4th. Ashes Test. Manchester.

[K]

As Lyon continues after drinks, Gower has a senior moment: "Jason Lyon."
...

Paine: "That's the one, Gazza."

An appeal for LBW. Not out. No review. It was the ball that went straight on. Ball tracking shows impact outside off (and umpire's call on hitting the stumps).

[K]

Starc from around the wicket bowls a successful yorker that beats Roy, but it's not on the stumps.

[K]

Denly comes down the pitch. Big appeal for LBW. Not out.

Gower: "If you come down the pitch that far and it turns, 99% chance it's missing."
Yes, ball tracking shows it missing the stumps and even the impact was marginal.

Lloyd: "He'll be fretting, Lyon, that he's not picking up wickets. ... He's changing his pace..."

Another LBW appeal. Not out. No review. Gower wonders if he was really playing a shot. He thinks yes.

And now overthrows. The crowd is annoying me.

[K]

Cummins returns for a new spell.

Gower: "That Root delivery was an absolute stunner. But since then..."

Gower (still on the Root ball): "It was the archetypal, cliched top of off stump."

Now a stifled appeal.

Denly gets an inside edge for a single. Denly irritates me.

[K]

Cummins bowls Roy!

England 3/66 (25). Stokes in.

Lloyd: "The perfect length. Stiff front leg. Big gap between bat and pad."

Lisa S: "Same delivery that Josh Hazlewood was able to bowl to Jason Roy."


Taylor: "That was just too good. ... Nipped back. Swung back."

Lloyd: "Big gap is that."

Gower: "The bat so far in front of him that he does open up that gate."

[K]

Lots of shouts. Impossible for Paine to take, and it doesn't rebound to a fielder. Was there any bat?

Yes. Ultra Edge shows an inside edge!

Denly technically is given a life off Lyon.

[K]

Cummins causes problems for Denly.

Gower: "Movement of the pitch and bounce."

...

Denly prods edgily past third slip for 4.

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Botham shows three Roy dismissals bowled. The balls were pitching in almost the identical spot. They agree Roy has big problems.

[K]

Paine: "Nice energy, here, Gaz."

"Just hit the edge of that bat. Hit the edge of that bat."

Lyon completes a maiden over. He's getting some turn and bounce, but is still wicketless.

[K]

Cummins beats Denly again.

The broadcast shows a heat map. Oz are targeting top of off.

Holding says the length to achieve that depends on the conditions: fuller in the first innings, shorter now.

[K]

Marnus is fielding in close for Lyon.
Stokes hits the ball into Marnus's pads.
Holding asks whether such protection should be allowed.

Holding: "If they weren't allowed to wear so much protection, you can as a batsman remove the fielder..."

[K]

Cummins gets Stokes caught behind. Stokes walks!!

England 4/74 (30.2). Bairstow in.
Cummins has all wickets.

Taylor: "Interesting that Ben Stokes walked off. That's what DRS is for. Well done to Ben Stokes."

Holding: "The umpire had not moved. Yet Ben Stokes walked off. ... He knew it."

The Ultra Edge pattern is quite interesting. Not a single clean spike, but a few ridges.

Holding: "Very disappointed. But playing the game the right way in my opinion."

He could have stood there and forced them to review, knowing how incompetent they are at such things.

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Now an appeal for LBW. Not out. No review. 4lb.

[K]

Hazlewood returns. Denly is in the 40s now and has faced over 90 balls.

Big appeal. Not out. No review. Paine threw the ball up as if it was out.
Ball tracking shows it wasn't LBW. I initially thought they were going up for caught behind.

[K]

Cummins has 24 wickets so far in the series

He bowls a no ball.
Holding says he would like that to happen. Then you know and can bring your foot back.
Holding: "Watch the foot and call it."

Holding sounds unimpressed with the other bowlers.

[K]

The broadcast shows there is now some variable bounce.

But now it's lunch.

England 4/87 (34).

Healy: "I think the surface of the pitch is just starting to loosen up."

[23 YIPPEE!!!]

I reckon it’ll be a draw 6 wickets is too many to get