The Women’s Ashes Test match has reached its conclusion, going into a fifth day at Trent Bridge. While England lost the match by 89 runs, falling short of a chasable target, Sophie Ecclestone’s heroics throughout the Test match stole the show.

In the men’s competition, we’re two days out from the second Test match getting underway at Lord’s, but there’s been plenty to dissect in between matches. James Anderson and Nathan Lyon tried their hand at baseball pitching, with one having rather more success than the other, and the war of words from former players continues to exist in overdrive.

Ecclestone’s marathon in vain

Ecclestone bowled 77 overs and one ball during the women’s Ashes Test, the second-most of any England player in a women’s Test match. Her reward was a maiden five-for in the first innings and another in the second, making her the 11th woman to take ten wickets in a Test. Despite that monumental effort with the ball, an early fourth-innings collapse meant she was batting to save the game on the fifth morning. That proved a step too far for her and the rest of England’s tail.

Ash Gardner takes eight

As if Ecclestone’s efforts weren’t good enough, Ash Gardner rattled through England on the morning of day five at Trent Bridge to record the second-best innings and match figures in women’s Test history, and the best for an Australian. She took 8-66 in the second innings to finish with match figures of 12-165. Australia’s win and 4-0 lead in the series means they could wrap the Ashes up next week, the earliest possibility for them to retain the trophy is next Wednesday at the Kia Oval.

Moeen’s finger update

Rehan Ahmed has been called up to the squad for Lord’s with Moeen Ali recovering from a finger blister sustained  at Edgbaston. However, there are promising signs as far as the troublesome digit is concerned, with Moeen showing no ill effects when bowling in the nets, according to reports.

Anderson and Lyon open up MLB London

Major League Cricket might be almost upon us states-side, but another cricket-baseball cross-over moment came at the Olympic Stadium in London this week. Anderson and Lyon put their on-field differences on hold to send down the ceremonial first pitch of the MLB London series on Saturday evening. Continuing his role as the pantomime villain to seemingly every English crowd regardless of sport, Lyon was booed on his way out to join Anderson on the field before both shook hands. They then both sent down a baseball-style pitch to a gloved catcher, Anderson’s rather more on target than Lyon’s, and with a little more heat, before both walking off the field. A brief and underwhelming cameo.

Who had the better ceremonial first pitch?

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Jimmy Anderson
🇦🇺 Nathan Lyon#LondonSeries | @jimmy9 @englandcricket | @NathLyon421 @CricketAus pic.twitter.com/mPgf4Nx8sa

— MLB Europe (@MLBEurope) June 24, 2023

Michael Clarke enters the chat

“He needs to shoosh” was the latest piece of advice offered to Ollie Robinson by a former Australia captain. Speaking on the Big Sports Breakfast programme in Australia, Clarke said: “If England were fully fit you wouldn’t even get a game, Ollie. If Jofra Archer was playing, or if (Mark) Wood had been playing and was fully fit, old mate — I don’t know what town he plays for — he’d be back playing clubbies.”

For Clarke’s reference, Robinson has taken 71 wickets in 17 Test matches at an average of 21.15. It’s probably a safe bet that he’d get a gig in most club first XIs.

Travis Head, the voice of reason

Unlike his predecessors, Travis Head has given a much more reasoned commentary in the build-up to Lord’s. Speaking to 9News he said: “They (England) have got this mantra they’re going at. Not just on the field but off the field they are throwing some nice chat out, but this team is truly just worried about what we need to do to win the second Test to go 2-0 up and put some pressure on them.”

“I find it pretty fun. I had a few quiet words, jovial words, to him out there. It all makes for good fun, and we’ll see where the next four Tests go.” A very calm assessment, if a bit dull for where we’re at.

Broad picks up the narrative

In his column for the Daily Mail, Stuart Broad repeated England’s plan to attack: “We came so close to taking a 1-0 Ashes lead in Birmingham, but head to Lord’s trailing Australia. So what do we need to do differently this week? Attack even more.”

If you hadn’t realised already, strap in for Lord’s – clearly if England are to go 2-0 down, they intend to do so in a reverse-ramp shot blaze.

Marnus Labuschagne’s batting theories

Labuschagne was dismissed twice by Stuart Broad at Edgbaston and he’s developed some theories as to why. “They were very uncharacteristic dismissals to how I’ve usually played,” he said. “That’s why I was pretty frustrated with myself to get out that way and asked myself the question, ‘why did I play at those deliveries?’.”

“I’ve come up with my own summation of what that is. Now it’s if there’s anything I can do tactically or technically to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Labuschagne also gave Australia a scare when he was hit on the finger during net practice at Lord’s. He fell into a heap on the ground before he was able to continue batting after treatment.

Smith revisits Archer duel

Steve Smith has opened up on his epic duel with Jofra Archer at Lord’s in the 2019 Ashes Test. It was the spell that put Archer on the map in terms of Test cricket, before the injury woes that have plagued him since put paid to a repetition, for now at least. Speaking on the Legend of Ashes podcast, Smith said of the spell, which left him concussed: “It was a very difficult period to get through. I caught one on the arm, got away with a few pull shots that are top edge and a couple in the gaps. And then I copped one in the back of the head, which hurt a fair bit…. I started to feel quite groggy, probably like I’d had half a dozen beers.”