Ashes 2019: 'Steve Smith and the wind steal England's momentum at Old Trafford'

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By Tom Fordyce
Chief sports author
There was a second, as tea was known as on the first evening of the hugely anticipated and possibly decisive fourth Ashes Test, which summed up all that'd arrived in the hours before.
As the rain came in sideways on hammering squalls, tearing the twinkling beige covers from the frozen hands of the floor staff, delivering a steward in a transparent plastic poncho staggering sideways as he tried to keep his toes on the outfield like a fisherman in the deck of a North Sea trawler, a New Orleans-style marching group appeared, playing"When the Saints Go Marching In" at full volume.
For people who have watched cricket in England it was idiosyncratic pathos' type that seems comfortingly familiar.
This is how the summertime game works. You leave in the first stages of hypothermia and arrive at shorts. You come to view Australia wrapped and reserve your loudest cheer for a beach ball that escapes one grandstand and bounces clear round the pitch to the other.
Those who may have thrilled to the former day of action in this series, when Ben Stokes shattered records - and also the bounds of this formerly thought possible - from the balmy sunshine and deafening sound of Headingley, there can only have been confusion.
Where there was warmth there have been winter coats. Where there was cavorting in the aisles there had been sheltering under any overhang that is available. Where there was Stokes putting waste there was Steve Smith collecting and accumulating, most of it using a proto-Smith doing exactly the same at the other end in the shape of Marnus Labuschagne.
From beautiful into the Beaufort Scale. Among the items that were blown off by the howling winds would be the pair of bails, the umpire's sunglasses and the umpire's hat.
At one point we moved bail-free. No bond was available that may deal with conditions that are prevailing. You started to panic for the members of the outfielders of England. You started to think that the item that is next to take flight could be Kumar Dharmasena himself.
Nowhere were the conditions bleaker than in the peak of this vast temporary stand, which sticks from the Stretford skyline lineup like a cricketing mountain and has been exposed in the gales and the cold rain because the ridge line of a Alpine summit.
Because there is in an England match, there was fancy-dress there. You will find a few Jack Leachs, all in glasses and white shirts with his name across the waist, and there were also several in brick red with white royal stripes because the Leach walls, graffiti studying 1in tribute to the bespectacled spinner's doughty part in the Miracle of Leeds.
There were four Beatles, their Sergeant Pepper wigs being discounted at any given moment, their own moustaches threatening to stick-off across their faces.
To happen to be a newcomer to check cricket changed by the last day at Headingley and coming at Old Trafford expecting the same it must have been like listening to the Fab Four, believing just how much you enjoyed the songwriting of John Lennon along with producing your next purchase his extreme adventuresome Two Virgins album.
Much of the conversation between the beginning of this and the end of the Test had been about the momentum being with England. If this felt a small one-eyed - it took one of the wonderful Test innings to save them, their best four still largely from form, their all-time top wicket-taker out of the show - it felt more curious still when Smith returned to the crease.
Had Smith been overlooking through concussion, would England have won Leeds? How he batted on Wednesday, as distinctively quirky involving deliveries because he's discreet in the actual compilation of his runs, you tried not to consider it a lot.
There was lots of momentum, much of it supporting the packets that are sharp than kept racing from east to west , more to Smith innings.
Stuart Broad had looked very Stuart Broad in eliminating David Warner for the following duck - his sixth score of less than 10 in this show - then Marcus Harris with the score still on 28, all oohs and appeals and aggression. As throughout so many recent Ashes conflicts, and the match was away from England and Subsequently Smith started nudging and flicking and beneath his distinctive control.
Smith finished on 60 not out, as unflustered from the weather as though he were batting on a toasty Boxing Day. It was his eighth Ashes half-century. No other person has graduated more than half the trot.
He's currently averaging 146. Despite that it can be tough to remember many. Stokes bulldozed the assault of Australia at Headingley. Smith just undermines the foundations such as an army of termites.
It is a fantastic thing for Australia that their former captain is at unparalleled form. Their introduction stands in this show so much have gone 2, 13, 11, 13, 12, 101.
It's frightening for England since it threatens to trump all else they have.
Stokes ended with 0-36 off his eight overs that were hard core, and bowled, to appreciative bellows from individuals from the audience warm enough to suck in the air. Leach bowled in slip and found his span and a little twist if he was driven by Labuschagne over.
The other expect of England, To get Jofra Archer, it was a day. So immediate has his sway within this group been that it's for forget this is just his third game easy.
He discovered day's quickest ball for Smith but struggled to keep the danger he had introduced in Leeds and in Lord's.
He'll have days. Not every one will be as grim as this, although the faint-hearted must dismiss the present prediction for Friday.

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