Stoinis century propels Aussies
AUSTRALIA’S first competitive game since its world came crashing down in South Africa brought a 57-run victory over Sussex and some good-natured jibes — but nothing like the vitriol cheerfully predicted by coach Justin Langer.
Hove was as genteel a venue as the tourists could have hoped for as they set about trying to convince everyone that their days of behaving like brats are over.
But even here, the balltampering scandal that brought down Steve Smith, David Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Langer’s predecessor Darren Lehmann was not entirely forgotten.
One local watching them in the nets shouted: “Can I check your pockets?” Another walked around ostentatiously wearing a tool belt. Later, a beery contingent sang: “If you all like sandpaper, clap your hands.”
From a crowd of almost 6000, though, it was tame fare, and far more spectators were interested in grabbing autographs from the Australians than abusing them.
In any case, of the players involved in that fateful Test in Cape Town, only Tim Paine, now the captain, took the field here — not that such details are likely to trouble England’s more vocal fans over the next three weeks.
And, on this evidence, Australia will have to up its game to trouble England’s cricketers.
Opener Aaron Finch made 78 before he fell to Jofra Archer, while Marcus Stoinis, replacing the suspended Smith at No. 3, hit a solid 110.
But from 1-167 in the 31st over, Australia struggled against the left-arm spin of Danny Briggs and the occasional leg-breaks of Luke Wells, who held a return catch to dismiss Paine for two.
England’s one-day spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid could be busy men during the five-match series.
D’Arcy Short then dropped Sussex opener Phil Salt twice before he had scored. Salt responded with a 33-ball halfcentury, and at 4-180 in the 34th over — after another bad drop, this time by Andrew Tye — Sussex was on course. Instead, the locals lost their nerve, as left-arm spinner Ashton Agar held his.
There was no obvious sledging, but then none was really needed.
Meanwhile, England’s preparation for Wednesday’s series opener at The Oval was not helped by Yorkshire’s de- cision to leave Liam Plunkett out of its Royal London Cup game against Northamptonshire at Headingley. Plunkett, the leading one-day wickettaker among England seamers since the start of 2017, conceded 76 off eight overs during the Roses match against Lancashire on Tuesday.