If I were a betting man, my prediction that England could win the second Test match at Lord’s from a losing position might have had me doing an Irish jig thinking I was quids in. The way Ben Stokes batted in a typically cavalier rearguard action transformed the Test match, but unfortunately all that anyone wants to talk about in the wake of a result that virtually seals the fate of the Ashes in Australia’s favour is the manner of the Jonny Bairstow dismissal and the very confusing Spirit of Cricket.

Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey “stumping” Bairstow in the way he did was controversial, I guess, but in a big series like this, there was always going to be something that is a big talking point. You sense it’s something that may not matter much when the third Test begins at Headingley today, although the Australians have to expect they will receive a ferocious reception from the Yorkshire crowd.

Dead ball or not? Out or not out? That’s a decision for the umpires to make, obviously, and they felt that it was out. People are questioning whether the Aussies could have gone about it differently, but when you’re playing that level of sport and certain things are on the line, it is hard.

Many times it comes down to on which side of the fence you are sitting — if it’s against you, it is spirit of the game; if it’s for you, it’s the rules. I think people get the Spirit of Cricket and the Laws of Cricket mixed up sometimes. For example, the Mankad, it’s a rule in the rulebook. I’m not saying that as Bermuda captain I would try to do it to every batter or encourage my bowlers to try to do it to every batter, but for me it’s a rule. It’s just like a bowler bowling a no-ball: a bowler gets penalised for bowling a no-ball for overstepping, so why shouldn’t batters be penalised for walking out their crease?

There are times when you have to think about the spirit of the game and what your actions may result in. But that’s completely different from the Laws sometimes. So it’s one of those things, depending on the situation. You can talk about the Bairstow dismissal and say, “Oh, was it in the spirit of the game?” But if it’s a rule, it’s a rule. If it’s not a rule, then that’s where you talk about was it right or was it wrong.

Let’s not forget that lost amid all the controversy was Bairstow attempting the exact same dismissal against Marnus Labuschagne earlier in the match. But the Australian was in his crease and Bairstow missed in any event.

The other big thing to come out of this match was the treatment the Australia players received from an uncharacteristically raucous Lord’s crowd, which led to three MCC members getting banned from the Long Room. Lord’s is the “library” of English cricket grounds — much like Arsenal’s Highbury and then Emirates Stadium were labelled in the Premier League for their civility — but the heated atmosphere around the ground found its way to the members, and some of the exchanges with the Australia players as they walked through went over the line.

Lord’s is one of those places that the first time you walk into it you get goose bumps —that’s a real thing at a place like that! I remember making my T20 debut there and it hit me when was I facing my first ball. I can’t remember who I was facing, but I was actually looking at the pavilion and not watching the bowler run in. I had to snap back into it really quick, but they call it the home of cricket for a reason. If anyone was to go there, you would see why. It’s a lot of history there and all that goes on behind the scenes. To be a member there and be allowed in the Long Room for a Test match especially is something pretty special.

From now on, the series is going to be fiery. This is what some of the ex-England players and commentators have been calling for, especially from England. They’ve been saying the rapport between the teams for an Ashes series might be too friendly, too cosy. It’s a pity it took this moment of controversy to light a fire, but it just might bring out a different side in some players and makes for an interesting next three games.

One player who does not need such inspiration is the captain. That 155 from Stokes to bring England so close to victory was special and matched, if not surpassed, some of the miracle knocks he has had in recent times. The night before, he soaked up a bit of pressure and batted really smart to give himself the opportunity to come back the next day and do what he did. That just shows his smarts, competitiveness and the toughness that he has to be able to deliver his skill for that long period of time at that high level against the best team in the world, the best bowling attack in the world. That performance is one of those where you could say he led from the front. I think guys will piggyback off that now and you might see a different performance from England.

There had to be changes for Headingley, and Mark Wood coming in will add a lot more pace and possibly ruffle some feathers among the Australians. They have an enforced change, too, with Nathan Lyon out for the rest of the series, which made their victory at Lord’s all the more remarkable — batting in the most bowler-friendly conditions after losing another toss and then bowling in the fourth innings without a spinner.

Lyon is the best spinner in the world and to have him missing is going to be big because you have to play either Todd Murphy, who did well in India, or have Travis Head as a makeshift spinner. England will probably target that, especially if they play the debutant.

Obviously, it depends on what wicket they get at Headingley. Notoriously, it has been seamer-friendly. So whether the Aussies don’t play an out-and-out spinner and play Head as their spinner and go with five quicks, it will be interesting to see. But I do think that the rest of series now, with the events that have happened and some of the comments that have been made in press, will be exciting, get a lot more feisty and make for good viewing.

While not remotely at the same standard, I would like to think the two games at White Hill Field last weekend were also good viewing. Two tense victories by two wickets, both almost coming down to the last ball. The Saturday game as a guest player for Warwick in the Western Counties was obviously low-scoring but we got over the line to dethrone Southampton Rangers. It was a difficult wicket, but then to come back the next day against Somerset in the KO Cup semi-final on the same strip was a good effort by both teams.

If you look at that Somerset team, the majority of them are bona fide Premier Division cricketers, so it never felt like Premier Division champions versus First Division champions. It was a nice game to be a part of, but credit to the boys and Stephen Outerbridge played an unbelievable innings, timing it perfectly to get us over the line and into another final against Cleveland on Sunday.

• Delray Rawlins was talking to Dexter Smith