England get it right with the ball as James Anderson tests his troublesome calf...ASHES TALKING POINTS

SAM MORSHEAD AT LORD'S: Anderson ran laps of the outfield prior to the start of play and took part in some bowling drills on the square, and looked to be moving much more freely than during the first Test at Edgbaston

Clouds, floodlights, drizzle - pitch it up.

Everything was in England’s favour when they returned for the start of day three.

The clouds were low, moisture was in the air, Australia’s batsmen had to start again with artificial light taking hold. If ever there was a time to be a seam bowler, this was it.

Yet for 45 minutes the hosts wasted the opportunity, bowling far too short to scattergun fields. A leg slip here, a short leg there, bouncers flying over head height. Mangled thinking.

Chris Woakes - England’s best new-ball bowler at the venue he enjoys the most - was not thrown the thing until half-an-hour into play. It felt as though the home side had blown it.

Then Jofra Archer pitched one up, DRS showed the bails being clipped and Cameron Bancroft was on his way. Usman Khawaja followed, dragged into an edge by, you’ve guessed it, another full delivery from Woakes, before Stuart Broad snaffled Travis Head.

England had forced themselves back into the game by correcting the error of their early ways, which begs the question: why was the plan so wrong in the first place?

Go easy on Aleem

Umpire Aleem Dar was on the receiving end of plenty of social media criticism after failing to give an lbw decision against Travis Head which would have taken the middle of middle stump, but let’s cut Dar some slack.

The ball struck both Head’s pads in quick succession, creating two noises, nanoseconds after passing his bat.

To the naked eye, or more accurately the naked ear, it could quite easily have appeared to have struck the inside edge. That is why we have DRS. 

It was far from the worst decision in the series, in fact it would struggle to make the top five after the debacle at Edgbaston, and Dar has been otherwise excellent in this match so far.

^{James Anderson jogged and took part in some bowling drills as he seeks to regain fitness}

Domestic schedule harms Anderson comeback trail

Jimmy Anderson was back with the England setup at Lord’s on Friday, as his recovery from a calf injury continues.

The seamer ran laps of the outfield prior to the start of play and took part in some bowling drills on the square, and looked to be moving much more freely than during the first Test at Edgbaston.

Anderson will not be considered for selection for the third Test at Headingley next week, and England want him to prove his fitness in a match situation before he is restored to the squad.

The issue? The ECB’s own domestic schedule hardly has any opportunity for Anderson to bowl with the red ball over the next few weeks. In fact, the situation is so bad that it is possible he will turn out for Derbyshire in an upcoming tour match against Australia.

The fourth Test at Old Trafford has been tentatively earmarked as a possible return date but, regardless of the number of laps he does of Lord’s or how easily he is moving into the bowling crease, Anderson could ultimately be hamstrung by a lack of competitive cricket over the coming days.

To celebrate England winning the World Cup you can subscribe to The Cricketer for just £20.19. Click here to learn more