Key events
40th over: Australia 142-4 (Smith 65, Webster 34). No surprise to see Mulder replace Ngidi from the Pavilion End. Before lunch he delivered three consecutive maidens that helped put the squeeze on Labuschagne. Mulder moves the man from backward point to midwicket and, wouldn’t you know it, Webster leans onto a short ball and steers the ball through the freshly created gap for four. Mulder then moves the midwicket and, wouldn’t you know it, Webster picks up a single in the freshly created gap. Bavuma is chasing the ball at the minute.
39th over: Australia 137-4 (Smith 65, Webster 29) Maharaj continues from the Nursery End and Smith flashes a drive out to deep point for a single. Smudge looks in the mood today. A silly mid-off comes in for Webster but a single into the covers gets him off strike. Maharaj not controlling things as Bavuma would like.
We’ve got a letter from southern Africa from Trevor Tutu:
Holed up in Swaziland (eSwathini) with my wife and her family, and forced to go shopping! I have not even been allowed to use the tv remote to the cricket.
You can imagine my joy and elation when I saw the lunchtime score. I am going to slope off to the pub, and trust that are doing the decent thing and showing the match.
38th over: Australia 133-4 (Smith 63, Webster 27) Hello everyone. Thanks Martin. Well Australia have fought back brilliantly, haven’t they? South Africa burn a review after going upstaiurs after Webster met Ngidi’s ball with the middle of the bat. Then the big unit crunched a cover drive to the boundary having whipped a ball down to fine leg earlier in the set. Ngidi really hasn’t been at his best. South Africa, having dominated the first session, are chasing leather currently.
37th over: Australia 123-4 (Smith 62, Webster 18) South Africa turn to spin for the first time in the Test with Keshav Maharaj called into action for the last over before drinks. Smith begins with a confident drive through cover for two and ends the over with a controlled pull over midwicket to punish a half-volley. Australia head to the break after putting on 56 runs without losing a wicket in the hour since lunch.
Thanks a lot for following along so far. Dan Gallan will guide you through the rest of what has already been a gripping day one.
36th over: Australia 117-4 (Smith 56, Webster 18) Webster smacks Ngidi straight back over his head with a pull shot that turns into a forehand as the ball sits up in the surface. Smith hammers a cut to deep point for a single that brings up the 50-run stand. It has been hard-earned for Webster in particular, but just the sort of fighting partnership that Australia needed.
35th over: Australia 111-4 (Smith 55, Webster 13) Smith is looking as busy at the crease as he is when at his best as he sees off another fine Rabada over and ends it with a casual drive for two. The Australian now has the most runs of all non-England batters at Lord’s, after passing Don Bradman (551), Garfield Sobers (571) and Warren Bardsley (575) during this knock.
34th over: Australia 109-4 (Smith 53, Webster 13) Smith gets a wake up call as Ngidi crashes the ball just below the midriff. It was the first of two no-balls in the over, while Smith and Webster each pick up a single in between on the leg side.
The sun is peaking through just as Smith is picking up the pace and Webster is clinging on to stay with him. Gary Naylor senses a glimmer of hope shining through for the Australians at the same time.
“It’s very tough batting in England before midday and Lord’s is the best Days Four and Five pitch in the world. Coin toss of a match now – appropriately enough.”
Fifty to Steve Smith!
33rd over: Australia 104-4 (Smith 51, Webster 12) Steve Smith reaches fifty for the 78th time in Tests with yet another critical knock that is keeping his side in the game. The 36-year-old brings up the milestone with a cut to the rope and gives a little wave to the dressing room with his job far from done. As if Smith needs a reminder of the battle that remains in front of him, Webster ends the over reaching away from his body and chasing an outswinger from Rabada.
32nd over: Australia 99-4 (Smith 46, Webster 12) Ngidi takes the ball from Jansen and will want to be wary of overpitching, especially to the towering Webster, after bowling too many fuller balls in the opening session. Smith cuts to deep point for a single before Webster finds relief batting away from Rabada and smashes a square cut through point for four.
31st over: Australia 94-4 (Smith 45, Webster 8) Rabada has had Webster in all sorts since he arrived at the crease after lunch. The South Africa quick beats the bat again, Webster plays and misses at a couple of wider balls, and in between is sent back by his partner while trying to sneak a single. An all-action maiden.
30th over: Australia 94-4 (Smith 45, Webster 8) Full. Short. Fourth or fifth stump outside off. Marco Jansen has Steve Smith hopping all over the crease but the Australia batter remains well within his comfort zone playing each ball on its merits. Maiden.
29th over: Australia 94-4 (Smith 45, Webster 8) Webster takes a single long stride down the crease to create a half volley and crash a cover drive to the rope. A delightful stroke. But he is very nearly gone next ball as it nips inside the bat and smacks into Webster’s back thigh. South Africa appeal half-heartedly and don’t bother with a review but this time the replay shows three red lights and that the ball was on line to take out middle stump. The first real error of the day so far for South Africa.
28th over: Australia 90-4 (Smith 45, Webster 4) REVIEW! Webster survives after South Africa send the lbw decision off for a second opinion, as the 200cm batter’s long reach onto his front foot is only barely enough to save him. Ball tracking shows it was taking out middle stump but fortunately for Australia it goes with umpire’s call on the point of impact alone. Webster responds with a classy pull shot for two and a single from a drive before Smith opens up with a powerful square drive.
27th over: Australia 82-4 (Smith 40, Webster 1) Rabada has Webster all tangled up before the Australian all-rounder is fortunate to get off the mark with a leading edge after playing across the line. Smith flicks off his pads for an easy three, then Rabada almost cuts Webster in half with a delivery that jags back and sneaks over middle stump.
26th over: Australia 78-4 (Smith 37, Webster 0) Marco Jansen finds a tidier line to Steve Smith just outside off-stump and leaves the Australian looking to pull anything that the towering quick pitches back of a length. Maiden.
25th over: Australia 78-4 (Smith 37, Webster 0) Steve Smith clobbers his first ball faced after lunch for four as Kagiso Rabada drifts wide and is punished through cover. Smith slashes hard at another wide ball and a top edge sails safely high over cover, then has little trouble dispatching a straight ball from Rabada back through mid-on. South Africa will hope that over was merely a loosener from Rabada.
24th over: Australia 67-4 (Smith 26, Webster 0) Jansen completes his over that started with the crucial wicket of Travis Head from the second delivery and then was interrupted by lunch. A bouncer first up clears 200cm Beau Webster and four post-break dot balls finish off a maiden over.
Steve Smith has drawn level with Don Bradman for 551 runs scored at Lord’s where both batters have two centuries and Australia desperately need their current No 4 to add a third. Smith was the saviour the last time Australia visited the venue as he amassed 110 while batting with the middle-order and tail for a long period. The 36-year-old will likely have to do similar if Australia are to hang on and make the most of the sunny skies that are expected throughout the afternoon.
Beau Webster is walking out in his fourth Test alongside Smith and will take strike first for what remains of Marco Jansen’s over and a critical hour ahead.
Australia might be busy licking their wounds in the dressing room over lunch at Lord’s but the break gives us time to lean back and learn about a very different sort of cricket tournament. Tanya Aldred looks at the sport’s ability to bring hope and community in the latest edition of The Spin.
Nine teams of refugees, mostly based in Normandy, will fight it out over two days in a series of round-robin T5 tape-ball games. The battles will be fierce, the bowling often fast, with added jeopardy if the ball hits the not-very-well-disguised join between the two bits of chipboard.
Lunch: Australia 67-4 (Smith 26)
South Africa have been more than vindicated for sending Australia in to bat with four wickets in the opening session of the World Test Championship final. Kagiso Rabada set the tone and soon had Usman Khawaja on his way for a duck then had another scalp in the same over as Cameron Green was also caught in the slips. Marnus Labuschagne did well to see off much of the new ball while opening for the first time in a Test before being bogged down by tight bowling and an overly cautious approach, then dismissed with a edge behind to Kyle Verreynne off Marco Jansen.
Steve Smith and Travis Head were showing early signs of reclaiming the momentum for the defending champions until the left-hander couldn’t help but play at a ball heading down leg in the last over before lunch. A tickle off Jansen and a fine diving catch from keeper Verreynne gave South Africa the critical wicket of Head and has Australia on the ropes at four for 67 at the first break.
WICKET! Head c Verreynne b Jansen 11 (Australia 67-4)
South Africa get the big one and it takes a screamer from Kyle Verreynne diving low and hard to his right. Head wafts at a ball swinging down his leg side and gets a nick that only just reaches the keeper as South Africa get the dangerman. That’s lunch and most certainly South Africa’s session with four scalps.
23rd over: Australia 66-3 (Smith 26, Head 10) Mulder bounces back with a better over. Head starts with a single to deep square then Mulder beats Smith with an angled ball.
22nd over: Australia 66-3 (Smith 26, Head 10) REVIEW! Smith wanders across his crease as he has been prone to doing for a decade and a half and South Africa can’t help but review after the ball raps him on the back pad. The umpire made the right call – just – as ball tracking shows it was heading narrowly high and wide of leg stump. Smith earlier makes Jansen pay as the South Africa quick overpitches a couple of times. The Australian clubs the first through cover where Bavuma saves one run when collecting inside the rope, but there is no stopping the next stroke as Smith slices off the back foot past backward point.
21st over: Australia 58-3 (Smith 19, Head 9) Mulder strays onto Smith’s pads and is whipped away for a single, then is too straight to Head who punches back for one at mid-on. Smith adds another off his pads before Head makes something out of another with a square cut through point. Mulder let the Australians off the hook there and it is probably time to call on Rabada for an over or two before lunch.
20th over: Australia 53-3 (Smith 18, Head 6) Travis Head shapes up to Marco Jansen and can’t help but swipe at the first ball he faces. Jansen pushes the ball wide and Head is fortunate that it bounces well below his horizontal bat. The left-hander gets off the mark as he works a straighter ball from off-stump through the leg-side for two. Head then makes amends for his earlier swing and a miss as Jansen again pitches wide outside the left-hander’s body and this time is duly punished.
19th over: Australia 47-3 (Smith 18, Head 0) Mulder to Smith as the Australian veteran rightly sums up the situation as one where his side needs to preserve wickets until the lunch break. A no-ball is the only addition to the score.
18th over: Australia 46-3 (Smith 18, Head 0) Jansen troubles Labuschagne with his bounce from the off as the Australian looks to duck under a shorter ball but mis-judges the length and is struck on the shoulder. The ball flies over the keeper to the boundary but Jansen strikes with the next delivery as Labuschagne resistance ends.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Verreynne b Jansen 17 (Australia 46-3)
Marco Jansen returns for the second time today and quickly finds a breakthrough. Labuschagne didn’t look comfortable over, or in the past few overs, and after defending and leaving resolutely was lured into a wave outside off. A thin edge carries to the keeper and South Africa have their third.
17th over: Australia 41-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 17) A big appeal as Mulder straightens one up as Labuschagne defends and is rapped on the pads. South Africa decide against a review but the ball hit Labuschagne outside the line anyway. Another maiden as the Australian is getting bogged down.
16th over: Australia 41-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 17) SHOT! Ngidi drops a rare loose delivery that is overpitched and swings away from Smith who reaches to club it past point. A diving Stubbs gets a hand on the ball but the shot was firmly struck by Smith and races to the boundary.
Marnus Labuschagne has done about as much as he could to prove that he is capable of making the move to open a Test innings after seeing off 15 overs including a red-hot spell from Kagiso Rabada. But Robert D remains far from convinced.
“If S Barrel Boland was from NSW he’d be opening the batting instead of Marnus Labuschagne. The form he’s in they arguably should have opened with Barrel even if he’s from Vic. Solid bat, first class 50 under his belt, might have been the first bloke in a long while to open both innings.”
15th over: Australia 37-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 13) EDGE! Mulder lures Labuschagne to defend away from his body but the thick edge falls agonisingly short of Markram at second slip. That’s enough for Labuschagne as he leaves four of the next five balls, only defending with soft hands when Mulder targets off-stump. Maiden.
14th over: Australia 37-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 13) First ball after drinks is wasted as Ngidi stray well down leg and is suitably punished by Smith for four. Smith continues defending toward the leg-side before finding a gap between the keeper and leg slip for a second boundary in the over. South Africa have a clear plan to Smith but it seems unlikely to blunt his attack from his pads.
13th over: Australia 29-2 (Labuschagne 17, Smith 5) Wiaan Mulder is thrown the ball as Rabada is given a spell. These are perhaps ideal conditions for the seamer who quickly has the ball moving both ways and almost picks up Labuschagne with the last delivery as the batter is beaten on the inside while driving. That’s drinks with South Africa on top and Australia in need of a familiar rearguard from Labuschagne and Smith.
