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The players emerge for their warm-ups, if that's what they are still called. As the crowd slowly builds, England have their football and Australia their Aussie Rules equivalent.
Farewell to … The northern Test venues, Warner, any pretence of trying to make the players get through their stipulated 90 overs in a day, Khawaja, Stokes’s career as a Test match all-rounder, Robinson’s reputation as the next great English seam bowler, Broad, of course, oh and Lord’s air of grace and civility, if not, apparently, its divine right to host two Tests a year.Zak is a very witty guy, and he plays more attractive shots than me. We haven’t properly fired yet this series but I said over a couple of beers: ‘Me and you, let’s do a session or longer, because if we do, we will put the team in such a good position.’” McCullum was in the foothills of a Twenty20 coaching career but had been the name buzzing around Key’s mind since the start, impressed by his captaincy of New Zealand. That joyful team had already been the muse for England’s white-ball resurgence under Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss, with the former asked for a reference on an admittedly close friend but having also seen first-hand his nascent second career at Kolkata Knight Riders. Beyond that, England's attitude strikes right to the very heart of sport's actual existence. What is the point if it is not entertaining? If it does not work here, he will rightly or wrongly shrug his shoulders and commit to doing the same thing all over again. England are enchanting, riding the wave of hope and expectation from fans that believe in them again.
Would it have been better to continue to flog the sun-sapped Australians for the remainder of the day and possibly even into the second morning? Something towards 450 sounds nice, doesn't it? Sir Alastair Cook, who has swapped playing on these mornings for talking about them, carries out the famous urn flanked by flames. It could also be the perfect farewell for James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the capping off of two great careers. When he arrived at the crease before lunch he was greeted with more gaps than a politician's explanation. Go deep beneath the waves: Hidden cameras give incredible perspectives on ingenious ocean creaturesEngland piling up 393-8 at more than five runs an over was made all the more compelling by Australia's attempts to contain them, but that was nothing compared to Ben Stokes' jaw-dropping declaration half an hour before the close. Home advantage makes England slight favourites,” says Morgan. “But Australia are incredibly strong. I see two positives to England’s method: if it works early in the series, it will tempt Australia to change how they play or see them start to question themselves. That can lead to changes in selection, etc. At that point, Stokes made his breathtaking intervention, a declaration after 78 overs the earliest in a first innings in Ashes history and third-earliest ever by England. The wise commentators, the former captains and legends, raise their brows as they pass in the corridors - a look that says "here we go" without needing to speak. What does it mean? Were Australia frightened? The debate will continue throughout the day and again when Australia wakes.
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