Nobodies make a name in cauldron

THEY were supposed to be the two biggest nobodies in an England team with several of them.

But the failed Sydney grade cricketer and a bloke averaging 19 yesterday combined to send a strong message to Australia that even with Ben Stokes back home, the faceless men could be coming to get them.

Opener Mark Stoneman and No.3 James Vince put their names up in lights on day one at the Gabba, punching out a tough-as-nails century partnership that rebuilt the innings.

On hearing the anonymous names Stoneman, Vince and Dawid Malan read out at the selection table, England greats were quick to declare it the weakest to tour Australia — with Kevin Pietersen going as far as to label it “horrendous”.

Only 48 hours before the Test, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden hit a nerve with Stokes on the other side of the world by suggesting England was a “rabble”.

“I look down half of the list and I honestly don’t even know who half of these guys are,” Hayden said.

Australia’s fast bowlers confidently predicted in the leadup to the series that if they got to Alastair Cook and Joe Root, the inexperienced players around them would struggle.

When experienced leader Cook nicked off in only the third over, it was suddenly up to the two battlers to sink or swim.

They did not paddle fast, but Stoneman (53) and Vince (83) were convincing with their strokes and a half-century each has set them up for career-shaping tours.

Stoneman played a few years of grade cricket in Sydney, where he would have faced Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood in the St George nets.

He battled to average 30 against the clubbies, but Stoneman — aged 30 — has well and truly proven he is a Test cricketer.

Scores of 85, 61, 51 and 111 in the warm-up matches was a rocking start to the tour, and he went on with it on the big stage yesterday to make an important 53.