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WICKET! Smith c Jurel b Siraj 2 (England 347-7)<\/p>\n
A fat outside edge. The umpires check it \u2013 to calm everything down? And yes \u2013 a clean catch from an advancing prod. Oh my.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 77th over: England 347-6 (Smith 2, Overton 8)<\/strong> England need 27 to win Krishna to finish off the four balls of last night\u2019s over. Overton pulls the first, a short ball, for four. Bang. The next also greets the boundary \u2013 an awkward inside edge, scything past leg stump. Has a dirty swipe at the next, misses. And plays back carefully at the fourth.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Morning session – England need 35 to win<\/p>\n A full house<\/strong>, a huddle for India, chewing gum for Jamie Smith. Jerusalem the soundtrack.<\/p>\n Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton walk out to bat. Photograph: Paul Childs\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.04 EDT<\/p>\n A welcome flurry of emails land in the OBO box<\/strong> \u2013 hopefully things last long enough to get through them all. Ant sized trousers on an elephant, that\u2019s the kind of tension we\u2019re after.<\/p>\n \u201cGreetings from Ithaca where the weather is balmier than Manchester and the Oval.\u201d Enough already Colum Fordham. Share<\/a><\/p>\n John Starbuck rolls back the years.<\/strong> \u201cSome of us can recall the drama of Colin Cowdrey facing Hall & Griffiths whilst batting with a broken arm in plaster. It didn\u2019t work then and, if a repeat has to happen, I doubt it will work now. Cue monster celebrations if it does.\u201d<\/p>\n From the MCC website. \u201cThe crowd held its breath and the BBC delayed its regular evening news bulletin to stay with the live coverage. Hall began the last over with England needing eight. Two singles were scampered off the first three balls, but off the fourth, calamity. Shackleton swung and missed and looked up to see Allen chasing down the wicket towards him. Desperately, Shackleton urged his 39 year-old frame towards the non-striker\u2019s end; he was in a race of the veterans against Worrell, running back from silly mid-off. He lost. Cowdrey, wearing a glove on one hand and a plaster cast on the other, smiled as he walked out through the Pavilion gate.<\/p>\n \u201cHe took his place at the non-striker\u2019s end as Allen prepared to face Hall. Two balls left to survive for the draw, and surely six to win was too much. Worrell was not so sure – whatever you do, don\u2019t bowl a no-ball, he told his shattered fast bowler. Twice more, Hall charged in off his 40-yard run, hurling the ball down fast and straight. But Allen\u2019s bat was just as straight and twice he kept it out. It was all over and the match drawn. Cowdrey\u2019s bat had not been needed, but his courage had been.\u201d<\/p>\n Colin Cowdrey Photograph: PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n The heavy roller is out,<\/strong> Lee Fortis is on it. The new ball is due in 3.4 overs. Nerves?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Siraj is signing<\/strong> autographs. Intensely.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBought my son a day five ticket several weeks back,\u201d<\/strong> you clever man David Adam, \u201cand he\u2019s been watching the whole match hoping for wickets to stop and rain to start. As much as yesterday\u2019s crowd were rightly gutted not to see the conclusion, I\u2019m selfishly delighted that my son will get his first taste of Test cricket this morning, even if it\u2019s only half an hour. Surely the series deserves to end with a third ever tied test? Siraj sending an spectactularly unsporting bouncer down at Woakes?\u201d<\/p>\n Absolutely! Overhead cameras show that your son isn\u2019t the only lucky ticket holder, the crowds are pouring in through the Hobbs gate and more. Hope he, and they, gets a thriller.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Tanya.\u201d<\/strong> Hello Richard O\u2019Hagan.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I please say another HUGE thank you to all of the OBOers who so generously supported my club\u2019s 24 Hour Netathon in aid of Opening Up Cricket<\/a>. With the help of this wonderful community we smashed our fundraising target. We are very, very grateful indeed.<\/p>\n In other news, I have just realised that I have a meeting at 11am, so I am off for a sulk.\u201d<\/p>\n Wonderful news about the fundraising, less so about the meeting. Commiserations. Any chance of bad light postponing flow charts?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Woakes ready to bat if needed for England<\/p>\n \u201cIf I don\u2019t go out today, I won\u2019t be able to forgive myself,\u201d<\/strong> is what Chris Woakes told Joe Root this morning. I think you can rely<\/strong> on him having a bat if needed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.33 EDT<\/p>\n Joe Root<\/strong> is chatting to Stuart Broad and Ian Ward<\/strong>. He plays tribute to Graham Thorpe, then Harry Brook, his partner in that incredible partnership yesterday.<\/p>\n \u201cBrooky is not a big talker out in the middle but we have played a lot together and complement each other. I can be a bit busy and he can really upset bowlers\u2019 rhythms and before you know it they\u2019ve got a long off, everything seems to happen at a completely different pace [when he\u2019s batting.]\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pictures from The Oval,<\/strong> where the skies are dirty, but the players are out, practising. Pictures of England arriving, Jamie Smith in a white T-shirt like a teenager off for a kickaround; Jamie Overton brooding largely in maroon, Chris Woakes outrageously handsome in a sling.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n If you\u2019re at The Oval, do let us<\/strong> know what the atmosphere is like. And the clouds.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And Simon on Mohammed Siraj, India\u2019s rubber band of energy, and his fatal step back.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Some great writing by the team<\/strong> at The Oval yesterday:<\/p>\n Ali\u2019s match report:<\/p>\n Barney\u2019s homage to Harry Brook:<\/p>\n
\u201dThis series has been a bit of an Odyssey, with both teams striving to the limits to bring their team success – Pant, Bumrah, Stokes and Woakes putting their bodies on the line. To quote Homer, \u201cBe strong – saith my heart: I am a soldier. I have seen worse sights than this\u201d. Rather appropriate for Woakes in a sling yet willing to bat for his country.
One more quite from the Odyssey: \u201c The blade itself incites to deeds of violence.\u201d Surely, Homer was writing about Harry Brook?
This morning promises to be a thrilling denouement to a wonderful test series which could end up 2-2, probably the fairer result, or 3-1 to England, which would flatter the home team. Though I wouldn\u2019t mind!\u201d<\/p>\n