1 hour ago
Key events
Preamble
Morning everyone, aliases should that beryllium hullo darkness, my aged friend? For England supporters of a definite age, this lucifer has been a flashback to nan Eighties. First nan guidance picked nan incorrect consequence to Ben Stokes’ and Gus Atkinson’s large nighttime out, suspending them erstwhile Harry Brook had simply been fined for a worse offence, possibly because nan ECB was acrophobic of looking weak. Then, conscionable arsenic luck favours nan brave, truthful misfortune homed successful connected nan faint-hearted.
England mislaid nan Player of nan Match from Lord’s, Ollie Robinson, to wounded and their wicketkeeper, Jamie Smith, to nan commencement of his 2nd child. Suddenly nan squad had nary spine – nary captain, nary keeper, nary new-ball pair. The selectors put their religion successful what Micky Stewart, whose sanction is connected nan pavilion astatine nan Oval, erstwhile called “a batch of inexperience”. Joe Root recovered himself not truthful overmuch nan stand-in skipper arsenic nan babysitter.
The kids were each correct astatine first, past fell isolated arsenic Root tried excessively difficult to play nan Stokes measurement and get funky pinch his fields. The New Zealanders, who are known connected nan circuit arsenic bully guys, person been acold much orthodox and much efficient. By nan extremity of yesterday nan crowd was witnessing an unprecedented spectacle: nan England Lions being fed to nan Christians.
The carnage resumes astatine 11am.
