Warner takes the rough with the smooth

CRICKET: David Warner proved that a poor showing with the bat on his return to Test action had done little to dampen his sense of fun, with some good-humoured exchanges with the rowdy England fans in the Hollies Stand at Edgbaston.

Both Warner and fellow member of Australia’s ball-tampering trio Cameron Bancroft have endured difficult returns to Test cricket, with both openers dismissed cheaply in the first match of the Ashes series, with the senior batsman recording just 10 runs for the match – his lowest return in an Ashes encounter.

The 32-year-old was fielding just in front of the boundary in the latter stages of England’s first innings where he was taunted with chants of “he’s got sandpaper in his pants”.

Warner responded to their chants by swiftly proving otherwise. Smiling and laughing, Warner then pulled out his empty pockets and showed them to the beer-fuelled, fancy dress-clad fans who in turn responded with a huge cheer. However, there were no smiles from the Sydneysider about an hour later when the third umpire overturned a not out on-field decision after footage showed he’d edged a Stuart Broad delivery into the gloves of Jonny Bairstow for eight.

It followed the two runs Warner scored in the first innings after he failed to review an lbw decision that would have been overturned.

Despite his lean return in Birmingham, Australia quick James Pattinson said Warner remained in good spirits.

“The good thing with Davy, he is just the same person whether he is scoring runs or not,” Pattinson said.