Since the Second World War many fine England spinners have graced the field at Lord’s in an Ashes Test. The most notable were Derek Underwood, Jim Laker and Phil Edmonds.
There were also miserly off-spinners like Fred Titmus and John Emburey. None had taken five wickets in an innings against Australia on this ground. The last time an England spinner achieved that (Hedley Verity) Ramsay MacDonald was Prime Minister.
The current incumbent, David Cameron, was in attendance on Friday - sitting in the cheap(er) seats at the Nursery End - to see Graeme Swann finally achieve it.
And, given that the pitch is already a beach more suitable for a bucket and spade than a bat and ball, you wouldn’t bet against him repeating the feat in Australia's second innings. He spun some balls so much to left handers they went straight to first slip.
It was not Swann’s finest spell of bowling, and he admitted it. He took his first wicket with a waist high full toss, and two others from tailend slogs.
There was probably only one vintage Swann dismissal among them - a beautifully flighted off break to the right handed Steve Smith that turned and bounced to flick Smith’s gloves and be taken at short leg. But in truth Australia’s batting was so inept he did not have to be at his best.
Unconventionally he took all his wickets from the Nursery End. Given that the Lord’s slope naturally takes the ball away from right handers from there, it is not the preferred end for off-spinners, as it obliges them to try to turn the ball against the angle of the pitch.
But from the moment in the morning that the England coaching staff - Andy Flower, David Saker and Graham Gooch - spied the deep rough down the line of the leg stump created by Ryan Harris’s bowling from the Pavilion End, Swann was always going to be aiming his off-breaks into it.
Australia had intimated before the match that they might try and undermine Swann with well chosen verbals.
That is not easy to do when the man in question, coming in at No 11, has just thumped the second new ball for a brisk 28 not out and turned an ordinary team batting performance into an acceptable one.
Added to that you need Australians with presence and stature to make those challenging statements.
Unfortunately the only ones to be found are either in the MCC committee room (Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting), the Mound Stand (Allan Border, Merv Hughes) or the commentary box (Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath.)
Swann had the regulation one over before lunch and set to work after the interval. Despite again losing his opening partner Shane Watson when apparently settled at the crease, Chris Rogers looked comfortable against the spin.
Then unaccountably he swung at a legside full toss, missed and was hit in the midriff. It was an incident that belonged more on the village green. Swann yelped out an appeal — more in amusement than in expectation. But umpire Marais Erasmus raised the dreaded finger.
Even more unaccountably Rogers, Mr Exceptional in a team of nice guys, failed to challenge it, believing that other players were more deserving of Australia’s one remaining review.
Halfway back to the pavilion Hawkeye revealed it would have missed leg stump by some distance but by then it was too late. It was Australia’s 10th misuse of the DRS and we are only seven days into the series.
Usman Kawaja, Australia’s seventh No 3 in two years, had already been dropped at slip off Swann, and was clearly disconcerted by the degree of spin. Sometimes it veered into the red on Sky’s Rev counter.
Unwisely the left-hander stepped out to launch him over the top and skewed a catch to Pietersen. It was a horror wicket that spoke of pressure and panic.
Michael Clarke, Swann’s most likely tormentor, was soon back in the pavilion courtesy of Stuart Broad. A glove-ripper and two ugly slogs later and Swann had what bowlers like to call a ’Michelle’ (Pfeiffer.)
He will bowl far better (and already has in this series) for a good deal less reward. But the current PM will not have had time to practice his Boycott-advised straight drive before he does it again.
There were also miserly off-spinners like Fred Titmus and John Emburey. None had taken five wickets in an innings against Australia on this ground. The last time an England spinner achieved that (Hedley Verity) Ramsay MacDonald was Prime Minister.
The current incumbent, David Cameron, was in attendance on Friday - sitting in the cheap(er) seats at the Nursery End - to see Graeme Swann finally achieve it.
And, given that the pitch is already a beach more suitable for a bucket and spade than a bat and ball, you wouldn’t bet against him repeating the feat in Australia's second innings. He spun some balls so much to left handers they went straight to first slip.
It was not Swann’s finest spell of bowling, and he admitted it. He took his first wicket with a waist high full toss, and two others from tailend slogs.
There was probably only one vintage Swann dismissal among them - a beautifully flighted off break to the right handed Steve Smith that turned and bounced to flick Smith’s gloves and be taken at short leg. But in truth Australia’s batting was so inept he did not have to be at his best.
Unconventionally he took all his wickets from the Nursery End. Given that the Lord’s slope naturally takes the ball away from right handers from there, it is not the preferred end for off-spinners, as it obliges them to try to turn the ball against the angle of the pitch.
But from the moment in the morning that the England coaching staff - Andy Flower, David Saker and Graham Gooch - spied the deep rough down the line of the leg stump created by Ryan Harris’s bowling from the Pavilion End, Swann was always going to be aiming his off-breaks into it.
Australia had intimated before the match that they might try and undermine Swann with well chosen verbals.
That is not easy to do when the man in question, coming in at No 11, has just thumped the second new ball for a brisk 28 not out and turned an ordinary team batting performance into an acceptable one.
Added to that you need Australians with presence and stature to make those challenging statements.
Unfortunately the only ones to be found are either in the MCC committee room (Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting), the Mound Stand (Allan Border, Merv Hughes) or the commentary box (Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath.)
Swann had the regulation one over before lunch and set to work after the interval. Despite again losing his opening partner Shane Watson when apparently settled at the crease, Chris Rogers looked comfortable against the spin.
Then unaccountably he swung at a legside full toss, missed and was hit in the midriff. It was an incident that belonged more on the village green. Swann yelped out an appeal — more in amusement than in expectation. But umpire Marais Erasmus raised the dreaded finger.
Even more unaccountably Rogers, Mr Exceptional in a team of nice guys, failed to challenge it, believing that other players were more deserving of Australia’s one remaining review.
Halfway back to the pavilion Hawkeye revealed it would have missed leg stump by some distance but by then it was too late. It was Australia’s 10th misuse of the DRS and we are only seven days into the series.
Usman Kawaja, Australia’s seventh No 3 in two years, had already been dropped at slip off Swann, and was clearly disconcerted by the degree of spin. Sometimes it veered into the red on Sky’s Rev counter.
Unwisely the left-hander stepped out to launch him over the top and skewed a catch to Pietersen. It was a horror wicket that spoke of pressure and panic.
Michael Clarke, Swann’s most likely tormentor, was soon back in the pavilion courtesy of Stuart Broad. A glove-ripper and two ugly slogs later and Swann had what bowlers like to call a ’Michelle’ (Pfeiffer.)
He will bowl far better (and already has in this series) for a good deal less reward. But the current PM will not have had time to practice his Boycott-advised straight drive before he does it again.
