Ashes 2023: Bazball's bowling record, Darth Vader exit and 'Brumbrella'
- Published
First Test finely balanced after rain ruins day three
The third day of the Ashes was action-packed at Edgbaston, despite about half of the day's play being lost to poor weather conditions.
After dismissing Australia's lower order and impressive opening batter Usman Khawaja before lunch, England took a seven-run lead into the start of the second innings, where openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley were dismissed quickly between rain delays.
Throughout this year's Ashes, we will be giving you daily updates of the day's play.
Here is your digest from day three of the first Test.
Stat of the day - Bazball blows through Australia
Anderson picks up huge wicket of Carey for 66
Something that has gone under the radar during the Bazball era is England's ability to bowl teams completely out, something which they did to Australia with the final ball before lunch on day three at Edgbaston.
That is the 26th consecutive innings where England have completely bowled out their opponents, the joint-second longest record in Test cricket since the 19th Century.
In order to win this gripping first Test match, they would have to do that for a historic 27th time.
Essential day three reading
Quote of the day - Darth Vader's exit
"Has Darth Vader been arrested? I'm afraid that's what's happened there. He had it coming, didn't he, Aggers? I think he did, but I just saw the back of that. Darth Vader I think is being escorted out of the ground."
Early into the brief session straight after lunch, an unexpected moment took place when a spectator dressed as Star Wars villain Darth Vader was escorted out of Edgbaston by stewards.
Cue some stick from Test Match Special statistician Andy Zaltzman and plenty of texts and tweets to BBC Sport on Star Wars related cricket puns. It's not just Bazball writing all of the headlines so far in this series...
Image of the day - Khawaja's dismissal
England's 'Brumbrella' fielding formation that got Australia opener Usman Khawaja out for 141 on day three at Edgbaston
The beginning of the end for Australia's batters came in the 113th over when England got the prized wicket of Khawaja, who was 141 not out at the time.
Having set up an on-side field for a couple of deliveries in an unusual wall formation, captain Ben Stokes opted to match it on the off side, with six catchers in front of Khawaja in a field that some have described as the "Brumbrella".
It proved to be the ticket at the first time of asking, with Khawaja's attempt to smash the ball over the Brumbrella failing, with Ollie Robinson clean bowling his off stump and Australia going on to lose their last four wickets for just 14 runs before lunch, another example of the bizarre brilliance that is Bazball.
And finally...
Listeners of Test Match Special will know there are regular switches between coverage for listeners on Radio 4 LW from the cricket to the shipping forecast.
Keen to give the brief interlude to the forecast its deserved gravitas, TMS commentator Jim Maxwell has been making an effort to put real emphasis on the announcement.
Maxwell has set the standard high and it will be interesting to see if any of his colleagues will be able to match or better his announcements throughout the series.