Leach at the other end. Smith on strike.
Ponting: "He has looked dangerous to Smith."
Smith charges, but it's a knee-high full toss anyway, and he hits it to the boundary rope... They check and signal 6. It just made it over the rope. Really, it should have been up in the stands.
Ponting on Smith: "I don't think he needs to panic just yet. ... Show some trust..."
He tells us Cummins averages 41 balls.
Holding: "41 balls is a long time."
4th. Ashes Test. Manchester.
Overton bowls a wide. Erasmus was the umpire.
It was very wide, but Smith had taken a huge step outside off. Holding discusses the position of the batsman and whether it was still a wide, but decides it was.
----------------------------------
The broadcaster shows the FOW...
Smith comes down again and makes it into a full toss, which he hits for 4.
Ponting: "Steve Smith wants the ball close to his body."
Ponting wants Leach to get the ball "outside the line of his eyesight" and "bring the outside edge into play".
"Come on, Leachy boy," croaks Bairstow.
Leach gets Cummins caught at slip.
Oz 7/387 (105).
It was very wide, but Smith had taken a huge step outside off. Holding discusses the position of the batsman and whether it was still a wide, but decides it was.
----------------------------------
The broadcaster shows the FOW...
Smith comes down again and makes it into a full toss, which he hits for 4.
Ponting: "Steve Smith wants the ball close to his body."
Ponting wants Leach to get the ball "outside the line of his eyesight" and "bring the outside edge into play".
"Come on, Leachy boy," croaks Bairstow.
Leach gets Cummins caught at slip.
Oz 7/387 (105).
Taylor on being bowled out: "Not necessarily a bad thing."
Ponting on the dismissal: "Nathan Lyon will be liking the look of that. ...There's definitely been something there for the spin."
Overton bowls a maiden, so Starc will be on strike to Leach next over.
-----------------------------
Holding: "Leach doesn't want to be giving him a single, that's for sure."
Ponting notes the man in the deep, and says England are expecting Starc to hit from the start.
Holding: "Get it above his eyeline. Put some loop on it."
Ponting agrees: "He's going to go. It's only a matter of time."
Backward square goes a bit deeper.
Another maiden.
-----------------------------
Overton continues bowling outside off. Ponting approves. He says it doesn't allow him the easy single, and he believes something will happen.
Smith pulls the short ball for 4.
Ponting: "We've talked about the line. It's also got to be full."
Smith is 190*. Holding and Ponting discuss Oz's plans after the double century. Ponting says there's bad weather forecast for tomorrow.
Ponting on the dismissal: "Nathan Lyon will be liking the look of that. ...There's definitely been something there for the spin."
Overton bowls a maiden, so Starc will be on strike to Leach next over.
-----------------------------
Holding: "Leach doesn't want to be giving him a single, that's for sure."
Ponting notes the man in the deep, and says England are expecting Starc to hit from the start.
Holding: "Get it above his eyeline. Put some loop on it."
Ponting agrees: "He's going to go. It's only a matter of time."
Backward square goes a bit deeper.
Another maiden.
-----------------------------
Overton continues bowling outside off. Ponting approves. He says it doesn't allow him the easy single, and he believes something will happen.
Smith pulls the short ball for 4.
Ponting: "We've talked about the line. It's also got to be full."
Smith is 190*. Holding and Ponting discuss Oz's plans after the double century. Ponting says there's bad weather forecast for tomorrow.
Smith tries another dive-at-ball shot (like the one off Stokes to get to 50). He fails to connect.
The broadcaster shows the ball chart to Smith. England have clearly changed their plan and are bowling wide of off. They should have done that from the start.
Athers says Smith is now getting so far across that you can see leg stump, and the bowler might want to think about a leg-stump yorker.
The broadcaster shows the ball chart to Smith. England have clearly changed their plan and are bowling wide of off. They should have done that from the start.
Athers says Smith is now getting so far across that you can see leg stump, and the bowler might want to think about a leg-stump yorker.
Starc edges Overton short of Stokes at second slip.
The second time that's happened today, Athers says. The first was off Archer. That shows this is a slower pitch than normal, Athers concludes.
And Starc smokes him straight for 4. Only the stumps at the non-striker's end were a chance to stop that.
Square leg goes out.
The second time that's happened today, Athers says. The first was off Archer. That shows this is a slower pitch than normal, Athers concludes.
And Starc smokes him straight for 4. Only the stumps at the non-striker's end were a chance to stop that.
Square leg goes out.
Smith uses his feet and lofts Leach over long off for 6. He moves to 197*, and Oz past 400.
-------------------
Flintoff is speaking to Panesar in the crowd. Is Freddy turning up to the whole match? This time there is no sign of the girl I guess is his daughter. Is this school holidays? Why was she spectating yesterday?
This reminds me that Panesar happily spoke about ball tampering in his book, as many former English (and non-English) cricketers like doing. (Have a look in the thread on ball tampering, if you're interested.)
-------------------
Flintoff is speaking to Panesar in the crowd. Is Freddy turning up to the whole match? This time there is no sign of the girl I guess is his daughter. Is this school holidays? Why was she spectating yesterday?
This reminds me that Panesar happily spoke about ball tampering in his book, as many former English (and non-English) cricketers like doing. (Have a look in the thread on ball tampering, if you're interested.)
Meanwhile, Broad is back, and Smith is on 199*.
Starc came a long way down the pitch... but gets back safely.
Next ball, Smith gets 2, and raises his bat before he completes the second.
Smith 201* (310). This is his third double century, all of them against England. (Feast on the weak.
)
Athers tells us Smith has more Test runs than anyone else in this calendar year.
Now he on drives for 4 to end the over.
Starc came a long way down the pitch... but gets back safely.
Next ball, Smith gets 2, and raises his bat before he completes the second.
Smith 201* (310). This is his third double century, all of them against England. (Feast on the weak.
)Athers tells us Smith has more Test runs than anyone else in this calendar year.
Now he on drives for 4 to end the over.
Overton goes off the field. Root brings himself on to bowl. Starc on strike.
Langer and someone else, with Paine over their shoulders, are looking into their laptops. Athers thinks they are looking at the weather forecast, which is not good.
Root gets some sharp turn out of the footmarks.
Next ball, Starc goes for a slog and misses. The ball has the slip hopping.
Root is bowling faster than Leach.
An appeal for LBW. Not out. Inside edge? Isa thinks it was going down. They didn't review.
Langer and someone else, with Paine over their shoulders, are looking into their laptops. Athers thinks they are looking at the weather forecast, which is not good.
Root gets some sharp turn out of the footmarks.
Next ball, Starc goes for a slog and misses. The ball has the slip hopping.
Root is bowling faster than Leach.
An appeal for LBW. Not out. Inside edge? Isa thinks it was going down. They didn't review.
The field is spread for Smith, so Broad's full toss gives Smith only a single.
Starc glances for 4. Bad ball.
Next ball, Starc on drives for 4.
Athers: "That is a beautiful on drive."
And again, next ball, except in the air. 4 more!
Langer looks shocked.
And another 4, a bit edgy through point this time.
Four 4s in a row to Starc.
This is obviously a flat pitch.
Root told Archer he's on next over, Isa says. But Root first.
Starc glances for 4. Bad ball.
Next ball, Starc on drives for 4.
Athers: "That is a beautiful on drive."
And again, next ball, except in the air. 4 more!
Langer looks shocked.
And another 4, a bit edgy through point this time.
Four 4s in a row to Starc.
This is obviously a flat pitch.
Root told Archer he's on next over, Isa says. But Root first.
Lyon hooks the Archer short ball in the air out of the reach of the fielder for 4. He was not in control of that shot.
A couple of balls later, Lyon cuts a short, wide ball for 4.
--------------------------------------
Warne: "I've got an interesting one for you, Nass."
Nass: "We'll be the judge off that."
The other time Smith was out for over 200, it was also reverse sweeping Root.
A couple of balls later, Lyon cuts a short, wide ball for 4.
--------------------------------------
Warne: "I've got an interesting one for you, Nass."
Nass: "We'll be the judge off that."
The other time Smith was out for over 200, it was also reverse sweeping Root.
Meanwhile, Starc slog sweeps Root for 6.
Next ball, appeal for LBW. Not out. They review.
There's glove on that! Not out confirmed!
Warne claims Starc started walking off.
Warne: "Mate, if it hits your glove, it's not out."
Fifth ball, another slog sweep and another 4.
And last ball, another slog sweep and another 4.
16 runs from the over.
Starc is 40* (40).
Oz 8/463 (120). Drinks.
Next ball, appeal for LBW. Not out. They review.
There's glove on that! Not out confirmed!
Warne claims Starc started walking off.
Warne: "Mate, if it hits your glove, it's not out."
Fifth ball, another slog sweep and another 4.
And last ball, another slog sweep and another 4.
16 runs from the over.
Starc is 40* (40).
Oz 8/463 (120). Drinks.