Key events
On that actual bombshell, I’m going to wrap this blog up. Thanks for your company and all the emails. Please join us again in the morning. The match is still up for grabs but we can predict one thing without fear of contradiction: it’s going to be emotional. Even more emotional.
Stuart Broad continues
Pressure is part of the addiction of Test match cricket. I still feel it now, bowling the first ball of an innings or trying to set the tone for the team. I do love that feeling. You can’t replicate it but you have to find other ways to get that feeling again.
Read more on Stuart Broad’s retirement
Stuart Broad on his career highlights
The 8-15 [against Australia in 2015] was such a special day, particularly at Trent Bridge, but the Johannesburg five-for [in 2016] was the most pumped-up I’ve been on a cricket field. Saturday at the Wanderers, an absolute beast of a ground to play at; it really feels like you’re in Saturday’s backyard. That was pretty cool.
[On the word ‘competitor’] That’s what I based my whole game on. I need my emotions to be right at the top, and that’s part of why Ashes cricket brought out the best in me. The competitiveness is pretty extreme. I know I’ve bowled my best spells when my emotions are flying high and the knees are pumping. The competitive side of the game is something I absolutely love.
[On his debut] It was a pretty long week. I think on Hawkeye, Colombo is the flattest pitch in the world. It taught me everything I needed to know about Test cricket: 45 degrees, roasting hot, flat pitch, we were in the field for two days. I remember I was at mid-off when Jayawardene came in, and his highest scores came up on the big screen: 270, 260, etc, all on this ground. I thought, ‘That’s not good.’ And he got a double-hundred in that game as well.
It was after Christmas, in New Zealand, when Jimmy and I played together that it felt like a chance to make the shirt yours. That’s when I started to settle as a Test cricketer.
Just one more thing. Jimmy saw him off!
Watch Stuart Broad announce his retirement
“I’m 58,” says Peter Gibbs, “and I’m crying.”
I think the surprise has made it so much more emotional. That and the fact he’s been a constant in our lives for more than 15 years. What a champion, and what a character: skilful, whipsmart, ferociously competitive, a brazen wind-up-merchant, an occasionally hilarious straight-talker – and even in the twilight of his career, a self-improvement addict.
The Broad rampage has been one of the most exhilarating, joyous sights in English cricket. And nobody, not even Sir Ian Botham, has been player of the match in three Ashes-winning victories. Broad has: the Oval 2009, Durham 2013, Trent Bridge 2015.
He’s right; he couldn’t end his career against anybody else.
‘I’ll give it a red-hot go over the next couple of days’
I feel like I’m bowling well, and the body feels great. I could have carried on. But it’s the right time.
[The rest of the game] will be awesome – lots of emotions, but they’re all positive emotions. It’s been a wonderful series, and I’m really proud I’ve been available for all five Tests and the Ireland game. I didn’t think in my wildest expectations that would happen. There’s everything to look forward to; I don’t feel like I’ll leave the game with any regrets. I’ll give it, as Pete Moores would say, a red-hot go over the next couple of days.
More from Stuart Broad
No, Ben didn’t [try to talk him out of it]. I hadn’t mentioned it to him beforehand. I wanted to make sure I was clear in my mind, and I wasn’t going in for a negotiation! I told Jimmy and Rooty. I’m the chairperson of our little football game in the morning so I passed over the chair to Ben Duckett with an official Premier League matchball, and added at the end that this would be my last game.
He looks totally at peace. You flippin’ would be, wouldn’t you, after that career.
More from Stuart Broad
I was a bit emotional, and even until last night I wasn’t entirely sure. Once I went to Stokesy’s room and told him I just felt really happy. I’m content with everything I’ve achieved in the game. Ultimately, I knew I wanted to retire while I still loved cricket, and my lasting memories being of a really enjoyable changing-room. I wanted to walk away while playing with a group of players I love to bits.
Stuart Broad explains his retirement
It’s been a wonderful ride, a huge privilege. I’m loving cricket as much as I ever have… I always wanted to finish at the top and this is one of the best I’ve ever played in.
I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of weeks. England v Australia has always been the pinnacle for me. I’ve got a love affair with Ashes cricket and I wanted my last bat and bowl to be in Ashes cricket.
I told Stokesy last night and the changing room this morning. It just felt like the right time.
This a real JFK moment: Stuart Broad, England’s greatest Ashes competitor of the last 35 years, will bowl for the final time in the second innings. I can’t spake, or even tape. It’s been raining on my face, okay.
STUART BROAD ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE RETIREMENT
Oh my word. He’s just announced on Sky Sports that he will retire from all cricket after this game. “I’ve always wanted to finish at the top,” he says. “I made the decision at about 8.30pm last night.”
On Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain nails it
I came down for the last 10 minutes to watch with the crowd. That atmosphere, with Jimmy reverse-sweeping and the crowd singing ‘Oh, Jimmy, Jimmy’… I sat there thinking, I never want this series to end. It’s so much fun.
That was England’s day, and they strong favourites to make it 2-2. Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow made sparkling fifties, and at 332-4 it looked almost impossible for Australia to win the game. They kept chipping away, a theme of the entire series, and have an outside chance of a mighty runchase. The fitness of Moeen Ali will be important, because Todd Murphy got some sharp turn in the evening session.
“I’m sure the English hated him when they played him,” says Dechlan Brennan, “but having listened to him on comms all series, one of my overriding takeaways is how good Australia would be with Ricky Ponting as coach. He seems to have an amazing knack to know exactly where every ball is going and every wicket is coming from.”
I agree. His micro-analysis is phenomenal.
Stumps: England lead by 377
80th over: England 389-9 (Broad 2, Anderson 8) Jimmy Anderson has brought the house down! He hits Murphy for successive boundaries, a reverse sweep followed by a slog sweep, to prompt the lustiest roar of the day.
There’s an equally loud cheer when Anderson has an LBW decision overturned on review. He was hit on the arm after missing a reverse sweep, and replays showed it was bouncing over. Murphy is unhappy, though I’m not sure why.
That’s your lot. A day that started with Broad and Anderson wearing one another’s shirts ends with them walking off together, bats in hand.
79th over: England 380-9 (Broad 1, Anderson 0) There’s a certain poignancy to this passage of play, which beyond the usual end-of-term feeling that pervades the last Test of the series. There are 16 thirtysomethings playing in this game, so many of them will not bat or bowl again in an Ashes Test. Some of them won’t bat or bowl again in any Test.
Anderson is hit on the arm by Starc and almost falls on his stumps. A similar thing happens next ball, which leads to the commentators to reference a famous incident on this ground in 1991. Even after 32 years, it’s instant serotonin.
78th over: England 379-9 (Broad 0, Anderson 0) The crowd, liberated as only a post-6pm crowd can be, are cheering Anderson’s every stroke.
Anderson is not out. He tried to reverse sweep Murphy, and missed it.
Australia review for caught behind against Anderson. It’s past 6.20pm now so they are safe to take a wicket.
Australia call for some shinpads and a helmet to waste time, because if they take a wicket before 6.20pm they will have to face an over tonight. Ben Stokes should declare in the name of craic.
WICKET! England 379-9 (Wood c Marsh b Murphy 9)
Another one goes by. The ball after reverse-sweeping for four, Wood clouts a slog-sweep straight to deep midwicket. His innings was a relative blockathon, 9 from 11 balls.
Wood’s overall strike rate of 129.68 is the highest of anyone with at least 50 runs in an Ashes series, at least where all balls-faced data is available. And even where all data isn’t available, his strike-rate is the highest since 1901.
77th over: England 375-8 (Wood 4, Broad 0) “Sending Mo in really stalled momentum,” says Henry Amphlett. “Stopped Bairstow in full flight.”
Hang on, he had a strike rate of 76! I do know what you mean – Bairstow loves a quick single, better still a quick two, and they were off the table. But I’d argue his momentum had stalled before Moeen arrived: he made six runs in seven overs leading up to Root’s dismissal.
WICKET! England 375-8 (Ali c Hazlewood b Starc 29)
Wicket No23 of the series for Starc. An inadvertent uppercut from Moeen is well held by Hazlewood, running round the boundary, and Australia are two wickets away from a runchase. Moeen goes for 29 from 38 balls.
76th over: England 373-7 (Ali 28, Wood 4) “Unfortunately, this series doesn’t come close to 2005, at least in England, for the simple reason that it’s not on terrestrial TV,” writes Alex Wilson. “The myth doesn’t overstate how popular cricket was that summer – the 2005 series really did burst into the mainstream and become an obsession for the entire country.”
Thanks a lot for all your emails today. It’s usually quieter at weekends but we’ve had loads, and I’ve only had time to read around half of them. In short: it’s not me, it’s you. All of you.
Wood is not out! Yep, it was too high. Wood came down the track and was hit on the flap of the pad by a big-spinning offbreak, one that will encourage Moeen Ali if he’s able to bowl. It was bouncing over the stumps and might have missed leg stump as well.
England review! Wood given out LBW to Murphy That looked all wrong – too high, maybe outside the line – but it’s been given.
75th over: England 371-7 (Ali 28, Wood 2) Moeen hooks Starc for four more, despite the best efforts of Smith at deep backward square. He jumped after the ball as it bounced over the boundary and clattered into one of the advertising boards. He’s hobbling a bit but seems okay.
WICKET! England 364-7 (Woakes c Khawaja b Starc 22)
That’s 72 unforced errors for Richie Tenebaum 22 wickets in the series for Starc, and he’s only played four matches. Woakes drives straight to mid-off to end an odd, unfocussed little innings of 1 from 5 balls. England lead by 352, and the glint in Pat Cummins’ eye suggests he still fancies Australia’s chances.
74th over: England 364-6 (Ali 21, Woakes 1) Starc’s dismissal of Bairstow also makes him the leading wickettaker in the series, at least for now: Starc 21, Broad 20, Cummins 18.
Woakes is not out! He was hit in line, but it was only just hitting the top of the bails: umpire’s call, not out.
Erm, he wasn’t outside the line. This is really close.
Australia review for LBW against Woakes! This is close, though I reckon he was just outside the line when he missed a defensive lazy push at Murphy.
73rd over: England 360-6 (Ali 20, Woakes 0) Chris Woakes survives a run-out chance first ball. He was sent back by Moeen and was well short when Labuschagne’s throw from midwicket missed the stumps.
“The big difference between 2005 and 2023 is that in 2005 the narrative of who was going to get the urn went down to the penultimate session,” writes Steve Laville. “If the rain had relented at Old Trafford and England made it across the line, then this series truly would have been even more one for the ages, as it is, it just feels a little bit deflating…”
Yes, that’s the clincher. I’d say the quality of cricket was also higher in 2005. And we shouldn’t forget another very important difference: we were all 18 years younger.
WICKET! England 360-6 (Bairstow c Carey b Starc 78)
Jonny Bairstow finishes the series as he started, by falling 22 runs short of a century. He chased a wide one from Starc and top-edged a cut through to Carey. Bairstow throws his gum down as he walks off; he was desperate to make his first Test century since that career-threatening injury. That’s the 12th time Starc has got him in Tests, five more than any other quick bowler.
Bairstow is not out! And so there was. Starc came around the wicket to Bairstow, who whipped across the line and was hit in front of middle and leg. Replays showed a spike as the ball went past the bat, though there also seemed to be a gap between bat and ball.
Australia review for LBW against Bairstow! This looks close, though I think Kumar Dharmasena signalled he thought there was an inside-edge.
72nd over: England 361-5 (Bairstow 78, Ali 20) More cheers for Hazlewood when he fields a ball at long-on. There are no signs of an imminent declaration, no century dash from Bairstow, so I think England will bat until the close.
“Afternoon, Rob,” says Phil Sawyer. “Currently drinking M&S tins of strawberry daiquiri, because I am class, and enjoying this passage of play. I’ve missed a lot of the noise around this series; what with one thing and another life has other distractions nowadays. However, I’ve caught quite a lot of the play itself and I’ve really enjoyed it.
“Perhaps because I haven’t been paying attention to a lot of that background hubbub, I’ve watched a series in which two very evenly matched teams adopt interestingly juxtaposed approaches to the game, and pretty much every day, even at times every session, has felt important and seen the pendulum of that nebulous concept momentum swing from one team to the other. I think it’s been a good ‘un.”
Oh it’s been a classic, the kind of sport that briefly makes you feel 20 years younger.
71st over: England 358-5 (Bairstow 77, Ali 19) Moeen is fine to bat on. The short stuff continues, so Moeen takes it on with a top-edged hook towards fine leg. Hazlewood runs round the boundary, swoops forward… and doesn’t get a touch on the ball. It bounces away for four to the delight of the crowd, who sarcastically cheer Hazlewood when he completes a routine bit of fielding later in the over.
70.1 overs: England 353-5 (Bairstow 77, Ali 14) Starc bounces Moeen, who can’t get out of the way and gloves the ball onto the side of the helmet. There’s a break in play while he is checked for concussion.
70th over: England 353-5 (Bairstow 77, Ali 14) Bairstow, who has been quiet for the last 20 minutes or so, sweeps Murphy round the corner for four to bring up England’s 350. He’s 23 away from a cathartic century.
“G’day Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “I was still in high school during that 2005 series and it was the first overseas tour I’d truly committed to watching on the tele. Whilst this series is one of the most enjoyable since the Broad-Non-Walk-Series, it doesn’t come close to the ‘05 vintage. The issue with this series is that neither team have been at their best (coaches, staff and players included) and it has always felt like something is missing. Plus, at least three players in that series had quintessential noughties dyed streaks in their hair (Anderson, Pietersen, SKW) in the style of 5IVE or some such boyband.”
Ah yes, but did they have bucket hats? (Since you asked, I think it’s been the most exhilarating Ashes since 2005. I doubt anything in my lifetime will top that, though there are some very good judges who would put this series above 2005 and 1981.)
69th over: England 347-5 (Bairstow 72, Ali 13) Mitchell Starc, who has bowled the only maiden in this innings, replaces Pat Cummins. Moeen greets him with a delightful on-drive for four, and a couple of singles extend England’s lead to 335.
It’s kind of fitting that Moeen – whose Test career has been a story of selflessness, often to a fault – is batting out of position and with an injury in what will probably be his last innings.
Hang on, we’ve an update from Benjie Goodhart. “And now, finally, an AA van has turned up… AND IT’S NOT EVEN FOR ME!!!”
68th over: England 341-5 (Bairstow 71, Ali 8) Moeen gets down on one knee to sweep Murphy firmly for four. That suggests his groin injury has improved, so perhaps he will be able to bowl.
“Oh Rob!” writes our very own Benjie Goodhart. “We cut short our summer holiday to come back for my niece’s wedding in Wiltshire. Set off at 9am this morning full of hope and brio. Right up until the moment I filled the car with the wrong petrol at Cobham services. Two hours on the hard shoulder, followed by a tow to a garage in Chertsey. Wife and kids got a very expensive Uber to the wedding, while I’m waiting three hours for the AA to come and empty my tank. I should make it for the last dance. The OBO, TMS and Jonny Bairstow are all that’s keeping me sane. Pray for me.”