As
a turnabout in fortunes it didn’t quite match the Headingley Test of 1981 –
Botham, Willis and all that – but for overcoming home supporters’ low
expectations in adversity, Headingley 2019 was just as remarkable. 38 years
ago, it was a revitalised Ian Botham who, after a terrible start to his Ashes
summer, rediscovered his mojo to drag England back from the brink. This time it’s
Ben Stokes, although his rehabilitation from drunken thug to cricketing hero
began in spectacular style at Lord’s when his innings and Super Over striking
did so much to end the nation’s long wait for World Cup success.
I’m
no fan of Stokes the person but there’s no denying his bravura talent on the
biggest stages, at least with a bat in his hand. And yet, that unbeaten 135
notwithstanding, the Durham all-rounder was not the only man responsible for
England’s victory. In the post-match euphoria amid the Stokes-centric headlines,
it is easy to forget Jofra Archer’s first innings 6-45 and Saturday afternoon’s
heroic resistance of the two Joes, Root and Denly.
On
Friday, England were swatted away inside 28 overs for a paltry 67. Hazlewood
and Cummins had bowled intelligently but the home team seemed to be batting in
T20 self-destruct mode, nicking everything to Warner or Paine behind the stumps.
They’d come close to winning the previous week at a rain-affected Lord’s but
this dismal performance brought back the usual comments about the lost art of
grinding out a score, knowing when to leave alone, when to defend and when to launch
an offensive.
Australia
weren’t a whole heap better. Steve Smith’s injury replacement, Marnus
Labuschagne, was the only one in a green helmet looking comfortable against the
opposition attack. But when he and Lyon were last men out, England’s target of
359 looked challenging enough.
Normally
such a fourth innings total would be beyond any side, but England had two and a
half days in which to make them. Easy, huh? The portents were not good,
especially when Roy and Burns succumbed meekly to the new ball. Root and Denly
sensibly saw the side to stumps on Saturday evening but there was still plenty
to do. A draw was out of the question; this was all about eight more wickets
versus an additional 203 runs.
At
245-4, England looked to be cruising in the Bank Holiday heat but five wickets
for 41 run left Australia in the driving seat. Ben Stokes and Jack Leach were
on the rack. The Somerset spinner is no mug with the bat, as his 92 against
Ireland demonstrated, but Stokes knew he’d have to play to his strength, and
that’s to whack the ball as hard as he could. With 73 still required, he had
nothing to lose.
Up
to that point, he’d played with impressive restraint. Now was the time to display
the Stokes of old. The sixes flew, but it was every dot ball faced by Leach
which received cheers just as hearty from the Leeds crowd. Stokes was obviously
pumped up, unable to even watch as his partner faced the fifth or sixth
deliveries of overs by Cummins or Lyon. There was no intention of running quick
singles; he merely squatted on his haunches, bat in both hands like a war-weary
medieval knight clutching his sword, eyes focussed on his boots.
When
on strike, my, how Stokes rode his luck. Aiming for the stands, three times he
narrowly avoided outstretched hands, with a few very difficult diving catches spilled.
The desperate LBW review for a ball clearly pitching and striking outside leg stump cost the Aussies the match
when a few overs later the umpire failed to spot a blatant leg-before; the ball
would have hit middle. Justin Langer’s expression told the story. My thoughts
strayed to Edgbaston, 2005 when the Aussies, featuring Langer, had been in a
similar position yet were robbed just three runs from victory. With it, went
that amazing series.
Nevertheless,
in August 2019, all Stokes’ heroic hitting looked in vain when, with 2 needed, Stokes
reverse swept to backward point then turned his back on Leach. His windmilling
arms indicated that his partner had to run back to the crease. It wasn’t the
greatest throw but all Nathan Lyon needed to do was catch the ball and calmly whip
off the bails. With Leach stranded metres from safety, the bowler had plenty of
time. He fumbled it, the chance had gone and with it the match and, in all
likelihood, the Ashes.
The
coup-de-grace followed shortly and one of the greatest of all Ashes Test
matches was over. Just a few days after registering their lowest home Ashes total,
England had achieved their highest ever fourth innings run chase. The series
score reads 1-1 but I have no doubt that England will now proceed to build on
their amazing good fortune and Stokes’ inspirational innings and regain the Ashes
which, as the ball was lobbed to Lyon, looked certain to be Australia’s. I don’t
think even the return of Steve Smith will prevent England’s sensational summer script
becoming fact.
