Ashes 2019: England battling to avoid follow-on after Mitchell Starc burst
Written by News on 07/09/2019
England are battling to avoid the follow on after Mitchell Starc dismissed Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes on the fourth morning at Old Trafford.
The left-arm quick produced a superb spell with the second new ball to hammer home Australia’s advantage in the fourth Ashes Test and leave England 278-8 at lunch, trailing by 219 and needing another 20 to ensure they are not asked to go straight back out to bat at the conclusion of their first innings.
Jos Buttler (26no) remains though and surely holds the key as the hosts strive to make the first-innings deficit as small as possible and increase their chances of clinging on for a draw to keep their chances of regaining the urn alive.
Stokes and Bairstow made it safely through the six overs to the new ball at the start of the day and it was something of a surprise that Starc took it after a fine three-over burst from Pat Cummins with the old ball.
However, Starc repaid his captain’s faith, instantly finding a better rhythm than he managed on day three and making the breakthrough. The shot from Bairstow was a poor one, an expansive drive, but the delivery from Starc was a beauty; full, fast and swinging back into the right-hander to hit middle stump.
Four overs later, Stokes was gone, his watchful knock ended as Starc hit the perfect line a fraction outside off stump and found the edge with Steve Smith on hand to gobble up the chance at second slip.
Jofra Archer then nearly ran himself out on nought, ambling through for a single before belatedly realising the fielder had the ball in hand and was shying at the stumps. His dismissal soon after was similarly careless – fiddling needlessly outside off and nicking behind off Cummins – and his furious reaction suggested he knew it.
That was the trigger for Buttler to move through the gears, hitting Nathan Lyon for a pair of boundaries in the next over, and after he and Stuart Broad (2no) battled through to the interval, England will be hoping the World Cup winner can drag them up to 300 and beyond in the afternoon session.
Watch continued live coverage of the fourth Test between England and Australia on Sky Sports The Ashes.
(c) Sky Sports 2019: Ashes 2019: England battling to avoid follow-on after Mitchell Starc burst
