’ve worn a helmet against all bowling ever since, and very pleased the England players do too. Makes me wince when I see top-tier players not doing so
One of the joys of doing these OBOs is steering the group chat down a weird and niche quirk of cricket.
Who knew that talk of big floppy hats and helmets would garner such interest.
Nikhilesh is in agreement (that batting in a comically large hat is the ultimate flex from a batter) and cites a few legends of the craft:
Good afternoon (in the subcontinent at least). Re the ultimate flex, thoughts go back to Carl Hooper, Ritchie Richardson, and Desmond Haynes.
Patrick Tully reminds us that there are more pragmatic reasons for what’s going on:
In response to the earlier message on batting in helmets, the England team have their own rules (It covers all ECB first class/limited overs top tier games too) that all batters must wear helmets against all types of bowling. It’s up to national boards though as there’s no blanked rule from the ICC, hence Shimron Hetmeyr often batting in a floppy hat to spin (but puts one on when batting against seam/fast bowlers).
On that, which of these England batters would most likely wear a floppy hat while batting?
Cook inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
The Knight of the Realm becomes the 31st England player to make the list.
He thanked his old mentor, Graham Gooch and said that he “Left no stone unturned … every time I pulled on the England shirt, I tried my best to be as good as I could be.”
Lunch: England 88-1
Fair to say that’s England’s session. Just the one run from this 17th over – the last before tea – which means England head to the shed well on top. They still trail by 278 runs, but on this deck, and with Duckett batting like a dream, one imagines another gargantuan score is over the horizon.
Duckett remains unbeaten on 53 having brought up his half century after 47 balls. Pope is with him on 5.
After 17 overs England are cruising at more than five an over.
16th over: England 87-1 (Duckett 53, Pope 4) Some pace now as Aamer Jamal returns to the attack after that two over spell earlier. Four runs from his set that doesn’t threaten the batters at all. Pope clips a three into the deep on the leg side as Ducket keeps things ticking along with a gentle steer past point.
15th over: England 83-1 (Duckett 52, Pope 1) Just the single off this Noman Ali over. Another push down the ground from Duckett.
Dean Kinsella poses something of a philosophical question:
Good morning Daniel. Marvelous start from our tried and trusted opening pair. Pakistan could be under serious pressure by the end of this 2nd day. I’m just wondering if it is obligatory to wear a helmet when batting these days? In the face of an almost completely slow bowling attack and the extreme temperatures mightn’t they consider more comfortable headwear? A knotted hanky?
On helmets, I know some batters feel that they concentrate more when wearing them. As in, they help focus their vision. Also, when you sweep as much as Duckett, the last thing you want is to catch a top edge to the face from one that spits off the deck.
Personally, I find there are few things I enjoy more than batting with a baggy cap. However, the ultimate flex is batting with a big floppy hat.
14th over: England 82-1 (Duckett 51, Pope 1) That’s a 47-ball half century for Duckett. He gets it with a reverse sweep off Sajid Khan that spirals away for two. He then keeps the strike with a push down the ground.
Joseph Surtees is picking up on our culinary theme:
In response to Jeremy’s comment: and unlike in real life, these Yorkshire puddings aren’t massively overrated.
As someone not from the UK, I never understood the hype around little puffed up batter balls. Then I had a Yorkie Pud (can I call them that?) and my opinion changed. I love em! And will tolerate no slander about them on these streets!
13th over: England 79-1 (Duckett 48, Pope 1) Well Pakistan are on the board at least but they’ll have to find a way of gaining more control. Duckett manages to find a boundary, this time with a delicious little reverse sweep that trickles away fine. But the headline from that over is the wicket of Crawley. A loose stroke from a batter who has the potential to score big but too often gets himself out.
WICKET! Crawley c Rizwan b Noman Ali 27 (England 73-1)
Out of nowhere! Pakistan have their first and they got it on review. Crawley had a full swipe at a ball with a bit of width but just enough turn sees it catch the edge. The umpire wasn’t convinced but they reviewed and a thin spike on the ultra-edge proves to be Zak’s undoing. A poor stroke in retrospect, he just lost his shape as he lashed at it.
12th over: England 73-0 (Crawley 43, Duckett 27) Another controlled set from Pakistan. They’ll want to stitch a few of these together. Sajid Khan hasn’t done anything different as far as I can tell. He’s just found a more consistent area. Both batters collect a single.
11th over: England 71-0 (Crawley 26, Duckett 42) A rare uneventful over. Just two singles from this one.
10th over: England 69-0 (Crawley 25, Duckett 41) Both openers get low to sweep. Crawley at the start of the over, Duckett at the end. Both end collect boundaries. They are steamrolling their hosts! Just to underline how much this is going England’s way, Crawley survives a lbw review. He missed his reverse sweep and was pinged dead in front. One red light. Another red light. But then, miraculously, a green light! He was heading back by the time he received his reprieve.
9th over: England 60-0 (Crawley 20, Duckett 37) England are feasting! Another sweep for four from Duckett. He really is a master of that shot. Noman Ali just can’t find a consistent area to build pressure.
As Jeremy Boyce says:
So England’s batters have found their way to their table and some to be tucking in, plenty of beef, done to a turn. Unusually the Yorkshire puddings will be served AFTER the beef, crisp and succulent, with the gravy train lower order runs on the side. Bon appetit !
8th over: England 54-0 (Crawley 20, Duckett 31) Sajid Khan has made a royal mess of a simple run-out chance. Crawley was caught ball watching as Duckett picked out the fielder at backward square. A mix up between left Crawley stranded half-way down the track. A clean up and accurate throw was made irrelevant as Sajid broke the bails with his arm before he gathered the ball. A proper howler in the field. My goodness, Pakistan don’t do themselves any favours at times. Duckett then rubs some salt in the wounds by spanking a full toss for four down the ground.
Brian Withington is liking what he’s seeing:
Morning Daniel
Given the way the surface is more or less holding up so far, it’s such a shame that we cannot continue this experiment of wicket non-rotation into a third Test. I believe ‘destruction testing’ is still a thing, whereby you continue to expose something to increasing stress until it finally completely fails, sometimes to spectacularly dramatic effect, sometimes a bit underwhelming. Rather like the ECB toying with the structure of county cricket, or ICC/FIFA stretching their respective calendars.
Team selection might get really interesting at some point …
Cheers
7th over: England 48-0 (Crawley 19, Duckett 26) A no-ball from a spinner. Doesn’t that just about sum up Pakistan’s efforts so far? Still, Noman Ali does land one on a testing area around leg stump and gets it to bite in the surface before beating Crawley past the outside the edge. There’s a hopeful appeal for lbw but it was always bouncing over. Ducket ends the set with a perfectly placed – and timed – sweep shot. Another over, another boundary from it. They’re motoring at almost seven an over.
6th over: England 39-0 (Crawley 16, Duckett 21) A boundary an over now. This one’s from Crawley who leans into a crisp drive off Sajid Khan’s tame off-spinner. England are in complete control.
5th over: England 33-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 21) Looking ominous already for Pakistan. Ducket gets the broom out and hammers two sweeps for four. Noman Ali cuts a frustrated figure. What do Pakistan do from here?
Thanks Rob. Another cracking shift from you.
Howdy folks. Pakistan’s bowlers are already looking pretty frustrated already. Can they find the breakthrough?
4th over: England 25-0 (Crawley 10, Duckett 13) When Sajid gets his length right to Crawley he looks menacing. Crawley pushes an awkward delivery in the air but wide of short leg. But Sajid’s length has been pretty erratic and later in the over Duckett sweeps emphatically behind square for four. He has charged out of the blocks, again.
Right, it’s time for me to hand over to Daniel Gallan for the rest of the day – you can email him at daniel.gallan@theguardian.com. See you at 5.30am tomorrow, don’t be tardy.
3rd over: England 16-0 (Crawley 9, Duckett 5) Crawley works a no-ball from Jamal for a couple, then times a fuller ball through mid-on for four. It was a nice shot but should have stopped by the fielder Noman Ali.
2nd over: England 9-0 (Crawley 3, Duckett 5) The offspinner Sajid Khan, comfortably the youngest of Pakistan’s three recalled spinners at 31, takes the new ball. He has a whippy action for a spinner and appears to get some good revs on the ball.
His first delivery grips nicely and is dragged into the leg side for a single by Crawley, who is beaten later in the over when he pushes cautiously at one that goes straight on. Finally Sajid goes up for LBW when Duckett plays around another skidder; it would have missed leg stump. Even so, a promising start from Sajid.
1st over: England 6-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 4) Sheesh. Crawley leaves the first ball of the innings and almost loses his off stump. It cut back slightly and, more ominously for England, kept low.
Crawley punches a single, then Duckett offers no stroke to a very wide delivery bowled from round the wicket. Breaking news: Ben Duckett has left a ball and life will never be the same again.
Duckett is soon into his work, slapping a cut for four to get off the mark. It was a no-ball too. This is your weekly reminder that no opener in Test history (minimum 500 runs) has scored more quickly than Duckett, not even Virender Sehwag. Here’s the list.
“I think you’ll find,” says Jeremy Boyce, “that a full English or a decent lunch are prerequisites for a pro golfer spending three or four hours out in the lashing wind and rain on one of our lovely links courses.”
Obviously I’m not a golfer.