It was in the context of a pre-match pledge from captain Michael Clarke for more runs from Australia's top order, including himself, also to make more judicious use of DRS. It was not, as you might suspect, the doing of Jimmy Anderson, who must have felt a little cheated to have been marginalised on a day when wickets were being handed out for free. It was on a pitch that presented difficulties, but hardly was treacherous. On it in the morning, England's last-wicket pair had slathered 48 at run-a-ball, and Australia's openers had weathered the Anderson new-ball storm to reach 42 with scarcely a misstep.

Lunch lay two balls away. It was then that the mayhem began. Shane Watson's strength and weakness are the same. He thrusts his front pad towards the ball. It means that when it is up and straight, he drives crisply; he had already half-a-dozen times. But when the delivery is angled, he tends to hit across it. In a replica of his second innings dismissal, Watson was ruled lbw to Tim Bresnan, referred the decision - at least this time observing formality of consulting partner Chris Rogers - and was despatched. Watson's attitude is beginning to resemble the deluded mother of an out-of-step parading soldier who thinks that all the others are doing it wrong. This referral was irresponsible.

It also acted on Australia as the fluttering of a butterfly's wing. Rogers' dismissal was the day's tragi-comedy in apotheosis. Watson's hits harder in defence than Rogers when full-blooded, but at least Rogers puts a price on his wicket. Suddenly, it was a bank error in England's favour. Swann's delivery was an accident, a loopy box-high full-toss. Rogers heaved at it and missed. Umpire Marias Erasmus, as disoriented as everyone else, ruled lbw. A subsequent replay indicated that the ball would have missed leg stump by a wide margin, but Rogers, mindful that one referral already was spent, did not challenge. Swann did not know where to look.

A contagion was now abroad. Phil Hughes drove airily at Bresnan, was judged caught behind, and called for a second opinion, unavailingly. Three times, Australia had been wrong in its recourse to DRS or otherwise, and now was out of referrals. Usman Khawaja swung ambitiously across Swann's line and sent a skier to mid-off, Steve Smith pushed Swann to short leg, Clarke was batting beautifully until he suddenly missed a swinging ball from Broad, and Ashton Agar made three-quarters of a run twice, once in each direction, but was run out.

For once, the tail barely even twitched. England even could afford two dropped catches and an improbable late referral that it spent like a tourist who knows he cannot take his sterling notes home with him. Lord's rejoiced for and with Swann, but had the decency not to appear excessively triumphant. Australia had lost 10/86. While this sunk in, on the ground, Warne was inducted into the ICC hall of fame.