Australia 416 (Smith 110, Head 77, Warner 66, Root 3-19, Tongue 3-98) and 279 (Khawaja 77, Broad 4-65) beat England 325 (Duckett 98, Brook 50, Starc 3-88) and 327 (Stokes 155, Duckett 88, Cummins 3-69, Starc 3-29, Hazlewood 3-80) by 43 runs
In scenes unlike any witnessed at this ground, even in its long history of epic matches, the game was then played out in a febrile atmosphere where Australia were jeered endlessly by a full final-day crowd and MCC members had to reminded about their behaviour after incidents when the players left the field for lunch.
When Broad joined Stokes in the middle, England’s anger was clear. Broad was in the face of Australia’s fielders from the moment he took guard, while Stokes was obviously fuming but channelled his emotions into one of the most awe-inspiring displays of ball-striking Lord’s has seen.
He tore into Green with three boundaries in an over through the leg side, then in Green’s next over went further with a trio of consecutive sixes, the second of them palmed over the rope by Starc at long leg. He reached his century from 142 balls with the third of them and there was barely a celebration, just a brief raise of the bat in acknowledgement.
The fifty partnership came up in 4.4 overs moments before the players took lunch. Words were exchanged between Broad and David Warner as they walked off the pitch, while footage soon emerged of MCC members in the Long Room confronting Australia’s players. It was later claimed by Cricket Australia that physical contact was made and MCC apologised.
Would the 40-minute break take the sting out the situation? The second ball of the afternoon session was launched over long-on by Stokes and two deliveries later he was spilled by a sprawling Smith who could not gather the top edge. By and large, Stokes tried to farm the strike although occasionally was happy to give Broad a few balls to face, and he joined in the heady atmosphere by pulling Hazlewood through the leg side to end an over where Stokes had already taken two further sixes.
Stokes took another brace of sixes over the leg side, this time from Starc, before a summit meeting between Australia’s senior players saw Green return to the attack and he bowled two good overs which cost just three.
By now, Australia had nine fielders on the fence to Stokes and the boundaries dried up. Nine runs came in six overs. Hazlewood returned, Stokes swiped across the line and Carey settled under the catch. Australian fielders ran from all corners of the ground. Cummins and Smith gave Stokes an appreciative tap on the back. They had stopped him in the nick of time. The Ashes were within their grasp but the events of the final day at Lord’s are likely to reverberate across both nations for a long time to come.