WHEN FATE DEALS ITS MORTAL BLOW: England Crumble & Starc Shines on Day 3

·24 min·2 clips

Mitchell Stark batted all day then broke England's key wickets in a perfect cricketer's day.

This episode of Cricket Et Al analyzes the closing stages of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, where England faces a heavy defeat. Hosts Gideon Haigh and Peter Lawler, two respected independent cricket journalists, dissect the day's pivotal performances. Their commentary focuses on how Australia built an insurmountable position. Mitchell Starc scored 77 runs from 141 deliveries and later took the key wickets of Joe Root and Jamie Smith. Starc shared a 150-plus minute partnership with Scott Boland, which became the longest of the series by balls faced. England's bowlers, including Joe Faracha (25 overs) and Gus Atkinson (28 overs), were worn down during a long day in the sun. Australian captain Pat Cummins revealed a team theory that if two lower-order batters face 30 deliveries each, they significantly boost the total. Starc's batting effort was described as a carefully paced, proper innings rather than a reckless surge. Ben Stokes' captaincy was noted for its uncharacteristic listlessness and a sense of going through the motions in the field. Olly Pope's skittish innings at number three is described as agonizing to watch, highlighting his continued instability in that role. A surprising insight is that Mitchell Starc has never scored a first-class century despite his Test batting prowess. The episode notes this is the 17th occasion in Test history a team posted over 500 runs without an individual century. Cameron Green's poor shot selection is contrasted with the team's luxury to critique him due to their dominant position. The hosts observe that seven kilometers away, Australia A scored 554, meaning Australian teams scored over 1,000 runs in 24 hours. They suggest English tourists in Brisbane might be calling travel agents for early flights home. The dropped catch by Nathan Lyon, who missed a caught-and-bowled chance off Ben Duckett, is highlighted as a rare Australian error. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending technical cricket discussion with dry, observational humor. The style is relaxed and reflective, featuring insider anecdotes and historical comparisons, like referencing Ray Lindwall's all-round record. This episode will appeal to dedicated cricket fans who enjoy detailed, narrative-driven post-day analysis of Test match tactics and performances. Listeners seeking only match highlights or those unfamiliar with the nuanced state of the Ashes series might find the discussion too specialized.

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