When an amazing day’s play concluded last night, England’s cricketers found themselves staring at the tantalising, almost terrifying, possibility of a place in history.

Seventy-five years after it last happened, indeed 41 years since there was even a sniff of it, England have a tremendous chance of winning an Ashes Test at Lord’s. Australia are on 156 for eight, still 70 short of even avoiding the follow-on, in reply to 425.