Brendon McCullum believes the furore over Jonny Bairstow’s dismissal at Lord’s could be the turning point for England’s Ashes campaign, and predicted Australia would come to regret their part in the controversy.
Alex Carey’s opportunistic stumping of his fellow wicketkeeper during a dramatic conclusion to the second Test sparked unprecedented fury from fans and members at the home of cricket and the row showed no signs of slowing down on Monday.
Ex-players and pundits from both countries weighed in on the incident and the matter even reached the door of Number 10 Downing Street, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declaring it a breach of the spirit of cricket via his official spokesperson.
But when it comes to the battle for the urn, which Australia lead 2-0 with three to play, how it affects the players in each dressing room is the only issue which really matters.
McCullum believes the flashpoint could stiffen England’s resolve to mount a fightback, with captain Ben Stokes providing the template when he responded to Bairstow’s untimely exit by unloading a brutal 155 in what felt like a personal revenge mission.
And for those involved in the dismissal, the England coach expects a sense of remorse may one day creep in despite current protestations to the contrary.
“I imagine it will affect things, it has to,” he said, as he cast an eye to Thursday’s third Test at Headingley.
“In the end, they made a play, they’ve got to live with that. We would have made a different play but that’s life. In time, we’ll see, but I get the feeling that it might have an effect on them.
“I don’t know if it’s anger, but our unit is galvanised. There are times as a coach where you’ve got to reduce emotion because it’s going to bubble over and you can make poor decisions, but there’s times when you allow emotion to go because it’s going to galvanise the unit.
“That’s what I felt this emotion did for the side. I looked around the group and the guys were a little upset. If that helps us to win those key moments in the next Test, then I’m all for it. (Winning) 3-2 has a nice ring to it.”
On Stokes, who said he would have withdrawn the appeal in the same position, McCullum was effusive: “Not just is he a tremendous cricketer, and what he did at Lord’s was out of this world, but his leadership is something that you just cannot over-estimate.
“Not just the moves he makes on the field, but the way he carries himself, the way he talks to the team, his conviction, his belief in all of the guys, his morals. Not just for the team but the game moving forward.
“We are so lucky to have him as our leader.”
McCullum’s initial reaction in the aftermath of Australia’s 43-run victory was to cast doubt on taking part in the traditional post-series drinks between the rival teams.
He was criticised for being hypocritical in some quarters, with instances from his own playing days held up as evidence.
McCullum’s run out of Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan as he celebrated a team-mate’s century in 2006 was cited by some, but the New Zealander says he long ago accepted that was poor judgement.
“I’ve made an apology to Murali in my Cowdrey Lecture (in 2016). When I was a younger man I didn’t quite understand the significance of what the game and the spirit of the game means,” he explained.
“It’s what the defining point of the game is compared to others, and it’s only with the benefit of time and experience that we’re able to learn that and cherish it.
“I think with the benefit of time and maturity as a player you understand how vital the spirit of the game is to this great game that we play, and you make decisions that you sometimes look back on and say did I get that right?”
The region’s best young cricketers will assemble in Trinidad and St Vincent for Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Women's Under-19 Championship and the Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 Championship.
The women’s event will be 30-over matches played from 4 to 12 July at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), UWI Sports & Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC), and Gilbert Park Cricket Ground (GPCG) in Trinidad. This is the second year of the tournament and players will be identified with a view developing talent and participating in international events such as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 to be played in Malaysia and Thailand.
The men’s event will be played in St Vincent from 4 July to 1 August. It will feature five rounds of 50-over white ball matches and four rounds of three-day red ball matches. These will be played at Arnos Vales, Sion Hill, Park Hill and Cumberland.
Following the tournaments, West Indies Rising Stars Under 19 team will be selected for a tour of Sri Lanka where they are due to play a four-day match as well as 50-over matches. This will be part of preparations for the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka early next year.
These tournaments serve as a pivotal platform for showcasing and identifying talent and facilitating their progression. CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing the game at every level and these tournaments therefore play a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies players.
During the tournaments LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of matches will be available on the www.windiescricket.com match centre.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Women’s 30-over in Trinidad
Tuesday 4 July
Windward Islands vs Guyana at GPCG
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at UWI SPEC
Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados at NCC
Thursday 6 July
Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago – GPCG
Guyana vs Barbados – UWI SPEC
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – NCC
Sunday 9 July
Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at GPCG
Jamaica vs Barbados at UWI SPEC
Guyana vs Leeward Islands at NCC
Tuesday 11 July
Jamaica vs Guyana at GPCG
Leeward Islands vs Trinidad and Tobago at UWI SPEC
Barbados vs Windward Islands at NCC
Thursday 13 July
Leeward Islands vs Barbados at GPCG
Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana at UWI SPEC
Jamaica vs Windward Islands at NCC
Saturday 15 July
5th and 6th play-off at GPCG
3rd and 4th play-off at NCC
FINAL at UWI SPEC
Men’s Under 19 50-over in St Vincent
Tuesday 4 July
Windward Islands v Leeward Islands at Arnos Vale
Trinidad and Tobago v Barbados at Sion Hill
Jamaica v Guyana at Cumberland
Thursday 6 July
Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago at Arnos Vale
Leeward Islands v Guyana at Cumberland
Windward Islands v Barbados at Sion Hill
Saturday 8 July
Guyana v Barbados at Arnos Vale
Windwards v Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Jamaica at Sion Hill
Monday 10 July
Leeward Islands v Barbados at Park Hill
Windward Islands vs Jamaica at Sion Hill
Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana at Arnos Vale
Wednesday 12 July
Windward Islands v Guyana at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Trinidad and Tobago at Sion Hill
Barbados v Jamaica at Arnos Vale
Men’s Under 19 three-day in St Vincent
15-17 July
Windward Islands v Leeward Islands at Arnos Vale
Barbados v Guyana at Park Hill
Jamaica v Trinidad and Tobago at Sion Hill
20-22 July
Barbados v Trinidad and Tobago at Park Hill
Leeward Islands v Jamaica at Cumberland
Windward Islands v Guyana at Arnos Vale
25-27 July
Trinidad and Tobago v Guyana at Sion Hill
Windward Islands v Jamaica at Arnos Vale
Leeward Islands v Barbados at Park Hill
30 July to 1 August
FINAL at Arnos Vale
3rd and 4th play-off at Park Hill
5th and 6th play-off at Cumberland
Australia have been warned to expect a Headingley backlash as they attempt to complete an Ashes series victory in the wake of their controversial second Test win over England.
The old foes reconvene in Leeds on Thursday with the fall-out from Sunday’s dramatic success at Lord’s, which was due in part to Jonny Bairstow’s disputed second innings dismissal, still ongoing.
Chris Millard, managing director of the England supporters group the Barmy Army – which received no allocation at headquarters but will be in full voice at Headingley – is convinced the tourists will feel the full force of a home crowd still furious with the way in which they edged into a 2-0 lead.
Millard told the PA news agency: “The Headingley crowd is usually a louder, noisier crowd, to put it one way.
“There are still going to be quite a few upset people, I think, at Headingley and it will be a very lively atmosphere, and that potentially could play quite a pivotal part in the result, and I’m hoping that’s an English benefit.
“It’s a really strong ground for England. I was there, Ben Stokes, 2019 – that was one of the greatest days in my time of being with the Barmy Army, one of the greatest days I’ve ever had watching England cricket.
“You just get that real sense of togetherness at Headingley and community and they will get behind the team. It’s a very proud cricketing county, is Yorkshire. It’s gone through a lot of jeopardy recently and it needs a bit of positive energy going there.
“Hopefully the England team will provide a spectacular win and make it 2-1.”
Yorkshire’s Bairstow, batting at number seven as England chased an unlikely 371 for victory, was stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey for 10 after leaving his crease at the end of the 52nd over believing the ball was dead.
The Australians’ appeals were rewarded amid anger on and off the pitch and skipper Pat Cummins opted not to recall the Englishman, whose side were reduced to 193 for six as a result.
Inspired skipper Ben Stokes then unleashed an all-out assault on his way to a remarkable 155, but was unable to prevent England from slipping to a 43-run defeat, although even his heroics were not the main talking point afterwards.
Millard said: “If you look at the rules of cricket, in the book it is out and there’s no questioning that, really. But what you can question is the spirit of cricket and the core values and competencies of cricket as a game is established on.
“Unfortunately, I think the spirit of cricket has to be questioned now, what that actually means and will we use the term, ‘It’s just not cricket’ ever again?
“The way the game is played is ultimate competition, but there’s always that element of conduct and the spirit of cricket that usually gets to the fairest and the right result.”
Defeat in the second Test extended England’s miserable Ashes record at Lord’s to seven wins in 38 matches.
Ben Stokes’ staggering 155 was not enough to avoid a 43-run defeat which stretched England’s winless run against their arch-rivals at the Home of Cricket to a decade.
Here, the PA news agency takes a statistical look at Australia’s visits to Lord’s.
No home comforts
The Lord’s hospitality may be world famous – Sunday’s unsavoury confrontations in the Long Room notwithstanding – but unfortunately for England, their visitors from the other side of the world have too often made themselves at home.
Sunday saw the conclusion of Australia’s 16th win at Lord’s, drawing 15 Tests along the way to leave England winning just 18 per cent of their meetings.
England’s back-to-back wins in 2009, in a game set up by Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alastair Cook’s opening stand of 196 and clinched by Andrew Flintoff’s five for 92, and 2013 when Joe Root made 180 and Graeme Swann took nine wickets in the match are their only successes in 23 attempts since winning in 1934.
In fact, England won more Ashes Tests at Lord’s prior to 1900 – four out of seven, having only played the first in 1884 – than their three in the 123 years since.
The ground witnessed only that solitary 1934 home win in the whole of the 20th century, when Hedley Verity took 15 wickets to condemn the great Sir Donald Bradman’s side to an innings defeat.
Australia have won on seven of their last 11 visits since a run of draws in the 1970s and early 1980s, and all by comfortable margins.
Sunday’s was easily the closest by runs, with Australia victorious by 239 in 2005 and 405 in 2015 as well as chasing targets with four, six and eight wickets to spare and completing a thumping innings win in 1993 after declaring on 632 for four.
Smith closing on the Don
Bradman is the leading run-scorer in Ashes Tests at Lord’s, closely followed by Steve Smith after his first-innings century this time around.
Bradman scored 551 runs in eight innings, including scores of 254, 102 not out and 89. Smith’s record is very similar, with 215 in 2015, 110 across Wednesday and Thursday and 92 in 2019, adding an extra half-century with 58 in the same game as his double-century.
He has also had one innings fewer than Bradman, having been forced off by concussion in 2019 as Marnus Labuschagne took his place.
Allan Border scored 503 runs in nine Lord’s innings, meaning only Australian batters have reached 500 in Ashes Tests there. David Gower, with 467, is the only Englishman in the top six, with Stokes’ efforts over the weekend lifting him to 387.
Among those to have played at least twice, ex-Australia captain Steve Waugh’s 115.50 is the highest average. Waugh scored 231 runs in five innings with only two dismissals.
Compatriots David Boon, Warren Bardsley and Border also averaged over 100 at Lord’s, with Percy Chapman (91.00) the only Englishman in the top 10, even if excluding Australia pace bowler Dennis Lillee, who scored 115 in three innings with no dismissals and therefore no average.
Glenn McGrath edges Verity as the leading wicket-taker, 26 to 21, with both men averaging just over 11 in those games. England’s Fred Trueman and Australia pair Charlie Turner and Shane Warne took 19 apiece.
Johnny Briggs boasts the best average, taking 15 Australian wickets at 7.26 in Lord’s Tests.
Bob Massie, with 16 at 8.56, is the leading Australian, with Englishman George Ulyett (eight at 10.12) also below Verity and McGrath’s averages among those with at least five Ashes wickets at HQ.
Yorkshire are on security alert for this week’s Ashes Test at Headingley after the angry scenes which greeted Australia’s players at Lord’s on Sunday.
Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow was greeted with a sustained barrage of boos and heckles from the 32,000 capacity crowd, with the touring team then experiencing an unusually confrontational reception from MCC members in the Long Room.
Australia captain Pat Cummins claimed the reaction was “abusive and aggressive”, while batter Usman Khawaja, who was seen in an angry exchange as he passed through, called it “pretty disrespectful”. Three individuals later had their memberships suspended pending an investigation, while MCC issued an apology.
Ben Stokes welcomed the amplified vocal display from those in the stands at Lord’s, typically one of the quieter cricket venues, and predicted it would be “ramped up” in Leeds, where the Western Terrace is renowned as one of the liveliest stands in the country.
There is nothing comparable to the Lord’s Long Room at Headingley, but Yorkshire are taking the matter of security seriously as Australia prepare for what is likely to be a partisan and hostile welcome on Thursday.
There is also the potential issue of Just Stop Oil protesters, following two pitch invaders brandishing yellow paint powder on the first day at Lord’s. One man was carried off the pitch by Bairstow, while the other was blocked by Stokes and David Warner before being apprehended.
“The well-being of players, officials and spectators is paramount, and we are implementing appropriate measures to do everything within our control to keep everyone safe,” a spokesperson for the county told the PA news agency.
“Clearly, some incidents at Lord’s have heightened the interest and exposure of the third Test. We will continue to work closely with both the England and Wales Cricket Board and West Yorkshire Police to ensure our safety measures are proportionate for this fixture.
“The Ashes is a truly special occasion, and we want everybody visiting Headingley to have an incredible time watching first-class cricket at our iconic venue.”
Carey’s opportunistic stumping of Bairstow, who is a beloved local favourite in Yorkshire, is likely to make him a prime target for barracking over the next week.
Cummins said he would be keeping an eye on the 31-year-old gloveman, who was memorably told by Stuart Broad that his actions at Lord’s would be all he was ever remembered for, but hinted that the vitriol would help forge a siege mentality in the away dressing room.
“For sure, he’s one of the guys we’ll get around. We’ll look after him,” said Cummins.
“There’s nothing like loud crowds to bring a team together. These kind of moments can really strengthen a side. It seems every Ashes has some drama to it, things get stoked up halfway through a series. I don’t think anything will change for us, we’re still amicable.”
It is understood Cricket Australia will discuss security arrangements for the match during previously scheduled meetings ahead of the game.
England’s hopes of regaining the Women’s Ashes are on a knife edge but Sarah Glenn insisted there is no mental block on them despite Australia continuing their stranglehold in this series.
In both the lone Test at Trent Bridge and the first of three T20s at Edgbaston, England had their moments but it was all-conquering Australia who prevailed in both to establish a 6-0 lead on points.
There is now no more margin for error if England are to win this multi-format series for the first time since 2013/14 – with two T20s and three ODIs still to play against the double world champions.
Heather Knight’s side have not defeated Australia in any format since February 2020 but leg-spinner Glenn is keeping the faith and asserted there is no psychological hurdle for England to clear.
Glenn told the PA news agency: “I feel like we already believe we can beat them. If you look at the T20 the other night, it was so close so I don’t think if we win we’ll go ‘oh wait, we can beat them’.
“We know we can beat them, we’ve got the potential to but we also know they are a top-class side and they’ve been winning for a long time. When you have that momentum, it can be very hard to break.
“The momentum shift can work in crazy ways so we’re still really hopeful. But a win or loss doesn’t define us. It’s about how we play our cricket.
“We were naturally disappointed and coming so close you do have that frustrating ‘what if’ feeling. But it’s still quite a positive camp and we’re just taking it day-by-day and enjoying the journey.”
The message from Knight and head coach Jon Lewis has been to entertain and inspire this summer and was repeated by Glenn, whose two wickets threatened an unlikely England comeback in Birmingham on Saturday.
Australia were cruising on 130 for two in pursuit of 154 but Glenn snared Ashleigh Gardner and the dangerous Grace Harris with her last two deliveries before the match built towards a grandstand finish.
Australia were always in pole position but it was not until the penultimate ball that Georgia Wareham punched spinner Sophie Ecclestone into the covers and scampered a nervy single to get them home.
Glenn added: “The battle is part of the fun. When it doesn’t go your way, it might be a bit less fun but you’ve just got to stick to your guns and not go into your shell.
“Me and Sophie thrive off that, trying to be really positive and take wickets.
“We really put up a fight as well, there were lots of little battles that were so close to going our way. We’re getting that feeling of ‘that was so close’ much more often. The gap is definitely closing.”
The second and third T20s will take place at the Kia Oval and Lord’s respectively and it is hoped there will be a high turnout as there was at Edgbaston – where a lively 19,527 crowd was in attendance.
It came at the end of a bruising week for the sport, with the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket finding racism, sexism, classism and elitism is entrenched in cricket in England and Wales.
But Glenn can sense the changing attitudes towards women’s cricket as she and her England team-mates spoke to the supporters after Saturday’s T20, signing pictures and taking pictures with them.
She added: “It was so nice to see everyone after and a lot of the discussions were just about how inspired they were. It’s amazing to see the support.
“Those little conversations make the world of difference. I remember when I was younger and I was the one with a hat to be signed, and the odd conversation I had with a cricketer really sticks with you.”
Former England captain Sir Geoffrey Boycott has called on Australia to issue “a full public apology” for the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s.
Bairstow was dismissed in bizarre circumstances as the tourists won the second Test during a tense final day, with Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey throwing down the stumps after the batter ducked the final ball of the over and set off to talk to partner Ben Stokes.
The wicket was upheld by TV umpire Marais Erasmus, who judged that the ball was not dead, but Bairstow clearly felt the over had been completed once he made his mark behind the crease-line.
The incident drew a furious reaction from the fans in attendance, who booed and jeered for the remainder of the day, while there were even angry exchanges as Australia passed through the Long Room.
England skipper Stokes suggested he would have reversed the appeal and one of his best known predecessors, Boycott, backed him up in typically forthright fashion.
“Australia need to have a think about what they did and make a full public apology,” he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
“That way it will redress the situation and everyone can move on. These teams have played brilliant cricket in great spirit and it is a shame when something like that happens to spoil it all.
“Australia have now had time to think about what happened. We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment. People will think better of the Australians if they put their hands up and say “we got it wrong”. That is the way to go. Let’s see over the next few days if they are man enough to do that.
“If you want to win at all costs then cricket should not be for you. We want people to play hard and fair but surely there are standards to uphold? When batsmen are not trying to take an advantage then you should not follow the letter of the law. Apply some common sense.”
Justin Langer, the former head coach who took charge of Australia’s last two Ashes campaigns, lined up on the opposite side of the debate.
He praised Carey for being alert to the opportunity and suggested Bairstow was guilty of leaving himself vulnerable.
“Alex Carey has been criticised, unfairly in my opinion. His wicketkeeping has been supreme and he is also a man of impeccable character,” Langer told the Telegraph.
“Bairstow’s dreaming should not come back on Carey. Not for a moment. Quick thinking under pressure was the antithesis to Bairstow’s lack of awareness. In my opinion, there is no way Australia were looking to breach the spirit of the game. They have learned from past experience that there are no winners in this.
“In this case perhaps the spirit of the game has been breached by the same people who are throwing stones and reacting without any recourse.”
Not everyone’s opinion on the subject tallied directly with their nationality, with former Australia international Brad Hogg unimpressed by the incident.
The 52-year-old, who played seven Tests and 138 limited-overs internationals for Australia, told talkSPORT: “I was disappointed from the start, I thought they should have called Bairstow back.
“He wasn’t taking any advantage. At the end of the day it’s not a good spectacle for Test cricket.
“England, for me, were hard done by. You don’t want to win a Test match by taking cheap wickets like that. It’s not the same as a stumping, not the same as running someone out batting out of their crease. He was in his crease (when facing).
“He did the same act a number of times at the end of the over beforehand, Australia should have warned him if they were going to do this.”
Ben Stokes stepped up as England’s leader as they came up just short in pursuit of 371 in a thrilling second Ashes Test.
England’s captain threatened another trademark miracle to rival his efforts in both the World Cup final and the Headingley Ashes Test in the unforgettable summer of 2019, but on this occasion his 155 was not quite enough to get his side out of jail.
Here, the PA news agency looks at Stokes’ batting and bowling record since his appointment as captain.
Captain fantastic
Since taking on the captaincy full-time in June of last year, Stokes has been the figurehead for England’s new aggressive approach and his statistics reflect the shift in tone.
Most noticeable is his strike rate, up from 57.4 runs per hundred balls across 79 Tests prior to his appointment to a fraction over 70 in the 15 games since he took charge.
That has helped him average 39.40, compared to 35.89 before last June, scoring 867 runs in 24 innings with two hundreds and two fifties.
He ranks fifth among England run-scorers in that time with his and coach Brendon McCullum’s influence on the team even more pronounced – Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett all have ‘Bazball’ strike rates north of 90, with Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Zak Crawley also in the 70s and ahead of Stokes.
That is even more pronounced in the current series, with the new approach experiencing its first questions amid a flurry of rash dismissals – particularly in the first innings at Lord’s as Duckett, Pope and Root all perished on the hook before Stokes demonstrated a willingness to duck the short ball.
Only bowlers James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson have a lower strike rate in the series than Stokes’ still brisk 62.42 – even Josh Tongue has scored his 20 runs at 66.67. Stokes is England’s leading run-scorer with 216, four ahead of Duckett, while his average of 54 trails only Root’s 64.
Stokes’ bowling has taken something of a back seat as captain as he seemingly saves himself for the key moments, partly due to a lingering knee injury.
He has bowled in only 20 of 29 opposition innings, compared to 126 of 150 previously. That brings him down from 1.6 bowling innings per match to 1.3 and he averages 10.1 overs per innings compared to 13.3 previously.
His average and strike rate have both improved slightly to 31.69 and a wicket every 53 balls respectively, though he is yet to add to his four five-wicket hauls. His economy is marginally worse than before at 3.58 runs per over.
Six-shooter
Stokes leads England’s new era in six-hitting, with nine in his blistering Lord’s innings taking him ahead of Brook to 28 in 24 innings.
He recently claimed the overall Test record, moving ahead of none other than McCullum’s 107 with two in February’s Test against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui before stretching his total to 118 with Sunday’s efforts.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist is the only other man to hit 100 Test maximums and of the trio, Stokes has the highest ratio of sixes compared to fours – 14.4 per cent of his Test boundaries have cleared the ropes, compared to 12.1 and 12.9 per cent for McCullum and Gilchrist respectively.
The next two men short of 100 – Chris Gayle with 98 sixes and Jacques Kallis with 97 – each hit well over 1,000 fours, with 8.6 per cent of Gayle’s boundaries being sixes and only 6.1 per cent for Kallis.
Stokes hits a six every 85 balls on average in Tests, behind only Gilchrist’s 68 balls among that leading group.
Former Australia international Brad Hogg has branded Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping at Lord’s a “cheap” move and insisted England were “hard done by”.
Bairstow was dismissed in bizarre circumstances on a tense final day in the second Test, with Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey throwing down the stumps after the batter ducked the final ball of the over and set off to talk to partner Ben Stokes.
The wicket was upheld by TV umpire Marais Erasmus, who judged that the ball was not dead, but Bairstow clearly felt the over had been completed.
England captain Stokes said he would have withdrawn the appeal and suggested it was not in line with the spirit of cricket, and he found an unexpected ally in Hogg.
The 52-year-old, who played seven Tests and 138 limited-overs internationals for Australia, told talkSPORT: “I was disappointed from the start, I thought they should have called Bairstow back.
“He wasn’t taking any advantage. At the end of the day it’s not a good spectacle for Test cricket.
“England, for me, were hard done by. You don’t want to win a Test match by taking cheap wickets like that. It’s not the same as a stumping, not the same as running someone out batting out of their crease. He was in his crease (when facing).
“He did the same act a number of times at the end of the over beforehand, Australia should have warned him if they were going to do this.”
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series.
Lyon suffered a “significant calf tear” while fielding on day two of the second Test at Lord’s, which his side won in thrilling fashion to open up a 2-0 series lead.
Australia just need to avoid defeat in the third Test at Headingley this week to retain the urn, but must now do it without their 496-wicket spinner.
Eager for runs to add to England’s second-innings chase, Australia sent a stricken Lyon out to bat late on Saturday afternoon, with images of the 35-year-old limping out to the middle sure to go down in Ashes folklore.
As it happened, the 15-run partnership he put together with Mitchell Starc were not needed as Australia won the Test by 43 runs, but the memories of Lyon’s bravery will endure.
Todd Murphy is Australia’s spinning replacement for Lyon, with the 22-year-old working closely with Lyon behind the scenes in readiness for this moment.
“His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India in arguably the hardest place to bowl spin,” Lyon told Cricket Australia’s official website.
“It will be a different challenge with the England batters. If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. But a chance to leave his footmarks here in England. It is a big Ashes series, he is excited by the opportunity.
“I sat with Todd in the last session there (on day four) and spoke about spin bowling as we do. I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way,” Lyon said.
“I have told him my phone is always on, it doesn’t matter if I am sitting in the changeroom with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed.”
Australian newspapers reacted strongly – and rather differently to their English counterparts – after a dramatic final day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
While several English papers declared the events surrounded Alex Carey’s stumping of Jonny Bairstow as “just not cricket”, there was a rather different view from across the cricketing world.
MCC members came in for a fair amount of stick after the Long Room confrontation between a group of them and Australian players with the Sydney Morning Herald saying “the final day of the second Ashes Test descended into chaos”.
Andrew Webster wrote: “The first rule of MCC Fight Club is know the rules of cricket.
“I would have thought membership to the most famous club in cricket meant you understood the laws of the game.”
It was a theme continued in The Australia with Gideon Haigh suggesting “puce-faced MCC snobs should learn their own rules”.
Referring to the confrontation with opener Usman Khawaja at the lunch interval, he wrote: “What could be a worse look in the week of the Equity in Cricket report than dim-bulb snobs picking fights with a placid, softly-spoken Muslim player? Chaps, pull yourselves together.”
The paper did find time to concentrate on the cricket, former England captain Mike Atherton saying the one job Ben Stokes cannot manage is to “mask his team’s failings”.
He asked: “Has there ever been an England player whose competitive instincts have shone as brightly as they do from Ben Stokes?”
The Canberra Times said the stumping incident “exposes cricket’s ugliest debate” between spirit and rules.
But there were dissenting voices among the Australia press, the Daily Telegraph saying that “Australia forever taints famous Ashes win”.
Phil Rothfield wrote: “The greatest moments in Australian sport are often not about winning, but great acts of sportsmanship. This Ashes win will be remembered, but not for the right reasons.”
More heroics from Ben Stokes were not quite enough to help England pull off a miraculous chase at Lord’s after Australia clinched the second Ashes Test by 43 runs to move 2-0 up in the series.
Stokes blitzed 155 to propel the hosts into a position of strength after Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal but top-edged Josh Hazlewood when England were 70 runs short of a record-breaking 371 target.
It left too many runs for England’s tailenders and Mitchell Starc wrapped up victory for Australia when he sent Josh Tongue’s leg stump cartwheeling away during an extended afternoon session.
There will not be much time to reflect on another adrenaline-fueled Ashes Test, with the third match of the series set to start on Thursday at Headingley.
View from the dressing roomSuperhuman Stokes
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Pumped up after Bairstow’s wicket, Stokes switched into six-hitting mode instantly. Cameron Green felt the full force of his destruction with one over going for 24 after three maximums brought up a sensational century.
Stokes went from 62 off 126 balls to a 13th Test hundred 16 deliveries later. Before and after lunch he picked his moments with a succession of pulls for six followed by singles repeatedly turned down with Australia’s field spread trying to protect the boundary rope.
Talk of Headingley rumbled on at the home of cricket but Stokes’ superman effort could not get England over the line with a top-edge against Hazlewood presenting Alex Carey with a simple catch – a far less controversial involvement for the Aussie gloveman.
No keepers union here…
England pursuit of 371 took a drastic twist at the end of a 52nd over which proved match-defining. After Bairstow had ducked under Green’s bouncer, he went to meet Stokes in the middle of the wicket but turned around in horror to see Carey’s throw from behind the stumps had dislodged the bails.
Bairstow had been under the impression that the ball was dead only for Carey to have other ideas and after some deliberation between the two umpires and both teams, TV umpire Marais Erasmus had to decide if Bairstow was in or out of his crease.
Television replays showed Bairstow was clearly out of his crease and he was subsequently given out stumped for 10, which sparked boos from a suddenly partisan Lord’s crowd. Tensions spilled over at lunch when MCC members clashed with Australian duo David Warner and Usman Khawaja in the Long Room and three members were subsequently suspended following allegations of “abusive and aggressive” behaviour.
Broad makes his point
Stuart Broad walked out after Bairstow’s dismissal ready for a fight and immediately told Carey he would be “forever remembered” for the stumping. Words followed with Marnus Labuschagne and the pair repeatedly sparred during Broad’s brave 125-minute spell at the crease.
On numerous occasions at the end of an over, Broad would ask Carey and the other Australian fielders in close proximity if he was OK to walk to speak with captain Stokes in the middle of the crease.
Broad also played his part in a 108-run partnership with Stokes, contributing 11 but more significantly wearing a number of bouncers, having taken a nasty blow to the jaw in the first innings. His gutsy batting displays, coupled with his five wickets for the Test, could help him retain his place at Headingley.
Can Ben follow Don’s lead?
Only once before has a team fought back from two down in an Ashes series to win 3-2. Don Bradman’s Australia team achieved the feat on home soil during the 1936-37 series.
After England won the first two Tests emphatically, Bradman almost single-handedly refused to give up on the urn and scores of 270, 212 and 169 inspired the most remarkable of turnarounds with three successive victories.
If anyone can repeat the trick, it is Stokes.
Attention turns to Leeds
England announced their squad for the Headingley Test minutes after defeat was confirmed and Rehan Ahmed and Matthew Potts have been left out of the 15-man squad.
Changes are expected, with James Anderson set to drop out after struggling during the first two matches and Mark Wood should be ready after building up his workload during the past week.
Moeen Ali is also fit again after the burst blister on his right index finger at Edgbaston and it leaves Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum with a decision to make. Vice-captain Ollie Pope must be assessed after he injured his right shoulder at Lord’s.
England head to Leeds with total clarity. It is win or bust.
Ben Stokes insists England can still pull off an Ashes victory against the odds, after Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal helped Australia take a 2-0 lead at a furious Lord’s.
In an unforgettable fifth day finish at the home of cricket, the tourists were heckled and booed from the field after wrapping up a 43-run success despite Stokes’ best efforts.
He hit a jaw-dropping 155, whipped into a six-hitting frenzy by Bairstow’s bizarre stumping by Alex Carey, but could not take his side all the way.
Carey threw down his fellow wicketkeeper’s stumps after Bairstow ducked a Cameron Green bouncer, tapped his bat behind the crease and began to walk down the pitch to chat with Stokes.
Bairstow felt the over had been completed, which would have rendered the ball dead, but Carey’s intervention was deemed to be within the laws of the game and the wicket stood.
Nearly 32,000 fans in the stands went apoplectic and things even took an angry turn in the usually polite confines of the Long Room, where Usman Khawaja and David Warner exchanged words with jeering members. Marylebone Cricket Club later suspended the membership of three individuals pending an investigation.
Stokes made it clear the manner of the Bairstow wicket left a bitter taste and suggested he may have withdrawn the appeal in similar circumstances.
“The first thing that needs to be said is that it is out. But would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no,” he said.
“If the shoe was on the other foot, I would have a deep think about the whole spirit of the game. If I was fielding captain at the time I would have put a lot more pressure on the umpires to ask them what their decision was around the (end of the) over.
“Jonny was in his crease, then left his crease to come out and have the conversation between overs like every batsman does. For Australia it was the matchwinning moment.”
With Australia also coming out on top in a tense finish in the series opener at Edgbaston, Stokes’ side now face the prospect of becoming the first England team since 2001 to lose a home Ashes.
To win the urn back they need to win at Headingley when battle resumes on Thursday and then do the same at Old Trafford and The Oval.
“All we’re thinking about is winning the series 3-2,” he said.
“We have to win these three games to get this urn back and we’re a team who are obviously willing to put ourselves out there and do things against the narrative.
“So, these next three games are an even better opportunity for us than we have ever found ourselves in before.”
Anticipating an even more feverish atmosphere in Leeds next week, Stokes added: “I definitely think it’s going to be ramped up.
“When we go to Australia we get lambasted as well – 90,000 Australians at the MCG cursing at you. That’s part of the sport we play, you get thousands of people who want their team to win and they’ll just jump on something.”
Australia captain Pat Cummins was visibly taken aback by the vitriolic reaction he experienced but made no apologies for the Bairstow wicket.
“It’s in the laws, totally fair play. That’s how I saw it,” he said.
“You see Jonny do it all the time, he did it day one to (David) Warner and in 2019 to Steve (Smith). It’s what keepers do if you see an opportunity. All credit to Carey, he rolled it at the stumps, Jonny left his crease and you leave the rest to the umpires.”
Three MCC members have been suspended after Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed his team experienced “aggressive and abusive” behaviour in the Long Room on the last day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.
A flashpoint occurred on the eve of lunch on day five when Jonny Bairstow was dismissed in controversial fashion, after Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey threw the ball at the stumps at the conclusion of Cameron Green’s over.
Bairstow had already left his crease to speak with Ben Stokes, under the impression it was a dead ball with the over finished, but was given out and it saw the Lord’s crowd respond with hostility towards the tourists.
Boos greeted the Australians when they left the pitch at lunch and television cameras picked up an exchange in the Long Room between MCC members and both Usman Khawaja and David Warner with security forced to step in.
“Further to the earlier statement, MCC can confirm it has suspended three Members identified from earlier today,” an MCC statement read.
“They will not be permitted back to Lord’s whilst the investigation takes place and were informed of this by MCC Chief Executive, Guy Lavender, this evening.
“We maintain that the behaviour of a small number of Members was completely unacceptable and whilst there was no suggestion by Pat Cummins in the post-match press conference that there was any physical altercation, it remains wholly unacceptable to behave in such a way, which goes against the values of the club.
“MCC condemns the behaviour witnessed and once again we re-iterate our apology to Cricket Australia.
“We are thoroughly disappointed to be talking about poor behaviour when the Long Room, as stated by Pat Cummins himself, is otherwise renowned for being “really welcoming”. It has been a thrilling day to finish off a wonderful five days of Test cricket.”
Despite the unsavoury incident ahead of lunch on the final day, Cummins does not want the tradition of walking past the members to end.
“The crowd certainly made themselves known, in the Long Room and also out there,” Cummins reflected after Australia won by 43 runs to move 2-0 up in the series.
“I think they were just quite aggressive and abusive towards some of our players, which I know the MCC were not too happy with.
“Other than that one time, they were fantastic all week. The members here are normally fantastic, really welcoming.
“Something special about playing at Lord’s is you feel like you are at a really special place surrounded by people who have a love for the game. I quite like the tradition.
“I don’t think it hurts any more than normal. I think just standards that are held by the members are maybe a bit different to what you expect from certain members of the crowd at Edgbaston.
“To quote Smithy (Steve Smith), it felt like a normal day.”
Cummins did not see the alleged physical contract which a Cricket Australia spokesperson referenced.
“Australian management has requested the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) investigate several incidents involving spectators in the members’ area during lunch on day five of the Lord’s Test,” the spokesperson said.
“It is alleged players and staff from the Australian team were verbally abused, with some being physically contacted, as they made their way to lunch through the members’ area.”
England captain Stokes was not asked specifically about the exchange in the Long Room, but did enjoy hearing the Lord’s crowd, known as one of the most politest sporting venues in the world, boo the tourists’ for most of day five.
He admitted: “It was pretty mad, wasn’t it? It wasn’t until I got out and went on the balcony to watch the remaining half-an-hour, I thought I had never heard Lord’s like this.
“At the back end of the Test match it reminded me of the World Cup final in 2019.
“It was good to see Lord’s, a ground that has not got a reputation for atmosphere or noise, like that. Today was one of the days where Lord’s showed up.”
England captain Ben Stokes took the moral high ground over Jonny Bairstow’s controversial dismissal by Australia at Lord’s, insisting he would not want to win a Test in such divisive fashion.
The tourists took a 2-0 Ashes lead as they wrapped up a 43-run victory in the second Test at the home of cricket, but a gripping five-day contest seems destined to be remembered for the flashpoint – as well as Stokes’ magnificent century in response.
Alex Carey’s opportunistic stumping of Bairstow was the pivot point, with the wicketkeeper throwing down the stumps as England’s number seven wandered out of his crease in the belief that Cameron Green’s over was complete.
The letter of the law meant Bairstow had to go as the ball was not officially considered dead, but a capacity Lord’s crowd reacted in outrage to what they saw as an underhand tactic. Deafening boos and endless refrains of “same old Aussies, always cheating” dominated for the rest of the day as Stokes blazed a defiant 155.
The 32-year-old’s brilliant best was not enough as he fell short of completing a 371-run chase that may have trumped his Headingley heroics in 2019 and he could not hide his disappointment at the nature of the Bairstow stumping.
“The first thing that needs to be said is that it is out. But would I want to win a game in that manner? The answer for me is no,” he said.
“Jonny was in his crease, then left his crease to come out and have the conversation between overs like every batsman does.
“For Australia it was the matchwinning moment. If I was fielding captain at the time I would have put a lot more pressure on the umpires to ask them what their decision was around the (end of the) over. Then I would have had a real deep think about the spirit of the game.”
Asked if his approach would change for the rest of the series now that Australia had set the bar, Stokes said: “Would I do that back to them? No, I’m not looking to do something like that because they did it.”
Pat Cummins, long known for his sunny disposition and mild manner, appeared taken aback by the sustained jeers from the stands. More loud boos followed the final wicket of the match, drowning out the cheers of the touring group in green and gold, and Australia captain Cummins was barracked at the post-match presentation.
However, he made no apologies for upholding the appeal against Bairstow and said the England keeper had been looking for similar opportunities throughout the match.
“It’s in the laws, totally fair play. That’s how I saw it,” he said.
“You see Jonny do it all the time, he did it day one to (David) Warner and in 2019 to Steve (Smith). It’s what keepers do if you see an opportunity. All credit to Carey, he rolled it at the stumps, Jonny left his crease and you leave the rest to the umpires.”
Stokes did his best to block out the external noise while he was batting – a remarkable knock of controlled aggression, tactical strike rotation and brute force – but was taken aback by the unprecedented reaction at a ground known for its laidback ‘Lord’s hum’.
He expects more of the same at Headingley next week and expects the volume to be cranked up.
“I definitely think it’s going to be ramped up,” he said.
“When we go to Australia we get lambasted as well – 90,000 Australians at the MCG cursing at you. That’s part of the sport we play, you get thousands of people who want their team to win and they’ll just jump on something.
“I could see it was ramping up and getting a bit vocal, but it wasn’t until I got out and went out on the balcony to watch the remaining half hour…I was just like “I’ve never heard Lord’s like this”. It reminded me of the World Cup final in 2019.
“It was nice to see Lord’s (like that), a ground that’s not got a reputation for the atmosphere and noise. Today was one of the days where Lord’s showed up.”
England now need to show up themselves. After successive defeats to start the series they need to a hat-trick of wins at Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval to reclaim the urn.
“We’ve won 3-0 against New Zealand and we won 3-0 against Pakistan, in Pakistan,” was Stokes’ defiant message as he looked back on past glories from his year as captain.
“We’ve won three games in a row twice. All we’re thinking about is winning the series 3-2. We have to win these three games to get this urn back and we’re a team who are obviously willing to put ourselves out there and do things against the narrative. So, these next three games are an even better opportunity for us than we have ever found ourselves in before.”
England named a 15-man squad for Thursday’s third Test, with back-up leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed dropping out alongside seamer Matthew Potts. Moeen Ali (index finger) and Mark Wood – overlooked this week due to fitness concerns – retained their places, as did vice-captain Ollie Pope, who injured his right shoulder while fielding.
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