Ashes 2021-22 fifth Test, day two: Australia v England – live!

71st over: Australia 280-9 (Lyon 19, Boland 0)

So Woakes grabs Carey, and Australia’s favourite son, Scott Boland, heads to the crease. Australia will have wanted 300 (because it’s a round number, I guess), and they may yet get there if Wood keeps bumping Lyon. Boland drives the last, square, but can’t beat point. Lyon will be on strike.

From Brian: “Good morning Sam, Hope you have solved the smoke alarm issue – possibly set off by the friction of Mark Wood’s relentless bumper barrage? Never mind rubbing two sticks together – how about two brain cells?”

I thought Wood’s approach was working wonders, he just picked the wrong guy. If you are referring to my brain cells, the horse has bolted.

Bowled! Carey chops on to Woakes. He half-prods forward, but inside edges it onto his stumps. A bit of bounce? It takes leg bail.

70th over: Australia 280-8 (Carey 24, Lyon 19)

The short tactic continues from Wood, but Carey gets inside the line of the third ball and parries it to fine leg for four. He pulls the next to deep square for one (“good cricket”). Wood gets two at Lyon and he smashes it out of the ground for six! Kids start scurrying out on to the ground to find it. I don’t think that landed on the roof, that cleared it! There’ll be a new ball now, won’t there? These are valuable runs. Wood goes over the wicket – a win for Lyon – but it doesn’t matter, Lyon obliterates this one for six too! Straight onto the hill! What a shot, that is sensational batting. Wood was causing fear until this point, Lyon has sat him down. What a riposte. Wood has now conceded 100+ runs.

69th over: Australia 263-8 (Carey 19, Lyon 7)

Woakes (1-50 off 12) replaces Broad, and his first is clipped for two by Carey, who pressures the hatless Broad with his running and elicits the misfield. Same again, but it’s just one to Broad, whose wide brim is now back on. Less fire this over, three from it.

From John Little via email: “For all the naysayers, England are unbeaten this year. More than can be said for Bangladesh, India and New Zealand…. just a matter of perspective.” That’s the spirit, John.

68th over: Australia 260-8 (Carey 16, Lyon 7)

So, Wood succeeds against Cummins, bringing Lyon to the crease. Same ball, but Lyon hits down. Wood is now bowling bouncers every delivery, including to Carey. The Australian bats are almost facing chest on, legs wide apart, halfway to the crouch upon release. Wood’s at Carey’s chest, Carey stays leg side of it, and he slices it – with control – down to third for one. Lyon then pulls Wood for six! It splits Wood and Crawley who were making ground on it. Lyon plays that shot well, one knee up of course. That said, I’m probably backing Wood here. Wood is too short, next delivery.

Cummins accepts the invitation to pull, he’s not in control, it gets too high on him and Cummins – who slightly took his eye off the ball as he played the shot – hit it straight down Crawley’s throat at deep square. Cummins was in trouble facing Woof from the off… Wood’s tactic is working.

67th over: Australia 252-7 (Carey 15, Cummins 2)

Carey chases a wide one from the round-the -wicket Broad, and his inside edge just misses the stumps. Meanwhile, a smoke alarm is going off inside my house, and it is not for smoke reasons. No one is home. Now I have decisions to make. It is not a battery issue. I think I’ve solved it. Anyway, Carey hooks one to fine leg for one and Cummins is defending to cover. Broad sends a fielder to the boundary and goes short to Cummins who pulls vigorously, achieving one run to deep square.

I’d ordinarily think the game is quite even, I just have reservations about England’s capacity to amass a match-winning score. That said, Root is due, and I’d like to see it.

66th over: Australia 250-7 (Carey 14, Cummins 1)

The chest-guarded Cummins faces up to Wood, who continues with the short stuff. There’s a wide slip, someone at third, and a bat pad. Cummins is uncomfortable. He somehow gets one around the corner for one. Carey’s then backing away trying to slap him through the off-side, but missing. Funky fields and tactics now. Carey’s back and across to the next, which is also short, and he fends it into space behind square for one. Cummins has the last, and he’s jumping then ducking underneath. Whoosh. Cummins laughs as he meets Carey mid-pitch.

65th over: Australia 248-7 (Carey 13, Cummins 0)

Broad’s in to Carey now. There’s two slips and a gully, but no pad pad to Australia’s keeper. Carey pulls him sweetly to the boundary rider for one. Cummins then works one to backward square, via the pad, and Billings hares after it to keep it to one. Carey sees off the last.

64th over: Australia 246-7 (Carey 12, Cummins 0)

There’s a bat pad for Wood now. He nabs Starc as described. Cummins is next, and Wood is wayward down the legside but Billings gloves it brilliantly, sprawling to his left. Wood is clearly trying to shorten him up, as Cummins ducks another. So Wood comes around the wicket and he hits Cummins. The skipper wanted to duck, it wasn’t that high, and it careers into (what looks like) his forearm.

Wood bangs it in short, Starc is late on it – he top edges it and it’s caught by a backwards-running Rory Burns at square leg, easy as you like. Starc looked uncomfortable facing Wood, and Wood gets his man.

63rd over: Australia 246-6 (Carey 12, Starc 3)

Broad’s too straight, allowing Carey to tuck him off his hip to square leg for one. Some chat on radio here about who’s ahead … most agree Australia are by virtue of England missing their opportunity in the first session. Must be said the pitch does now seem decidedly more docile than yesterday. Mike Atherton is also noting that there were some whispers that Craig Overton was set to play yesterday, before Ollie Robinson was included last-minute. I write this as we watch Ben Stokes seek an inspection of the pink ball from the umpire yet again. The cricket’s back on, and Starc looks far more comfortable coming forward to Broad than the guy at the other end. Something’s going on here … Broad has to pull out of his run-up, just before his gather, and he’s immensely put off by the Fox SpiderCam, or FoxCam, or whatever it’s called. He remonstrates with it. Michael Vaughan laughs nervously, before they cut to SpiderCam.

62nd over: Australia 244-6 (Carey 11, Starc 2)

Wood’s first is timed quite nicely off Starc’s pads for one. Wood’s running in hard – though I suppose he always is. Carey gets one to fine leg. His partner Starc rides a throat ball into the ground quite easily, prods the next to mid-on looking a little jumpy, and that’s the over.

61st over: Australia 242-6 (Carey 10, Starc 1)

Broad accompanies Wood. Starc drives handsomely early on but Stokes moves around at mid off and throws the stumps down, too. Starc gets one for his trouble and is off the mark. Carey is trying to drive the next, but can’t beat mid off. The next one is in the same area: Carey leaves, deliberately.

60th over: Australia 241-6 (Carey 10, Starc 0)

Wood starts with a pretty sharp yorker to Carey, he jams it to square leg. Only three balls in this over, not a bad one to start with. Next one beats Carey all ends up, huge appeal, Wood is arm aloft celebrating … but then there’s doubt, and no review, and replays confirm Carey was nowhere near it. Carey defends the last to mid-off.

I said it was cloudy on screen. Well, the sun’s out now! Jerusalem is rung and sung. We’re away.

Acquaint yourself with the state of things with Geoff Lemon’s piece from yesterday …

Weather update

90% chance of rain (1-3mm), cloudy, any rain will be late afternoon, evening.

It looks cloudy on screen, but everything’s in readiness to start on time.

Looks like Ollie Robinson is struggling…