“England are staring down the barrel!” | Nas & Athers react with England on verge of Ashes humbling

Build him a statue, they'll cry. Just

over our left shoulder, you know, >> Bill me, who you who we building a statue?

>> Statue of you. But just over our left shoulder, the entrance to this ground, there's a statue of Clem Hill, who is a great South Australian left-hander of many, many years ago, well, another

South Australian left-hander has just made his fourth 100 in consecutive tests on his home ground. What a day for Travis Head. What a game it's been for

Travis Head. What a game it's been for South Australians with Alex K's 100 in the first innings. Another masterclass

from Travis had >> it was uh and two South Australians walking off at the end. I thought they were absolutely ruthless there because they lost those two wickets after te and

if England had got one or two more than the hope but they extinguished that hope. Travis head quite brilliant when

hope. Travis head quite brilliant when England had been searching for the tempo of how to bat out here. Have we been too positive? Have we been too in our shell?

positive? Have we been too in our shell?

Travis said twice in the second innings now Perth and here have given them the absolute sort of blueprint of how to go about putting bowlers back under pressure. You sometimes bowl your best

pressure. You sometimes bowl your best ball and he whacks it for four square.

You go fuller and he hits you down the ground. He doesn't let spinners settle.

ground. He doesn't let spinners settle.

It was an absolute masterclass. He

looked absolutely exhausted at the end there. Kerry had to keep him going. But

there. Kerry had to keep him going. But

every one of these members and Australians and South Australians walking out here would have loved what they've seen today. And the last couple of days >> you mentioned Perth. He obviously well he was a thorn in England's side in this

Ashes series four years ago because he got 200s then but shoved to the top of the order at Perth. A brilliant

scintillating 100 there. This was a very different 100 but there was an analogy to Perth in a way because if you remember England were 99 for one at

lunch on the second day at Perth and had a chance to shut Australia out the game which they didn't do. They lost that game amazingly in two sessions and here today Australia were 102 for one at

lunch and they were ruthless. They did

exactly what they needed to do.

>> I I did and I the only time I was concerned for him was either side of the 100 moment later actually they were ruthless then but later he got a bit nervous on 99 Harry Brookke dropped him and then after that I was listening to

some commentary and they're saying oh now's the time for some fun. I would go the other way when you are ahead in an ashes. Remember in the last few ashes in

ashes. Remember in the last few ashes in England, Australia have had that chance to absolutely get England down 2-0 up or headingly in 2019, whenever you want to talk, they've had the chance, and

they've not been ruthless. They have

been in Australia, by the way, obviously. But he was ruthless. He

obviously. But he was ruthless. He

didn't go in his shell, though. He, like

I say, he showed England that you don't have to go in your shell and we're going to knock. He

to knock. He >> took what was on offer. There was plenty on offer at times.

>> And he knew at the other end, England didn't have a lion. They didn't have someone who could give him control. He

knew England didn't have Stoke. Stoke

struggling with his body, maybe a bit of a tweak in his groin, whatever it might be. So, he knew that there were going to

be. So, he knew that there were going to be freebies on offer. England would tire again because their batting again have got their bowlers out in the field. He

knows this is a quick scoring ground. He

knows it's a short boundary square.

Where does he love to get his runs? It

was quite brilliant. But I think Kerry also just played that role where calm down. If we're here at the end tonight,

down. If we're here at the end tonight, that's pretty close to sealing the deal.

>> Yeah, some Australians have had outstanding series so far. Mitchell

Stark, Alex Kerry, Travis had But let's go back to the start of the day. We've

been there, haven't we? Where you wake up as England captain after a difficult previous day and you're staring down the barrel really and and I was kind of thinking of Stokes this morning and what

he might have been feeling and actually therefore for the first hour and a half there was a lot of promise the way that England played. Excellent partnership

England played. Excellent partnership between Ben Stokes and Joffrey Archer. I

think it's a a record or not a record for the ninth. I think it's highest for the ninth wicket for England in Australia for over over a hundred years.

They both played excellent.

>> They showed a lot of character and a lot of fight. And what did the captain

of fight. And what did the captain Stokes talk about before the test? I

want I want us to show that Australia is not a place for weak men and he definitely wasn't weak. He struggled

yesterday with his body. He was a bit better today. The fact that he could get

better today. The fact that he could get the reverse sweep out tends to suggest the cramp had gone. Maybe there was something >> a few blows today. He did manage to do yesterday.

>> Yeah. And he had a bit more trust in Joffrey that he could he could Joffra would take the right option. I thought

Joffra played beautifully. Took the

right option most of the time. Those two

seem to have kissed and made up after their incident. They played perfectly.

their incident. They played perfectly.

>> Like you they don't bear grudges.

>> No. Bowlers never made up with anyone and vice versa. But the only thing I'd say watching that partnership, yes, I was loving how flat the pitch was. I've

I've watched for three days now and I've thought how did England get explained to me how did England get 168 for8 on that pitch. I mean Australia bowl world but I

pitch. I mean Australia bowl world but I have watched for three days and I'm stood stood up there this evening thinking how were we 168 for8 on here if England go on to lose this game that is

where the game was lost because Stokes and Archer just showed them what a feather bed it is and still is. So that

lead 85 which is significant but not as significant as it might have been. But

how much did it take out of Stokes and Archer then? Because obviously Stokes

Archer then? Because obviously Stokes didn't bowl at all today. Archer bowled

a five over burst with the new ball but looked less effective than in the first innings and that meant he only bowled two overs between lunch and tea when England were kind of just clinging on a

bit. I saw him chase one long boundaries

bit. I saw him chase one long boundaries straight here and head push one down the ground and Joffra look very stiff at that stage. Just remember also these two

that stage. Just remember also these two are bowlers that are coming back from a lot of injuries. Archer and Stokes. So

they're not two that you risk even with the Ashes on the line. You can't I you know you can't risk Stokes in that situation. And if Archa is a bit sore

situation. And if Archa is a bit sore and a bit tight, you have to make sure he gets himself ready for the next spell. And again, I would be those

spell. And again, I would be those batters. I'd be looking and going, "Our

batters. I'd be looking and going, "Our two bowlers there. Why are they so sore?

Why are they so stiff?" Because we're 168 for eight and they're doing the batting and they're doing the bowling and what have we done? We've done a bit of fielding and that's it. So, I think

it's a reflection on England's top order that Stokes and Archer are so exhausted.

>> And I thought Carled his best spell with the new ball since the first innings in Perth. It seemed a definite intention to

Perth. It seemed a definite intention to me to pitch the ball fuller. I mean,

we've talked about England getting cut to ribbons in this game and and previously. And I thought he definitely

previously. And I thought he definitely bowled a fuller length. He found some movement um and deserved that wicket of Jake Weatherald, albeit that

>> he should have DRS.

>> It was the only mistake Travis Head made because Travis head was quite wide. He

should have been a bit tighter, but also the length. The length was short.

the length. The length was short.

>> Jake Weatherall's got to know that. And

I just wondered he's so crouched and low >> whether he's, you know, can't can't quite pick up the line, but the length of the ball said to me, it's got to have a chance of pitching outside uh the line

of leg. Anyway, he didn't review it.

of leg. Anyway, he didn't review it.

More fool him. Um and actually sympathy from there. thought England at the start

from there. thought England at the start of the innings were were were much better with the ball than they had been.

But >> England fans will say, "Why has it taken to the second innings of the third test to work out? Have you not been watching their bowlers? Why has it taken that

their bowlers? Why has it taken that long?" And unless we we've never bowled

long?" And unless we we've never bowled a ball in anger at that pace. Why?

You're not bowling machines and you do get it wrong. But finally, and then I thought Tongue actually bowled a nice spell at Labashane. Tongue's angle. I

think Labashane struggles as sometimes Steve Smith has done against Josh Tongue because he leans past the perpendicular.

He does square. I know he'd square me up every single time. He does square quite a few and he was all over Labashane and at that stage Brooke took a couple of good catches. So England at that stage I

good catches. So England at that stage I thought were just about keeping themselves in the game.

>> But we're almost inevitably going to run out of steam given that Archer didn't bowl in that afternoon session after that two overs after lunch. Stokes

didn't bowl. Jacks couldn't hold any pressure at all. You know, Lion yesterday, he got two wickets in his opening over, but didn't pick up any more, but only went for two and a half

runs and over. And we mentioned yesterday in 40° heat how important he was just in allowing the seamers to operate in shorter bursts. Two and a half and over. Jacks in particular to

left-handers, and I don't know why this is, seems to struggle with his line more. Got picked off both sides. got cut

more. Got picked off both sides. got cut

a lot. He went well, he conceded more than 100 in the end at more than five and a half runs an over. That's a

massive difference.

>> He just his control of length. I didn't

see it the the host broadcaster how much they did of pitch maps. And it's an unfair comparison. You're talking about

unfair comparison. You're talking about one of the greatest off spinners, if not the greatest off spinner to play the game against someone who's a part- timerr. It's an unfair comparison, but

timerr. It's an unfair comparison, but when you get to day four, day three, day four, Adelaide, it is a comparison that is important. and his control of length

is important. and his control of length was all over the place. I mean the wicket of Kawaja was a real long op and I mean you said before the game if they are bowling the same Bashier and Jax

then you have to go Jacks because of the batting and the fielding. I'd say

Bashier is in a bad place if he's bowling worse than Jax at the moment.

>> And it meant that Stokes had to eventually go to route and we got to that beautiful bit of drama around Travis Head on 99. He spent eight very

nervy balls, didn't he, on 99, which showed you what the 100 meant to him because he played just beautifully up to that point and hadn't looked in any trouble at all. And you know, I got 299.

>> You wouldn't want to get you wouldn't want to get 99 in an ashes test. You

wouldn't want to be run out swimming in trying to get in at Lords at the home of cricket and not get your name on the honors board in an Ash's test. You would

not want to do that, Michael.

>> He tried to steal one single that was never there. Then he got dropped by

never there. Then he got dropped by Brooke. Quite a tough chance in the

Brooke. Quite a tough chance in the gully and after eight ftting for eight balls, he thought enough of this and he just ran down and belted Joru over the

top and it was a great moment actually.

He knelt down, kissed the turf, arms raised, pointing to the pavilion where his his family were sitting. It clearly

meant a lot to him.

>> It did. My first thought went to some of the bars in town. Actually, you walk past every bar and there's like a billboard of Travis Head. I think it was the moment he got the big 100 in the World Cup final and he sat in the

dressing room the tash and in his what in his his Aussie kit. Um he looks like a fun character. He looks like the sort of character as a personality you want in your team. Cricket at times can be

tough and you need good characters in your dressing room. I think he's got that. He's obviously got a huge amount

that. He's obviously got a huge amount of talent, but he's also a tough cricketer. 100 in a World Cup final,

cricketer. 100 in a World Cup final, hundreds in ashes, 400s on the bounce on his home game. and he puts opposition bowlers under pressure.

>> Yeah, pretty uncomplicated character.

The type of guy that you don't mind doing well even if he's even if he's an Aussie. Um so 356 two days left. How do

Aussie. Um so 356 two days left. How do

you see it? The lead 356 we've got >> still to get six wickets. I mean they're going to try and grind England into the dust.

>> Yeah, they do. And they bat a long way down as well. They you know they got they've got a lot of batting still to come. Allrounders, they're not going to

come. Allrounders, they're not going to be in a rush. They're 2-0 up draw even a draw here. Ash is retained. They want

draw here. Ash is retained. They want

their bowlers, one of whom's coming back from a long month, you know, a few months out with an injury. They want a big lead. They want Nathan Lion to have

big lead. They want Nathan Lion to have a pitch that's just going to turn and wear and tear a little bit more. So,

they are in no rush at all. They'll look

to get the lead past 450. And I know England, I spoke to you yesterday. You

know, one of the things this England side under this regime has done well is chase well on the fourth innings, 370, 370, 330, 320, etc. But this is

different. This is with the ashes on the

different. This is with the ashes on the line. And it looks like it's going to be

line. And it looks like it's going to be 450 plus, don't you reckon?

>> Yeah. Odds then

>> slim. I said England need a miracle. Um,

I still think that I mean that I always believe in a game of cricket. go back to Hadingly 2019, whatever. It's not over till it's over. Especially in Ash's

series, you fight till that very last delivery. Um, but England staring down

delivery. Um, but England staring down the barrel.

>> England won a test match once famously when the odds were 500 to one. And on

Thursday in England, the longest priced winner ever won at 300 to one. So,

miracles do happen, but rarely. Do you

know what that name of that horse was, by the way?

>> I don't do horses. There's a cricket connection blowers 300, >> my dear old things.

>> We're doing impressions now on the pod.

>> Talking a miracle. What's going on here?

>> Look at this. Come.

>> Come. Come on. Come. Come. Come. Come.

>> Is this your book? Is that a's book?

>> Where did you get that from?

>> Where did you get that from?

>> You'll sleep.

>> You'll sleep well tonight. I'll tell you if read that. If you can't sleep, read that book.

>> There you go.

>> Who's your favorite cricketer? Uh,

>> Travis head you.

>> Uh, Travis Armanis.

>> Travis Armanis. Good. Enjoy. See you

later lads.

>> Extra bonus from the pod.

>> All right.