Key events
15th over: West Indies 39-2 (Louis 19, Athanaze 6) Bashir approaches the crease with lively feet and a lofty arm. Athanaze retreats to lift the ball to the covers with a push and secures a single. Mikyle Louis is now on strike. He’s enjoyed a decent series but is yet to deliver a standout performance. Bashir finds some turn but the ball drifts down the leg side, eluding Jamie Smith behind the stumps; the first boundary of the day arrives via byes.
To the familiar strains of Jerusalem – here is the TMS overseas link
https://m.youtube.com/live/dtcDCZKUx1A?cbrd=1
Thanks to Simon Dennis for that.
The players are coming out. Edgbaston is bathed in bright sunlight. We’re set to see spin from the start, so I better be prepared. Shoaib Bashir was racing through his overs last night, seemingly uninterested in the OBO scribe’s plight. Let’s play!
Bending over to load the dishwasher feels about twice as much effort, I think…
Fast bowling exerts about 8 times your body weight through the front leg with every delivery.
Watching Mark Wood is especially fascinating when observing the effort he puts into each delivery…#bbccricket pic.twitter.com/6tE0pKjj5q
— Henry Moeran (@henrymoeranBBC) July 28, 2024
Returning to the cricket – check out our colleague Ali Martin’s report from Day two, which is definitely worth a look before the action gets underway in just over five minutes.
Big Boss Steve McMillan is our Olympics Editor, and I couldn’t help but chuckle into my Kenco while reading his diary from a week in Paris.
Emmanuel and Brigitte take a stroll. I attempt to catch a glimpse for some pearls of wisdom but their bodyguards fob me off. My colleague Nick Ames slips by and extends his hand: “Bonjour monsieur, le président!” Our eyes meet, hands are shaken, and Macron utters the unforgettable, “The Guardian? Thank you for being here.” Nick gets the scoop, while I’m left empty-handed. Such is the difference between an intrepid war-zone reporter and my packed lunch at a desk.
While you may not divert your attention from the OBO for even a moment, the Olympics are in full swing, and rest assured, The Guardian has you covered – continue tracking the Olympics blog right here:
I caught the swimming events last night after devouring a massive Spaghetti Bolognese. Adam Peaty’s water-splattered, imposing figure is a true emblem of athletic prowess. I took one last dip of garlic bread into the sauce, vowing to do some push-ups today…
Joe Root truly is a great of the game. Watching him play yesterday was an absolute pleasure. If I were Sachin Tendulkar (and I must emphasize that I am not), I suspect I’d be feeling a bit anxious glancing over my shoulder.
At Trent Bridge, Root forged a match-defining partnership with Brook to guide England through a turbulent phase. Here, he replicated that success alongside Stokes, gradually easing the pressure on his team while shifting it onto the opposition, facilitating the conditions that would later allow Smith and Chris Woakes to place the home side in an absolute command position, making the improbable achievable.
On that note, Sachin Tendulkar, the all-time greatest, is 3,960 runs away. On days like this, it feels like just a matter of time.”
Preamble
James Wallace
Good morning! Welcome to the OBO for day three at Edgbaston. Is this going to be the conclusive day of the series? Let’s hope not, let’s hope not.
After sending England to 54-5 yesterday morning, West Indies might have been considering a first innings lead they could extend in their second innings and set up a daunting chase for England.
Enter Jamie Smith. The wicketkeeper batsman illustrated precisely why Stokes and McCullum opted for him over Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes. He embraced the precarious situation, handling Jason Holder’s welcoming deliveries with confidence.
Batting alongside the formidable Joe Root, the 24-year-old from Epsom demonstrated a remarkably composed innings. As the afternoon progressed, Smith crafted England into a position of safety and then dominance. He deserved a first Test century but was thwarted by a slower ball from Shamar Joseph on 95. Even his calm reaction to missing that personal milestone was commendable:
If someone had said to me at the start of the day: ‘You’ll get 95,’ I would have definitely accepted it… I’ll likely feel a bit disappointed in a few days for missing the milestone, but it’s wonderful to perform well for the team. Setting that precedent early in your career is crucial; it shows that you’re prepared to be positive and not intimidated by the opposition.”
England managed to claim two wickets by stumps, leaving West Indies trailing by 61 runs with eight wickets still in hand for their second innings. All results are possible at the start of day three – apart from the dreaded draw that haunts Ben Stokes’s dreams, of course.
Feel free to drop a message if you’re tuning in; play will commence in a little over 30 minutes at 11am BST.
