Big moments in this Ashes not involving Jonny Bairstow have been few and far between and he was in the thick of it again on Friday just when England seemed to have taken full advantage of Australian timidity.
It looked certain England would have a big first innings lead in this final Test when 18-year-old substitute George Ealham summoned up the spirit of Gary Pratt to seemingly run out Steve Smith with a brilliant piece of fielding.
Bairstow had taken off the bails, the umpires had gone ‘upstairs’ for confirmation and Smith was halfway back to the pavilion when replays were shown on the big screen.
Australia, who had retreated almost totally into their shells, looked to have been reduced to 193 for eight, Smith had been ‘dismissed’ for 43 and England were still 90 in front.
Just to add to the English sense of satisfaction none other than Ricky Ponting, victim in 2005 of the most famous sub in Ashes history, was in the Sky commentary seat.
Steve Smith made a vital 71 on day two of the final Ashes Test as Australia took a narrow lead
Smith survived a run out scare when Jonny Bairstow took the bails while short of his crease
The former Australia captain had started to walk off after seemingly being dismissed
But despite a brilliant bit of fielding from sub fielder George Ealham (right), Smith was called back by the third umpire and the decision was overturned
But that’s when cricket’s ability to complicate what looks straight-forward kicked in. TV umpire Nitin Menon called for countless replays but, crucially, none from the angle that would have shown Bairstow demolishing the bails with Smith short of his ground.
Instead he made what was surely the wrong decision on imperfect technological evidence that showed the England keeper disturbing but not dislodging the off bail before the throw of Ealham, son of Mark and grandson of Alan, had reached his gloves.
It did not prove disastrous for England because Smith became strangely frenetic and ended up top edging a hoick off Chris Woakes that was calmly taken by who else but Bairstow running back when he had added only 28 more.
But the momentum had swung back in Australia’s favour, England had perhaps taken their eye off the ball and by the close of the second day that significant home advantage had turned into a deficit of 12 when Australia were dismissed for 295.
It had all looked so good up to then for England’s hopes of levelling a series where they have made almost all of the running. Australia resembled not so much the tortoises of the first day but were almost sloth-like in a first session when Ponting accused them on TV of ‘lacking intent.’
So sceptical have Australia been about the merits of England’s ultra-aggressive methods in this series it was almost as if they were trying to prove a point by going so slowly.
Australia made just 54 in the morning session and by the time they reached the stage when England had been dismissed for 283 – 54.4 overs – they were on 130 for four. At tea, when they had crawled along to 186 for seven, they were still 97 behind.
England had been mightily impressive and pro-active in the field, not least when Joe Root pulled off a superb one-handed catch diving to his left off Mark Wood – in truth it should have been Bairstow’s but he did not move – to end Marnus Labuschagne’s tortuous stay at the crease that saw him make just nine off 82 balls.
Stuart Broad produced one of his classic spells to dismiss Usman Khawaja and Travis Head after a period of scoreboard pressure from the hosts
Joe Root took a stunning catch at first slip to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne for nine from 82
Chris Woakes took three wickets in what is turning out an excellent series for him
Even then in this series when there has rarely been a dull moment there was another incident involving the bails. Stuart Broad, England’s mischief maker in chief, made a point of switching them around, poking fun at one of Labuschagne’s foibles of touching the off-bail before each delivery, just before Wood dismissed him.
This was no spirit of cricket moment. No ‘stumping-gate’ about this one. Just ironic that Labuschagne nicked the very next ball after Broad’s intervention to leave the idiosyncratic Australian chuntering away as he walked slowly off both about the light and his misfortune.
Broad had a much more dramatic involvement after lunch to turn this final Test England’s way. First he trapped Usman Khawaja for 47 with the fifth ball after the interval – the Australian opener took his third successive wasted review with him – to claim his 150th Ashes wicket.
Then Broad took his 20th wicket of this series when Travis Head nicked through in his next over as his legs started pumping to conjure up visions of another Test defining spell.
It was not quite that. But there was a much-needed wicket for Broad’s strike partner Jimmy Anderson when Mitchell Marsh, who had smashed Broad for a huge straight six, played on to give England’s record wicket-taker his first scalp for 35.2 overs.
England were on a roll when Joe Root, fulfilling the spinner’s role in the absence of the injured Moeen Ali, teased Alex Carey into hitting him straight to extra cover with a slower and wider delivery immediately after being slog swept for six.
Mitchell Starc pulled Wood to fine leg before the Smith incident and technology’s penchant for confusing decisions rather than simplifying them provided yet another twist in an Ashes full of them.
The unlikely figure of Todd Murphy took advantage of England’s sudden lack of focus to hit three sixes before being trapped lbw by Woakes to end what could be a crucial ninth wicket stand of 49 with Pat Cummins.
Australia’s Todd Murphy hit three sixes off Mark Wood in an excellent 34 from number 10
Australian captain also added an important 36 before he was the last man out following a brilliant catch from Ben Stokes on the boundary
The Australian captain, having a much better game than his nadir at Old Trafford, had been reprieved by technology on 10 after umpire Joel Wilson had taken an eternity to give him lbw.
The last dramatic moment of another eventful day came when Ben Stokes brought back Root just before the close and saw Cummins strike him towards the long on boundary.
There was the England captain to parry the ball to stop it going over the boundary before jumping back inside the rope to complete the catch. Not as good as his famous grab here to launch the 2019 World Cup but not far off.
So England will start their second innings today slightly behind but with this last instalment of a tumultuous Ashes now effectively a one innings contest. And anything could still happen.
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