Marsh stars as Aussies rattle up runs

Shaun Marsh repaid selectors for gambling on his recall with an unbeaten 126 before Australia declared at 442-8 late on day two of the daynight Ashes test last night.

England were 29-1 in reply when rain halted play in the final session.

Marsh batted through the day after resuming on 20, surviving an lbw decision and losing four batting partners on his way to his fifth test century and first against England.

The 34-year-old Marsh has been in and out of the Australian test line-up since his debut in 2011, and was most recently dropped during the tour to India in March before getting a recall for the series against England.

He scored an important 51 in Australia’s 10-wicket win in the seriesopening test last week and needed to dig in again following the loss of early wickets after England won the toss in Adelaide and put the hosts in to bat.

His century came from 213 balls, and he reached triple figures with pulled boundary off Chris Woakes. His innings wasn’t without chances — he reviewed an lbw decision when he was on 29 and got a reprieve, he got an edge which didn’t quite carry to slip on 31 and was dropped again on 102, just before the dinner interval.

His stand included important innings-building partnerships of 48 with Peter Handscomb (36), 85 with Tim Paine (57) and an unbeaten stand of 99 for the eighth wicket with Pat Cummins, who was caught off Craig Overton (3-105) for 44 in the over after the dinner break. Nathan Lyon scored 10 off 11 balls in a cameo as Australia chased quick runs before declaring and sending England in to bat under lights at the Adelaide Oval.