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South Korea v Czechia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
4 mins: This is very poor. Four consecutive long balls into the channels exchanged by the two teams. Three come to nought, and the fourth earns Korea a throw-in deep in Czechia’s half, which they send backwards and begin some keep-ball across the back five.
3 mins: Czechia have had the better of the brief early exchanges, leaning on their physicality and willingness to get the ball forward as quickly as possible. Korea, by contrast, are keen to get the ball down and wait for gaps. Kim Min-jae things he’s found one with Son running the left channel but he’s flagged offside.
1 mins: Czechia immediately play the ball back to Kovar from the kick-off who then launches it long into the left channel. No surprises for their Plan A tonight. Korea are set up in a compact mid-low block with only Son free to do as he wishes.
Kick-off!
The second match of the 2026 World Cup is under way…
I reckon there are more Mexican green jerseys in the stands than Czech and Korean red. That will give you an idea of the less-than-partisan atmosphere.
Son scrunches his eyes tightly closed and places his hand over his heart as he sings his country’s national anthem. The Czechia tune is quite a mournful affair, so when the camera cuts to the 74 year old coach you could be forgiven for thinking you’re watching a memorial, not the immediate seconds preceding a World Cup encounter.
Here they come, into the magnificent Guadalajara volcanic crater. It’s a pretty muted introduction, and there are some gaps in the stands corresponding to the posh seats. I imagine Jaliscan canapes are pretty good so fair play to the great and the good for tucking in.
The teams are waiting in the tunnel, Czechia looking absolutely bloody huge White Walkers from Game of Thrones in their icy uniforms.
Former Scotland international Chris Iwelumo is on punditry duty for this one tonight. You may remember him for classic World Cup moments like this one against Norway.
Match officials tonight are all Egyptian, led by referee Amin Omar. This is the 40 year old’s World Cup debut.
Both teams usually wear red with black accents, but tonight the Czechs will be in their change strip of all white. Hopefully South Korea have steamed their Nike shirts.
Opening round matches are notoriously cagey risk-averse affairs, and this threatens to take the cake: two sides that would be happy with a draw, playing at altitude, with drinks and VAR breaks to factor in. Let’s hope there’s an early goal to open things up.
Conditions in Zapopan are not too bad. It is around 27C and falling, still, and there’s been wisps of rain drifting around. There was the threat of thunderstorms passing through but that appears to have subsided.
However, the main factor affecting the teams today will be the altitude. It is being played roughly 1,670 meters (5,480 feet) above sea level. For comparison, the Hawthorns – home of West Bromwich Albion – is the highest ground in English football, and that tops out at just 168 meters (551 feet).
South Korea, with over a year to plan for the tournament, spent their warm-up period acclimatising at altitude in Utah. The Czechs qualified so late they have had no such luxury.
Czechia tactics:
The gameplan was straightforward in Czechia’s warm-up matches: get the ball wide to the raiding Vladimir Coufal as often as possible and pack the box with height and physicality. Given the heat, altitude, and the proficiency of their opponents tonight, expect Czechia to sit back, neutralise South Korea’s attacking threat and attack via rapid transitions and set-pieces.
South Korea tactics:
Hong Myung-bo (and his influential Portuguese assistant João Aroso) pivoted from the proactive 4-4-2 that South Korea used to good effect against weaker continental opposition, to a more conservative 3-4-3 that offers greater defensive solidity. As anyone familiar with Manchester United under Ruben Amorim, system change is not without its teething problems. This is not yet a fluid side playing with automatismo.
Kim Min-jae is pivotal in holding the back three together, the wingbacks, Seol Young-woo on the right and Lee Tae-seok on the left, are critical in both directions, and Hwang In-beom is the man who knits everything together in midfield.
But while this system evolves, progress will rely on avoiding errors at the back and exploiting moments of individual brilliance by Lee Kang-in and Son Heung-min further forward.
Czechia form guide:
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The Czechs were the 40th of 42 nations to qualify. They finished the first Uefa group phase behind Croatia then edged past the Republic of Ireland and Denmark in Playoff Path D, both times on penalties following 2-2 draws.
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Since then Czechia have defeated Kosovo 2-1 in a farewell friendly in Prague, and Guatemala 3-1 in New Jersey.
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More broadly, Czechia’s form is hard to gauge because they have spent most of the past 18 months playing international minnows. As well as the two recent warm-up matches there was a 1-0 friendly win over San Marino in November, while during qualifying they were drawn against Montenegro, Gibraltar, and the Faroe Islands – and they lost once to the Faroe Islanders 2-1.
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They haven’t beaten a side ranked in the world’s top 50 since a 3-2 win at home to Ukraine in 2024, and they haven’t won a fixture at a major tournament since the round of 16 at Euro 2020/1.
South Korea form guide:
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They cruised through AFC qualifiers, securing their spot at the finals way back in June 2025. Not only that, they went the entire 16-match campaign unbeaten.
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Since then their program of friendlies has been a mixed bag with heavy defeats to Brazil at home (0-5) and Ivory Coast in Milton Keynes (0-4) balanced somewhat by a victory away to the USA (2-0).
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In their last ten matches South Korea have kept six clean sheets, winning each of them.
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Their two warm-up friendlies in Utah featured a 5-0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago and a 1-0 victory over El Salvador.
What about Czechia? David Čermák has forgotten more than I will ever know about the penalty shootout masters.
The spine of the team is experienced. Tomas Soucek remains the leader in midfield despite being stripped of the captaincy after the players failed to thank the fans after a 6-0 win against Gibraltar…
Ladislav Krejci, the hard-tackling Wolves centre-back, stepped in as captain and scored in both playoff matches and drove the team forward. In attack Patrik Schick is expected to be the main weapon again and his fitness improved for Bayer Leverkusen towards the end of the 2025-26 season.
Any gaps in your knowledge about South Korea? Fear not, Seo Hyung-wook has the only primer you need, and it’s not brimful of confidence.
Key figures such as Son Heung-min, Kim Min-jae, Lee Kang-in, Lee Jae-sung and Hwang In-beom are all battling a cocktail of injuries, erratic club form and even being relegated to the bench.
The situation is particularly dire in central midfield, where a string of injuries have ruled out several candidates. In addition, Hwang has spent much of the season struggling to find his rhythm after suffering recurring physical setbacks.
Czechia XI
Czechia will also line up in a 3-4-3 with Alexandr Sojka handed a competitive debut alongside star man Tomáš Souček in midfield. The 23 year old was only called up for the first time for the pre-tournament friendlies.
1 Matěj Kovář; 6 Štěpán Chaloupek, 4 Robin Hranáč, 7 Ladislav Krejčí; 5 Vladimir Coufal, 22 Tomáš Souček, 24 Alexandr Sojka 20 Jaroslav Zelený; 17 Lukáš Provod, 15 Pavel Šulc, 10 Patrik Schick.
South Korea XI
The Taeguk Warriors line up as expected in a 3-4-3 spearheaded by captain and chief goalscorer Son Heung-min.
1 Kim Seung-gyu, 3 Lee Gi-hyuk, 4 Kim Min-jae, 2 Lee Han-beom, 22 Seol Young-woo, 6 Hwang In-beom, 8 Paik Seung-ho, 13 Lee Tae-seok, 19 Lee Kang-in, 10 Lee Jae-sung, 7 Son Heung-min.
Many great columns will be penned this World Cup but few will pack the punch of this evisceration of Gianni Infantino from Jonathan Liew.
Perhaps you still regard sporting spectacle as your cherished escape from politics. In which case enjoy your World Cup of games split into four quarters, decimated by heat and exhaustion, compromised by an unfair qualification process. Enjoy your largely meaningless group stage, the thousands of empty seats, the masked police standing guard just at the edge of shot, the long lingering shots of Infantino and JD Vance in the stands.
Have you completed your Bracketology yet? Mine gave me Spain defeating Argentina in the final and France edging England for third place.
Of course, DJ DG was the only man for the job. Shout out to his family.
What did you all make of the opening ceremony? Mexico is a reassuringly fanatical football nation and the passion from the stands was a much needed element of authenticity amongst the made-for-TV spectacle.
My personal highlight was the appearance of David Guetta on the big screen during the official World Cup anthem, looking like a billionaire DJ generated by AI slop. A handy metaphor for the times.
Some news from the opening match in Mexico City.
What did we learn from the opening match that might point to the progression of this World Cup? Among other things, it is going to be s l o w.
Even in relatively temperate conditions, and with few stoppages in play, the World Cup’s opening game still felt like a slog, which is likely to have set the tone for the tournament. With Fifa’s mandatory three-minute hydration breaks taken despite temperatures of just 22 degrees, the Brazilian referee, Wilton Sampaoi, did not blow his half-time whistle until 55 minutes after kick-off, even though just four minutes of added time had been played.
It seems almost inevitable that all matches in this competition will stretch over two hours and niggly contests with multiple stoppages played in hot conditions could end up lasting far longer.
Welcome to Estadio Guadalajara, in my opinion the most architecturally striking venue of the tournament. At 45,000 it is the second smallest arena of the World Cup, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character.
The design was inspired by a volcano. The exterior features a sloping parkland that rises up to the stadium’s upper levels, with the white roof designed to resemble a cloud hovering over the summit. The seating inside is arranged like a red crater.
Known outside the World Cup as Estadio Akron, it is located in the city of Zapopan, part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area in the state of Jalisco. It is the home of Liga MX side Chivas De Guadalajara.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the second match of the 2026 World Cup between South Korea and Czechia. Kick-off in this Group A clash at Estadio Guadalajara is 8pm local time (10pm EST / 3am BST / 12pm AEST).
Following Shakira’s shimmies, three red cards, and the fanatical hosts welcoming us all to the 2026 World Cup with a celebrated victory, the second of the tournament’s 104 matches looks set to be a more muted affair. It features two sides in indifferent form with modest expectations opening their campaigns during the graveyard shift at the competition’s second smallest venue.
South Korea arrive with plenty of World Cup pedigree but confidence dented by a couple of friendly hammerings. This is their 12th visit to the finals (an Asian record) and their 11th in succession (the fifth best active streak). They’ve won at least one match at five of the past six tournaments, progressing out of the group phase on three occasions, including in Qatar. But a 5-0 defeat to Brazil last year and a 4-0 trouncing by Ivory Coast in March has tempered ambitions.
Son Heung-min remains the focal point but the near-34 year old is no longer the devastating attacking force of his prime and has yet to find the back of the net in this season’s MLS. Other household names include Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Lee Kang-in, and Bayern Munich man mountain Kim Min-jae. Both are regular starters for their clubs in domestic competitions but are forced to settle for places on the bench in the Champions League.
Czechia return to the finals for the first time since 2006 and it’s only their second appearance since the break-up of Czechoslovakia. They qualified by the narrowest of margins, winning consecutive playoff penalty shootouts.
Patrik Schick is the standout, the Bayer Leverkusen striker averaging a goal every other game at international level. Tomáš Souček is prominent in midfield, and Vladimír Coufal is important on the right. Both will be familiar to fans of West Ham United.
At 74, Miroslav Koubek becomes the oldest coach in World Cup history tonight, but he will hold that record for barely two days, when 78 year old Dick Advocaat takes his seat in the Curaçao dugout.
I’ll be back shortly with team news and more preview content. Please feel free to keep me company while I’m around. The address is jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
In an email to staff, the corporation laid out proposals for the initial 200 job losses in the news division.
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Key events
31st over: New Zealand 86-3 (Ravindra 14, Mitchell 2) Josh Tongue is a real handful, he cuts Ravindra in two like Paul Daniel’s did Debbie McGee in his pomp. A shorter ball clips Ravindra’s hip and runs away for four.
30th over: New Zealand 81-3 (Ravindra 14, Mitchell 1) Fisher finds some bounce from the Vauxhall End, Mitchell fences away from his body and is fortunate to not feather behind. A drop and run into the off sees ‘The Moose’ off the mark. Ravindra’s bat sounds so good, a satisfying crunch as he shows the makers name and sees out the rest of the over.
England have bowled tight lines since lunch.
(Blowin’ through my mind) and all the while I think of you
29th over: New Zealand 80-3 (Ravindra 13, Mitchell 0) Nicholls will be disappointed with that, he was well set and looked customarily composed at the crease. Daryl Mitchell is the new batter. Tongue sends down a bouncer first up with a leg gully in place. It’s too wild though and Rew has to get his Schmeichel on to prevent four byes.
WICKET! Henry Nicholls b Tongue 24 (New Zealand 79-3)
Chopped on! Tongue finds some extra bounce and it does for Henry Nicholls. A tentative blade and feet in concrete his downfall.
28th over: New Zealand 78-2 (Nicholls 24, Ravindra 13) The Fisher King – as absolutely no one is calling Matt Fisher – continues. Nicholls tucks a single off his hip and Ravindra collects another single with a glance to leg. Steady accumulation.
27th over: New Zealand 76-2 (Nicholls 23, Ravindra 12) Tongue from the Pavilion End. Whistles through a maiden. The OBO’s own Daniel Gallan wanders over from the bleachers and tells me that the smell of braai is actually just his natural musk. With that he disappears, like a South African Keyser Soze.
26th over: New Zealand 76-2 (Nicholls 23, Ravindra 12) Erm… a ball from Fisher keeps low outside off stump and is inside edged past the stumps by Ravindra. Not again please! Just the single off the over, bit of a breeze here at the Oval and it keeps gusting the most phenomenal smell of barbecued meat past the outdoor press box seating. Someone is cooking up a storm on the Harleyford Road it seems, England are trying to cook up a wicket, here comes Josh Tongue.
Right then, the players gather on the boundary edge ready to take the field for the afternoon session. Sunny skies above, Matt Fisher has the ball for England. Nicholls and Ravindra to resume. Let’s play.
Lunchtime Reading:
Lunch – New Zealand 75-2
25th over: New Zealand 75-2 (Nicholls 23, Ravindra 11) Archer tucks up Nicholls with a short ball. The batter then misses out with a cut that he middles straight to Ben Duckett. Archer then squares up Nicholls and an edge is taken but it flies wide of the cordon and away for four. Nicholls leaves the final ball of the session and the players head off for lunch.
Even Stevens for that session I reckon, Joe Root applauds his men and the crowd give a hand too, an absorbing morning session.
24th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Nicholls 19, Ravindra 11) Ravindra has made a positive start, he picks up three with a controlled drive into the covers. Jordan Cox does some neat work on the boundary edge, the ‘cheddar’ of his resplendent ginger mullet billowing in the south London breeze.
We’ll have one more over from Jofra Archer before the delayed lunch break.
23rd over: New Zealand 66-2 (Nicholls 17, Ravindra 8) Shot! Can I confess that I hope Ravindra gets runs here… I love watching him bat. Archer angles one into the pads and is put away with aplomb to the midwicket boundary.
22nd over: New Zealand 62-2 (Nicholls 17, Ravindra 4) Fisher replaces Baker. England have their dander up with about ten minutes to go until lunch. Nicholls is watchful and blocks out a maiden.
“Crikey! Watching on TV in Taiwan while following OBO.” writes Ben Ashton.
“I said to the TV it was a shame Stokesy wasn’t playing. My Taiwanese wife walked past and asked, ‘Isn’t Stokes the bloke who’s the captain with all the tattoos, why’s he not playing?’ I said it’s because he went to a nightclub a week last Monday, she said ‘He can’t still be hungover’. Forget the cricket – hearing a Taiwanese woman use the word ‘bloke’ felt like a greater English triumph. By ‘eck, she’ll be a Yorkshire lass yet!”
21st over: New Zealand 62-2 (Nicholls 17, Ravindra 4) Rachin Ravindra arrives in the middle, he’ll be very keen to rack some up and put his stinker at Lord’s well and truly behind him. That’s a nice start, a half volley on the pads is pinged away for four through midwicket. That’s exactly what Latham was trying to do with the ball before but he was too late on the shot.
WICKET! Tom Latham c Bethell b Archer 27 (New Zealand 58-2)
Four leg byes as Archer spears one down and it clips Nicholls on the thigh pad. Another single follows off the very same. GONE! Latham tries to flick a full ball into the leg side and the leading edge is pouched by Jacob Bethell at gully.
20th over: New Zealand 53-1 (Latham 27, Nicholls 17) A second maiden from Baker, he’s settled well into Test cricket.
19th over: New Zealand 53-1 (Latham 27, Nicholls 17) It is Jofra from the Pavilion End. Nicholls gets inside a wide-ish delivery outside off stump and carves over the infield for four. Archer responds by getting a couple to jag away late. Fifty up for New Zealand, it’s been proper criggit this morning.
18th over: New Zealand 47-1 (Latham 27, Nicholls 11) Jofra is warming up for a pre-lunch spell. Baker has a short mid on in for the leading edge, he gives the middle of the pitch a good going over and it’s a maiden.
Here are the official re-arranged timings because of the early rain:
1st session: 11:30-13:30
Lunch: 13:30-14:10
2nd session: 14:10-16:10
Tea: 16:10-16:30
3rd session: 16:30-18:30
Extra 30 minutes available to bowl the overs
17th over: New Zealand 47-1 (Latham 27, Nicholls 11) Tongue blots his copybook with the final ball of his over, too short, too wide and Nicholls throws his hands at it, up and over backward point for four.
16th over: New Zealand 42-1 (Latham 26, Nicholls 7) New Zealand are accumulating nicely now, seven runs pocketed off Baker’s third. Can’t wait til he’s bowled 12 overs and I can dust off the gag to end all gags.
15th over: New Zealand 35-1 (Latham 19, Nicholls 7) Nasty. Tongue slams down a sharp bouncer at 88mph and Latham does well to sway out of the way.
“Cricket may be a religion for some of us, but we don’t officially use the term ‘canons’ as there are no clerics involved.” Writes John Starbuck. “‘Cannons’ is what you were meaning.”
I stand corrected… said the man in the orthopedic shoes.
14th over: New Zealand 31-1 (Latham 18, Nicholls 4) Latham and Nicholls pinch four runs off Sonny Baker. The sun is beating down now in South London, if New Zealand can negotiate the next hour or so then there are plenty or runs to be scored on this track.
“In light of their disciplinary troubles, have England deliberately gone for more a workman-like attack with a Baker an Archer and a Fisher?” asks Daniel Wilson.
Girds loinded for Henry Candlestick-Maker to make his debut against Pakistan in August.
13th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Latham 15, Nicholls 3) Tongue continues, he strays too straight and Latham pings off his pads for four through the leg side. Latham leaves the next and it canons into his pad, a big appeal from Tongue and the cordon but it was going over and England wisely choose not to review.
Time for our first hydration break of the Test match.
12th over: New Zealand 22-1 (Latham 10, Nicholls 3) Baker’s 90s boyband curtains bounce on his for’ead as he bounds in from the Vauxhall End. Close! That’s a beauty from the youngster, he gets one to pitch and move away late at decent pace, 86mph says the speedo. He beats Nicholls. And again! Baker settling into Test cricket much quicker than he did with the white ball last summer. There’s half an appeal for a caught and bowled off Nicholls but the ball only took thigh pad. Has Nicholls tickled the next ball down the leg side?! England think so and send it upstairs… no dice. Sonny Baker will have to wait for his first Test wicket. Eventful first over though, he can put a positive start down in his oft-mentioned notebook later on.
11th over: New Zealand 21-1 (Latham 9, Nicholls 3) Tongue goes around the wicket and is picked off for a single into the legs side by both Latham and Nicholls. Sonny Baker is going to have his first bowl in Test cricket, deep breaths son!
10th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Latham 8, Nicholls 2) Fisher has been probing and accurate so far this morning on his home ground, he’s around 84mph so quick enough. He nearly has his second with a full ball that scuds into Latham’s front pad but once again it was heading leg side with the angle. Fisher’s third maiden. Tidy.
9th over: New Zealand 19-1 (Latham 8, Nicholls 2) Tongue bustles in around the wicket, he’s back of a length and tucked away off the hip by Nicholls. Tongue is such a likeable bloke and thoroughly exciting bowler. He cranks his speed up into the 90s and has an appeal for an LBW off his final ball to Latham… but it was sliding down.
8th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Latham 8, Nicholls 0) Fisher peels off his second maiden. Josh Tongue is warming up. Remember:
“It’s Tongue as in T-U-N-G, not Tongue like T-O-N-G! What is that? TONG?”
7th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Latham 8, Nicholls 0) Archer beats Latham with a zipper that flies past the shoulder of a poked blade. A neat push into the covers brings three for the Kiwi skipper.
6th over: New Zealand 14-1 (Latham 5, Nicholls 0) Henry Nicholls joins Latham. Poor old Devon Conway, his long haul return results in an innocuous glove down the leg side and a single figure departure.
WICKET! Devon Conway c Rew b Fisher 9 (New Zealand 14-1)
Conway is strangled down the leg side. Jimmy Rew gets his gloves on an early catch and Matt Fisher has his second Test wicket.
5th over: New Zealand 9-0 (Latham 3, Conway 6) Archer reels off a maiden but Latham is happy to let plenty go outside off stump.
“Was Cicero pondering Joe Root when he wrote: ‘It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment’
Anyway – I have day 3 tickets, so what’s your prediction for the state of play by then?”
Let me consult the runes, Robert Hill.
4th over: New Zealand 12-0 (Latham 4, Conway 8) Latham and Conway tuck a too straight Fisher into the leg side. Three runs off the over. I’m sat next to the liquid tongued new host of the Wisden podcast and soon to be OBO debutant Cameron Ponsonby. He leans in coquettishly and whispers… a quite remarkable stat about Jofra Archer’s first over.
The average speed of it was 144.7kph (89.9mph) – the fastest any England bowler has bowled in the first over of a Test since records began in 2006. It’s also the fastest first over of a Test in England in that time.
Wheels.
3rd over: New Zealand 9-0 (Latham 3, Conway 6) Archer cranks his speeds into the 90s. A trumpeter toots and the crowd cheers. It is so nice to watch some cricket. Conway edges behind sketchily for two and there’s an appeal as the ball nips past the shoulder of his blade next ball. Close but no Cuban. Conway flays outside off again and gets four.
“STOP GETTING THE NATIONAL WRONG!” Emails Stephen Downing.
“Tired and blue blazered, fill yourself with… pound coins” is a lyric from Mistaken for Strangers not Apartment Story.
What can I say, I’m a stranger to myself, Steve. Sorry.
2nd over: New Zealand 3-0 (Latham 3, Conway 0) Here comes Matt Fisher from the Vauxhall End, his first bowl in Test cricket since Root’s last Test in charge four years ago in the Caribbean. He gets some immediate movement back in and finds his groove immediately, a maiden to start.
1st over: New Zealand 3-0 (Latham 3, Conway 0) Archer runs in from the Pavilion End, liquid smooth action and a back of a length ball that is clipped away neatly by Tom Latham for a couple into the leg side. New Zealand are up and running. Three slips and a gully for Archer. Penny for James Rew’s thoughts keeping to Jofra for the first time, on his Test debut.
Archer gets some zip and shape away. Latham takes a quick single to midwicket. Devon Conway on strike, he’s had some week too – he flew home to NZ to be at the birth of his new baby and then back again, he’s out there in the middle now facing nigh on 90mph. He plays and misses his first ball outside off. Well of course he does.
Peter Butler knows his Camus from his erm Cicero.
“Albert Camus also famously said, “All that I know most surely about morality and obligations I owe to football”. Which is why he never had a problem going on the piss after midnight.”
Arf.
The anthems are dusted off rousingly. Joe Root leads out England for the first time in four years. Bright sunshine here at the Oval and a bit muggy, Jofra Archer is going to start off with the ball. Let’s play!
“Hi James. Thanks for the Camus piece.” I wouldn’t call it a Camus piece per se, Peter Salmon. Don’t want to get the Philosophy crowd’s hopes up…
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion” might also suit Stokes…
Root back as captain though, does feel like normal service resumed. My favourite detail of the ‘blazer in the garage’ story is that he had 30 team sheets in the pockets. I had no idea this still happens at international level. That simple joy of tearing off one of the serrated sheets at the back of the scorebook, filling it in (first initial if you can’t remember their name) and handing it to the opposite number – love that captains at this level still get to do it. Presumably they also still have to phone around on the day before the match to check everyone is still available, and to organise lifts? “Jamie’s wife’s gone into labour, but James Rew is available and has a van, so can take six…”
Love this.
Nick Wiltsher has my back. I wouldn’t mess with him…
“Dear James, I really don’t understand why people feel they need to email you to ask for this. It’s not some esoteric mystery. Here’s how to find it: go to the BBC’s live coverage page. The link is prominently displayed in the sidebar on the left.
For those who inexplicably cannot manage that simple bit of navigations, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/live/TqXhD0hxPfk
Though if they can’t do the first thing, I wonder how on earth they’ll manage clicking on a link…”
That’s you told!
The stumps are being put in place and there’s blue skies above. We’ll have some actual cricket in about ten minutes.
A follower who wishes to remain incognito “I’m following on the sly…” gets in touch. I dare say you won’t be the only one A.Nonymous.
“Hi James, looking forward to an excellent Test and following the OBO. Is this the lowest number of combined letters in the England XI surnames since the Flower XI with Bell, Root, Cook, Trott etc (No wonder Pietersen felt left out)? Surely an indication that supremacy is once again due?”
I’m going to say yes and leave it at that.
Chris Lintott is in Paris and needs furnishing…
“Looking forward to this as a Somerset fan who has enjoyed the rise of Rew (and we’ll claim the very likeable cricket badger Baker too). Unfortunately I find myself in a shared office in the suburbs of Paris. Anyone got the overseas TMS link?”
England win the toss and choose to bowl first
If the blazer fits… Joe Root tosses the coin and Tom Latham calls… incorrectly. A cheer goes up around the Oval as Root confirms he’s going to unleash his green pace attack.
“I want to make first use of this surface. I think it’s a great opportunity for our attack to get out there and carry on the great work we did last week” he says.
“It’s probably a bit tighter than it was!” he says of the blazer.
“Tired and blue blazered, fill yourself with… pound coins”
There has of course been all sorts written about ‘the situation’ in the last week. Some good, some bad and some downright ludicrous.
I tried to articulate my own thoughts here. By way of Albert Camus. I know. La-di-dah.
There’s a funny bit at the end of the 2022 Ben Stokes documentary Phoenix From The Ashes where host and self-confessed cricket obsessive Sam Mendes quotes Albert Camus to a nonplussed Stokes.
After a confusing but good-natured knockabout on some tatty astroturf on the outfield, both men stand on the balcony of Stokes’ boyhood club, Cockermouth CC, as Mendes paraphrases the Nobel Prize-winning philosopher. Pre-empting the quote by explaining to Stokes that it is one that he himself has found meaningful in the context of a life spent writing and directing film and theatre.
‘A man’s work is nothing but the slow trek to rediscover those one or two great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.’
Stokes stares at Mendes for a second, and then with perfect timing punctures the lofty atmosphere that has momentarily descended.
‘I’ve got no idea what you just said,’ he says with a small smile. ‘Cut that.’”
The sun is out now at the Oval, we’ll have the toss in ten minutes.
Just enough time to read this from Andy Bull, the piece to read on the Stokes farrago for mine.
The problem here isn’t so much that Stokes broke a curfew. It’s that to begin with, England’s management decided to set one. This Cinderella rule was brought in so they could be seen to be doing something after their own bad management during England’s winter tour, in particular their failed attempt to cover up that situation with Brook, and their decision to send the players away for four nights of rest and recuperation in Noosa, a place best known for its beach, bars, and craft beer scene. This England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regime may be the first in history whose biggest failing seems to have been that they could organise a piss-up in a brewery.”
“Shout out to Sky” emails a B Murdoch emails John Plunkett. “Surely the first time the same player has got the most caps, most runs, most wickets and most catches in the same team. Guess three out of four on a fair few occasions, but maybe never the full house?
Also has one player ever had so many caps compared to the other 10 players?”
Remarkable isn’t it? Fancy another cortex tickler? Joe Root is the only player playing in this Test match who played in the first Test under McCullum back in 2022.
I interviewed Joe before the first Test. Pure class.
Another exciting debutant in this match is Sonny Baker. England have been comparing his speed through the air to Mark Wood, I see a certain amount of Darren Gough in him too, not least in his ebullient, almost puppyish enthusiasm for bowling.
Taha did a nice interview with him a while back:
“What does Rehan Ahmed need to do to get in this team?” ask Ian Batch. “I thought he’d be an ideal replacement for Stokes. Instead, we’re playing a specialist batsman at 7? Why pick Bashir at Lord’s but no spinner here when the Oval has been flat this year?
I get it’s been a chaotic mess since Lord’s but Baz/captain selections to me have been baffling since he took over. Anyway, here’s hoping we get 5 good days of cricket. I’ve optimistically bought a day 3 ticket, madness!”
They definitely like Rehan and I fancy we might see him later in the summer on a drier wicket. Surrey have’t been playing a spinner here at the Oval and despite the weather being set to heat up England want to bolster their batting and feel like they can get overs of spin out of Root and Bethell.
Jordan Cox is a hugely exciting talent to have coming in at seven, he’s in electric knick too.
Hard to know how to feel after the last week but despite everything that has happened there is a real buzz at the Oval, debutants always have that effect and England have three of them. They are also fielding their most inexperienced bowling attack for two decades.
Joe Root is out in the middle with his pads on chatting away to Michael Vaughan and Brendon McCullum. He spoke really well yesterday:
The slightly annoying news is that it has been mizzling here in South London and the covers were all the way across the square when I arrived half an hour ago. The tentatively better news is that it is brightening up and the groundstaff are dragging off the tarpaulins as I type. We should still get the toss in about fifteen minutes.
Scratch that, the man on the tannoy announces that the toss has been delayed until 11am.
Preamble
James Wallace
Gus Atkinson flattened… Matt Henry’s middle stump. Lord’s witnesses England’s first Test win since the crapshoot in Melbourne just after Christmas. Is this another reset? Maybe, maybe not. There’s a nagging feeling it is more a re-emphasis of the end. The following day the text comes though, Stokes and Atkinson, drinks taken, curfew broken, punches thrown. Shock, confusion, despair. Both men dropped. Investigation pending. Cricket regulator, rugby players, Rex Rooms. Stokes sacked? Stokes retired? Stokes silent. Rob Key talks, Stokes not backed, prohibition mooted. Harry Brook as captain? After Wellington? Not likely. Joe Root digs his old blazer out of the garage. It’s crumpled but still fits. Of course it is Rooty, there’ll always be Rooty, won’t there? McCullum speaks, he’s worried about Ben. We all are. Come on. We can’t lose Stokes, over this? We still might lose Stokes over this. Ollie Robinson scan, Ollie Robinson out. Injured again. Bad luck or bad conditioning. Or both? Kane Williamson retires? Not now Kane! Well played Kane. A World Cup starts. Not that one. Edgbaston, are they… singing witches? Why not. A win and a Wyatt-Hodge ton. Distraction from the distraction. Then back. Jofra back, Matthew Fisher back. Debuts for Sonny Baker and Jordan Cox. Jamie Smith swaps his gloves for nappies. Debut for James Rew. Five changes, three debutants. New captain, old captain. 1-0. Remember? The Oval. Deep breath. On we go.
Welcome to the fever dream that is English cricket.
Welcome to the Guardian’s OBO. Play begins at 11am.
Wonder what we’ll talk about until then?
An apology will be issued on behalf of the state over the historic practice, the education secretary says.
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