Tensions reached boiling point on the fifth day at Lord’s after Jonny Bairstow was stumped by Alex Carey after aimlessly wandering out of his crease.
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After Bairstow ducked underneath a Cam Green bouncer, Carey immediately threw the ball at the stumps upon its collection. Bairstow, unaware of Carey’s actions behind him, strolled out of his ground and replays confirmed that he was stumped.
Bairstow was described as “dozy” by former England captains Mike Atherton and Andrew Strauss on the Sky Sports Cricket commentary, but the Lord’s crowd nevertheless voiced their displeasure at the decision.
The stump mics also picked up plenty of back-and-forth between the England batters, chiefly Stuart Broad, and the Australia fielders.
Broad, who is no stranger to contentious Ashes moments himself, was overheard chirping in Carey’s direction in particular. At one point, the stump mic picked up the England veteran seamer saying to Carey: “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered for. That.”
The moment of controversy came at a crucial juncture in both the match and the series. Having set England an unlikely target of 371, Australia were well in control after the dismissal of Bairstow.
The England wicketkeeper was the sixth wicket to fall and his dismissal brought Broad to the crease, exposing England’s long tail. Whereas all-rounder Moeen Ali batted at eight in the first Test at Edgbaston, Broad, who has one Test fifty since 2017, was batting immediately below Bairstow at Lord’s, ahead of Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue and James Anderson.
Not for the first time in a home Ashes contest, England’s hopes then lay firmly on Ben Stokes’ shoulders. The England captain was 62 off 126 deliveries at the fall of Bairstow, but soon accelerated to 108 off 147, sensationally bringing up his century by hitting Cam Green for three consecutive sixes.
